Editing Luke

Apr 15, 2017

Retired After Shooting Nearly 200K Images

I've added a number of cameras to my collection over the last 10 years, but this is the first time that I can say I've actually worn one out. I bought this Canon T3i about 3.5 years ago as a backup camera for shoots on the go. In reality, I ended up using it almost exclusively as the travel camera that I packed on road trips. Even I'm amazed that in just a few years I clocked nearly 200K shots on a secondary camera that I thought I was using part-time.

What happens to a camera after that much shooting? Well, the shutter is noticeably slower than it used to be. The sensor has a minor, but workable glitch. The viewfinder guard has fallen off. The back screen is cracking again after I replaced the glass once a year ago. The kit lenses both have a grit to them, likely from the sand collected on repeat shoots in the California desert. The telephoto has a rattle and no longer focuses properly when fully zoomed. There are also a smattering of to-be-expected scratches and scuffs.

All things considered, this camera has held up remarkably well for how many miles it's traveled and for how much abuse it's took. As someone who shoots a lot of travel content in the moment and on the go, this camera was constantly getting tossed around in my backpack. I'm not the least bit disappointed about how its held up or performed. This Canon has been a workhorse and its earned its spot on the shelf next to my other retired cameras.

Replacing and upgrading equipment is par for the course with any media business - and in this case I bought a brand new camera and series of lenses specifically for future travel shoots. What makes it bittersweet is that I captured so many incredible adventures with this T3i. It was far from the most expensive camera, but I certainly got my moneys worth over and over again. Curious to see some of what I shot with it? Explore these travel collections for more:

Apr 12, 2017

Donner Lake in Northern California

Located on the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada, and just northeast of Lake Tahoe in California, you'll find Donner Lake and Donner Memorial State Park. This beautiful freshwater lake is surrounded by cabins, trails, and private docks, and is an especially popular spot for hiking, camping, and fishing in the summer months.

Donner Lake derives its name from the ill-fated Donner Party, a group of pioneers who became stranded near the lake in the winter of 1846. Trapped for five months in the Sierra Nevada, and after running out of supplies, many in the group infamously resorted to cannibalism. Of the 81 members of the Donner Party, only 45 survived the ordeal.

Visiting Donner Lake in January and surrounded by snowdrifts over 12 ft. high, it was easy to imagine the winter conditions that trapped the Donner Party. Symbolically, even the massive Pioneer Monument was buried in snow that was above my head. Even as a Canadian, seeing that much snow in an area where people actually lived was surreal.