Several years ago, I got a call one morning from the head ranger at Bighorn National Forest in Wyoming. He was inquiring if I would be interested in participating in Bighorn National Forest’s initial Artist in Residence program. That was during the COVID shutdown, and my state was really locked down—we couldn't even go camping in a state park! So, yes, absolutely yes.
Camping across Europe, camera in hand, can teach you a lot—not just about traveling, but about taking meaningful photos. Beyond gear choices or film types, it’s about developing a mindset that ensures your photos reflect genuine experiences instead of mere tourist snapshots.
It takes a combination of courage, self-confidence, and a relaxed, easygoing nature to feel comfortable approaching and photographing strangers. For some of us, this comes more naturally than for others, but is this a skill that we can develop with a view to becoming better street photographers?
KEKS has announced their new M-Meter, a modernized version of the old analog Leica M-Meters, and I can’t help but think of that line from the Bob Fosse biopic All That Jazz: “Everything old is new again.”
Capturing reality was never photography's sole purpose—it always flirted with imagination. But in an age dominated by digital tools and AI, how far can we push photographic art before it stops being photography?
They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but sometimes, a few of those words need to be cut. Cropping isn’t just about trimming an image—it’s about sharpening the story you want to tell.
Photography gear is constantly evolving, redefining what it means to be “professional.” Once, carrying massive DSLRs and powerful flashes was the mark of a serious photographer—now, smaller, more efficient setups are taking over.
Venturing into the world of film can be daunting, and choosing a camera to get you started can be a challenge. Here’s a recommendation that might save you some time.
The way people shape the landscape reveals what they fear and value. In places like Southern California, where natural conditions are harsh, you can see clear signs of these priorities. Fireproof landscaping, seismic retrofits, and massive infrastructure projects that bring water and power to Los Angeles all tell a story of control, adaptation, and sometimes exclusion.
What if you could control perspective distortion and focus with pinpoint accuracy at any aperture? Dive into the world of tilt/shift lenses and learn how pros use the Scheimpflug Principle to create stunning images.
Half-frame cameras are seeing a burst in popularity. Here are six compelling reasons to add one to your arsenal.
Canadian photographer Greg Girard left Vancouver in the 1970s to explore Southeast Asia with his camera. His colorful, atmospheric landscapes showed us a very different and unfamiliar part of the world that, for Westerners at that time, was much less traveled and even less well known.
There are a ton of obscure cameras out there, but typically, there’s at least some documentation buried in a weird corner of the internet. Unfortunately, obscurity does not guarantee performance, as this photographer finds out.
Mastery of the camera, a keen photographic eye, and excellent timing are all prerequisites for being a good portrait photographer. But there’s another quality that is much harder to come by and less often talked about, yet it can distinguish a great portrait photographer from a good one.
With film prices ever increasing, budget-conscious photographers are always on the hunt for the best results at the lowest price. Of the cheapest mainstream offerings, which one delivers the best performance?
Shooting film on the road presents unique challenges, from managing limited exposures to ensuring your gear and film stay in working condition. For a long trip, especially in remote areas, planning becomes essential.
There’s nothing quite like the solitude of my darkroom at dawn, the hum of my enlarger in the background, and the image slowly appearing on paper in my hands. For me, photography is more than capturing a moment—it’s a meditative journey into light, shadow, and form.
Places of emptiness and desolation might not immediately demand the attention of the photographer, but they have a haunting beauty that is all too easy to overlook. For one landscape photographer, the quiet magic of these neglected spaces has often been the source of his inspiration.
A camera should work for you, not the other way around. The tools you choose shape how you shoot, how you move, and how much you think about settings versus composition. Some cameras get out of the way. Others force you to slow down. Understanding how different cameras affect your workflow can help you make better choices before you even press the shutter.
A few years ago, a friend of mine, a symphony maestro, was walking with me through my studio/gallery and remarked that I should compose a book, the title of which would be “The Known, the Unknown, and the Transcendent.” Tom was a true intellectual, a visionary who never allowed a conversation to descend into petty differences and discussions about equipment, etc. It was always about the art, beauty, and ideas.
Shooting film can completely change how you approach photography. It forces you to slow down, think more deliberately, and accept imperfections as part of the process. Many who started in digital find that switching to film rekindles their love for capturing images. But does film actually make an image better? Or is it just a different way to shoot?
Is there a way to replicate the feel of film but with the cost and convenience of digital?
Digital photography dominates, offering speed, convenience, and unlimited creative control. But shooting film forces you to slow down, think differently, and embrace an entirely different experience. The appeal isn’t just nostalgia—it’s a unique process that changes how you approach photography.
It is often through the eyes of an outsider that we are most able to see ourselves clearly. The collection of iconic images that Swiss photographer Robert Frank captured on his 10,000-mile road trip across America amounts to nothing less than a historical document and a landmark in American culture.
Film photography offers a unique approach to capturing landscapes. Unlike digital, it forces you to slow down, consider each shot, and make deliberate choices. This makes it an excellent way to refine your skills and understand exposure, composition, and light in a deeper way.
Making digital photos look like film is something many people are interested in, but achieving authentic results can be tricky. One area that often gets overlooked is the appearance of grain. Getting it right can significantly enhance your images by mimicking the subtle imperfections that define film.
Shortly after I last mused about what I thought would be the perfect new compact film camera for 2025, I discovered that there was a camera in the works that seemed to tick every box I hoped for: the Analogue AF1. But with little more than a gorgeous website promising the moon at a modest price, I held off, preferring to wait for more details before getting too sentimental about what could be the long-awaited savior of compact film photography.
Film photography offers a creative process distinct from digital, but it requires a shift in mindset. If you're thinking about trying film or transitioning from digital, understanding the basics can save you from frustration and help you decide if it’s worth the investment.
Fact: Depth of field will remain constant across all formats and focal lengths as long as the aperture and the image size remain the same. There are several factors that determine how sharp, or not sharp, an image may be. One of those is depth of field, and another is the movement of the subject matter that occurs while the shutter is open. Here, I will discuss depth of field.
Some enthusiasts claim film offers qualities that digital simply can’t match, while others believe digital reigns supreme. The truth is, neither is better; they’re different, and understanding those differences can help you make the most of either medium.
My photographs are hardly ever representative of objective reality, but they are representative of my vision, my artistic interpretation of the scene. In this article, I will talk about why I made a particular photograph, what was done in the camera, and then what I did in the darkroom to realize the finished image—or at least the image as it is right now. Realizing that I hardly ever reach a final conclusion on a photograph, especially when I am working on it in a wet, traditional darkroom, everything remains a “work in progress.”
As a filmmaker, there’s no denying that Wim Wenders has a distinctive and immediately recognizable visual style. But did you know that, in the years before his film career really took off, he developed and honed a great deal of his visual creativity working in the medium of Polaroid photography?
When I began photographing the landscape, the only option was using film, either black and white or color. When using black and white film, most of us used the Zone System or a derivation of it. Even those who cursed it as being too constrictive—it is not—or some kind of voodoo (again, it is not) were using this type of system in some way.
Photographing the landscape can be hard work, at times very hard work. It entails rising well before daylight in most cases and working in sometimes very harsh conditions. Most of the time, you will be out in the woods until well past dark, waiting for just the right moment, which may not come—even after your most valiant efforts. It makes sense, then, to do everything you can to stack the odds in your favor. Here are some thoughts on that.
I have had the opportunity of working as an Artist in Residence for the National Park Service four times. The last residency was for Buffalo National River in Arkansas. In the spring of 2020, I got a call from one of the managers for the National Forest Service in Wyoming, wanting to know if I would be interested in coming to Wyoming to do a residency there in Bighorn National Forest, which I was glad to do. So, in early September 2020, I loaded up my gear into my Bronco and headed to Wyoming!
