Where's Jay?

We’re delighted to announce the FirstLight Alaska Photo Expedition, “Whales, Bears, and Ice” Photo Expedition, August 28-September 4, 2026.  

This is our 6^th Expedition aboard our favorite photographic yacht, the “Northern Song.” A unique opportunity to join our group of 6 participants, for a photography-driven experience on this wonderful boat. 

Starting in Petersburg, Alaska, aboard our private, 85’ long custom expedition yacht, the “Northern Song“, and working with our Captain, we’ll have control of our plans for the week.  Reacting to “what’s best” to photograph, our visual opportunities are what drives the boat.  If we find a group of bubble-netting humpbacks, we’ll work that situation, until we have created great and unforgettable images.  If the situation allows, we’ll even have the possibility of seeing this event from water level, aboard the highly maneuverable skiffs carried on the “Northern Song”.   Being late summer we’ll have opportunities to photograph black and grizzly bears as they fatten up for the upcoming hibernation season. 

Add to that, the possibility of photographing Bald eagles feeding in the waters is quite high. These beautiful birds swoop from fir branches along the waters to the surface, moving at incredible speeds and with amazing accuracy. Orcas & otters are also frequently sighted. Jay is there to provide both technical and aesthetic support to maximize your photographic opportunities.  

Shy otters are also an aim of our mission, and the time is ours to spend seeking out these elusive critters.

Alaska wouldn’t be Alaska without glaciers, and if it works to our schedule, we’ll get up close and intimate with a couple of these.  Water level is an amazing point of view and we should have the opportunity to see them from this dramatic angle. (This is TOTALLY weather and ice dependent!)

I’ve worked in Alaska extensively: having shot several National Geographic assignments there, as well as being the National Geographic Photographer aboard several National Geographic Expeditions in the Inside Passage. Additionally we’ve held several FirstLight Alaska Photo Expeditions, specifically aboard the “Northern Song”, thus one of the main reasons we’re going back as we love the ship and crew.

Top Photo: a “shooter” (calving from below the surface of the glacier) erupts in front of Sawyer Glacier Bottom Photo: A seal rests on glacial ice

And, speaking of the crew, we will have a chef onboard, who makes sure you never go hungry.  Food is another highlight of this adventure, with three incredible meals daily, in addition to an abundance of snacks and other healthy stuff available during the day.  

When our schedule allows (nightly or every other night), we’ll collect 10-15 images from each participant, project those photos and discuss what is working, how to improve your photography, and a general discussion of your images. Jay will be available at all times for technical and aesthetic input, shooting by your side on this adventure.  He’ll provide valuable info on camera settings, working with light.  And we’ll make sure to move the Northern Song for the best photo opps, this will be all about getting that spectacular image.

We have remaining space for 4 participants on this adventure.  Two spots are taken — we’re looking for 2 couples or 2 pairs of friends to share the 2 remaining cabins.   As referenced, cabins are shared, with a lower full-sized bed and the upper bunk is a single.  Each shared cabin has an ensuite bathroom.  

The price for this, once in a lifetime, photo adventure is $ 12,900.00; monies due are spread over 3 payments. Once you board the Northern Song the afternoon of August 28,2026, all expenses are covered, including wine, beer, all meal, ALL gratuities, until you deboard on September 4, 2026.               

 If you decide to join us, FirstLight STRONGLY suggests Trip Cancellation Insurance. If interested, please contact us at: jbdphoto@gmail.com   Or call Jay at 303 618 1494

You can also register for this Expedition by clicking here

I was really lucky as I got to work on a series of books in the 1980’s into the early 2000’s, “A Day in the Life” (DITLO), that included Canada, America, California,  the Soviet Union, China, Spain, Italy, Ireland, Africa, and other variations on that theme: Passage to Vietnam, Christmas in America, 24 Hours in Cyberspace, A day in the Life of the United States Armed Forces, The Power to Heal, America 24/7, and Baseball in America. 

From “A Day in the Life of America”. My assignment was to photograph the weather observatory atop Mt Washington, in New Hampshire. This is home of the “worst weather on earth”, having endured a storm with 231 mph recorded winds. I hiked down from atop that mountain, with a guide, Joe Lentini, then working with EMS. We fought 75mph+ winds on our over 5 hour descent of the mountain.

Invitations for those books were often sent in a cryptic method: for China, we were sent a copy of “Iron and Silk”, about a young American who went to China to teach English, even though he barely knew any Cantonese or Han. The invitees for the book had to decipher the message, though not really too hard, to determine where we were going.   They were such cool books to be invited to participate, as only 50-100, international, top-notch photographers were invited. Becky and I were in the Greek Islands, on a 3-month trip with her brother, Mike.  He’d convinced us to take the time for an adventure like this, and so glad we did as it turned out to be an amazing adventure, one of which we still speak fondly. I had to take a leave of absence from my job at the Dallas Time Herald to do it. 

3 Photos above: from “Passage to Vietnam”, my assignment was to photograph in the small, mountainous village of Sapa, in far northwest Vietnam, near the Chinese border

Above photo: On a collective horse farm near Poltava, in the Ukraine, a traditional horse riding drill, “Kiss a girl.”

The DITLO book were always headquartered in the host countries major city.  As the DITLO America book got to #1 on the NY Times Bestsellers list, staying there for a year plus, the founders of the project had, pretty much, carte blanche on the following books.  Sponsors covered all costs, including airlines and accommodations., In the early days, we were generally paid in equipment, gear, or computers.  Rick Smolan, the original founder, was good friends with Steve Jobs, so on a few DITLO books our payment was the latest, greatest Mac computer.  This is the reasons, to this day, we’re a Mac family. 

These were incredible projects, partly because it would be the chance to be around your peers.  Few people understood the dynamics, stress/pressures, magic, and electricity of being a freelance photojournalist, so here was the chance to be around those who understood this world.  Plus, many dear friends were involved.    

My assignment for DITLO China was to go to far western China, flying into the industrial city of  Ürümqi(Urumchi)- in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in Northwestern China  also  known as one of the most polluted cities on earth (a fact of which has nothing to do with this story.) 

Photo above: “A Day in the Life of China”. Kazakh horsemen play a traditional horse-riding drill, “Catch the sheep Carcass”

From there, it was a 4-wheel drive truck hours out into the Kazakh indigenous peoples territory, a culture based on sheep raising and horses.  They do a traditional event, Catch the Sheep Carcass: starting the game on horseback, several riders chasing a live sheep, then fighting over picking it up.  The sheep I photographed was alive for just a short time, being ripped from one rider’s hands to another.  

Photo above: I photographed these two kids on their horse, the one on the left was worried I would tell his mom he was smoking.

For the China book, we started in Beijing, staying in a hotel near the Forbidden Palace. This had the same feeling as working on DITLO USSR, you felt like you were in the “maw of the beast.” Moscow had us staying near and wandering through Red Square, China was the eastern variation on that same theme. 

Photo above: Youth group in Tiananmen Square

This group of photos is from the Day in the Life of China book. I had been assigned a translator and a Red Army Major for the trip out to Urumchi.  On the way back, we took a train, the Major was quite relieved as everything had gone well, he was responsible for a westerner not creating problems.  On that train, we stopped at some small town’s station, and he left our compartment to get food for us. I was sitting looking out the window when I saw all these soldiers, on a track adjacent to ours, pouring out of another trai.  I thought that would be cool to photograph, so jumped out and started shooting.  The soldiers’ reactions were all over the place, laughing or almost terrified. One officer (he’s walking up on the right) was really taken aback.  I realized I may have pushed the boundaries and started walking back to our train when I saw the Major, food in hand and stopped dead in his tracks, staring at me.  The officer walked up to him, they were in heated discussion, so when they both looked back at me, in my hand I already pulled a new roll of film out of my bag(unbeknownst to them) and a made a display of pretending to open my camera then pulled the film out of the canister, showing them that I destroyed it.  The relief on my Major’s face was palpable.  I later found out that the soldiers were being transported into Beijing to reinforce the troops at Tiananmen Square as the government knew the student protests were going to happen. 

Photo below: Soldiers disembarking the train

Photo above: when I first leapt out of train in the station on our way back to Beijing, this group of soldiers were quite uncertain about my presence there.

Photo below: Within a few minutes, several soldiers were hamming it up for the camera

Photo above: after a few minutes, the officer on the right quickly approached to find out why a westerner was there.

The story goes on from here, having to do with a dog that attacked me near a Kazakh’s yurt, thought it might be rabid, ridiculous and stressful attempt to get out of Beijing with two canceled flights, then being told, when I got to hospital in Hong Kong, that nothing they could do for me as it had been too many days, oh, “and by the way, rabies could be the worst way you could die.”  You’ll have to buy me a beer to hear the rest. 

For further info on this incredible adventure, please click here. This FirstLight Photo Expedition returns to two of our favorite places on earth: Botswana, including the Chobe River and the Okavango Delta; and Namibia, home of the Namib Desert, the Himba & Herero people, and stunning landscape. This Expedition offers some of the best photographic opportunities in capturing people, landscape, and wildlife in two of the most photo-rich countries on earth!.  I’ve led National Geographic Photo Expeditions to Namibia and hours were consumed driving by safari vehicle from one location to another.  FirstLight utilizes chartered/scheduled aircraft to handle the long distances between the incredible photographic opportunities.

After two years, two postponements, we finally accomplished our FirstLight Namibia Photo Expedition.  Three times we’ve done a FirstLight event there, in addition to several assignments in that incredible country, simply reinforces how much I love Namibia. I’m sharing several photos from this most recent trip, with caption and camera info below them. 

We’re looking at another Namibia Photo Expedition, intended for 2024, and we’ll update accordingly. 

This Expedition started when we flew into Victoria Falls, then a couple of days later, went by road to Botswana where we spent three nights aboard the Pangolin houseboat. From there, we picked up our aircraft in Kasane, Botswana, flying to and clearing customs in the Namibian town of Katima Mulilo. A short flight then took us to the Tsumkwe region and our destination, Nhoma Safari Camp.

Our three nights on the houseboat were just about perfect. Our group, we sadly lost one couple due to Covid, took the entirety of the 5 cabins, and having that proximity from the boat to the wildlife in the Chobe River area is astounding and wonderful

The Nhoma Camp abuts the Ju/’hoan Bushmen (or San) village of //Nhoq’ma. These peoples are one of the oldest continuous habitation sites in Africa. Living in traditional ways, modern conveniences are pretty much shunned, with a intent to live true to their history. We were fortunate to see a “healing ceremony”, an amazing event held around a campfire.

The ability to observe and document events like this, in a culture that has not been westernized or isn’t the product of globalization, is what I’ve always loved about my world of photography: the ability to get to step into someone’s life or culture, while it is still relatively “pure”.  I think those fading cultures are disappearing at rate to equal the loss of rainforests. What an amazing opportunity to see and meet these people. 

Two nights in Nhoma, then on to the Palmwag Airstrip in Damarland and the Grootberg Lodge. With one of the steepest driveways in any guest facility, the Grootberg overlooks (splendidly)the Klip River Valley. 

This was our base of operations to visit the Himba village, which was close to the small town of Sesfontein. One of the major things of love about our FirstLight Namibia Expedition is the cultural component: along with the Ju/’hoan people, the chance to spend time in a Himba village is a rare treat. A nomadic people, the Himba encampments are rarely permanent. In our original plan we hoped to visit the same village we’d been to in 2018, but those folk had moved. So, change of plans that were put in place just a couple of weeks before the Expedition led us a new site.  Fascinating as always, the experience impacts one thoroughly. 

From 2 nights at the Grootberg, it was on to one of our favorite places anywhere, Rhino Camp. Set in the desert of the Palmwag Concession, the lunar landscape is stunning. The Lodge is wonderful as well, luxury tents with a central dining area, our first night’s dinner was by the pool (that is a pretty liberal description, more like a plunge pool, or maybe a very large tub?). Early and late drives thru the area is built around the stunning landscape, something we’ve never tired of. 

            Two nights in Rhino Camp that went too quickly, we then flew on to Swakopmund, a small city on the Atlantic Coast (also known as the Skeleton Coast) for a lunch, then back to our Caravan aircraft for the flight south, then inland to Namib Naukluft National Park for three nights at a beautiful desert lodge, Dead Valley Lodge. Located within the boundaries of the Park, this allows early morning departures for the sand dunes at Sossusvlei or staying until sunset in the dunes, as other lodges outside the boundaries cannot enter the Park until sunrise and have to exit before sunset. 

            I’m always astounded by the quality of light in this place: an enveloping ambience of umber to orange to red light (light is not proper to describe this, it simply is everywhere) it almost exhausts one as looking not only for photo opps, but simply absorbing the beauty of the scene.  Each early morning and late afternoon, we’d get into our Landcruiser’s, and make the hour-long drive to the dunes. 

            When in these visually overwhelming places, the question is often asked: why don’t you put your camera down and enjoy the scene? My response is that a good photographer absolutely sees the beauty of that place, and I find the camera takes me that much more deeply into what is magical about that place and moment. The job of a photographer is to make sense of the chaos that is often in front of the camera. Sometimes it’s very obvious, often it forces the photographer to “define” what is so appealing.  One more reason I love photography: the problem-solving aspect of the craft.

Ghost town, former diamond center of Kolmanskop
Oly E-M1 MkIII 8-25mm

            So, we finally wrapped up our Covid delayed adventure. It was stressful from when we first had to postpone this adventure way back in early 2020. An attempt to reschedule to April of 2021 bit the dust, but things came together in 2022.  Thanks to all our participants, sorry for the disappointments several experienced, and here’s hoping to the future!!

I recently returned from a fantastic photo (and life) event: three weeks as the National Geographic Photography Expert/Lecturer on one of their Expedition ships.  Three weeks in Antarctica, South Georgia & the Falklands (Islas Malvinas).  

There’s an old saying that one goes to Antarctica for the penguins, then stays (and returns) for the ice.  Quite true, and a place that has additional characters beyond those incredible, lovable, and comical penguins, including Leopard seals, Elephant seals, Fur seals, the list does go far beyond the most popular star, the penguins.

South Georgia, a 1 ½ day sail across the Southern Ocean, from the Antarctic Peninsula to one of the most remote island groups in the world, reveals a stunning landscape of majestic peaks fringed with massive penguin colonies. How can you photographically go wrong with that combination? 

And the Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) are a place that never fails to provide stunning contrasts of the Tussock grasses, beautiful beaches, a landscape that reminds me of the Highlands of Scotland…and more penguin photographic possibilities if you’ve not had enough (and one never does). Add to that mix the world’s largest Black-browed albatross colony, found in the Falklands on Steeple Jason Island. The Falklands are beautiful.

Then, let’s go overboard and add two celestial events during my time there: First, an other-worldly lenticular cloud that turned a beautiful evening in South Georgia into a-stretching flow of incredible color and shape.

The second, and maybe the ringer; a full solar eclipse that rose from below the horizon like an albino shark’s fin and provided a start-to-finish visual extravaganza before disappearing into the clouds that concluded the eclipse just as it finished its magic. 

Having a concentration of great wildlife and landscape opportunities can be almost overwhelming: I think the photographer’s task is to make sense out of chaos (such as a million penguins in one spot!) or to visually find & define the beauty in a location. 

I want to discuss equipment and the process of photographing the “Natural World.”

On this trip, and as a usual complement of my Olympus gear when traveling to wildlife-rich areas, here’s a list of what was in my roll-aboard I carry on the plane:

2-Olympus E-M1X camera bodies

1-E-M1 MkIII camera body

1-E-M1 MkII camera body.

            I carry these bodies, as I like having one, dedicated camera on which I mount the M. Zuiko 150-400mm F4.5 This combo is my main wildlife (and some scenic’s) lens, a phenomenal lens that I’m looking forward to using in other critter-rich environments. Africa!!!

            The second “X” I’ll use wth the M.Zuiko 12-100mm F4 PRO lens. So, between those two lenses, I have a reach of super-wide to super-telephoto, with C-AF TR with bird mode enabled.

            Or, I’ll use the M.Zuiko 8-25mm F4 PRO lens on my second body, often with the M.Zuiko 40-150mm F2.8 PRO lens.  It really depends on subject matter available. 

On Expeditions which offer underwater possibilities, I also carry, in a separate, hard-shelled water-proof case, an Olympus PT-EP14 Underwater housing for an E-M1 MkII. I love using the M.Zuiko 7-14mm F2.8 PRO lens in this housing, as it gives me the really wide look, which can be critical when shooting in waters with less-than-stellar visibility. When shooting stills under water, the maximum distance you can effectively shoot is about 1/5^th the distance you can see, so I like waiting until my subject is close to my housing. My travel case then becomes the safe place for my E-M1X and E-M1 MkII when traveling from ship to shore in a Zodiac raft, in often boisterous and wet conditions. This provides great and immediate protection for my gear as I can open it quickly, grab the camera for a photo opp, and put it back in for protection from waves that often come over the bow.  

Landscape and scenic, the equipment list may waver slightly. I’ll often use the E-M1X just in case the errant bird flies through the scene, always great to be ready! The E-M1 MkIII is also a great camera for these purposes, and I’ll throw in an additional couple of choices: If hiking or really wanting to reduce the amount of gear I’m carrying, I’ll often opt for the E-M5 MkIII and/or the E-M10 Mk IV. Both are a pleasure to carry in a backpack, and both still retain the incredible Olympus “look”.  Lenses to match this “smaller is better” thinking include the series of f1.8 fixed lenses: the 17mm, 25mm, 25mm, and 75mm, and toss in there the 12mm f4 and you cover a TON of visual bases. Or, consider the 12-45mm f4 zoom. A favorite if I’m doing street photography and/or want to minimize my “visual presence.” If wanting a bit more reach, the 14mm-150mm f4-5.6, gives you just enough reach to consider for wildlife. 

            In either of the above-mentioned lists, I always find space in my roll-aboard for one (or all, shoot-dependent) of the stellar Olympus PRO f1.2 lenses. Wonderful Bokeh, and incredibly, incredibly sharp. 

            So, I’ve gone over equipment for that outdoor world. I also carry a few filters with me: a warming polarizer (always purchase the filter larger than the largest diameter lens on which  you expect to use it, I like using step-up rings so the filter can’t cause any vignetting) In my case, I also carry a Neutral Density Grad filter, for those occasions when the sky is simply top bright for any camera’s dynamic range to capture that extreme light. 

            I’ve included caption and camera info on each photograph. 

Wow, they did it again! With the release of the Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 150-400mm f/4.5 TC1.25X IS PRO Lens (That’s an abundance of vowels, numbers, and syllables!!) Olympus has once again confirmed their position as the leader in producing the absolute best, portable, and professional camera system in the world-especially for the location/travel/wildlife photographer. 

            I recently spent a week with this incredible lens, I’d planned on photographing the Fall gathering of elk in Rocky Mountain National Park, but the massive fires Colorado experienced eliminated that idea. I was driving towards the Kawuneeche Valley, but realized I was heading against a constant flow of traffic leaving my intended destination. An evacuation was going on. 

            Making a U-turn, I headed south then east on I-70, to the Wild Animal Sanctuary in Keensburg, Colorado. A description from their website: The sanctuary specializes in rescuing and caring for large predators which are being ill-treated, for which their owners can no longer care, or which might otherwise be euthanized. It is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and a state and federally licensed zoological facility.

            The Sanctuary is an amazing place: large containment areas for the multitude of wildlife they have there, with an elevated boardwalk that stretches for a mile and a half. 

            The first thing that struck me, as I walked on this extensive path, was the extreme portability of the 150-400mm lens. Years ago I’d used a different camera system, and owned a 600mm f4. A great lens, but due to its massive weight and size, necessitated at least a monopod, and in many situations, a tripod. The 150-400 has a lens collar that is also a handle with which to carry the lens (also has foot on the lens collar that fits all “Arca Swiss” type quick release plates). This collar is a great grip with which to shoot. I found that I could easily hand-hold this lens for relatively extended periods of time. 

            I’ll list what I think are the stellar points of this lens, which in all reality, is just about everything. 

Portability:  

Wildlife photography is all about moment, and the less cumbersome a piece of gear is the less it gets in the way of an instantaneous reaction. A huge selling point for this lens in the world of wildlife, I found I could react to a moment, two lions reacting to one another, that would probably have been missed if I’d needed to use a monopod …and almost certainly if using a tripod. I checked the size of this, and it fits in my ThinkTank Airport Advantage roll-aboard case. I do NOT want to check any piece of camera gear, especially something as potentially fragile as a super-telephoto, on an airlines. I’ve suffered broken equipment, and I’ve had photographer friends with horror stories about theft when checking camera gear as luggage.

Autofocus Speed:

This is an area of great interest to those photographing wildlife, as a slow AF will most certainly lessen your chances of getting a sharp photo. Using the 150-400, I found the image would “snap” into focus, but one does have to be aware of the focusing mode as well as AF points. On birds, using C-AF+TRAF, and setting the C-AF Sensitivity to +2 (works well with birds in flight, a -2 for static birds) I find that the my E-M1X or E-M1 MkIII works well for locking into birds in flight. One may need to “pump” (keep pressing and re-pressing the shutter button) the AF while tracking to re-establish focus. This is an old trick I learned while shooting sports, which is not entirely different from wildlife. I find a very high rate of sharp images are available if using this process. 

Sharpness:

This easily could have been the first feature I mentioned, as this lens is incredibly sharp. I have the images created by the 150-400 to have that same sharpness as a prime lens, even approaching the Olympus 300mm f4, and that is a major statement. This lens creates a beautiful bokeh (the out-of-focus look, or nature, of a lens) However, as with any fast long lens, be aware that at times you may want to stop the lens down to get a little more depth of field (DOF)

Built-in 1.4 teleconverter:

An incredibly usable feature. The f4.5 aperture is constant throughout the 150-400mm range, providing a very fast aperture for the range of zoom. If wanting that extra “oomph” of reach, you can move the teleconverter lever (placed near your right hand when shooting) down and obtain that extra reach. The beauty of a 1.25 teleconverter is the light loss is 1 stop. Not a third, not 1.4 stops, but a logical one-stop, so when quick calculations are being made while shooting as to how one prefers the aperture, it’s simple, one stop. 

I also tried the lens with my Olympus MC-20 2x teleconverter, so when everything was to the max, I was shooting with an equivalent 2000mm lens-handheld-see the photo of the Sand Hill Cranes in flight. 

Another benefit to this built-in teleconverter, especially for the wildlife photographer, one eliminates dust due to changing optics in field

IBIS and the 150-400:

Olympus’ Internal Body Image Stabilization (IBIS) really works wonders. Used in symphony with lens and body, the damping effect is incredible. First time I used it, I was photographing a wildebeest migration in the Serengeti, shooting with the Olympus 300mm f4 with the MC-14, 1.4 teleconverter. I lifted the camera to my eye, expecting wonderful things with the IBIS…and was pretty disappointed when I saw no difference in stabilization. I then realized I’d not turned on the lens stabilization switch. I did so, looked back through the viewfinder at an empty area of grasslands where wildebeest were heading, and thought the camera was frozen as nothing was moving in the quiet scene..then a group of wildebeest entered from stage right, and I realized that the camera/lens combo was completely steady…amazing when I realized I was holding the 840mm Full Frame equivalent image, with only elbows resting on the side of the safari vehicle. 

With the 150-400, one experiences the same dramatic difference when looking through the lens with the IBIS off, then with it on. Plus, this combo allows one to shoot an unbelievable slow shutter speeds when IBIS is enabled. The photo of the 4 sand hill cranes in the foreground was shot at 1/20^th of a second, hand-held, at 500mm (or a 1000mm Full Frame equivalent) at 5000 ISO.

Prime lenses offered by other manufacturers:  500 f4, 8.5 pounds and about $9,000.00, the 600 f4, similar weight to the 500, around 8.4 pounds, 

The most identical zoom offering by other companies is a 180-400mm f 4, with teleconverter, nearly 8 pounds and costs a bit over $12,000.00. 

Specs:

Focal Length: The Olympus 150-400mm provides a Full Frame equivalent focal length of 300 to 800mm without the 1.25 built in tele-converter enabled, 420mm to 1020mm Full Frame equivalent with the 1.25 tele-converter enabled

Weight: 4.1 pounds (1875 grams)

Filter Size:  95mm (front) filter,

Dimensions (ø x L):  4.6” x 12.4”(115.8 x 314.3 mm), has a rotating collar ring with a built in Arca-Swiss compatible foot

Cost:  $ 7,499.00

Conclusion:

I’ve been on a number of National Geographic/Lindblad Expeditions as the Photographic Expert, and watched as folks photographed from the bow of the NG Explorer or NG Orion, waiting for a Polar Bear to do something interesting, or waiting for an Orca to surface, only to have that critter’s great moment occur to sharp left or right.  Trying to react quickly with a heavy, long lens is really tough, and in those same circumstances I’ve been able to swing my Olympus lens around quickly.

If you’re an Olympus/Micro Four Thirds owner, and if photographing wildlife/sports/outdoors is your world of interest, this is lens is a worthy consideration to add to your camera arsenal. Speed, portability, and real-world ease of use are a few of the highlights of this lens. Not inexpensive, but incredibly competitive in price when comparing to other lenses in this range.

Photography is about making the image, and hopefully, the equipment gets out of the way. That’s what I love about the Olympus system, it’s built around the idea of making the process of photography easier and more intuitive by creating that smaller and ergonomically beneficial gear.  

A recent National Geographic Expedition, “Around the World by Private Jet”

            A simple task, to determine the total number of countries in the world, right?  Not quite so easy, as the UN recognizes 197 member countries, two UN observers (Vatican and Palestine) and the self-governed territories of Taiwan and Kosovo. China regards Taiwan as being part of its territory, as does Serbia with Kosovo. So, an accurate count is not an easy answer.  (Worldpopulationreview.com)

            But, whether 195, 200, or however many countries, travel has increased to the greatest numbers ever. According to the World Economic Forum, tourism in 2020 (if a Corona Virus had not occurred) was projected to approach 1.5 billion travelers, with a growth of 3-4% . Wow. (Traveling-cook.com)

            Within those numbers, the demographic that is traveling the most are millennials, ages 24-35, on the road an average if 35 days. This is followed by Generation Z travelers, ages 18-23, averaging about 29 days a year. (Skift.com)

            Of this group, nearly 40% of millennials own a camera, whether a fixed lens or a DSLR, around 25% of those owning a mirrorless camera. (www.direporter.com) 

            I find this really intriguing as that demographic of millennials is one that I think we readily assume use their iPhones to record the world.  Personally, I think this group has grown up with that readily available phone in hand and are now seeing the benefits of a real camera: lens selection, adjustable shutter and aperture, meaning more control over the final product.

            As a member of a demographic that is a few years older than the millennial group, I travel extensively (I photographed in 31 + countries last year, have shot in 11 in the firsts two months of 2020.). As a working photographer, I constantly look for methods in which to reduce the amount and weight of gear I carry, but with the requirement of extremely high quality. This is why I had accepted the offer, many years ago, to become a sponsored Olympus Visionary Photographer.  Their design ethic is built around small, compact, high-quality, and a camera that is in your hands when you need it. It’s an ethic in which I believe

            I just finished a National Geographic “Around the World by Private Jet” Expedition, starting in Peru and ending in Morocco. In addition to those two countries: Easter Island, Samoa, Australia, Cambodia, Nepal, Bhutan, India, Tanzania, Jordan, and Morocco. A total of 11.

            Usually on these Expeditions (this was the 11^th Around the World I’ve been on) I carry my usual Olympus E-M1 MkII’s, and the E-M1X. This Expedition, I decided to photograph this trip with the Olympus E-M5 MkIII (I did shoot the E-M1X for some photos in Tanzania, primarily for the long-lens requirements of that world).  

Recently announced by Olympus, I saw the E-M5 MkIII as the perfect, “lean and mean” camera due to its lighter weight than the E-M1 MkIII (which is already far smaller and compact than DSLR’s and most mirrorless competition) which makes it a great travel camera. The E-M5 MkIII is fast, weather resistant, and very ergonomic. 

            Carrying both E-M5 MkIII bodies on my “go-to” travel setup, a BlackRapid “Duo” strap system, I was able to work with my preferred two-bodies.  On one, the Olympus 7-14mm f2.8 Pro lens, and the Olympus 12-100 f4 on the other. This provides a very workable range of lens length, from a full-frame equivalent of 14mm, out to 200mm.  If this doesn’t cover what I’m shooting, then it must be a wildlife or sports situation, where 300mm or longer is called for.  In Tanzania, the 40-150mm f2.8 (often with the MC-20 tele-converter, doubling that focal range) was a go-to lens, and I’d also use the Olympus 300mm f4 (often with the MC-14 teleconverter).  In the seat of the safari vehicle, I’d have a third body with the 12-100mm f4. So, in those situations, I’d have immediately available, and eqully important, hand-holdable, lenses ranging from FF equivalent of 24mm out to 1200mm. This is the reason I carried the E-M1X, as my third body in Tanzania for wildlife. 

            Pros and cons for the E-M5 MkIII

            Pros:

                        Noticeably smaller and lighter than my usual E-M1 MkII (and MkIII) I have written about, and preach regularly, to the benefits of a lightweight system. You can read more about that by clicking here. 

                        Fast autofocus– not as fast as the EM-1 cameras, but able to do the job

            Great ergonomics: the camera and its controls fall to a very natural position. This camera has matured over the years since its introduction, the early versions suffered from a cramped set of controls.

            Weight and ergonomics go a long way in this business, and especially when using the cameras professionally.  I am out and about for hours on end, and I don’t want to carry equipment that forces me to constantly be on the outlook for a perch on which to set it. What’s the best camera to have?  Old question but still a relevant answer: the one that’s in your hand when that photographic moment is presented. This is a huge plus of the Olympus system. 

            Beautiful image quality. A camera is not worth much if it can’t produce images that fit one’s requirements. My images have to meet very high criteria for usage, from printing up to 4’ wide, to publishing industry requirements, and the Olympus files easily meet both those critieria. 

Video / Sensor: The MkIII is quite a capable video camera, with 4K capability at 24 fps, and 237Mbps bit rate, captured on the same 20.4 MP sensor as the E-M1 MkII

            Pro Capture  this is a huge benefit that Olympus included in the E-M5 MkIII. Pro Capture, when enabled, buffers up to about 2-seconds worth of images, not writing them until the shutter is fully released.  Photographing a bird exploding in flight off of a branch, Pro Capture helps the photographer capture this moment, usually missed as one’s reaction time isn’t usually fast enough to compensate for this moment. 

            5-Axis IBIS (In Body Image Stabilization) Not only is the Olympus system smaller and lighter, but Olympus invented the IBIS system that works ridiculously well. Working presently with the 12-100mm f4 and the 300mm f4 Pro lenses, IBIS allows the photographer to hand-hold the camera to more than 5 stops lower than without. I’ve shot 4-6 second, handheld exposures, that are sharp…not “gee, that looks pretty good” but tack-sharp photos. This is huge, and one won’t understand just how powerful this feature is until its used. The photo below was shot with the 300mm f4 with the MC-20 teleconverter, handheld while standing in a safari vehicle. Yes, it was shot at 1/640^th of a second, but I was hand-holding the camera to my eye for probably 10 minutes.  That is 1200mm of FF equivalent, and ALL the photos are sharp. 

Cons:

                        Lack of a dual-card slot. I realize by utilizing one slot, the size of the camera can be significantly reduced.  But, this is a calculated gamble here.  I use Lexar cards, shooting thousands of images per assignment, reformatting on a daily basis, and I haven’t experienced a card failure for years.  So, I’ll gamble with this camera, with the idea of always downloading my photos on a daily, or more if possible, basis. 

            Viewfinder brightness. Going from my E-M1 MkII and MkIII to the E-M5 MkIII, there is a noticeable lessening of brightness of the viewfinder, but if working without another camera to compare, this is not a factor.

Burst Rate  My E-M1 MkIII, with follow-focus,  can shoot at 15 fps, the E-M5MkIII, at the slightly slower 10fps. Not a huge difference but would prefer the faster. However, read above in the Pro Capture mode. With my E-M1 MkIII I can shoot up to 60fps in continuous, and with the E-M5 MkIII, I can “only” shoot 30fps. I came from a film background, and I remember my Nikon F with a motor drive could shoot a blazing 3fps, so ”only” 30fps is outstanding and acceptable!!

Conclusion: What this all comes down to, the Olympus E-M5 MkIII is a strong contender for the perfect travel camera: compact and very portable, great image quality, a camera that you’d want with you at all times. 

Olympus’ newest travel lens

Just after the Corona Virus lockdown occurred, i received the new Olympus 12-45mm F4 lens. I had a couple of trips planned that were cancelled, both trips were going to be perfect for working with this new lens. I look back on the great photojournalists, who shot the majority of their work with lenses ranging from 35mm to 90mm, and sometimes not that large a range. The new 12-45mm, within its zoom range, contains the focal length which was such a favorite of those photographic mentors. I’m really looking forward to getting back out on the road with this new lens. attached to the E-M5MkIII, the perfect travel package becomes even better!! The photo below shows my black E-M1 MkIII with the 12-40mm f2.8, compared in size and bulk to the E_m5 MkIII.

It’s always interesting, at the beginning of a new year, to look at the scheduled trajectory of that year, then compare that to the reality of what the calendar reveals at the end of that time.  2018 was an interesting, exciting, sad, enlightening and educational year for Becky and me. Much happened on both our personal and professional calendar, and travel, as always, was a huge part with 20 countries visited over the year.

As a location photographer, you always get the question, “What is your favorite place?”  This is similar to asking whom your favorite child is; almost impossible to provide an unbiased answer, as it’s one of those questions that really needs context to answer. So many components come into play here: I could name a great place in terms of cultural attractions, or another entirely different place if wildlife is the draw…or landscapes.

I always feel incredibly fortunate to get to visit these places, with my camera as the reason I’m there. I love the role the photographer plays, providing that “conduit” to the viewer’s eyes and imaginations, filling in the blanks on what is that place like, what those people are like.

Thank you for following “Where’s Jay.” Our blog is a joint effort between Jay & Becky — Jay writes his thoughts, Becky clarifies the words & the structure. We love meeting people, most soon to be friends, through our wanderings — and always love hearing feedback about this blog. On to 2019!! A moment of personal pride was that we were named this year in the PhotoBlog.com’s “47 Best Photography Blogs in the World.”

   

One thing we really love about photography: it provides a reason to approach someone, either domestically or internationally, and ask if we can step, briefly, into their world. Isn’t this why you love to travel, to get under that veneer of tourism and interact with people in their world? We hope you enjoy travel & photography with the same passion that we do!

Jay & Becky Dickman

Olympus’ Trio of Super-Fast Prime Lenses: 17mm, 25mm, and 45mm f 1.2

I’ve been using the Olympus 25mm f1.2 lens for a little over a year. It’s one of the sharpest lens I’ve used, and has secured a permanent spot in my camera bag. Olympus recently released the 17mm and 45mm, both f 1.2. and following in the trend of the 25, both are also incredibly sharp. Many of the photos posted on this blog were shot with the 25mm.

These three make a great trio of lenses for not only very low light photography, but for those occasions when the photographer is looking for very minimal depth of field (dof) and/or incredible bokeh*. In so many circumstances, I’d have been happy if Olympus could have released these lenses with the aperture welded open at f 1.2, as I find I love working with these lenses in those previously challenging situations, where one would be limited to slower shutter speeds or much higher ISO enforced by very low-light situations.

I noticed that the 25mm and the 45mm lenses are made in Japan. Interesting that for these premier optical gems that Olympus plays this one close to home.

The build quality of these is really stellar, a build quality that simply makes you want to find photos to make. With these lenses, 9 bladed circular aperture diaphragms were incorporated, helping to produce such an incredible bokeh (referred to by Olympus as “feathered bokeh”) as evidenced in the out-of-focus circles in foreground/background layers. Attention to detail is evident in every aspect of these lenses.

I enjoy photographing in late day, after sunset, before full darkness, and into night. That special time between sunset and full darkness can produce an incredible blend of light: the deep purple that precedes total darkness mixed with the introduced light of human-made lighting blending together in what we call complimentary colors, warm and cold colors opposite each other on a color wheel. When viewing photographs and/or art, we are drawn to those complimentary light situations, as the opposing warm and cold colors created by the scene are emotionally appealing to us. Having lenses that enable us to fully utilize that light is important, as that allows the photographer to capture what they are seeing in their mind’s eye.

Another great invention of the Olympus engineers (Toshi, I’m saluting you here) is the manual focus clutch found on all their professional lenses. Initially, this feature was something I wasn’t sure about. But I found I was often using this to take over the already accurate AF in my own hands. I may want my zone of focus, especially with the very shallow dof accessible via these, to fall on an exact area in the frame. I love having the option of absolute control.
(A hint to you new Olympus users: when using one of the “Pro” lenses, I have created a muscle memory trick I’ll do every time I pick up the camera.  I grab the focus ring on the lens, and automatically slide it forward, thus assuring me that I know the exact function the lens will access, either manual or AF. If deciding to manual focus, I’ll then know the ring needs to be slid back to MF only position.)

At end of this article you’ll see pairings of floral photos shot in Hawaii. Quite noticeable is the compression difference in similar scenes: the 17mm obviously produces an image with a wider area of the image, the 45mm creates an image with more visual info on a single layer, and the 300mm really places everything on a single plane of interest.  Which is the correct lens to use for those close-up photos? It depends on what you are trying to say or achieve in the photo. Each lens produces a specific look that provides the photographer with a  different look.  I find the incredible close-focus distance of the 300mm f4 lens provides a great “look” for macro work. Along with the ridiculously effective IBIS (In Body Image Stabilization) I’ve found I can hand-hold the 300mm f4, with the MC-14 tele converter (a FX equivalent of 840mm) down to 60^th of a second if needed.

The 17 has a much closer focusing ability, down to 7.87 inches . The 45 minimum focus is 19.68 inces, I see the 45mm lens as perfect for photographing people, as lack of wide angle distortion generally provides a more pleasing image. The 17 feels as though designed for street and macro photography.  The design concept behind these two lenses: the 17 focuses closer, but the 45 enjoys a natural lessening of dof by its longer focal length

One does face a bit of a conundrum here: if you own the 45mm f1.2 and the 45mm f1.8, or the 17mm f 1.2 and the 17mm f1.8, which do you put in your bag.  What a great problem to have, and is simply answered by “how light do you want to travel?”  If working as minimally as possible, and wanting fast lenses, pack an Olympus E-M10 MkIII, with those smaller lenses  Great quality is still available, not as stellar as the f1.2 lenses, but a powerful image should resonate on the level of how powerful it is.

What does this all mean to the photographer? Olympus has been on the forefront of creating equipment with functions for the real-world photographer. From the first dust reduction system that Olympus pioneered, to the articulateable rear monitor (I think I just made up a word) that I’ve found so much use for, to “Live Composite,” “Pro Capture,” the list continues. These features are available on camera bodies that are compact enough that I do not mind carrying them with me all day. So, a camera with a form factor this is very user-friendly, state of the art features pioneered in so many cases by Olympus, a camera capable of producing extremely high quality images, and a range of lenses that can accommodate any working pro……what else do you want?

*A few interesting articles describing bokeh, just click on titles: PictureCorrect Wikipedia Photography Life 

One of the great powers of photography is its ability to capture and share portraits, be it people or animal. We love looking at others, both from nearby and abroad, because a good portrait can help define and describe our subject.

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I love photographing people, actually any and all portraits.  In our camera bag we carry various lenses: those used to photograph people, make portraits of our pets, animals, anything that walks or crawls.  Each of these lenses provides a unique and specific look.  With our cameras, we can use those lenses to create either a standard or environmental portrait. A standard portrait is usually a fairly close-up image, filling the frame with the subject.  An environmental portrait includes the subject as well as background info, which provides that important information of place. Photographing people is something I love and I encourage other photographers to include that skill in their photographic range.  It can be an intimidating process, the idea of approaching a total stranger, either domestically or internationally. But, with a little practice as well as a little nerve, the comfort level in this process can be improved.

 

Super-wide: Olympus 7-14mm f2.8

This great lens provides a huge field of view, in 35mm equivalence from 14mm to 28mm, or 114∞ to 75∞, which in laymanís terms is REALLY wide.  One of the great advantages of working with this lens when photographing people is you can be physically very close to your subject. That closeness can be beneficial as it allows you to connect more readily with your subject.  You also can take advantage of that huge field of view by bringing in the background information, which makes this a great environmental portrait lens.  The photographer has to be careful as that information can overwhelm the viewer.

 

 

Using this as an environmental portrait lens, watch the background closely.  Your subject, if in the near foreground, can also be distorted if placed too close to the edge. The lens is ìrectilinear,î meaning if held level the horizontal and vertical lines will appear to be straight.  Tilt the lens up or down, and you will force those lines to distort.   There are times I do want as much information as possible, usually to emphasize the background.  Working with ìplanesî of information, Iíll place my subject in a foreground plane, allowing the background to be a second layer of information, telling me about that person and the importance of place.

 

Wide to short telephoto:  12-40mm f2.8 / 12-100mm f4

We use the term “normal lens” to describe this length as it closely replicates  the field of view the human eye sees.  The eye is so sophisticated as it zooms effortlessly to what it needs at that moment.   When using the wider range, the 12mm setting, greater and inherent “depth of field,” or DOF,which is the zone of focus, from foreground to background.  Wider lenses have greater DOF, longer have less.  The photographer can use that DOF for creative purposes, either blurring the background by shooting at a large f-stop (diaphragm of the lens, smaller numbers give less DOF) or utilizing a small f-stop, creating a deeper DOF, more in focus from foreground to background.  This is a great focal length with which to work as it allows the photographer to be close to the subject, but not “in their face.”  I love working close enough that I feel a connection to my subject, instead of being too far away.

 

 

 

 

 

Medium to Long telephoto:  40-150mm f2.8

The longer the lens, the shallower DOF you get in a photo.  The closer to the 40mm on this lens, the greater the DOF and conversely, the closer to 150mm, the less depth of field.   The out of focus visual quality of a lens is referred to as “bokeh.”  By stopping these longer lenses down to an f-stop of f 11 or smaller, the photographer dictates the amount of background that is in focus,  in between, or out of focus . There is a reason for spending the extra money for a fast lens, and the ability to control the amount of focus or de-focus is a prime consideration.  This medium-length lens can allow you to work a bit further from the subject.

 

 

In addition to extra working distance this length provides, a longer lens also starts to “compress” the photo: background and foreground start to appear on the same plane of interest. This also becomes a creative tool for the photographer.

 

Super-telephoto: 300mm f4

Normally thought of as a wildlife or sports lens, one doesn’t normally think of a very long telephoto as a portrait lens.  But, they absolutely have their place here.  From the obvious situation of simply not being able to get close enough to the subject (think lions, hippos, polar bears, and hungry puffins,) to using the super “compression” these lenses provide (compressing being the nature of a super-telephoto to put everything on one plane of interest, foreground to background) a super-telephoto can drop out the background easily in terms of focus.  This can be a creative tool when wanting to heavily emphasize the main subject of the photo.

 

Super-fast prime lenses: 17mm f1.2,  25mm f1.2,  45mm f1.2

By design, the super-fast Olympus Pro F1.2 lenses (the 17mm, 25mm, and 45mm) have a beautiful bokeh, very smooth and creamy, enhanced by its multi-blade diaphragm. I use these lenses often for their dramatic visual effect: minimal depth of field which “directs” the viewer where to look, as the sharpness is in on that layer of the image. These lenses also work incredibly well in low-light environments, where a higher shutter speed or greater aperture is desired.