Outdoor Photography How To

Filing the frame with the critter isn’t required for great wildlife photography. Reflecting on how I first slanted my wildlife photography in this direction, it has its roots in the first lens I had to shoot wildlife. I started with a Vivitar 400mm f/5.6 on an old Minolta that was soon replaced with a Nikon 400mm f/5.6 on an F2. That 400mm was my main lens for a long time and it taught me lessons about wildlife photography that I still depend on to this day.

Philippe Halsman, in his book Halsman on the Creation of Photographic Ideas, talked about an ad he’d shot, where he had to show a car making a splash as it was driving through a water-filled trough. But rather than give it the traditional treatment of the day, he sought to make a real splash with the picture, so he lit it differently. Shooting at dusk, he positioned flashbulbs so they hit the “wings,” as he called them, from each side. Like Halsman, photographers specializing in automotive are finding ways of introducing unusual and unique twists to make the shot stand out. Peter Dawson is one such automotive photographer who takes a particularly keen interest in dealing with challenges outdoors, on location.

The Ojibways, inhabitants of the Lake Superior Region for some five centuries, had a name for tribal bands that lived on the south and north shores of the lake they called Keche Gumme. They were called Keche-gumme-wi-ne-wug—Men of the Great Water. If there is one non-Native American who deserves to be an honorary member of those lake dwellers, it’s nature photographer Craig Blacklock.

“A super wide-angle lens will encompass Mount Whitney and Mount Russell with Iceberg Lake in the foreground.”

Mount Whitney, located on the eastern fringe of Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, is the tallest peak in the Eastern Sierra and the contiguous United States. A four-hour drive north of Los Angeles, its lofty summit at 14,494 feet is sought after by hikers and climbers from all over the world. It’s also a favorite of landscape photographers seeking to capture the right compositions as soft pink and orange hues soak into the gritty granite mountain at dawn.

Born in India in 1967, Subhankar Banerjee received a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering before moving to the US where he earned a master's degree in physics and computer science. He later accepted a job with Boeing in Seattle, Washington, and became a successful scientist. So why would he switch gears and devote himself to shooting pictures in Arctic...

Photographing action is quite challenging, but can also be very rewarding. The keys to success are knowing your camera, knowing your subject...and LOTS of practice. You have to be able to set focus and exposure quickly (or monitor them quickly, if using an automatic camera). In short, you can't be fumbling around trying to figure out how to apply exposure compensation or...

About Lynne...
Lynne Eodice is a writer/photographer and popular contributor to Photographic magazine.

Morning conjures up thoughts of beautiful sunrises, the start of a new day, and perhaps brewing a cup of coffee while reading the newspaper. Photographers enjoy shooting early in the morning (and late in the day) for dramatic light. When shooting...