Haida Anti-Fog Lens Belt Review & Test + Christmas Lights & Astrophotography!

I just received this lens belt as a Christmas gift, and the last few nights I've been glad I had it during the huge winter snow storm we're currently experiencing here in the Pacific Northwest. I've found the lens belt to be highly effective. It's a pretty simple device, so I feel comfortable recommending it after only a couple of photo shoots with it.

Foggy winter afternoon in Mosslandia

In the deep heart of winter, dense fog settles on the muddy, sleeping rainforest of the Pacifc Northwest. Mosslandia is quiet, a quiescent landscape of dark evergreens and leafless maples, these solemn hues of fog and dormant trees contrasting sharply with the emerald blanket of moss that coats every surface in vivid hues of glorious green.

Soaring over the Snow Frosted Mountains

 

Winter has finally arrived in the mountains of the Pacific Northwest, and with is the delicate frosting of snow that settles over forests, peaks, and valleys. As the sun lances through the temporary retreat of the storm clouds that so filigreed the subalpine landscape, the snow melts where the light touches revealing the shimmering green hidden beneath the monochrome veil that so concealed it mere moments prior.

This video and the following gallery of photos serve as something of a documentation of how beautiful this area is right now. Sadly it's all owned by private timber companies, and within the next few years will be butchered and made unrecognizable by clearcuts. 

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife has in the past proposed acquiring part of this land as a wildlife area, but little progress has been made in that direction. Please write to them and ask them to expedite the expansion of the Mt. St. Helens Wildlife Area, and to include in that project the land on either side of the highway to protect the scenic canyon of Hoffstadt Creek, as well as the hills and mountains rising above it:  lands@dfw.wa.gov

The Toutle Mountains across the valley are owned by the Washington Department of Natural Resources, and are also in danger of logging. Ask the WaDNR to set the Toutle Mountains aside for conservation and recreation: ampd@dnr.wa.gov

DJI Mavic 3 Low Light Test - Christmas Edition!

With its large, micro 4/3 sensor the DJI Mavic 3 is potentially one of the best drones ever made for filming in low light conditions. In this video we see how the camera of the Mavic performs in highly challenging conditions filming Christmas lights at night! I also filmed the intro with the DJI Action 2, so this is also really a low light test for that as well.

Sunrise and Sunset with the DJI Mavic 3

 

Day dawns late in the high latitudes of North America come winter, and when conditions hit that illusive goldilocks zone of atmospheric circumstance, the sky comes alive with the flaring glory of a burning bright sunrise. This video services as a test of the DJI Mavic 3's impressive Micro 4/3 camera. It was edited in Adobe Premiere, and I'm impressed by how easy it was to bring back dark and bright areas of this extremely high contrast footage.

River of Fog in the Rainforest

Swirling out from among the titanic trees of the rainforest, a river of fog flows down from the ragged peaks of the mountains to pool in valleys to mix with the tendrils of salt spiced mist pooling on the shores of the ocean. The summer sun soon burns through the shining veil and sends the fog sliding back into the secret mossy hollows from which it emerged.

Family of Ducklings at Schwabacher Landing in Grand Teton National Park

The idyllic ponds of Schwabacher Landing in Grand Teton National Park are famous for their spectacular views of the towering mountain peaks that loom overhead. It's the perfect spot to capture the sunrise, and also the perfect place for a Greater Scaup to raise her ducklings. Wildlife thrives in this slice of paradise.