Now on Apple iTunes: eBook “Power of the Glance”

It’s a great day when you see your own book finally available on a ubiquitous distributor of eBooks.  Apple accepted my eBook Power of the Glance: Travel Portraits in Black and White for distribution and is now searchable under Art and Photography Books.  It can be previewed and downloaded for US3.99 here:  http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id583665473.

Cover and Back of “Power of the Glance: Travel Portraits in Black and White” by Joel Addams

EBOOK – POWER OF THE GLANCE: TRAVEL PORTRAITS IN BLACK AND WHITE

This ebook has been a long time in the making, with photographs that started in 2005 and 2006.  Some of my first images of people came from Peru in Iquitos while working with the fabulous Hope Alliance.  I can remember that I felt completely nervous and wasn’t quite sure how to approach people.  I think I was nervous about people yelling at me.  That turned out to be silly because as I asked a few older men if I could take their picture, they seemed like it was a privilege.  One of those images is on page 40; the man with the horizontally striped shirt.  It seemed basic at the time, and even now, but I still feel like it was compositionally sound and natural.  Further down the street that day, a young man and his father were running a taxi service and had stopped for a break in the square.  Tucked away in the back was the boy’s young brother who peered at me through saucer-like eyes.  Unwavering dinner plates, actually that just stared at me from a few feet away.  He didn’t move as I lifted the Canon 20D with a fixed 60 mm lens up and focused on his eyes.  It remains one of my favorites, and is on page 46.

“The portrait became more interesting to me after having reviewed the work of great travel photographers and even some commercial photographers who saw in the person, and especially in the face, a wealth of complexity.  The human experience can be played out in no better place that in the human itself, and the study of it can become as exciting as unlocking a riddle or discovering the double meaning of words in a poem.  People seem to hide their experiences, their emotions, and even their desires in the weight of their gesture, in their wrinkles, and of course in their glance.  And this is where the power of the interpreter of the human condition lies, for if one can determine the meaning of the glance, one will know the intentions of the subject.  The careful observation of the mouth, the arms relaxed by one’s side, the desperate nonchalant tension around the eyes all are clues to the meaning of the poetry that makes up a person’s life, but nothing surpasses the power of the glance.”    - Introduction, Power of the Glance

Girl, Terai Region, Nepal. Page 19

HARDBACK EDITION

I had initially considered a hardback edition of this book.  I am disappointed that the costs of publishing something that should be kept and well considered as an art are so incredibly high.  They make the costs to the public unreasonably high.  Even though some of the world’s best and most well known art photographers are selling limited editions of their art books (say, 500) at very high prices (say, $585), I don’t this is yet feasible.  I will continue to look for a publisher of the work, as their quality to cost ratio is much higher and would make a fine art book more affordable.

Until then, please enjoy the eBook on iTunes for iPad, iMini, and iPhone for US3.99.  I would appreciate any feedback on the images, layout, experience, cost and delivery methods at joel@joeladdams.com or on this thread.

Thank you all for continuing to follow my work,

Joel

NGOs THAT I SUPPORT

Tissue Banks International
Himalayan Cataract Project
Hope Alliance

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What’s Selling: June 2012

So the mystery with using a stock agency or distributor is that sometimes they don’t have time to tell you where your images are being used. That’s where you come in. As before, those who want to spend a few moments searching the country they’re in or even the web should be entitled to a reward. Can you find these?

“Walk of the Faithful” Kathmandu, Nepal. This is on the cover of a magazine in Japan currently or in the next month.

“Dinner in Marrakesh, Morocco” by Joel Addams. This is on a cover of a book in France and in the interior of magazine in Russia.

“On the Camino” by Joel Addams. This is on the cover of a magazine in Germany. Help a brother out.

Can you find a copy of any of these things?  We can definitely work something out, since I would love to have a copy (even digital) of any of these images in print.

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“Evening Fog and Pier” Golden Gate State Park, California
Alta’s Albion Basin in Summer
Naturalist Basin, High Uintas and A Little Photography

“Snake Charming” Marrakesh, Morocco

"Snake Charmer" Marrekesh, Morocco by Joel Addams

MARRAKESH, MOROCCO

This was one of those situations where you know you had to make the picture happen or it just wasn’t.  Gentlemen who play with snakes in the popular marketplace of Marrakesh have one thing on their minds:  making a little cash.  You have to decide as a photographer if that is worth it for you.  If you’re shooting for an editorial publication, then no money or services or goods can be exchanged for taking these pictures.  I wasn’t.  I thought at best this would be a decent stock image, so I gave the guy a small amount of cash so I could position myself on my stomach for a few minutes and use a long lens to capture the cobra.  My plan was to keep the face of the gentleman out of the picture completely so I could freely use the image how I wanted.  In addition, I was trying to keep the snake in the dark parts of his clothing, so as to contrast the snake with the background.

Camera: Canon 5D
Lens: Canon 70-200 mm IS lens
Settings: ISO100, f/3.2, 1/250th of a second
Filters:  Circular Polarizer
Other: Handheld

RELATED ARTICLES

“Evening Fog and Pier” Golden Gate State Park, California
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Naturalist Basin, High Uintas and A Little Photography

New Portfolio: “International Portraits” in Black and White

"Man at Screening Camp" Kathmandu, Nepal. © Joel Addams

Even though there are many, many countries left to visit, I began putting together a portfolio of black and white portraits that I have taken since 2006 from Peru, Nepal, Egypt, Morocco, and a few other countries.

When I first showed in an exhibit or two in 2006, one fellow participant looked at a framed 16 x 24″ print of a Hindu man reading in the Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu, Nepal, and said, “Who’s gonna buy that?”  I thought the person missed the point entirely and quite obviously.  While this subject should be dedicated to a blog of its own, not all photographs are made for commercial purposes.  I firmly believe that the photographs that you need to take and like to take will find ways of doing things that you have not imagined.  Perhaps for some, they are the grounding in their lives that remind them that not all that glitters is gold and that their integrity as a photographer can be preserved in the images that they know resonates with them.

I feel that this is what black and white photography is for me and this is what international portraits do for me.  I hope you enjoy a new portfolio of black images of people from around the world.

"A Kiterunner" Kathmandu, Nepal. © Joel Addams

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A Hard Lesson – The Philosophy of Photography

“A strange thing to be saying to an 8-year-old,” I thought, “especially on Christmas Eve.”  My older sister leaned over my pouting niece and said, “Just let Joel take one picture of you and your sister and Grandma. She may die before next Christmas.”

Her directness startled me, especially her use of the word “die.”  But, I supposed, it could be true, even though Grandma was as fit and happy as a 92-year-old woman could be with severe osteoporosis.  People her age certainly are at serious risk for sudden illnesses with all of their complications.

I shouldn’t have been shocked then, when I opened my email on a second story Internet café in southern Morocco only two months later and saw a glaring title from my mother simply entitled “Grandma.”  She had been hospitalized after a series of falls that resulted in a broken hip and surgery.  Her room had been flooded with family, and each member took turns staying with her…I talked with her at length the night before I left.

Now staring at this computer screen with Arabic whirling around the room, my family was requesting a picture.  They had remembered that I had unexpectedly dropped in on her apartment about five years prior and had taken a black and white film photograph of her that I had subsequently signed and emailed to the family of cousins.  As I sat on the plane returning from the Middle East, I started thinking of all the times I did not take a photograph.  It was difficult to think that I was traveling for days to photograph people I didn’t even know, and the best portrait photograph I had of this wonderful woman in the last few years was a snapshot I had taken as I passed through her home one afternoon. (And I was supposed to be the professional photographer in the family!)

My father had the strength and kindness to pick her up regularly and to bring her to events, the last of which was a lecture I gave at the Salt Lake City REI several years ago on “Trekking and Photographing in Nepal during the Monsoon Season.”  A bit specific, I realize.  But there was Grandma and my father, front row in the dark listening to points on aperture and ISO, likely tips that Grandma wouldn’t need in the future.  I took the class from Kathmandu to Gokyo Ri, a high point in the trekking of the Himalayas proclaimed to be “the best view of Everest” (except for being on the top!)  I showed a progression of slides documenting the trek from the hillside landing at Lukla, up the river drainage to Namche Bazaar and continuing the slow upward climb to Gokyo Ri.  I loved the images.

"Wildflowers, Khumbu Region, Nepal" Limited edition of 45 prints, © JoelAddams.com

"White on Black, Mani Stones" Everest Region, Nepal. Run of Three prints, © JoelAddams.com

My regret, which I vocalized to the audience, was that I had not photographed enough.  I often pushed ahead, knowing — or believing — that better photographs were always to come.  Days passed, and I continued to hike essentially alone except for my Nepali guide and Sherpa friend.  Gokyo Ri was a charming “hill” at the end of a climb from 8,000 feet to 17,500 feet.  My problem was also embedded in the title of my talk: it was monsoon season.  This meant that the weather was unpredictable and often very stormy as clouds piled up against the Himalayas and released their watery contents onto solo trekkers.  When I finally reached the top of Gokyo Ri, we couldn’t see more than 100 feet.

No view.  No Everest.  No spectacular picture.

"Photographer and Sherpa, Gokyo Ri" 2006, Khumbu Region, Nepal.

I’m not sure if anyone in the Wasatch Room at REI in the pitch blackness noticed my eyes watering.  For a professional outdoor photographer, it was a tough lesson to learn.  Grandma, of course, thought it was the best presentation ever, as she did with everything her grandkids did.  She had a particular affinity for traveling, and she and Grandpa had traveled extensively on my uncle’s airline hookup back in the day.

Time slips by for us all, focused intently on a destination such as Gokyo Ri or arriving home or finishing this project or that.  The philosophy of “I’ll be happy when…” can be crippling to those who may never arrive at their destination.   Photographers think, “I’ll get that great shot when…” and never realize, as I didn’t, that so many great shots were yelling at me as I hiked on by.  The time to photograph is now, when the light is good and when the light is bad.  It’s during the car ride, around dinner, and into the night.

I wish I had a few more pictures of my Grandma.

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Photography Print Sale: 35% off all prints with free USA shipping

It’s hard not to offer something around the holidays.  This year it’s the triple threat of offering 35% off all prints on the website (prices are already figured in) AND the addition of the “Colors: Christmas 2010” portfolio, which is a strong mix of high color photography from around the world: National Parks, Morocco, Nepal, Italy…AND free shipping within the United States.  Get out.  No really, get out.  Here’s the preview.  (BTW, original photography is the perfect substitute for buying something lame at the last minute and knowing that the receiver knows that you didn’t put a minute of forethought into it.  Every knows it.  It weighs heavy on your mind.  Knowing this is crushing you right now.  I know it is.)

“Colors: Christmas 2010″

 

"Manarola at Dusk" Cinque Terre, Italy © Joel Addams (Run of 235)

"One Light" Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah. © Joel Addams (Run of 45)

"Mesa Arch, Sunrise" Canyonlands, Utah. © Joel Addams (Run of 45)

"Enchanted Falls" Columbia River Gorge, Oregon. © Joel Addams (Run of 45)

"Two Friends" Grand Tetons National Park, Wyoming. © Joel Addams (Run of 45)

"Teton Dreams" Grand Teton National Park, WY. © Joel Addams (Run of 45)

"The Escape" Zion National Park, Utah. © Joel Addams (Run of 45)

"Magic Lanterns" Marrakesh, Morocco. © Joel Addams (Run of 45)

"Shoes, Marrakesh" Marrakesh, Morocco. © Joel Addams (Run of 45)

"A Time to Live" Waimea, Oahu, Hawaii. © Joel Addams (Run of 45)

"Green Leaf" Oahu, Hawaii. © Joel Addams (Run of 45)

"Half Dome at Sunset" Yosemite National Park, CA. © Joel Addams (Run of 45)

"Houses of Burano" Burano, Italy. © Joel Addams (Run of 45)

"Manarola at Dusk" Cinque Terre, Italy. © Joel Addams (Run of 235)

"Sacred Dyes" Kathmandu, Nepal. © Joel Addams (Run of 45)

"Venice Boats" Venice, Italy. © Joel Addams (Run of 235)

I get it. It’s a lot of prints.  Quality is the name of the game in my business and my photography.  All photographs are printed on the finest quality archival papers and mats do not spare any expense.  Acid-free, museum quality mats are the standard chez moi. Remember, the sale is short and is on everything currently on the website, not just these fine, high color jobbies. Check’em out.

 

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International Portrait Photography

Nothing beats an international trip, and nothing beats a well rounded photographic portfolio than a couple of hard-hitting, poignant international portraits. These are National Geographic specials, the ones that seem to nail you as you turn the page. They’re a mix of style and sense of place.

"Two Boys, Siwa, Egypt" © Joel Addams

Now, how do you get’em?

1) Get the right equipment. You need a camera that takes fast pictures. Probably not a point and shoot as almost all have too much of a lag time. Portraits are fast and the photographer needs to move faster. Fast focus, fast shutter. Most of the Canon/Nikon digital SLRs will fulfill this need. Now don’t forget the lens. Good portrait lenses are usually between 85-150 mm. They flatten the features of the face, rather than offer distortion at the edges, which occurs with lenses that are less than 35 mm. A “longer” lens will also get you into the action, moving you in close and subtracting the busy and superfluous background. My “go to” lens? Canon’s 70-200 mm L series IS. Sharp and contrasty. A nice zoom and a fast lens (2.8).

"Power of the Glance, Kathmandu, Nepal" © Joel Addams

2) Get into the action. You can’t just walk out on the streets of Bombay and point that thing wherever you want. Meet people. Have conversations. Learn a little of the language. You’d be surprised at who invites you to tea, shows you their home, gets you into the temple. The longer you hang around a shop, the more the people will become comfortable with your camera and start acting normally.

3) Get the eyes in focus. Unless you taking an artistic-type photograph, generally you want the eyes razor sharp. Everything starts at the eyes. Except for some men, people will look you in the eyes as they meet you, and gauge your personality by how your eyes react. Review your images in camera and zoomed-in to eliminate the ones that do not have sharp eyes.

"The Shopkeeper, Fez, Morocco" © Joel Addams

4) Get a wide aperture. Long lens, wide aperture. This will blur some of the background and focus more on the person, the eyes, the colors, the clothes. A more simple photograph of a person is sometimes more pleasing. I personally avoid f2.8. There is a chance that the depth of field is just too narrow, and I’ve missed the eyes before. Tragic! Try 3.5 or 4.0 and you can avoid this problem, especially if you’re just starting and a bit nervous.

5) Get the good light. What does this mean? It means find good light. Sunrise and sunset light is proven, but there is also good light as it reflects between buildings and off pavement. Direct light is generally death to the portrait. The shadows cast across the face are unbearable and the direct light has a way of “washing” out the color and warmth from a portrait. Cloudy, overcast days are actually quite nice for the portrait, since they spread the light evenly over the face, especially if the person is looking skyward.

"The Hooka, Cairo, Egypt" © Joel Addams

6) Get the release (or at least the permission). Most professionals agree that you need to get a model release for any kind of marketability of a person in a photograph. You do NOT need a release if the person is unrecognizable at 100%. This means that a blurred person or the back of someone does not need to be released, but they have to be absolutely unrecognizable. Otherwise, the person or an agency could potentially sue you (and more likely the publisher) of an image if it is printed without a release. Try to adhere to the United States’ laws because they seem to be the most strict about this. A model released image becomes worth much, much more not because the photographer is avoiding a lawsuit, but because publishers will be that much more willing to publish the image.

If nothing else, get permission for the image. People should know that you are going to take an image or have already taken an image. The split second that occurs when someone sees you is a golden moment. They have not reacted to you, and a sort of pure intent can be seen in them. I photograph in this way regularly. I do, though, show them the image (thank you, digital) and let them approve of it.

"The Sadhu, Kathmandu, Nepal" © Joel Addams

Some people are accustomed to ask for money to have their portraits taken. I WILL ALWAYS PAY FOR THIS. Why? Because I always pay my models in the US, Europe, etc. Why not pay? They are providing a service for you, and they have become a professional model. They will also be more willing to sign a release (again, an exchange I make regularly with Americans). Tourists should not be able to take a portrait for free…I feel like that is exploitation, unless the image is used editorially. An editorial image does not need a release, even if Bill Gates and Tina Turner are in it. Editorial use is, for example, something you would see accompanying an newspaper article, and not used for a cologne ad (Eau de Tina), which would be considered a commercial use.

7) Have fun. Taking pictures of people is dynamic and always changing. Most of all, it is a great way to meet and laugh with people. Enjoy!

"The Teaman, Fez, Morocco" © Joel Addams

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International Photography – The Doors of Morocco

After publishing a blog on shooting international portraits, some have expressed serious concern and apprehension over the international travel portrait. Rightly so. They certainly can cause angst when the photographer isn’t sure how the subject will react. I failed to mention that I have been yelled at only once, and after I showed the gentleman that his portrait was just plain bad, he seemed satisfied. I erased it, of course.

I’ll now offer a solution to the portrait averse. Architecture. It just stands there, rarely spooks, and doesn’t yell at you. In addition, it too offers a nice flavor of the local culture, color and customs. I’ve chosen a rather straightforward subject for this blog, and some of the amateurs I hope will appreciate the simplicity in composition which still leads to an immediacy of the image. The frame is filled. The viewer is not distracted by random, accidental inclusions, and the feeling is a rather calm understanding of who may have crafted these portals into a very private Muslim world.

Our first stop is Tangiers, a city that has been peppered with Moorish culture, African influence, and more recently, French influence. The old kasbah (fortress) in the city, however was home to a couple of nice examples of color and texture. To the apprehensive, you generally need not worry. Many families and individuals passed me while taken these photographs and said nothing. Of course, they responded well to a friendly Arabic greet, “As-salam…”

"Door in Tangiers, Morocco" © Joel Addams

Our second stop is Chefchaouen, high in the Rif Mountains. This city was a photographer’s delight, unless you happen to be colorblind. The old city is literally splashed in blue stucco in varying shades through alleys, homes, and even walkways. After having been invited into a home for olives and bread, I finally ask an Arab woman in French why all the homes were blue (the Islamic colors are usually green and red). She was a bit sheepish in her response. “It’s a Jewish color,” she replied. I then recalled my college course on Middle Eastern history, and remembered that in 1492 (the same year Columbus sailed the ocean blue!) the Jews were expulsed from Spain and scattered over the Mediterrean. “They just never changed the colors,” she said matter-of-factly.

"Chefchaouen I" A door in the blue city of Chefchaouen, Morocco. © Joel Addams

The doors here are exquisite, some being very lavish and some very rustic. The photograph above (and indeed all of the photographs here) is actually this blue. Strikingly so. Even to stop me dead in my tracks. If I hadn’t stopped, my camera would have climbed out of my bag and taken the picture itself. Notice the teal on blue combination in the photograph below that likely would not fly in some Western nations. The portals, though, seem so descriptive about their owners. A mix of utility and art have gone into Chefchaouen’s homes, and the blue reflects the general attitude of the people. Slow to rise in the morning, and late to bed in the evenings, a generally happy feeling around the people as they enjoyed each others’ company around the squares and restaurants of the old city.

"Door in Chefchaouen, Morocco" © Joel Addams

Third on my list was Fez. Fez is an ancient capital of the area in Morocco and it definitely shows. The old city is a windy maze that is similar to Jerusalem’s old city: covered, sweaty, dark, and full of flavor and activity. These old mosque doors show the intricacy and importance the people place on their religion. Care is taken here even over the homes to clean and beautify these large, wooden ports that house a holier place.

"Door in Fez, Morocco" © Joel Addams

A fourth representation, which is very different from the polished doors of Tangiers and Fez is the central and southern Moroccan cities. This door in Ait Ben-Haddu is a classic mud and mortar style architecture with a wooden door that fits the dustier and drier desert areas of the south.

"Door in Ait Ben-Haddou, Morocco" © Joel Addams

As the learning photographer progresses, he or she will find it necessary to truly study photographs and decide how and why the photographer has chosen certain compositions and exposures. What was included and what was left out? I have chosen a standard approach to the images you see here. I was hoping that by standardizing the images, the viewer could accurately compare and contrast the colors, shapes, and quality of the buildings, thus being able to eliminate other aspects of the scenes that were simply distracting. Of course, I have other angles an exposures of these same images, but I decided to collect a specific body of work for presentation, a task which is sometimes taken for granted by the viewer of your images.

In all, architecture gives yet another aspect of exposing a culture and studying the underlying religious, social, and even economic conditions of a people. In addition, collecting images that can be displayed together will help viewers understand why you have decided to photograph. The “why” is definitely as important as the “how.”

 

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Overseas Travel and Your Photography Gear…Dilemmas

Most people I’ve spoken with about travel and photography bring up the decision about whether to take their “good” camera or not.  They’re undecided about whether their great equipment will end up broken, in a sandstorm, or on Egyptian eBay.  The short answer is that it may.  The other short answer is “That’s why you bought it!”

"Shoes of Marrakesh, I" Handmade goods in Marrakesh, Morocco. ©Joel Addams

Trust me, many times I would have loved to have been without an extra 20 or 30 pounds of gear and just sailed about some country without a care in the world, except for my wallet which was always tucked away safe near my nether regions between the Patagonia pants and the undies.  But then you don’t get what you came all this way to do, which was get some great pictures.  Some people try to reason that they’ll have a great point-and-shoot or a Canon G10 or something, but in reality the G10 was not a good camera (noise) and the G11 won’t give you the same image as your lovely 5D or D3 or whatever you have.  You are a photographer.  It is your burden to bear.  And yes, you have to bring your tripod.

Some helpful hints.

INSURANCE.  Most homeowners policies will cover your camera equipment (up to a certain amount) even overseas.  My first question to my State Farm agent was “What if it gets stolen?”  Covered.  ”Even if I can’t get a police report?” Covered.  ”OK, what if I drop it off a cliff?”  Covered.  ”Drop it in the water?” Covered.  You get the idea.  Even if I dropped it on the ground and cracked a lens (I shutter when I write that), it would be covered.  Who is my State Farm agent, you ask?  Email me and I will gladly point you in her direction.  It’s one of the business relations I treasure the most.  By the way, since becoming a business and having lots of inventory in framed photographs, I’ve had to take out a business type insurance policy, but it’s still quite reasonable, and it gives me the satisfaction knowing that even if I drop it off that cliff, I will only be paying a small deductible.

"The Walk of the Faithful" Circumambulating the Boudanath, Kathmandu, Nepal. ©Joel Addams

STORAGE  AND TRANSPORT.  Some photographers will check their cameras in on the plane and usually place them in Pelican cases.  I would only do this if you have more equipment than you can carry on.  Check your clothes, carry your camera.  Find a good backpack or some specialized camera case that you like to look at and transport and that’s not too flashy.  I personally avoid LowePro like the plague.  Nothing says, “I’m a geek photographer with lots of expensive equipment more than a standard LowePro backpack.”  Several other brands exist that are more stealth and I’ve appreciate a DaKine Snowboarding backpack with a camera block on the inside that looks good and safely stores the equipment.  This trip to Spain (happening tomorrow) will be a great way to test this new Satori backpack from F-Stop.  It’s the first bag I’ve seen with enough extra room (besides the dedicated camera block) that will allow for the necessities of life…like underwear….but just one more pair…let’s not get crazy.  In that vein, I must say here that 75% of the weight of this backpack which will carry my stuff for 3.5 weeks and hopefully 500 miles on foot is camera equipment: Canon 5D Mark II, five memory cards, three lenses, rain cover, tripod, two heads (one fluid movie head), Epson 7000 storage device, extra battery, chargers, Singh-Ray filters, microphone, model releases, converter.  Lots of stuff.  Other than that, one book, one change of underwear, extra long sleeve REI shirt, rain jacket, fly, light sleeping cover, basic medical supplies, and toiletries.

KEEPING IT SAFE.  Your burden to bear is that you now have $3000, $5000 or more in camera equipment that many people would like to swipe.  What do you do with it?  If you feel safe with the hotel, you can keep it in a safe when you’re not using it…but you’re always wanting to have it around, right?  My rule of thumb is that I never let it out of my sight.  Think of it as your extra child. You wouldn’t let your child out of your sight in Morocco or Mexico or Malaysia, would you?  Of course not.  The camera stays with you.

KEEPING IT CLEAN. Keeping it safe also means keeping it clean.  Avoid changing lenses in the middle of a sandstorm and use a rain cover when you need it.  A rocket blaster is your first line of defense for blowing off dust, sand, etc.  and only when you’re sure most of it is off can you proceed to using a brush intended for brushing lenses (and not sensors!).  The lenspen brush usually works pretty well for this, but I’m very carefully about not brushing a piece of sand across a lens.  You should have blown it off with the rocket blaster first.  Only when you’re really sure all the particles are gone do I breathe on the lens to give it enough moisture to wipe in a circular motion with a clean lint-free cloth.  For the sensor, you need to be equally as careful and give the “Clean Now” option to the camera to internally shake the dust off as much as possible.  Only the newest generations of the dSLRs have this function, so with the 5D, you’re stuck with cleaning the sensor with a swab stick and a specially cleaning agent which can be supplied to you at camera stores.  Again, this is a very sensitive process and you should blow off the sensor first with your rocket blaster to ensure that you’re gotten rid of the bigger particles.  After dabbing the swab, you make a swipe across the sensor in one direction and one back with the backside of the swab.  Simple.

"Magic Lanterns, I" Ornate lamps in Marrakesh, Morocco. ©Joel Addams

At the end of the day, you either have the pictures or you don’t.  If you lugged all that gear all that way, then get out and use it.  If it’s properly insured and you are safe, you’ll enjoy it even more and come back with some winners.

Check out the Satori from F-Stop getting pumped to starting hiking in Spain.  Keep sending in images for the 80 DAYS OF IMAGES.  People’s Choice voting begins in a mere three weeks, and the prizes include limited edition prints and a LowePro Memory Card case.  Get excited.

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