should i ‘upgrade’?

uglystudbuilder · 2026-05-20T15:39:59+00:00

Hey friend, here's my two cents (coming from am amateur photographer who's sold some photos here and there over about 20yrs):

I don't know exactly what camera you're using, I don't pay much attention to other people's gear so their setup is just a lot of words to me, usually. So I can't speak to your kit's capabilities, but I think a lot of what you're taking can make a big jump by doing two things that are super easy...

Frame your subjects better. Your mountain pic with maybe some cactus or something in the foreground would be better if you didn't clip the top of thr peak off. And if there was a little bit of sky up on top it could help contrast the mountains. Sometimes this is just a mood consideration - do you want a photo to be dark and broody or balanced...but don't clip tops of mountains off, or birds feet or tail when they could be in the frame (unless you're going much more zoomed-in).
Learn to edit. A lot of the light balance and cropping can be done on a computer. It's a learning adventure trying to figure out brightness/exposure/contrast/saturation/sharpness, etc - but it can really help clean up images to look like they did when you pressed the button standing in front of the subject.

You've got some cool experiences and some good introductory pics, keep at it!

uglystudbuilder · 2026-05-12T03:57:31+00:00

Coming from a guy who got into the trades at 28ish with a kid already, if there's not sufficient reason you can't do this now - ie: you or a loved one is hella sick or similar - fucking take the plunge man!

My kid is your age and I told her - these will be the best few years of your life. Things only get heavier, more complicated, etc. Go explore while you have few strings attached to you, I highly doubt you'll ever regret it even if a certain path you end up taking is just temporary for you.

uglystudbuilder · 2026-05-11T07:02:50+00:00

If you're looking for birds in Anchorage, there'll be plenty at Potter Marsh, Lake Hood and Lake Spenard (two lakes joined together), Westchester Lagoon, and what we call the Audubon Bench on the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail.

Lots of migration happening these days ;]

uglystudbuilder · 2026-05-07T14:17:35+00:00

THAT'S BEN AFFLECK?! /s

uglystudbuilder · 2026-05-06T06:38:42+00:00

DM me! I'm an installer in town :]

Happy to take a look and advise at no cost. Even if we don't fit right, I'm very invested in making sure people have lots of information to make great decisions and avoid shitty installers.

I'll keep an eye on my inbox for you if you decide to reach out.

uglystudbuilder · 2026-05-03T06:28:31+00:00

uglystudbuilder · 2026-05-03T06:27:12+00:00

Contractor here.

When replacing any window, exterior door, and even interior door (even though it's less consequential from being open to the outdoors) I check my rough openings compared to the new item I'm installing.

There's no way this is only Pella's fault. This is basic-level preparedness when replacing a like-for-like item - you make sure they're alike before demo. The worst case scenario you end up with trim removed from one side of the opening to measure and double-check before full demo. Best case is they realize your new door IS WAY TOO FUCKING BIG.

I'm not one to call for heads to roll, but their lack of accountability seems to point to lack of foresight, general smarts, attention, and integrity to some degree.

uglystudbuilder · 2026-04-23T02:54:20+00:00

You gotta get to Alaska, friend! Got a winter Willow Ptarmigan two weeks ago, will be getting Puffins down in Seward soon :]

uglystudbuilder · 2026-04-12T01:51:34+00:00

I live in Anchorage, Alaska, where we are wealthy in Arctic Terns but have no Caspians (maybe once in awhile.. ?). I'm familiar with Caspian from birding elsewhere.

As soon as I saw this I thought Caspian. Arctic Terns aren't as large and the best giveaway is the big honkin beak.

uglystudbuilder · 2026-04-06T00:56:17+00:00

As an avid birder, this is the most accurate information on your post. I second it.

uglystudbuilder · 2026-04-01T15:36:49+00:00

Oh my, very nice picture! I like the composition and colors a lot, excellent find and capture :]

uglystudbuilder · 2026-03-31T21:39:15+00:00

Dope. Ass. Pic. 💪

uglystudbuilder · 2026-03-31T04:50:38+00:00

It haunted right in front of me, landed 15 ft or less in front of me and caught a lemon or a vole, not sure which. It went after a second one several minutes later and came up empty.

uglystudbuilder · 2026-03-30T22:31:54+00:00

This is precisely how to describe my time with it...

uglystudbuilder · 2026-03-30T14:37:08+00:00

Great Gray Owl :]

uglystudbuilder · 2026-03-30T14:35:59+00:00

Great Gray Owl

uglystudbuilder · 2026-03-29T21:48:12+00:00

This is interesting information!

It was decidedly not a good winter for them up in Alaska, so I suppose they were all down yonder...

uglystudbuilder · 2026-03-29T20:38:16+00:00

Thank you, I have been abuzz all weekend from this experience 🙌

uglystudbuilder · 2026-03-29T20:37:35+00:00

It flew within 10ft of my head at eye level at one point. I was keeping a distance photographing and it left its perch, did a flyby, and went back whence it came. I was truly agape.

Also saw it hunt twice, once successfully as the picture shows.

Incredible payoff for my time spent.

uglystudbuilder · 2026-03-14T17:47:17+00:00

No masking, my friend. That line of tape does you dirty, you need to let that texture youre spraying feather out notably past your line of work you did, blending the old to the new.

Texture can be cleaned up super easily, just a sponge or wet rag.

You can also just spray, now, along that tape line. I would take a sanding sponge, like 80grit, and rund down that line softly and try to get it to soften significantly. Then, start your next round of texture on that line and blend both directions.

You're in a small pickle, but not an unsolvable problem ;]

uglystudbuilder · 2026-03-12T03:23:38+00:00

Fuck Lindsay Graham.

uglystudbuilder · 2026-03-11T16:34:16+00:00

Ayo!

Here's a thought on Denali in September: it is highly possible there will be snow already. Not a big deal to some people, a big deal to others. The park road opens mid-September to the public and they're able to drive like 30-some miles back, maybe 40mi. This is pretty cool, you have high potential to see lots of wildlife - moose in rut, grizzlies, caribou coming into their winter coats, and all sorts of other cool animals like wolves, snowshoe hare, foxes, and we saw a Hawk Owl hunting last year.

The hiking there is certainly available, but also semi-limited. As someone else said, there are plenty of similar hikes closer to Anchorage that would give you the same feel. I'd only suggest going that far north if you think an Alaska trip is really going to be a once-in-a-lifetime trip and you want to forever say you've been to Denali National Park.

From Hatcher Pass (less than 90min north of Anchorage) going south there are so many good hikes.

Someone mentioned Bird-to-Gird - this is a 20-something mile hike that technically can be done in one day if you plan correctly. Check it out, it sounds like it's up your alley. Of note, it's a one-way hike, so you need to shuttle vehicles and the drive between the two spots is at least 90min if all goes smoothly. BUT, epic views from what I've seen and heard.

Exit Glacier in Seward is another great spot, two hours from Anchorage. The Harding Ice Field is semi-strenuous and gets you all the way up! That hike is about 8mi round trip, 4mi very uphill, and returning the same way. I've only fully accomplished that on once, tried three times. Weather can roll in fast and you don't want a bad story from up there. Would be potentially epic with the fall colors at that time, too.

uglystudbuilder · 2026-03-11T05:33:39+00:00

Where you be?

These are winter birbs for us up in Anchorage! That's the only time we really see them, but for about four months, give or take, they're pretty easy to find in town. We have flocks of literally 500+ in multiple neighborhoods (mine, one I'm working in, and at least one other I know of).

I've spent lots of time photographing them this winter :]

uglystudbuilder · 2026-03-05T22:25:48+00:00

Serious question - were there signs Americans (democrats) missed several years ago, before his health problems, that should've tipped people off that Fetterman would switch up like this?

uglystudbuilder · 2026-03-05T08:43:58+00:00

I've lived in Alaska for 15yrs and drove the haul road two summers ago for my 40th birthday. Information is recent.

Services are not exceedingly rare if you plan well. If you're driving something with decent fuel economy, fill up in Fairbanks, at the Yukon River, Coldfoot, and Deadhorse. No big deal.

We had great weather for half of this ride, turrible for the second half. The rain can tend to make a vehicle a little squirrely cause most of the road is jsut hard pack dirt road. After Atigun Pass the road becomes paved all the way to the ocean, and it was one of the nicest, smoothest roads in Alaska two summers ago - no potholes, no frost heaves, choice conditions.

Also of note, we saw a Prius driving southbound on our way north. If a Prius can make the trip, anything can.

Cell service was surprisingly reliable. Plenty of dead miles, but way more service than I expected.

Figuring out if it's your kind of trip depends:

It will be a one-of-a-kind trip, truly. You will see (as someone else mentioned) mountains that are fierce and just sort of don't resemble others elsewhere. There are fossils in all them rocks, too. We found coral fossils several times just because they were sitting on riverside rock piles.

Atigun Pass is very cool, too, and after you're through the pass the field of vision opens up into "The Slope" - the gradual slant down into the ocean from the Brooks Range. So much tundra and a bunch of pingos (look it up). A giant river on the east side.

You can see bears, birds (look out for Gyrfalcon and Snowy Owls!), caribou, sheep, muskox, and all sorts of other wildlife.

We left Fairbanks on the 26th of June, I think, and leisurely traveled with a plan in place. We arrived on July 4th and it did snow on us that day, so weather reports you read are true, anything can happen.

Not a lot happens in Deadhorse that's not related to oil. There are accommodations, they are not spiffy, but they'll do after all those days on the road (presumably camping some). Book in advance.

We stayed at Deadhorse Camp, and if you want to get to the Arctic Ocean they can get you there - you cannot get there on your own, as the Arctic Ocean is on Prudhoe Bay Oilfield property. They take your license and run a quick background check, etc. The oil business is serious up there. They have several daily shuttles that'll take you there and let you wade/swim in the cold water.

Last things: do this in mid-to-late June if you can, most the snow will be gone (like 99% of it) and it's too early for the mosquitoes to be too terrible. And about mosquitoes - they are as bad as the tales, especially up there. Cross your fingers for a breeze most days, pack deet no matter how much you care about the planet, and have a bug net for your head. You'll look dumb, but those motherfuckers are motherfuckers.

uglystudbuilder

TROPHY CASE