I’ve had my zoom Nikkor 200-400mm f/4 AFS G VR lens for about five years, and it’s my absolute go-to wildlife lens unless I’m after very small birds (at which point the 600mm is more useful). A common criticism of this lens is that it is sharp on near (less than 100ft) subjects, but soft with distant subjects. Unfortunately, telephoto lens performance on distant subjects can be marred by more variables than one can easily isolate. I recently had a chance to test my lens in the field to see if I could make any definitive conclusions about its performance. Continue reading
Tag Archives: Jason P. Odell
2011 Photo Safaris with Jason P. Odell

Reflections of fall colors in Rocky Mountain National Park, CO
I’ve recently added some new and exciting photo safaris to my workshop schedule. I’m deliberately keeping the attendance low at these events so that you will get maximal contact time. We’ll not only be photographing some wonderful places, but you’ll have time for personal image review/critique sessions and post-processing instruction. I hope you can join me on one of these exclusive tours this year.
Fine Art Landscapes in Colorado Springs, May 13-15, 2011.

Photograph Pikes Peak and Garden of the Gods May 13-15, 2011
This “landscape weekend” will have us photographing Pikes Peak and Garden of the Gods park at sunrise. We’ll also learn how to do panoramic photography and HDR. We’ll also cover post-processing techniques for making fine-art images and prints. This class is limited to only six (6) participants, so you’ll get extra instructor attention– perfect for beginners!
South Dakota Badlands Photo Safari, June 9-12, 2011.

Photograph Badlands National Park June 9-12, 2011
On this trip, you’ll photograph some of the most unusual and interesting scenery in the western USA. We’ll be based out of Wall, SD, and we will cover all major digital landscape techniques, including HDR, Panorama, and Black & White. I’ll also be covering several Nik plug-ins, including HDR Efex Pro and Silver Efex Pro 2. Limit 10 participants.
Fall in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, September 18-22, 2011

Photograph Bear Lake at Rocky Mountain National Park Sept. 28-22, 2011
This class is limited to eight participants, and we’ll be photographing the stunning landscapes and wildlife of Rocky Mountain National Park. We’ll have five days of shooting in amazing alpine locations, including Bear Lake, Moraine Park, and the cabins at the Holzwarth historic site. You’ll have opportunities to master all the necessary field and post-processing technique for producing fine-art landscape images in one of the most amazing places on Earth.
To register for any of my upcoming workshops, please visit my workshop page.
See you in the field!
Packing Tips for Photographers

Make sure you bring the right camera gear by following these packing tips.
Packing for a photo trip is never as easy as it seems. You either A) over-pack and make yourself miserable schlepping a 45-lb bag through airports, or B) forget some seemingly innocuous piece of kit that you wish you had. Of course, there is also option C) you bring too much stuff and still forgot something important. Here are some packing tips that I still need to remind myself about from time to time, so I figured blogging it would help get me straight.

