Jon Sienkiewicz Blog

Can you buy a camera at a better price in Japan? Many factors suggest that this could seem like a logical conclusion. The Japanese yen has fallen in value against the US dollar over the past several months and now hovers near the psychological barrier of ¥150 to one US dollar. Skyrocketing inflation, stagnant export sales and a weak yen are exacerbating the struggles of the Japanese economy. Has this cocktail of financial havoc generated bargains for photographers?

I collect arrows. No, not the kind with feather fletching that archers launch from bows. I collect images of arrows, mainly those painted on pavement. I guess I have hundreds of them, but sadly they’re scattered all over the place because I didn’t realize I was collecting them until a couple years ago.

Active photography entrepreneurs sometimes feel like they're working in an information vacuum because their workday leaves little time for rubbing elbows with their peers. Further complicating the isolation, it's natural for professional photographers to regard other pros as competitors, someone with whom it's unwise to share proprietary business details. It would be great to anonymously compare truthful notes. In this light, we welcome this peek behind the (shutter) curtain provided by Aftershoot.

When we consider the bonehead blunders photographers unwittingly commit, we usually think about gross mistakes that result in fuzzy or poorly exposed images. But the error in this story produces SHARP images that we want to abort at all costs. The common tragic bungle we're identifying is…

The problem with most photo backpacks is that they’re perfect for carrying cameras, lenses and a ton of small accessories, but perfectly awful when it’s time to pack anything larger. Yes, I know—some models will accommodate a notebook PC. But many of those require the mouse and AC adapter to share space with camera accessories.

Bargain of the Month

Warm things to think about while the tip of your nose freezes and falls off.