gear Archives | Loaded Landscapes

Desert Photography 101

by Loaded Landscapes | Mar 28, 2019 | Tips | 0

There’s nothing quite like a desert landscape at sunset. Streaks of pink, yellow, and orange streaming across the blue sky, silhouetting a Saguaro in the Sonoran desert – it’s an image that will stay with you forever, especially if you’re a photographer! But photographing in the desert brings its own unique set of challenges. Whether you’re photographing a desert near you, or going on an expedition across America – or even internationally – you need to be prepared with the right gear, equipment, techniques, and safety precautions.

Best Travel Photography Lenses for Under $1000

by Loaded Landscapes | Dec 13, 2018 | Gear | 0

Budget travel photography lenses are a hot topic. In today’s market, there are tons of great offerings and it’s sometimes hard to narrow down precisely what’s best. Really, what’s best depends on what sort of photography you’re into.

The lenses here assume you’re into a little bit of everything and want great images for less than $1,000. So here are some of the best travel lenses for under $1,000. We’ll look at a few DSLR lenses as well as a few mirrorless lenses. Regardless of what type of camera you are using, you should find something on this list.

Best (and Best Bargain) Wildlife Lenses

by Loaded Landscapes | Dec 10, 2018 | Gear | 3

Wildlife photography lenses come in a dizzying array of options, just like any other lens choice. The major factors I want to consider while shopping are whether the lens provides enough reach (focal length) for my shy and often distant subject. Weatherization to keep light rain and dust out of my lens is always handy in the outdoors. And image stabilization is nearly mandatory. So let’s look at some of the best (and best-for-the-money) wildlife lenses available today.

Choosing The Best Cameras for Landscape Photography in 2018

by Loaded Landscapes | Aug 30, 2018 | Tips | 4

Regardless of whether you’re a beginner or an experienced photographer, a landscape photographer –or someone who enjoys doing a little bit of everything when it comes to capturing amazing images, you need a camera that will work for you. But choosing the right camera can be difficult. While any photography enthusiast today is fortunate to have an extensive range of options to choose from, the downside of this is that it can make the selection process a bit more challenging as well.

7 Tips For Photographing Facing the Sun

by Loaded Landscapes | Aug 13, 2018 | Tips | 3

Generally speaking, the advice that we would give is to try to avoid photographing into the sun. Instead, it’s usually better to turn and face the other way, taking advantage of the strong light. On the other hand, sometimes having the sun right in front of you can create an interesting effect – and it might be just what your landscape photograph needs. And if so, here’s how to deal with the challenge of photographing into the sun.

Best Backpacks for the Landscape Photographer

by Loaded Landscapes | Aug 9, 2018 | Gear | 0

When looking for a camera bag aesthetics, functionality, price, and durability all vie for our attention. Each bag here takes these factors into account and are highly rated as being some of the best bags for the landscape photographer. While other bags may look nicer, a leather bag won’t protect your sensitive electronics nearly as well as treated nylon in a sudden rain. Satchel bags are sometimes easier to access tools from but are not as comfortable as a backpack when hiking hours to your scenic vista. Therefore, the bags here are all backpacks using mostly durable synthetic blends that resist the elements and snagging branches.

Tips for Buying Used Cameras and Lenses

by Loaded Landscapes | Jul 23, 2018 | Gear | 0

Regardless of whether you’re a hobbyist or a professional, photography gear is expensive. Between camera bodies, lenses, filters, tripods, bags and backpacks, flashes and other accessories, there is no shortage of things to buy. Not only is there a lot to buy, but cameras and lenses can easily cost a significant amount even without all the other stuff. One of the best ways to save money on photography gear is to buy used equipment. There are several different ways to go about buying used gear, but the process can be intimidating and might even seem risky if you haven’t tried it before.

How I Got a $600 Lens for $164

by Loaded Landscapes | Jul 9, 2018 | Gear | 2

Last summer I was interested in buying the Canon 70-200mm f/4L USM lens, but I didn’t really want to spend $600 for it. I kept an eye on several different sites for a while to see if I could catch it on sale, but didn’t have any luck with that. Eventually, I decided to look into buying a used lens to save some money.

Tripods, Monopods, and Image Stabilization

by Loaded Landscapes | May 2, 2018 | Gear | 0

Image stabilization is an incredibly important tool that new and even intermediate photographers don’t always think about. Handheld photography is easier than ever nowadays and it just feels and looks natural. Plus, who wants to carry around a bulky tripod or even monopod? People who want the sharpest images possible, that’s who. We’re going to explore three of the most common forms of image stabilization below, but it’s also good to discuss what it is and why it matters as well.

The Best Tripods and Why You Need it for Landscape Photography

by Loaded Landscapes | Apr 23, 2018 | Gear | 0

Tripods are some of the most important tools in a photographer’s kit. Image stabilization is important for maximizing image sharpness by using remote shutters to avoid shutter shock. Tripods also allow us to take long exposure images that would otherwise be impossible handheld.

How a Polarizing Filter Can Improve Your Nature Photos

by Loaded Landscapes | Apr 11, 2018 | Gear | 2

Polarizing filters enhance color contrast and saturation to give your photographs more “pop” factor while reducing glare from incidental light sources. Fortunately, they are as easy to use as they are effective.

What Aperture Setting Should I Use?

by Loaded Landscapes | Feb 21, 2018 | Tips | 0

If you’re a beginner photographer you might be wondering what’s the best aperture to use when you shoot, say a portrait, or a landscape. Well, as with all camera settings, choosing the aperture settings largely depends on what you’re shooting and what you want to achieve. You’ve seen portrait photos with sharp subjects with completely blurred, out-of-focus background and you’re wondering how you yourself could achieve this effect and make the subject pop. Or you might be interested in landscape and nightscape photography where you need everything up to infinity to be sharp and in focus.