Winter is giving way to spring, the grasslands of the midwest have an erie and haunting sound floating over them as the sun rises. You can see in the faint light little bundles floating over the landscape, every so often colliding and bursting into the sky and then landing again. A right of spring that’s as old as the grasslands celebrating the longer hours in the day. A dance so celebrating new life it was imitated by Native Americans. K&M Adventures is heading to Nebraska next April 4-7 2016 to photograph Prairie Chicken and Sharp-tailed Grouse on their leks.
This very unique Adventure is all about birds. Besides the Prairie Chicken and Sharp-tailed Grouse, we work the Sandhill Cranes on the Platt and many other bird species of Nebraska. We might even stop for some amazing landscape scenes you’ll find nowhere else. The Adventure is limited to JUST 6 shooters (2 spots left, sorry, no spouses) for this four day adventure. The price is $2695 which includes lodging, breakfast and dinner, transportation during the entire time once in NE, access to the leks and blinds as well as guide and photographic instruction. This will be an incredible shoot, can’t wait! To reserve your spot, give Sharon a call 661.204.1506 today!
Want to go flying? Better yet, want to photograph another aircraft while you’re flying? How about learning how to work with pilots, finding the aircraft, those dramatic static shots and so much more? What about the photographic basic of light? We have the perfect adventure for you where this is just the start of your learning process. The K&M AirAdventure (air to air is separate) is like no other with its ground and air instruction providing you the knowledge you need to be out and shoot your own successful photo mission.
In 2016, we’ll be based out of Minot, ND (where video above was filmed) and now again in Mesa, AZ. We’re offering just four AirAdventures in 2016 and ONLY FOUR shooters per Adventure. We can’t add any more so once full, that’s it for this year.
The dates are:
27-29 May – 1 spot
01-03 July – full
09-11 Sept – full
11-13 Nov – 1 spot
(all scheduled aircraft are not guaranteed as aircraft do break down)
This blog post doesn’t really tell the whole story. Can’t recommend enough to call and talk to the one here who flies the most, Sharon! Give her a call 661.204.1506 and she can tell you all the fun you’ll have, all that you’ll learn and get you signed up for your next photo mission!
Note: specific aircraft appearance based on operational status
So I’m going storm chasing again. I’m moving about the country in the navigators compartment in a TBM. And I have a bunch of other rides this year where there is barely enough space for me, let alone gear which includes a tripod. So I went shopping for a compact yet very stable travel tripod. I found a gem, one I really love in the CT-3481 Carbon Fiber Tripod With BE-126T Ball Head. It weighs nothing and takes no space yet has a responsible height while providing support.
PRODUCT HIGHLIGHTS
Load Capacity: 26.4 lb
Max Height: 68″
Min Height: 10.5″
Folded Length: 18.9″
Leg Sections: 4
Weight: 3.8 lb
Detachable Leg and Column Form Monopod
Rubber Feet & Retractable Metal Spikes
Arca-Type Quick-Release Plate
Separate Panning Lock
It comes with the BE-126T head and a center column. It’s a nice head that is smooth and sturdy. You might notice in the photo though the center column is gone. There is a simple set screw that once loosened, the column comes off making the tripod 8oz lighter and that much more compact. It’s size, stability and price made it perfect for my needs. I love it when you can find the perfect match of gear for project!
The D5 isn’t that far out so it’s time to get everything in the studio so when it arrives, I’m ready to shoot. That’s why I was excited the 128GB 2933x XQD 2.0 Memory Card arrived. The size and speed is just exciting, I can’t wait to make them smoke! It’s important with the new speed XQD you get the new XR2 Card Reader for 2nd Generation XQD Cards as well. I’m so looking forward to putting these bad boys in and start shooting!
“…and in reading many of your posts, it would seem techniques like exposing to the right, resolutions charts, concerns over noise and chromatic aberrations, even composition don’t even enter your photographic process. It didn’t take me long to see you’re concerned with only one thing, passion, anything else?” The emailer in my opinion had done a great job distilling all my thousands of pages on the website down to the one thing I think is the most important aspect in photography, whatever the genre … passion. I firmly feel and have felt for more than thirty years, what the world needs are not more technically correct photographs but one filled with passion. Is it just that easy?
Photography must remain fun or we’ll leave it in the closet. This means that if it’s the technical side of photography that brings you happiness, then that’s what you need to focus on. And if you want just passion to rule your photography, there are some very important technical aspects of photography you have to master so you can forget them in your pursuit of your passion. But if you want to last for the long run, improving your photography for decades (because there is no ending point) and share photographs that can change our world, it’s my sincere belief that this can only be accomplished with an overwhelming passion for the memories photography captures and communicates! Passion is what pushes your photography forward through all the rough times, makes it excel in the good times and brings to our lives a fun that is hard to find in any other adventure. So in answer to the emailers question, I think it’s just takes passion and nothing else.
As our huge project unfolds, new challenges and new gear is required to beat the challenge. Light is everything and knowing that, we went looking for great, portable and flexible video lighting (that also can work for stills). The Wescott Daylight LED Kit is simply a brilliant tool! I have a single Daylight LED Panel which I’ve already posted. The travel kit though takes it all a big step further. Check ‘er out!
