Read the editorial policies of CARIAN below. These are the rules I work by. If you have additional questions, just reach out.
Funding
CARIAN is a KNVRTED brand, a limited company based in Estonia (EU) of which I'm the sole shareholder and owner. I’m paying the hosting bills and devoting my time shooting photos, writing the newsletter and maintaining this site.
You can support my work by buying products, subscribing to my newsletter or donating. Relevant sponsorships or brand/affiliate deals may happen in due course. These will be clearly marked as such. These brands or sponsors can't influence editorial decisions. That said, the more of you buy, subscribe or donate, the less sponsorship I need to get.
What gear do you use?
I prefer to source my gear second hand to add a new storied layer to its life. I like to keep my setup minimal and shoot manual. I prefer to do as much in camera as possible to minimize time in post.
Bodies
I'm mainly a Sony shooter and currently use the A7R V & AC7R.
Lenses
A mix of Sony & Tamron zooms paired with Voigtländer primes.
Other gear
That includes iPhone and a DJI Mini Pro 5.
Post
I mainly use Capture One for photos and DaVinci Resolve Studio for video.
Gear certificates
- I'm a certified drone pilot and hold the following EU licenses: A1/A3, A2 & STS.
- Currently in the process of getting official Capture One + DaVinci Resolve certificates.
How do you handle facts & sources?
I use verifiable, reality-based sources and aim to have least 2 independent sources for a claim. If that’s not feasible, I will disclose it in the piece. Opinions will be labelled as such.
How do you handle corrections?
Mistakes happen and will be corrected with a dated correction remark below the article. If you spot an error, just get in touch. Add the link to the article so I can investigate the matter in detail.
What about the tech stack?
I’ve chosen open source Ghost as a CMS/publishing tool. The galleries are managed via PhotoDeck, a European CMS designed for this task. For the prints and other physical products I'm partnering with European companies Saal Digital and WhiteWall, both renowned for their high-quality products.
What about using AI?
When it comes to GenAI, the use cases differ.
Writing: no
I don’t use LLMs to write my stories. I’ve written millions of words in 2 languages over 2 decades. There's no need to outsource my thinking to an autocomplete engine.
Photography/videography: no
The pictures/videos I'm using are all physically shot and edited by me. It means I travelled there and pressed the shutter button on that exact spot.
Editing: it depends
Most photo/video tools have AI features. I use them for production tasks like creating masks or removing dust spots.
Designing/diagramming: it depends
Most design tools have AI features. I use them for production tasks.
Coding: yes
I'm using Claude to supplement my coding skills. I've been working with HTML/CSS since 2004 and busy expanding my JS skills.
Researching: yes
I’m using a variety of search/research and analysis tools, many of which have some form of ML/DL in them. I’ll always verify the sources/outcomes.