Recent Nature Articles

How to Take Photos Faster

As a photographer, you have probably been told to slow down and focus on your composition to make the best possible photo. What we also know is there are many fleeting moments and being ready for these are of utmost importance if you want to catch them.

Elk Charges Photographer at Yellowstone National Park

Yellowstone National Park has very clear rules about how close humans can get to animals: 100 yards from bears and wolves and 25 yards from all other large animals. One photographer disobeyed those rules and quickly learned a scary lesson.

Karst Country: A Haunting Infrared Timelapse Of The Australian Countryside

Karst Country is a collaboration between artists Glen Ryan and Phil Ryan that has resulted in some absolutely surreal infrared imagery. This timelapse, shot with both RED Epic and Scarlet cameras at 4k resolution, is a joy to watch. I always find it so refreshing to see when new techniques are integrated into timelapse movies. For a few BTS images and some musings from the creators, be sure to check out their blog, which can be found here.

Behind The Scenes: Capturing The Pacific Northwest With Peter Lik

Follow world-renowned landscape photographer, Peter Lik, as he captures one of the wettest places in the continental U.S., the Pacific Northwest. After having a record breaking year in rainfall Peter threw on his raincoat, slipped on his rain-boots and headed to Oregon to photograph the subsequent breathtaking scenery. Enjoy as he shows what you have to sometimes endure to get some amazing photographs.

Yahoo's New Weather App is Beautiful Thanks to Flickr

Yahoo's new weather app that was released today just replaced my Apple weather app, and probably for good. Why? Because it's outstandingly beautiful thanks to Flickr image integration. Rather than just showing bland vectors of sun and clouds, Yahoo has backed up their accurate weather forecasting with geolocated imagery from Flickr users. So pretty...

A Comprehensive Guide to Creating Incredible Seascape Photographs

If you're a photographer living in a coastal city, hobbyist or otherwise, it's almost a given you've taken your camera seaside to snap what you were hoping to be some stunners. This has been the case for me, and I was sorely disappointed when my photos were nothing like what I had imagined they would be. If only there were an extensive, nit-picking guide to creating the photos you see in your head. Anton Gorlin has created just that: an impressively in-depth guide to seascape photography that really gets down to the nitty-gritty.

Photographer Travels to More Than 50 Countries to Photograph Weird and Wonderful Wildlife

London-based photographer Harry Skeggs began his love affair with traveling at the age of 17 with what he describes as a "rubbish little camera." He says it was his disappointment with the quality of the images that pushed him to seek out better. Here, we take a look at some of his finest wildlife images from around the world.

Panoramas From Capture to Post

Thomas Heaton created a new set of videos last week about one of my favorite topics and shooting styles: landscape panoramas. I love photographing night skies and landscapes this way and the technique overall is very simple yet can give fantastic results. The best time to start learning how to shoot panoramas is during the day and Heaton takes us through his photography of a great autumn scene and explains what, why, and how he is capturing the images before he goes into his post processing.

It's That Time of Year Again: Get Outdoors and Visit the Nearest Woodlands

Fall is here folks and that means that if you're able to get outside, you should definitely not miss the chance to do so. We have lots of articles and videos going around about fall colors with tips and tricks about making the most of your outdoor excursions this time of year. Here's another really great video definitely worth your time with some great information about rivers, fall colors, and some macro photography.

The Finalists for the 2016 Comedy Wildlife Photo Awards Are Here

The competition for the Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards is now closed, but you can have a look at the numerous entries which photographers have submitted. And I must warn you, these are photos of the derpiest animals you have ever seen!

The Best Post-Processing for Woodland Images

Thomas Heaton breaks down an essential woodland editing technique, known as the Orton effect. He recommends using it when shooting natural, woodland scenes. It provides just the right amount of pleasing glow and softness to take down the artificial and overly contrasty look that can sometimes crop up with photos of trees.

50 Photographers Across 50 States Capture Portraits for Merrell's One Trail Campaign

Merrell, an outdoor footwear brand, wanted a photography concept that would celebrate diversity on trails, but in a way that felt genuine and reflected reality. While outdoor brands usually look towards more of a traditional commercial photography approach, Tim Kemple had something else in mind to achieve their goals.

Review: Topaz DeNoise AI Ups the Game for Removing Noise

I took a look at Topaz DeNoise AI earlier this year and found it effective at removing noise without killing the details in your images. My only complaint was that it was not a speed demon. On some large images, I had to wait almost a minute before the image was cleaned up. Is that better in the latest version?

"Epochs" Timelapse Is Epic, With Write Up On All The Location And Setup Details

How many times have you seen an amazing timelapse project, and wondered where exactly the photographer was when they recorded their exposures? Or maybe you wondered what they had to do to get to such an amazing vantage point? Sean Goebel created his timelapse film "Epochs" and documented the location and equipment details for most scenes. Sean told me some about his background, and links to his work and shot setups are also inside.

The Best Time-Lapse You Will Never Be Able To Create

It seems every day someone is creating an interesting timelapse that shows something we've never seen before. This one comes from the International Space Station as it orbits around the earth at night. The video was made from using data from the Gateway To Astronaut Photography Of Earth and stitched together with the open software Virtual Dub. It's pretty amazing how much light pollution makes it to each exposure and look carefully for bursts of lightning over the Pacific Ocean. Props to the person who spots the satellite that makes the frame as well!
Timbavati's White Lions

Freddie Child-Villiers was invited as one of two photographers worldwide in November of 2010. "He was officially allowed to photograph the only White Lions to be successfully reintroduced back into their endemic habitat after being technically extinct for over two decades." The images in the series were shot with the Hasselblad H4D-50 for entry into the wildlife category of the 2010 Hasselblad Masters competition

Elusive Snow Leopard Shoots Purrfect Selfies

Have you ever been fortunate enough to see a snow leopard out in the wild? Yeah, me neither, and it may be because they are busy taking selfies just like us.

2019 Wildlife Photographer of the Year Competition Opens Today

While the awards ceremony for the 54th Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition wrapped up last week in London, the prestigious competition opens its doors today for submissions to 2019's Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition. For those who are keen to get involved in this next competition, I highly recommend it. Photographers may submit their images up until December 13, 2018 here.

Michael Levin:  Master Of Black And White Landscapes

When I first saw this video I was completely blown away. Michael Levin is an outstanding black and white landscape photographer. Recently Michael teamed up with Brad Kremer to produce the most artistic behind the scenes video I've ever seen showing a day in the life of a photographer. I really really wish there was more technical information to this video but unfortunately like most landscape photographers their secrets are hard to pull from them. Brad shot this whole video on a Canon 5D Mark II and the highly praised Dynamic Perception Dolly. Michael is primarily shooting on a Hasselblad body but that shouldn't come as any surprise. Make sure you check out Michael's portfolio -- much of his work features spectacular locations around Japan.
Lessons Learned for Your Next Eclipse Outing

I got through the Sunday eclipse and helped a couple of friends with their first time try at eclipse imaging. It got me thinking about what I've learned over the years that might save you some time when the next one comes along.

DSCOVR Spacecraft Captures "EPIC" Photographs of The Dark Side of The Moon

Today NASA's Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR) satellite captured an event that will only happen twice a year due to the orbit of both the satellite and moon's orbits. DSCOVR, which is floating in space 1 Million miles away, took the images between 3:50PM and 8:45PM on July 16th. NASA will soon begin a constant, daily observation of Earth to provide photos and collect weather information for NOAA using and the satellite's camera "EPIC," a 4 megapixel camera.

Blurred Lines Between Science and Art in Photography

Sometimes it is difficult to tell the difference between a technically accurate photograph and one that has been modified, enhanced, composited (you pick the word) in order to give it a broader audience appeal. Nature is both stunning and surprising in its raw magnificence which begs the question: why should we mess with it at all in photographs?

Things to Consider Before Buying a Teleconverter

Tony Northrup and Chelsea Northrup continue to offer up informative videos to help photographers understand and Learn the Art and Science of Photography. This latest video has Tony breaking down: the pros and cons of using teleconverters, how using one effects your focal range, image quality, aperture, and autofocus capabilities. So if you've been thinking about buying a teleconverter, this video may help you make a more informed decision before picking one up.

Purple Photograph Prowess: 9 Approaches to the Perfect Heather Picture

Everywhere in Europe, heathers are looking positively vibrant. I trust that it's a worldwide phenomenon along the northern hemisphere. They’re also blooming three weeks sooner than past years; a result of an early Indian summer, due to the changing climate. Ostensibly, purple heather is a magnificent subject in landscape photography, but there are many more things you can capture in what is arguably the best season for photography. So let’s get you ready to capture this herald of autumn.

TimeFest 2011: Behind The Scenes With The Top Timelapse Shooters

Tom Guilmette is now a pretty regular name on Fstoppers because his BTSVs in the field of video are some of the best we have seen. In the video below Tom travels out west with Eric Kessler to film BTS footage of some of the top timelapse shooters of our time. My personal favorite is Tom Lowe and we haven't heard much from him in the last year because he is still working on his timelapse feature film. Check out the video below to learn from the best.
Learn to Master Desert Landscape Photography

Are you daydreaming about traveling while on lockdown? Why not immerse yourself in the beauty of deserts and learn how to capture beautiful landscape images when we're allowed to travel the world once again?

Tips For Shooting On Location - Lights, Cameras, And A Warrior Princess

The Slanted Lens recently posted a new behind the scenes video, explaining the process for a project that involves shooting photos of a warrior princess out by Vasquez Rocks. This video really dives in to considerations you have to make as a photographer when shooting on a remote location like this. From location scouting, to running power for lights, and even considering bathrooms for the crew, this insightful BTS video shows us how Jay P. Morgan approached this challenge.

New Mexico Night Skies Shows Us the Beauty in Our Stars

The latest time-lapse by astrophotographer Brian Spencer shows us the beauty within our galaxy by highlighting the bright stars paired with the beautiful nature found in New Mexico. Using a collection of sliders, cameras, and patience, Spencer was able to capture this beautiful time-lapse highlighting both the beautiful night sky of New Mexico, and the world we view it from.

Stop Procrastinating: Photograph Some Nature

I know that I've banged on about the importance of planning in order to get that extra special shot. However, I've often let over-preparation get in the way of creativity.

Enjoy Calming Fog Sunset Photography With the Sony a1 and 35mm Film

For many of us, 2021 has been no better a year than 2020. Take a break, and rise above the fog with this incredible video from Michael Shainblum, as he captures long exposures, time-lapses, and film images from high above the clouds in San Francisco.

Outdoor and Wildlife Photography Safety

As I’m preparing to search for black bears to photograph, my personal safety has certainly come to mind a few times. When photographing wildlife, the combined safety of both ourselves and the species we are seeking out should be the top priority. In this article, I go over a few things to keep in mind when you head out into the great outdoors with your camera.

Photoshop In Your Browser? We're One Step Closer

While photographers have been able to upload their RAW files to Google Drive for quite some time, apparently, we’re now one step closer to being able to process those in Photoshop directly through our browsers. An almost two year effort on the part of Adobe and Google has brought Chrome-based Photoshop to fruition. They’ve got a version called Photoshop Streaming that they’ve sent out to educational institutions to test out over the next six months.

Film Yourself Parachuting Away From An Avalanche

I'm convinced GoPro and Redbull have the best extreme advertising on the planet. In this latest extreme skiing video, Matthias Giraud and Stefan Laude use two GoPro's each to document their parachute escape from an avalanche in the French Alps. If you don't already have a GoPro Hero, you need to get one. If you already have one, then we all need to start filming more near death moments by living life on the edge! Click the Full Post for a cliff jump skier equipped with at least 5 GoPros in a single run.
A Different Experience for a Landscape Photographer: Fires at Night

I'm mainly an Arizona based golden time landscape photographer, and I also mix in Milky Way and telescope based astronomical photography of galaxies and nebulas. On June 5th, a lightning storm struck the Catalina Mountains near Tucson, and almost literally, all hell broke loose.

Photography and Hiking for Pleasure, Not Profit

When's the last time that you let yourself shoot images without giving a thought to their monetary value? It's too easy to get caught up thinking about how to monetize our profession and it's so important to step back, slow down, and just shoot for the fun of it.

How National Geographic Photographs A 300 Foot Redwood

Michael Nichols is a photographer for National Geographic who was recently faced with the task of photographing a 300 foot Redwood in Northern California. In order to capture the tree in all of its glory, Michael had to use 3 Canon 1Ds Mark II cameras, several pocket wizards, a cinema dolly system, and dozens of bracketed photos all shot at f2.8. Each full image of the tree took over 1 hour to complete and in order to capture the perfect photograph of the tree Michael and his team photographed the redwood over 18 days. The video below shows a quick recap of the project and the second video in the full post explains in detail how he was able to overcome all the obstacles required in creating this 18 meter tall image.
[Video] Yosemite Like You've Never Seen It Before

Videographer/Photographer/Artist Shawn Reeder spent two years in Yosemite creating the footage that would be cut to make this video. Shot mostly under moonlight and with a variety of dollies and cranes, the end result is a masterclass in the art of the outdoor timelapse. It's not often that we get to see such an intimate portrait of a location shot over such a long time period. Be sure to view fullscreen, with HD enabled.