Fuji X-T20

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I’ve been shooting on Fujifilm now since December, so I figured that’s long enough to begin offering practical reviews of my experiences with that equipment. This article focuses on the Fuji X-T20, a versatile, SLR-styled mirrorless camera that I bought to be my workhorse on location shoots. Did it follow through on this? Read on to find out…

Topo Designs Travel Bag Review

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In just a few days, the family and I leave for an eight-day roadtrip to the East Coast. We’ll be visiting friends in Richmond, Virginia (who just had a baby; congrats Katie and Ed!) and Washington D.C., before heading on to the beach for a little, much-needed R an R. I thought it would be fun to take the opportunity to review my Topo Travel Bag, even if it is the older version. Enjoy!

History of Nature and Landscape Photography, Transition to Artform

George Shiras and John Hammerin a canoe equipped for jacklighting, Whitefish Lake, Michigan, 1893; © National Geographic Creative Archives

Around the beginning of the 20th Century, significant innovations in camera technology, chemistry, and photographic equipment coalesced at a time when photographers were beginning to recognize the expressive potential of their image-making. An era was fast dawning wherein the photograph would no longer be simply relegated to the realm of science or to cheap novelty, but would instead serve to drive culture, both in and out of art.

Friday Night Music Video- 2019, Vol. 2

A day late, a buck short.

Chouteau Island

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The Mississippi River provides so much recreational diversity throughout its over 2,300 miles, across ten U.S. States. In Missouri, the river bottom is a place that makes all of the life around it possible. It also carries the weight of death, in the form of floods and drought.

Rainy Day Hiking and Nature Photography

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Cool, rainy days are for Netflix, cocoa and the couch, right? Well, sort of. I believe that they also offer some of the most fun hiking around, and some of the best conditions for nature and landscape photography. In fact, I think that just about any weather event is a good opportunity to get outside (not that I hate sunny days- they are just less interesting, photographically).

Forest Park on a Sunny Afternoon

Fuji X-E3 w/Rokinon 12mm f/2

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A couple of months ago, after picking up my new Fuji kit, I decided to test out the system with a leisurely stroll through St. Louis’ largest, and possibly, most photogenic public park. Forest Park is so large that experiences to be had are extremely varied. You can feel almost completely removed from the city on any of its many meandering trails, or totally engulfed by the heights of cultural achievement at one of the Park’s Museums or its outdoor theaters. The Park even boasts an internationally recognized zoo that is frequently listed at the top of “best of” lists for the U.S.

Emmenegger Nature Park

Emmenegger Nature Park, named after Russell Emmenegger, the last private owner of the property that would become the Park, is a 93-acre forested area owned by the City of Kirkwood. It is adjacent to a 15-acre Conservation Area named Possum Woods, though it is hard to tell where one begins and the other ends. For what it’s worth, this is a special bit of tranquility just outside of the St. Louis.

Happy 10 Year Anniversary to HOI!

If you can believe it, this blog has been around for ten whole years this month! That’s some craziness on a lot of levels, particularly that I’ve been able to (relatively) maintain it despite everything that has happened in my personal life during that time. To celebrate, here are some fun site facts.

New Blog!

I am excited to announce that my wife and I will be opening a brick-and-mortar shop (explorer boutique, wanderer goods) called KAMP in St. Louis, Missouri this March. Our motto is “Equip, explore, reflect, repeat”, and we hope that you’ll stop by if/when you can.

For those of you that enjoy my outdoor content on this blog, most of that will be moving over to the store’s blog, so be sure to subscribe over there to not miss anything!