Dubai Workshops

I'm currently in Dubai teaching several workshops.  I arrived here on the 20th of April for the Popular Photography Mentor Series Trek.  We photographed around the Dubai area for about 7 days and I am now teaching 3 days for the Gulf Photo Plus.

The photo above was shot using my new D800, and the lighting was a FourSquare™ softbox on camera right.  We were in open shade and the ambient exposure was one stop under what the camera indicated.  More about the Trek and workshops later, just thought I'd check in.  DT

It's On The Way

During my recent Mentor Series Trek to Tucson with Dave Black and Lucas Gilman, I had an opportunity to take a close look at the new Nikon D800. Dave was shooting with the new D800 and from what I saw of the images taken with that camera, I decided to order one for myself.

I received an email today letting me know that my camera has been sent to my local camera dealer and that I will be receiving it soon. I can't wait to get my hands on it.

I'll be taking it with me to Dubai later this month on the Mentor Series Trek I'm leading. I am going to seriously have to work on my editing skills as these files are huge! DT

My Nikon Videos

I received news today that the videos I shot with Nikon late last year and now up on their site. I did 3 different videos for them, one dealing with a proper bounce technique, another about artificial sunlight and another about turning day into night. Here are the links to those videos.

Artificial Sunlight
Bounce Technique
Day to Night

I had a lot of fun shooting these videos, I hope you like them. DT

Nikon World Article Online

The recent article about me in Nikon World Magazine in now available online.

Ballooning Over The Dubai Desert

After a week of conducting workshops at the 2012 Gulf Photo Plus, several instructors including myself went for a balloon ride. It was an early morning for all of us, 4 am wake-up call for a 4;45 am pick-up at the hotel.

I grabbed this photo of David Nightingale snoozing during our drive to the desert.

There were two balloons waiting for us when we arrived at the launching site. The morning temps were cool with a light breeze. I had been in a balloon only once before, a much smaller one. This balloon held a total of 16 people, we sailed to 4000 feet above the ground.

After only a few minutes of heat being added to the balloons, we were off the ground. If you have never been in a hot air balloon before, it surely is a must do. One strange thing you notice right off the bat, as soon as you take flight any breeze you felt on the ground ends. Since you travel with the wind, there is no visible reference of wind other then the ground moving below you.



At an altitude of 4000 feet we could see the Rocky Mountains of Oman. The pilot was very insistent that we not land there....

My friend and fellow instructor Chris Hurtt is seen enjoying the view standing at the edge of the basket. There was no shortage of cameras of the trip.

Here are a few shots of the desert sands which passed slowly beneath us.


I'd like to thank Brenden Jack for arranging this wonderful adventure for us. It was a balloon ride I'll never forget. DT