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...
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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...
Continue readingWhen 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...
Continue readingSeasons 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...
Continue readingFlowers 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...
Continue readingAs 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...
Continue readingIn 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...
Continue readingI 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...
Continue readingConventional 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...
Continue readingTime 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...
Continue readingSpring 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...
Continue readingIt’s 3am when my alarm clock rings. I am only half awake when I slide into my boots, covering myself with a thick jacket and putting on my beanie. Descending the stairs I can feel my body slowly waking up and when I open the door, a cold gust of wind blows into my face making the moisture...
Continue readingThe topic of wildlife photography is an important one to me. I’ve admired the work of wildlife photographers since I was a kid, watching countless reruns of whatever documentary program the TV channels we received offered, or browsing, over and over again, the pages of National Geographic maga...
Continue readingAs a nature photographer, you develop an attachment to certain species. One of my favorite bird species is bee-eaters. They are colorful, are master hunters and flying aces. In my adopted location of northeastern Malaysia there are three species of the total of 26 world-wide species. Before movi...
Continue readingOne day, a woman and her friend walked into my gallery to look at some images. My wife chatted with them during their visit and learned that they were truck drivers from Texas. They saw a lot of country in their travels but always from the road, at 65 mph and at the wheel of a semi-truck while a...
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