During a recent trip to southeast Utah, I spotted a magnificent rainbow arcing high above the twisted red rock desert. Unable to resist its beckoning call, I followed the rainbow to the end, where I found a wee little fellow wearing a bright green suit. He led me into his subterranean lair, glowing brightly from
In the past, I’ve written and spoken a lot about how planning for landscape photography requires a lot of scouting, and patience. During a recent photo trip to the desert of the American Southwest, I put all three to work while photographing the dramatic badlands found around Caineville, Utah. I started by pouring over satellite
One of the world’s most spectacular and extensive underground caverns and a proposed World Heritage Site, the Sof Omar cave system is an extraordinary natural phenomenon of breathtaking beauty. At almost 10 miles long, it is the longest cave system in Ethiopia, and possibly the largest cave complex in Africa. The Weib River flows through
Remote, ancient, and breathtaking, the over 200 rock-hewn churches of the Tigray region of Ethiopia were built in high, remote places to protect against attackers. Carved from cliff faces high atop seemingly inaccessible mountain perches, these simple yet stunning churches are the oldest in Ethiopia, some dating back to the 5th Century. And although many
One of the hottest and driest places on Earth, the Danakil Depression in the northern part of the Afar region in Ethiopia (part of the great East African Rift Valley) is one of the most cruelly inhospitable places on the planet. Much of it lies below sea level, with temperatures as high as 125 degrees
I often get asked the question: how do you find your landscape photography locations? Typically, a lot of planning goes into my choice of locations and compositions, sometimes even months ahead of time. I start with research at home, which helps me narrow down potential spots. When I arrive on location, the hard work begins,
Possibly the most prominent symbol of Central America’s tropical forests, often seen on posters, puzzles, and greeting cards, is the red-eyed tree frog (Agalychnis callidryas). These small creatures are only about 5-7 centimeters long, and are very difficult to find in their natural habitat. Tree frogs are green, naturally camouflaged in tropical green forests, and
When it comes to bird photography, there is nothing I love more than capturing an intimate portrait of a bird in its natural environment. Successfully creating an artistic photograph of a challenging bird on an appropriate perch is what I live for! That being said, there is also something thrilling and deeply satisfying about capturing
What is “unseeing?” The answer to this question begins with a secret: Photography is more than just pointing your camera at something beautiful and triggering the shutter. If you really want to take compelling photos, you need to unlearn the way you see the world, throwing decades of cumulative experience out the window and starting
Let’s talk about the importance of a post-processing workflow. Workflows in the field can consist of planning, composition, framing, and shooting. Similarly, a post-processing workflow also contains steps that established photographers follow almost religiously to create their photographs. In this case in particular, we will look at how to follow a post-processing workflow when combining
