Matthew Durr Photography

Because great photographs don't make themselves

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Short Photo Walk: Duluth, MN in Summer!

Posted by Matthew Durr on July 30, 2019
Posted in: Travel Photography. Tagged: 105mm, 15mm, Clouds, Colorful, Duluth, f/2, Indiana Harbor, Jetski, Lake Superior, Laker, Landscape, Laowa, Michipicoten, Minnesota, Nature, outdoors, Panorama, Paul R. Tregurtha, photography, Ship, Sony, Sunset, T3.2, Vertical Lift Bridge. 1 Comment

Michipicoten Scale
105mm, ISO 100, f/5.6, 1/200

On work trips, I make it a habit to pack my camera along every chance I can. Though performances and other logistical duties often keep me busy on most of these outings, I do sometimes find a bit of time to myself to catch a break, walk around, and take in the area. The most recent chance I got came from my time in Duluth, Minnesota while I was working as a part of Navy Week Duluth–first TV appearance here too! (with slightly questionable mic/audio levels…). As with most trips of this type, the majority of my time passed performing, liaising with contacts, and photographing/editing photos of performances I wasn’t directly involved in.

On the final evening of this particular Navy Week, I wanted to get that “Duluth Experience” of seeing the massive 1000+ ft. long (300+ meters) “Lakers” pass under the seemingly-tiny aerial lift bridge that connects Canal Park and Park Point. In fact, what you see in the above title photo is just under a third of the length of the Michipicoten ship as it shoots through the narrow strait. This instance was later in the evening, though, so perhaps I should backtrack a tad. Continue Reading

Site Update: Winter 2019 + Time-lapse!

Posted by Matthew Durr on May 3, 2019
Posted in: How To's, Ramblings. Tagged: 105mm, Amaryllis, Colorful, f/2.8, Flower, Long Exposure, macro, Nature, Nikkor, Nikon, photography, Sony, Time-lapse. 2 Comments

Frosty
70mm, ISO 100, f/8, 1/400

Seems like it has been a while, eh? I suppose I have a lot of catching up to do!

When it comes to photography in inclement weather, I used to always be a firm proponent of the “get out there and do it anyway” thought process. Alfred Wainwright comes to mind, “There’s no such thing as bad weather, only unsuitable clothing.” In that, I have had great luck in the past photographing through deluges of thunderstorms, searching for compositions in heavy snow, and even waiting through balmy and mosquito-filled evenings for a good sunset in Florida. It’s the shot that counts at the end of the day, right? After all, discomfort from a bit of heat or cold is really only temporary if one plans ahead.

This past winter, though, makes me think Alfred Wainwright never visited Chicago. Continue Reading

Site Update: End of 2018 + New Photographer!

Posted by Matthew Durr on January 6, 2019
Posted in: Ramblings. Tagged: 105mm, 32mm, A7III, AI-s, Chicago Botanic Garden, Colorful, f/1.8, f/2, f/2.8, Flower, Landscape, macro, Nature, NEX-7, Nikkor, Nikon, outdoors, Panorama, photography, Portraits, Sony, T3.2, Wedding, Zeiss, Zeiss Touit 32mm f/1.8. Leave a comment

Wind-Driven
105mm, ISO 100, f/5.6, 1/400, 2 images stitched

Now that the festivities of Christmas and New Years have wound down once more, many reading this are back to their normal lives. I hope everyone out there had a great time with friends and family the past couple weeks and didn’t do anything too crazy (but hey, I can’t tell you how to celebrate!). Especially with it being a great time for gifts and resolutions, I’m sure many are finding themselves learning a new camera or lens to shoot with. As long as you are mindful of Gear Acquisition Syndrome (G.A.S.), you should be fine. 😉

Oddly, WordPress didn’t put together an end-of-year analysis like it usually does for this site. A few clicks into my analytics still show great numbers despite my decline in post frequency (which, if you’ve been following previous updates, are due to a myriad causes). Over 110,000 views from 71,000 visitors, with the top three countries being U.S.A. (no surprise), the U.K., and Germany (Hallo!). I can’t thank you all enough for still supporting the site through my many life changes. Speaking of those life changes, 2018 definitely had its fair share. I moved from Japan back to the States in Chicago, got married, bought a car, and even managed a promotion at work. Keen readers may know what Mrs. Matthew Durr Photography looks like from a previous post or two, but just in case… Continue Reading

Fall 2018, Come and Gone

Posted by Matthew Durr on November 15, 2018
Posted in: General Photography. Tagged: 105mm, 15mm, 400mm, 50mm, AI-s, Butler Lake Park, Chicago, Chicago Botanic Garden, Colorful, f/1.8, f/2, f/2.8, Fall, Flower, Illinois Beach State Park, Independence Grove, Kenosha, Landscape, Laowa, Libertyville, Loring Park, Minneapolis, Nature, Nikkor, Nikon, outdoors, Panorama, Petrifying Springs Park, photography, Series-E, Sony, Street Photography, Trees, Wildlife. 2 Comments

Submerged
105mm, ISO 640, f/5.6, 1/1250

Summer and Winter may just be the easiest seasons to photograph regardless of where you may find yourself on the planet. Both seasons take some time to get through, and provide plenty of opportunity for photographs for even the busiest people. The seasons of change however, Spring and Fall, present a fast-paced challenge for many throughout the world. When I was in Japan for the past couple years, Spring was the most difficult time of the year to photograph due to not only my work schedule, but also to the fleeting cherry blossom trees almost necessary to provide ambiance for the Japanese setting. Depending on the type of cherry blossom tree, a window of 3-4 weeks was pretty generous.

Here in North Chicago, I found myself getting rushed through the millions and millions of leaves changing over the course of only a couple weeks. Due to an unseasonably warm early Fall, the landscape here didn’t begin to change until mid-late October. However, arctic air–and the high winds that accompany it–blew in so quickly that the splash of color everywhere was all but gone by the start of November. Combine that short turnaround with a couple busy workweeks, well, let me just say I was in a rush to capture whatever I could in my little corner of the Midwest. Continue Reading

Site Update: August/September 2018!

Posted by Matthew Durr on October 3, 2018
Posted in: Ramblings. Tagged: 105mm, 400mm, 50R, A7III, Brenizer, Canon, Chicago Botanic Garden, f/2, f/2.8, Fuji, Kopp's, Landscape, M50, Nature, Nikkor, Nikon, outdoors, Panorama, photography, Sony, T3.2, Z6, Z7, Zeiss, ZX1. Leave a comment

Something to Remember
400mm, ISO 100, f/5.6, 1/320, 3 images stitched

Just like that, with the passing of only two months, it seems everyone is jumping on the large-sensor mirrorless camera craze these days! Nikon’s came out with their rendition of the Sony A7 via the Z6 and Z7 with a brand-new mount, Canon is testing the waters with the M50, Zeiss’ recently announced ZX1 puts Lightroom editing right in the camera, and Fuji is even trying to make their quasi-medium format cameras more affordable with the 50R.

Since I have not held any of the new cameras, nor really cared to pay attention to pre-release hands-ons or first-impressions, I cannot really give any informed opinion on the new tech. What I can mention, however, is how glad I am the “big boys” Canon and Nikon finally dove into the pool of full-frame mirrorless that Sony has diligently developed for years now. Any competition brought in from others can only benefit the consumer, and while Sony already pushes the envelope with what a given camera can do at affordable price points (ala A7III), it will be exciting to see what else the company can bring to the table to further separate themselves from the pack. Who knows, computational photography may be well around the corner! And if you don’t know what that is, rest easy, because the big camera companies still don’t seem to get it yet either. 😉

As far as personal photography goes, I still haven’t made it over to downtown Chicago yet for some photowalks (hey, it’s not my fault public transit is beyond shabby here…), though I am slowly working through getting some more test shots for my 400mm f/2.8 review. The lens is a lot easier to use on full-frame due to the larger sensor’s pixels being a bit more forgiving, so longitudinal aberrations aren’t nearly as apparent as they were on my NEX-7/a6500. As an added bonus, the wider field-of-view makes for easy Brenizer-style panoramas (seen above), offering sharp focus detail and a very flat perspective. And before any readers get a bit confused with the title photo, no, I’m not back in Japan, I just finally got around to lugging the 400mm to the Chicago Botanic Garden’s own version of a Japanese garden. I’ll give them some major props for their work here, if you sit back and ignore everyone speaking english all around, you may almost forget you’re still in the States. There will be a few more photos of this area in the 400mm review to come.

Back to a couple things American’s love, though, if anyone is in the Milwaukee area and craving some serious butter-burgers and frozen custard, you’ve got to stop by Kopp’s in Greenfield, WI. For a cool $10 you can get what may be one of the juiciest burgers you’ll ever put in your mouth, along with frozen custard that has no equal (yes, I’m talking to you, Culver’s…). As an added bonus, they have these rather odd German cows out back for decoration. Hey, whatever catches customers’ attention!

The Row
105mm, ISO 100, T8, 1/80

That’s all for this little catch-up post, guys and gals, thanks for stopping by! Though no one knows for sure what the world of mirrorless cameras will bring us now that everyone is in the game, it’s safe to say almost everyone can be happy with at least one of the many choices out there for us today. Get out there and make some photographs, and as always, have a great day!

Site Update: June/July 2018!

Posted by Matthew Durr on July 31, 2018
Posted in: Ramblings. Tagged: 105mm, 15mm, 50mm, A7III, AI-s, Chicago Botanic Garden, Colorful, f/1.8, f/2, Flower, Landscape, Laowa, macro, Nature, Nikkor, Nikon, outdoors, Panorama, photography, Series-E, Sony, T3.2. 2 Comments

Framed
105mm, ISO 100, T3.2, 1/640

This summer, I have searched for some local photo-friendly spots that I can use to test out lenses and other gear. There are local parks, trails, and the like in North Chicago, but little to nothing that compares to the sprawling metropolis/park areas I saw on the daily in Japan. Some of the smaller areas and bike trails are great for getting out for an afternoon of fresh air, but they don’t offer much in the way of a bonafide picturesque and scenic location. Thankfully, I did not have to search too far to come across the excellent Chicago Botanic Garden in Glencoe, IL. Housing 27 separate gardens and four nature areas on 385 acres of land, the “living museum” has so many great places to make some great photographs. As it should be no surprise to some of my readers, I’m very excited they house an extensive bonsai collection as well as a well-manicured Japanese-style garden (that I plan to visit on my next trip!). In a summer filled with Navy Weeks and other projects, here’s a few photos made during a day trip to help keep my photographic chops sharp.

Continue Reading

Site Update: May 2018!

Posted by Matthew Durr on May 31, 2018
Posted in: Ramblings. Tagged: 400mm, 50mm, A7III, AI-s, Colorful, f/1.8, f/2.8, HDR, Landscape, Nikkor, Nikon, outdoors, Panorama, photography, Series-E, Sony, Street Photography, Sunset. Leave a comment

Well…I’m finally doing it. After years of owning this 11-pound tank of a telephoto, it’s time to put together a review of “Big Papa”. I’ve shot with the lens for events and wildlife sparingly, in my time in Japan I couldn’t just drive anywhere with this optic in tow. All my photowalks consisted of train rides and lots…and lots…of walking. Now that I’m finally back in the States, and I have a high-performance full-frame camera to test on, I have the opportunity to really get out there with the lens and try some more wildlife shots, and perhaps some sports/events if I get the chance. Thankfully I do have at least a few shots over the years that will easily find their place in the review if needed. Continue Reading

Lens Sale Alert!

Posted by Matthew Durr on May 5, 2018
Posted in: For Sale. Tagged: 105mm, 16mm, 50mm, 85mm, AI-s, f/1.4, f/1.8, f/2, For Sale, Nikkor, Nikon, Nippon-Kogaku, Rokinon. Leave a comment

UPDATE: All four lenses are now available on eBay via these links:

Rokinon 16mm f/2

Nikon 85mm f/1.4 AI-s

Nikon 105mm f/1.8 AI-s

Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 S-Auto

As mentioned in my last update, I’m getting ready to list a few of my old lenses I no longer need in my kit on eBay. As I like to do when I sell off old gear, I will leave this post up for about a week if any readers would like to purchase one or all of the lenses before the eBay listing goes live (email contact is A-ok!). After they are up on eBay, this post will be edited as needed. Of the four lenses, I have written a full lens review on three of them:

Nikon 85mm f/1.4 AI-s

Nikon 105mm f/1.8 AI-s

Rokinon 16mm f/2

Of course, my reviewing style and technique (as well as photographic skill in general) changed over the years. I’ve had the Nikon 105mm ever since I first got into photography (its review is almost six years old!), while my Rokinon 16mm is just from Fall of last year.

Regular readers to this site may not recognize the last lens in the photo, which is a very old Nikkor-S Auto 50mm f/1.4, from when Nikon labeled their lenses as Nippon Kogaku! These same readers likely also know that I take care of my photo gear over the years. I used these lenses, for sure, but never abused them.  Continue Reading

Site Update: March/April 2018!

Posted by Matthew Durr on April 30, 2018
Posted in: Ramblings. Tagged: A7III, photography, Ramblings, Sony, Update. 2 Comments

For almost five years, I have restrained from hopping onto the full-frame bandwagon. Longtime readers of my site may remember my excitement with the launch of the original Sony A7, but also recall how I didn’t want to transfer my kit from an arguably more-capable NEX-7 to a full-frame camera that shot slower and had more issues with manual-focus. Camera revisions came and went, feature sets improved, ergonomics became more natural, and the years went on.

So, time and time again I had my reasons for staying patient. A7R? Didn’t need the high megapixels and worse shooting performance. A7S? Not a bad camera, but I wasn’t focused on video at the time. A7II? Hmm…getting better, but it still wasn’t performing like my NEX-7 in practice. A7RII? Now that’s a fine camera, but again, file sizes were too large and it shot at only 5fps like other A7 cameras. A7SII? Dang Sony, you’re really killing it, but I don’t need a dedicated video rig with only 12 megapixels. Alrighty then, A7RIII? Oh…okay this one is starting to look really, really nice. Ergonomics are getting better, the frame rate is increased, and even battery performance is improved. All good things aside, though, the high price ($3200!), unnecessarily-high resolution, and center viewfinder hump were still enough of a turn-off to have me stick with my a6500.

But then, February 26 happened. The days prior to me packing all of my things to move back to the States, Sony officially dropped the A7III. With the exception of the (incredibly stupid) center viewfinder hump, so many boxes were checked off for the full-frame camera of my dreams:

-Standard 24MP resolution (a.k.a. great high-ISO performance!)

-More on-sensor phase-detect and contrast-detect autofocus points than I can shake a stick at

-10 fps shooting (throw some sports at me!)

-In-body image stabilization for any lens put on the camera

-Much larger NP-FZ100 battery cannibalized from the A9, doubling my battery life

–13 customizable buttons/dials, letting me recreate Tri-Navi!

I could go on and on about the feature set, but unless you’ve been under a rock the past couple months, you have likely been inundated with news on this camera. Where Sony really hit it out of the park is in the aggressive $2000 price. To put this number into perspective, consider the NEX-7. Seven years ago that camera was arguably the most advanced and compact APS-c camera on the market. I and many others paid a premium to get the best of the best, and at its selling price of $1350 I still to this day think it was a good buy that gave me years of reliable shooting. Fast-forward to today, and for only $650 more, you get almost all the things that made the NEX-7 great, but also a full-frame sensor and the feature set listed above.

It is very easy to draw a comparison to Nikon’s D750 when considering Sony’s strategy here. Back in 2014 Nikon wanted to open up the gates to the world of full-frame shooting by introducing a high-performing camera at an attainable price point. They cannibalized features from their upper-end DSLRs like the D4S and D810 and threw together a very capable camera for $2300. Three and a half years later, and for $300 less, Sony has released a camera that far surpasses almost every feature the D750 brought to the table. What this means is that more and more people are likely to buy into Sony’s ecosystem, and other third-party manufactures are going to get in on the same gravy train. If one can figure any conclusion from Tamron’s new 28-75mm f/2.8 for E-mount, it is that we’re likely to see some nice compact optics to shoot with than the usual Sony GM and Zeiss Batis/Loxia lineup in the near future.

Getting back to my usual site jargon, and to continue my point earlier, the past two months saw me move from one side of the planet to another and start a very different life. While transitioning from Yokosuka, Japan to the relatively small town of Great Lakes, Illinois, I have had a good amount of time to relax and take stock of where I want to go with photography. I no longer live in barracks, I have much more freedom to go about my business, and I’ll soon be working on downsizing a lot of my camera kit (as always, readers will get the first heads-up of eBay listings!). With a solid full-frame A7III and backup a6500 by my side, I really look forward to not only exploring the midwest for personal photography, but also to get back into freelance work in the area. With wedding season coming up soon, I definitely need to get out there and throw some business cards around!

That’s all for this rambling website catch-up, guys and gals. I wish I had more photos to share, but with the month of shipping my gear here combined with the necessary work of settling into a house, I have only been able to do official work so far with the A7III. Its time will come, I’m sure, as there are many great places to see within a short drive, including the big windy city of Chicago! As always, have a great day!

Site Update: February 2018!

Posted by Matthew Durr on February 28, 2018
Posted in: Ramblings. Tagged: 32mm, a6500, Alts Bandai, f/1.8, Landscape, Naeba, Nature, outdoors, Oze Tokura, Panorama, photography, Ski, Snow, Sony, Zeiss, Zeiss Touit 32mm f/1.8. 1 Comment

Mt. Bandai Scale
32mm, ISO 100, f/5.6, 1/2500

The shortest and often coldest month of the year thankfully provides great conditions for hitting the slopes on some skis or a snowboard. Just like in December and January, I skied about as much as possible throughout February to hone my skills in and to get my last tastes of the beautiful Japanese mountains before I transfer back the States. In fact, I can confidently say this past month was the one where I crossed the threshold into running as an advanced skier! Okay, okay, so I still fall every now and then in deep powder, and I often have to make slow descents on walls for my own safety, but I find myself going down and enjoying expert courses (successfully!) more than intermediate runs. A win in my book, for sure. What also set February apart from the past couple months, however, was that I brought my a6500 along in my coat pocket for every trip to get much cleaner photos than my iPhone could manage. Continue Reading

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