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CJ Glynn

About CJ Glynn

http://www.CJGlynnPhotography.com

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White Horses of Camargue

White Horses of Camargue

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Recently Destination Earth Photo Tours delivered an extraordinary, immersive, and expertly curated photography workshop in the heart of southern France, offering participants the opportunity to capture the legendary white Camargue horses in their breathtaking natural habitat.

The May 2025 Camargue Horses workshop, led by the highly skilled photographer Chris Byrne, stands as a testament to the company’s commitment to excellence in both instruction and experience. The setting itself was nothing short of magical: the Camargue region is a haven for wildlife, renowned for its vibrant birdlife and, most notably, its ancient breed of white horses. The itinerary was designed to maximize photographic opportunities, with seven shooting sessions scheduled during sunrise and sunset, ensuring that participants captured the horses in the best light. Participants even got  to photograph birds at the Ornithological Park of Pont de Gau.

Chris Byrne’s expertise was evident throughout the workshop. He offered insightful, actionable advice on camera settings, composition, and capturing the moving horses, ensuring that every participant left with good mages. The in-field instruction was complemented by post-processing sessions, where Chris guided the group through editing techniques for both color and black-and-white images.

The logistical arrangements were seamless, thanks in large part to the invaluable contributions of the local guide, Patrice. His intimate knowledge of the area and strong relationships with the local horse farms meant that each session was tailored to the group’s needs. Patrice’s ability to coordinate with the Guardians (Camargue cowboys) ensured that participants were always in the right place at the right time to see the horses galloping through marshes or along the beach.

Supporting the experience were Dani Lefrancois and Bronwyn Illingworth, whose assistance and organizational skills helped everything run smoothly.

Accommodations were another highlight: the hotel in Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer is ideally situated within the charming fishing town, close to the beach and all shooting locations. The rooms were comfortable, and the on-site restaurant had excellent meals. The hotel’s amenities, including a heated pool and spa, offered relaxation possibilities between shooting sessions.

Destination Earth Photo Tours’ Camargue Horses workshop was a masterclass in travel photography. The combination of world-class instruction, stunning subject matter, and flawless organization provided a great experience.

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Horsetail Fall 2025

Photographing Horsetail Fall in Yosemite National Park during February is a dream for landscape photographers. This event occurs when the setting sun hits Horsetail Fall on El Capitan at just the right angle, transforming the fall into a glowing ribbon of orange and red light and creating an illusion of molten lava cascading down the granite face.

Understanding the Horsetail Fall Phenomenon

Yosemite National Park, California | Feb 2025

Fed by snowmelt, Horsetail Fall flows only during late winter and early spring. The glowing effect happens during a narrow window in mid-to-late February when the sun aligns perfectly with the fall at sunset. The conditions must be just right: there must be enough snow in the Horsetail Fall watershed, warm enough temperatures to melt snow feeding the fall so that enough water is flowing, and clear skies to the west to allow sunlight through. If these things all happen, the light progresses from golden to fiery orange and red over a span of about 10 minutes before fading.

Techniques for Capturing Horsetail Fall

  • Composition: Frame Horsetail Fall prominently while including elements like trees or granite cliffs to provide context.
  • Settings: Use manual mode for precise control. Start with an aperture of f/8 to f/11 for sharpness, and adjust ISO to keep shutter speeds manageable as the light fades.
  • White Balance: Set it manually to enhance the warm tones of the glowing water.
  • Bracketing: Take multiple exposures at different settings to capture varying light intensities.

Tips for Success

  • Yosemite National Park, California | Feb 2025

    Be Patient: Conditions can change quickly. Even if clouds obscure the sun initially, stay hopeful as they may clear just in time.

  • Respect Nature: Follow park rules, stay on designated paths, and avoid damaging vegetation.
  • Have Backup Plans: If conditions aren’t ideal, explore other winter photography opportunities in Yosemite such as Yosemite Falls or snow-covered meadows.
  • Never Count Out Horsetail Fall: Do not be fooled by non-optimal conditions earlier in the day. Horsetail Fall can and will surprise you. On February 19 this year, conditions were abysmal until five minutes before the awesome spectacle shown above.
Photographing Horsetail Fall is as much about preparation as it is about skill. With careful planning and a bit of luck, you can capture one of nature’s most awe-inspiring displays—a memory that will last far beyond those fleeting moments of fiery brilliance.
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Almost Three Years In: Nikon Z9 Review

After almost three years of use, the Nikon Z9 has proven to be a game-changing mirrorless camera, setting new standards for professional photography. Boasting a 45.7-megapixel full-frame CMOS sensor and the EXPEED 7 image processor, the Z9 delivers exceptional image quality with outstanding detail and dynamic range. This high-resolution sensor, combined with Nikon’s advanced image processing, allows for stunningly sharp and vibrant images, even in challenging lighting conditions.

The Z9 has a remarkable autofocus system with 493 phase-detection AF points covering almost 90 percent of the frame. This advanced AF system, coupled with subject detection algorithms for humans, animals and vehicles, ensures precise focus tracking in almost any shooting scenario. The Z9 also excels in low-light conditions, with an ISO range of 64 to 25,600, expandable to 32 to 102,400, allowing photographers to capture clear and noise-free images in dim environments.

The Z9 offers continuous shooting at up to 20 frames per second with full AF/AE, and an astonishing 120 fps in a lower resolution mode, making it ideal for capturing fast-moving subjects such as wildlife and sports. The camera’s electronic viewfinder features a blackout-free design with a 3.69-million-dot resolution, providing a clear and uninterrupted view during continuous shooting.

The Z9 supports 8K UHD video recording at 30p, and 4K UHD at up to 120p. This capability, combined with 10-bit internal recording and various professional video features, positions the Z9 as a versatile tool for high-end video production.

With a robust magnesium alloy body that is both dust and weather-sealed, the Z9 is built to withstand the rigors of professional use. Additionally, the Z9 is equipped with dual CFexpress Type B card slots, offering fast and reliable storage options for large files.

In conclusion, the Nikon Z9 is an exceptional mirrorless camera that delivers unparalleled performance, making it a top choice for professional photographers and videographers alike.

Milky Way Over Tuolumne River

Michael Frye’s Starry Skies Workshop

Assisting at Michael Frye’s Starry Skies photography workshop was a great experience.

Renowned for his exceptional photography, Michael creates a workshop environment that is both welcoming and intensely focused. His teaching style is approachable and thorough, making complex concepts accessible to photographers of all levels.

Each day, we ventured to stunning, pre-scounted locations where Michael guided the group through the process of capturing the essence of the scene.

In addition to on-site shooting, the workshop included comprehensive post-processing sessions. Michael’s expertise in Lightroom and Photoshop was on full display as he demonstrated techniques to enhance and refine images, emphasizing the importance of maintaining a natural look while bringing out the best in each shot.

Assisting in the workshop allowed me to engage directly with participants, offering support and sharing insights. We were able to foster a collaborative atmosphere where everyone felt encouraged to experiment and push their creative boundaries.

Overall, the experience was not only about capturing beautiful landscapes but also honing the post-processing skills required to convey the participants’ vision.

Michael Frye’s Starry Skies workshop is a must for anyone serious about elevating their astro-photography to new heights.

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Bye Bye Sony. And Hello Nikon! Great to Meet You!

Goodbye, Sony. You were the first. You were the best. You had the best sensors. You had the best lenses. You had the best overall system. But now I bid you adieu. The giant has woken. Nikon is all in with its Z cameras and you are like stale bread.

The Nikon Z system and the Z mount is poised for the future, while your Sony IBIS system is limited because the mount is too small to accommodate optimal sensor movement. Nikon has depth in legacy glass and is adept at making new glass for the Z mounts at a record pace.

Yes, Nikon’s financials are a bit troubling, but my bet is that Nikon will not “go away.” Nikon will be around in some form for ages.

While not always the first, fastest or coolest, Nikon eventually gets it right.

New Z9. And an entire Nikkor kit. Woo-hoo. Bye-bye Sony, although your Professioal Services was great and Nikon ProServe is hard to get into. I will miss you as I use my new Z9 to auto-focus on stars, do 3D-tracking of fast moving wildlife and (pre-) capture special shots that I could not get with your system.

Sony, it’s like leaving a faded lover for another. Sigh. I’m sorry. It’s you, not me.

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Sony A1: Sony’s New Flagship Camera

The Sony A1 is Sony at its finest.  Sony has spent years perfecting everything from the bright viewfinder to the natural ergonomics, now the sensor in the A1 produces some of the best images I’ve ever been captured. The amount of detail and resolution that this camera captures is only matched by its ability to do so at 30 frames per second. Featuring a 50MP sensor with a pair of new Bionz XR processors, the A1 also has an amazing autofocus system, which comes with updated machine learning derived algorithms for detecting human faces and eyes, as well as the eyes of animals and birds

Some other notable features include:

  • In-body image stabilization to 5.5 stops
  • 15 stop dynamic range
  • A bright viewfinder with 0.9x magnification and a resolution of 9.44 million ‘dots,’ which translates to a resolution of about 2048×1526
  • An AF system covering 92 percent of the sensor

The controls and customizability of the A1 are unmatched. This is a flagship not only for loyal Sony users, but for the camera world in general. Yes, it’s expensive, but you get what you pay for.

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CJ Glynn Photography Ranked in ViewBug Top 10% for 2019

In 2019, CJ Glynn Photography ranked in the top 10 percent of popular photographers on ViewBug, a website that hosts photo contests judged by world renowned photographers. This marks the fifth consecutive year CJ Glynn Photography has been awarded this honor.

CJ Glynn Photography has 1087 followers and garnered multiple Top Class awards in 2019.

Check out my latest work on ViewBug.

Sony-A7RIV

Sony A7R IV: Sony’s New 61MP Super-Camera!

The Sony a7R IV is Sony’s fourth generation, high-resolution full-frame mirrorless camera with a 60.2MP BSI-CMOS sensor. With more robust build quality, refined controls and better autofocus, it rocks.

Despite its high resolution, it can shoot at up to 10 frames per second with full autofocus and boasts:

  • Great dynamic range and noise performance
  • Excellent autofocus and tracking
  • Updated weather-sealing
  • Dual UHS-II card slots
  • Great battery life
  • Awesome customization options

For landscape shooters, the Sony a7R IV is the best camera on the market right now.

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CJ Glynn Photography Ranked in ViewBug Top 10% for 2018

In 2018, CJ Glynn Photography ranked in the top 10 percent of popular photographers on ViewBug, a website that hosts photo contests judged by world renowned photographers. This marks the fourth consecutive year CJ Glynn Photography has been awarded this honor.

CJ Glynn Photography uploaded 22 images and garnered 34 total Top Class awards from contests joined in 2018.

Check out my latest work on ViewBug.

Half Dome from Tenaya Canyon

“Half Dome” in Top 10 Percent in ViewBug Photo Competition

My image, “Half Dome,” placed in the top 10 percent in the ViewBug “Iconic Places and Things” photography competition ahead of 14,298 other submissions.

I captured this image just before sunset with some of the best light of the day after a three-plus mile hike to a remote ridge in Yosemite National Park. While the hike was tough, the final result was worth the effort. When we started the hike, the weather was quite variable: we had no idea what kind of light we would see on Half Dome. Of course, the light makes the images, so it would either be great or not, depending on what Mother Nature dealt us. To our surprise, just as the sun was setting the clouds cleared and this wonderful, warm light spread across the scene.

Sometimes landscape images require lots of post-processing. In this case, however, Mother Nature did all the processing. While this image was enhanced slightly in Adobe Lightroom, Mother Nature really did all the hard work.

 

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