When I bought my first long lens (AF-S NIKKOR 200-400mm f/4G ED VR II Lens) in 2007 I didn’t even consider the older 80–400mm lens as it was inadequate for my needs. I was looking for a lens to photograph birds and other wildlife. With moving subjects, the auto focus on a lens is critical an...
Composition is an essential aspect of a good photograph. It’s our choice as photographers as to how the elements will be arranged in a photograph. It’s no wonder we take time to setup a photograph, making several technical and creative decisions along the way. However, there is always the op...
Much has been written in the last 18 months stating that new high resolution cameras like the Nikon D800 and D800E equal medium format image quality. In September I had the opportunity to photograph with what is widely seen as the highest quality digital photography format available to photograp...
“When is the best time of year to go on a polar bear safari?” That was my initial inner question, when my wife showed interest in exploring the possibilities. I knew we did not want to go as far as Northern Europe, and as it turned out Canada was in fact the place with a bigger population...
When I first began my career in nature photography I went to great pains to avoid including anything man-made in my photos—not an easy task living in a concrete jungle like New York City. I always felt that if I allowed any hint of urban artifacts to enter the frame it would, somehow, lessen t...
The Everglades is a special place to me; I grew up just 25 miles from the main park entrance. After college, I moved back to Miami and have been shooting the Everglades consistently for 6 years. Popular for bird photographers at tourist stops like Anhinga Trail, the Everglades has so much to off...
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...
Iceland Photo Tour: The best birds and landscapes of the Highlands and the Southern Coast.
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