Todd Vorenkamp

Senior Creative Content Writer for Explora, Todd Vorenkamp has been taking photographs for almost over 30 years. A photographic artist, he has a Master of Fine Arts degree in Photography from the Academy of Art University and is an adjunct instructor of photography at Dakota College at Bottineau. He is a former US Navy and Coast Guard helicopter aviator and a licensed merchant marine officer. His personal website is www.trvphoto.com.

Latest Articles

Guide to Lens Filters for Solar Photography

1 day ago

Solar eclipses are awesome spectacles of nature that are irresistible to photographers. Besides eclipses, the star at the center of our solar system is an amazing photographic subject—even when it is not being partially or totally blocked by the moon. If you want to photograph a solar…

The Best Accessories and Gear for Wildlife Photography

3 days ago

When you head out into the wilderness armed with a pro camera and big telephoto lens to tackle some awesome wildlife, landscape, and bird photography, you had best be sure to have the right accessories for your adventures! Let’s take a look at the best accessories for wildlife photography because—trust me—you don’t want to be the only photographer out there without a cool camouflage lens cover!…

Choosing a Camera for Wildlife Photography

1 week ago

If your dreams involve capturing stunning images of beautiful, wild animals in nature, there is no getting around it—you need the right gear. Although every camera can capture wildlife, not all cameras are created equally and some certainly have technological advantages that benefit wildlife photography. We have discussed buying considerations for the right lens in this article, and here we will…

Wildlife Photography

Mirrorless Cameras

DSLR

Choosing a Lens for Wildlife Photography

1 week ago

Wildlife photography is in the realm of the telephoto lens. While almost any focal length lens works for landscapes and other types of photography, in general, when it comes to photographing animals in the wild, you'll want to have the longest reach you can. We will start our buying guide here with a discussion about focal length and then we will talk about other aspects of a wildlife photography…

Wildlife Photography

Telephoto Lenses

Zoom Lenses

What is Your Favorite Portrait Lens?

1 week ago

There are many ingredients in the recipe that make a good photographic portrait—foreground, background, setting, pose, expression, color, lighting, and so on—but one element that can be as important to the result as the portrait sitter is the lens used to capture the portrait and help create the art. Technically, any lens can be used to take a portrait with your camera, and there are traditional…

Portrait Lenses

people photography

The Tripod Explained

4 weeks ago

The tripod: a three-legged camera support. Why is the tripod market so flooded with options when they all look pretty much the same and are designed to do the same thing? Isn’t one tripod as good as any other? Why are some so expensive? Why are others comparatively inexpensive? Do some hold cameras more steadily than others? And, why in the world is that one pink? In this article, we will be…

Tripods & Monopods

4 Other Ways to Use Your Solar Filters after the Eclipse

1 month ago

Is the solar-photography filter a one-trick (or eclipse) pony? After the solar eclipse, does your solar-photography filter become a paperweight, a forgotten photo accessory in the bottom of your drawer, or is it destined for the classified section of a local newspaper in the path of the next eclipse? Before you retire your solar filter, know that you can use it for a few interesting things before…

Solar Filters

Filters & Accessories

Astrophotography

solar eclipse

14 Tips for Solar Viewing and Photography Safety

1 month ago

When viewing or photographing the sun, or any phase of a partial solar eclipse, remember that you MUST observe safe practices to prevent damage to your eyes and/or equipment (but mostly to your eyes).

NEVER look directly at the sun with your naked eyes. Permanent damage to your eyesight, up to and including blindness, may result.

…

Solar Viewing

solar eclipse

Recommended Stylish Cameras

1 month ago

I am a fool for design. Style is subjective. Design is art and, therefore, subjective. Does form follow function, or does function dictate form? In the world of photography, just like in many product lines, the camera has run the gamut, from utilitarian tool to work of art. Some of those utilitarian cameras were unintentionally beautiful and some cameras had attractive designs that got in the way…

Point & Shoot Cameras

Sports Action Cameras

DSLR Cameras

Mirrorless Cameras

Macro Photography Gear: Lenses, Extension Tubes, and Filters

1 month ago

One of the easiest and most enjoyable ways to expand your photographic horizons is to use your camera to explore the world on a very small scale. Close-up, or macro photography, can turn everyday objects into visually interesting images and bring a new dimension to your…

Macro Photography

Macro Photography Gear: Bellows, Reversal Rings, Macro Couplers, and Focusing…

1 month ago

In Part 1 of this series, we looked at three easy ways to get into macro photography: macro lenses,…

Macro Photography

What Is Your Favorite Camera Bag?

1 month ago

The camera bag starts as an afterthought—something you get after you buy a camera and/or lenses, and for many, just about any camera bag will do the trick for them. But, when you get deeper into photography and expand your kit, the camera bag becomes an essential part of your everyday carry.…

Photo Bags and Cases

Photography Accessories

Camera Strap Gift Guide

1 month ago

A gift guide for something everyone already gets (for free) in the box with their new camera? Yes! Almost every camera on the market today comes with its own camera strap. For the most part, those camera straps are pretty solid. But, hear me out, aftermarket camera straps are a fantastic upgrade to your…

Camera Straps & Harnesses

Bags & Cases

12 Things Every Beginner Needs to Get Started in Photography

1 month ago

Are you interested in the wide and wonderful world of photography? Well, you’ve certainly come to the right place! Check out this short checklist of a dozen items, designed to get you started in digital or film photography and headed in the right direction. 1. Interest The first thing you need is an interest in photography. If you are reading these words, you likely already checked that box. If…

Photography Education

Best Photo Gifts Ever Received

1 month ago

In some sense, photographers are easy people for whom to shop. An entire store (B&H Photo!) exists so that others can bestow amazing gifts on their photographer loved ones. But, in another sense, photographers can be very good at shopping for themselves (at B&H Photo!) and that makes gift-giving to a photographer a challenge. We asked some B&H staff, members of the B&H Creative…

SLR Lenses