Mount Hunter from a Bush Plane. Denali National Park. Alaska.
UPDATE: A revised and expanded version of this article can be found here.
Metering for scenes with a lot of snow can be tricky since the snow fools the camera meter. I see a lot of winter photos online with gray, underexposed snow, which means the camera meter did what it was designed to do and the camera owner didn’t know how to use exposure compensation. The solution is quite simple provided you know what to do.
Moraine Park in Late Evening Light. Click the image to see a larger version.
Rocky Mountain National Park can be beautiful any time of year, including late February when I created this image. It’s not too late to catch the splendor of a RMNP winter, and February is a good month to go.
Cougar
With the wind chill in the minus 30s lately, I asked myself, “Who would be crazy enough to be outside in this weather?” Then I remembered taking this photo.
Kristina
It isn’t just the photo shoot that matters. Some of my favorite images happen before the shoot.
Kristina at Christmas
On Christmas eve I found myself doing Christmas portraits for a friend’s portfolio (she is an agency represented model). There isn’t a lot of space in our living room when the Christmas tree is up so I had to improvise a bit with the lighting and I needed to get the right mix of flash and ambient light for the look I wanted.
Snowy Owl Sightings, January 2014
This is your year to photograph Snowy Owls since this is one of the best years ever for Snowy Owl sightings in the U.S., especially in the Northeast (map above). Snowy Owls are ranging much farther south than usual this winter.
Expectations
To my eyes there are very few things on the planet that are as beautiful as a mother looking forward to the birth of her child. I love beautiful “baby bump” photography.
In the January 2014 issue of Pixology magazine, Tim Grey recommends Digital Photography Exposure for Dummies. Tim is a highly respected and sought after digital photography expert and workshop presenter. The composite image above is part of the cover page and part of the page with book recommendations (page 82). Click on the image to see a larger version.
Great gift for the photographer in your life. Order today (Saturday) at Amazon and ask for two day delivery. This is one of the highest rated photography books at Amazon.com. It covers the “basics” like other “Dummies” books but it covers intermediate and advanced photography skills too. You are getting a beginners book and an advanced book all for the price of one book. Digital Photography Exposure for Dummies is highly recommended by beginners and professionals alike and it has received top reviews from photography magazines. Lean more here and order it at Amazon.com.
Gifts for Photographers
Looking for the best photo gifts for a photographer? You’ve come to the right place. I have dozens of gift recommendations with prices starting around $7.
(Originally posted Nov. 13, 2013. Updated Dec. 20, 2013.)
Copyright Certificate of Registration
Question: So….You have to get a copyright on each photo, not a group of them, right? Is it a hassle? I’ve thought of doing it from time to time.
Originally posted Dec. 19, 2013, Updated Dec. 13, 2016.
The best of the best cameras, accessories, photo books and more.
This time each year I put together a collection of articles recommending the best photo gear, books, DVDs, software, calendars, online photo labs, and a whole lot more. The articles are revised every year throughout the holiday season, some of them extensively. The list of linked articles follows.
(Originally posted Nov. 13, 2013. Updated Dec. 18, 2013)
Kirk Enterprises BH-3 Ball Head with Arca-Swiss style quick release
The short list.
3-Way Tripod heads:
Manfrotto 056 3D Junior Head (replaces 3025)
Manfrotto 3025
Manfrotto 115 3D Super Junior Head (replaces 3028)
Manfrotto 410 Junior Geared Head
Ball Heads:
Slik Pro Ballhead 800
Kirk Enterprises BH-3
Kirk Enterprises BH-1
Really Right Stuff BH-40
Really Right Stuff BH-55
Looking for a tripod? Choose wisely. Other than a camera and a good lens, nothing can make a bigger difference in your photography than a good tripod. This is the place to find information, recommended models, and links to more information.
Lightroom & Photoshop: The Essentials
If you are serious about digital photography and you use Lightroom and/or Photoshop, these books are “The Essentials”.
Flash adapter and umbrella for an shoe-mount electronic flash.
There are a lot of practical and inexpensive gifts for photographers. Here is a nice list of items from $7 to $100. All of these items can be found at my photography store (powered by Amazon.com with Amazon’s terrific ordering, shipping, guarantee, and service). Most of the items below are in the Photo Goodies section. Prices are current as of this update but they do fluctuate so they are approximate.
(Originally posted Nov. 14, 2013. Updated Dec. 17, 2013.)
I’ve been recommending DPReview for years in my photo classes and online. It is one of the best camera review sites. One of the nice features is the ability to download full size JPEG test images of their “standard studio scene” for comparison purposes.
Newtown Connecticut. December 14, 2012.
Sandy Hook Elementary staff members killed December 14, 2012 while trying to protect the children.
“Pink Cosmos Double” by Tony Sweet
If you want to turn your images of flowers into true artistic expressions, this is the book for you. Fine Art Flower Photography, Creative Techniques and the Art of Observation by Tony Sweet takes you well beyond the typical flower photography guide.
More photos are taken of people than any other photograph subject. Anyone can take snapshots. If you want to take more memorable and eye-catching photos, here are some excellent books to help you do just that.
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 of the “best of the best” books to look for. These are my favorites out of hundreds of photography books in my library.
Autumn Path, Michigan. Depth of Field complements of a Hyperfocal Distance Chart
The following question came today via email. I occasionally post some of the questions that come my way, along with my answer.
Question: Does the hyperfocal distance of a prime lens remain the same when a wide angle converter is attached to the lens?
OSU-Mansfield Nature Photography Workshop
OSU Extension will be offering my nature photography workshop and field trip on the Mansfield Ohio Campus. Learn how to create beautiful nature and landscape photos. Explore the ways you can tell your camera to work its special magic. Discover the secrets of the pros that turn ordinary snapshots into dynamic images. Get real time in-the-field, hands-on help combined with informative and inspiring classroom presentations.
Jennifer Blakeley does beautiful newborn photography. Her celebrity client list includes Megan Fox and Brian Austin Green; Vanessa and Donald Trump Jr.; and Jocelyn Towne and Simon Helberg (Big Bang Theory). She is also the founder of Alphabet Photography. A highly respected and award winning Canadian photographer, she has also worked with the Canadian Olympics Gymnastic Team.
Don’t lose your digital photos to disc-rot or a hard drive crash. Choose the best archival storage options.
Continue reading
Short List:
SanDisk
Lexar
Memory cards are the “film” for your digital camera. You don’t want to have a card failure and lose your photos. A reliable brand is important.
AlienBees Studio Lights
For the best combination of quality and price, it is hard to beat AlienBees studio lights. I’ve been using AlienBees in my studio (and on location) for 7 years, and like so many other photographers, I’ve been singing their praises. It would be hard to find the same quality for less money.
Umbrella, flash, and flash bracket on a tripod.
Photographers are always looking for ways to soften the light when doing portraits. The light from an accessory flash can be quite harsh so there are a wide range of modifiers to soften the light for more pleasing portraits. Here are my three favorites.
GoPro Hero 3+ Cameras
Looking for a small, mountable, “ideal for sports and action”, inexpensive, high definition video and still camera with a waterproof housing and image quality that Lucasfilm (the Star Wars people) calls “amazing”? Take a look at the amazing video footage at the end of this post (with skiing, snow boarding, surfing, cliff diving, motocross, auto racing, jet piloting, base jumping, and parasailing). This camera will go anywhere and mount just about anywhere.
Some of the Best Digital Photography Books
Some well chosen books can make a world of difference in your digital photography. Some of the best books are about the camera side of photography, some are about the digital darkroom side, and some are about both. Out of hundreds of books in my photo library, I have picked out the best.