 | Name: | John Denk [Only registered TrekNature members may contact jpdenk.] |
| Country: | United States | |
| Intro: | Hello everyone, I'm an amateur naturalist and nature photographer living in the southwest suburbs of Chicago, IL USA. I've been taking nature photos since the late 1970's. I switched to digital in 1999 and never looked back. I have had several of my photos published, but I am nowhere near making a living off of my photography, which I do because I enjoy it. I'm interested in all aspects of nature, but my knowledge is strongest with plants and fungi. I try to make the best images that I can. I've learned a lot since switching to digital capture 9 years ago, and have a lot more to learn. I find the immediacy of the medium to be of great value, letting me see what I've done wrong or right immediately after taking a photo, and the low cost of taking digital photos is something that also encourages experimenting, which encourages learning. Besides the cameras and lenses listed in my equipment profile, I also rely on these items: Velbon Ultra Maxi F tripod, this is great for most flower and fungi shots, as it has a short center column and legs that spread out almost flat. It's small and light-weight, legs adjust very quickly with a twist. I'd be lost without it. When I'm using my 170-500mm zoom, I like to put it on my "big" tripod, a Manfrotto 3246 with a 3030 head, a heavy beast, but it's certainly steady, and I like it also because I'm very tall (6'5"), and this tripod is tall enough that I can use it without having to bend over. I frequently use a monopod, a Giotto MM-5570, again, I like it because it's long enough for me to use without having to stoop over. I have a Manfrotto 3229 head on it for quick and easy vertical compositions with lenses that don't have a tripod collar. It uses the same quick-mount plate as my big tripod, very convenient. I occasionally use an Adorama macro focusing stage, comes in handy when I'm shooting in a tight spot and can't move the tripod around, when I need fine control over camera positioning or when I want to shoot at a particular rate of magnification. I use a Nikon SB-800 flash for most things that require a flash, often with the diffuser to soften the light. I want a Nikon R1 flash system really bad, just a matter of time until I pick up one of those. For low angles, I use a Nikon DR-6 right-angle viewfinder, along with a ML-L3 wireless remote. I sometimes use a Konica-Minolta Auto Meter VF hand-held meter. I find it to be more accurate to take an incident-light reading than it is to use the camera's meter when shooting under certain conditions and when shooting very light or very dark subjects. For extending the close focus of my 60mm macro, I have a Kenko 25mm extension tube and a Nikon 6T auxiliary close-up lens. I don't use filters much, but I do have a Hoya multi-coated low profile polarizer for my 18-70 zoom, also a Tiffen .6 graduated neutral density filter for when I want to hold back a portion of the image, usually the sky. | |
| Member Since: | 2007-08-30 | |
| Camera: | Minolta Maxxum QTsi, Nikkormat FT2, Nikon D70, Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ5 | |
| Note: | Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer
![Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 130 W: 0 N: 270]](http://i1.treknature.com/misc/g-n-g.gif){kind=small} (747)jpdenk is a favorite of 4 members. | |
| Viewed: | 1070 | |
| Favorites: | 17 members [view photos] [read critiques] · 41 photos |
| Random photos | ||
United States Gray Coneflower (6) jpdenk (747) | United States Cladonia lichen (4) jpdenk (747) | United States Butterfly Weed (6) jpdenk (747) |
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