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Galen Rowell’s great book, Inner Game of Outdoor Photography, is now back in print!

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Galen Rowell is widely known as one of the greatest landscape photographers that ever lived. But, he wasn’t just a photographer: he was also an avid mountain climber and passionate adventurer. He truly loved the natural world: not only observing it, but also participating in it.

Through his pioneering use of graduated neutral density filters, he was able to create some truly amazing images.

Throughout his life, he wrote numerous articles for Outdoor Photographer magazine, as well as a couple of instructional books:

Mountain Light is currently not in print, but his other book, Inner Game of Outdoor Photography is finally back in print as an affordable paperback. A book that used to sell for hundreds of dollars used, is now widely available for less than $20! [Read more…] about Galen Rowell’s great book, Inner Game of Outdoor Photography, is now back in print!

How to Photograph Grizzly Bears

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Grizzly Bear / Photo by Robert Berdan
Grizzly Bear / Photo by Robert Berdan
Note from Steve: Today Iʼm happy to publish our first guest post here at PhotoNaturalist. This post was written by Robert Berdan, of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Robert has a lot of experience with photographing mammals (something I pretty much have NO experience with!), so I was pleased to accept his post about photographing grizzly bears. After you finish reading, be sure to check out his great website for more articles and photos!

And, if youʼre also interested in writing a guest post, please feel free to contact me. Thanks!
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I will never forget the first time I encountered a Grizzly bear on the trail. I was walking with my friend Frank toward Siffleur Falls on the North Saskatchewan river just west of Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada.

The grizzly bear raised its large head to get a good look, sniffed and continued moving towards us. I remember saying to my friend, “F- F- F- F- Frank there is a grizzly bear coming towards us!” You are not supposed to stare into the eyes of a bear or run as either might trigger an attack. [Read more…] about How to Photograph Grizzly Bears

6 Reasons Why Flickr is a Great Tool for Nature Photographers

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FlickrAs you might already know, I’m a big fan of Flickr. Although it’s primarily just a place for you to store and share your photos, there’s a lot more reason to use it as well. Especially as a nature photographer. Here are some reasons why:

#1 – Learn from other photographers

There are a ton of photographers on Flickr. In fact, as of October 2009, Flickr has over 4 billion photos. The best part? Every single one is searchable by you.

This means you can search for photos of your favorite subject, and see how other photographers have photographed that same subject. I think we all see the world in a completely unique way, so seeing through the eyes of another photographer can help inspire you.

Some photographers on Flickr also make the technical details of their photos public, so you can see what aperture, shutter speed, and ISO they used for a photo. [Read more…] about 6 Reasons Why Flickr is a Great Tool for Nature Photographers

11 Tips for Landscape Photography

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Mojave Desert at Sunset / Photo by Steve Berardi
Mojave Desert at Sunset / Photo by Steve Berardi
Once in awhile, I think it’s good to re-read and review stuff you’ve already read before. It’s a good way to refresh your memory and pick up things you might’ve missed the first time.

I’ve probably re-read Ansel Adams’ book The Camera at least five times, and I still learn something new each time.

So, I’ve decided to start putting together collections of previous posts that have a central theme. I know that some of you haven’t been reading PhotoNaturalist from the start, so maybe you’ve missed a few of these posts. I don’t know how often I’ll do this, but to start off, here are some of the most popular posts I’ve written on landscape photography: [Read more…] about 11 Tips for Landscape Photography

Why Timing is Critical for a Photo

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Creosote Bush at Sunset / Photos by Steve Berardi
Creosote Bush at Sunset / Photos by Steve Berardi
The two photos above were taken two minutes apart as the sun was setting one evening in the Mojave Desert. Although it’s not too drastic, there’s a clear difference in color between the two photos.

Of course, neither photo is necessarily “better” than the other (in fact, about half the people I’ve asked prefer the first one, while the other half prefer the second). The two photos illustrate just how much can change in a short amount of time. I’ve talked about this before, as it applies to landscape photos, but it’s really something to consider for all types of photography.

After all, a photograph is really just a snapshot of time. Nature photography isn’t just about taking photos of a particular subject, but it’s also about taking those photos at the right time. [Read more…] about Why Timing is Critical for a Photo

7 tips for photographing waterfalls

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waterfall
Photo by Steve Berardi
Hiking trails to waterfalls always seem to be the most popular trails. There’s a good reason for this: as humans, we’re naturally drawn to water. It’s one of our most basic survival instincts. Not only do we love the sight of water, but we love the sound of water falling against rocks, and we love the feeling of cold water on a hot day.

So, naturally, waterfalls are also a popular subject to photograph! Here are a few tips for capturing them: [Read more…] about 7 tips for photographing waterfalls