OM System M.Zuiko Digital ED 25mm F1.8 II Review

I had the opportunity to test out the new 25mm f1.8 II lens from OM System this month alongside the OM-3, so I decided to produce this hands-on review. It's a really cool little lens, and I've thoroughly enjoyed shooting with it over the course of February. While this was intended primarily as a video review, I will go over very quickly some key things I liked best about it, as well as the few downsides to it in the following article. I will also share some of my best images captured with the lens.

Stop the Carrot Timber Sale!

 

The Carrot Timber Sale would clearcut an irreplaceable grove of mature legacy forest in Capitol State Forest near Olympia. This timber sale is also nearby to the Sherman Valley Campground, and would degrade the experience of visiting this popular region. Legacy forests such as that threatened by the Carrot Timber sale provide immense benefits to our communities, wildlife, and climate. Once cut they cannot be replaced, and very few such forests remain. 

Tell WADNR and your elected representatives to halt the Carrot timber sale and protect all of our legacy forests!

Who to contact:

WADNR South Puget Sound Region: southpuget.region@dnr.wa.gov 

Public Lands Commissioner Hilary Franz: cpl@dnr.wa.gov 

Board of Natural Resources: bnr@dnr.wa.gov

Stop the Cake Walk Timber Sale - Save Sherman Valley Legacy Forest!

 

The beautiful trees of the Sherman Valley Legacy Forest stand sentinel over the popular Lost Valley trail, a path frequented by hikers, mountain bikers, and horseback riders alike, yet this remnant of our quickly vanishing natural heritage is in imminent danger of being clearcut as part of the Cake Walk Timber Sale. Sadly, the Board of Natural Resources chose to approve this and many other sales in irreplaceable legacy forests throughout Washington State despite vocal public opposition and the clear necessity of protecting our last remaining older forests.

Tell WADNR and your elected representatives to stop the Cake Walk Timber Sale and save our legacy forests!

Who to contact:

WADNR South Puget Sound Region: southpuget.region@dnr.wa.gov 

Public Lands Commissioner Hilary Franz: cpl@dnr.wa.gov 

Board of Natural Resources: bnr@dnr.wa.gov

Stop the Evergreen Gold timber sale - Save this Legacy Forest

 

This beautiful legacy forest in the Capitol Hills near Olympia, WA is about to be auctioned off and clearcut by the Washington Department of Natural Resources. We cannot allow this to happen. The Evergreen Gold timber sale must be canceled.

Contact info for WADNR:

WADNR South Puget Sound Region: southpuget.region@dnr.wa.gov

Public Lands Commissioner Hilary Franz: cpl@dnr.wa.gov

Board of Natural Resources: bnr@dnr.wa.gov

Rainy Day at the Wildlife Refuge

I enjoyed a challenging day of photography at a wildlife refuge during a rainstorm. The Sandhill Cranes were grazing in the fields, and a hawk was clearly enjoying the chance for a refreshing bath, but most other wildlife seemed to be hunkering down and waiting for the sun to make an appearance!

Aurora in the Pacific Northwest - October 2024

The Aurora Borealis shimmers over the slumbering fields as skeins of clouds rush across the sky to obscure the light show in its silent dance high up above the surface of the Earth. Capturing these photos and video last night as the Northern Lights made a rare appearance here in the Pacific Northwest was a magical experience.

Save Coyote Mountain Legacy Forest - Stop the Luna Tix Timber Sale!

A remnant legacy forest high on the slopes of Coyote Mountain near Mt. St. Helens is a bastion of biodiversity on Washington State public lands. However, the Washington Department of Natural Resources plans to cut it down as part of the Luna Tix timber sale. 

Please contact the WADNR and tell them to cancel the Luna Tix timber sale and protect our last legacy forests before it's too late!

WADNR Pacific Cascade Region: pacific-cascade.region@dnr.wa.gov

Public Lands Commissioner Hilary Franz: cpl@dnr.wa.gov