Jack Carlson Photography

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Late Summer Butterflies dropped by last week

September 24, 2026

Old lens comes through.

I was out in the side garden last week when Monarch butterflies began to make a quick stop and drop on some of the flowers that are planted there. The temperature hasn’t dropped too much as I write this, so ther may be still hope for your neighborhood. I have an old 70-180 macro zoom lens that was the closest to the camera body so it got pressed into immediate use. No time to get a tripod, and you just know there’s no VR in that lens was made from 1997-200-4. Yes, they don’t always make them like they used to.

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Weekly Photo Tip

Filters can make a difference

18mm, f8 @ 1/30, no filter

18mm, f8 @ 1/80 with 3-stop ND Grad

I received a 3-stop, soft-edge ND grad filter from the Camera Clubhouse cats. They decided to purchase from Breakthrough Photography since I mentioned that one of my students brought Breakthrough Filters to a recent class and, on inspection, the filters seemed to be very well made. An ND Grad filter starts dark and fades to clear so the placement of the dark portion is determined by both the bright part of the scene and the photographer. This filter made quite a difference in holding down the sun in the upper part of the image. Check out the “no-filter” image and ND Grad image. The difference will amaze you. Please note: I have no affiliation with Breakthrough Photography and chose them only based on student referral. 

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About Jack

A classically trained musician since childhood, Jack Carlson always had the “ear” of an artist. It was only a short step to develop the artist’s “eye” as well.

The portfolio of this certified photographer reveals images that emphasize mood and composition. Their purpose is to present a feeling in addition to portrayal of person, place or thing. Sometimes that feeling is nostalgia; other times it is serenity.

Each photograph tells a story.

Upcoming Classes

Oct 8
9:00 am - 12:00 pm

Trees + Autumn = A Great Photo Op starts Oct. 8

Oct 17
9:00 am - 12:00 pm

Beginning Digital begins Saturday October 17

Nov 5
9:00 am - 3:00 pm

Autumn Photo Shoot at Volo Bog on November 5

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