So there we are, thrown back into the bustle that is Nairobi after our amazing ten days on the Mara. Nairobi is a wild town, nothing prepares you for it but the culture shock after the beauty and tranquility of the bush slapped me right in the face! We landed at the small airport, got in the traffic and drove to the Int’l Airport. We stood in line for a very short time in the very hot and humid check in area and waited. After 30min, we’re at the ticket counter, got our tickets and got through customs without a hitch. Great I thought after hearing of some of the possible horror stories of the process. We headed up to the airline lounge, sat down, got some wine and waited the 3hrs for our flight. I pull out the slug of tickets I have for getting home and read the message printed on our boarding pass out of Nairobi. If my mind as back to blogging, I would have taken a picture of it but it basically said, airport is closing at midnight do to runway repair. Be on your flight prior to that or you don’t leave.
Our flight was scheduled to leave at 10:50 so I wasn’t worried. Then while sitting there sipping our wine, we see a 30min delay put up by our flight. Still, no worry. Then we see it change to departure 11:59!Now I started to wonder. All was good until we see the board in the lounge change instantly to, boarding …NOW!! We hopped and got in line and got on the plane. Great … all good I thought. People were slowly boarding and we all know what a mess that can be. The captain then comes on the intercom, it’s 11:45; “They are closing the airport, if we don’t leave in 5min, we will be stuck here for 24hrs. Get in your seats!” That didn’t sit to well in my mind at all. Next thing I see, they are literally pushing folks on the plane! Then, I see them push the last one on, close the door behind them and we are PUSHING back with folks still trying to find their seats! It’s now 11:57 and the push back is flying, not no slow and gentle thing. Folks and their crap are being pushed down the plane and into place as we are heading for the active runway. This pilot ain’t waiting for nothin! We make the turn off the taxiway and onto the active and we’re only speeding up. The plane makes no stop just keeps on rolling and as the last passenger sits in their seat with their carryon in their lap, at 12:01 we lift off. And I’m not talking some nice and gentle take off, I’m talking jet age, throw you against the back of the seat E Ticket ride take off! Never seen anything like if before in all my travel. Sure weren’t in the US, that’s for sure but that’s how we escaped Nairobi. We did make it to Little Rock with no issues where we are today for the Bedford Camera Photo Expo and looking forward to sharing photography with all the folks! mtc
Can you see dust when you put your camera to your eye? If you do, you are not alone! First and foremost, if you can see dust when you look through the viewfinder, IT’S NOT on your sensor! Next, No, you won’t see it on your photographs. And yes, it can be annoying. When I received my brand new D4 when it was first released, it had a bug. I mean a real bug, a six legged little dood that I saw walking around in my viewfinder on the screen after my first shoot. It disappeared but not before it left a little stain on my screen. It drove me nuts! When there is dust on the TOP of the viewfinder screen (or bug stains), your only real option is to send the camera in to have it cleaned.
Viewfinder screens can’t be removed by us mortal folks. Now, you can take a can of air and blast it through the side crack of the screen but more often than not, it just moves it around. It doesn’t go away. Dust on the bottom of the screen though is the most common. You can use a sensor dust brush just like you would use it on the sensor to clean the bottom of the screen (do not use fluid of any kind). You might also want to brush off the mirror with a clean brush. Now with that all said and done and the screen is all cleaned, don’t be surprised if it instantly doesn’t reappear over and over again. The viewfinder screen is plastic and dust likes to stick to it. That mirror flaps up and down, a lot, and that will move the dust right back on the screen no matter what you do. What I do is, unless a bug makes a stain on my screen, I do the best I can to keep it clean and then otherwise, ignore it. It just goes with the territory.
Catch the romance, soak in the atmosphere and experience the speed! Wanna find out why aviation photography is the fastest rising genre of photography and learn how to do it right? Come spend a weekend with K&M AirAdventures! We have dates in Sept and Nov and a seat in a plane with your name on it! Call 661.204.1506 NOW!
Takin the new 300PF which is still new to Africa. I want it to stay new so the last thing I want to do is put a big scratch or brass the lens barrel working in the seat of the Landi. So, I called up the folks at LensCoat and ordered up their new LensCoat for the 300PF. I don’t have LensCoat on every piece of gear, but I sure do on those that I know are likely to get a nasty rub in the heat of action. This is especially true when working in any environment with metal like vehicles or aircraft. Now the smart folks at LensCoat give you two options with the Coat for the 300PF. You see pictured here the “non collar” coat and they provide you the coat if you use the tripod collar. You can protect your lens however you use it. That’s cool! It’s the little things that can make a big difference.
Just like having your car serviced before a big road trip, I like to do the same with my camera body. We’re heading off to Africa with Images in Africa Safaris shortly for ten days of amazing photography. The last place you want your gear to go down is in deepest Africa when the killer shot is in the viewfinder. So the D4s went in for what is called a CLA, Clean, Lube and Adjust. Two things to be sure you do before you send it in … first … make sure you have the current firmwares installed. Second, copy your settings to your card. The reason for the 1st is so when you do the 2nd, when the camera comes back #2 still works. If they update your firmware for you, there is the possibility you will loose your settings even if you copy them to a card. Keep in mind that if you do loose your settings, you can start over using mine as a starting point. The last thing is to do this in plenty of time BEFORE your trip! Because you want to get your gear back and put it through its paces before you go. Make sure all your settings and everything else are doing what YOU need them to do. It’s a simple thing, but I think it’s important.
K&M Adventures is heading to Australia, 14-20 August, 2016. We’re heading to a once in a lifetime location for critter photography, O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat. I first went there after seeing Sir David Attenborough’s special on the Satin Bowerbird. The nest he filmed at was still being used years later and I was able to shoot there for a couple of days. I came back from our time there with photos of an additional 50 species of really cool bird species hard to find elsewhere. It’s really an amazing place!
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Of course, the trail boardwalk that goes through the TOP of the forest canopy, the bar in the TOP of a tree and the friendliness of the birds don’t hurt the attraction either. We’re looking at the first week of August, 2016 for this adventure. The price should come in around $5400 which covers your lodging at O’Reilly’s, breakfast and dinner, transportation to and from the airport to the lodge, guides and instruction (they gave us a killer rate since I’m returning, sweet!). Non-shooting spouse can come for $540
We’re taking only SIX shooters (non shooting spouses can come for $540) to this paradise. The news went out to the Mailing List folks earlier this week so we only have 1 opening. If you want to fill it, give Sharon a call 661.204.1506. Have a G’day Mate!
