I’ve been photographing a lot of landscapes lately, and I keep coming back to one helpful technique: compositional subtraction. What is this? Put another way, this concept means ‘Should that be in my picture?’ Often with landscape photography you have more time to figure out your composition. Now if the light is changing fast, you Read More
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The Justin Clamp
Here is one piece of gear that is so versatile I take it on all my shoots. The Justin Clamp, or Manfrotto 175F clamp, is one piece of useful gear. We just returned from photographing hummingbirds in Arizona, and we used these clamps in a number of ways. Take a look at the photo above. Read More
What really freezes a hummingbird’s wings?
If you have traveled with us, you know Cree and I can’t get enough of birds and bird photography. It’s like telling a dog ‘squirrel!’. We just can’t help stop and stare…and take photos! We recently returned from one of our favorite hummingbird locations, Madera Canyon, near Tucson. It is probably the best place in Read More
Singh-Ray Filters
I’ve been using Singh-Ray filters my entire career, and I never leave the office without 3-4 in my pack. My normal selection includes polarizers, ND filters, graduated ND and reverse ND filters. These filters allow me to create photographs that are not possible unless I am using them. I also find that I change compositions Read More
3 tips for tack sharp wildlife photos
I’m just back after spending a few weeks in Yellowstone NP, probably the best place in the lower 48 to photograph wildlife. Bears, wolves, bison, elk, antelope, coyotes, moose…everywhere we went we encountered abundant wildlife. We ran two workshops and they were a huge success…fantastic photography and good laughs. Since we were photographing a lot Read More
Goal Zero Portable Power
I have received some great emails from photographers asking about suggestions on road trip destinations this summer. So great to see people out traveling again and enjoying the national parks and seashores. One photographer is car camping, and asked about how I power my camera gear on the road or in the backcountry. Great question! Read More
Modern Self Timer mode
You have to love all the new advances in camera technology. New camera modes and capabilities are changing how we shoot. I’m getting ready to present at the KelbyOne Outdoor Photography Conference, and I will be talking about POV adventure sports photography. Point of View, or POV, is a great perspective for photographing adventure sports. Read More
25/25 Rule of Night Photography
I am always striving to be a better photography instructor. I constantly revisit popular techniques and guidelines to see if there is another way to present information in an easier format. Some guidelines stand the test of time, while others change as technology advances in the photo industry. I remember memorizing multiple exposure formulas with Read More
Outdoor Conference this month!
Just one last reminder now that we are into May. On May 18-19 I will be presenting a talk on photographing the adventure lifestyle at the KelbyOne Outdoor Photography Conference. I created this presentation to highlights tips and techniques all outdoor photographers can use to create better photos. Creative new camera techniques, ways to improve Read More
Nikon MB-N11 vertical grip
I had one major concern getting into mirrorless cameras. While many photographers liked the small size, I was actually concerned about it. Having a smaller camera would be great for hiking into the backcountry, or maybe wandering the streets of a European city. But for most of my photography I like a larger grip, and Read More
Photographing concepts
I just returned from a fabulous workshop to Utah. We photographed both Capital Reef NP and Bryce Canyon NP. Being late April meant spring was in the air. I had a checklist of images in my head I thought I would get. But as I started photographing in the area, I decided to organize my Read More
Are Iconic Photos Bad?
I’m getting ready to head to Bryce NP soon, and for many when you say Bryce you instantly think about those stunning spires and orange cliffs of the area. There are a number of terrific overlooks that let you photograph into the canyon. This is an iconic shot in an iconic national park. But recently Read More