Nature Photography How To

It happens to the best of us: Sooner or later we all run out of fresh ideas and inspiration and fall into a rut. So how do you escape the doldrums and get the get the creative juices flowing once again?

The first thing most of us think of when we hear the words “Zone System” is the great Ansel Adams, who developed this powerful exposure technique with Fred Archer over 80 years ago. The second thing that often comes to mind is the word “complicated.”

Have you ever wanted to master slow shutter speed panning for more interesting nature, wildlife, and sports/action photography? If so, we’ve got you covered with the tutorial below.

While it may not seem that way in some parts of the country, spring is in the air and it’s time to start thinking about shooting some macro images outdoors. Florida-based photographer Matthew Cicanese has a varied portfolio, but his close-up work is really special—despite the fact he is blind in one eye.

Photographer and writer, Jaymi Heimbuch has a profound interest in wildlife and nature. Her goal is to create images that trigger an emotional connection with viewers, and which spur us all to be stewards of nature. Through her work, Heimbuch hopes to spark wonder, respect and appreciation for animals.

After almost 40 years of making platinum prints, chemical fumes had harmed Tom Millea’s lungs to a point where he could no longer go into the darkroom. He says, “Closing my studio was traumatic in the extreme.” He didn’t believe that anyone else was capable of printing his work as he envisioned it. He liked computers but had no desire to try to make digital prints look like his platinum prints. “One technique could not replace the other,” he says. He selected prints from his inventory to sell in gallery shows and considered himself retired.

But by 2004, when the color palette of digital inks had changed, Millea thought his prints were beautiful, and comparable with his darkroom images. He began making digital color photographs full-time using an Epson 2200 printer. Over the next five years, he says, “By myself, step by step, I learned to use the computer to make images I felt were uniquely my own.” He eventually put together a complete digital studio with Apple computers and two Epson printers, the 4800 and the 9800. He could then make his own prints up to 40x60”.