As an outdoor nature photographer, I generally prefer to take my pictures, well…outdoors. However, a recent family emergency prevented me from getting out into the field as often as I would have liked. To prevent cobwebs from forming on my equipment, I needed to come up with ways to stay activ...
Double exposures are a fun way to add a little creativity to your flower photographs. Sometimes, I’ll shoot a close-up, then pull back and shoot a much smaller version of the same flower—giving it the appearance that it’s “nestled” within itself. Other times, I’ll combine two totally...
Several years ago, while standing in line at a camera store, I began thumbing through the pages of a book about photographing flowers. I came across a section showing a studio set-up of a single rose wrapped in blue tissue paper in a cone-like fashion. The finished photograph was a close-up of t...
10 years ago on August 16, 2003 I founded NatureScapes.net with E.J. Peiker and Heather Forcier. Implementing the idea for the initial website and company formation took exactly 10 days from decision to launch. The first “issue” of the website, as an online resource, was simply made up of a...
There is no doubt that going to exotic places and driving many miles in pursuit of that killer shot can result in some highly desired images. Yet, what I find most rewarding in nature photography is ‘working a subject’ and this is not generally possible when you are ‘on safari’. This str...
There are several ways to add more color to your photos—many of them in post. But, I’m a little old-school. Although I run all of my photos through Photoshop, I primarily use the software to enhance what’s already there. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a purest who believes it’s a mortal...
When I think about bears, the first place that comes to my mind is Finland. The country has one of the largest bear populations in Europe, and the bear is the Finnish national animal. In April 2013, I visited Finland for ten days, trying to photograph the brown bears after they woke up from hibe...
Seasons bring changes to the weather that can offer amazing opportunities for unique and terrific photos, but sometimes that weather can be very challenging to a photographer. Extreme cold, extreme hot, wet conditions, blowing dust and sand are among the challenges we have to deal with. I grew u...
Flowers are usually best photographed on overcast days. The cloud cover acts as a giant softbox, effectively evening out the light by eliminating all dark shadows. Sometimes, this flat, contrast-free lighting is exactly what I’m looking for. Other times, when I’m in the mood to spice...
As exposed surface temperatures cool, atmospheric moisture condenses in the form of water droplets. These droplets, commonly referred to as dew, can form on grass, leaves, railings and even car roofs in the early morning hours. However, it’s the formation of dew on flowers that can turn a...
In 2012, I made the jump to full frame, leaving me with my older Canon 50D and Panasonic LX3 as my backup cameras. The 50D had been my primary digital camera and the LX3 had been my lightweight travel camera and a decent backup (see my small format landscape article on NSN). While I still li...
I heard the sound of quick footsteps first. When they stopped I heard a click. Seconds later, the footsteps started again followed by another click. This pattern repeated itself another three or four times. When I finally looked up, I saw a man briskly walking through a cluster of daffodils. He...
Conventional wisdom tells us to always keep the sun at our backs when taking a picture. This is a pretty good rule to follow for most subjects – especially if you don’t want details lost under a heavy silhouette. However, always following conventional wisdom will usually result in conven...
Time lapse video of nature scenes seems to be all the rage these days. Just head over to YouTube or Vimeo and search for “time lapse nature” and you’ll find thousands of clips. Even if you have no interest in shooting video with your DSLR, adding time lapse to your repertoire i...
Spring is finally here and the abundance of blooming flowers will soon present an array of interesting photo opportunities. Tulips are one of the first flowers to make an appearance, and are usually photographed in large, backlit colorful clusters. As beautiful as this may be, these types of sho...
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