The Vietnam Women’s Memorial, Washington D.C.
POTD: The Vietnam Women’s Memorial
The Best “How To” Nature Photography Books
Some of my favorite nature photography books.
Want to be a better nature photographer? Read anything by John Shaw, Galen Rowell, Art Wolfe, Freeman Patterson, Tim Fitzharris, George Lepp, Larry West, Arthur Morris, Allen Rokach, John Netherton, Leonard Lee Rue III, Brenda Tharp, Tony Sweet, and the Stackpole (publisher) nature series.
Now for some specific suggestions as to the “best of the best” books to look for. These are my favorites out of hundreds of photography books in my library. Continue reading
Nature Photography Books: The Three Essentials
Nature Photography Books
A good photography book can put you well ahead of the game, and three essential nature photography books (plus maybe a few others) can save you years of time learning things the hard way.
Better Images: Adobe’s Improved “Process Version” for Adobe Camera Raw
Vermilion Lakes Sunset, new and old ACR “process versions”. Click on the photo to see a larger image.
Adobe has a new “process version” for Adobe Camera Raw (ACR). This means better image processing for your RAW camera files.
How to Be A Better Wildlife and Nature Photographer
Great Egret. Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Fremont, California.
When I posted this photo on one of my Facebook pages, a friend posted this comment:
“I LOVE this egret photo!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Look at the right wing trailing in the water. How DO you capture these?!”
That is an excellent question.
Unexpected Gifts: California Poppies!
California Poppies. Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge
After a week of clouds and rain, our last morning in Fremont California was the only morning that started out bright and sunny. I needed to pack for our flight home but I made one last quick trip to the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge. It is one of my favorite places to go early in the morning when we are visiting family in the Bay Area.
POTD: California Poppies
California Poppies (Eschscholzia californica), the California State flower.
It is poppy season in the San Francisco Bay Area.
POTD: Power Towers and Power Lines
Power towers and power lines.
Power towers and power lines at the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge. iPhone photo processed in the phone with the Snapseed and PS Express apps.
Nature Photography Workshop – OSU, Mansfield Ohio Campus
CAPTURING NATURE’S WONDERS
Photography Workshop – OSU – Mansfield Ohio
May 7, 2016 – 9:00 am to 9:00 pm
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UPDATE: THIS WORKSHOP IS NOW BOOKED FULL. This workshop also booked full last year well in advance of the workshop. I will be doing a one day workshop in Grand Rapids Michigan May 14, 2016, and other workshops throughout the year. All of my workshops are linked at JimDoty.com.
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I am excited. My nature photography workshop in Ohio is next month.
Come spend a fun, exciting, action-packed day learning how to take your photography to the next level. In the intensive classroom explorations you will learn the steps that make the difference between ordinary snapshots and extraordinary images. Minutes later you will be practicing those steps with your own camera. Learn the secrets of the pros and apply their tips and techniques to create your own eye-popping images.
“How To” Series: Snowy Owl Photography
Snowy Owl looking for prey.
If there are cold enough temperatures and plenty of snow cover on the ground, the northern United States has a winter invasion of Snowy Owls. These are magnificent creatures and well worth your photographic time and attention. This series is filled with tips on how to find and photograph snow owls.
How To Work With A Model When The Windchill is 4°
Selina, Downtown Columbus Ohio
You would think a windchill of 4° Fahrenheit (-16°C) would be too cold for a photo shoot, but not with some models. We 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. Here’s the story behind this image and how to work with a model when it is so cold.
Art Wolfe – Don’t Miss Your Chance To Download This Free Photography Video
Chamonix Needles & Lac Blanc, France. Photo © Art Wolfe.
Art Wolfe is a world class photographer. If I could pick only 5 photographers to go out and shoot with, Art would be on that list. His work is stunning. I own several of his books, some for inspiration and some for “how to” information. So I jumped at the chance to get his 30 minute video, “Ten Deadly Sins of Composition”.
Metering Evening Winter Scenes
Snow Hummocks, Merced River
Just like metering daytime winter scenes, the key to metering evening winter scenes is knowing what to meter and deciding how much exposure compensation to use.
POTD: In A Back Alley, Part 2 (Fill Flash)
Last August I was in a back alley taking pictures against this brick wall. I liked the location and decided to come back and shoot here again. In August the light was pretty even. This time I needed to make some fill flash decisions.
“How To” Series: Off-Camera Flash
Margarita, Studio Portrait with Off-Camera Flash
Twelve articles (links below) to get you started with off-camera flash. The equipment you will need and how to use it.
Getting your flash off the camera opens up a whole new world of photographic possibilities. And the really good news: the equipment is way less expensive than it used to be. If you are ready to get started, I just finished writing (or re-writing) a series of articles on off-camera flash that covers the equipment you will need and shows you how to use it.
Radio Controlled Speedlites: Yongnuo YN600EX-RT vs Canon 600EX-RT
Yongnuo 600EX-RT Speedlite and Yongnuo YN-E3-RT Transmitter. Click to see a larger version.
Should you spend $469 on a Canon 600EX-RT speedlite, or $120 on Yongnuo’s nearly identical clone, the YN600EX-RT? And what about the radio transmitters? Canon’s is $285 and the Yongnuo copy is $88.00. So you can buy three Yongnuo speedlites plus the radio transmitter for less than the price of one Canon speedlite. The price advantage is clear, but what about quality, reliability, and service issues?
Posted Dec. 7, 2015. Updated Nov. 20, 2017.
Why Use Off Camera Flash?
Selina
Why use an off-camera flash? It gives you more lighting options. And much of the time, the light from an off-camera flash is just plain better. The image above was created with one flash to camera right.
Great Set of DVDs: Joel Sartore’s Fundamentals of Photography
Joel Sartore, Fundamentals of Photography. 24 lessons on 4 DVDs.
I finally found an excellent series of photography lessons on video to complement my book, Digital Photography Exposure for Dummies, and it is by Joel Sartore, a first class photographer who does a lot of work for National Geographic. He does stunning photography in amazing situations all over the world. You can see some of his work in the galleries at his web site.
My Favorite Photography DVDs
Photography DVDs
Photography DVDs can inspire your photography, give you new ideas, and teach you new skills and techniques. These are my favorites.
The Best of the Best Photography Magazines
My Favorite Photography Magazines
There are a ton of photography magazines out there and it seems like there are new ones every time I go to my favorite newsstand. But some are clearly better, more accurate, more useful, and with better images. The magazines that follow are, from my point of view, the best of the best photo magazines.
The Best of the Best: Recommendations For The Best Photography Equipment, Software, Books, Magazines, DVDs, Online Photo Labs and More
The best of the best cameras, accessories, photo books and more.
It’s the time of year that the number of photo questions I receive increases dramatically. Many of them have to do with “What is the best . . . .” They usually come from someone shopping for a photographer, or photographers shopping for themselves.
So once again here is my list of “best of the best” of articles recommending the best photo gear, software, books, DVDs, calendars, online photo labs, and a whole lot more. I will revise some of these articles in November and December, but most of the advice is good as it stands. The best books on photographic composition or the best photo labs haven’t changed in the last 12 months. As I rewrite articles I will update the links below. You can check the date at the top of each article.
Originally posted Nov. 21, 2015. Updated December 11, 2015.
How to Photograph the Milky Way
The Milky Way from Horseshoe Park, Rocky Mountain National Park. The golden glow is from Denver city lights 70 miles away. The blue hues of late twilight are fading in the west. Click for a larger image.
On all of my weekend nature photography workshops, weather permitting I take everyone out once or twice to photograph the night sky. For those who haven’t tried it before, it kicks down the door to a whole new realm of photographic possibilities, and not just for night photography. Once a photographer tries one thing that is totally new and different and ends up with beautiful images they are proud of, they are ready to try all kinds of new things.
Deer in the Headlights – Literally
“Deer in the headlights” photographed through a car windshield. Yosemite Valley.
A “deer in the headlights look” is a common euphemism so I couldn’t resist taking some pictures when a deer was literally in my headlights. I was driving around Yosemite Valley taking pictures in the moonlight when I came upon two bucks browsing on the side of the road.
Panorama: Yosemite Valley in the Moonlight
Yosemite Valley at Night with Eagle Peak, Yosemite Point, and North Dome. The vertical light near the center is one of two planes that ended up in this image. Click to see a larger version.
Night photography has its own unique charms, whether it is a dark night with no moon and thousands of crystal clear stars, or with plenty of moonlight which (if you choose) you can turn night into day. And it isn’t all that complicated to do. With the addition of the right gear, you can turn your night time vista into a panoramic photo.
POTD: El Capitan Reflection
El Capitan Reflection, Merced River, Gates of the Valley, Yosemite National Park, California.
With one camera on a tripod taking a series of aligned images of Gates of the Valley (see my last article) in the changing light, I was using my other camera with a longer lens to capture different areas of the overall scene.
How to Photograph “Gates of the Valley”
Gates of the Valley (Valley View). El Capitan, Cathedral Rocks, Merced River. Yosemite Natioal Parks. California.
Gates of the Valley, also known as Valley View, is one of the classic photo locations in Yosemite National Park. It is best photographed late in the afternoon and at sunset.
Sarah: Inspired by “The Body Issue”, ESPN Magazine
Sarah, Professional Fitness Trainer
Inspired by ESPN Magazine’s Body Issue (where professional athletes bare their bodies in discreet ways), Sarah and I decided to go in that direction at the beginning of our most recent photo shoot.
The Best Image Editing Software
Adobe Photoshop Elements 13, Adobe Photoshop CC, and Lightroom 5
Your photos will look their very best if you optimize them with high quality image editing software. Short list:
Adobe Photoshop Elements 13, 12, or 11*
Adobe Photoshop CC or CS6*
Adobe Photoshop Lightroom CC, 6, 5 or 4*
*The software versions listed above include all the versions that use Adobe’s newest “process version”. See the section below on Adobe’s new process version for more information.
How to Photograph the Northern Lights
Northern Lights over Lake Michigan. Click to see a larger image.
It was an amazing night for Northern Lights in Northern Michigan, and I was leading a photography workshop. What a treat for all the photographers! I specifically picked this location on Lake Michigan so we would have the lake, some trees for framing the image and a good view in the expected direction of the Northern Lights.
Proud Rooster: “Take the Picture Now!”
Proud Rooster, String of Pearls, Emira Michigan
On the way home from my photography workshop in Northern Michigan, my eyes were drawn to all kinds of vivid colors as I drove through the village of Elmira. I made a mental note to stop and take pictures the next time I was up that way. (If you have been in one of my recent workshops – I was going to put a reminder in “Field Notes” the next time I stopped for a break.)