I use an OpTech, the model which fastens to the camera with nylon rather than a rigid piece of plastic. There are quick detachable fasteners at both sides, one male and one female. I can either hook them together and have a handy short carrying handle, or I can click in the regular strap for neck carry. 95% of the time, I use the short carry.

If you don't have a bounce flash, sometimes having the subject shift their head downward helps. Also, you might try positioning the eyeglasses so they're pointed down (lifting up the back above the ears). If all else fails, remove the glasses!

One more piece of equipment in an already large pile of stuff won't even be noticed. Remember the old beer commercial about grabbing gusto? Life is short, you only make the trip once, so go for it!

Great pix. I envy you sitting inside and shooting through the window. Here in interior Alaska, with triple pane windows, I need to put on extra clothes and manage to go outside when the outside temps are WAY below zero (like 30-40 under). Most of our birdfeeder birds are redpolls and chickadees, however there are some juncos that show up when it begins to thaw. Keep up the good work!

I'm a Nikon, and I have an awesome F100 that I love dearly. However, I've taken the batteries out and it sits in the original box on the shelf. I'm shooting a D80 and D300, and a Nikon point&shoot. Wherever I go, whatever I'm doing, I have a camera with me.

I agree with Captain C, and those who followed in this post. It ain't what you got, it's how you use it!!!

Did you have a filter on? Take it off next time, that might help with spots and sharpness. If you have been changing lenses, there may be some dust on the lens glass in front of the mirror. I agree, some spots do look like stars, but most are probably dust spots.

Other than adequate clothing (layers, all topped off with down coat with hood), be sure to have foam grips on your tripod. That metal gets mighty cold when you take gloves off to move/set up the tripod. A remote shutter release is also nice to have. I've never put a warm card into a cold camera, but warm hitting cold might be problematic. I've actually left my camera outside in the ziploc overnight, leaving in the memory card but removing the battery. Maybe I was lucky, but even doing this was problem free.

Hi from the frozen North, and I'm a Nikon! I shoot frequently outdoors when the temp is -20 or colder, and I've found a simple freezer ziploc bag with ample room for the camera and lens, with a sliding zipper, works well. I never squeeze out the air, rather try to have the bag as far away from the camera as possible. Also, don't forget to put the camera in the bag while you're still outside in the freezing temps, before you go into a heated space. I always keep extra batteries in my pocket, and if there's a long period between shots, I take the battery out of the camera until needed. I also leave the memory card in the camera, and let it warm with the camera while in the bag. Don't be in a hurry to empty the bag, let it warm up slowly.

I sometimes use UV filters, depending on the environment. However,when shooting at night, such as the aurora or fireworks, I always remove the filter. Having one more layer of glass to go usually weakens the sharpness of the photograph.

This bald eagle was sitting patiently high in a spruce tree in Interior Alaska. Another right place, right time, camera in the front seat opportunity!

Brings back memories of trips to Homer and beyond. Eight below is warm, compared to some of our 40 below temps in Fairbanks (like right now!). When shooting in cold and clear weather like this, the colors and even snow & shadows seem to pop without any computer manipulation. I like the low clouds captured over the road and the close-up of the Dall sheep. It's amazing when traveling the road along Turnagain Arm, the amount of spectacular scenery that one sees. Open water to the right all the way looking into the sun much of the time, and steep hillsides on the left, often make metering and white balance a challenge. I added Alaska to my bucket list a few years ago, and here I am!

Seeing the Grand Canyon in person is awesome, likewise with the aurora.

That's it! NOAA also has a website with the forecast.

The best time of year for the aurora is generally during the winter months, because of the extended darkness. However I have taken some awesome shots in August and March, fringe months. Check out the website for Wunderground, and type in zip code 99701 or Fairbanks, and navigate the website until you see the aurora forecast. It's done by the UAF Geophysical Institute and it's normally fairly accurate.