‘Photography’ Category
Review: Canon 50mm f1.0L. Yeah, 1.0!
A Big Old Heaping Pile of Glass… The first thing you notice about this lens is the glass. This lens is all glass with a little bit of that nice “L” series black plastic wrapped around it. This thing weighs 2lbs – it’s even heavier than the 5D Mark III camera it was attached to for [...]
The Best of My Year in Daily Photos
The end of the first year, and some changes This month marks the end of my first year in Today’s Photos. It also marks a significant change in that I’ve switched to an entirely new format, one that’s simpler and better. I dumped Smugmug in favor of Flickr (more on that later), and I’ve removed [...]
Instagram Pictures from the Trans Siberian Railway
Instagram is home to many, many photographers whose work really shines and I’ve been a fan ever since I spent the time to really give it a chance. Unlike most travel/photography bloggers, I rarely use it myself. I tend to either shoot with my DSLR or enjoy the travel experience without worrying about taking even [...]
Shooting and Editing Better Travel Photos: The Polar Route’s Complete Guide
Welcome to The Polar Route’s Complete Guide to Shooting and Editing Better Travel Photos! This free ebook is all about taking good pictures from the moment you grab your camera to head out until the moment you finish editing those shots on your computer. It’s written in the same conversational style that I use for [...]
Istanbul: A Photo Essay
Last month I spent the better part of a week in the incredible city of Istanbul, Turkey. I was caught off guard at what a lively city it is – the people are passionate above all else. They’re proud of their history and they have an active and vested interest in their future. It’s plainly obvious [...]
Getting that Film Look
I have a new found fascination and respect for film after shooting with it extensively, including on my recent trip to Istanbul. I love the stuff – it’s challenging, it’s beautiful, and it’s so much fun. Although I got my photographic start with my first film SLR, I’ve never really considered myself a film photographer. With film, [...]
If Your Camera Were a Person It Would Be Legally Blind
Did you know our cameras can only see about 1% of the light information our eyes can gather? It sounds ridiculous, but it’s true. Look at this recent picture from Chicago: the sky behind the Trump Tower (center) is totally blown out, yet the building on the left is completely black with no details to [...]
Flickr’s Badass New Look. Yeah, Flickr’s Awesome Again.
I’ve always liked Flickr, although lately I had admittedly been looking at it like an old used up friend. It’s not the most fun to be around, and it’s certainly not new and interesting. It just kind of sits there, passively waiting for attention but never desperate for it. And like an old friend, it’s [...]
Film Pictures from Istanbul
Last week I spent a quick 5 days in Istanbul. I had mostly good vibes about the city. I loved it’s food, architecture, history, markets, and culture. But WOW are there a lot of people! There were long lines for the touristy things, and the non touristy things had tons of people too. I wouldn’t [...]
Shooting Film. Again.
Do you listen to records? Still pumping those Reeboks? Do you rollerblade? If you answered YES to any of these, or if you just plain love all things retro, then maybe you should try film… again. It’s totally rad! Besides nostalgia there are lots of other super awesome reasons to (re)try film: Cameras and lenses [...]