Camera and lens mounted on a Kaidan KiWi-L panorama rig.
If you are looking for an excellent, inexpensive panorama adapter, the Kaidan Kiwi-L is an excellent choice. It has been discontinued which means you can find it for around $30 – $40 on eBay and other sites that sell used camera gear.
O’Haver Lake, Mt. Ouray, Colorado.
You have heard it said a lot, and maybe said it yourself: “This picture doesn’t do the scene justice.” That is often true and for several reasons. One is that digital cameras do not capture reality. No matter how fancy or expensive, digital cameras simply do not capture what your eyes see. That is also true with film cameras. All color photographic films have different color characteristics. Some have better reds, others have better greens or blues. Some are more saturated and others less saturated. But none of them are totally color realistic. So why don’t digital cameras give you realistic images and what can you do about it?
Originally posted December 16, 2015. Revised, expanded, and re-posted May 4, 2018. Updated October 31, 2018.
Ansel Adams, BBC Master Photographer Series (1983).
“Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico” is probably Ansel Adams’ most famous image. This YouTube video is by Swann Auction Galleries.
Ansel Adams. Photo © Yousuf Karsh. Used with permission.
Ansel Adams is the best known American landscape photographer and he has had a profound influence on a lot of photographers. Many of his images have become icons of the American west. He is one of my favorite photographers and I periodically dive into one of his books for inspiration. I have written several articles about Ansel Adams plus articles inspired by the concepts he taught. There are several YouTube videos, including an excellent full length documentary by PBS. The links follow.
Most recent update, February 1, 2021.
Naruto, Photo by David Slater
The Monkey Selfie copyright case case is finally over. In 2011, Naruto, a crested macaque, took David Slater’s camera and took several selfies. In 2015, PETA filed a suit claiming Naruto owned the copyright to the photos, not Slater. The 9th Circuit found in favor of Slater. Continue reading
John Muir
John Muir 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. Most of our parks are closed due to the coronavirus so make plans to visit sometime in the future.
Here are photos from some of my favorite National Parks along with quotes from John Muir.
Ocotillo. Big Bend National Park, Texas.
Believe it or not, spring has finally arrived in areas of the country that were dealing with a lingering winter. Which national parks are at their photographic best in the spring? 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. Don’t forget, this is national parks week and many of our national parks are having special activities all week long.
National Parks Collage. Click for a larger version.
April 21-29 is National Park Week and April 21 is a fee free day! The National Park Service is partnering with the National Park Foundation to celebrate our national parks. It is time to head to one of our national parks.
Photo by David Muench.
You can get a free 122 page photography ebook if you subscribe to the Muench Workshops newsletter (the newsletter is also free). David Muench is a world class photographer. His work has inspired me for years.
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 happy comment:
“I LOVE this egret photo!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Look at the right wing trailing in the water. How DO you capture these?!”
Good question.
My two favorite introductions to landscape photography.
How to Photograph Landscapes by Joseph Lange and Digital Landscape Photography by John and Barbara Gerlach are my favorite introductions to landscape photography.
Sunset, “The Window”, Big Bend National Park, Texas.
David Muench is a world class landscape photographer. So when he recommends his favorite national parks, I pay attention.
Last Light on El Capitan, Yosemite National Park, California.
I know, April seems like an odd time of year to write an article on winter photography hot spots. But I was going through old photography magazines before consigning them to the recycling bin and found a great article on winter photography hot spots.
Posted April 3, 2018. Updated April 9, 2018.
Wildlife Location Guides
Looking for wildlife this year? If you want to photograph wildlife you need to find wildlife. A good wildlife location guide can send you to the right places and save you hours or days of frustration looking in all the wrong places.
Thunder Hole, Acadia National Park. Photo © Sue Anne Hodges.
I came across an article on the prettiest drives in America. One of the photos that jumped out at me is this excellent photo of appropriately named “Thunder Hole”. Kudos to Sue Anne Hodges for this image (and my thanks to her for permission to use this image in this article). It is filled with action, intensity, and drama. You can feel what it would be like to get drenched if you were at the end of the observation area.
Estimated Print Life from Wilhelm Imaging Research
Would you rather pay more money for a print that will fade in as little as 5 or 6 years, or would you rather pay less money for a better print that will last up to 50 years? People pay more money for prints with a short life expectancy all the time. Why? Because they don’t have the right information, and they may have no idea that prints have such widely different life spans.
Hans (left) and Sophie Scholl with Cristoph Probst (right), leaders of “The White Rose” resistance movement. Munich Germany, July 1942.
Hans Scholl and his sister Sophie were part of “The White Rose”, a group that opposed Hitler and the Nazi party. Hans served as a medic on the Eastern (Russian) front from late July to October 1942. One month later, 300,000 Germans were trapped in Stalingrad and only 5,000 returned to Germany. . . .
Video screen capture. Sotheby’s International Realty, Telluride Colorado.
Do you want to see how real estate video photography should be done? Scroll half way down this page and start the video. This is one of the very best real estate videos I have watched thanks to the quality of the individual video segments and a great mixture of video styles from slow motion to aerials to the time lapse at night.
The lab you choose and the kind of file you send to your lab can make a huge difference in the quality of prints you get back. How do you pick a good online photo lab? How do you get the best results from your lab? What color space should you use for your digital files and how do you convert your files to the right color space? How big a print can you make from your digital files?
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.
“Celebrate What’s Right With the World!” with Dewitt Jones. This video is great!
12 Months National Parks Collage
What is your favorite nature photography season or seasons? Does the number of photos you take match your favorite seasons? What percentage of your photos are taken during each season of the year?
Hallett Peak and Flattop Mountain, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado
What are the best national parks to photograph in the fall? Here are my choices, grouped by state and province from west to east. This list includes the favorites I have been to, plus the ones I most want to see based on the recommendations of the photographers I trust, like Tim Fitzharris and QT Luong. More about them later.
Long’s Peak and Bear Lake, Rocky Mountain National Park
Fall is a fabulous time of year to visit the national parks. Crowds are usually smaller than in the summer, temperatures are cooler, and some of our national parks have glorious fall colors. With so many to choose from, where should you go? Which national parks will provide the best photographic opportunities in the fall?
Maroon Bells and Maroon Lake. Mid-morning. September 24, 2015.
UPDATE: The most recent and updated version of this article is here.
Welcome to my Colorado fall color travel and photography guide with over 100 pages of information (if you print it all out), 114 photos, and 17 maps. I cover some of the best known fall color locations in Colorado, and one real gem of a road that is mostly unknown to photographers and leaf peepers. Spend anywhere from a few days to three weeks exploring the beautiful Colorado Rockies at a gorgeous time of year.
Pika, Rock Cut, Trail Ridge Road, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado
What are the best national parks to photograph in the summer? 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.
Royal Arches, North Dome, and Washington Column from Stoneman Meadow. Yosemite National Park. California.
Summer is the most popular time to visit the national parks. With so many to choose from, where should you go? Which national parks will provide the best photographic opportunities in the summer?
Ocotillo. Big Bend National Park, Texas.
If I could go on a fabulous spring photography trip to the national parks of my choice, with no time limit and 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.
Moon Over Balanced Rock, Arches National Park, Utah.
Are you planning a spring photography trip to some U.S. national parks? Where should you go? Which parks will provide the best photographic opportunities? Which parks are at their best in the spring?