Why I do not use burst mode?

To be honest, it's not that I don’t use burst mode—it’s just that it doesn’t give me the same satisfaction as capturing a photo with a single click. Sure, when you shoot 15 to 30 frames per second, you're almost guaranteed to end up with at least one good image out of 100. But if you stop to think about the fact that you needed 100 shots just to pick one, to me, it feels a bit like cheating. The funny part is that even with burst mode, you can still end up without a single good photo—and a memory card full of junk to sort through at the end of the day.

Yes, I do use burst mode when photographing birds in flight, because it increases the odds of getting one perfectly in focus. The same goes for sports photography—it’s nearly impossible to capture the exact peak moment of the action in just one click, and also have it perfectly sharp.

Captured using a burst at 1/2500. ISO 12800. 

But even so, it doesn’t give me the same pleasure. To me, it’s like bringing a machine gun to a hunt. Where’s the fun in that? One bullet, one kill. I treat photography the same way: one click, one perfect photo.

And speaking of hunting—if hunters would trade their guns for cameras, oh God, we’d be living in a perfect world.

Captured using one click.

I enjoy watching dozens of videos from other wildlife photographers, and whenever I hear the rapid-fire sound of burst mode, I can’t help but smile and think, no wonder they end up with such great shots.

But for me, the joy I get from a single, intentional click would be lost if I had to sort through hundreds of images just to find one good one. I feel that when you press the shutter once—when you really feel the moment—you remember it forever. But with burst mode, it’s easy to forget the exact instant it happened, buried among so many frames.

Burst mode just isn’t for me.

 

Lizards

I love photographing lizards. They are territorial animals, and when you get close—sometimes too close—they’ll let you know. Head bobbing, push-ups, and dewlap displays (the colored flap under the throat) are common ways lizards communicate dominance, territory, or mating interest.

Stop! You are too close!

South Florida is a paradise for lizards. You can find both native species and ones imported from places like Cuba. Here in the central part of the state, they tend to disappear during the winter but return in the spring and summer.

So, What Happens to Common Florida Lizards in Winter?

1. Brown Anole (Anolis sagrei) – Non-Native (Cuban Origin)

• Behavior: Becomes sluggish during cold snaps, hides under debris or in warm crevices.

• Survival Strategy: Can handle short cold periods in central/south Florida but may die off in prolonged cold.

• Note: They're invasive, so cold winters sometimes help control their populations.

2. Green Anole (Anolis carolinensis) – Native

• Behavior: Brumates (goes dormant) during colder months, especially in central and northern Florida.

• Hiding Spots: Tree bark, logs, leaf litter, or inside buildings.

• Adaptability: More cold-hardy than brown anoles and can bounce back quickly when temps warm.

3. Knight Anole (Anolis equestris) – Non-Native (Cuban Origin)

• Behavior: Sensitive to cold. Often goes into torpor or dies during freezes.

• Region: More common in South Florida, rare in the center or north due to cold intolerance.

• Note: You may find them stunned on cold mornings.

4. Mediterranean Gecko – Non-Native

• Behavior: Hides in walls, attics, or warm places during winter.

• Adaptability: Can survive urban winters by living inside human structures.

5. Eastern Fence Lizard (Sceloporus undulatus) – Native

• Behavior: Brumates in logs, under rocks, or buried in loose soil.

• Location: More common in northern and central Florida; they are well adapted to seasonal temperature changes.

Faking Sunset

 This is an idea for your next photoshot. You can fake the sunset at anytime. 

 

From last weekend

In Florida, whenever you're near any body of water, you should always assume there may be alligators. This small lake near my home was completely dry for several months last year. Thanks to the last two hurricanes, it has water again. While in the past I had only seen one alligator swimming around, this past weekend I was lucky enough to photograph two of them cruising very close to each other.

They are impressive animals. They’ve been on this planet longer than we have, and at least in Florida, they’re here to stay.

 Here is the video that I took last weekend showing wildlife around the lake. 

The Best DSLR being sold at Amazon

A few days ago, we commented on an article noting that the Canon 1D X Mark III was priced higher than the current Canon R1. Today, I found that YMCinema pointed out that the Nikon D850 is still the best-selling DSLR on Amazon, even though Nikon has released other mirrorless cameras intended to replace the D850

"In 2025, you might expect the spotlight to belong exclusively to mirrorless cameras, with their compact builds, cutting-edge autofocus systems, and rapid innovation cycles. Yet, the DSLR world isn’t just holding on—it’s thriving in select corners. Case in point: the Nikon D850, a camera first released in 2017, is now officially the best-selling DSLR on Amazon."

The first DSLR I bought was a Nikon D5200, around 10 years ago. Remarkably, this camera is still being sold by Nikon for around $589. It's a crop sensor camera that I used for wildlife and some portrait photography, and it was built like a tank.

Mirrorless cameras came along to make our lives easier with a bunch of new features, but DSLRs can still deliver images of similar quality—if you learn how to use them. And perhaps more importantly, they do so at a fraction of the price.

Hibiscus

Hibiscus were my grandmother Carmen's favorite flower. Maybe that's why I love taking pictures of them. Here are two of my most recent photos of this flower.

Pictures after the rain

 If you’ve never tried photographing flowers after the rain, I highly recommend giving it a shot.

 

The smell of wet earth and the sight of water droplets like diamonds on the petals create a unique experience that's hard to replicate—one you can capture with your camera for eternity.