I’m both a science/technology nerd and (I think) a creative person. I’ve always enjoyed the arts, but to be completely honest, I can barely draw a stick figure. I took a journalism class in high school and then joined the yearbook. In my junior year, I was the layout co-editor, designing the style, graphics, and layout for the yearbook. I was the co-editor for the overall yearbook my senior year. These were my artistic creative outlets. Since I’ve always been interested in photography, my one “regret” from high school was that I didn’t take the photography class. Since then, I have been hot and cold with photography. My education and post-graduate training to become a veterinary neurologist and start a family took priority. As the kids got older, I got out more and started getting serious about photography in 2019. Much of my photography education has come from watching YouTube videos and online photography courses. I started with landscape photography but soon got frustrated because I couldn’t photograph grand landscapes like I saw on YouTube. I was forever lamenting the rarity of tremendous sky interest in my photographs. Here in New England, near the coast, there are often clear blue skies or heavy, low cloud cover. I started doing more and more wildlife/nature photography in 2020 as the world shut down during the Covid pandemic. I was fortunate that my primary profession was still in demand. Still, I had my days off to get out into nature as a form of stress/anxiety relief from the hectic life of being a veterinarian and father. I guess it makes sense as a veterinarian that I would gravitate toward wildlife photography, but I enjoy other genres of photography, including macro, landscape, and some street photography. text goes here

Here's the thing. I have gas. Like, terrible gas! No, not that kind of gas! G.A.S. - Gear Acquisition Syndrome - always wanting the newest and hottest new piece of equipment, a common affliction of many photographers. I'm in a 12-step program and slowly recovering. If you're into techy stuff like me, you also might develop g.a.s. The truth is that gear Does. Not. Matter. Full stop. Period. End of story. But I just lied to you. That's not entirely true. The type of photography that you practice determines if/how much gear matters.

For all genres of photography, the quality of glass (i.e., your lens) matters most. Buy the best lens that you can buy. If you're doing landscape, street, cityscape, architecture, or any other genre that doesn't involve fast action, then the camera body doesn't matter as much. Do you need a 100 MP or even a 48 MP sensor? Nope! The main reasons to get a sensor that large are three-fold: (1) you need to print VERY big, (2) you know that you'll often need to crop in a lot, or (3) you're flush with cash and/or compensating for something (yes, I see you). If your goals are only to share on social media, via text messages with family, or print small (13" x 19" or less), then a 24 MP sensor is fine. If you're shooting fast action (sports, wildlife), the camera body matters. You want a fast frame rate (at least 10-20 frames per second, FPS) and a reliable and quick autofocus system. All three major brands (Nikon, Canon, Sony) have excellent options for all genres. Fuji and some of the other brands are better suited for non-action photography.

Do you need a full-frame sensor? Not necessarily. There are advantages & disadvantages of full frame vs. cropped sensors. Full frame sensors, the same size as a 35 mm negative from the film days, generally have smaller pixels (light detectors), allowing more detail and better ability to crop. In comparison, cropped sensors have (relatively) larger pixels that can better capture light (e.g., astrophotography) and are physically smaller, so the camera's computer chip can read the information faster.

Do you NEED to get a mirrorless system? They are the future, and all camera companies are moving their systems to mirrorless, but you can still buy used DSLR cameras that are much cheaper, and they work just as well!

My advice every time someone asks me what to get is the following. Go to a local camera shop and look at the camera in person. The ergonomics, or how the camera feels in your hands, is essential. For example, Sony cameras are great but do not feel good in my hands. I'm uncomfortable holding Sony cameras for a long time, but Nikon and Canon feel much better. I'm not knocking Sony - it's just my particular use case. Also, support your local camera store as much as possible! Like many businesses, smaller mom-and-pop shops and local, regional camera stores have succumbed to larger giant camera companies and online shopping.

Having just said that, camera gear can get expensive quickly! Much of the gear that I've purchased is second-hand. Check out MPB.com and KEH.com for used gear. Prices are pretty good, and you can get more for your money. eBay is another option, but buyer beware! Be sure to check how many sales the seller has made and read their reviews to be sure the seller is legit.

Finally, a few words on tripods. Don’t cheap out here! I’ve made the mistake of purchasing inexpensive tripods only to have the break or need to be upgraded. Buy yourself a good quality, sturdy tripod, one that is a bit more money than you feel comfortable spending. The best tripods should last you years. As the saying goes: Buy nice, or buy twice!

Does it really matter what I use? Nope! But, as my daughter is fond of saying, "Bruh! Fiiiiiiiine!," I'll tell you.

Camera body: Nikon Z8

Wildlife lenses: Either the Z 400mm/2.8 or the Z 600mm/6.3. The 400 mm is a sweet, but very expensive, lens. The ONLY reason that I bought one is that the company that owned the veterinary hospital where I work was sold to a larger national veterinary company. The original company was very generous and gave us all a bonus. The 400mm/2.8 lens is quite heavy. I like to carry a camera on trail walks and usually have a camera with me using a shoulder sling. For those walks, I carry the Z 600mm/f6.3 lens since it’s a much lighter lens for longer walks.

Main lens: Nikkor Z 24-105 mm f/4

Macro photography: Nikkor Z 105mm f/2.8 macro lens, Nikon SB-700 speedlight, and a Cygnustech flash diffuser.

Film photography: My 2 favorite film cameras are my Mamiya 7 film camera for medium format photography (120 film) and my Leica M6 for 35 mm film photography.

Other assorted gear

Tripod (main): Robus RC-5570 Vantage Series 3 Carbon Fiber Tripod with a Gitzo Center Ball Head Series 3 Quick Release

Tripod (travel): Gitzo GIGT2545T Traveler Series 2 Carbon Fiber Tripod with a Really Right Stuff BH-40 Ball Head with Full-Size Lever-Release Clamp

Monopod: Sirui SVM-165P 3-Section Carbon Fiber Monopod with a GT2 Tomahawk - Add on Gimbal attachment for Ball Heads

I've recently started getting into film photography. Why, you might ask. Because I'm a glutton for punishment. While I'm a child of the technology age, I'm also analog at heart. I still wear a watch. Sure, much of the time, it's an Apple Watch, but I still wear a Citizen analog watch when I want to go retro. I love learning new things, and film photography is my next creative journey. I shot film back in the day like most old farts like me. However, back then, we just took the rolls to One Hour Photo or Walmart to have them developed. For you youngin's, One Hour Photo was a store where you took your film rolls to be developed and printed in, you guessed it, one hour, or close to it anyway. You had NO control over how the film was developed or photos printed. Most of the time, you were at the mercy of a 16-year-old kid with pimples all over their face who was biding his time to spend his hard-earned cash on weed and liquor. While waiting, you might have gone to the Blockbuster video store and rented a VHS of your favorite movie. Google it if you don't know what I'm talking about. But I digress. Film is "aesthetically pleasing," as my daughter insists on for anything she purchases or creates. Digital photography is fantastic but sometimes feels "clinical" or "sterile." I like film's "retro" feel for some images. Should YOU get into film photography? Definitely not. But, also, you should. Here's the thing...it's expensive. Film rolls these days cost anywhere from $5 to $15 USD per roll. Then, you have to develop and either scan or print the photos. You have to either ship film rolls to a lab or physically take them to a local lab (if you're lucky to have one nearby). That can cost $10-20 PER ROLL at a lab. So, how do I reduce my cost? I develop myself at home and scan the negatives myself. I don't have space for a dark room, so I must scan the negatives. I started "scanning" them by taking digital photos of the negatives using my Nikon Z8 and macro lens. I needed a flatbed scanner for non-photography reasons, so I purchased one that could scan film and transparency sheets. There's some initial cost to purchase developing equipment (e.g., dark bag for loading film, developing reels, chemicals). Still, it's much less expensive over time as these purchases will eventually pay off. Still, it can cost anywhere from 35 cents to over $1 per photo to develop. Shooting and developing black and white is much cheaper, so I do a lot of B&W film photography. Additionally, you can buy 100-foot bulk rolls of B&W film and load 35mm canisters to help reduce the cost. What about film photography for my nature/wildlife photography? Yeah, no! I'm amazed by old-school photographers who could get amazing wildlife photographs back in the day when film & developing costs were MUCH less. So, why am I doing all of this craziness, you ask? Well, I AM crazy. Film photography forces you to slow down and consider whether you want to take that shot. It's a mindfulness/meditative process that you don't get with digital photography, where you can just "spray and pray" and easily delete images that suck.

• Cooking: anything and everything

• Reading: science fiction, thrillers, historical fiction

• Watching movies: Sci Fi and Thrillers are may favorite, but I’ll watch almost anything other than period films

• Harass and embarrass my kids! Why else do we become a parent? Hopefully, they can build a better planet and society than we have.