Sharky James

The official site for Sharky James of the PetaPixel Photography Podcast

Episode 34: Yet Another Nikon D750 Problem! [LSP #0034]

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LSP0034

Welcome to episode 34!  Consider subscribing if you haven’t already.

In this episode:
00:01:16 – Want a FREE portfolio review by me (Sharky James)?
Look for our podcast in iTunes. Rate us, review us and if you wouldn’t mind, subscribe! In exchange, I’ll review your portfolio and help you take your photography to the next level. Search for “Lens Shark” in iTunes. If you don’t have iTunes, Stitcher, Tune-In, etc. would be fine. But iTunes is deal as it helps us reach more listeners. Listen to the show for details. Thanks!

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00:05:07 – This week’s Listener Question comes from NyNy Weber in Southern California and she wants to know what my thoughts are on the Sigma 15mm f/2.8 EX DG fisheye lens. (Affiliate link)

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Pow Wows: Something I Guarantee Most Photographers Haven’t Shot and Your Opportunity to Do Something Different

Pow Wow in the Pines 2010
Pow Wow in the Pines 2010

We’re in pow wow season here in North America and with it comes a wonderful opportunity to create beautiful images while documenting a culture you may not be familiar with.

A pow wow is a gathering of native peoples which usually takes place in the summer months and as a photographer, offers an incredible opportunity to capture images that most of your friends don’t have and likely never will.

Many take place on reservations of course, but it’s not unheard of to find a pow wow being put on at a college campus or an appropriate location in a sizable city.

At my last newspaper, our coverage area, in part, covered the southern portions of Navajo and Apache Counties in eastern Arizona. Most everyone has heard of the Navajo and Apache tribes. As part of our coverage area, we covered the White Mountain Apache Tribe (WMAT) and every June that included their annual “Pow Wow in the Pines”. This great event brought thousands of people from all over the state of Arizona and other states with participants coming from tribes throughout the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

A young boy dances at Pow Wow in the Pines 2012.
A young boy dances at Pow Wow in the Pines 2012.

While a great opportunity for photography, there are some things to take into consideration before tackling your first pow wow. Some are technical, but some are cultural as well.

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Four Years Ago I Was 300 Feet from the Largest Wildfire in Arizona History

Hot-shot crews rest as they await their next assignment
A hot-shot crew rests as they await their next assignment June 14, 2011 near Alpine, Arizona shortly before the U.S. Forest Service took us to the fire.

It cannot be overstated just how brave firefighters are. Their job is to run toward the flames when, as humans, our natural reaction is to run the opposite direction. In fact, on June 28, 2013, 19 firefighters with the Prescott Fire Department’s Granite Mountain Hotshots, perished during the Yarnell Hill Fire. It was the greatest loss of firefighters in the U.S. since the September 11 attacks in 2001.

When I made the image above, we in the press corps were still thirty minutes from being taken to document the largest wildfire in Arizona history. [Read more…]