Well This would have been good to know! I knew about the unexploded ordnance, but thought they cleaned this up before opening up the trails. I remember not wanting to go out there because the NPS said not to step off the trails.  Well I hope they get this issue under control because it's a great place to visit.

"In the interest of public safety, the U.S. Navy is closing San Miguel Island until further notice due to recent concerns of possible unexploded ordnance. San Miguel Island was an active bombing range from WWII through the 1970s. San Miguel Island is owned by the U.S. Department of Defense and is managed by the National Park Service under a memorandum of agreement.View the official public notice at San Miguel Island Closure Public Notice. For more information visit News Releases."

New Retro NIKON DF Camera, hmmmm. 

I sit here thinking, this is quite interesting. Just 2 months ago I pulled out my old Nikon FE2 camera body and was holding it in my hands. I was reminded just how simple photography use to be. You load a roll of film, set your ISO, set it to Manual, select shutter and aperture and you are all set to start making photos. The older cameras were light weight and simple. I really miss that. 

Today's cameras are overly complicated, bulky and well, can you say dust spots? You can do a lot more with today's cameras, but I guess that is why they are overly complicated. I guess it's about having your cake and eating it too. 

These cameras may remind us of times that have passed, but I bet these new "retro" cameras are bloated with software with endless menu options. I will look but won't touch. If you are a brave one, you can pre order yourself some old school camera here http://goo.gl/519JlB

This is a real world review based on how most people will use this camera. I used this camera in Manual Mode, Scene Mode, Full Auto, Program Mode. I didn't have the manual I just started shooting. The menu system is outrageous. It's basically got photoshop built in. 

A friend at work just bought the Sony RX100 II and was nice enough to let me borrow it for a few days. I will say right off the bat, this is the best point & shoot camera I have ever used. If I put up shots from the Sony RX100 II and a Nikon D700 most people wouldn't be able to tell what camera took which picture, and the prints are amazing as well. 

* On a side note, I was surprised at how long the battery lasted on this camera using the flash all the time. Usually, you take one shot with the flash and your battery indicator reduces by one bar. I think I took 20 something photos with the flash before the battery started going down.

I am going to put the original photo next to a photo edited in photoshop using Nik Photo Plugins to see how well the image holds up to editing. I will put a link to the original file so you can download, edit, and see for yourself.

Let's look at some sample images. All shot JPEG Finest quality. All shot hand held.

Photographer Brett Higgins of Capturing the Elements releases Sunset Beach, the third installment of Smart Noise sights and sounds of nature videos, now available on DVD at Amazon.com

PR Log (Press Release) – Jun 01, 2010 – Brett Higgins of Capturing the Elements announces the release of Smart Noise: Sunset Beach, a third installment in a series of videos that bring the sights and sounds of nature directly to your television monitor. 

According to Higgins, Smart Noise DVDs and audio CDs were created as a relaxation tool and stress reliever that could be used in a professional setting such as dentist offices, doctor and hospital waiting rooms, chiropractor offices, meditation centers, or yoga studios; or that people could enjoy at home, as everyday background noise, a sleep aide, or a stress reliever. 

As a follow up to his first two Smart Noise videos set in the mountains (Rocky Creek and Canyon Falls) Higgins’ team filmed Sunset Beach in Southern California and were able to capture the sounds of the ocean, several views of the setting sun, along with pelicans, seagulls, and even dolphins swimming into the scene. 

“The dolphins weren’t planned,” says Brett, “I guess we just got really lucky that day.” 

Filmed in HD, Sunset Beach and all of the Smart Noise videos are approximately 60 minutes in length and available for purchase on DVD on Amazon.com. 

Capturing the Elements ™ and Smart Noise ™ are trademarks of Brett Higgins. All rights reserved. 

Landscape photos by Brett Higgins have been featured in Outdoor Photographer, the National Parks and Channel Islands websites, and A&I Los Angeles. For more information visit Capturing the Elements online at www.capturingtheelements.com.

January 1, 2010 – Photographer Brett Higgins of Capturing the Elements has released a new photography DVD entitled Capturing the Elements: Forks, a 42-minute how-to photography program for digital camera users of all levels of experience, featuring the W.I.S.E. Method of Photography, a system created by Higgins to help people learn to take better photos by choosing a series of settings on any point-and-shoot digital camera.Filmed in Forks, Washington (setting of the Twilight saga) the how-to photography DVD contains footage of professional photographer Brett Higgins (Magnolia) and top model Cherie Wimberly (Star Search, General Hospital) taking photos using a dSLR and point-and-shoot camera, respectively, as they explore the beaches, waterfalls, and rainforest areas surrounding Forks, WA and Olympic National Park.
The Capturing the Elements team first produced an original photography video series, Beyond the Photograph (2006 -2008), seen worldwide over the web at an average of 15,000 viewers per month.

"Before I had even heard of Twilight we were slated to film the Hoh Rainforest near Forks back in 2007 for the web series," said Higgins, "but everything was put on hold while developing the W.I.S.E. Method of Photography. So when it came time to choose a setting for the DVD, we looked at places with the most diverse scenery in one location and Forks was our number one choice."

Developed from his own personal experiences of teaching others to take better photos, the W.I.S.E. Method of Photography is a technique Higgins hopes will help people take control of their image results at a time when digital technology has made nature photography more popular than ever.

"I remember when there were very few people taking photos in the backcountry," Brett said, "people used to stare at my camera like they had never seen anything like it. Now, digital cameras out on the trail are as common as hiking boots, but there hasn't been much progress in teaching people how to use them."

Now available on Amazon.com for a retail price of 19.99, the Capturing the Elements: Forks DVD contains several tips on basic digital photography, along with a lesson on dSLR exposure settings, plus Brett's trademarked W.I.S.E. Method of Photography and bonus footage of the original Capturing the Elements video series Beyond the Photograph filmed in Joshua Tree and Paramount Ranch, California.

Capturing the Elements and the W.I.S.E. Method of Photography are trademarks of Brett Higgins. All rights reserved.

Capturing the Elements: Forks, a how-to digital photography video released by photographer Brett Higgins is now available for purchase and rental on Amazon.com Video on Demand.

PR Log (Press Release) – Jan 13, 2010 – SEATTLE, WA – Photographer Brett Higgins of Capturing the Elements has released for download on Amazon.com a photography program entitled Capturing the Elements: Forks, a 42-minute how-to photography video for digital camera users of all levels of experience, featuring the W.I.S.E. Method of Photography, a system created by Higgins to help people learn to take better photos by choosing a series of settings on any point-and-shoot digital camera. 

Filmed in Forks, Washington (setting of Twilight) this how-to photography video, also available on DVD, contains footage of professional photographer Brett Higgins (Magnolia) and top model Cherie Wimberly (Star Search, General Hospital) taking photos using a dSLR and point-and-shoot camera, respectively, as they explore the beaches, waterfalls, and rainforest areas surrounding Forks, WA and Olympic National Park.

Now available via Amazon.com downloads for a 7-day rental price of 1.99, or the purchase price of 11.99, the Capturing the Elements: Forks, video on demand, contains several tips on basic digital photography, along with a lesson on dSLR exposure settings, plus Brett’s trademarked W.I.S.E. Method of Photography and bonus footage of the original Capturing the Elements video series Beyond the Photograph filmed in Joshua Tree and Paramount Ranch, California. 

Capturing the Elements ™ and the W.I.S.E. ™ Method of Photography are trademarks of Brett Higgins. All rights reserved. 

Landscape photos by Brett Higgins have been featured in Outdoor Photographer, the National Parks and Channel Islands websites, and A&I Los Angeles. For more information visit Capturing the Elements online at www.capturingtheelements.com.# # #

Capturing the Elements™ is a collection of works from professional photographer Brett Higgins that includes breathtaking images of nature, behind the scenes footage that takes you beyond the photograph, teaching photography to digital camera users.