Review: DJI Mavic 2 Pro Drone

Matt Jacques got out to test the new DJI Mavic 2 Pro, and reports on overall build quality and image quality impressions. Does the partnership with Hasselblad provide any tangible benefits to photographers? Is this the ultimate drone from DJI, combining the best of the Phantom 4 Pro in the small body of the Mavic Pro?

Aerial Photography With The DJI Phantom 4 Pro

Last month, I picked up a new DJI Phantom 4 Pro+ drone, or rather UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle). I’m still on a fairly steep learning curve when it comes to aerial imaging, but thought I would share some of my initial impressions of this equipment as a photography platform. While UAVs have taken off (sorry, couldn’t resist) in terms of their popularity over the past 5 years or so, DJI remains the market leader and their most recent offerings represent a significant jump in terms of both video and still imaging quality. The bad news for anyone just tuning in to the …

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Photography Bucket List: Goodwood Revival

The Goodwood Revival was hiding there on my photography bucket list before I even realized it. I’ve been obsessed with cars for as long as I can remember, but it took a fateful bus ride and a chance meeting with Nova Scotia-based automotive artist Paul Chenard, to introduce me to the event that would dramatically boost my creative confidence and completely re-map what I thought was possible with my photography career. In 2011 I was living Halifax and had somehow managed to become the official photographer for both the local track Scotia Speedworld and the Maritime Pro Stock Tour. Regularly …

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Epic Photography Trip Around Iceland’s Ring Road

This past October, I spent a little over a week in Iceland and was completely blown away by the photographic possibilities. That’s not to say my expectations were low going in. Like many, Iceland has been on my proverbial bucket list for some time, complete with mental snapshots of dancing aurora and volcanic landscapes. I’d just never really made it a priority to visit, as it lingered perpetually on the “some day” list thanks to its remoteness and the never-ending list of places to explore in my own backyard here in the Yukon. But when my better half got the …

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Nikon 200-500mm f/5.6E VR Review

Exploring the Creative Possibilities of a Super Telephoto Lens I’ve been a Nikon DSLR shooter for over 10 years now. Starting out with the small but mighty 6-megapixel D70S that did so much to crack open the hobbyist/amateur market, I’ve been lucky enough to build up my skills and photographic repertoire just as digital photography technology seemed to evolve and mature in parallel. For many, that initial leap in to the DSLR world is soon followed by the realization that the performance and creative capabilities of any camera are limited nearly as much by lens choice as by megapixels, shutter …

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The Dark Art Of Film Photography

Darkroom In Use

You’ve been warned!

 

In an earlier post here on Shutter Muse, I revealed how seductive the call of film photography can be, and that even the oldest, most basic cameras can present a rewarding learning curve. I’m writing this little update several months later to say that first spark of curiosity has led to an ongoing shift in my photographic processes and priorities.

If and when you dare to explore the world of film photography, you might find yourself ignoring the latest rumours of gee-whiz technology waiting to be announced, and instead find the dark, dusty corners of flea markets, swap meets, garage and estate sales suddenly have an inexplicable allure.

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film photography lessons

5 Lessons Learned From A Journey Into Film Photography

Everything old is new again. The Nikon Df might be the latest and most hotly debated, but Fujifilm, Olympus and other manufacturers are clamoring to inject a little vintage nostalgia into their digital innovations. But instead of rushing out to buy the hot new old thing, let me propose that when it comes to getting back to the basics of photography, absolutely nothing is better than the real thing. In this post, I’ll share just a few of my impressions and top lessons learned from a year-long adventure with film photography.