Author Archives: Chuck_Maas

Spring Migration

Posted on April 3, 2018 by Chuck_Maas

Waterfowl are beginning to show up again on their annual flights north. A small patch of open water in Anchorage called Spenard Crossing is one of the better spots to observe early arrivals. Today a pair of trumpeter swans, several … Continue reading →

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Spring

Posted on March 20, 2018 by Chuck_Maas

First day of spring and breakup is definitely underway in Anchorage. There’s still lots of snow in the Chugach Mountains east of town though and it will be some time before things begin to green up, but migrating waterfowl are … Continue reading →

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Winter Finches

Posted on January 15, 2018 by Chuck_Maas

While many avian species migrate out of Alaska to more temperate climes during the winter, there are quite a number that remain in the Anchorage area year-round. Among them are Common Redpolls, colorful small finches of the Arctic tundra and … Continue reading →

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2017 Ending

Posted on December 5, 2017 by Chuck_Maas

It’s been an interesting year! While there has been plenty going on in the photo technology world, social and political events have forcefully intruded in a near-overwhelming fashion. We simply can’t escape it. Read John Shaw’s blog. Mirrorless has been … Continue reading →

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Nik Rescued

Posted on November 10, 2017 by Chuck_Maas

Sometimes good things happen. DxO has acquired the Nik Collection and U point technology from Google. The current Collection is available free, and DxO plans to update it next year. They’ve already rebranded OpticsPro as PhotoLab to include U point. … Continue reading →

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Monitor Evolution

Posted on October 14, 2017 by Chuck_Maas

A bedrock requirement in a discriminating digital workflow is a monitor (or monitors) that exhibit accurate, consistent color. Unless one starts with a known set of parameters (white point, gamma, and intensity), all subsequent adjustments to image files are more … Continue reading →

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Laptops

Posted on October 14, 2017 by Chuck_Maas

While the field workflow for outdoor and nature photographers has evolved considerably, laptop computers are still a big part of the equation. If you’re an Apple devotee, then obviously some version of MacBook is the answer; on the Windows side … Continue reading →

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New HP Z Workstations

Posted on September 14, 2017 by Chuck_Maas

Hewlett-Packard just announced the next generation of their highly respected Z workstations—a range of computers designed from the ground up to meld high performance while running sophisticated content-creation software programs with rock-solid reliability and security along with upgradability over time.  … Continue reading →

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Lexar Resurrected

Posted on September 5, 2017 by Chuck_Maas

A few days ago the Lexar trademark and branding rights were acquired by Chinese company Longsys.  Time will tell how the transition works out for this long-respected line of memory cards and storage products.

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Industry Changes

Posted on July 5, 2017 by Chuck_Maas

Some sorting out is going on. In late June, Micron Technology–parent company of Lexar, long-time maker of high quality memory cards and flash drives–announced that they would be discontinuing the Lexar brand and its entire removable storage retail business.  If … Continue reading →

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