Portfolio
▼
Portfolio
▼
Animals
Arizona
California
Fireworks
Flowers & Plants
Forests
Hawaii
International
Mid-West
Nevada
New Mexico (White Sands)
Utah
Vintage
Wyoming
CCC - 2017
FAA Seniors
FAA Seniors 2018-2019
FAA Senior 2019-2020
FAA Senior 2020-2021
|
Workshops
|
Blog
|
Affiliate discounts
|
Guestbook
|
Info
|
Contact
Showing posts for 'photography'.
Clear search
Patience with birds
October 01, 2023 -
My brother and I went to photograph a beach. The sky was cloudless and the beach did not seem to hold promise for great...
Read the Full Post »
Get unique and different perspectives, even of animals
September 24, 2023 -
As photographers we analyze a scene. We don't want to photograph an iconic scene, that has been photographed a million t...
Read the Full Post »
Animal behavior and interaction
September 17, 2023 -
There are some great images of animals posing. But often, the best images display their behavior and the interaction bet...
Read the Full Post »
Get eye level with animals and birds
September 10, 2023 -
You have heard me say this over and over again. This is literally the best advise I can give you with regards to photogr...
Read the Full Post »
Searching for Birds
September 03, 2023 -
The other day I visited the Spring Creek Prairie Audubon Center near Lincoln, Nebraska. I picked the day because it was...
Read the Full Post »
Frogs
August 27, 2023 -
Tree frogs are exotic, cute and colorful. Of course no one would turn their attention to common frogs. No one in their r...
Read the Full Post »
Show nature
August 20, 2023 -
We often seek nice and clean backgrounds for our subjects. I advocate this too. It makes your subject stand out and "pop...
Read the Full Post »
Sun-stars for balance
August 13, 2023 -
I was having a hard time creating a composition on the beach which was balanced. It seems no matter how I composed the s...
Read the Full Post »
Waterfalls in harsh light
August 06, 2023 -
McArthur-Burney Falls excited me. From the images that I saw of the falls, I could not wait to photography them. By the...
Read the Full Post »
Weather conditions do change
July 30, 2023 -
A visit to Mt. Shasta was planned. Everything was researched. The best possible locations were found. An itinerary was d...
Read the Full Post »
Focus Stacking a landscape
July 23, 2023 -
I have written before about using a wide-angle lens, not to get more into the image, but to change perspective. Our posi...
Read the Full Post »
Making sense of forest scenes
July 16, 2023 -
Forests can be chaos, photographically speaking. There seems to be too much. Too many trees. Too many bushes. Too many b...
Read the Full Post »
New Luminar Extension
July 12, 2023 -
As you know I use Luminar Neo extensively in my image editing workflow. Neo is an image editing platform. The platform i...
Read the Full Post »
Good landscape photography technique
July 09, 2023 -
This is part II of the two-part series about an image taken at Emerald Bay, Lake Tahoe in California. Today I am going t...
Read the Full Post »
From tourist (cell phone) to serious photography (pro gear and technique)
July 02, 2023 -
It is said that cell phones take well over 90% of all photos taken in recent times. I have also heard people say that ce...
Read the Full Post »
Grand Tetons National Park as a tourist
June 25, 2023 -
I have been very unlucky weather wise at Grand Tetons National Park. Numerous visits have not paid off as I wished for....
Read the Full Post »
Today I am a tourist
June 18, 2023 -
My wife and I visited Yellowstone National Park last week. Due to being up too early too many mornings the days before,...
Read the Full Post »
Go for action or something unique
June 11, 2023 -
Which of these two images do you find the most interesting?: OR I like the color of the first image more. It was t...
Read the Full Post »
Prairie Chicken Photography Equipment
June 04, 2023 -
The fighting season starts in early Spring (the beginning of March). The Mid-west can be cold with howling wind. To make...
Read the Full Post »
My Prairie Chicken journey
May 28, 2023 -
A year or so ago I saw a gorgeous image of two male Prairie Chickens fighting. That image inspired me to embark on my ow...
Read the Full Post »
Cropping
May 21, 2023 -
Cropping images to our linking can be subjective. There is the famous rule of thirds that many people follow. But even f...
Read the Full Post »
Creating separation between the subject and the background
May 14, 2023 -
Sometimes the subject of the image stands out beautifully from the background. Such images are often striking and beauti...
Read the Full Post »
Creating extra space in Photoshop
May 07, 2023 -
As promised last week, today we are going to magically create extra space. I use this technique from time to time to fix...
Read the Full Post »
Birds in flight
April 23, 2023 -
Photographing birds in flight can be some of the most difficult photography to undertake. They can fly very fast and err...
Read the Full Post »
Common birds
April 16, 2023 -
Everybody wants great Eagle images. Yet the tiny common birds also have much to offer. I was laying on the sand watching...
Read the Full Post »
Birds in action
April 09, 2023 -
Action always makes photographs more interesting. I am a novice when it comes to birds, their identity, and their behavi...
Read the Full Post »
Low Light Bird Photography
April 02, 2023 -
Low light bird photography is problematic since birds move, sometimes very quickly. So a fast shutter speed is required...
Read the Full Post »
Bird photography equipment worth every penny
March 26, 2023 -
First, let me start by saying that most of the time the best bird images are taken from the bird's eye level. It makes f...
Read the Full Post »
Forest Streams
March 16, 2023 -
Forest streams are still all about light and composition. In December I walked to a spot I have visited many times befor...
Read the Full Post »
It does not always take much
September 25, 2022 -
It does not always take much to make a pleasing image. We may want to give up on photography because we do not have acce...
Read the Full Post »
Dawn
September 14, 2022 -
Shooting before sunrise can be tricky but rewarding. The tricky part is that such images may look a bit lifeless without...
Read the Full Post »
Botswana Workshop
August 28, 2022 -
If you want to enjoy a river cruise while photographing wildlife, this workshop is for you. Each participant has a sw...
Read the Full Post »
Dragonflies
August 07, 2022 -
Other than on one previous occasion I have never really made an effort to photograph dragonflies. But in the absence of...
Read the Full Post »
Bees
July 31, 2022 -
They say, if there nothing to shoot, shrink your world. Shoot that which is small. This is a valuable tip that has helpe...
Read the Full Post »
Watch the western horizon
July 24, 2022 -
My wife and I were out sitting on a ridge, about an hour or so before sunset. I was ready to go home. My son was visitin...
Read the Full Post »
Know your surroundings
July 10, 2022 -
It is strange how, here in Nebraska, the storms (lightning storms) only tend to come an hour or so before sunrise. I am...
Read the Full Post »
Bird Photography: Show a bit more
July 03, 2022 -
We always tend to want to fill the frame with the bird. It is exciting to see the fine detail of the feathers. We use lo...
Read the Full Post »
Patience with Birds
June 26, 2022 -
If you read last week's blog you will know that I scout the area where I plan to be when I can photograph clouds and lig...
Read the Full Post »
Lightning and Storm Safety
June 19, 2022 -
Since living in the Mid-west now, severe weather becomes part of life. Thus we get to photograph storms, lightning, and...
Read the Full Post »
Photography Gear: Part III
June 05, 2022 -
So what else is in my bag? Speaking of camera bags, what should one consider when buying a bag? The kind of bag you get...
Read the Full Post »
Photography Gear: Part II
May 29, 2022 -
Tripods seem to be going out of vogue with many photographers of late. Reasons for this are: Camera sensors are becomin...
Read the Full Post »
Photography Gear: Part I
May 22, 2022 -
Welcome to a mini-series on photography gear. I do not talk about gear much on this blog. In fact, you have probably hea...
Read the Full Post »
Lightning
May 15, 2022 -
Before we even touch the topic of lightning photography we need to talk about safety first. Please follow all safety dir...
Read the Full Post »
Noise removal software
May 08, 2022 -
Shooting with a long telephoto lens can be tricky. If you are shooting wildlife the animals are moving. So we need to mo...
Read the Full Post »
Composition
May 01, 2022 -
Let's start with an image: The light is not good and hence this image is not that great. Nevertheless, what lessons c...
Read the Full Post »
Polarize with ultra-wide lenses
April 24, 2022 -
You have heard me say that we never want to use a polarizer filter on a wide or ultra-wide lens when the sky is included...
Read the Full Post »
Sand Hill Cranes with the Moon
April 17, 2022 -
Many people these days will photograph one subject here, another there, and merge the two images. They may even use virt...
Read the Full Post »
Sand Hill Cranes
April 10, 2022 -
You may wonder why I have not posted new blogs during the last few months. I recently moved to Nebraska and well, moving...
Read the Full Post »
Hiking the Narrows
December 19, 2021 -
I have wanted to hike the Narrows for a long time. The Narrows refer to the Virgin river flowing in a very narrow canyon...
Read the Full Post »
Editing
November 28, 2021 -
Some photographers over edit their images. Most amateurs only make global adjustments. Today we are going to look at a r...
Read the Full Post »
People, People
November 21, 2021 -
I planned a trip to hike the Narrows in Zion National Park during the best time to catch fall color (first or second wee...
Read the Full Post »
Foreground, middle-ground, background
November 14, 2021 -
There is a trusted formula for successful landscape photography. The formula does not suit all scenes but a good number...
Read the Full Post »
You don't always win
November 07, 2021 -
Doing landscape photography is much like having a fishing license and going fishing. The license does not give you the f...
Read the Full Post »
Dreamy landscapes
October 31, 2021 -
I love my landscape images to be pin-sharp front to back. But then again there is space in the creative world for a drea...
Read the Full Post »
Explore
October 24, 2021 -
We are back at the Cholla garden today. You can find this "garden" in Joshua Tree National Park. The garden can be diffi...
Read the Full Post »
Shooting from elevated positions
October 17, 2021 -
I like shooting from elevated positions. The higher your elevation the longer or deeper the foreground - it stretches th...
Read the Full Post »
Exposing for a post sunset sky
October 10, 2021 -
When the sun goes to sleep it can light up the clouds. The exposure value difference between the sky and the land increa...
Read the Full Post »
Dealing with too many of something
October 03, 2021 -
The art of photography is to create some form of order, flow, and balance. We do so by choosing carefully what to includ...
Read the Full Post »
Foreground
September 26, 2021 -
In many cases, strong lead-in lines start at the bottom edge of the frame and also act as the foreground element. Such l...
Read the Full Post »
Composing with a strong sky
September 19, 2021 -
So the sky is where all the action is. But what if clouds beyond the brightest part of the sky are not as beautiful as i...
Read the Full Post »
Vignettes
September 12, 2021 -
Perhaps the title of today's blog gives it away. You just looked at the title again, didn't you? Well, try your best to...
Read the Full Post »
Shoot while waiting
September 05, 2021 -
So last week we looked at positioning the sun at an exact point in time. That image started about two hours before sunse...
Read the Full Post »
Positioning the sun
August 29, 2021 -
I a recent trip to Joshua Tree National Park I decided to stop at a particular location to wait for sunset. As I always...
Read the Full Post »
Shoot a series
August 22, 2021 -
We often think of photography as a single image capturing one moment in time. But then again, video is simply a bunch of...
Read the Full Post »
Seascapes
August 15, 2021 -
Seascapes offer great photographic opportunities. Those opportunities include nice beaches, rocks, wave action (splashin...
Read the Full Post »
Printing
August 08, 2021 -
It has been years since I printed an image. During the Black Friday sale after the USA's Thanksgiving, I indulged and bo...
Read the Full Post »
Black and white
August 01, 2021 -
Black and white images are still appealing, and why not, they can be striking. So how do we decide to go black and wh...
Read the Full Post »
Editing Software
July 21, 2021 -
I have been using Luminar since almost their beginning. This software is impressive. The learning curve is minuscule com...
Read the Full Post »
Tree-lined roads
July 18, 2021 -
Tree-lined roads make for a nice photographic subject. They frame the road. The road leads the viewer's eyes into the im...
Read the Full Post »
Night photograhy
July 11, 2021 -
I have written about night photography before. In those blogs, I wrote about composition and focus and so forth. Today I...
Read the Full Post »
Light and plants
July 04, 2021 -
Generally speaking, a photographer wants overcast light when photographing flowers and plants. The cloud cover acts as a...
Read the Full Post »
Nothing to photograph?
June 27, 2021 -
Before moving to the current city I live in, I lived in a picturesque area. Within ten to fifteen minutes' drive from my...
Read the Full Post »
Be out there
June 20, 2021 -
For some, photography is just about getting that award-winning image. For others, it is all about the experience. Neithe...
Read the Full Post »
Light and Darkness
June 13, 2021 -
The slot canyons around Page, Arizona is a mesmerizing place to visit. These slot canyons abound in photographic potenti...
Read the Full Post »
Balancing the foreground and the background
June 06, 2021 -
Having a well-balanced image is a vital part of good compositions. When thinking about balance we often think only of ba...
Read the Full Post »
Dealing with Haze
May 30, 2021 -
Photographers often hate haze. Photoshop and other editing software have dehaze filters to help photographers with this...
Read the Full Post »
Facing Crowds
May 23, 2021 -
California was on fire. The area surrounding North Lake, Bishop was closed off to the public. Smoke filled the air to su...
Read the Full Post »
Breaking the rules
May 16, 2021 -
Sometimes rules are meant to be broken. The rule of thirds, in photography, is a powerful rule and has been proven over...
Read the Full Post »
Draw the viewer in with light
May 09, 2021 -
If you follow my blog you will know that I often state that the viewer's eyes are not just controlled by composition but...
Read the Full Post »
Focus stacking
May 02, 2021 -
Focus stacking is like exposure bracketing. You take multiple images of the same scene. The only setting you change thou...
Read the Full Post »
Painting with light
April 25, 2021 -
Photography is after all painting with light. It is more about the light than about the scene. Combining great light wit...
Read the Full Post »
Clearance space
April 18, 2021 -
Humans have two eyes. That gives us the ability to see and to measure depth and distance. We can see when something is c...
Read the Full Post »
Atmosphere
April 11, 2021 -
At times nature just does not play along. Instead of getting upset rather ask what kind of image suits the prevailing co...
Read the Full Post »
Balancing elements
April 04, 2021 -
Balance is important in composing nice photographs. Having too many elements on one side of the photograph without somet...
Read the Full Post »
Grab any opportunity
March 28, 2021 -
As photographers, we want to be out shooting whenever something special is happening. That applies equally to events we...
Read the Full Post »
Show a bit more
March 21, 2021 -
My wife and I were driving around in an area we had not yet explored. I love doing this to find possible locations to co...
Read the Full Post »
Dead space in the sky
March 14, 2021 -
Clouds do not often listen to our pleading to move this way or that way. In fact, skies can be challenging in photograph...
Read the Full Post »
Shrink your world
March 07, 2021 -
A friend invited me to go on a business trip with him. To sweeten the deal he told me that a friend of his informed him...
Read the Full Post »
Wave action part II
February 28, 2021 -
Last week we talked about capturing splashing wave action and freezing the action in mid-air. If you read my blogs regul...
Read the Full Post »
Wave Action
February 21, 2021 -
Don't you just love waves crashing into rocks and causing a big splash? There is something about the power, the sound, a...
Read the Full Post »
The joys of weather
February 14, 2021 -
You may recall that I love to go back to the same locations over and over again. This is important because great images...
Read the Full Post »
Drinking action
January 31, 2021 -
Giraffes have a difficult time drinking. They have special valves in their heads to prevent blood drainage when they sud...
Read the Full Post »
Birds in flight
January 24, 2021 -
Birds in flight can be some of the most difficult wildlife photography to do. These little birds move fast and can fly i...
Read the Full Post »
Animal Portraits
January 17, 2021 -
Animals also make nice portrait images. But what can we do to give them a bit of life? We can wait for the growl, yawn,...
Read the Full Post »
Frame-rate and wildlife photography
January 10, 2021 -
Which of these two images do you prefer? I and the people I show my images to tend to prefer the last image. But why? W...
Read the Full Post »
Look-room & choosing a position to shoot from
January 03, 2021 -
In the video industry, they often refer to "look-room." Look-room speaks of leaving enough room for the subject to look...
Read the Full Post »
Wildlife photography: the myth of always needing to fill the frame
December 27, 2020 -
Generally speaking, we want to fill the frame with the animal. But doing that can be boring and can miss telling the sto...
Read the Full Post »
Depth of Field (wildlife photography)
December 20, 2020 -
When photographing wildlife we all want that creamy out-of-focus backgrounds that we always see in award-winning images.
Read the Full Post »
Mixing the abstract with wildlife
December 13, 2020 -
Abstract photography is usually reserved for a different genre of photography than wildlife photography. But why not com...
Read the Full Post »
Animal interaction
December 06, 2020 -
This bird (oxpecker) had a free-range. The buffalo allowed it to go wherever it wanted to go unhindered. But why? Why wo...
Read the Full Post »
Zoom out a bit
November 29, 2020 -
With wildlife photography, we always want to zoom in close. It is tempting and for good reason as such images are striki...
Read the Full Post »
Difficult focusing
November 22, 2020 -
Certain images are just easier for your camera to get in focus than others. In wildlife photography acquiring focus is n...
Read the Full Post »
Learn body language
November 15, 2020 -
This Leopard walked around looking for something. It was evident in its body language. It seemed as if it had given up o...
Read the Full Post »
Get the shot
November 08, 2020 -
It was close to sunset. We were driving near Savuti in Botswana. A Leopard was spotted some distance away and we were in...
Read the Full Post »
Animal Portraiture Composition
October 25, 2020 -
Animal portraits can be as interesting as that of humans. As with human portraits, there are a few guidelines that when...
Read the Full Post »
Follow the Action
October 18, 2020 -
The rule of thumb with almost all photography is to follow the action. In landscape photography that may be where the co...
Read the Full Post »
Get Creative with Animals
October 11, 2020 -
Okay, so you already have 21 images of the elephant bathing in the mud or drinking water. Do you shoot 40 more or drive...
Read the Full Post »
Bee-Eaters
October 04, 2020 -
Bee-Eaters are colorful and make for great images. We were on a photography boat on the Chobe river in Botswana during o...
Read the Full Post »
Focus and Motion
September 13, 2020 -
Should all images always be totally in focus? We all know that blurred backgrounds are very nice when shooting flowers,...
Read the Full Post »
Intimate Wildlife
June 13, 2020 -
From time to time we have the good fortune to get really close to wildlife. Firstly, always stay safe. Wild animals are...
Read the Full Post »
Do wildlife photography from a low angle
June 07, 2020 -
Drone photography has really taken off and for good reason. Some drone taken images are just wonderful. If you look at r...
Read the Full Post »
Quick takes
May 31, 2020 -
Sometimes the unexpected happens, even in landscape photography. So we were on Safari, which means that we are all looki...
Read the Full Post »
The landscape as backdrop
May 24, 2020 -
Usually, the landscape is our image but have you thought of using the landscape as the background? By now we have our wi...
Read the Full Post »
Atmosphere and mood
May 10, 2020 -
The atmosphere and mood of an image can play an important part in photography. Some of the best atmospheric and moody im...
Read the Full Post »
Animal Portraits
May 03, 2020 -
We take portraits of people so why can't we also take portraits of animals? I guess we can. What can we learn from takin...
Read the Full Post »
Show life
April 26, 2020 -
In wildlife photography it is important to showcase life, show life living, doing what wildlife does. This means that we...
Read the Full Post »
Animal interaction
April 19, 2020 -
Animals also have emotions. Dogs, for example, are happy to see you when you come home. They like interacting with you....
Read the Full Post »
Size and Proportions
April 12, 2020 -
When different sizes and proportions are juxtaposed it creates contrast. This is when we see how large something really...
Read the Full Post »
Life and Death
April 05, 2020 -
Nature is nature, a place where life and death battle each other every day. Capture it. Chronicle life. At times these s...
Read the Full Post »
Capturing birds in flight
March 29, 2020 -
Getting good pictures of birds in flight can be some of the most difficult types of photography you can do. The smaller...
Read the Full Post »
Intimacy in wildlife photography
March 22, 2020 -
We often show animals in their environment and take landscape images of animals in the landscape. These images can be wo...
Read the Full Post »
Focus creates interest
March 15, 2020 -
Firstly, I am not talking about focus, as in focusing the lens, here. I am talking about when animals focus in a special...
Read the Full Post »
Life is harsh, show it
March 08, 2020 -
Life is harsh. Life happens and it is not always kind. In the animal world, it is often eat or be eaten. When you witnes...
Read the Full Post »
Wildlife Moments 2
March 01, 2020 -
Continuing on with last week's topic, always try to add something special to wildlife photography. Capture special littl...
Read the Full Post »
Wildlife Moments
February 23, 2020 -
Photography is all about capturing a moment in time that can have someone look at it for a long time. Wildlife photograp...
Read the Full Post »
Wildlife and patience
February 16, 2020 -
Wildlife photography is really difficult! Yes, anybody can take a nice-looking image of a static animal just looking at...
Read the Full Post »
Wait
February 09, 2020 -
Everyone left. Why would they stay? After all the sky is dreary. It is cold. Whatever poor light there was is gone and i...
Read the Full Post »
Featuring iconic elements as secondary interest
February 02, 2020 -
We have all seen great photography featuring iconic elements. The iconic elements are often the main subject of the imag...
Read the Full Post »
Telephoto Lens Landscapes
January 26, 2020 -
Whenever people think of landscape photography they almost always tend to think about using wide to super wide-angle len...
Read the Full Post »
Mirror elements
January 19, 2020 -
Nature seems rather random in terms of where what grows, flows, or is placed from a compositional perspective. So when w...
Read the Full Post »
Pay attention to detail
January 12, 2020 -
Nature does not place rocks or plant trees where we want them. One challenging thing about photography is that there is...
Read the Full Post »
Natural Frames
January 05, 2020 -
Yes, I have written about using frames compositionally before. Today I am going to be looking at a large frame (not just...
Read the Full Post »
Neutral Density Filters
December 29, 2019 -
I have heard many digital photographers say that they do not use filter because they do everything in post processing. E...
Read the Full Post »
Lead-in lines
December 22, 2019 -
If you have followed my blogs and photographs you will know that I like to use lead-in lines because they powerfully nud...
Read the Full Post »
Reflections on water
December 15, 2019 -
Reflections on water can make for great imagery. They can captivate the viewers' attention and make them look at an imag...
Read the Full Post »
Juxtaposition weight
December 08, 2019 -
I have written about visual weight before and am doing so again today because it is important to composition and balance...
Read the Full Post »
Order from chaos
December 01, 2019 -
The way nature arranges itself can seem chaotic to us. Trees don't naturally grow in straight lines. Rocks don't tend to...
Read the Full Post »
Balanced Composition
November 24, 2019 -
The best landscape images often have balance. The elements within the scene are in harmony. Visual elements and color ca...
Read the Full Post »
Different images - Same subject
November 17, 2019 -
I want more than one image from a site. I want to get as many good images as I can from each visit to a place. Often the...
Read the Full Post »
Depth formula refined
November 10, 2019 -
Last week's blog revealed an easy formula that creates depth. This formula is to have a strong foreground, a middle-grou...
Read the Full Post »
Easy depth formula
November 03, 2019 -
I often want someone to give me a quick formula that just works when I am doing something I don't have much knowledge of...
Read the Full Post »
Break the rules
October 27, 2019 -
The rule of thirds is a photographic rule for a good reason; it just works. As new photographers start out it is best to...
Read the Full Post »
Foreground shapes
October 20, 2019 -
You have heard me say that an interesting foreground is good for landscape images. This adds interest and depth to the i...
Read the Full Post »
Using light and dark areas compositionally
October 13, 2019 -
We have already mentioned in previous blogs that various things can be used compositionally. Elements - the placement o...
Read the Full Post »
Correcting Distortion
October 06, 2019 -
Landscape photographers often like to use very wide angle lenses. Most of the time we do so to exaggerate something in t...
Read the Full Post »
Dealing with noise selectively (locally)
September 29, 2019 -
I have said it before, amateurs work more with global adjustments in post processing while professionals use more select...
Read the Full Post »
Sunstars and flare
September 22, 2019 -
Yes, I know that some people really like flare in their shots. No, I don't know why they like it either. Flare certainly...
Read the Full Post »
Dealing with crowds at iconic locations
September 15, 2019 -
Have you ever been to Mesa Arch in Canyonlands (other than in winter)? What about Oxbow Bend in Grand Tetons National Pa...
Read the Full Post »
Destination Wedding Photography
September 08, 2019 -
You are asked to photograph a destination wedding. How is destination wedding photography different from "normal" weddin...
Read the Full Post »
Shooting the action
August 25, 2019 -
Wildlife photography requires patience and persistence. You might drive for an hour or so without even seeing any animal...
Read the Full Post »
Composing wildlife images
August 18, 2019 -
We typically have two options when it comes to the composition of wildlife. Either we photograph the animal showing it i...
Read the Full Post »
Setting gear up for wildlife photography
August 11, 2019 -
Pre-setup Before actual photography should take place, watch a few videos to setup your autofocus system for wildlife....
Read the Full Post »
Wildlife photography tips
August 04, 2019 -
During August I will be co-teaching a wildlife safari workshop in Zimbabwe and Botswana. Having grown up in South Africa...
Read the Full Post »
Color gradation
July 28, 2019 -
Smooth color gradation is one of the most tricky tasks for your camera's sensor. This is one area that can be used to de...
Read the Full Post »
Know when to stay after sunset
July 21, 2019 -
How can we know when to stay after sunset? Is it possible to know some time before sunset that the period after sunset i...
Read the Full Post »
Summarize the scene
July 14, 2019 -
With macro photography we go very close to show what we don't often see or look at. When we struggle to see great compos...
Read the Full Post »
Something has to stand out
July 07, 2019 -
Something has to stand out. We cannot have a see of objects all looking similar and end up with a great image. Something...
Read the Full Post »
Lower your angle
June 30, 2019 -
Shoot from below! Most photographers plonk their tripods down and shoot at eye level. Tripods are one of very few tools...
Read the Full Post »
Depth from above
June 23, 2019 -
Photographers use many elements and techniques to create depth in an image such as: Paths or roads Tracks Placeme...
Read the Full Post »
Balance and depth
June 16, 2019 -
Good images seem to have a sense of balance to them. They stay level when placed on a fulcrum point. Far objects balance...
Read the Full Post »
The sun
June 09, 2019 -
The sun plays a major role in just about all landscape images (except for night photography). It is the primary source o...
Read the Full Post »
Isolate, Isolate
June 02, 2019 -
Sometimes there is just too much in the scene to include it all. You have heard me say that painters start with nothing...
Read the Full Post »
Mystery
May 26, 2019 -
Ghost towns are often filled with mystery. It is our job to find the most mysterious scene and make it even more mysteri...
Read the Full Post »
Contrasting Objects
May 19, 2019 -
From time to time you come across contrasting object that just evoke questions. At other times this juxtaposition can be...
Read the Full Post »
The Orton Effect
May 12, 2019 -
The Orton effect introduces blur and glow. It can add some mystery and even mood. It can soften the scene. While I am no...
Read the Full Post »
Indoor Sunstars
May 05, 2019 -
I entered a room at Kolmanskop and liked the scene, but something was mission. I need to add some drama, some color, som...
Read the Full Post »
Indoor direct light
April 28, 2019 -
Mixing direct sunlight with indoor shadows can be difficult. The direct sunlight can be very bright while the shadows ca...
Read the Full Post »
Repeating patterns
April 21, 2019 -
Repeating patterns can make for interesting photographic material. We are still at the ghost town of Kolmanskop today. B...
Read the Full Post »
Kolmanskop, Namibia
April 14, 2019 -
Ghost towns can be very interesting to photograph and to explore. Kolmanskop is a ghost town near Luderitz in Namibia. W...
Read the Full Post »
Get close
April 07, 2019 -
I am a big fan of getting close to things to enlarge them and to give them importance in the scene. The object you get c...
Read the Full Post »
Foreground Lines
March 31, 2019 -
I have said this many times but it remains important. Foregrounds can often make landscape photographs. An interesting f...
Read the Full Post »
Photographing Arches
March 17, 2019 -
Rock arches almost always seem to be candidates for good imagery. They almost represent victory, they stood standing. Th...
Read the Full Post »
Balance and weight
March 10, 2019 -
Visual object carry weight. The darker the they are the more visual weight the represent. The larger they are the heavie...
Read the Full Post »
Reset the Sun
March 03, 2019 -
At our Namibian photography workshop (2018) we were shooting a sunset. I got some very nice images. However, all good th...
Read the Full Post »
Lines and Texture
February 24, 2019 -
Look at this image for a little while: Typically I want to go with the color and where the action is. In this image t...
Read the Full Post »
Movement and life
February 17, 2019 -
Movement and life add a lot of interest to landscape imagery. While in the desert in Namibia photographing I took this i...
Read the Full Post »
The human element in landscapes
February 10, 2019 -
I shoot for a major photo stock agency. My agency will not sell an image with a person in it without me having and suppl...
Read the Full Post »
Curved lines
February 03, 2019 -
Some images are static while others are dynamic. Great compositional tools to help us make more dynamic images are curve...
Read the Full Post »
Shutter Speeds and Landscapes
January 27, 2019 -
For a lot of landscape photography the shutter speed plays second fiddle because depth of field tends to be more importa...
Read the Full Post »
Capturing the essence of a place
January 20, 2019 -
The late Ron Levy, a great photographer and friend, always said that he does his best work after just being in a place,...
Read the Full Post »
Using Shadows
January 13, 2019 -
I am still writing about the desert this week. This is a harsh place and I attempt my best to capture and show that feel...
Read the Full Post »
Flare
January 06, 2019 -
I generally hate flare. To remove flare (which content aware cannot fix) you can create a new layer and set the blend mo...
Read the Full Post »
The sun as the image
December 30, 2018 -
When I was still growing up the adults always used to tell me that you shoot with the sun behind your back. Everytime th...
Read the Full Post »
Foreground as the image
December 23, 2018 -
You often hear me say that depth is what makes good landscape images. To create good depth we need a strong foreground,...
Read the Full Post »
Simplicity with wonder
December 16, 2018 -
Sossusvlei is one of the most photographed landscape hotspots in Southern Africa. This place is the home of some of the...
Read the Full Post »
Slot Canyons
December 09, 2018 -
Slot canyons make wonderful photographs. Those near Page, Arizona, particularly Upper and Lower canyons, are almost usel...
Read the Full Post »
Putting it all together
December 02, 2018 -
I visited Page, Arizona recently and as you can expect I did a lot of photography. There were masses of people. I counte...
Read the Full Post »
Vertical panorama photography
November 25, 2018 -
Most panorama landscape photographs are horizontal panoramas. We typically turn the camera vertically and then shoot a s...
Read the Full Post »
A special day
November 18, 2018 -
A wedding is a special day! As a photographer, I have had many wedding shoots over the years. Many of these days were ve...
Read the Full Post »
Photographing the Icons
November 11, 2018 -
I have written about iconic locations and those trophy images that we all want before. The message has consistently been...
Read the Full Post »
Post-Processing
November 04, 2018 -
Let's face it if you want to be a good photographer you have to be a good post-processor. This does not mean that you ha...
Read the Full Post »
Composing at night
October 21, 2018 -
Night photography can be tricky. It presents various challenges. The most obvious of which is that it is dark. How do yo...
Read the Full Post »
Be ready!
October 14, 2018 -
During our recent photographic workshop in Namibia, I was reminded how important it is to be ready. Many people miss onc...
Read the Full Post »
Character and composition
October 07, 2018 -
When you visit a scene that is a photographic icon you don't want to just get the image that everybody gets. Hopefully,...
Read the Full Post »
Major Photography Gear Changes
September 30, 2018 -
This blog typically covers the art of photography. Most of the time we discuss and image to see what we can learn about...
Read the Full Post »
Sun Star Position
September 23, 2018 -
So who does not like a nice sun star image? Sun star images are popular for a reason; they are stunning. The quality of...
Read the Full Post »
Post Processing for Balance
September 16, 2018 -
A few weeks ago I wrote about contrast and balance. Today I want to talk about post-processing for balance. When I am ou...
Read the Full Post »
Foregrounds can be very important
September 09, 2018 -
Some images do not need much foreground interest. A beach scene with a beautiful lit dramatic sky typically does not rel...
Read the Full Post »
Get really close
September 02, 2018 -
One of the best things you can do to improve your landscape photography is to use a wide-angle lens and then get really...
Read the Full Post »
Using texture to draw attention
August 26, 2018 -
Texture can be used powerfully in photography. The texture of bark, sand, skin, hair, and so forth can be used as a foca...
Read the Full Post »
Contrast and balance
August 19, 2018 -
When photographers speak of contrast they typically refer to light and dark values. However, at times we like to contras...
Read the Full Post »
Get Close, Shoot From Lower Down
August 12, 2018 -
We often plonk our tripods down fully extended and shoot from eye level because it is comfortable to do so. What do you...
Read the Full Post »
Photograph After Sunset
August 05, 2018 -
Many photographers pack up and leave when the sun sets. I have found that I often get my best shots after the sun has go...
Read the Full Post »
Directing the Viewer's Eyes
July 29, 2018 -
One of the goals we have as photographers is to direct the viewer's eyes. We want to pull their eye's into the image. We...
Read the Full Post »
Think About Your Composition
July 22, 2018 -
Photography is half science/technical and half art/vision. When you get to a scene what do you do in terms of your visio...
Read the Full Post »
Light
July 15, 2018 -
If you have read my blogs from the beginning you may remember that the word "photography" means drawing or writing with...
Read the Full Post »
Shutter Speeds
July 08, 2018 -
Before I take any picture I always ask myself: "Is there movement in scene?" If the answer is "no" then I really do not...
Read the Full Post »
Light, mood and white balance
July 01, 2018 -
On a recent workshop at Big Sur, California we visited the same location on two different days. We encountered very diff...
Read the Full Post »
The human element in landscape photography
June 17, 2018 -
When I learnt photography a few purists attempted their best to instill in me the principle of not every including any m...
Read the Full Post »
Flower Photography
June 10, 2018 -
As you know I am a landscape and nature (including wild life) photographer. So, when I talk about flower photography I a...
Read the Full Post »
Foreground, middle ground and background
June 03, 2018 -
One way to get depth in your images is to have a strong foreground, a strong middle ground and a good background. Having...
Read the Full Post »
Seascapes
May 20, 2018 -
Seascapes can be beautiful. The ocean typically offers three different possibilities for great images. Firstly, the main...
Read the Full Post »
Juxtapose life and death
May 13, 2018 -
Drama tends to be exciting, in life and in photography. Drama seems to ask questions, questions that make you look at an...
Read the Full Post »
Show scale
May 06, 2018 -
Crime scenes are always shot with something to give scale. I nature that is sometimes also required to allow the viewer...
Read the Full Post »
Nap time can be cute
April 29, 2018 -
Who does not adore an image of a baby sleeping? Nap time can be so cute. Animals also nap and their nap time images can...
Read the Full Post »
Add interest to wildlife
April 22, 2018 -
Animals can make great imagery. Just like in landscape images you also require good light. The good news is that wild an...
Read the Full Post »
Capture Mood
April 15, 2018 -
Sometimes we just think of the beautiful. We see that wonderful sunset, the vibrant colors. When we are in this frame of...
Read the Full Post »
Add life to the dead
April 08, 2018 -
Kolmanskop in Namibia is a fascinating place. In fact, Namibia is a fascinating country. If you would like to take a pho...
Read the Full Post »
Using light to invite
April 01, 2018 -
In landscape photography we always want to invite the viewer to come into our images. That is why I write so much about...
Read the Full Post »
The early bird catches the worm
March 25, 2018 -
If it is true that the early bird catches the worm it is often also true that the early photographer catches the shot. M...
Read the Full Post »
Balance, lines and depth
March 18, 2018 -
Landscape photography often requires balance. Different colors have different weights. Darks are heavier than lights. Ob...
Read the Full Post »
A few minutes can make a big difference
March 11, 2018 -
A few minutes can make a big difference. When shooting wildlife a few minutes make the difference between seeing the leo...
Read the Full Post »
Windows and frames
March 04, 2018 -
Well I am not talking about man-made windows and frames today. Our interest today is on using nature to frame a scene in...
Read the Full Post »
The Orton effect
February 25, 2018 -
The Orton effect is where in post processing you make the light look more soft, dreamy and glowing (just a bit). This ca...
Read the Full Post »
Minimalistic Images
February 18, 2018 -
Less is sometimes more. Minimalistic images can be impactful. They are typically calming image; images that evoke though...
Read the Full Post »
Shooting for advertising
February 11, 2018 -
There is a slight difference between fine art photography and advertising photography. I take images for both purposes....
Read the Full Post »
Sun stars
February 04, 2018 -
Sun stars appear when the sun is just exposed behind a hard edge and you use a small f stop. Sun stars are strong compos...
Read the Full Post »
Nasty conditions may present opportunities
January 28, 2018 -
For the last two weeks' blogs we are visiting Deadvlei in Namibia. The wind started blowing harder and harder. When you...
Read the Full Post »
Wait for the right moment
January 21, 2018 -
Even fleeting moments have the right moment. Since fleeting moments do not last shoot them fast. Once you have a few ima...
Read the Full Post »
Go where the action is
January 14, 2018 -
Deadvlei is an ancient dry pan with dead acacia trees surrounded by sand dunes. Deadvlei is located in Sossusvlei, Namib...
Read the Full Post »
Milky-way photography
January 07, 2018 -
Night photography is not my bread and butter. It just seems like a one trick pony. All star photography images tend to l...
Read the Full Post »
Shoot front and back
December 31, 2017 -
On a trip to Yosemite I wanted to get some elevation and headed for Sentinel Dome. I was on the dome before sunset. One...
Read the Full Post »
Water flow and depth
December 24, 2017 -
My wife is not a big fan of flowing water in images. She prefers faster shutter speeds that freezes the water more. I ju...
Read the Full Post »
Backlighting
November 26, 2017 -
People seem to be brainwashed to always have the sun behind them when they shoot. I love shooting into the sun. There is...
Read the Full Post »
Tell a story
November 19, 2017 -
A picture is worth a thousand words. Are your images telling a story? How about using a sequence to tell the story? Ima...
Read the Full Post »
Get the background totally blurred
November 05, 2017 -
Especially when shooting birds, the background has as much influence on the image as the bird itself. The most pleasing...
Read the Full Post »
Animal photography
October 29, 2017 -
Animals can be well camouflaged; their survival depend on it. That makes them difficult to spot. Now that you have spott...
Read the Full Post »
Birds in flight
October 15, 2017 -
Any photographer experienced in bird in flight photography will tell you that it is very tricky. Birds can move very fas...
Read the Full Post »
Sand dunes
October 01, 2017 -
Sand dunes are fascinating and they can be very photogenic. How do we bring the best out in them? Here are some tricks...
Read the Full Post »
What about the road?
September 24, 2017 -
When I was learning the craft of photography I was very young. I attended photography clubs for years. They taught me mu...
Read the Full Post »
Animal landscapes
September 17, 2017 -
Animals can greatly help your landscape images. They add a sense of scale. They tell a story. They tend to evoke questio...
Read the Full Post »
Distance on a flat image
September 10, 2017 -
You will hear me say this over and over again. We want people to look into our images rather than from side to side. Let...
Read the Full Post »
Maximizing skyscapes
September 03, 2017 -
What is the most interesting, the land or the sky? Whichever is the most interesting should be emphasized. If it is the...
Read the Full Post »
After sunset image post processing
August 27, 2017 -
Let's start with the image today: This image was taken well after sunset. The foreground was pretty dark by now. Yet th...
Read the Full Post »
Anticipate good shooting opportunities
August 20, 2017 -
It was a long day. We had been up since just after 4 am. We spent all day driving and hiking. We had kept a schedule sim...
Read the Full Post »
Special phenomena
August 06, 2017 -
I am no weather scientist; I wish I was as it may come in very handy in the field of photography. I was shooting a seasc...
Read the Full Post »
Maximizing rainbows
July 23, 2017 -
Who does not love a great rainbow? It is the rainbow that makes this image. I have said this many times before; when th...
Read the Full Post »
Multiple lightning strikes during the day
July 16, 2017 -
Getting multiple lightning strikes at night is easy; just leave the shutter open for a long while during a lightning sto...
Read the Full Post »
Using height
July 09, 2017 -
There are more ways to create depth beyond just using lead-in lines and light. One can use height. Yes, when you are sho...
Read the Full Post »
Foreground, middle-ground, and background
July 02, 2017 -
Not all photographs are the same. Not all landscape photographs subscribe to the same recipe. Some of them work very wel...
Read the Full Post »
What you need to make day-time lightning images
June 25, 2017 -
Let's look at our example image first today: This was taken late one afternoon. This was a fairly fast moving storm....
Read the Full Post »
Lightning adds interest
June 18, 2017 -
All of us have seen some great images of dramatic lightning. Most of those images are taken at night. Those images are e...
Read the Full Post »
Good light
June 11, 2017 -
Have you ever stood before a wonderful scene in poor light? How did the images turn out? That bad, uh? Yeah, I have cert...
Read the Full Post »
Too much cloud-cover?
June 04, 2017 -
You are on location. The scene is beautiful. You have all the makings of a good image, but one element is missing. The m...
Read the Full Post »
Combining lead-in lines with light drawing the viewer in
May 28, 2017 -
Over the last month of so, we have been spending a lot of time with lead-in lines. By now you should know how important...
Read the Full Post »
Size and perspective
May 14, 2017 -
Here is an image that I do not consider to be good. Yet, I may actually print this one large. Why? This image is one of...
Read the Full Post »
Look for the simple and the different
April 23, 2017 -
When we are in a place where the main attraction offers many photographic possibilities it is so easy to just look at th...
Read the Full Post »
Using multiple lead-in lines
April 09, 2017 -
Last week we looked at S-curves to lead the viewer into the image. This week we are looking at using multiple lead-in li...
Read the Full Post »
Looking for curves
April 02, 2017 -
Curved lines are more dynamic than straight lines. They take you into the image. They create flow. Sometimes they are ve...
Read the Full Post »
Strong foregrounds
March 26, 2017 -
Strong foregrounds often make strong images. In landscape photography that is usually true if that strong foreground tie...
Read the Full Post »
All elements working together
March 19, 2017 -
I was judging images at a photography club. Eventually, it came down to deciding between the top two images of the night...
Read the Full Post »
Elevation
March 12, 2017 -
Most people walk out to a scene and plonk their tripods down when they have selected a spot to shoot from. They then set...
Read the Full Post »
Mood
March 05, 2017 -
Photographs have mood. Some have more mood than others. At times we can get so overwhelmed by what we see that we focus...
Read the Full Post »
Using lines
February 26, 2017 -
If you regularly read my blog you will know that I am a fan of creating depth in many of my landscape images. I have wri...
Read the Full Post »
Moving Clouds
February 19, 2017 -
Landscape photographers sometimes itch to do something a bit more artistic. When this itch strikes they sometimes move t...
Read the Full Post »
Creating Massive Panoramas
February 12, 2017 -
There are two kinds of panoramas. Firstly, there is the obvious panorama that used a long ratio (very long compared to w...
Read the Full Post »
Pink and purple hues in the sky
February 05, 2017 -
The twilight wedge can produce very nice pink and purple hues in the sky. These colors can be very pleasing with a lands...
Read the Full Post »
Human elements in landscape images
January 29, 2017 -
Many purists who shoot landscape images believe that genuine landscape photography is not to include any man-made elemen...
Read the Full Post »
Framing an image
January 22, 2017 -
Adding compositional objects on the edges of an image can help create a frame to keep the viewer's attention inside your...
Read the Full Post »
Dodge and Burn
January 15, 2017 -
Yes, even in the digital age dodging and burning is still necessary. In fact, dodging and burning can make an image. The...
Read the Full Post »
Composing for harmony
January 08, 2017 -
Let's take a look at the image below: This location offers a bit of moving room (if it is not lined with other photogra...
Read the Full Post »
Rain and drama
January 01, 2017 -
Most people head for shelter when the rain comes. Pro's drive in as the others leave. We are always seeking drama. We se...
Read the Full Post »
What iconic image?
December 25, 2016 -
Last week I spoke about the T.A. Moulton barn on Mormon row in the Grand Tetons National Park. What would you do if you...
Read the Full Post »
Get something a bit different
December 18, 2016 -
Iconic images are iconic for a reason; they are just great compositions at great places. Getting that trophy image may b...
Read the Full Post »
Reflections and composition
December 11, 2016 -
Landscape photography is not always about great big open spaces. Telephoto lenses can also produce nice landscape images...
Read the Full Post »
Wait for the break in the storm
December 04, 2016 -
Some storms are dramatic with clouds and lightning. Many storms where I live are boring during the storm because the ent...
Read the Full Post »
The show is not over till it is over
November 27, 2016 -
Many photographers get the image they want and then they leave. At other times, when it does not seem as if the elements...
Read the Full Post »
Processing for shooting into the sun
November 20, 2016 -
Disclaimer: never look into the sun; your eyes will be damaged. Do not look into the sun with a camera with an optical v...
Read the Full Post »
Draw the viewer in
November 13, 2016 -
You have read me say this over and over. I cannot say it enough. Amateurs look at an image from side to side - laterally...
Read the Full Post »
Reflections in water
November 06, 2016 -
Reflections in water can greatly improve an image. Many times the reflection cuts the image in two because it cuts right...
Read the Full Post »
Remember Panoramas
October 30, 2016 -
I have written about panoramic photography in a previous blog. I would like to remember this kind of photography today....
Read the Full Post »
Walking to location
October 23, 2016 -
We can be so excited to get to the planned location that we don't even notice any photographic possibilities on the way...
Read the Full Post »
Simple images
October 09, 2016 -
Simple images can be very effective. There are photographers who have built their careers with minimalistic images. You...
Read the Full Post »
Rainbows
October 02, 2016 -
I was driving away from one scene to the next when I spotted a rainbow in my rear view mirror. I stopped and grabbed my...
Read the Full Post »
Sunset Storms
September 25, 2016 -
Always put safety first. Storms can be dangerous. Lightning can jump 10 miles and strike you. Follow the national weathe...
Read the Full Post »
Cloudy days and post processing
September 18, 2016 -
Many photographers prefer not to shoot landscape imagery when it is overcast and cloudy. While it is true that this kind...
Read the Full Post »
Don't be afraid to shoot into the sun
September 11, 2016 -
Be safe; never look into the sun - and not through an optical viewfinder. The sun adds interest of can often add drama.
Read the Full Post »
Get really close with a wide angle
September 04, 2016 -
I have written on this topic a few times before. The reason I keep on repeating it is to get you away from thinking that...
Read the Full Post »
Ripples in the sand
August 28, 2016 -
Sand by itself may be boring in an image. Sand with ripples are magical. They form lines which you can used to lead your...
Read the Full Post »
Rainbows
August 21, 2016 -
Rainbows are great for photography. They come and they may go quickly. So we need to work fast to get the images we want...
Read the Full Post »
Asking questions
August 21, 2016 -
I have seen really good images in my life. Sometimes those image are great because they ask questions that leave the vie...
Read the Full Post »
The human element
August 14, 2016 -
When I was much younger senior landscape photographers taught me that pure landscapes cannot have any man-made or human...
Read the Full Post »
Shapes and patterns
August 07, 2016 -
When on location we often focus on the grand scene in front of us. As landscape photographers we often forget to look fo...
Read the Full Post »
Using Shadows
July 31, 2016 -
There are many sources of lead in lines; fallen trees, railroad tracks, water, footpaths, roads, etc. One that is often...
Read the Full Post »
Framing
July 24, 2016 -
No, I am not talking about framing your images with wooden frames to hang on the wall. Photographers use a technique cal...
Read the Full Post »
Lens perspective
July 17, 2016 -
Why do we use different lenses? Most people think that we use different lenses to alter how much we can include in the f...
Read the Full Post »
Lemonade ...
July 10, 2016 -
On the last photography workshop we got handed some lemons. Don and I checked in with the people in charge of the park a...
Read the Full Post »
Be out when others go in (always do what is safe)
July 03, 2016 -
Every time I co-instruct a photography workshop I see the same thing. We get up early and hike in the dark to get in the...
Read the Full Post »
Lens hoods
June 26, 2016 -
Lens hoods are wonderful. I hate lens hoods. The wonderful: If the sun shines directly into your lens you may get flare...
Read the Full Post »
Do what works for you
June 19, 2016 -
Most of us have little quirks or things we do simply because they work for us. In photography we all have our way of sho...
Read the Full Post »
Planning a shot
June 12, 2016 -
I have written a previous blog about planning a shot. Today I would like to show you how to practically work that plan....
Read the Full Post »
Break Through Photography filters: A Review - Part II
June 05, 2016 -
Now that I have used both filters from Break Through Photography I would like to talk about their performance. Polarizer...
Read the Full Post »
Break Through Photography filters: A review - Part I
May 29, 2016 -
Since my switch to the Sony system I have needed to get new filters as the new lenses have different diameters than my C...
Read the Full Post »
A closer look at river rocks
May 22, 2016 -
River beds can be littered with rocks. When we are lucky or plan correctly we find moss on them to add color and interes...
Read the Full Post »
Mixing cold and warm colors
May 15, 2016 -
I love the ocean. I love shooting the ocean using long shutter speeds. The wave movement and sometimes spooky effect is...
Read the Full Post »
Luminosity Masks
May 01, 2016 -
I must admit that I am more of a photographer than an image editor. I come from shooting slide film. Nothing could be co...
Read the Full Post »
Slow down
April 24, 2016 -
Slow down. Slow down with your composition decisions - a tripod kind of forces you to slow down. Slow down in your plann...
Read the Full Post »
Foreground, middle-ground, and background
April 17, 2016 -
Not all images require a foreground (especially when using telephotos in your landscapes). Not all images require a back...
Read the Full Post »
Use your feet
April 10, 2016 -
Ansel Adams was reported to once saying something like "the difference between a great image and a good image is a few f...
Read the Full Post »
After the rain
April 03, 2016 -
When a storm is through get out to shoot. Water adds interest to most shots. Go to locations where the water forms ponds...
Read the Full Post »
Spring is in the air
March 27, 2016 -
Spring is in the air. The flowers are out. Have you been out to shoot? To get the shot you have to be out there... I typ...
Read the Full Post »
Shooting forest streams: Part III
March 20, 2016 -
Have a look at this image: Here we are not really shooting upstream or downstream, although you do look downstream as t...
Read the Full Post »
Shooting forest streams: Part II
March 13, 2016 -
Most of the time we shoot forest streams by either pointing the camera downstream or upstream. This makes a lot of sense...
Read the Full Post »
Shooting forest streams: Part I
March 06, 2016 -
Part of the reason I love landscape photography is actually not about getting images but being there; enjoying the scene...
Read the Full Post »
Look for and add interest
February 28, 2016 -
We enjoy a great walk in a forest. Forest footpaths make for some good photographic subject matter, but how many footpat...
Read the Full Post »
Adding the sun
February 21, 2016 -
Caution: do not look into the sun it will damage your eyes. I use live view or my Sony's digital viewfinder, but never u...
Read the Full Post »
Using rocks, logs, and water to form lines
February 14, 2016 -
When you are in nature you look into the scene because you have depth perception. You can even estimate the distance to...
Read the Full Post »
Using flowing water
February 07, 2016 -
Flowing water scenes can be so calming. When a slow shutter speed is used the water blurs and typically forms lines beca...
Read the Full Post »
Second locations
January 31, 2016 -
Last week I wrote about and showed this image: Never be satisfied while the light is still good. Check your histogram...
Read the Full Post »
Anticipating great light
January 24, 2016 -
You have read regularly that I love shooting on the edges of storms. The light is often crips and fresh. The clouds are...
Read the Full Post »
Remember the small
January 17, 2016 -
I am not a person of great stature and have been the object of many jokes growing up or shall I say growing older. As pe...
Read the Full Post »
So what is all that dynamic range good for?
December 20, 2015 -
Many Canon photographers have claimed that they do not need all that dynamic range. Let me just say that not needing som...
Read the Full Post »
Getting beautiful sun stars
December 06, 2015 -
We have all seen shots with great sun stars. They add sparkle and interest to just about any image. Usually there is als...
Read the Full Post »
Images must have their own merit
November 29, 2015 -
A few months ago I read a blog from Iceland discussing how we evaluate our own images based on effort to get. The premis...
Read the Full Post »
Wildlife photography tips: Part III - Use good composition
November 22, 2015 -
Animals and birds do not often cooperate with photographers. At times they turn their backs at us. At other times they j...
Read the Full Post »
Wildlife photography tips: Part II - Getting better shots
November 15, 2015 -
The same tips apply here as we discussed during the bird photography series of blogs a few weeks back. Shots that show i...
Read the Full Post »
Wildlife photography tips: Part I - Setting up your gear
November 08, 2015 -
So you want to shoot wildlife. As discussed before a crop camera is preferred over a full frame camera. A crop camera ha...
Read the Full Post »
Landscape while on safari: Part II
November 01, 2015 -
Most of us do not live within a game park or some place famous for safaris. That means that we have to travel to where w...
Read the Full Post »
Bird Photography: Part III - Tips
October 11, 2015 -
Before taking photographs Julie Chen told me about the behavior of these Turns. As an expert bird photographer she knows...
Read the Full Post »
Bird Photography: Part II - Mistakes
October 04, 2015 -
Julie Chen was kind enough to teach me the finer art of bird photography. Here is what I learned not to do. I will also...
Read the Full Post »
Bird Photography: Part I - Equipment
September 27, 2015 -
I met up with expert bird photographer Julie Chen for a day of shooting. Julie was kind enough to share some of her expe...
Read the Full Post »
Directing the viewer's eyes: Part III
August 16, 2015 -
So last week we talked about using brightness to direct the viewer's eyes to where we want them to look and thereby to e...
Read the Full Post »
Directing the viewer's eyes: Part II
August 09, 2015 -
Last week we said that photographers can direct a viewer's eyes by using brightness, anything different from the rest of...
Read the Full Post »
The Difference Light Makes
July 12, 2015 -
So I have written a few times before that I often go back to the same place, over and over. Why do I do that? Is that no...
Read the Full Post »
Old Buildings
July 05, 2015 -
Old buildings can be fascinating. Many people shoot them from the outside. Many of these buildings can be large and you...
Read the Full Post »
Still Life Reflections
June 28, 2015 -
Still life shots are often in demand because they sell products. They are bought for catalogs and advertisements. They c...
Read the Full Post »
Birds in Flight
June 21, 2015 -
Birds in flight are more interesting than static birds sitting on a perch (although I also enjoy those). The choice of g...
Read the Full Post »
Airshows Part II
June 14, 2015 -
If you have not read last week's blog please do so before you read this week's blog. With that said and you planning to...
Read the Full Post »
Airshows ...
June 07, 2015 -
Airshows provide a nice photo op. Take a long lens for in-flight shots. Take shorter lenses for parked planes. What are...
Read the Full Post »
Compacting Objects
May 31, 2015 -
The good guys are in trouble. The bad guys have a bomb planted, and it is ready to explode. The good guy sees the bomb,...
Read the Full Post »
Juxtapositioning
May 24, 2015 -
"Good bye God, hello Bodie" is what people used to say when they went to this wild western town when the west was still...
Read the Full Post »
Shooting Snow
May 17, 2015 -
Snow shots are difficult to get right. Snow is one of the most reflective surfaces on earth. It reflects so much light t...
Read the Full Post »
Travel ...
May 10, 2015 -
Travel presents great opportunities to get compelling images. Yes, we can get great landscape shots while travelling, bu...
Read the Full Post »
Fire
May 03, 2015 -
When things happen that do not usually happen we have an opportunity to get images we cannot usually get. So when there...
Read the Full Post »
Light Painting
April 26, 2015 -
Light painting can create awesome images. When your camera is set on a long shutter speed, with a small F.Stop, and low...
Read the Full Post »
Blending Images
April 19, 2015 -
Before you crucify me for daring to even talk about blending images together let me just say that I do not add anything...
Read the Full Post »
Vibration Control
April 12, 2015 -
Have you ever shot in the field, examined your shot on your camera's LCD (they look just beautiful and sharp), and got h...
Read the Full Post »
Printer Calibration
April 05, 2015 -
Last week we spoke about the importance of calibrating your monitor. What happens when your monitor is fully calibrated...
Read the Full Post »
Monitor Calibration
March 29, 2015 -
A client just happened to see an image on my screen and fell in love with it. He ordered a print on the spot. The file w...
Read the Full Post »
Contrast ...
March 22, 2015 -
When we talk about contrast in photography we are usually talking about contrast of light (and what we adjust in post pr...
Read the Full Post »
Harsh(ish) Light - Soft Light
March 15, 2015 -
We cannot overemphasize the difference light makes to photography. Photographers have to learn to read light and know wh...
Read the Full Post »
Slot Canyons
February 22, 2015 -
I wish I can be left alone in the Slot Canyons (Page, Arizona) for a day of two. These canyons are made for photographer...
Read the Full Post »
Shooting Panoramic Images
February 15, 2015 -
We have all seen the wiiiiiiiiide images or the taaaaaaaall ones. They can be striking images. How are they made? Did th...
Read the Full Post »
Canon 50 MP Monster ...
February 08, 2015 -
Some time ago I spoke about gear (which I don't often do) and more specifically about mirrorless offerings. Thursday nig...
Read the Full Post »
Fog ...
February 01, 2015 -
There has been many shots that I wanted to shoot but could not because the background was just terrible. In many situati...
Read the Full Post »
Keep it simple ...
January 25, 2015 -
Less is more. I was a judge in a photographic club competition. One shot had great light but it was just too busy (too m...
Read the Full Post »
Vintage Images ...
January 18, 2015 -
There is a lot of old farm implements and old cars strewn around. Many historical parks would love for you to visit. The...
Read the Full Post »
Shooting Flowers
January 04, 2015 -
It cannot be stressed enough that photography is all about the light. I have also written about choosing the right kind...
Read the Full Post »
Alpen Glow
December 28, 2014 -
There is a short time, usually at high elevation, just before sunrise when the sun's light bends over the earth's curvat...
Read the Full Post »
Get Multiple Shots
December 21, 2014 -
Last week we talked about Alpen Glow in the image below: While I really like this image I never want to walk away fro...
Read the Full Post »
Shoot Before Sunrise
December 14, 2014 -
First light and last light always tend to be the sweetest light. Having observed many photographers during professional...
Read the Full Post »
Shooting Iconic Scenes
December 07, 2014 -
In the photographic world there are certain landscape shots that are famous. They are the great icons on the photographi...
Read the Full Post »
Shooting Fall Color
November 30, 2014 -
Shooting fall color is so exciting because it is so colorful. Cottonwood and Aspen trees (in the West) turn yellow. The...
Read the Full Post »
Look Behind You
November 23, 2014 -
Professional landscape photographers don't take pictures we make them. That means that we spend a lot of time planning a...
Read the Full Post »
Don't Forget Black and White
November 16, 2014 -
Have you ever wondered why Zebras are black and white while all other animals are in color? I don't know either. With im...
Read the Full Post »
Gear Trends
November 09, 2014 -
Much has happened in the last few years in the photo industry. For a landscape photographer one such exciting developmen...
Read the Full Post »
Shoot while you can
November 02, 2014 -
I hate photographic disappointments, probably because when I feel disappointed I really feel bitterly disappointed. It i...
Read the Full Post »
Control your white balance
October 19, 2014 -
White balance sets the color temperature of your shots. Blue is cold while orange is warm. Your camera senses what the c...
Read the Full Post »
Shoot well after sunset
October 12, 2014 -
I have written about waiting for and shooting after sunset before. So here I go again. Often the clouds can be lit very...
Read the Full Post »
Anticipate and be ready ...
October 05, 2014 -
We where at this spot well before sunset. I looked at the clouds that were half way between the sun and the island. The...
Read the Full Post »
Working fast ...
September 28, 2014 -
One thinks of landscape photography as a slow endeavor. In deed I have waited many hours for the light to change; many t...
Read the Full Post »
Take a professional workshop ...
September 21, 2014 -
I will be assisting veteran pro photographer Don Smith (http://www.donsmithphotography.com) in teaching two professional...
Read the Full Post »
Add something for scale
September 14, 2014 -
Sometimes the size of objects can be deceiving in photos. The magnitude of large elements can get lost. Small elements c...
Read the Full Post »
Lines create depth
September 07, 2014 -
We have spoken about lead in lines and depth over and over again. So why is it addressed again? The reason is simple. Am...
Read the Full Post »
Camera settings for action
August 31, 2014 -
When our subject is moving fast, we have to pick a shutter speed that will freeze the action (unless we are shooting a w...
Read the Full Post »
Change your position, change the perspective
August 24, 2014 -
This trip to Newfoundland was the first time in my life that I saw an iceberg. Growing up in Africa does not particularl...
Read the Full Post »
Find a foreground element
August 17, 2014 -
Last week we talked about shooting in the woods. A great topic to shoot in forests is footpaths. They form good lead in...
Read the Full Post »
Shooting in the woods
August 10, 2014 -
Last week I spoke about drab gray skies. Shooting in the woods when the sky acts as a giant diffuser is a great idea; so...
Read the Full Post »
How to deal with drab gray skies
August 03, 2014 -
So I had a great time visiting Newfoundland, Canada. There are literally great photo opportunities around every corner....
Read the Full Post »
Processing Raw files
June 22, 2014 -
Today's blog is for beginners. If you already process raw files you are not going to learn anything new today. If you ar...
Read the Full Post »
What is cooking with Raw and JPG?
June 15, 2014 -
So many beginners want to know whether to shoot in Raw or JPG. The answer is not always as simple as this one or that on...
Read the Full Post »
Streaks of light
June 08, 2014 -
A week or so ago I was in San Francisco for meetings. On the way there I stopped over on Yerba Buena island to photograp...
Read the Full Post »
Sometimes darkness is the only option
June 01, 2014 -
Photography is about light. Light usually comes from the sun which means we shoot when there is enough light to see. I a...
Read the Full Post »
Shooting seascapes
May 25, 2014 -
I just love the ocean. I love the roar of the waves. I love watching the waves break. It is so calming. So how do we get...
Read the Full Post »
Animals as part of the landscape
May 18, 2014 -
Taking photographs of animals is great fun. We love to watch them. They are often very photogenic. Working close to anim...
Read the Full Post »
Let's remember our manners
May 11, 2014 -
Photographers work hard. We carry heavy gear. We hike long distances. We brave the weather. We walk in darkness. Let's n...
Read the Full Post »
Play with Perspective
May 04, 2014 -
On safari we encounter animals, that is why we go on safari. Typically, people photograph these animals in the same way.
Read the Full Post »
Shooting at night
April 27, 2014 -
Who says we can't shoot at night? Because we don't see well at night does not mean that the camera can't. Night shooting...
Read the Full Post »
Return to familiar grounds
April 20, 2014 -
Someone once said that serious amateur photographers make better images than professional photographers. He went on to e...
Read the Full Post »
Work the scene
April 13, 2014 -
One scene can produce multiple different shots, therefore work the scene. I found Death Valley difficult to shoot at fir...
Read the Full Post »
We love bad weather!
April 06, 2014 -
Generally people do not like bad weather. Photographers are a different breed. We love bad weather. Bad weather could me...
Read the Full Post »
Landscape does not always refer to Grandscape
March 30, 2014 -
Last week we looked at composition. One of the points made was that we often like to include something of interest right...
Read the Full Post »
Composition
March 23, 2014 -
Non-photographers just shoot. Photographers think about where they place what in the image. Well how do photographers mo...
Read the Full Post »
Learning the Basics: Part 2 (for beginners)
March 16, 2014 -
Another part of the technical aspect of photography is exposure (how bright or dark the image is). F-Stops and shutter s...
Read the Full Post »
Tell a Story
March 02, 2014 -
Have you ever looked at a photograph which evoked question after question? Have you ever looked at a photograph that mad...
Read the Full Post »
Just add water ...
February 23, 2014 -
Water is usually very photogenic. Just add water to your image (in good light, of course) and you usually have a better...
Read the Full Post »
6 Must Have Photography Apps
February 16, 2014 -
6 Must Have Photography Apps I have done many searches on Google and in App Stores for "Photography Apps". The results...
Read the Full Post »
Taking Pictures versus Making Pictures
February 09, 2014 -
Taking Pictures versus Making Pictures Non-photographers take pictures. Photographers make pictures. I have heard many...
Read the Full Post »
Train your companions
February 02, 2014 -
Train your companions When shooting animals on safari you cannot use a tripod. There are some gear you can fasten to th...
Read the Full Post »
Wait ...
January 26, 2014 -
Wait... Yosemite is an exciting place to photograph. During one long weekend stay the weather was horrible. It was rain...
Read the Full Post »
To use Filters or not to
January 19, 2014 -
To use filters or not to Every photography sales person wants to sell you filters because they generally have high prof...
Read the Full Post »
It is not all about gear
January 12, 2014 -
It is not all about gear In the film days a cheap camera and a very expensive camera produced the same quality image be...
Read the Full Post »
It is all about the light
January 04, 2014 -
It is all about the light Many people think that creating great images is about shooting in exotic locations. Photograp...
Read the Full Post »
Subscribe
RSS
Recent Posts
Patience with birds
Get unique and different perspectives, even of animals
Animal behavior and interaction
Get eye level with animals and birds
Searching for Birds
Frogs
Show nature
Sun-stars for balance
Waterfalls in harsh light
Weather conditions do change
Archive
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
« 2013
2014
2015 »
(4)
January (4)
(4)
February (4)
(5)
March (5)
(4)
April (4)
(4)
May (4)
(5)
June (5)
(1)
July (1)
(5)
August (5)
(4)
September (4)
(4)
October (4)
(5)
November (5)
(4)
December (4)
« 2014
2015
2016 »
(4)
January (4)
(4)
February (4)
(3)
March (3)
(4)
April (4)
(5)
May (5)
(4)
June (4)
(4)
July (4)
(6)
August (6)
(4)
September (4)
(4)
October (4)
(5)
November (5)
(4)
December (4)
« 2015
2016
2017 »
(5)
January (5)
(4)
February (4)
(4)
March (4)
(4)
April (4)
(5)
May (5)
(4)
June (4)
(5)
July (5)
(5)
August (5)
(4)
September (4)
(5)
October (5)
(4)
November (4)
(4)
December (4)
« 2016
2017
2018 »
(5)
January (5)
(4)
February (4)
(4)
March (4)
(5)
April (5)
(4)
May (4)
(4)
June (4)
(4)
July (4)
(4)
August (4)
(4)
September (4)
(5)
October (5)
(4)
November (4)
(5)
December (5)
« 2017
2018
2019 »
(4)
January (4)
(4)
February (4)
(4)
March (4)
(5)
April (5)
(4)
May (4)
(4)
June (4)
(5)
July (5)
(4)
August (4)
(5)
September (5)
(4)
October (4)
(4)
November (4)
(5)
December (5)
« 2018
2019
2020 »
(4)
January (4)
(4)
February (4)
(4)
March (4)
(4)
April (4)
(4)
May (4)
(5)
June (5)
(4)
July (4)
(4)
August (4)
(5)
September (5)
(4)
October (4)
(4)
November (4)
(5)
December (5)
« 2019
2020
2021 »
(4)
January (4)
(4)
February (4)
(5)
March (5)
(4)
April (4)
(5)
May (5)
(2)
June (2)
July
August
(2)
September (2)
(4)
October (4)
(4)
November (4)
(4)
December (4)
« 2020
2021
2022 »
(5)
January (5)
(3)
February (3)
(4)
March (4)
(4)
April (4)
(5)
May (5)
(4)
June (4)
(4)
July (4)
(5)
August (5)
(4)
September (4)
(5)
October (5)
(4)
November (4)
(1)
December (1)
« 2021
2022
2023 »
January
February
March
(3)
April (3)
(5)
May (5)
(4)
June (4)
(5)
July (5)
(4)
August (4)
(2)
September (2)
October
November
December
« 2022
2023
2024 »
January
February
(2)
March (2)
(4)
April (4)
(5)
May (5)
(4)
June (4)
(6)
July (6)
(4)
August (4)
(4)
September (4)
(1)
October (1)
November
December