Nov 10 2009
The Inquiring Eye
Cyclists, hikers, and paddlers all have one thing in common—enjoyment of the outdoors under muscle power. And whether you go outside on wheels, on the water, or on your own feet, chances are that you take a camera along. Or perhaps you prefer to record the sights you see by keeping a journal, or by painting pictures, or by sketching. Whatever medium you use, you have an inquiring eye. This is the place for you.
The following links are to an ever-growing archive of articles for photographers and artists who enjoy doing their thing outside. You’ll find evaluations of gear we’ve used, suggestions for outfitting and carrying your tools, and tips on improving your technique. Check back often. We update this index as new articles are published in Outside Up North. And if there’s something you’d like to see addressed, just drop us a line and say so.
Equipment, Evaluations, and Packing Gear
- • Cameras and the Cyclist
- • The Pentax K200D DSLR: First Impressions
- • The Pentax K200D: A Good Companion for Peripatetic Photographers
- • Does the Pentax 50-200mm F4-5.6 ED lens Measure Up?
- • Journeys with a Pentax K200D DSLR: Hitting the Trail
- • Out and About With the Canon G11 by Pat McKay
- • I Love My Canon G-11! by Pat McKay
- • Afloat With the Canon PowerShot SD1200 IS Digital ELPH by Pat McKay
- • Chincoteague Island Aquatic Birds & a Tamron AF 70-300mm by Pat McKay
- • A Photographer’s Flights of Fancy With a Tamron AF 70-300mm by Pat McKay
- • Choosing Batteries for Your Digital Camera: Eneloops & Lithium Batteries
- • Outfitting a Rack Trunk to Carry Camera Gear
- • Heavy Metal Rocks! Refitting an Ammo Can as a Camera Box
- • Making a Custom Camera Neck Strap
- • Grab Your ‘Brolly! The Many Uses for An Umbrella
- • Sew What? A Raincoat for Your Camera
Photographic Technique
- • Exposing Aperture, Shutter Speed, and Depth of Field
- • Picture Blurfect! Focusing on Bokeh
- • Digital Photography: Bringing it All Together for Beginners
- • Digital Photography: Digital Master Class
- • It’s a Black-and-White Issue
- • Nature in the Abstract
- • Adventures in the Digital Darkroom
- • Shooting the Moon: A Quick Guide for Photographers
- • Who Needs a Flash? Lighting the Small World with Make Shift Reflectors
- • Are You in the Photographic Doldrums? Then Challenge Yourself!
- • Shooting Pandas: Pictures from the Saddle
- • Shooting (Sun) Stars: A Brief Guide for Shutterbugs
- • Exposing Snow: Tips for Winter Photographers

- • Backcountry Photography: Out in the Cold—First Steps
- • Backcountry Photography: Out in the Cold—Down the Trail
- • Backcountry Photography: When “Good Enough” Just Isn’t
- • Backcountry Photography: Seeing the Light
- • Backcountry Photography: Shooting Through the Sunstone
- • Backcountry Photography: Blurring Water’s Motion
- • Backcountry Photography: Bird Photography
- • Backcountry Photography: Snapping in the Rain
- • Backcountry Photography: Up Close and Personal
- • Backcountry Photography: Reflections on Water
- • Backcountry Photography: Color Sense for a Colorful Season
- • Backcountry Photography: Shoot the Action!
- • Are You In a Creative Rut?
Photomontages, Galleries, and Reflections- • Outside Up North Zenfolio Photo Gallery
- • Outside Up North‘s Bike Sunday Gallery
- • Outside Up North‘s Photo Finish Gallery
- • Digital Girl: Reflections on the Power of the Image
- • Journeys with a Pentax K200D DSLR: Ice is Nice
- • Journeys with a Pentax K200D DSLR: Just Right Light
- • Journeys with a Pentax K200D DSLR: Early Spring Riverwalk
- • Journeys with a Pentax K200D DSLR: Reflections on Water
- • Journeys with a Pentax K200D DSLR: Turning Inward
- • It’s a Small World: The View Through My Macro Lens
- • Rainy Days and Shutterbug Ways… Why I Like Wet Hikes
- • Reflections on Impermanence
- • Lighting Up the Things That Go Bump in the Night
- • Down By the River: Spring Blooms and Rushing Waters
- • Going Green: A Late Spring Riverwalk
- • An Eagle Flew…
- • Stuck At Your Desk?Take a Hike, Vicariously
- • The Fall of the Leaf Begins
- • The Fall of the Leaf: A Photomontage by Anthony T. Jancek
- • Florida’s Wild Side: A Photomontage by David Damon
- • The Magic of First Snow: A Photomontage by Anthony T. Jancek
- • Welcome to December
- • What Winter’s Meant to Be
- • Here Comes the Sun
- • Who’s Out and About in Downeast Maine? A Photomontage by Winston Shaw
- • A Hint of Spring: A Photomontage by Anthony T. Jancek
- • Busy As a… Muskrat: A Photomontage by Anthony T. Jancek
- • Spring Comes North: A Photomontage by Wilma MacDonald
- • Spring Into the Season: A Photomontage by Anthony T. Jancek
- • Spending a Little Air Time With the Fall Guys
- • A Walk in the Winter Woods
- • The Bureau of Reclamation in Action: Sojourn in an Automobile Graveyard
Eye and Hand—Practical Art for Peripatetic People- • Practical Art: An Invitation
- • Tools of the Trade
- • Just a Quick Sketch
- • Drawing Water
- • A Perspective on Landscape
- • Sketching Animals and Birds
- • Color Your World
- • The Colors of Water
- • What’s It to Be, Pencils or Pixels? Or Both?
- • Is it Cold and Dark? Then Take a Studio Voyage
The Naturalist’s Kit Bag and Musings- • Small is Beautiful: Getting Close to Nature with a Hand Lens
- • Write On! Fixing Images on the Emulsion of Memory
- • A Surprise Find: A Bargain Bamboo Art Board
- • A Bargain Watercolor Board From Walmart
- • Happy Are the Painters: Capturing the Moment Without a Camera
- • Filling Those Dark Hours in Camp



