Pierre Steenberg

Contemplating a camera brand switch - Part 2 of 5

February 25, 2024 • Leave a Comment

Usually, in a series like this, each episode rules out a contender leaving two finalists for the final episode. The decision is then revealed at the very end. Since this episode is about Sony, many may think that I have therefore eliminated Sony, to move on to examining other contenders in future episodes. This is not the case in this series. Sony...

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Contemplating a camera brand switch - Part 1 of 5

February 18, 2024 • Leave a Comment

Changing camera brands every few years is reserved only for the foolish or the rich. This is an expensive endeavor and one which results in the loss of a lot of money. Camera brands leapfrog each other all the time. For now, this camera may be the best and tomorrow another brand's offering may be the best. So being patient is key since waiting a wh...

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You get what you pay for

February 11, 2024 • 1 Comment

Yes, I fell into the old tripod upgrade trap. Not having enough money I bought a cheap one. It did not last and I upgraded, multiple times (to my shame), until I bought what I should have bought all along. Since I ended up buying an expensive tripod anyways, I lost all the money I spend on all the junk tripods that I also bought. That tripod has la...

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Other stuff at airshows

February 04, 2024 • Leave a Comment

A major problem that many photographers face is that we envisage the images we want before we go. One the one hand, this is a good thing. It makes us plan. It keeps us focused. It helps us to get the shot. On the other hand, dreaming about that image we want, can keep us from "seeing" other images. We can be so focused that we don't see anything el...

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Airshows: framing

January 28, 2024 • Leave a Comment

Not every image of a plane needs to fill the frame. Sometimes it is better to back off a bit and to frame the plane a bit looser. Situations that work better with a smaller aircraft usually have something else in the frame that adds to the image. To even be aware of these moments we cannot be glued to the viewfinder while the zoom lens at at its ma...

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Photographing fighter jets

January 21, 2024 • Leave a Comment

Images of prop-driven planes should have moving props. Moving props convey the idea of action and life. Fighter jets do not have props. What then gives them the excitement they deserve, what can show their action and life? A picture of a fighter jets just hanging in mid air is boring. This is not what fighter jets are all about. It is not what they...

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Shooting prop planes at airshows

January 14, 2024 • Leave a Comment

I find shooting prop planes at airshows more difficult than photographing fast fighter jets. The whole fighter jet flies at the same speed. It does not have any parts going faster than any other parts. That is not true for prop-driven planes. Those props move faster, a lot faster, than the plane itself. If you have ever seen an image of a prop plan...

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Preparing to photograph an airshow

January 07, 2024 • Leave a Comment

To get the best airshow images takes a bit of thinking and planning. Airshows do not happen every month at most locations. Many of them only happen once a year. So we only have one chance per year. Let's make the most of that chance by preparing well. By preparing I am not referring to gear or settings, rather to the things we need to ponder on bef...

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Reset your gear

December 31, 2023 • Leave a Comment

I was photographing an airshow. Naturally, I set the camera up to succeed at capturing fighter jets. One of the settings I used to make my lens focus quicker is to set the focus limiter to ten meters or yards (give or take) and beyond. Knowing that none of the flying planes will be closer than ten meters or yards from me, this setting is logical. I...

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Bees on flowers (close-ups)

December 24, 2023 • Leave a Comment

I have not ventured into the small world of macro photography. Close-ups are close enough for me. This is a genre I would like to get involved in a bit more in the future. All that is needed is a close focusing lens. When dealing with close-ups of plants, the focal length of the lens may not be that important. When shooting insects close-up, I pref...

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