Visit to the Wildlife World Zoo & Aquarium 23 May 2021

Canon and Tempe Camera sponsored a visit to the Wildlife World Zoo in late May in Litchfield Park, Arizona.  So there were many photographers on the premises.   They were loaning lenses but I thought I'd be ok with the Tamron 100-400mm lens on my Canon EOS R6.

Outside, I was on ISO 100 and daylight white balance.  I was also on aperture priority.

Once I got inside the aquarium, I wondered how I was going to do it with the Tamron 100-400mm lens.   I opened up the aperture and set the ISO to auto.  Some of the aquarium images were outrageously high, as high at 50,000 and 102,400!   It would take some post processing to eliminate or control noise.

Back home, I edited mostly with Lightroom.

Sometimes I also use Luminar AI   But I think something new I tried really helped me with the noise issues.   Before editing, I took all the raw files and "enhanced" in Adobe Camera Raw.  Then I took those raw files and put them through the new DxO PureRaw.  If images showed some noise, the last resort was Topaz deNoise.  And, deNoise saved many of my images I captured from the aquarium.

What I should have done was bring a second lens, perhaps the Tamron 24-70mm f/2.8 or the Canon 100mm macro lens.

Until My Next Adventure,

See you on down the road,

Jim Patterson

Click the photo below to see all the images I captured from  the zoo….

*** Have you tried Luminar ai yet?   It's what I use.  Click HERE to find out more!

*** I have consistently saved money through Greentoe.  For me, I always check prices for camera lenses and equipment.  Shipping is free and often they pay the tax!  Click HERE to get started.

Las Vegas and Nelson and More

Photoshop World finally made it back to Las Vegas and I was there.  It's always great seeing fabulous photography instructors.  It's like an intense three semester hour graduate photography course.  


Before the regular conference, there were a number of pre-conference activities.  I went out to the ghost town of Nelson, Nevada, about an hour south and east of Las Vegas with famed sports photographer (and light painter) Dave Black.


Nelson.  I immediately thought of the television show "American Pickers."  There is old stuff, toys, cars, planes, all over the place.  We had some time to photograph with some daylight, then the fun really began when it got dark.  And it is D-A-R-K there.  I'm glad I had a light that went around my head because it was hard to see where I was walking.   

I photographed with a Canon EOS R and Canon 24-105mm RF lens.  Long exposures and sometimes even ISO that got as high as 3200.  

I got lucky on this image.  Notice the barn in the bottom left?  I had no idea somebody else was light painting that.  And the red that is on the bottom right?  That's from the bus.  


The other favorite night photo of mine has the Texaco sign just a bit too hot and in the bottom right another photographer.  Again, it was so dark I couldn't even tell.

I noticed an old phone booth, so I wandered in.  It said "Michigan Bell."  Now I grew up in Michigan.  I closed my eyes for a moment and though that hey maybe I used this phone back in Michigan?

During the conference, there was always something to photograph.  

Then just explore The Mirage, whether it was flowers, or guitars, or jewels....


And enjoy the dolphins and animals, too.

Until My Next Adventure,

See You On Down the Road,

Jim Patterson

Here's a slideshow of all of my photos.... ENJOY!