Soleece, Kellerton Iowa.
Soleece picked out this red dress and we headed for my favorite brick wall with metal stairs to do some portraits.
Soleece in Red
The Green Towel
Soleece with the green towel at Slip Bluff Lake. May 16, 2024.
If you are a nature, landscape, or outdoor portrait photographer it is a good idea to keep a towel in your car. This green towel lives in the back of my car. Sometimes I need it if I get caught in the rain or when I wade out into a lake or stream to get a better camera angle. Sometimes I drape it over my camera (and me) to protect the camera when I shoot in a light drizzle.
Sunspots
Sun with large sunspots.
The large sunspot conglomeration at the bottom of the sun is the cause of the auroral explosion here on earth. An immense storm 17 times the size of our planet is going on in that sunspot area and a blast of plasma ejected by the storm headed toward earth. When the plasma hit the earth’s magnetosphere is set off the Northern and Southern Lights around the globe. If you have a solar filter for your camera lens you can go out and take pictures of the sunspots. I took this photo this afternoon using a white light solar filter made by Thousand Oaks Optical.
Northern Lights – May 10, 2024
Northern Lights, Home Lake, Lamoni Iowa.
The Northern Lights were spectacular last night in south central Iowa. The above image was my first click of the shutter. I was at Home Lake near Lamoni Iowa. When I arrived shortly after 10 pm, there were already a half dozen cars at the lake with people looking at the Northern Lights and many of them were taking pictures with every from smart phones and tablets to tripod mounted cameras. Tonight is predicted to be another great night. If you want to take pictures and need some advice, see the first link below. The other links are helpful too. Click any image in this article to see a larger version.
A Day in Southern Utah
Bryce Canyon at Sunrise
I was on my way from Colorado to California and decided to drive across southern Utah. I had never been to the National Parks in Utah and wanted to see them. They are spectacular. If you love landscape photography and haven’t been to southern Utah, put a trip there high on your priority list. These photos were taken April 25, 2011.
Happy Birthday, John Muir!
John Muir
Today is John Muir’s birthday! He was born April 21, 1838. He had a profound influence on how Americans viewed our wild lands and his influence led to the establishment of many of our National Parks and other protected lands. He was nicknamed “The Father of our National Parks”. Tomorrow, April 22, is also Earth Day, so I am combining the two in this article.
Here are photos from some of my favorite national and state parks along with quotes from John Muir.
Eye Close-ups
Soleece
Before I process an image, I zoom in and check the eyes to make sure they are in focus. If they aren’t, it is not a usable image and I pick a different one.
Soleece – A 24 Minute Photo Shoot
Soleece
What do you do if you have a minimal amount of shooting time? After meeting for the first time and discussing a number of portrait possibilities (see Before The First Photo Shoot), we had less than 30 minutes to shoot. I usually prefer a longer shoot which allows time for more possibilities, but you work with the time you have.
The First Click of the Shutter
Soleece
The first thing I do when I do a natural light portrait shoot is to do a custom white balance using an 18% gray card. Setting a custom white balance gives you more accurate and beautiful skin tones (details at the links below). After that, I do some simple portraits to get rid of the “first shoot jitters”. The person I am working with might be a little nervous. As for me, I am a perfectionist and I am nervous before every photo shoot and I am especially nervous the first time I work with someone. So I start off with something simple. This was my first portrait shoot with Soleece and I was super nervous.
Solar Eclipse Sequence – April 8, 2024
Solar Eclipse sequence.
12 photos from the April 8 solar eclipse.
Photo Data for all 12 photos: Canon 7D Mark II camera, Canon EF 100-400mm zoom lens at 400mm with a Canon EF 1.4X teleconverter. ISO 800, f/11, 1/400 second.
Solar Eclipse Photo – April 8, 2024
Solar Eclipse – April 8, 2024
This is my favorite eclipse photo because I can see all of the sunspot areas before they disappeared behind the Moon.
Do NOT Look at the Eclipse Through a High Density Solar Eclipse Filter! You Could Go Blind!
Left: Safe eclipse glasses. Right: Solar filter
Don’t worry. My model’s eyes were closed for the illustration photo on the right.
With the eclipse just around the corner, I am re-posting and updating this article from February 23. Do not look at the sun on eclipse day (or any other day) through a high density solar eclipse filter. Even though you are looking through a solar eclipse filter (i.e. solar filter) you can still go blind. And this is especially true looking through a camera and lens, even with a solar filter on the lens. Why? I am glad you asked.
How to Photograph the “Great American Eclipse” – April 8, 2024
Partial phase of the eclipse.
This is updated from the February 22, 2024 article. If you have your solar filter ready to go, this is what you need to do to photograph the eclipse. If you don’t have a solar filter, you might still be able to get one. Check out the White Light solar filters (my first choice) from Thousand Oaks Optical or the Lee high density solar filters.
This is your guide to photographing the Second “Great American Eclipse”, April 8, 2024. The path of totality will cross the entire country from Oregon to South Carolina. This handy guide will help you photograph the eclipse. Planning ahead is key.
Using PeakFinder To Find the Names of the Mountains in Your Photos
Colorado Rockies (Front Range) from Keenesburg Colorado.
I have always loved the view of the Colorado Front Range as I approach the mountains from the eastern plains. I was going to stop in Keenesburg Colorado to get gas, so on that stop I found this county highway northwest of town to take a picture of the mountains. Back home at my computer I decided to figure out the names of some of these mountains.
The Best National Parks to Photograph in Spring
Ocotillo. Big Bend National Park, Texas.
Which national parks are at their very best in the spring? If I could go on a fabulous spring photography trip to the national parks of my choice, all expenses paid, which ones would I pick? Here are my choices, grouped by state from west to east. This list includes the favorites I have been to and want to go back to again, plus the ones I haven’t seen and most want to photograph.
This Morning’s Best Photos
Greater Prairie Chicken
Some mornings I take our dog on a tour of the four local lakes. I always have a camera and at least three lenses with me. Our first stop was to see if the local Greater Prairie Chicken was out and about. He was.
More Greater Prairie Chicken Excitement!
Greater Prairie Chickens, Elk Chapel Road, northwest of Lamoni Iowa. Sunday, February 25, 2024. 8:27 am.
I’ve been back to the prairie chicken location a few times over the last week, but I have not spotted him since February 18. That all changed Sunday morning. And there were two males instead of one!
Greater Prairie Chicken Excitement!
Greater Prairie Chicken near Elk Chapel Road, Decatur County Iowa. February 15, 2024. 5:24 pm.
A male Greater Prairie Chicken has taken up residence on the edge of a cornfield about 30-40 feet from a county highway, much to the delight of bird watchers. I got a call from a friend, so I grabbed my camera gear and drove out to the location. This image (above) was taken with the sun low in the west so this prairie chicken has wonderful, warm backlighting. Compare this light to the next photo.
Winter Photography Safety Essentials
Some of the winter travel items I carry in the trunk of my car. This is the “kitchen” and “furnace”.
I grew up in Colorado where strange weather can strand you in any month of the year. Even though it is rare, I’ve seen blizzards in the Colorado high country in July. So I learned to carry some safety essentials when doing winter photography in remote locations. You never know when you might be stranded for several hours, a whole day, or longer, until the blizzard abates and someone can come find you. This is what I carry in my car when I hit the road in the winter and pretty much any time I am going to be in the High Rockies. I include a few winter travel tips, too.
How to Protect Your Camera Gear in the Cold and Snow
Bryce Canyon After An Overnight Snowstorm
It is still really cold out there so be careful to protect your camera gear. Cold and snow can cause a lot of damage to your camera gear. Something as simple as shooting outside and taking your camera inside your house or car can cause hidden damage that won’t show up until days or weeks later. The simple steps in this article could save you hundreds of dollars in repair bills.
“Black and White”
“Black and White”, Giulietta Luna, Columbus Ohio. Click image to see a larger version.
These images were created 14 hours apart, the first at night against a black backdrop and the second in the afternoon against a bright, window shade. In the second she is entirely backlit. It did not occur to me until this week that these two images could be combined. It is a happy accident that they are facing each other.
Beth in the Snow
Beth playing her violin in the snow.
February 12 is a red letter day! It started when Beth and I did a photo shoot in a snow storm in January 2020. We had so much fun we wanted to do it again. I was working in my office four years ago today and I looked out the window. Big, beautiful snowflakes were falling. I said to myself, “This would be a great day for another photo shoot in the snow.”
The Best National Parks to Photograph in Winter
Bryce Canyon
There is still some winter left and some national parks look much better than others in winter. I am sharing this post again for those of you who might be planning a trip.
Winter provides some wonderful photo opportunities in our national parks. But some national parks look much better in the winter than others. So if you haven’t gone into hibernation for the winter, here are the best national parks to go photograph this winter, grouped by state from the west to the east. There are a few bonus locations thrown in too. At the end I give you my “best of the best” list.
Rachel in Rembrandt Lighting
Rachel
This is Rembrandt lighting. The best clue is triangle shaped light on her right cheek.
How to Photograph a Musician in the Cold and Snow
It was my happy privilege to do winter portraits of Beth Presler who is a superb violinist. This article has suggestions for photographing any musician on a cold, snowy winter day.
How to Protect Your Camera Gear in the Cold and Snow
Bryce Canyon After An Overnight Snowstorm
Cold and snow can cause a lot of damage to your camera gear. Something as simple as shooting outside and taking your camera inside your house or car can cause hidden damage that won’t show up until days or weeks later. The simple steps in this article could save you hundreds of dollars in repair bills.
How to Photograph a Nude Model in the Cold and Snow
Lyn Marie, Ohio. Windchill 8°F.
It is difficult enough to create a beautiful nude image under normal circumstances, much less in the cold and snow. You need to bring some significant skills and experience to the task. So does your model.
How To Work With A Model (or Anybody Else) When The Windchill is 4°
Selina, Downtown Columbus Ohio. Windchill 4°.
You would think a windchill of 4° Fahrenheit (-16°C) would be too cold for a photo shoot, but not with some models. Selina and I booked this January shoot weeks in advance so we knew it would be cold, but we had no idea how cold until the day arrived. Despite the frigid temperatures, Selina did no want to reschedule for later. Here’s the story behind this image and how to work with a model (or anybody else) when it is so cold.
The Sunny f16 Rule Isn’t Reliable in Winter
Denali Sunrise from Reflection Pond
The Sunny f16 rule is really useful on bright sunny days in the spring, summer, and fall, but you can’t rely on it for accurate exposures on bright, snowy winter days. It will often lead you astray and you will have seriously blown out highlights. There are much more accurate ways to meter in the winter.
Testing Your Camera’s Snow Exposure Latitude
Cascade, Barry, and Coxe Glaciers, Prince William Sound, Alaska
The “snow exposure latitude” for every camera is different. You won’t find it in your camera’s manual but it is easy to determine with a do-it-yourself test. Why does it matter? If you don’t know the snow exposure latitude for your camera and how to apply it to your images, the color and quality of your winter photos will suffer.