Dan Carr

Professional photographer based in Yukon, Canada, and founder of Shutter Muse. His editorial work has been featured in publications all over the world, and his commercial clients include brands such as Nike, Apple, Adobe and Red Bull.

Get Some Waders and Get Down Low!

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When it comes to wildlife photography, one of the easiest things you can do to improve your images is to get down nice and low so that you’re at eye level with your subject. This has two main effects on the image: It makes the viewer feel as though they are part of the animal’s world, instead of just looking in on it as you would do at a zoo exhibit. It usually moves the background much further away from the subject, and this has the effect of blurring it out, thereby isolating your sharply focussed subject on the soft …

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3 Types of Automation for Your Photography Business using Zapier

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Some years ago I wrote a very popular post about automating your photography business, and I still find myself often directing people to that post because I truly believe in the time savings that are possible using automations services which are available for free. Back when I wrote that post, I was using a combination of two services called Zapier and IFTTT. These days I perform all of my important photography business automations with Zapier because in the past few years they have vastly expanded the number of services they integrate with, and they also continue to add amazing new …

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My Photo Backup Routine – Mid 2017

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I started this particular series of posts back in 2015 by detailing my photography backup routine and outlining some of the basic strategies for a safe and redundant backup system. If you’re uncertain about the basics, you should start with that post first. Time and time again I hear stories of people losing their precious images, and it’s not just amateur photographers either, I’m constantly reading about professionals running into trouble too and frankly they should know better. The biggest problem is that too many people still think of digital photography as being “free” because there are no film costs …

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Drobo Announced a New Thunderbolt 3 Unit and Here’s Why I’m Curious…

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If any of you have been keeping track of my semi-regular updates about my backup solution and general photo storage workflow, you may remember that my primary devices are currently Drobo 5Ds. My history with Drobo goes back to the very first generation Firewire products, and back then they were buggy and unreliable machines that caused me to write some less than flattering reviews. In recent years though, the company has undergone a change in management, and very clear steps have been made to improve the reliability of their machines. Aside from a recent power adapter failure on one of …

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MindShift Gear PhotoCross Sling Bag Review

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I’ve reviewed a lot of MindShift Gear products in the past, but this is the first time they’ve brought a sling-style pack to the market so I was very curious to see what their take on it would be. MindShift is the sister company to Think Tank Photo, but their products focus entirely on the outdoor photography markets such as landscape, adventure, travel and wildlife photography. Pretty much all of the camera bags I use for work on a daily basis are MindShift ones, but I’ve never actually owned a sling before so I was excited to try one out …

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How to Fix Cloudy Plastic Camera Rain Covers

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Having a good rain cover in your photo kit is a great idea because clouds, snow and thunderstorms can often produce very dramatic images. If you’re a working professional, you also need to be able to guarantee you can work in any condition, particularly photojournalists and sports photographers. I’ve reviewed a number of rain cover on this site in the past, and they typically fall into two categories: Firstly you have ultra lightweight covers that don’t totally enclose the back of the camera. These covers take up less room in your bag, so you can typically leave one in there …

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Benro TSL08CN00 Carbon Tripod Review

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Every photographer will need a tripod at some point and it’s an overwhelming decision to make when there are so many options. Some cheap tripods can actually be a hindrance because photographers believe they are getting a stable platform when they aren’t. Another common problem is that people end up with a tripod that is too small, and therefore two uncomfortable to use, or too heavy and therefore too cumbersome to carry. These experiences leave a bad taste in their mouths with regards to tripod usage, and they tend never to want to use one again. High-end tripods such as …

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REVIEW: Peak Design Range Pouch

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I’ve used all kinds of Peak Design products in the last few years, and always been impressed with the bomber construction of their camera bags so I thought I’d purchase one of the Range Pouches to check it out and see how it compares to their other products. The Range Pouch is available in three different sizes and starts at $35 for the small size, $40 for the medium and $45 for the large. There’s really no rules about what you can carry in the Range Pouch, although obviously most people will be thinking about putting a lens in it, …

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Better Beamer Flash Extender Review

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Sometimes it’s necessary to use a flash for wildlife photography just to add a little fill, or add a catchlight to the eye of your subject. The problem is that most hot shoe flashes simply don’t have the necessary range and power to adequately light up a subject that is as far away as wildlife often is. The Better Beamer Flash Extender is a solution to this problem. Better Beamer Design Priced at only $35 from B&H, it uses a simple plastic frame that attaches to your flash, and a thin plastic fresnel lens that sticks to the end of …

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