Snowy Owl
What is a Snowy Owl expedition really like? This article is your chance to find out. Join me for a two day photo safari! I give you tips and photo suggestions along the way, and you get to see how I prepare, plan, and adapt on a photo trip. I tell you what went right and what went wrong so this is also about what to do when things don’t go according to plan.
Snowy Owl Sightings, January 2016
Winter is your opportunity to photograph Snowy Owls. When it is cold enough and there is enough snow cover, snowy owls move down into the northern U.S. The colder it is the farther south they move. If conditions are right, don’t delay. If the winter turns warmer the snowy owls will head back north.
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 snowy owls.
White Sands National Monument is one of my favorite places on the planet. I highly recommend it as a top priority photo destination. In January you pretty much have the whole place to yourself.
Last Light on Long’s Peak and the Keyboard of the Winds, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado.
Thinking about a photography trip to one or more U.S. national parks this winter? You can benefit from the work I have done. Some national parks look better in the winter than others. You will want to make them a priority. After you read this article I recommend you also read the companion article: The Best National Parks to Photograph in Winter.
Originally posted January 17, 2017. Updated and re-posted January 10, 2019.
Bryce Canyon
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.
Posted January 17, 2017. Updated and re-posted January 10, 2019.
Mount Hunter from a Bush Plane. Denali National Park. Alaska.
Metering for scenes with a lot of snow can be tricky since the bright snow fools the camera meter. I see a lot of winter photos with gray snow, which means the camera meter did exactly what it was designed to do. The solution is quite simple provided you know what to do.
Last Light on El Capitan, Yosemite National Park
In addition to all of the usual photographic challenges, winter provides some extra complications, especially in terms of metering. So I began this series of articles on winter photography. Check out the links below. The articles will help you meet the unique challenges of winter photography. So get out there, have fun, and create some great winter images!
Western Scrub-Jay, Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife, Fremont California. January 9, 2014.
I was at the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge in Fremont California. It is one of my favorite photo locations in the Bay Area. Continue reading
Organ Mountains, New Mexico. January 8, 1990.
Ansel Adams is right. There is something wonderful about New Mexico. There is an abundance of great subjects to shoot and the light can be magical.
Last Light on El Capitan, Yosemite National Park, California. December 30, 1990.
In my “favorite photos” folder the photos for today’s date are a mix of landscape and family pictures. I have two first choices for today’s favorite photo. The first was taken in Yosemite National Park.
Bird Reflections, Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge. Fremont California. Dec 28, 1990.
We were in Fremont California visiting family over the holidays. As I sometimes do when we are there, I head out early in the morning to go to the local wildlife refuge. This image is my favorite that morning, my favorite for this date, and one of my all time favorite wildlife images.
Grand Canyon at Dawn, Arizona. December 2, 1985.
Landscapes photos are rare for me in December since we aren’t usually traveling unless we are going to see family for the holidays. But in 1985 we were driving across country on I-40 to spend Christmas with family in California. The Grand Canyon isn’t far from I-40.
Cougar, Wildlife Prairie Park, Illinois, December 9, 1995.
My favorite photo for today’s date happens to be one of my all time favorite images. The intensity in the face makes this photo. It was a bitter cold morning with a windchill of -40 degrees. I was in my heaviest winter clothes and I still got chilly in the brisk wind..
Bryce Canyon
Winter provides some wonderful photo opportunities in our national parks. 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.
Bryce Canyon After An Overnight Snowstorm
Cold and snow can cause a lot of damage to your camera gear. Something as simple as taking pictures outside and then bringing 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.
Photographers with red headlamps. Field Trip, Sprague Lake, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado
A red headlamp is an essential tool for night photography. Before you rush out and buy one, make sure it has the most essential feature (other than the red LED). Some inexpensive headlamps have this feature and some very expensive ones don’t, so cost is not the issue.
Elephant Rock, Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada. Friday, Nov 20, 1998.
There is only one photo in my “favorite photos” folder for November 20, but it is one of my all time favorite images.
The Vietnam Women’s Memorial, Washington D.C. November 4, 2014.
Today is a day for Washington D.C. Memorials plus one wildlife image.
Our National Parks
Fall is winding down in many parts of the country. Maybe things are looking a bit drab where you live and you are longing for something more interesting. What are the best nature photography destinations in November?
El Capitan Reflection, Merced River, Yosemite National Park, California. October 25, 2015.
With so many photos to choose from it was hard to pick a favorite photo for today’s date.
The “House of the Lord”, Kirtland, Ohio. October 24, 2004.
When I lived in Ohio I would be in kirtland in the fall almost ever year. The fall colors were especially vibrant the year I took this photo. This is my favorite image for October 24.
Cemetery, Shaftsbury, Vermont. October 23, 2017.
After my trip to Acadia National Park, which was featured in the last few posts, I headed home by way of Vermont. What a beautiful state!
Jesup Path, Acadia National Park. October 22, 2017. Click for a larger version.
If you have been following along for the last few posts, you know what is coming: More photos from Acadia National Park. October 22, a year ago today, was my last morning in the park.
Evening, Jordan Pond, Acadia National Park, Maine. October 21, 2017
If you have been reading the last few posts, it will not surprise you to know that most of my favorite photos for this date were taken in Acadia National Park. It is one of our very best national parks for fall photography and it is still looking great this time of year.
Stars over Otter Cliff, Acadia National Park, Maine. October 20, 2018. Click for a larger version.
My “favorite photos” folder covers 30 plus years of photography, but all but two of my favorite photos for October 20 were taken the same day in Acadia National Park.
Otter Cliff, Acadia National Park, Maine. October 19, 2017.
It was my first full day at Acadia National Park and I was in photography heaven. My research into the best season to photograph each of the national parks made one thing clear, Acadia was one of the best places to be in the fall, and this was my first trip to check the place out.
Point Iroquois Lighthouse from Lake Superior Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. October 13, 2008.
My favorite photo for October 13 started with a note from a photo editor asking if I had a nice fall image of Pt. Iroquois Lighthouse. I said I didn’t but I was heading up north and I would try to get one.
Balloon Flower Closeup, iPhone with Olloclip closeup lens, Columbus, Ohio. October 12, 2015.
In my October 9 post in this series I mentioned taking iPhone photos in my garden as a result of an interview for a photography article for the Akron Beacon Journal. I was back at it in my garden on October 12.
Upper Tahquamenon Falls, Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. October 8, 1998.
It was a gorgeous day in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and I was at Michigan’s iconic waterfalls. It doesn’t get much better than this. This is my favorite photo for the day and one of my all time favorite photos.