I was out for my morning walk and stopped to capture some images of this deer. It got me thinking. Many people have asked me how I am able to capture the images I do. Here is a sample from this morning. Nothing super exciting, but it illustrates the fact that you have to have patience when capturing wildlife. I probably stood in one spot for almost and hour. The deer was laying in the high grass, so I just hung around and watched him. During that time, I was able to capture a couple of interesting poses. But most of the hour he stayed still, except for the chewing of the plants he had acquired earlier in the morning. You just have to have a... "wait for it" moment, and be ready to depress that shutter release. Enjoy. Mule deer.

My wife had a colonoscopy on Friday. Being the loving husband that I am, I put together a playlist of songs for her to listen too on Thursday evening during her prep time. Some are related to prep, while others are related to the procedure itself. Some are obvious and others take a little time to make the connection. It made her laugh.


The Colonoscopy Song - Peter Yarrow (of Peter, Paul and Mary)
The Waiting Is The Hardest Part - Tom Petty
Ain't No Sunshine - Daryl Hall with Finger 11
Bad Moon Rising - Creedence Clearwater Revival
Boogie In Your Butt - Eddie Murphy
I Can See Clearly Now - Johnny Nash
I Wanna Be Sedated - The Ramones
Shake Your Booty - KC and the Sunshine Band
When The Levee Breaks - Led Zepplin
All Things Must Pass - Paul McCartney and Friends
Push it - Salt n' Peppa
Dirty Work - Steely Dan
Shine A Light - Rolling Stones
Way Down In The Hole - Tom Waits
Turn Turn Turn - Roger McGuinn
Lookin' Out My Back Door - Creedence Clearwater Revival
Classical Gas - Glen Campbell
Cold As Ice - Foreigner
Born To Run - Bruce Springsteen
Up Around The Bend - Creedence Clearwater Revival
All By Myself - Eric Carmen
Almost Paradise - Loverboy
Already Gone - Eagles
Amber Cascades - America
Another One Bites The Dust - Queen
Anticipation - Carly Simon
Are You Havin' Any Fun? Tony Bennett
Baby Hold On - Eddie Money
Runnin' On Empty - Jackson Brown
Pump It Up - Elvis Costello
The Morning After - Maureen McGovern
The Last Time - Rolling Stones
Let 'Em In - Paul McCartney
Liquid Lunch - Caro Emerald

Today (10/24), four sellers have a total of six posting for Nikon bodies or lenses, and IMHO none of contain all the information that I look for when purchasing. I have done my share of buying and selling, and I need to see:

1) USA model? Nikon USA only repairs or services products intended for the US market. For bodies, this is easy to tell because the serial number almost always begins with the number “3.” For lenses, sometimes the serial number starts with “US,” but if not, the pedigree needs to be demonstrated with paperwork, etc. To me, repairability is important.

2) photos of actual product, not stock image. A photo of the camera serial number takes care of issue #1.

3) Box? Most postings mention or include photos of the box in pictures, but some leave us guessing.

4) Shutter count for cameras. A must, like mileage for a car.

Pricing is up to you, but you should check with ebay and other sources of used gear to see if you are in the ball park.

Good luck.

ThE D500 is still a great camera, and still better than latest mirrorless offerings for willdlife in many respects. I actually just bought a second D500 for that purpose.

Your other “upgrade” choices in the Nikon world are not only a new technology (mirrorless) but also a new-to-you format (FullFrame vs cropped on the D500). Mirrorless cameras provide some sensational image-making tools, but you need to be aware of and ready for a transition. Your lens inventory will probably need to be upgraded, which will add to expense.

Bottom line, my advice is to spend a lot more time reflecting on what you need your camera to do for you, and in the meantime continue using the fine piece of technology that you already own.