More and more photographers are taking to the sea to visit island destinations like Svalbard, Greenland, and the Galapagos. Antarctic tourism, for example, has surged in recent years, with over 44,000 people visiting the frozen continent in the 2016-2017 summer season—and almost all of them by ship. Ships provide access to remote landscapes and a stunning array of marine species including polar bears, sea otters, penguins, and seabirds.
Most digital cameras give you two basic choices for recording your photo files: JPEG or raw (and, sometimes, both). Which to choose? Although JPEG is fine for casual photography, if you really want to take your photography to the next level, consider using raw format for your image files. I shoot raw format because it…
In my over ten years as a professional landscape photographer, I’ve learned that artistic composition—the positioning of visual elements within the picture frame—is vitally important to taking successful photos. A critical component of mastering composition is learning how to recognize and creatively use abstract shapes. When assessing potential landscape subjects, I always keep an eye out for objects that form a triangle shape, as I’ve found that you can make powerful compositions by using triangles in landscape photography.
I’ve been a professional landscape, nature, and travel photographer for over ten years, and I often get asked the question: what are the best times of day for taking outdoor photographs? The answer, of course, depends in large part on what you are photographing. Outdoor photographers like myself spend weeks in the field hoping for incredible displays of natural light to fully bring their subjects to life. Understanding light, how it changes during the day, and how you can best use the light to your advantage are all critical aspects of successful outdoor photography.
In order to create beautiful images of birds on a consistent basis it is important to understand the many elements that combine to make a good photo. This includes: exposure, composition, light, sharpness, perch, pose, and background. However, these components are not absolute rules that must be followed in every image. As a matter of fact, some of the best images are those that break some of the rules or that are “outside of the box”. Nevertheless, understanding these 7 elements as a starting point will inevitably lead to better bird images.
The dawn of the age of technology has given way to a ton of new types of photographs that weren’t necessarily able to be shot before. The leading companies in camera sensors have developed the tools necessary to shoot unbelievable images in some of the most difficult situations. My guess is that if Ansel Adams…
I’ve got a question for you. Have you ever been unmotivated to go out and shoot? It’s a weird question, right? I mean, we all love outdoor photography. What is there not to love? You get to be outside exploring and capturing your creative vision. But, I’d be willing to bet that there have been…
You’ve no doubt heard the saying, “Failing to prepare is preparing to fail.” This could apply to all seasonal photography but it is critical to taking successful photos in the winter. Here are some tips for winter photography to help you stay safe and comfortable while shooting and ensure you come away with some great…
I believe that the three biggest concepts in photography are gear, composition, and post-processing. The smallest of those three is gear, the second smallest is post-processing, and the one that is most essential is composition. If I had to attach percentages to them, it would go like this: Gear: 10% Composition: 65% Post Processing: 25%…
Whenever you include the sky in your photos, chances are your compositions will look better if there are clouds—the right kind of clouds, that is. Photographing clouds is really important for landscape photography in particular, but I find the presence of clouds to be useful with other types of outdoor photography as well. Look for…