Photographers Jay and Varina Patel have worked hard over the last few years to develop their Visual Wilderness website into an excellent resource for landscape and nature photographers. I started writing as a guest author for Visual Wilderness last year but have not been very good about sharing my articles with our blog audience. So, here is a quick summary of the four articles I have written for Visual Wilderness, with links to the full content over on their site.
Read MoreBacking Up Is Hard To Do - Or Is It?
Snake Eyes - Mono Lake, Eastern Sierra, California
Backing up your digital photos is without question the least interesting part of photography. No photographer thinks, “You know, I really don’t like traveling or exploring nature, or exercising my creativity, what I really like is spending time at the computer copying files to multiple places.”
Backing up your photographs is a burden, but the price of not backing up your photos can be, and odds are ultimately will be, catastrophic. I know first-hand of too many horror stories to count, not just entire trips being lost but months and even years of photographs being lost – forever! I have never had to learn the lesson the hard way, and my hope is that you won’t have to either after reading this post.
Read More7 Tips for Photographing Smaller Scenes
If you would like to learn more about this topic, you might find our Beyond the Grand Landscape: A Guide to Photographing Nature’s Smaller Scenes to be a worthwhile investment. You can save 20% on your purchase of this ebook through July 15 with the code NPG20.
A fellow photographer recently contacted me for some tips on how to be more successful in identifying and photographing small scenes in the field. This photographer is very talented at taking photographs of grand landscapes but shared that they could use some help with identifying and photographing smaller scenes. This experience is common since taking photographs of smaller scenes does require the development of some different skills and a shift in mindset when compared to pursuing grand landscapes. And, since we receive similar comments and inquiries fairly often, this seems like a good topic for a blog post.
For the purposes of this post, smaller scenes include intimate landscapes, abstract subjects, patterns, textures, and artistic portraits of plants. Such photographs often, but not always, encompass a narrow field of view, usually lacking the sweeping nature of a grand scenic and focusing instead on the arrangement of the smaller details of a landscape. Such photographs also often rely less on the literal qualities of the subject (like tree bark or a plant) and instead focus on more abstract qualities like lines, curves, patterns, and textures. Photos that fall in these categories are generally crafted to convey a particular mood, emotion, or observation with a degree of intimacy, understanding, or closeness.
Read MoreGive Clear Skies a Chance!
Tatoosh Range during peak wildflowers, Mount Rainier National Park. Canon 5D Mark II, 24-105 lens @ 40mm, f/16, 0.4 sec, ISO 400.
The quality and characteristics of light are a frequent topic of conversation among landscape photographers -- and for good reason. Light, and how that light affects a subject, is a critical component in creating any photograph. All different kinds of lighting conditions, from subtle and soft to over-the-top dramatic, can lead to compelling and dynamic photographs. We make the case in our e-book, Beyond the Grand Landscape, that clear skies make for a perfect opportunity to photograph smaller scenes but clear skies can also work for grand landscapes. Yet, it seems that almost nothing can get a photographer to pack up his or her gear faster than a clear sky over a grand landscape at sunrise or sunset. But wait! Give clear skies a chance!
Read MoreHow to Photograph in Winter Conditions Without Being Miserable
A very cold morning in Colorado's San Juan Mountains (not winter, but close!).
Over the past few years, I have been working on tweaking my cold weather gear so I could more comfortably photograph during the winter and in cold temperatures. After a trip to a very frigid Yellowstone National Park this winter, I think I have finally found a winning combination. No more ice-cold hands, nearly frozen toes, and general cold-weather misery for me!
With so many options for winter gear, I thought it might be helpful to put all of my lessons learned and advice in one spot to help others who want to photograph in winter but are not sure where to start in terms of choosing gear. In this post, I will share some thoughts on using camera gear in cold weather, choosing the right clothing, and some basic tips on being prepared for wintery conditions.
Read More