The Week That Changed My Thinking — and Why the Nikon Z8 Now Feels Essential

The view outside seen through a rain covered window as a typhoon blows a coconut tree around. Photo is black and white and taken on the Nikon Z8 camera.

I woke up this morning with mixed feelings — questioning my own thinking, but also feeling a strange sense of excitement. For the first time in a long while, decisions feel like they’ve been made. Now it’s just a case of working toward the point where we can act on them. This week was a … Read more

November Update 2025: Preparing for the storm

An image of the path of typhoon Tino heading towards the Philippines.

We’ve got tropical storm Tino heading straight for us tomorrow morning, so today is mainly about prepping the house. If it hits hard, I’m expecting power to be down here for 1–3 days. Current reports suggest it will turn into a Typhoon before it makes landfall. I’ve got the Nikon Z8 and Z6III ready (I … Read more

The Best Gifts for Photographers in 2026 (That They’ll Actually Love)

A pile of lots of camera bags of all different kinds including those from Peak Design, Lowepro, Manfrotto and others.

I’ll let you in on a secret. Every photographer you know — even the ones who swear they’re minimalists — has a quiet obsession with camera bags and straps. There are a million gifts you could buy for the photographer in your life, but if you’re not quite ready to splash out on a new … Read more

The One Habit That Transformed How I Photograph My Kids

A photo of a young girl enjoying the snow. Black and white photo taken on the OM Systems O-M1 camera with the Olympus 25mm 1.2 Pro lens.

Okay everybody, look at me — 1, 2, 3, say cheese!” It’s the universal language of photographing our kids. If you’re anything like me, your parents probably put you through this routine thousands of times. And just like most kids, you probably froze up, felt awkward, and muttered under your breath: “Not Dad with his … Read more

Best Mirrorless Cameras for Travel Photography in 2026

The Fuji X-T5 camera next to the Nikon Z6III photographed on a black background in very dramatic light.

Last updated March 23rd 2026: Note on Compact Cameras:If you’re looking for genuinely pocketable cameras like the Fujifilm X100VI or Ricoh GR IV, I’ve covered those separately in my dedicated Best Compact Cameras for Travel Photography 2026 guide. This article is different — it’s for people who want a more capable travel camera system with … Read more

How Many Lenses Do You Really Need?

My Fujifilm X series and GFX series cameras and lenses.

If you’re just getting into photography, you’ve probably already found yourself lost in the endless lens choices. Forums are full of arguments over which lens is “sharper” and which are “unusable.” Before long, you feel pressured to keep searching for something better — something sharper, brighter, usually more expensive. I fell into this trap years … Read more