by Reed Hoffmann | Sep 2, 2021 | Beginner, Camera Gear, Composition, Editing, Exposure, Intermediate, Lenses, Light, Night Photography
The phrase “Big Boy” might make you think of hamburgers. But in certain parts of the country, especially since 2019, it means something very different. The largest steam locomotives in the world were also called “Big Boy,” and 25 were built for the Union Pacific...
by Reed Hoffmann | Aug 29, 2021 | Action, Advanced, Camera Gear, Editing, Exposure, Intermediate, Lenses, Sports
How does eight miles of walking with 21 lbs. of camera gear in 90-degree heat and Kansas City humidity sound? That was Friday afternoon and evening for me, as I started my second year photographing the Kansas City Chiefs for Associated Press Images. While...
by Reed Hoffmann | Aug 22, 2021 | Action, Advanced, Beginner, Camera Gear, Intermediate, Lenses, People, Travel, Wildlife, Workshops
Wouldn’t it be nice to get away from most of the fear and uncertainty surrounding COVID for a week or two? That’s what I just did, though I doubt most people would think of it that way. After three years of planning – and a year’s postponement – I left early this...
by Reed Hoffmann | Jul 29, 2021 | Action, Advanced, Camera Gear, Intermediate, Lenses, Light, People, Sports
As a young newspaper photographer who enjoyed shooting sports, one of my dreams was to work an Olympics. Over the years, though, as I got to know photographers who did, my interest waned. Long days, difficult venues, massive crowding. While it was great to be involved...
by Reed Hoffmann | Jun 3, 2021 | Action, Advanced, Camera Gear, Composition, Focus, Intermediate, Lenses, People
Like most photographers, I love wide aperture (“fast”) lenses for their ability to turn a distracting background into a beautifully out-of-focus blob. But that shallow focus can also make it hard to keep the subject sharp. If you’re within ten feet, an inch or two...
by Reed Hoffmann | Mar 16, 2021 | Action, Advanced, Camera Gear, Exposure, Intermediate, Lenses, Travel, Wildlife
Every spring, 80% of the world’s sandhill crane population ends up just five hours away from me. At its peak, about a million cranes find their way to the Platte River near Kearney, Nebraska during their migration north. So last week I did my own two-day migration...
