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.
Photographic Equipment and Evaluations
- Cameras and the Cyclist
- The Point-and-Shoot Option
- 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
- Getting Close With the Raynox DCR-150 Macro Conversion Lens
- The Raynox DCR-150 Close-Up Lens: Conversion Made Easy
- Choosing Batteries for Your Digital Camera: Eneloops & Lithium Batteries
- Short Circuits: Adventures in Practical Electronics
- Giottos Rocket-Air Blows Your Troubles Away
Packing and Carrying Your Photo Gear
- Shouldering the Load: A Rugged Camera Bag That Won’t Break the Bank
- 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
- Tying the Water Knot on Your Custom Camera Neck Strap
- Grab Your ‘Brolly! The Many Uses for An Umbrella
- Sew What? A Raincoat for Your Camera
Dressing for Outdoor Shoots
- My First Line of Defense Against Cold Hands
- The Digital Dilemma: Keeping Your Hands Warm but Leave Your Fingers Free
Photographic Technique
- How to Preserve Old Photographic Slides With Your Digital SLR
- Can’t Shake the Shakes? Then Use a Strap to Steady Your Camera
- Sharp Shooting for Shutterbugs: Snapping In
- Sharp Shooting for Shutterbugs: Assuming the Positions
- The Monopod: A Leg Up When You Need It Most
- Day of the Tripods
- How About a Security Band for a Tripod Quick-Release?
- Wide-Angle Lenses: Taking the Broad View
- Telephoto Lenses—Taking the Long View
- 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
- Are You In a Creative Rut?
- 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!
- Backcountry Photography: First Steps in the Forests of the Night
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
- Welcome to December
- What Winter’s Meant to Be
- Here Comes the Sun
- 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
- The Fall of the Leaf: A Photomontage by Anthony T. Jancek
- The Magic of First Snow: A Photomontage by Anthony T. Jancek
- A Hint of Spring: A Photomontage by Anthony T. Jancek
- Busy As a… Muskrat: A Photomontage by Anthony T. Jancek
- Spring Into the Season: A Photomontage by Anthony T. Jancek
- Florida’s Wild Side: A Photomontage by David Damon
- Who’s Out and About in Downeast Maine? A Photomontage by Winston Shaw
- Spring Comes North: A Photomontage by Wilma MacDonald
- Photographers Outside: Exploring the Delmarva With Pat McKay
- A Photo Safari at the Eastern Neck National Wildlife Refuge by Pat McKay
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
- The Far-Seeing Eye: Focusing on Monoculars
- 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



