Products / Services
Places to rent
LensRentals – http://www.lensrentals.com/ – Large, reliable, equipment rental
BorrowLenses – https://www.borrowlenses.com/ – Large, reliable, equipment rental
Manufacturers & Brands
Adobe – http://www.adobe.com/ – Well-known software company, produces Photoshop, Lightroom, and other popular and full-featured programs. Currently all software is subscription based; the Creative Cloud.
B+W / Schneider Optics – https://www.schneideroptics.com/ – Maker of high quality optics and filters
Cactus – http://www.cactus-image.com/ – Reasonably priced photography accessories for lighting, triggering, and more
Camranger – http://camranger.com/ – Hardware and app for wirelessly, remotely controlling your camera
Canon – http://www.canon.com/ – Well-known manufacturer of some of the highest quality cameras, lenses, and accessories available. Look to the “L” (Luxury) line of lenses for best optical and build quality.
FM Photography / McClamp – http://www.fmphotography.us/ – Accessories for macro, and more
Gitzo – http://www.gitzo.us/ – Extremely high quality tripods and other gear
HeliconSoft – http://www.heliconsoft.com/ – Software company; makes the excellent “Helicon Focus” program for focus stacking, as well as a few other applications
Kenko – http://www.kenkoglobal.com/ – Accessories, filters, extension tubes, and more
Kirk Enterprises – https://www.kirkphoto.com/ – High quality tripods, accessories, and other gear
LensCoat – http://www.lenscoat.com/ – Nicely made accessories for covering and protecting cameras, tripods, and lenses, available in a multitude of colors, including camo.
Lexar – http://www.lexar.com/ – Manufacturer of excellent and reliable memory cards and other items
Lowepro – http://www.lowepro.com/ – Well designed, high quality, good selection of camera bags and cases
Manfrotto – https://www.manfrotto.us/ – Good selection of tripods, bags, accessories and more
McClamp / FM Photography – http://www.fmphotography.us/ – Accessories for macro, and more
Nikon – http://www.nikon.com/ – Well-known manufacturer of some of the highest quality cameras, lenses, and accessories available
Pelican – http://www.pelican.com/us/en/ – Very high quality, well-designed, functional, protective cases for field and travel. Most are dustproof, waterproof, chemical resistant, and virtually unbreakable.
Really Right Stuff – http://www.reallyrightstuff.com/ – Unique, well-designed, extremely high quality tripods, heads, accessories, and more.
Schneider Optics / B+W – https://www.schneideroptics.com/ – Maker of high quality optics and filters
Sigma – http://www.sigmaphoto.com/ – Manufacturer of cameras, lenses, and accessories. Look to the “EX” (Excellent) line of lenses for better optical and build quality.
Sirui – http://www.sirui.eu/en/home/ – Very nice quality tripods, monopods, heads, and other accessories at a reasonable price.
Sony – http://www.sony.com/electronics/cameras – Manufacturer of cameras, lenses, and accessories.
Tamrac – http://www.tamrac.com/ – Well designed, high quality bags, backpacks, and similar accessories.
TGRMN (ViceVersa Pro Backup) – http://www.tgrmn.com/ – Software developer, maker of ViceVersa Pro, which is an excellent program for syncing backup drives, making archives, and other tasks
Topaz Labs – https://www.topazlabs.com/ – Software plugins developer
Wimberley – http://www.tripodhead.com/ – Makes top of the line tripod heads and accessories, including the renowned and excellent WH-200 gimbal head. Additional Resource: Wimberley Gimbal Head II Instruction Manual (PDF download)
x-rite – http://www.xrite.com/ – Hardware and software for color management, calibration, profiling, and more
Plugins and Miscellaneous
If This Then That – https://ifttt.com/ – Website that allows you to make “recipes” which automate certain online tasks for specific services, based on trigger actions. Useful for automating social posts.
Jeffrey Friedl flickr Plugin for Lightroom – http://regex.info/blog/lightroom-goodies/flickr – Excellent plugin for Lightroom which gives you many detailed options and settings for publishing photos directly to flickr.
Google Nik Collection – https://www.google.com/nikcollection – FREE Suite of image editing software / plugins, including color efex, HDR Efex Pro, Dfine noise reduction, and more.
Non-Photography – Equipment, Clothing, Tools, and more
Ameristep – http://www.ameristep.com/ – Camouflage blinds and accessories
Black Diamond – http://blackdiamondequipment.com/en_US/homepage – Outdoor apparel and accessories
Badlands – http://www.badlandspacks.com/ – Outstanding, high quality, well designed backpacks
Cabelas – http://www.cabelas.com/ – Large and popular outfitter for outdoor recreation such as hunting, camping, and more. Great source for camouflage clothing and concealment accessories.
Columbia – http://www.columbia.com/ – High quality, outdoor clothing and other gear
Garmin – http://www.garmin.com/en-US – GPS navigation units and software
Irish Setter – http://www.irishsetterboots.com/ – Excellent quality outdoor footwear, rubber boots, and similar items
Mountain Hardwear – http://www.mountainhardwear.com/ – High quality, well-designed outdoor gear, clothing, and accessories
Patagonia – http://www.patagonia.com/us/home – High quality, well-designed outdoor gear, clothing, and accessories
Petzl – https://www.petzl.com/ – Headlamps and other accessories
REI – https://www.rei.com/ – Recreational Equipment Incorporated. Great source of outdoor clothing, footwear, camping and hiking gear, and much more. Also offer in-store classes, events, online info, membership with discounts, and more.
Websites / Blogs / Misc
Organizations
NANPA (North American Nature Photography Association) – http://www.nanpa.org/ – NANPA’S Mission: “NANPA promotes the art and science of nature photography as a medium of communication, nature appreciation, and environmental protection. NANPA provides information, education, inspiration and opportunity for all persons interested in nature photography. NANPA fosters excellence and ethical conduct in all aspects of our endeavors and especially encourages responsible photography in the wild.” I recommend that all nature photographers become a NANPA member – I am one!
Legal and Professional Advice
Photo Attorney – http://www.photoattorney.com/ – “Serving the Photographer’s Legal Needs” is the tagline of this website for the Law Office of Carolyn E. Wright. The fact that Carolyn is a photographer adds a level of trust to what she is doing. The site offers free articles and other information. They also offer paid products and services. I recommend subscribing to the RSS feed and reading the blog articles as they come through. If you ever find yourself in need of legal counsel regarding photography, this would be as good place to start.
Articles, Blogs, Tutorial Sites
Cambridge in Colour – http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/ – “A learning community for photographers,” an excellent website which covers many topics: Technical, technique, equipment, basics, intermediate. There are also forums with a great community of other photographers, beginner to professional, willing to share knowledge, experience, or engage in a friendly competition.
Carolina Wild Photo – http://www.carolinawildphoto.com/ – Useful and interesting site with some good info on camo, fieldcraft, custom DIY projects, and so on. A fun site to check out and find some cool tips.
CanonRumors – http://www.canonrumors.com/ – Rumors and news about Canon (and competing brands), such as upcoming new cameras, sensors, lenses, trade shows, and so forth. Has a forum, though can be hostile and argumentative on a frequent basis. Best used as an occasional source of intel, taken with a grain of salt.
Strobist – http://strobist.blogspot.com/ – Outstanding blog and articles by David Hobby, primarily about photographic lighting, including strobes (hence the name). A highly recommended resource for learning flash, lighting, and getting inspired. See next item below…
Strobist Lighting 101 – http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html – Highly recommended if you would like to begin learning flash photography, speedlites, lighting, and similar topics (especially if you are “afraid” of flash, as many beginners are). Excellent, clear, informational, inspiring.
The Digital Picture – http://www.the-digital-picture.com/ – Very good source of reviews and data for cameras, lenses, and other gear. Supported by sample photos, reference images of the equipment, experiments, and other data. There is other information on the site as well.
Specific Tutorials
Gitzo Tripod and Twist Lock Cleaning – http://www.lincolnharrison.com/blog/2013/11/5/tripod-maintenance – I was going to create my own guide for this topic, but it was already done so well by Lincoln, that I decided instead to link to his superb guide. It has clear photos, instructions, and great tips.
Technical Tools, Calculators, Info/Data Research, Trip Planning, Etc.
AccuWeather – http://www.accuweather.com/ – Pretty reliable weather forecasts, with lots of detail, related info, data, etc. Useful for planning nature photography trips and outings.
Cambridge in Colour Photography Tools – http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/photography-tools.htm – Online resources, info, and calculators for timing, location, depth of field, resolution, size and magnification, panoramas, and more. Great for learning, research, experiments, and more.
Image Comparison Tool – DP Review – http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/studiocompare.asp – Allows you to compare various camera model image qualities, by reviewing test images taken in a studio at different ISO’s.
Noise Test Results Tool – The Digital Picture – http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Camera-Noise.aspx – Allows you to review various camera model image noise qualities at different ISO’s.
Saltwater Tides – http://www.saltwatertides.com/ – A source for tide, moon, and sun predictions for the Gulf Coast, US East Coast and US West Coast. Easy to read, and printable. Very helpful when you need to know tide levels for specific locations.
Time and Date – http://www.timeanddate.com/ – Tons of information and data for time zones, sun and moon, calculators, weather, and more. Useful for planning travel, trips and outings.
Weather Underground “Wunderground” – https://www.wunderground.com/ – Pretty reliable weather forecasts, with lots of detail, related info, data, etc. Useful for planning nature photography trips and outings.
Social Photography Sites
DeviantArt – http://www.deviantart.com/ – Probably better known for painters, sketch artists, and other similar creators, though it is becoming more popular with creative photographers.
flickr – https://www.flickr.com/ – One of the largest, most well-known image sharing sites online. Excellent sense of community, good exposure through groups, though slow to start. If you are only posting to one photo sharing site, this should be the one.
500px – https://500px.com – Another well-known photo sharing site. Not nearly as much engagement and community as flickr, but still a decent place to show your work.
Google+ – https://plus.google.com/ – Social sharing on the venerable Google. The possibility for views and engagement is high, due to resharing, communities, and the sheer scale of everything.
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/ – This is worth mentioning because of its popularity. Photos can only be posted to instagram via a mobile app, so you’ll need to email your images to yourself from computer to your phone. Also, a vertical image’s aspect ratio must be no taller than 4×5. Overall it can be a pain to post on instagram, and it’s perhaps not the best target audience (depending on your goals), but there is potential for huge exposure through group features. I had an image featured in a large group and within 24 hours it had over 2K faves.
My Websites and Social Media Profiles
Infinite World Photography™ – http://infiniteworldphotography.com/ – Matthew Schwartz personal portfolio site featuring some of my favorite images, and information about me.
Nature Photography Mastery Academy YouTube Channel – https://naturephotographymastery.com/youtube – Official YouTube channel of this website, with videos about fine art nature photography. Field Craft, Skills, Post-Processing / Editing, Mindset of Mastery, etc
My Free Downloads and Resources
The Nature Photography Mastery Academy Credo – Instant Download Link – https://www.naturephotographymastery.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/the-nature-photography-mastery-academy-credo-v1.pdf – The values which explain what Nature Photography Mastery Academy stands for. They are the mindset, principles, and approach that I believe can transform you into a nature photography master, and enable you to produce superb images.
Photographers / Friends
Gladys Klip
Gladys is an incredibly talented wildlife and nature photographer based in the Netherlands. Her stunning images have gorgeous lighting and artistry. In addition, she is a very friendly and wonderful person! I highly recommend you check out her work!
flickr – https://www.flickr.com/photos/gladysklip/
Missy Mandel
Missy is a very talented photographer based in Canada. Her love of nature is apparent when looking over her beautiful images. She’s also a very kindhearted and wonderful person who I’m proud to call a friend.
Website – http://www.missymandel.ca/
flickr – https://www.flickr.com/photos/missymandel/
Missy’s Gourmet Pretzel Treat business, Twisted Sisters – http://twistedsisters.ca/
Steve Mackay
Steve is a positively brilliant photographer based in England. Additionally, he’s a wonderful guy and a good friend.
Website – http://www.stevemackayphotography.com/