The clock is ticking. In just a couple days the Rebel will come out of it’s Lowepro Slingshot camera bag, and most likely stay within hands reach for the next two months. A journey that begins with a drive from Seattle to San Francisco, includes a stint assisting a friend at her women surf camp in Kauai, followed by many weeks of wandering aimlessly through Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and the Yunnan province of southern China. Besides dealing with such life-threatening diseases such as malaria or typhoid, all the while trying to cross the street in Saigon, one of my bigger concerns is, will I have enough memory for my camera?

Right now I have 13 GB. I’m shooting with the 8-megapixel digital Canon Rebel XT, almost entirely in RAW format. As far as I can tell, that translates to about 1400 photos. The first couple weeks I’ll have the ability to download my photos and clear out the memory cards, but there will be about 35 days there where I may not be able to do this. Is 13GB enough?

That’s, on average, only about 40 photos a day. Obviously there will be days I take only a couple, but at the same time (say, while visiting Angkor Wat) I’ll probably take hundreds, literally. Ok…I may need more. On the other hand, I will also have the 8 megapixel Canon Powershot 850IS, which only shoots high res JPEGs, so even a modest memory card can hold hundreds more photos.

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In a couple weeks my wife and I embark on our honeymoon. A 7-day retreat in Kauai (where she will be surf instructing and I will be doing some photography work for NW Women’s Surf Camps) will be followed by roughly 6 weeks in SE Asia, including Vietnam, Loas, southern China and Cambodia.  Besides all the usual trip planning for such an adventure, I’m debating how much photography gear to bring, or not to bring is more like it. Besides my Canon Rebel, a small Canon P&S and lots of memory, my only other accessory (besides a polarizer and maybe two lenses) will be this newly acquired Ultrapod II.

Here’s a first look. Yes, it’s small. But is it going to work?

The Ultrapod II mini tripod

The velcro strap I can tell is going to be very handy.

Would I trust it with anything heavier than my digital Canon Rebel XT? Hmmm…I’ll get back to you on that one.

I suppose there is no better way to see if this thing works than 6-7 weeks on the road.

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I love outdoor gear. My ‘office’ is crowded with bikes, skis, soft-shell jackets, etc…but really, when I look at it all, I’m pleased that all of it gets used. Very little of it collects dust. So as much as I would enjoy contributing to our ailing economy by buying even more stuff, I’d much rather prefer buying gear that works well in all types of environments and will actually last more then a year. I’m not sure why it is than, but I seem to be having a hard time finding a camera bag I really like. There are literally hundreds of camera bags on the market, so why is this such a challenge?

Lowepro Slingshot 200

The problem: I’m often outside, in the elements: snow, rain, mud, sand, salt-water (and sometimes the sun.) Furthermore, I’m typically on skis, a bike, in a sea kayak, while photographing. The result is, I typically don’t have a warm, dry car to escape to, or somewhere I can load up my photography gear, including a tripod, camera, lenses, towels, etc etc. Matter of fact, most of the time I only carry my digital Canon Rebel XT with a 17-85 IS lens, polarizer, some batteries and memory cards. The tripod typically stays home (although this may change as I just ordered an Ultrapod, a tiny tripod that will be coming with me to SE Asia in a couple weeks.) This is why I was looking forward to receiving the new Lowepro Slingshot 200 camera bag this past Christmas. It appeared to offer a utilitarian combination of space for cameras, lenses, etc,  but was small enough to mountain bike with, skate ski with, go backcountry skiing with, even act as a combo backpack/camera bag if needed for day trips.

Has it been a satisfying experience? Mostly. It’s worked great (most of the time) for a 2-3 hr skate ski, when I usually only carry the camera, polarizer filter plus some food and water. I can’t really use it for backcountry skiing, an activity that requires too much avalanche gear, extra clothing, food and water for an eight hour adventure. (For these trips I strap on a small TLZ-1 Lowepro bag that hangs from my chest.) The Slingshot does do well in these adverse conditions though. The bag repels water (and snow) well. Not sure how it would hold up in a downpour, but I think it would be fine, for a short while (the zippers aren’t sealed, so water would surely leak through these eventually.)

I am having some issues mountain biking with it, as I found out last weekend on a short ride outside Seattle.

Lowepro Slingshot 200 - just ok for mountain biking

The whole idea behind all Lowepro Slingshots is that you can access your camera quickly, without having to remove it, by undoing a single buckle and sliding it around your waist. And yes, it does work. The problem I have, and I will try to retrofit this, are the two existing straps don’t provide a tight enough fit if you’re actively moving around, be it on skis or while riding a mountain bike for example. What it needs is a waist strap.

Also, the bag doesn’t have any additional straps to carry a tripod, an obvious oversight in my opinion. It does contain a two small separate sections for all those little accessories and the inside will easily fit a DLSR and a few lenses (but probably not a big zoom.) I’ve never really been happy with Lowepro zippers…they just don’t seem to last very long.

Not sure why, but I always end up with Lowepro camera bags. If you’ve used another bag or have some recommendations for something similar that may be better for outdoor use, please let me know.

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Just wanted to post a quick update about a sister-site I’m in the process of developing. The website, dubbed, creatively, www.backcountryskiphotos.com, is something I’m working on for displaying backcountry ski photos from myself as well as others. There are also links and videos about avalanche education, stories etc. Furthermore, I’ll be offering the option to download digital copies of all the ski photos that appear on the site, as well as professional prints.

As much as I love mountain biking, sea kayaking and hiking, backcountry skiing is truly a passion of mine. So please, check it out!  Don’t forget to subscribe to the RSS feed below or Subscribe by email

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Me too, so let me know if you find it. In the meantime, I wanted to report that Giottos quickly sent me a replacement for my broken MH -1002 without much hassle at all. Matter of fact, the company emailed me just to let me know the ball head was in the mail. I’ve worked in customer service before and this kind of support is a true rarity. So, thank you Giottos for supporting the photographers who support your brand.

Now, about the MH-1002 Giottos ballhead. I just returned from a beautiful hike up Mt Dickerman and although this is a small, light and maneuverable ball head, if you’re carrying around anything larger than a Canon Rebel XT digital camera, I wouldn’t recommend it. The quality of construction is fantastic, and the knobs for the socket ball and friction control work well enough. But it’s just too small and if you have a zoom lense attached, just forget about it. Lastly, the stock ball head doesn’t come with a removable plate. This was a bad choice on my part, not necessarily a fault of the head itself. Any and all ball heads should have removable plates. Otherwise it’s just a major pain in the arse to attach and remove the camera.

Below are a few photographs from today’s hike up Mount Dickerman in the north-central Washington Cascades. The trail climbs steadily for nearly 4,000 ft to the 5723 ft summit.

[View with PicLens]

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A little grotesque sure, but there’s good reason for my inability to retain my own spittle . I’ve owned my digital Canon Rebel XT for something like 2-3 years now (yeah, an eternity in the world of inexpensive digital cameras) and have been contemplating the purchase of a new companion for quite some time now. The problem(s) I have is that because I’m often out and about, backcountry skiing, hiking, cycling etc, it’s difficult to carry a lot of gear or big cameras. Hence the XT, which, despite it’s rather childish looks and lack of advanced photo features, has been a very good camera for me. It’s small, light, fits in most packs without too much trouble and takes very good quality photographs. (Remember, it’s not the camera…)

But as the need to replace this ‘aging’ piece of equipment becomes a reality, I can’t ignore what a higher quality camera will do for me inner being (and my prints.) So, when I read about the release of Canon’s new EOS 50D I thought great, another beautiful camera that I can’t afford. As noted at dpreview.com, on the surface it looks pretty sweet:

…fifteen megapixel CMOS sensor, faster DIGIC 4 processor, 3.0″ VGA LCD monitor with Live View mode offering 3 AF modes, ISO sensitivity expandable to 12800 and an HDMI connection for high Quality Image viewing. It also includes a new Quick Control screen which shows the most commonly used settings and Creative Auto mode for automatic focus and exposure.

Ok, sounds expensive. Needless to say, I was pretty astonished to see the list price for the Canon EOS 50D on Amazon.com for $1399. I mean, this is nearly affordable…even for a starving artist like myself. Hmmm…how many bikes do I have sell for this?!?!?

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Subscribe to The Art of Adventure and receive frequent updates from the world of adventure photography, including “Inspiration of the Day”, outdoor gear reviews, photography trips, tips … and well, everything else.

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The Olympic Mountains provide a picturesque background for anyone living in Seattle. Often cloaked in clouds, when they appear, especially in winter, they lure you in with a mysterious attraction. Olympic National Park, at almost one million acres, is nearly 95% wilderness and boasts glacier-clad peaks, desolate beaches and the last remaining temperate rain forest (that’s 140-167 inches of rain a year – http://www.olympic.national-park.com/info.htm) in the lower-48. The largest herd of free-roaming Roosevelt Elk in the country live among ancient stands of Douglas Firs, Hemlock, and Sitka Spruce forests. So needless to say, the Olympics provide a literal playground for photographers…that is, if your gear holds up.

To make a long story short, my fiancee and I roll into Hobuck Beach for a long weekend of surfing, hiking and cycling. Cape Flattery is a mere 4 miles away and marks the most NW point of the USA. I’m like a kid in a candy store, my Canon digital camera always at my side, my tripod mounted to my bike rack for easy access. Morning comes early, I grab the camera gear and walk to the beach. Pacific swells roll in from Japan, waves lapping the beach, sea birds enjoying the peace and quiet as the sun slowly begins to rise in the east. While snapping a couple photos I realized my camera wasn’t sitting flush on my Giottos ball-head. Without dwelling on it, thoughts of fresh camp-coffee lull me back to camp.

[View with PicLens]

Upon arriving at camp I focus on this ball-head issue. For whatever reason it’s not screwing into base of my camera right, so I proceed to unscrew the socket base (the pad that is attached to the ball head that my camera sits on.) Hmm…doesn’t really want to come off, but does. So I screw it back on…it gets stuck…and then, SNAP! Pictures are better than words in this case.

Needless to say I’m a little shocked, not only for how easily this snapped in half, but also the fact this was a relatively new Giottos MH-1002 PROFESSIONAL ball head. Sure it’s small, but that’s because I often have limited space for my gear (and I have a relatively small Canon Rebel XT camera.) But come on! Hopefully Giottos can come through for me and salvage this relationship with a replacement. Otherwise, I may be shopping for a new ball head with another company.

UPDATED: I contacted Giottos regarding my broken ball head. As you can see below, they responded promptly and have asked I return the ballhead for replacement. I give them much credit for the quick reply. Obviously they care about their products and keeping customers happy. Kudos to Giottos

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If I hadn’t created my own little photography RSS reader than I probably would have missed this recent announcement on the photography website dpreview.com regarding the launch of a new online photo editor by Adobe. (CLICK HERE if you missed my short lesson on creating a RSS reader focused on photography.)

The picture editor, dubbed Adobe Photoshop Express, is available now for free. It’s currently in beta, which means you can rip it apart and share your thoughts. I just signed up for an account and am quite eager to give it a try. A couple features that stand out are:

• free photo storage up to 2GB with a photoshop.com URL that you can share with the public (once I begin uploading images, you can go to adventurephotography.photoshop.com)
• online photo sharing with Facebook, Picasa Web Albums and Photobucket
• viewing (and rating) of other photographers galleries
• Ability to edit images without destroying the original file

Give me a week or two to play around with it and I’ll share my thoughts on what I see as (potentially) a pretty cool tool to utilize for editing photos online. I wouldn’t expect this to overtake Adobe’s Photoshop software, but if it can perform a basic set of functions with a couple more advanced photo editing features, I’d be happy to use it often.

Can Adobe capture the best photo editor award? Only time will tell…

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Please help support the starving artist foundation by finding and sending me the best deal on a 20" or 24" iMac! I’ve spent too many painful days and nights staring on my 15" Dell laptop trying to get some photo editing accomplished only to be stifled and sent reeling by the utter unresponsiveness of this machine while in Photoshop or Bridge…

Ok, so my Dell Inspiron isn’t all that bad. Matter of fact, for the past three years I’ve been able to complete any and all projects that pertain to my real job (working for a search engine optimization company based out of Seattle, http://www.web1marketing.com,) but when it comes time to browse, sort, and edit photos my life as we know it is completely inefficient.

So I’m looking for an iMac…a white one I believe. There are to many negative reviews regarding the new aluminum iMacs and the glossy screens that I don’t think it’s worth stepping up and buying one. Of course, money is a factor too, and the white iMac seems to  perform quite amiably for those still using them, and at a much better price.

Ignore this part of my post…thanks.

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