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Greetings,
Lots to cover this month. Let’s go!
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Looking back on 2023
Seems like a lot has happened this year, and it also seemed to go by quickly.
- We put a down payment on a new puppy (we’re expecting in March).
- I slightly remodeled the living room and we had a wood stove installed.
- We had siding replaced on two sides of the house.
- My favorite band released its first album in 10 years.
- I painted the whole house, and it went surprisingly well.
- We built a new office for me since we want to sell the property my current office sits on.
- We had more trees taken down and this time we kept the wood for our new stove. I had a lot of “fun” (and lost a bit of weight) splitting, hauling, and stacking all that wood. And getting creeped out by wood spiders.
- I got to photograph humpback whales bubble-net feeding (very exciting - and my new favorite sport).
- I had to cancel a tour because of wildfires. (Not very exciting).
- I had to have hernia surgery (a pain in the abdomen for sure).
- And, I got a something new…
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Yellowknife 2024
I’ve set dates for my 2024 Yellowknife auroras tour. The dates are Sept. 7-14, 2024 and the tour is limited to six. I currently have one space available. There may be two, pending responses from my early-notify list.
If enough interest is shown, I’ve also acquired rooms for a second tour, also limited to six, which I’ll open after the first tour fills.
And from now until January 15 there’s a $300 early bird discount. Let me know if you want to sign up and I’ll send you the link to the discount pricing page.
See this page for more information on the tour itself.
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My favorite new sport
This year I discovered my new favorite sport: Photographing Bubble-Net Feeding Humpback Whales (I’m working on a pithier name).
What? You’re saying it’s not a sport? Is so! It’s as much a sport as Frisbee Golf or Competitive Chocolate Chip Cookieing (CCCC™).
 Anyway, PBNFHW (Photographing Bubble-Net Feeding Humpback Whales and pronounced just like it’s spelled) in Sitka, AK is a sport that just about anyone can play. All you really need is a camera with a fairly long autofocus zoom lens, tolerance for some cold weather, no aversion to boats, and a sense of awe.
No score is kept, and the only rule is No Whining.
I lied. Two rules. No Whining, and No Falling Overboard.
It can be rather intense while you’re actively playing, but it’s just as much fun if you put the camera down to simply watch and listen (whales can be rather loud at times).
If you’re interested in joining our PBNFHW league (still working on that name…) take a look at this page on my workshops site.
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Z8
And that sports news leads me to my next topic: my new Nikon Z8. One of the main driving forces in getting the Z8 is its autofocus capabilities. I was rather impressed with the AF of the Z6 so I’m really excited to see what the Z8 can do.
This is my first new camera in nearly ten years. My wife was 100% correct and absolutely brilliant when she first mentioned this fact and told me it was about time to get a new one.
I’ve yet to get the Z8 out in the field, but I am starting to learn about its capabilities and myriad customization options.
(h/t to Bob and Paul who made me touch their Z8s in Sitka last August and therefore pushed me over the cliff.)
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Z6 for sale
And the Z8 story leads to this. I’m selling my Z6. This particular Z6 has a storied past in that it was previously owned by Jack Dykinga (that's Pulitzer Prize winning Jack Dykinga to you). It’s in great shape, works just like it should, and shows a bit over 19,000 on the shutter count.
My major complaint about it is probably someone else’s major praise: it’s a bit too small for my hands. I do appreciate its lower weight, but I’ll exchange that for how the Z8 feels in my hands.
It's been a great camera though for introducing me into the world of mirrorless cameras.
If you have an interest in acquiring a Z6, let me know.
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Scanner going up for sale soon
I’ll also soon be selling my Nikon LS-5000 Coolscan film/slide scanner. It scans 35mm slides and film up to 4000dpi.
I still have some scanning to do, but if you’re interested, let me know.
It’s in great shape and since it’s always rested on its side, rather than its bottom, the mirrors in it haven’t been able to accumulate any dust.
(My old LS-2000 sat upright and eventually, dust gathered on an internal mirror, making the scans more and more “hazy.” I had to open it up and clean the mirror in order to restore its scanning quality. Not so with the LS-5000. It has always lived on its side to that could not happen.)
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Lofoten 2025 filling
My first Lofoten tour sold out quickly and the second one (Feb. 6-12, 2025) is currently half filled, with three spaces remaining.
Take a look at this page for more information.
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Staying in the States
 Prefer being closer to home? I still have room in my Olympic National Park and Palouse workshops.
I'm also working on a possible Oregon Coast workshop as well, perhaps in July or late Sept./early October.
And I'll be setting up an August tour to Sitka to photograph whales, birds, other marine mammals, coastal grizzlies, fishing boats, waterfalls, harbors, forests and more.
Cliff Zenor and I are looking at December 8 - 12, 2024 for a Bosque del Apache/White Sands National Park workshop. This workshop would begin in Socorro, NM and Bosque del Apache. We'd then move to Alamogordo and White Sands. There may also be an opportunity for an extension return to Bosque del Apache after the White Sands portion ends. This works out well if you want to fly in to and out of Albuquerque.
Let me know if you're interested in any of these; I've got early notification lists started.
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Happy Holidays
That's about all I have for now.
I'd like to wish everyone a happy and healthy holiday season and New Year.
And a special thanks to those who chose to join me for one (or more!) of my workshops or tours. You're the ones that make all of this possible. I sincerely appreciate all of you.
See you in 2024!
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