Nature Photography How To

Have you ever returned from a shoot, thinking you captured a bunch of great shots, only to be disappointed when you review the images on a computer? Well, join the club, because this happens to the best of us on occasion.

For centuries, scientists have labored to understand the nature of light. Some ancient Greeks believed that light was emitted from the eyeball the same way a bat sends out an echolocation chirp which allows him to determine his precise position in physical space. Understandably, there were problems with that hypothesis. Other theories followed. Those who embraced the wave theory were right—mostly. Light behaves like a wave up to a certain point. Similarly, those who professed the particle theory were also correct—partly.

Here's an important post-processing tutorial for all you avid wildlife and landscape photographers, that will help you get the white right with a little help from Lightroom. Once you do that, other colors tend to fall into place.

When it comes to bird photography, no species is more majestic and more sought after than the bald eagle. Its status as America’s national bird wasn’t always a sure bet (Benjamin Franklin wanted the turkey). Bald eagles also nearly went extinct during the 20th century from their eggshells thinning due to the proliferation of DDT. But today as a result of aggressive protections under the Endangered Species Act, as well as the banning of DDT, these beautiful birds have made a dramatic recovery.

This Saturday, October 14, we'll all be treated to an annular solar eclipse that will provide a great opportunity to capture some impressive images. With that in mind we're featuring the five-minute tutorial below that explains how to get in on the fun.

Kamchatka, Eastern Russia: I am standing at the crater rim of the active Tolbachik volcano, taking pictures. Suddenly the volcano spits out a red-glowing lava bomb that is heading precisely in my direction. Luckily enough it doesn’t hit me but lands just by my side. Although afraid at first, I delightedly grab my camera: this is a rare opportunity to take close-up shots from still very hot and glowing cinder bombs.