December 2nd, 2008 by Dan Bodenstein

Nikon GP-1 GPS
Nikon has finally released it geotagging dongle for several DSLR models. The dongle attaches to the flash hot-shoe, and automatically geotags your photos. Latitude, longitude, elevation and time are recorded to the meta data on your photographs.
Priced at $240, the GP-1 GPS is available for the D200, D3, D700, D90, D300 or the D3X. A single LED on the dongle tells you its status and whether it has a satellite signal. It comes with the necessary cable to connect it to your camera and doesn’t have to be attached to the hot-shoe. It also comes with a Strap adapter to connect it to your camera strap.
According to Nikon it takes about 45 seconds to acquire a satellite signal from a cold start, and 5 seconds from a hot shoe start.
This is a great gift for any Nikon enthusiast who travels a lot.
Check out Nikon’s GP-1 page for more information.
Tags: geotag, geotagging, gp-1, gps, latitude, longitude, nikon
Posted in Journal, Photography Stuff | No Comments »
November 30th, 2008 by Dan Bodenstein

Shutterfly Pro
You ask and you shall receive. I have setup a Pro account on Shutterfly and many of my photographs are now available for purchase online. Although I have added many photographs, if there is a particular one you would like to purchase that is not there, just ask and I’ll be happy to upload them for you.
Although I am not extremely pleased with Shutterfly’s Pro version, I am satisfied with the prints they provide. I have over a dozen of my photos blown up to 16×20 that are hanging in my home. I also have given many 11×14’s as gifts over the past feew years, and even created cards, and photo books.
You can checkout my gallery at http://prints.naturocity.com
Photographs make great holiday gifts!!! (Okay, that was a shameless plug… but it’s true!!)
Tags: holiday gift, nature gifts, nature photos, photo gift, photography prints, print photo
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November 30th, 2008 by Dan Bodenstein

Giraffe Eyes
Any nature or animal photographer will tell you that when taking photos, focus on the eyes. Ever wonder why that is? Well the first thing we are drawn to when looking at an animal, or a person for that matter, is the eyes. Most of the time we don’t realize we do it. In many cases, we look at the eyes for a fraction of a second then zoom out to look at the face.
In order to get someone to appreciate your photographs, the eyes of the subject need to be in focus. If you miss the eyes, you miss the entire shot. You can have the entire body of the subject out of focus, but if the eyes are sharp, it will give life to your photograph. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: animal, eye, eyes, focus, nature, photography, photography tip
Posted in Journal | 1 Comment »
November 27th, 2008 by Dan Bodenstein

(c) National Geographic
The turkey is usually associated with silliness, and in some cases stupidity. But that could not be further from the truth. The turkey is a symbol of “shared blessings” and the harvest. The turkey is referred to as the “Earth Eagle”, and is linked to many Native American myths and legends. The turkey is very adaptable, and although once a threatened species, have regained their numbers in the wild.
If the turkey has come to you as a totem, it may be indicating a bountiful harvest. A harvest may not reflect an actual farm harvest, but it could mean something such as a harvest of wealth, or a harvest of family. Thanksgiving is the time for family togetherness, maybe the turkey is responsible for that.
This Thanksgiving, take a moment to thank the one participant that sacrificed the most for your day, the turkey. You may be surprised at the results yo may earn on a spiritual level.
Tags: animal spirit, bird, meaning, Native American, thankgiving, totem, turkey
Posted in Animal Totems, Journal | 2 Comments »