Ryan Mense

Senior Staff Writer

Ryan Mense is a wildlife cameraperson passionate about sharing visual stories of birds and their ecology through filmmaking and photography. He’s the guy driving under the speed limit in front of you, binoculars in his lap, head whipping every which direction in search of new avifauna. As a writer, he has been covering photo industry news and producing camera gear reviews for the last decade.

Articles by Ryan Mense

Photographers to Follow on Instagram: May 28, 2021

On Instagram, PetaPixel is sharing photos that inspire creativity and show off the incredible talents of our daily readers. Here’s a look at our recent favorite posts and more about the photographers who shared them.

Sigma fp L Camera Review: Does Size Really Matter?

Making cameras is a tough gig. Every release demands to stand out from the crowd in some way. For the Sigma fp L, it’s turning heads by the remarkably compact size and resolution-dense full-frame sensor. Is it enough?

Tamron Launches 150-500mm Super-Telephoto Zoom for Sony E-Mount

Tamron has announced the 150-500mm f/5-6.7 Di III VC VXD, the company’s first full-frame super-telephoto zoom lens for Sony mirrorless cameras. Where the Tamron 150-600mm has proven popular for DSLRs, the new 150-500mm is sure to entice Sony sports and wildlife photographers as well as other long-lens shooters with its focal length, compactness, and price.

The Great @PetaPixel Instagram Revival (and How to Get Featured)

Instagram means different things to different photographers, whether that’s the place to search and be found for new work opportunities, the go-to spot for becoming inspired, or where to post photos and get feedback from the largest photography community on the Internet. At this point, it would be silly to not have an active account on Instagram, right? ...Right?

Is Back-Button Focus Becoming an Outdated Photography Technique?

As camera technology continues to progress, the way in which we operate them is changing as well. Photographers should always use the most familiar and effective technique to get the shot, and to that end I want to be clear about the purpose of this article: I’m not trying to convince anyone to blindly stop using back-button focus.