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Monday, September 30, 2019

Today’s Photo Of The Day is “Red Towers” by Matt Meisenheimer. Location: Zion National Park, Utah.

“A beautiful sunset over the towering red peaks of Zion National Park,” describes Meisenheimer. “This is Court of the Patriarchs. To get this shot, I wore waders and stepped into the Virgin River where I found a nice area of rapids.”

See more of Matt Meisenheimer’s photography at www.meisphotography.com.

Photo of the Day is chosen from various OP galleries, including AssignmentsGalleries and the OP Contests. Assignments have weekly winners that are featured on the OP website homepage, FacebookTwitter and Instagram. To get your photos in the running, all you have to do is submit them.

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Sunday, September 29, 2019

Today’s Photo Of The Day is “Sunset at Great Smoky Mountains” by Siu Lau. Location: Tennessee.
Photo By Siu Lau

Today’s Photo Of The Day is “Sunset at Great Smoky Mountains” by Siu Lau. Location: Tennessee.

Photo of the Day is chosen from various OP galleries, including AssignmentsGalleries and the OP Contests. Assignments have weekly winners that are featured on the OP website homepage, FacebookTwitter and Instagram. To get your photos in the running, all you have to do is submit them.

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Saturday, September 28, 2019

Today’s Photo Of The Day is “The Morning Breaks” by Menx Cuizon. Location: Yosemite National Park, California.
Photo By Menx Cuizon

Today’s Photo Of The Day is “The Morning Breaks” by Menx Cuizon. Location: Yosemite National Park, California.

“An errant beam of sunlight illuminating the vibrant colors of the autumn trees as the morning breaks over Yosemite Valley,” describes Cuizon. “The radiance of the sun and the reflection in the water add beauty and grandeur to the place. Just lucky to be at the right place at the right time.”

See more of Menx Cuizon’s photography at www.menxcuizonphotography.com.

Photo of the Day is chosen from various OP galleries, including AssignmentsGalleries and the OP Contests. Assignments have weekly winners that are featured on the OP website homepage, FacebookTwitter and Instagram. To get your photos in the running, all you have to do is submit them.

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Friday, September 27, 2019

Today’s Photo Of The Day is “Emerald” by Rebecca Wilks. Location: South Lake Tahoe, California.
Photo By Rebecca Wilks

Today’s Photo Of The Day is “Emerald” by Rebecca Wilks. Location: South Lake Tahoe, California.

“I’ve made the mid-summer trek to overlook Emerald Bay several times, getting up at 3 a.m. or earlier,” says Wilks. “This time it really paid off, with my favorite Lake Tahoe sunrise.”

Photo of the Day is chosen from various OP galleries, including AssignmentsGalleries and the OP Contests. Assignments have weekly winners that are featured on the OP website homepage, FacebookTwitter and Instagram. To get your photos in the running, all you have to do is submit them.

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Thursday, September 26, 2019

Today’s Photo Of The Day is “Evening Elephants” by Heather Nicole.
Photo By Heather Nicole

Today’s Photo Of The Day is “Evening Elephants” by Heather Nicole.

“A beautiful elephant is silhouetted by the sun after an amazing African adventure,” explains Nicole.

See more of Heather Nicole’s photography at momentsbyheathernicole.myportfolio.com.

Photo of the Day is chosen from various OP galleries, including AssignmentsGalleries and the OP Contests. Assignments have weekly winners that are featured on the OP website homepage, FacebookTwitter and Instagram. To get your photos in the running, all you have to do is submit them.

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Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Today’s Photo Of The Day is “Sonoran Sunrise” by Max Foster. Location: Arizona. “A beautiful, vivid sunrise in the Arizona desert,” describes Foster.
Photo By Max Foster

Today’s Photo Of The Day is “Sonoran Sunrise” by Max Foster. Location: Arizona.

“A beautiful, vivid sunrise in the Arizona desert,” describes Foster.

See more of Max Foster’s photography at maxfosterphotography.com.

Photo of the Day is chosen from various OP galleries, including AssignmentsGalleries and the OP Contests. Assignments have weekly winners that are featured on the OP website homepage, FacebookTwitter and Instagram. To get your photos in the running, all you have to do is submit them.

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Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Today’s Photo Of The Day is “Shores of Titan” by Craig Bill. Location: Redwood National Park, California.
Photo By Craig Bill

Today’s Photo Of The Day is “Shores of Titan” by Craig Bill. Location: Redwood National Park, California.

“The California coastline displays some of the most dynamic and moody seascape scenes—even dangerous,” says Bill. “Especially the North California coast. Here, the slightest change in atmosphere can make for a bad outdoor experience if you get caught out in it with all of your equipment. So, that being stated, this can be a unique and rewarding challenge to set up in.

“Although I had planned the entire evening for this location, I was uncertain as to the weather, light and ocean swell conditions. I must have snapped away two hundred or more exposures to finally have enough to choose from to create “Shores of Titan.” At times, I found myself running for higher ground leaving my camera behind on the tripod as huge surges of seawater filled the surrounding area where I had been standing. Luckily, the camera was secure and higher than the swells. In fact, at the time of my departure from this scene, as it was getting too dark even for long exposures, a huge wave crashed into the cove and rocks that I had been sitting in for hours. That one ‘rogue’ wave would have destroyed all my equipment and certainly might have harmed me too!”

See more of Craig Bill’s photography at CraigBill.com.

Photo of the Day is chosen from various OP galleries, including AssignmentsGalleries and the OP Contests. Assignments have weekly winners that are featured on the OP website homepage, FacebookTwitter and Instagram. To get your photos in the running, all you have to do is submit them.

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Monday, September 23, 2019

Perform A Photography Background Check

Everyone should perform their own background check. This is especially true when it comes to photography. Always perform a photography background check before you press the shutter for every image you create. The more often you do, the more frequently you’ll create photos without distractions, brights hot spots, awkward mergers or other aspects that confuse the viewer as to what the subject is. It’s essential to learn how to control background interference in a photograph to make a more successful image. As meticulous as one can be in finding a perfect subject in good light, if the background isn’t treated with equal respect, the end result falls short.

What constitutes a poor background? The cliched example of a tree or telephone pole growing out of someone’s head immediately comes to mind. As obvious as it becomes when you look at the photo, it isn’t always obvious when you click the shutter. Photographers often have tunnel vision and see ONLY the primary subject. As a result, they become blind to the surrounding elements. The interfering elements aren’t as obvious as the subject. Other culprits are bright highlights, dark blobs, tone or color mergers, elements that compete for attention, etc.

Perform A Photography Background Check

There are a number of strategies and photographic techniques one should learn in order to keep a background simple. The easiest is to study the entire viewfinder before you press the shutter. This goes back to one of my tag lines: Edit Before Pressing The Shutter. Wait for everything to fall into place. As much as you wish the tree growing out of the person’s head would magically disappear, it won’t. Wait for the subject to move to a clean position, allow yourself the freedom to reposition yourself or, if possible, have the subject preposition itself. 

A background can be more easily thrown out of focus via the use of a wide-open aperture. The faster the lens, the wider the aperture that can be used. This being said, even if you use a lens whose widest aperture is Æ’/5.6, if other factors fall into place (see below), use Æ’/5.6 to create a wash of color behind the primary subject so the viewer knows what the subject is—think simplicity.

Perform A Photography Background Check

A background can be more easily thrown out of focus via the use of a telephoto lens. The longer the lens, the narrower the view. The narrower the view, the less there is behind the subject. Additionally, the longer the lens, the more difficult it is to create a deep depth of field. With this in mind, use your most telephoto lens to make the image. Used in conjunction with a wide aperture, backgrounds can more easily be thrown out of focus unless, of course, the subject is very close to it.

The farther the subject resides from the background, the easier it is to create an out-of-focus background that doesn’t compete for attention with it. If an animal, flower, tree branch or other natural object is close to the background, optically, it can’t be thrown out of focus. But, if it’s far enough away, the use of a long lens in combination with a wide aperture can result in a background that’s clean and complements the subject.

Perform A Photography Background Check

Sometimes you get lucky and the subject naturally appears in front of an unobtrusive background. This is serendipitous, and be thankful when it occurs. Often, a change in your position can help control this. Squat down to a lower position, elevate your position or move to your right or left. When it falls into place as easily as this, be thankful.

Create a black background via the use of flash. When you make photos of macro subjects, flash can be used as a main light. If the flash is close to the subject and the background appears a bit away, given how fast light from a flash falls off, backgrounds are often rendered black. If the subject doesn’t have dark edges, it’s a good time to use this tool. The reason I bring up the point about dark edges is you don’t want a tone merger where the insect or flower is recorded at the same density as the background. The viewer won’t be able to differentiate where the subject ends and the background begins. Another trick when making macro images is to bring a piece of colored cardboard and hold it in back of the subject. Blue is good to imply it was shot against a sky and green works great to imply vegetation.

Perform A Photography Background Check

Harmonize the background with the subject so they complement each other. This can be done via the use of color. Try to use colors that appear on opposite sides of a color wheel. For instance, magenta and green are on opposite sides. As a result, when they appear in the same photo, the warm tone jumps out against the other more easily.

Visit www.russburdenphotography.com for information about his nature photography tours and safari to Tanzania.

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Sunday, September 22, 2019

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Friday, September 20, 2019

Thursday, September 19, 2019

As most of the world now knows, the latest iPhones have been announced and this year is all about the iPhone 11 Pro camera.

The two huge new camera features are Night Mode (software) and the Ultra Wide 13mm lens (hardware) and I’ve just spent a week testing these features extensively in my iPhone 11 Pro camera review, seen here.

In short, Night mode is all about taking better pictures in lowlight and it works super well but very differently than I expected. As a photographer familiar with traditional longer exposures, it was interesting to learn Night mode works by blending a bunch of short exposures shot over a period of time…it’s crazy computation photography stuff and I love shooting with it.

The other significant camera upgrade is the addition of the Ultra Wide lens. Now we have three lenses in our pocket, what Apple calls Ultra Wide (13mm), Wide (26mm) and “Telephoto”(51mm).

Shooting with the new Ultra Wide is a lot of fun and opens up some interesting possibilities.

Image of a fisherman taken with iPhone 11 Pro camera ultra wide lens

The 13mm lens is useful for single photos but it also works pretty well in Pano mode. I hiked up to an overlook of fish ponds and the mountain range which made for a decent panorama so I shot a pano normally, with the standard Wide lens.

iPhone 11 Pro camera

But I really wanted some texture in my foreground and after a few minutes of looking around I found some pretty interesting rock formations. Unable to get them in my shot with the Wide lens, I experimented with using the Ultra Wide lens in Pano mode to capture them.

While it’s certainly not distortion free, it was a cool way to play with this new lens and build a completely different image thanks to iPhone 11 Pro’s new Ultra Wide lens.

Another interesting feature photographer should take note of is the new “Capture outside the frame” setting which basically means if I’m shooting with the Wide lens, it’s also capturing with the Super Wide lens and I can use this extra information to adjust my crop out/correct geometry in post.

See the below screenshot where what used to be black is now transparent revealing the perspective of the wider lens for correction later.

It’s a different way of thinking about photography and in testing I found I like the extra power but it take some getting used to.

This is just a quick glimpse of a few of the features photographers using iPhone 11 Pro should know about, so be sure to check out my full iPhone 11 Pro Camera review where I’ve extensively tested these new tools and many others on this shoot in China!

Hope you enjoy and please feel free to reach out with questions and comments over on my blog!

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Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Our October 2019 issue of Outdoor Photographer challenges you to contract your compositions and expand your horizons. In “Subtracting The Universe,” Justin Black suggests thinking like a sculptor when approaching a scene, cutting away the extraneous to arrive at refined, highly-focused photo compositions. 

Bruce Dorn wants to inspire you to take on the challenge of teaching the craft. In “Be A Photo Mentor,” he describes his experience working with a young photographer and guiding her throughout the photographic process, from capture to print to building a potential career.

Also in this issue, Josh Miller asks if sensor size really matters. Miller has shot with full-frame, APS-C and Micro Four Thirds cameras extensively and can speak to the strengths of each. “With all the sensor formats being so good, I wouldn’t actually make sensor size my No. 1 determining factor when choosing to invest in a system,” Miller advises. If you’re mulling a new camera purchase, this article will give you a well-rounded perspective on the options.

On the cover is a melodic, abstract photo of glacier ice by Justin Black . Here’s the story behind the shot.

“Aboard the schooner Rembrandt van Rijn in Greenland’s vast Scoresbysund fjord system, our Visionary Wild expedition group set out to shore in the ship’s Zodiacs for a hike to a position overlooking the Rolige Brae Glacier. On the way, we came across one of the most magnificent icebergs I’ve ever seen, composed almost entirely of ancient deep-glacier ice. The sunlight sparkled, bounced and refracted as it penetrated the various fins, arches, horns and facets around the iceberg’s circumference, and our group went to work. As the boats maneuvered, shutters clicked and exclamations of awe-struck incredulity were heard; the planned hike was entirely forgotten.

“This situation was ideal for the application of subtractive composition. The greatest beauty of the iceberg was not in its full form, nor its position relative to the fjord landscape, but in its details. The ice was a medium for the elegant play of light. My co-instructor Chris Linder and I reminded our guests that compositions would be defined in part by the graphic elements that they included in the frame but, almost more importantly, by excluding picture-wrecking distractions such as exceedingly bright highlights or strongly discordant shapes. We took a cue from the ice—exquisitely sculpted by time, sun and seawater—and were careful in carving out our compositions like visual sculptors.”

–Justin Black

The October 2019 issue is available now in a variety of digital formats including Apple News+ and will be on newsstands beginning Tuesday, October 1.

Outdoor Photographer Plus and VIP members get full access to all of the content on outdoorphotographer.com, plus print and digital editions of the magazine, as well as other great benefits. Learn more about our membership options.

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Monday, September 16, 2019

What Will I Be Given In Nature Photography?

I’ve run hundreds of nature photography tours across the United States, traveling to almost every state doing so. Since 2014, I’ve lead numerous photo safaris to Tanzania and each year the number goes up. I continue to add more at the request of my participants. I’m now up to four safaris per year with plans to increase that number as time marches on. (Yes, it’s a good life!)  

The reason for the above introduction is that during every domestic trip I’ve run or photo safari I’ve led, I can’t fathom the number of times I’ve been asked at the beginning of each sunrise or sunset session, “What are we going to photograph today?” In the early years, I provided concrete answers based on my provided itinerary, but that often backfired due to multiple factors: weather, the light, crowds, how a given participant “felt” that session, how I adapted to the given conditions for the planned shoot and more. Based on the factors I listed above, in addition to those that don’t appear, I learned it’s impossible to predict what we’re going to photograph on any given day.

What Will I Be Given In Nature Photography?

It’s with this in mind that I now look at things more practically, in an emotional way, with a perspective of deeper thought. I developed an introspective answer I always provide when someone asks, “What are we going to photograph today?” My response is, I don’t know. What will we be given today?” My retort came about after leading numerous safaris to Tanzania. Participants wanted to know if we were going to photograph cheetah today, or leopards, or elephants, or lions… As with any wildlife, if our paths don’t cross, despite what the Itinerary states, how can that be guaranteed? The answer is, it can’t. Hence, “What will I be given?” came to fruition.

The specific circumstance that conceived my adopted response came as a result of a sunset session in the Central Serengeti. The area is known for its cats, especially leopards, and we went to all the “hot” places to find them. In continuing to drive the roads to find them, late light broke free from some clouds. The timing coincided with our driving past a small, still pond in which two yellow billed storks stood regally in gorgeous light. Was it the leopard we all wanted? No. Was it still a great subject in great light with a great background and calm blue water that created a pristine reflection? Were they displaying behavior, and was there a mate for possible interaction? The answer to all of these questions is affirmative.

What Will I Be Given In Nature Photography?

I had our guide stop and we worked the two storks for the final 30 minutes of light. We all drove away with huge smiles on our faces. We set out to make pictures of leopards, but we were given one of the best sessions I’ve ever experienced with this species of stork. The realization that occurred that evening opened everyone’s eyes to take advantage of what’s encountered rather than pass it by thinking there may be something better around the corner. If what you have is good, jump on the photo opportunity.

Expect Nothing To Get Something In Nature Photography

What Will I Be Given In Nature Photography?

Once an expectation is set, disappointment is the result if it’s not met. If you go out with an open mind, then all is good. If you go out with a specific species in mind and remain obstinate that it’s the only subject you plan to photograph, you may come back with nothing. If you go out with the mindset of, “What will I be given?” and take advantage of good fortune, you’ll return with great images, albeit, maybe not what you originally planned to photograph.

But what difference does it make if you still get great shots of great subjects in great light? Although this applies more to wildlife, it can also apply to landscape photography. If the light on the way to your destination is amazing, are you going to pass it by? Will clouds impede the sun and not provide first light on the Grand Teton? It’s very possible. If so, what else will you be given that can provide excellent photos? A macro at your feet, a lone autumn aspen or a dramatic storm cloud to the north? One never knows regardless of what the plan is for the day.

What Will I Be Given In Nature Photography?

So what will you be given? Take advantage and you’ll never be disappointed! 

Visit www.russburdenphotography.com for information about his nature photography tours and safari to Tanzania.

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Sunday, September 15, 2019

Saturday, September 14, 2019

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Friday, September 13, 2019

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I suspect that many of you reading this article will be able to relate to the sentiment of preferring solitude when you’re out shooting. I don’t know why, but any inclination to socialize or be around other people when I’m out with my camera in nature vaporizes into thin air. It’s something that I constantly tell myself that I can’t be bothered with.

However, that notion seemed to waver a bit recently as I browsed through my Lightroom catalog. I saw a series of photos taken in different parts of the world with one of my closest buds, Colby Brown, and a wave of nostalgia hit me.

Perhaps it is because I’ve long equated photos of people in my compositions as “snapshots,” which, in and of itself, is a wholly reductive way of thinking—as if there’s anything inherently wrong with snapshots. But what I found as I browsed through this collection of photos is that I managed to fuse the very same compositional and technical steps that I would with a “typical” landscape shot within these candid portraits.

In other words, these are photos that I am truly happy with in terms of composition and technical application. It also made me appreciate how special it is to be able to travel with a close friend, a spouse or family member and to be able to creatively incorporate them into your photos.

In virtually every case, my goal has been to capture the person—Colby, in this case—as candidly as possible. I am not a portrait photographer, nor would I ever claim to be one. I don’t enjoy directing people to pose certain ways. In fact, I don’t enjoy communicating at all while I’m shooting. On top of that, most of these photos were taken while waiting for Colby to, you know, get out of my shot. So, rather than burn the time, I figured it’d be worthwhile to find creative ways to incorporate him. 

In virtually every instance, I’ve been that much happier with the decision. So the next time you’re out shooting with a friend or family member, consider whether you can find creative ways to include them in your shot. I suspect the memories of those photos will pay back with dividends as the years go by.


See more of Brian Matiash’s work at learn.matiash.com.

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Congratulations to Kris Walkowski for winning the recent Summer Sunrises And Sunsets Assignment with the image, “Doomed By The Light.” 

See more of Kris Walkowski’s photography on Facebook and Twitter.

View the winning image and a selection of submissions in the image gallery below. And be sure to check out our current photography assignment here and enter your best shots!

[See image gallery at www.outdoorphotographer.com]

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Thursday, September 12, 2019

Wednesday, September 11, 2019

Tuesday, September 10, 2019

Today’s Photo Of The Day is “Avian Airshow” by Sundar Amartur.

Photo of the Day is chosen from various OP galleries, including AssignmentsGalleries and the OP Contests. Assignments have weekly winners that are featured on the OP website homepage, FacebookTwitter and Instagram. To get your photos in the running, all you have to do is submit them.

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Monday, September 9, 2019

When It Dawned On Me, Part 3: Sunset

Many of the principles I mentioned in Part 1 of this 3-part series that relate to sunrise hold true for sunset photography. What’s different between the two is threefold: the color temperature of sunset is slightly different in hue, the subject matter tends to be different and there will be more people with which to contend.

Both sunset and sunrise produce warm tones. Depending upon the atmospheric conditions, colors can range from yellow to orange to red. If the western skies contain pollution, smoke or haze, the color leans toward red and orange. If the skies are clear, degrees of yellow prevail.

Summer months usually mean late-afternoon thunderstorms. Hot air rises and produces upper air disturbances. This results in cloud-covered sunsets. Yet, it’s this same production of clouds that can turn a sunset into one to behold. Clearing storms mean dramatic skies. Holes may open that allow the sun to create unique lighting situations. The underside of clouds above the horizon may ignite in fiery reds. Occasionally, serendipity may bless you with a rainbow.

When It Dawned On Me, Part 3: Sunset

Good winter sunsets materialize more frequently than in summer. Additionally, the color lasts longer. In winter, the sun skims across the horizon whereas in summer, its path is more vertical. This translates to prolonged periods of warmth in tone. The slower descent allows more time for the clouds above the horizon to reflect the sun’s color from below.

Sunset is a great time for wildlife photography. When front lit, animals take on golden color with soft light. When backlit, they glow and make dramatic silhouettes. In harmony with great lighting potential, it’s this time of day when animals tend to become more active. They exit the shade from where they’ve bedded down and begin their quest for dinner. Shy away from photographing animals while they have their heads down. Wait for a momentary pause when they pick them up and look more alert.

Sunset, as well as sunrise, is a great time to photograph landscapes, seascapes and other scenics. What was front-lit at sunrise will now be in silhouette. Photographing the same subject at both times of the day is fun to do. It makes for wonderful wall hangings and works well in photo presentations. As with sunrise, side-lit subjects reveal shape, form and texture. As gorgeous as sunsets are, sunrises are more photographer-friendly because there are fewer people out and about. This translates to keeping a scene more natural.

When It Dawned On Me, Part 3: Sunset

Don’t be adverse to including the actual sun in your image, but if you do, there are factors to take into account. The key ones are obtaining the proper exposure, controlling the contrast and being cognizant of how the atmosphere diffuses the sun. As a safety measure, never look at the sun through your viewfinder as eye damage may occur. Looking through the viewfinder doesn’t diminish the damaging effect of staring into the sun. The longer the lens, the greater the risk.

Metering a scene with the sun included will net an underexposed image. The meter will be tricked by its brightness. The resulting image may be too dark. To obtain a correct exposure, take a meter reading off the sky area to the left or right of the sun. Lock in the reading, recompose the shot and still make a bracketed series to ensure one of the exposures is the best and so you can combine them in HDR software.

Once the sun drops below the horizon, the shooting day isn’t over. For the half-hour period after sunset, the sky has the potential to take on a radiant glow. As with dawn light before sunrise, dusk can oftentimes be more dramatic than the sunset itself. Look for silhouettes with interesting outlines to juxtapose against the sky.

Atmospherics play a big role in determining the success of the photograph. Crystal-clear days provide the greatest challenge. Even at the horizon, the sun can be extremely bright. This causes problems with flare and contrast. On days when no horizon haze diffuses the sun, it becomes impossible to shoot even before the sun reveals half of itself.

When It Dawned On Me, Part 3: Sunset

Thin layers of pollution, haze or moisture bestow the photographer with the greatest opportunity to achieve the best results shooting into the sun. Contingent upon what constitutes the diffusion, a glowing ball of red or orange may await the lucky photographer. Finding an arresting silhouette will enhance the composition. Obtaining proper exposure with a diffused sun is easier because the atmosphere provides a natural barrier to tame its brightness. Even so, I still recommend bracketing.

As wonderful as it is to learn all the above information, a major player in determining good sunrise and sunset pictures is Mother Nature. One may have all the mandatory equipment, the right gear, proper filters and the know-how with which to produce the image, but if gray clouds wreak havoc, it’s best to wait until tomorrow. Sometimes it’s best to wait until the next trip and sometimes that isn’t even a guarantee. Going to magnificent locations doesn’t guarantee magnificent shots. But being there at sunset sure enhances the opportunity.

Be sure to check out the two previous week’s tips for info on sunrise light and how to come back home with winning images in midday.

Visit www.russburdenphotography.com for information about his nature photography tours and safari to Tanzania.

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Sunday, September 8, 2019

Saturday, September 7, 2019

Friday, September 6, 2019

As someone who spent more than half his life growing up in New York City and living in some of the densest cities in the U.S., you could imagine my awe when I saw my first waterfall. It was in 2009 and I had flown out to Portland, Oregon, for work. A coworker took me into the Columbia River Gorge and our first stop was Latourell Falls. Up until that point, the closest thing to a waterfall that I had ever experienced was the log flume ride, Splash Mountain, at Disneyworld. After seeing the beauty and regality of that waterfall, I was immediately enthralled and became obsessed. Fortunately, I ended up moving to Portland about six months later, making it much easier for me to explore the multitude of waterfalls throughout the Pacific Northwest.

One of the reasons why I love waterfalls so much is because of the experience that leads up to actually seeing one. In most cases, especially with the larger waterfalls, its presence is felt well before you actually see it. As you make your way down a trail, you begin to hear the faint yet distinct sound of crashing and rushing water. It’s one of the most exhilarating sounds because it’s a clear indication that something awesome is up ahead. The closer you get, the louder the sound becomes and the greater the anticipation gets. Eventually, the temperature will drop a bit and spray will begin to hit you. That’s when the real fun begins.

The first few years that I had spent photographing waterfalls were some of the most pivotal when it came to learn how to find strong compositions. At first, I exclusively focused on the waterfall itself. Almost all of my photos were of the waterfall and very little else. Over time, I realized that I was left with a very homogenous collection of photos that all looked sort of the same.

That’s when I began expanding my understanding of composition and looked for ways to incorporate my surroundings. I also got more comfortable with letting the waterfall become a supporting cast member in an ensemble instead of being the main attraction. In fact, those sorts of compositions quickly became my favorite, because it provided the viewer with so much more to explore.

Now that I live in the southwest, I’ve traded waterfalls for red rock, but it’s a subject that I’ll never get tired of and I’m counting the days before I can visit that region again with my camera.


See more of Brian Matiash’s work at matiash.com.

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Congratulations to Harry Lichtman for winning the recent Summer Beaches, Shores And Coastlines Assignment with the image, “Olympic Afterglow.” See more of Harry Lichtman’s photography at www.harrylichtman.com.

View the winning image and a selection of submissions in the image gallery below. And be sure to check out our current photography assignment here and enter your best shots!

[See image gallery at www.outdoorphotographer.com]

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One topic that I don’t often see debated in photography is the merits of horizontal versus vertical compositions when it comes to landscape photos. Both horizontal and vertical compositions play critical roles depending on the subject matter and the emotions you’re hoping to invoke within your viewers. It can be easy to make a blanket statement along the lines of, “Well, humans see things horizontally. Our eyes are set laterally, not vertically. So, it makes sense to compose horizontally.” And while no one can argue with any of that, I would have to disagree that just because we see horizontally, we should compose as such—at least not exclusively.

The question I ask myself whenever I’m composing a photo is whether my intended focal point or subject would benefit more if it were presented in a horizontal or vertical orientation. A lot of the time, the choice is made based on the qualities of the strongest lines within the photo. If the subject, or the collection of subjects, has more of a horizontal flow, then that is the way I’ll compose the shot. Other times, when the strong lines within the frame flow up and down, or at predominantly vertical trajectory, then that’s how I will frame things up.

Lately, though, I’ve given myself the freedom to explore both options. All of the photos in this post were taken on my last few shoots. It was during these shoots that I challenged myself to find both a horizontal and a vertical composition for whatever my subject matter was. That, in and of itself, proved to be a wonderful challenge at times and considering that it costs nothing to take one extra photo (assuming we’re talking digital), then why not experiment? At the end of the day, I’d rather have the luxury of options when it comes to my compositions and I think you’d prefer to have that, too. So, give it a shot—take one of each and see what shakes out.


See more of Brian Matiash’s work at matiash.com.

The post Horizontal Versus Vertical Framing In Photography appeared first on Outdoor Photographer.



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Thursday, September 5, 2019

Wednesday, September 4, 2019

Recently I found myself walking around Liberty Station in San Diego. The weather was far more pleasant than what I had been living through in southern Utah, so rather than hop from air-conditioned store to air-conditioned car, I enjoyed a stroll throughout the premises. One of the first things I realized were the seemingly never ending, repeating patterns leading from the vestibules to the hallways. They just get going and going off into some imaginary vanishing point. In that instance, I realized that repeating patterns have a special place in my heart when it comes to nature photography because of how much more goes into something like that.

With manmade structures, repeating patterns can be plotted out with cool precision. You can determine the exact qualities and iterations for a pattern to occur using a variety of architectural and CAD applications. When it comes to nature, the best you can do is plant seeds in a particular pattern, hope that they find purchase and grow as intended. But nature being who she is, success is anything but guaranteed. That is why I so thoroughly enjoy seeing clearly defined patterns when they present themselves in the outdoors.

A few hours outside of Portland, Oregon, used to stand thousands of regal poplar trees, arranged in mesmerizing, almost dizzying rows. They’d extend out in every direction and if you didn’t keep your wits about you, it’d be pretty easy to lose your bearings. During the fall, when the leaves would erupt in vibrant yellows, oranges and reds, you’d swear you were in some sort of fairytale.

Patterns also don’t need to be perpendicular to where you’re standing. Sure, there is an undeniable visual charm to seeing patterns radiate outward from where you’re standing, but that isn’t always readily available. Often times, I find as much charm in circular patterns that take on a more looming feel. Most commonly, this can be seen simply by looking upward as you stand beneath a canopy of trees. The patterns are certainly there. You simply need to be open enough to see them.


See more of Brian Matiash’s work at matiash.com.

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Tuesday, September 3, 2019

Monday, September 2, 2019

When It Dawned On Me, Part 2: Midday

Last week, I covered some tips on capturing great images as the sun rises. This week, we’ll take a look at shooting during challenging midday light.

From dawn to dusk, the light constantly changes. During mid-morning to mid-afternoon, the changes are less obvious and happen more slowly. The most dramatic ones occur early and late in the day. These periods are referred to as sweet light hours in that most subjects look their best with the flattering light emitted at these times. The window of time with which they last is short. The half hour after sunrise and the half hour before sunset are the optimum periods, but that doesn’t mean you have to put your camera away during the late morning and afternoon hours.

Midday Blues

As the sun ascends in its trek to reach the western horizon, the photographic focus is shifted to small details or subjects that can be lit with auxiliary light. Work with reflectors, fill flash or in the shade. This allows the motivated photographer to still obtain decent shots of smaller subjects. Large-scale environmental images, in addition to large wildlife subjects, lack drama and impact in midday light.

When It Dawned On Me, Part 2: Midday

Mid-morning to mid-afternoon brings out the harshest light of the day. Shadows fall directly underneath everything, which results in subjects having contrasty light. Distracting shadows and bright highlights become prominent. The light of midday is white and cool. The clearer the sky, the more this holds true. But light can be modified if you focus on small subjects.

This is the time to work on macro subjects or those that reside in the shade. My favorite way to augment light is with flash. I get in close with a powerful flash so I can dial it up to override the sun. In other words, my flash becomes the main light. Contrasty shadows are erased because the flash lights up the dark shadow areas that create the contrast. Close-ups of flowers, insects, rock patterns and small animals that are approachable make wonderful subjects if you’re willing to learn how to use flash.

When It Dawned On Me, Part 2: Midday

Another tool to use is a reflector, but it often requires an assistant to aim it just right. The idea is to reflect the sun into the shadow areas of the miniature scene to fill in the dark black holes of contrast. They come in white, silver and gold. Each one creates its unique look and color. Silver is the brightest followed by gold and then white. Obviously, the gold imparts a warmer tone to the light.

If reflectors aren’t your thing, it’s possible you may get excited about a diffuser. It’s placed in between the light from the sun and the subject. The result is much softer illumination, similar to a bright overcast day. Again, it’s best to work with an assistant.

If you’re a wildlife photographer, bright overcast conditions during the late morning and afternoon hours are welcomed. The light is softened, which allows images to be made the entire day. The same effect occurs if a cumulous cloud passes in front of the sun. Therefore, if the sky has many puffy white clouds and an animal decides to do something dramatic during the time a cloud softens the sun, it works.

When It Dawned On Me, Part 2: Midday

Just be cognizant of the light behind the subject as it can be very bright depending on the size of the cloud. If this is the case, compose the image by excluding the bright areas. Summer is the hardest season to deal with because the sun is directly overhead. Winter works better due to the fact that the sun tracks lower in the sky.

The grand landscape isn’t a good subject in midday light, but if you work the intimate details or use the tools I mentioned above to soften the contrast, it’s possible to walk away with some great images. One of my favorite subjects to photograph is bark patterns of trees that have character. I work the shadow side of the tree or use a diffuser and it’s as if I have an overcast day. Set the white balance to cloudy or shade to warm up the tones, and you’ll be surprised with how many winners you can take home.

Stay tuned for next week’s tip to learn about the virtues of sunset light.

Visit www.russburdenphotography.com for information about his nature photography tours and safari to Tanzania.

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