There is still plenty of fall color to be found across the country if you know where to go and when. Here are a few great options with links at the end to a lot more options.
Lots of Fall Color Still to Be Found Across the U.S.
Category Archives: Photographs
How to Find the Names of Mountains in Your Photographs
You are on a road you have never been on before. You to stop to take a picture which includes a prominent mountain. How do you find out its name?
POTD: Aspen at Sunset on Ohio Pass
It was the end of a glorious day in Colorado. The sun was going in and out behind some clouds in the western sky. Before the sun dropped behind a mountain range, it came out of the clouds and lit up this row of aspen. Perfect!
How To Get Critical Focus in “Live View” Mode with a Magnified Image
Tripod mounted camera in live view mode. The image is visible on the LCD along with the RGB histogram.
“Live View” mode is a huge boon to digital photographers and magnified focus is one of the reasons why. Focusing this way is more accurate than the camera’s autofocus modes, at least with non-moving subjects, and you will have sharper images. Landscape photography is the usual time to use this technique but sometimes it works for wildlife.
How To Focus Your Lens at Infinity for Night Photography
Photography workshop at night. Bear Lake, Rocky Mountain National Park.
The most important and difficult step in night photography is to focus your lens at infinity. If you have tried to focus on the stars at night you have already learned that it is an impossible task for the autofocus system and just about impossible for you to do manually. You just can’t see clearly enough through the viewfinder in the dark of night to manually focus on the stars. Fortunately, there are some ways to get the job done.
Originally posted Jan. 8, 2017. Revised and re-posted Sep. 5, 2019.
Two Photographers and Eleven Outdoor/Travel Writers Pick the Best National Parks for Fall
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?
The Best National Parks for Fall Photography
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.
Colorado Fall Color Photography and Travel Guide
Maroon Bells and Maroon Lake. Mid-morning. September 24, 2015.
Headed for Colorado this fall? Welcome to my Colorado fall color photography and travel guide with 120 photos, 17 maps, and over 100 pages of information (if you print it all out). 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 two weeks (or more) exploring the beautiful Colorado Rockies at a gorgeous time of year.
Perseid Meteor Report
Sometimes things work out just great. Sometimes not so much. I saw two Perseid meteors this morning, neither of which made it on to film. One happened at Location 1 while I was setting up. The other happened in between frames at Location 2.
How to See and Photograph the Perseid Meteor Shower
Perseid Meteor photographed from Rose Hill Cemetery west of Lamoni, Iowa. 4:55 am CDT, August 13, 2018. Cropped from the original image.
The night of August 12-13 is the predicted peak night of the Peresid Meteor Shower. But you can look for the next few nights after the peak night. This article will tell you what you need to know to see and photograph the most popular meteor shower of the year.
It all started with Sarah . . .
Thirteen years ago I was looking through some of my images and decided my portrait photography was lacking. That is when I got the bright idea of working with a professional model.
Favorite Photos – July
Favorite Photos, July. Click for a larger version.
Here are my favorite photos for the month of June. The story behind this “favorite photos by date” project is here.
Favorite Photo, July 31
This was another spontaneous Sunday afternoon photo shoot. The light was perfect and I picked a large tree trunk as the background. The braids help make the picture. And look at those eyes! If you have been following this series you have seen Ava before. I have been taking pictures of her and her two sisters since each of them were two or three years old. This is one of my all time favorite portraits and my most favorite image for July 31.
Favorite Photo, July 30
Bob (my brother-on-law and photo buddy) and I were at Brainard Lake in hopes of capturing some nice landscape images. But it was cloudy and drizzly, and occasionally raining. We retreated to the car to eat a late snack/supper. We ate and talked and watched the rain drops on the windshield.
Favorite Photo, July 29
It was the last night of SPECTACULAR and this interpretative dance was part of the closing Communion service.
Favorite Photo, July 28
Our grandson Finn at one month old. This is my favorite photo for this date.
Favorite Photo, July 27
If you have been following this series, you have probably guessed this is another photo from SPECTACULAR, the annual July event at Graceland University. This is my favorite image for July 27. I love the expression on her face. You might be wondering how she got splattered with grass.
Favorite Photo, July 25
In pottery class at SPEC, an instructor helps a camper at the wheel. This is my most favorite image for this date. I like the symbolism of experienced hands guiding younger hands.
Favorite Photo, July 24
I have been to SPECTACULAR several times to photograph the events, including this soccer match. This is one of my favorite sports images because of the intensity in the player’s faces. This is my most favorite image for July 24.
Favorite Photo, July 23
My brother-in-law and photo buddy, Bob Walker, arrives at SPECTACULAR. (More about that in a minute.) This is my most favorite image for this date, for a lot of reasons. If you have been following this series, you have seen Bob before at Bear Lake in Colorado.
Favorite Photo, July 22
This is far and away one of my most favorite images and my most favorite photo for this date. Melissa and I and our three children were hiking up the trail from Bear Lake to Flattop Mountain. Not only is that a special memory, Melissa and I and my brother John were hiking the same trail August 13, 1969. Melissa and I were engaged at the time. I have a photo of Melissa and my brother at the same exact spot.
Favorite Photo, July 21
You shouldn’t be able to photograph stars from a plane. At least that is the conventional wisdom and the conventional wisdom, and in this case it almost always right. I have tried to photograph stars from a plane in flight numerous times but without success. But this flight was different.
Favorite Photo, July 20
I was up on Trail Ridge Road at Rock Cut. Pika were everywhere, gathering grass to stash away for the long winter. They have about about 3 or 4 months to gather enough food to last through an 8 or 9 month long winter. This was the only pika gathering flowers.
Favorite Photo, July 19
You guessed it. Same place. Same subject. This time I captured a tern exploding up out of the water with a minnow in its beak. This is my favorite image for July 19.
Favorite Photo, July 18
If you have been following this series you have detected a common thread to most of the photos over the last several dates. They were created in California. Today is no exception.
Favorite Photo, July 17
If you have been following this series, this photo should look familiar. It is one in a series of photos of our children at this sign taken from 1979 to 1990. This series is a special favorite and this is my favorite photo for this date.
Favorite Photo, July 16
Doris, my mother-in-law, has a beautiful Lantana in her back yard with numerous orange blossoms. On three consecutive trips to California I would occasionally notice a hummingbird feeding at the Lantana. I would grab a camera and lens but the hummingbird would be gone.
Favorite Photo, July 15
The big day arrived, the celebration for Doris’ 90th birthday. Doris in the middle of the seated row, along with her four daughters. Gathered around are her sons-in-law, all of her grandchildren and some of her great-grand grandchildren. This is a favorite family portrait and one of my two most favorite images for this date.
Favorite Photo, July 14
It was a very busy week in Fremont California. Doris, my mother-in-law, turned 90 years old and birthday preparations were in full swing. At the end of a long day we were headed back to the house. Our daughter Janae walked her grandmother Doris up to the front door. I grabbed my camera and snapped this image. It is one of my all time favorite images, and one of my two most favorite photos for this date.
Favorite Photo, July 13
We were in California for a family get together and I ended up out in the yard taking casual portraits. This is our grandson, Andrew. This is one of my most favorite photos for this date.