How to Get Sharp Wildlife Photos on Safari
How I Get Sharp Wildlife Photos on Safari Wildlife photography on safari moves fast. During eight days of game drives in Kenya’s Maasai Mara, I was constantly reminded that animals are going to move on their own schedule. They aren’t going to wait for me to change a setting, find focus, or decide which lens […]
How to Photograph the Northern Lights: Settings and Tips
Shooting the Northern Lights means adjusting as the aurora changes. Here are the camera settings I start with, how I focus, and how I compose the lights as part of the landscape.
How to Tell a Story With Photography
How I Tell a Story With Photography When I think about how to tell a story with photography, I’m not necessarily looking for one dramatic moment or trying to make every photo mean something complicated. I’m thinking about what I want someone to notice, understand, or feel when they look at the image. That might […]
How to Use a Circular Polarizer Filter in Landscape Photography
How I Use a Circular Polarizing Filter for Landscape Photography A circular polarizing filter is one of those small pieces of camera gear that can make a noticeable difference in a landscape photo before you ever open Lightroom. Using one is pretty simple. Screw the filter onto the front of your lens, compose your photo, […]
How to Use a Wide-Angle Lens for Landscape Photography
How to Take Better Landscape Photos With a Wide-Angle Lens Wide-angle lenses are some of the lenses I reach for most when I’m shooting landscapes and traveling. I love being able to capture the full sweep of a scene, whether that’s a mountain, canyon, forest, temple, or road disappearing into the distance. But shooting wider […]
Blue Hour vs. Golden Hour: When Is the Best Time to Take Photos?
Blue Hour vs. Golden Hour: When Is the Best Time to Take Photos? I almost always prefer shooting during golden hour because I love working with light. Watching warm light move across a mountain, catch the edge of a tree, or hit one part of a landscape gives me so much to work with when […]
How to Plan a One-Day Landscape Photography Shoot
How to Plan a Landscape Shoot When You Only Have One Day Sometimes travel photography gives you several days to wait for the right conditions. Other times, you get one sunrise, one sunset, and whatever happens in between. That was exactly what happened to me around Mt. Fuji. We arrived in Kawaguchiko the night before […]
Camera Body vs. Lens: Which Should You Spend More On?
Camera Body vs. Lens: Which Should You Spend More On? One of the hardest parts of buying camera gear is deciding where your money will make the biggest difference. Should you put more of your budget toward the camera body? Or would you be better off choosing a simpler body and spending more on the […]
How to Take Better Photos in Harsh Midday Light
How to Take Better Photos in Harsh Midday Light Photographers hear a lot about waiting for golden hour. The light is softer, the shadows are longer, and the colors often feel warmer and easier to work with. But when you are traveling, you cannot always wait for perfect light. Sometimes you are standing in front […]
What Is Texture in Photography? How to Capture It
What Is Texture in Photography? How to Find and Capture It Texture is one of the details that can make a photograph feel more connected to the place where it was taken. It can help you imagine the rough surface of a canyon wall, the softness of fog between mountains, or the smooth movement of […]