66 Nebraskaland • January-February 2025
By Jeff Kurrus
A MIRRORLESS RETIREMENT
Cameras are fancy. Always have been. Historically,
they have always been on the cutting edge of technology,
seemingly boasting more wonder and options than a
spaceship. Many years ago, while visiting with longtime
Nebraskaland and world-renowned photographer Michael
Forsberg at Rowe Sanctuary near Gibbon, he looked at his
camera. "I have no idea what most of these buttons even
do."
One of the latest innovations are mirrorless cameras. No
more opening and closing shutters in 1/5000 of a second,
everyone, because creating an image from that sort of speed
seems infantile, right? Now, the shutter doesn't open at all.
Light passes through the lens into the camera body, this light
is converted into a digital signal, and this signal becomes
image data.
Got it? I know I don't.
What I do know is that my mirrorless camera works
silently. No more clicks when you press the button, and no
more delayed clicks when there's not enough light to keep
your photo subject sharp. And to add injury to insult, the
camera is insanely fast. Holding down the trigger for fi ve
seconds can result in more than 100 images being taken.
Thus, my newest nightmares — as I have seemingly
forgotten everything I have learned from shooting for more
than 30 years, nearly 18 for this publication.
Who needs 225 images of the same squirrel on the same
limb in the same light with the same confused look on his
face?
More importantly, who needs 399 blurry images of this
same animal?
I never would have realized how bad I needed the sound
of that shutter to open and close, not only as a reminder
of laying off the Gatling gun every once in a while but also
knowing my own shaky ability to keep my camera still as
light begins to fade.
Perhaps I will go back to a less civilized camera, back to
the days of hearing that shutter open and close considerably
faster than a hummingbird can fl ap its wings in a second.
Or, I could stay with what I got. There has to be a button or
two on there somewhere that can help, right?
Maybe Forsberg will know.
Hmm … probably not.
This is final text.
Timmmmm, an option
is in Working. See if
you like the squirrel's
positioning. I obviously
have other options:)
JK
This photo of an eastern red fox squirrel in Washington County was one of 625 images shot over a
30-second span. One would say that is slight overkill. JEFF KURRUS, NEBRASKALAND
THE LAST STOP
