WOW! Eye Opening Numbers For Wildlife Photography!

Good Morning Everybody,

Last evening we had a fun Zoom meeting with our first Safari group.  Don Dickson, who runs the "Internationally" famous Texas School [link] put the whole thing together for us.  It was a "hoot" reminiscing about the great times we all had on that trip.

Yep, we do get kind of close to the animals, lion included.  That's probably the biggest surprise for first-time safari adventurers. Thanks to Kevin Dooley of Idube Photo Safaris [link] for sending this photo over to me this morning. That's me next to the driver with LaDawn behind him. We are really only a few feet away from the lions - safaris are definitely an adventure!

We joined the Dicksons on their Safari and then were to follow up with two more of our own when the bottom dropped out of our travels. No problem though, we already have them rescheduled for about the same time next year.  I put the links at the end of this post.

Anyway, I hope you all got a chance to view the YouTube video I put up just a few days ago.  It really shows what an exciting trip it was. If you missed it, here is the [link] to the video one more time - Enjoy!  Now on with the show....
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WOW!  Eye Opening Numbers For Wildlife Photography!

Last Thursday I did a post entitled "Camera Settings for Wildlife Photography - Mostly Manual Mode and Why" [link] which really got down to the "nitty-gritty" of my wildlife shooting strategy.  Today I want to ramp up that post with some surprising statistics about the Shutter Speeds, Apertures, and ISOs I used most often.  These numbers are based on the EXIF data of 20,179 wildlife images I made two years ago during our safaris back then.

Shutter Speed

Take a look at the table to the right.  I think you will be surprised by the numbers here. As you can see, my exposures ranged from 1/50 second and lower up to 1/8000 second.  OK, how did I come up with this data?  It was easy once I really got the "hang" of some of Lightroom's EXIF data reporting features. I asked Lightroom to just report all exposure data from my Canon 5D Mk3 and my Canon 7D Mk2 and presto, the Shutter Speed info appeared!

OK, back to the numbers. Take a closer look at the chart to the right. Notice that 67% - that's 67% - of my shutter speeds were 1/1600, 1/2000, or 1/2500 second! A quick point of clarification... NOT all those exposures were made on Manual mode. A large number of them were made on Shutter Priority mode as well.  I'll cover that shooting strategy in an upcoming post next week. Needless to say, two-thirds of my photos were made at very high speeds for all the reasons stated in my post referenced above.

Keep in mind that safari shooting conditions vary widely.  Birds are flying, animals are moving, and the safari vehicle is bouncing, sometimes like crazy.  All these factors require faster shutter speeds to freeze the action.

Aperture

Now let's move on to Apertures. I used the same Lightroom reporting technique to determine my most used range of shooting apertures. Once again, check the table to the right.

In most cases, I was shooting wide open with my telephoto lenses. When shooting the Canon 5D Mk3 I mounted my Sigma 150-600mm lens with its maximum aperture of F6.3.

When shooting my Canon 7D Mk2 fitted with its 100-400mm lens (my all-time favorite wildlife shooting combo), again maximum aperture F6.3. You can see from the data that nearly 1/2 of all my exposers were at the maximum apertures of both the lenses.

If the light was bright, like at mid-day, I would stop down 1/2 to one full stop just to pick up a little more depth of field.  I found that mostly helped with my bird photography.

Still, you may be questioning my use of both lenses maximum apertures for so many of my photos.  The answer is quite simple - both of these lenses are super sharp lenses.  I never felt I was compromising the image in any way when shooting wide open.

ISO

Now on to ISOs ...  As I mentioned in my early post (referenced above), I do like to "float the ISO in these kinds of shooting conditions. I don't want the ISO to go to high, but I do want it fast enough to allow me to use the necessary shutter speeds I need for my wildlife photography. Now take a look at the ISO chart to the right. OK, OK, I did let the ISO float a little on some occasions - I'll get to that in a minute. But DO notice that 56% on my images were in the ISO 1600 - 6400 range.

The reason for the higher ISOs is accounted for by our early morning and our late afternoon/early evening shooting.  But, let's re-analyze the data differently. If you total the ISOs from ISO 400 to ISO 2000, the total number of exposures accounts for over 44% of my images.  That means that most of my images were made at very manageable ISOs.

With the use of software like Lightroom, I can easily manage the slightly higher ISOs.  Heck, back in my "wedding days"  I would routinely shoot all my reception images at ISO 3200.

Still, I think the analysis of this data is really fascinating to see.  It really shows what the Apertures, ISOs, and Shutter Speeds need to be to get the optimum photograph with the gear I was using. Had I been using a 300mm/F2.8 lens, my data would have been different, obviously.  But I was using gear that worked great for these wildlife shooting situations.  The gear is reasonably priced and gave me a great result for our Safari experiences.

Take a look at the photo having "lunch" to the right. Notice the camera specs: Canon 7D Mk2 fitted with 100-400mm Sigma lens: 1/2000 second @ F5.6 zoomed to 123mm at ISO 2500. Anything less than the higher shutter speed and high ISO and I would have missed the photo.

I hope everyone enjoyed the discussion today and I certainly hope it will at least give you some starting points in any upcoming African adventures you may have in your future.

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Hey Gang,

That's it for me today.  I can't believe it's Friday already. Have a great weekend and I'll hope to see you next week for a few more ideas and discussions.

Cheers for now, David


Oh, BTW, Here are the links to our rescheduled Safaris for next year.

South Africa at Thakadu: March 30 - April 9, 2021 [link]

Botswana, Africa at Mashatu: April 9 - 19, 2021 [link]

We are sorry we couldn't continue on Safari this year but both LaDawn and I are really looking forward to next year - hope to see you there!  David and LaDawn

Our African Safari in 1000 photos or Less

Good Afternoon Everybody,

I hope everyone had a great Easter weekend.  It was quite a bit different than in years past but connecting with family and friends still made it a special day.  I hope yours was special too.

I thought one of the most creative ideas to "church services" in these days of "sheltering at home" was the approach taken by the paster at Bellarmine Chapel at Xavier University here in Cincinnati, Ohio. He gathered photos of all the parishioners which he then proceeded to print out and tape to all the church pews.  It was quite an uplifting Easter story - here is the link to the short video [link]. Enjoy!

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Our African Safari in 1000 photos or Less

Now back to what we do here at DigitalProTalk.com, I want to share our 2020 African Safari with you this morning. As many of you know, LaDawn and I have been traveling with our good friends, Kevin and Tricia Dooley of Idube Photo Safaris [link] these past few years. 

Kevin has been leading safaris around the world, but mostly to Africa, for nearly 20 years.  About 4 years ago he asked if I would be interested in joining him - I leaped at the opportunity!  And now we have been on four photo safaris with the Dooley's - all pretty cool!

Our other two sold-out safaris for this year had to be postponed till next year because of all the current travel restrictions.  If you are interested in more info, please let me (david@ziser.com) or Kevin (idubephotosafaris@yahoo.com) know.  We will be happy to get you more info.

Anyway, after a big trip like this, LaDawn and I (mostly LaDawn, really just LaDawn), will edit the thousands of images, tweak the favs, and design a Blurb book telling the entire story from start to finish of our adventures.

LaDawn just wrapped the album design and exported the double-page spreads for upload to Blurb. But I had another idea for the 350 or so spreads.  I thought I would load them in ProShow Producer [link], a great video/slideshow program that I've been using for years with my wedding photography. Unfortunately, they just shut their doors, but the program still works very well for these types of projects.

Anyway, I loaded up all the high-resolution double-page spread, added my royalty-free music,  tweaked the show a bit, and let it rip.  About an hour later I had a very cool video of the entire album of images.  I have to tell you, it looks GREAT on our 82-inch Samsung 4K TV ;~)

I then uploaded the video to my YouTube channel for all to enjoy.  Just click the PLAY button below and enjoy the show.  Most of us have a smart TV so I would recommend loading it up from your YouTube app on your TV for the best viewing experience.

These videos have been a great way for us to re-live our travel experiences. LaDawn and I both agree that after spending hours, days, and even possibly weeks designing these albums and then"arm-wrestling" with Blurb to get them uploaded and published to the tune of about $250/book, the best way to enjoy the whole travel experience is much better accommodated with the videos. BTW...LaDawn LOVES the elephants so be prepared to see LOTS of elephants in the video.

I'm currently in the process of updating our other travel books to videos as well. LaDawn is currently working on a new travel book of our experiences in Iceland and Ireland, one of our favorite trips from 2018.  I'll plan on sharing those images with you as well.

But, in the meantime enjoy this video, including several images of LaDawn and I (lol) and if you have any questions, just leave them in the comments section below and I'll do me best to answer them for you in a timely fashion.

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Hey Gang,

That's if for me today.  I really hope you enjoy the post and the photographs.  I'll plan on putting up a few more Tips and Tricks in the coming days.  Remember, leave your comments below.

Adios for now, David

Camera Settings for Wildlife Photography - Mostly Manual Mode and Why

Good Morning Everybody,

I hope today finds everyone well and "Sheltered in Place" along with 90% of the US. It's certainly a different feeling than usual but the sun is shining in our "neck of the woods" and the weather is just beautiful.  So, I'm going to make the best of it and that means sharing another blog post with all of you.

This post really came about as a result of our safari experiences over these last few years.  I have to say, as a wedding/event photographer, I was ill-prepared with how the shooting circumstances change when out in the field photographing animals.  In this post, I'll share a few of the insights I gained and new shooting technique changes I made to my shooting style for shooting Big game.

Here we go...
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Camera Settings for Wildlife Photography - Mostly Manual Mode and Why

In my wedding photography world, I generally used two modes when shooting.  First and foremost was M-Manual mode. I did a blog post right here about 10 years ago which fully explains why I make that choice - you can find it right here [link].

Most of my exposures were made with flash and I always wanted to be in charge of my exposures as I balanced flash with various lighting situations. Whether "dragging-the-shutter" indoors to pick up a lot of the ambient  - see image to the right, or shooting outdoors and shooting in "High-Speed Sync" to accentuate skies and other details outdoor, I wanted to be in charge of the lighting on the scene.

When shooting wedding images with no flash attached, I'll shoot many times on P for Professional  - haha, I mean Program Mode and that served me just fine.

But what about Wildlife photography? Thankfully I learned early on in my wildlife safari experience that P - Program mode was many times an "Image Killer" - many photos would just come out "motion blurred".  Think about it,  if you are bouncing along in a safari vehicle, trying to stop the action of moving animals or birds in flight, Program mode just doesn't work many times - you will get blurry images.

Remember, the camera is trying to set the optimum exposure for a nicely lit scene.  It generally sets a fairly low ISO, a reasonably decent aperture, and what looks to be a sufficiently fast shutter speed.  This is all well and good for most day-to-day shooting situations but not out in the middle of a Big 5 wild game reserve.

Time shooting on a game drive takes place between the hours of 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. A lot of that shooting time is mid-day. It's from about 10:00 a.m. till about 3:00 p.m. that I definitely set my camera to Manual mode.  I want to call both my Shutter Speed and My Aperture letting the ISO just float.

I have discovered that my preferred shutter speed is 1/2500 second and my preferred aperture is usually about F7.1- F8.0 - just off full aperture in order to use a "sweeter" part of the lens and to enhance my "depth of field" ever so slightly.

Now in the image above, I really don't need a shutter speed of 1/2500 second but who knows what might happen in the next half a second - heck, the lion may charge the jeep and I'd miss the shot - not to mention being totally uncomfortable in my underwear - if that ever really happened...haha.  The fact is, I didn't want to take the time to change my settings even for this image. You, many times, lose or miss your best photos because of changing settings and/or lenses. So, just shoot away even at the much faster shutter speed.

In the above image, I'm still using that fast shutter speed.  Did I need it to be that fast - of course not.  But if I was relying on P-Program mode, the camera may have given me a shutter speed that was maybe too slow for the swaying of the elephant's trunks - why take a chance.

Why You Have To Be Ready - All the Time
Here is a perfect example of why you want to be ready for the shot.  Check out the image below.  Just an easy photo of the Zebras enjoying a refreshing drink at the watering hole. Right?

But, just 10 seconds later - I know, I checked the EXIF data - something spooked everyone and all the animals took off in all directions.  Check out this next image of the Zebras.  They are high-tailing it out of there and not wasting any time clearing out from the watering hole.

What spooked them, we weren't quite sure. It might have been the rhino that wandered by and just wanted a drink too.  Anyway, all the animals headed for the hills. But once the danger subsided, they all returned just as though nothing had happened. Just check out the image below.  It was taken 70 seconds after the previous image but this time everybody is happy as can be enjoying a sip of water in the hot sunny afternoon savannah sun.  Pretty cool to see - and why you need to be ready and prepared to capture the shot at the proper shutter speed to capture the action.

Let's talk about one more time when a fast shutter speed is of the utmost necessity. It's bird photos.  You can sit there for 5 minutes with the bird is sitting up on its branch just enjoying the view. But then, it too eventually gets spooked or just tired and will take off.

In either case, I have found that you need at least 1/2500 second to stop the motion of the bird's wings flapping.  You must also use a fairly fast frame rate - I prefer 9-10 frames per second to ensure my action sequence does get a decent wing position of the flying bird.

All the above images were made with my Canon 7D Mk 2 firing at 9.5 FPS fitted with my super-fast focusing 100-400 Sigma IS lens - a great camera/lens combo for safari photography

So there you have it - my favorite shooting mode when photographing animals mid-day along with my preferred apertures and shutter speed. I hope this little insight helps you in your wildlife photography.  I've got lots more tips and tricks - so please stay tuned.
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Hey Gang,

Thanks, that's it for me today. I have to tell you, that just looking over this post gives me so much JOY - I just loved the fact I have a wedding image in the same post with my wildlife photos - who would have guessed. Hey, I'll take my simple little pleasures wherever I can find them amidst our quarantined  times;~)

Audios for now everybody,

David

My Favorite New Travel Camera, Maybe My Favorite Camera of All!

Good Morning Everybody,

As I mentioned yesterday, LaDawn and I just returned from 3+ weeks of travel in South Africa which included 9 days on Safari and a stint in the Cape Town area, as well.  It was a great trip and we captured some amazing images that I plan to share with you over these next several days.

But to get great photos, it helps to have the right camera to do the job for you. For years our favorite travel camera has been Canon's SX60 camera [link] - before that it was the SX50.  I loved the 21-1300mm IS lens which truly made it a camera for all occasions.  The 16 meg RAW file along with decent low light capabilities and reasonable sharpness added to the camera's already nice list of photographic credentials.

One Almost "Dead" SX60 Camera

But during these travels, this camera was not going to Africa with us.  Why? We just wore it out over the last five years and 200,000 miles of travel. My guess is that the camera has over 100,000 exposures on it.  That coupled with dusty environments, humid conditions, and all the rest have definitely taken their toll on the camera. The zoom lens wasn't working smoothly and the camera took about three or more tries just to get it to fire up - not good. Normally we would have just upgraded to the new SX70 version but in my research, it just seemed like a downgrade from the SX60 - hence the search for a new, easy for LaDawn, a replacement was in order.

I Found My Nearly Perfect Replacement Camera!

After a few days searching on the web and reading many reviews and watching lots of YouTube videos, I had made my decision.  I decided on the 3 times more expensive Sony RX10 M4.  This camera is getting fabulous reviews EVERYWHERE!

The images seemed incredible, the focal length was nearly the same as with the SX60, albeit with the lens doubling feature.  The 1" sensor meant less noise, it could focus in only .03/second, it was image-stabilized to 4.5 stops, had a 20 meg sensor, and could shoot at a blazing 24 frames a second - plus tons more.  Read all about it over at Sony right here [link].

I ended up picking up the camera from my local Best Buy who had it priced at $100 less off retail, at $1500 and they were throwing in a free second battery.  I ended up picking up two more batteries and a charger from Amazon for just about $32 [link].

Test Driving the New Sony RX10 M4

We still had a few weeks before we were leaving for Africa so I decided to let the Sony be my "go-to" camera for a few trips leading up to our big Africa trip. In early February I headed out to Austin to visit my daughter, Liz for about a week. I had some time to myself so I threw the Sony around my neck and began shooting away at the city surrounds. Here is a quick photo I did of one of the local pigeons sitting on a fence post.

OK, it's not an over compelling image but I wanted to show the sharpness and clarity of the image produced by this camera.  This image was taken zoomed to 936mm which means the digital doubling was coming into play - but still, notice its sharpness. And folks, this image was taken wide open at F4.0, handheld at 1/250 second - pretty darn impressive!  Feel free to click on the image for an even larger view - pretty cool!

A few weeks later, LaDawn and I were on a cruise ship with friends traveling the Caribbean. We love our cruises and we love the stage shows on the ship.  I always have a camera with me to capture some of the excitement of these shows.  But, check out the image below - it was taken zoomed to 70mm F3.5 @ 1/640 second. But more impressively, at 5000 ISO!

Even at this higher ISO, I think it looks impressive.  I should mention that I am just shooting these images in JPG mode as the camera's internal noise reduction and processing really does an excellent job. Feel free to click on the image for a larger view and notice the minimal grain pattern.

Now finally on to the last image for today. The image below is of Africa's most beautiful bird, the Lilac Breasted Roller.  As we were causing the savannah one day in our safari vehicles we happened upon this beautiful bird.

Once again, check out the sharpness and detail of the image. This image was made with the camera zoomed to 715mm F5.0 @ 1/2500 second at ISO400. It's also cropped just a bit to improve the composition.   Needless to say, the image is crisp and sharp and really showcases the capabilities of this super cool camera.

In closing, let me say that I am most impressed with the sharpness of the Zeiss lens this camera is equipped with.  It is just stunning sharp! In the coming days, I'll share with you more safari images with discussions about gear, technique, and safari experiences. I hope you will join me.

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Hey Gang,

That's it for me today. Look for more "goodies" coming up in the days to come. Heck, I just may tell you about my newest fun "camera" I'm "playing" with ;~)

Cheers for now everybody,

David

Safari #2 Almost Sold Out! Catch Me In Orlando, VIP Seating, and Geek Tip Of The Week

Hi Gang,

This is going to be my last email for a while. LaDawn and I will be hitting the road shortly so time will be limited, but before we go I wanted to bring you up-to-date on a few things still happening around here and offer another Geek Tip of the Week.

Second African Safari Almost Sold Out!

February 22 - March 4, 2018

They tell me that my first Safari was the fastest booked Safari in the history of the company - I was not only floored but also very excited. So they talked me into doing a second safari.  Now I'm super-stoked!!!

LaDawn and I immediately cleared calendars and set our additional dates for our new African Safari [link]. for February 22 - March 4, 2018.  Feb 22, 2018 is your travel day from the states to arrive in Johannesburg on Feb. 23.

This is a 10 Day/9 Night All Inclusive Safari - yes, beautiful lodge accommodations, meals, and safari excursions are ALL included for only $7999 for two people! (airfare not included) If you have priced Safaris, you know this is a steal of a deal!

Your accommodations at the Thakadu Suites in Madikwe offers twelve suites, reflecting a strong Afro-Asian safari ambiance, each boasting a viewing deck overlooking the Marico River. These spacious suites offer every comfort and luxury and are wonderfully decorated and appointed.

Right now we 5 cabins available and have 3 couples looking at them as we speak! The Lodge cabins are just beautiful - check them out for yourself below.

I'm thinking this Safari will book up in a very short while!

You are also definitely guaranteed to see lots of African wildlife up-close and personal. AMAZING, LIFE CHANGING, I WAS BLOWN AWAY! - these are the typical remarks from folks who have attended Kevin's Safaris in the past. Here are a few images mostly from my friend, Rick English, made on last year's Safari. Rick are you reading this.... I remembered to give you the image credit ;~)

Even if you're just thinking about it, please give Kevin a call at 505-345-6322 or his cell at 505-401-2988 for all the exciting details so you don't miss out - it's going to be a great trip!

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The Biggest Photography Tour of 2017!

Hey Gang, you can catch me in Orlando on March 28, 2017 for Sandy Puc's brand new Legends of Photography Tour [link]. The line up is fantastic! Just look at all those good looking folks below and you'll get an idea that this will be the biggest tour series this year!  It's a big deal!

For all the details about the tour just hit any of the links or images above. Now for the really good news. Registration is now listed at $40 but since you are reading this newsletter, I can get you in for

Only $20 with Secret Code DZ20.

Check it out to see which "Legend" is visiting a city near you. Like I said, you'll find me in Orlando on Tuesday March 28, 2017 - I hope to see you there.

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Only A Few VIP Seats Remain For PhotoPro Expo 2018!

Early every year I've told you about the Best VIP Seats in the house and at the best prices for next year's PhotoPro Expo 2018 [link]. Details of next year's show have not been posted - but the first 50 VIPs who register get the lowest price possible and Priority Reserved Seating - only $109.00 with Promo Code PPEVIP18.  So don't wait...mark your calendars NOW and register for PhotoPro Expo February 8-11, 2018!

Hit the

REGISTER NOW with Promo Code PPEVIP18

to reserve your space. 

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GEEK TIP OF THE WEEK - My Favorite Travel Companion - After LaDawn of Course ;~)

Yes, we do a lot of traveling these days and that's GREAT!!  One of my favorite travel items I travel with all the time is my handy-dandy SanDisk Connect Stick [link].

Check it out...

-200GB Capacity802.11n Wireless Connectivity

-USB 2.0 Connector

-Stream Content to Three Devices

-Free SanDisk Connect App

-iOS, Android, Windows & Mac Compatible

I can load it up with over 50 movies, tons of music, and some of my favorite photos. When I'm on a long flight I just fire it up - it becomes it's own Hot-Spot - and I just stream away to my iPad and enjoy the show. I've found it for as low as $79.95 on Amazon [link] but it's typically about $89.  You can also find it over at B&H [link] too.

Works like a charm and makes the time fly-by - no pun intended.

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Hey Everybody,

That's it for me today. I hope you have a great rest of the month and I hope to see you next month in Orlando.

Adios for now, David

4 Important Updates and More!

Hi Gang,

I really appreciate you joining me again today.  I know you just heard from me a few days ago but as promised I wanted to give you the latest updates on the home front. It's very exciting!!

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Second African Safari Just Announced!

February 22 - March 4, 2018

That's right! My first Safari [link] sold out within two hours of my announcement on Thursday! I have to tell you - I was extremely, as well as, pleasantly surprised.

Kevin called me immediately and cleared calendars and set dates for a second African Safari. Those new dates are February 22 - March 4, 2018.  Feb 22, 2018 is your travel day from the states to arrive in Johannesburg on Feb. 23. Kevin called me Saturday and told me the second Safari is already 50% sold out. That means we only have 6 seats available. 

This is going to be a once in a life-time event.  Even if you're hanging on the fence, please give Kevin a call at 505-345-6322 or his cell at 505-401-2988 for all details.

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 Wow! I've been called a Legend! 

I kind of smile about that but here's the backstory. So right before Christmas I received a call from my good friend Sandy Puc to be part of her Legends of Photography Tour [link].  Not only is Sandy a fabulous photographer running a successful studio in Denver, she is also one of the best trainers/teachers in the industry.  She has conducted some of the biggest and best attended tours in the country.

Like I said, she calls me right before Christmas to ask me if I would be part of her brand new Legends Tour for 2017 [link]. I have to say... that I was very honored.  The line up is fantastic! Just look at all those good looking folks below and you'll get an idea that this will be the biggest tour series this year!  It's a big deal!

For all the details about the tour just hit any of the links or images above. Now for the really good news. Registration is now listed at $40 but since you are reading this newsletter, I can get you in for only $20 with the

Only $20 with Secret Code DZ20

Register NOW!

Check it out to see which "Legend" is visiting a city near you. You'll find me in Orlando on Tuesday March 28, 2017 - I hope to see you there. D

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PhotoPro Expo 2017 Wrap Up

PhotoPro Expo 2018 Announced

One last thing - we just wrapped PhotoPro Expo 2017 [link] and it was a fantastic conference! Our 24 fabulous instructors rocked the house! Literally - Tony Corbell, our Master of Light turns out to be a master guitarist as well. 

I couldn't believe it but Tony and several others rocked on till the wee hours of the morning (like 4:30 a.m.!) Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Folks said it was the best time of their lives.  You know, you just can't get that on line.

Plus we raised approximately $3500 for our favorite charity Crayons to Computers and presented them a check for $20,000! They were thrilled as you can imagine. 

And just like every previous year, if you register for next year's PhotoPro Expo 2018 [link] you'll get the best price ever! Details of next year's show have not been posted - but the first 50 or who register get the lowest price possible and Priority Seating - only $109.00 with

Promo Code PPEVIP18.  So don't wait...mark your calendars NOW and register for PhotoPro Expo 2018!

REGISTER NOW!

to reserve your space. 

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GEEK TIP OF THE WEEK - Hacking The Amazon Echo

OK, this is a random thought before I sign off today.  I think most folks in the USA bought an Amazon Echo Dot this year over the holidays as they quickly sold out at $39 on Amazon's website. We have one in about every room of the house right now - LaDawn is totally ready to kill me for my "geeky" habit ;~)

Anyway, here is my Amazon Echo hack.  As you know Pandora Radio, my favorite streaming radio station only streams in the good ol' USA so when LaDawn and I are traveling the world I miss my Pandora.

But I discovered that you can make the Amazon Echo Dot stream Pandora from anywhere in the world.  The secret to getting the Amazon Echo Dot, or any Echo device for that matter, is to set your local USA Zip Code as your location during the set up then hit the road.  The down side is that if you request time or weather you'll receive the zip code you entered not your local out-of-the-USA location. Hey, a small price to pay, right? Still kind of fun.

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Hey Everybody,

That's it for me today. I'm on my way to Cabo San Lucas to spend most of the week with my good friend Kent Smith.  He's got that brand new super cool DJI Mavic drone and we plan to check out.

Until the next time -

Adios for now, David

David Ziser (and LaDawn) Into Darkest Africa!

Hi Everybody,

Today I'm announcing some of the most exciting news ever!  A few months ago I was approached by a colleague about leading a 10 day Safari  Workshop in southern Africa.  Yes, you hear right. I have to tell you I was stoked - that's a trip that has been on the top of my bucket list for years!  Needless to say I enthusiastically gave a resounding YES!

Only recently did we begin to put together the details of the trip. Let me hit the quick bullet points below. Here we go...

David Ziser Photography Workshop & African Safari

• It's March 7 - 16, 2018.  10 days and 9 nights!

• Cost is only $7999 for two people ($4399 single), an unbelievable value!

• The Safari is limited to the first 12 that register - we have 5 registered already so there are only 7 seats available! Space is very limited for this once in a lifetime experience - only 7 seats remaining!

• The Safari is All Inclusive (excluding airfare) - it includes the Safari experience, first class accommodations, and all meals including a High Tea each day in the wild.

• Previous attendees who has taken this trip says it's an amazing life changing experience!

• Accommodations are over the top and Five Star all the way!

• The meals are fabulous - it's like dinning at the best restaurants anywhere!

• You will definitely see the BIG 5 - African Lion, Cape Buffalo, African Leopard, and Rhinoceros and lots more too!

I could go on and on - why not check out all the details

RIGHT HERE!

or call Kevin, our Safari leader at 505-345-6322.

Hope to see you in Africa!

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Hey Gang, 

I wanted to get this out right away today because I mentioned this trip to all those attending my PhotoPro Expo class this past weekend and there was an overwhelming interest in the Safari.  We had 5 people sign up right away and many more said they were very interested.

Why not check my Safari website for details [link], feel free to give Kevin from Idube Photo Safaris a call at 505-345-6322 for all the in-depth details and let's head to Africa together for a once in a lifetime experience.

Cheers, David

p.s. Look for another newsletter from me in a few days so I can give you a recap of last week's PhotoPro Expo 2017 - cool things happening.

See ya' soon, David