Bruce Breshears Photography

05/12/2026

Photo Tip # 197: FYI, What happened to Kodak
How Just One Camera Destroyed Kodak Forever
https://youtu.be/nuCJ6Ab4uVg?si=SEXUHCLb3Orv_1H7

05/02/2026

Photo Tip # 196: FYI, the annual TIPA Awards (Technical Image Press Association)
For those curious about this year’s best photo and imaging products as recognized by the 2026 TIPA World Awards.

40 different awards given for the best photo products in 2026 as judged by 24 imaging magazines and websites from across the world

01/28/2026

Photo Tip of the Week # 195: Astro Photography's "500 Rule"
When photographing the night sky and wanting to avoid the blurring effect of relative star motion in your captured image, called star trails, there's a limit to how long of an exposure time (or longest permissible shutter speed time-lapse setting) can be used.
The "500 Rule" explained in this link by Trevor Jones, with example calculations and a chart of calculated times, shows how to estimate the longest permissible shutter speed limit. This is so that to the naked eye the stars won't appear to be blurred in your image by the onset of star trails due to the earth rotating at 15 degrees/hour as your exposure is being made.
Again, the calculation is an estimate, yet if you are using a very high resolution DSLR for making larger-sized prints, this will necessitate reducing the longest permissible exposure time. In this case there's another estimate method called the NPF Rule that will give a closer approximation that's somewhere around 1/3 to 1/2 of the 500 Rule's time. (also explained later in the article by Trevor)
Also note that the simplest solution is to use a telescope mount with a built-in star tracker if you don't want to deal with calculations. :)
Enjoy!

Whether you consider the 500 Rule to be outdated for today's high-resolution digital cameras or not, this formula is still a very useful guideline for astrophotography.

01/23/2026

Don't give up on the DSLR yet...
For those that like cameras with optical viewfinders (a.k.a. DSLRs) and all those wonderful lenses they've already purchased:

Pentax has stated they have plans that will likely lead to the development of a new DSLR that's in keeping with the brand's name sake which was originally derived from the then innovative use of a pentaprism inside of an optical viewfinder.
Most major camera manufacturers have migrated to mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras (ILCs), thereby abandoning the DSLR's direct viewing feature through an optical viewfinder.
However, many photo enthusiasts still prefer the photo making experience provided by the DSLR that directly shows you the subject, unlike the mirrorless ILCs that instead have you peering into a tiny electronic viewfinder.
A new DSLR would continue the direct use of the inventory of lenses that photographers already have in hand instead of having to purchase an entirely new set of lenses in order to be directly compatible with the new mirrorless ILC systems.
Granted, the ILCs offer adapters for older lenses, and claims camera improvements over their former DSLRs. So, that's good for someone just starting out. Yet for others with a significant inventory of quality lenses, they would like to see those newer camera features and improvements to be integrated into DSLR models and continue using the lenses they already have! :)
Note this is also in keeping with what has become the Pentax tradition of preserving the use of nearly all of their prior SLR film-camera and DSLR lenses, and also the enormous inventory of what has to be somewhere in the hundreds of thousands to millions of 3rd party Pentax-compatible lenses!!! :) :)

Ricoh says it is committed to the Pentax brand, but admits it's not quite sure how to make DSLRs appealing to younger users.

12/12/2025

Tips for Christmas close up (macro) photos
There are some very colorful photo opportunities around the Christmas season found on the decorated trees with lights and a variety of ornaments!
Here's a guide with lots of useful information for making use of camera setting on DSLRs and Mirrorless ILCs (interchangeable-lens cameras). Original post by Markus Hagner.
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Master Christmas ornament macro photography with our expert guide. Discover techniques, gear tips, and lighting tricks for breathtaking holiday close-ups.

11/04/2025

AI's consequential impact on Photographers:

There's no gentle way to say this: artificial intelligence has already infiltrated the photography industry, and its advance is outpacing what most professionals are willing to acknowledge. While photographers debate the artistic merit of machine-generated visuals, whole segments of the profession h...

06/12/2025

Photo Tip #185: Digital Point/Shoot cameras masquerading as major legacy brand names...
Both Kodak and Minolta brand name cameras have reappeared for sale these days at competitive price points. According to Digital Camera World they are just 'generic' cameras with the brand name slapped on them. Kodak is really JK Imaging and Minolta is really Elite Brands with cameras made by Ordro in Taiwan.
Be sure to read user reviews, and if you decide to make a purchase, be aware that you aren't really buying a product made by the legacy brand name stamped on the face of the camera.

This $240 Minolta camera is a bargain… just be aware that it isn't actually a proper Minolta

03/27/2025

Undeveloped film by an unknown photographer discovered in a storage unit.
Listen to this still unfolding incredible story of photos documenting the turbulent 1960s in the San Francisco area...

01/20/2025

Simplicity...

(Brochure cover for 1967 Dodge Charger Fastback)
--posting from "Car Advertisements from the Good Old Days" FB page

01/19/2025

Getting a new camera is an opportunity to learn more about photography, but what about the camera's user manual that doesn't seem to explain enough to make sense to me? 🙂

Manuals for some camera models are more clearly written than for others. They primarily emphasize WHERE & HOW to adjust camera controls and, to a limited extent "WHY", hopefully. 🙂
However, the "WHY" explanations are better relegated to introductory or specialized textbooks that are oriented to the background familiarity and experience levels of the readers. Importantly, that's where the photographer needs to take the initiative to find a book(s) that explains concepts and controls in a manner that makes practical sense to them.
Also, a good jump start to learning is to take an introductory class where the instructor can help you see, understand, and find answers for your questions to be able to apply the WHY & HOW to make practical settings on your specific camera to create the types of images you're wanting to make. 👍

https://digital-photography-school.com/how-to-read-your-camera-manual/ #:~:text=You%20need%20to%20read%20your,to%20become%20a%20better%20photographer.&text=Just%20as%20we%20need%20to,the%20best%20photos%20we%20can.

Cameras can be incredibly complex and have many features you don't realise are there. Here's how and why you should read your camera manual.