Newest in Pro Tips
Hoodoo Voodoo: A Photographer’s Guide to Bryce Canyon National Park
I’ve led numerous trips through Utah’s Grand Circle of national parks: Grand Canyon, Zion, and Bryce Canyon.
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Play With Your Camera, Not the Wildlife: A Guide to Creative Wildlife Photography
Imagine you’re standing on a volcanic beach in the Galápagos Islands. There’s a marine iguana sprawled across the black lava rock, a blue-footed booby showing off its ridiculous footwear, and…
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A Beginner’s Guide to “Silky Water” in Landscape Photography
Broadening your horizons in nature photography is wildly rewarding and likely easier than you thought when it comes to this really cool landscape photo trick. Whether you’re a tried-and-true wildlife…
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How I Got This Shot: Tiny Owl, Big Science
Deep in Arizona’s Chiricahua Mountains, the forest comes alive after dark. While most sensible people are tucked into bed, scientists are wandering through the woods listening for tiny owls that…
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How to Photograph Namibia’s Iconic Dunes
Let’s be honest, there isn’t really a wrong way to photograph these incredible wonders. However, I’m a firm believer in that the more variety you can add when photographing a…
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How to Get This Shot: Moran Above the Clouds
Some mornings in Grand Teton National Park give you a pretty sunrise. Others apparently decide subtlety is overrated and float an entire mountain above a sea of clouds. This was…
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Can You Really Use a Phone for Northern Lights Photography? (Plus a How-To)
For years, northern lights photography was one of those situations where bringing a “big fancy camera” made a huge difference. You needed a fast lens, high ISO capability, a tripod,…
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The Right Moment: When Wildlife Photos Come Alive
There’s a peculiar thing that happens after several days at Alaska Bear Camp. At first, every bear is exciting. Bear in the grass? Amazing. Bear walking? Incredible. Three bears in…
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Tips on Packing Photo Gear for African Safaris
Bringing the camera gear you want and need for an African safari is a critical step in any photographer’s pre-trip phase. How to pack, what to choose, and how that…
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Light Makes the Photograph. Literally.
Photography is, quite literally, drawing with light. The word comes from the Greek phōs (light) and graphē (drawing or writing). Without light, you have nothing. No exposure. No color. No texture. No…
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Your Wildlife Photos Need Less Wildlife: A Guide to Animal-scapes
There’s a dangerous moment in wildlife photography. You spot the animal. Adrenaline kicks in. Your hand grabs the zoom ring and your brain delivers one very clear instruction: MAKE ANIMAL…
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Sharp Shots of Fuzzy Animals: A Guide to Preventing Blurry Photos
A brown bear explodes through an Alaskan river. A kangaroo bounds across a golden field. A pelican launches itself into the sea with all the aerodynamic grace of a bowling…
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Geothermal Photography: How to Photograph Yellowstone’s Hot Mess
Yellowstone is famous for wolves, bears, bison and the occasional tourist attempting something profoundly stupid near all three. But beneath the wildlife drama is another photographic subject that is every…