Outdoor Photographer June 2019

Celebrating Our National Wildlife Refuges For amazing photo opportunities, flock to your nearest wildlife haven. Tip of the Week Available on our website—or delivered directly to your inbox—our free “Tip of the Week” provides shooting and processing insights to sharpen your photography skills. Sign up today. Solve Creative & Technical Challenges George Lepp’s “Tech Tips” column explores practical solutions and gear advice for a wide range of photographic subjects. Assignments Try new techniques and share your best shots in our weekly “Assignments” photo challenges. Submit your images that fit the week’s theme—you may be our next Assignment winner. Connect With Us Get the latest news and be inspired by great photos from the Outdoor Photographer community. Newsletter Subscribe today for updates on the latest features, how-to articles and photography news. outdoorphotographer.com/newsletter/…

Photographer: Mason Cummings Location: Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska Equipment: Nikon D850, AF-S NIKKOR 14-24mm F2.8G ED Situation: Roughly the size of South Carolina, the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is a vast wilderness in the truest sense of the word. There are no roads, no visitor centers, no trails, no tour buses, no commercial jets flying overhead, no signs of human existence for hundreds of miles in any direction. In a word, it’s pristine. Truly wild places like this are disappearing at an alarming rate—there are certainly none of them left in the lower 48. Even if it’s someplace you never visit, it’s reassuring just to know places like it still exist. The drainage pictured here stages one of the largest land migrations on earth. Each year, the porcupine caribou herd travels through the rugged…

In this issue focused on wildlife photography, we begin with awe-inspiring images from one of the world’s last great wild places. Encompassing over 19 million square acres, Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska is the largest U.S. refuge overall and includes roughly 8 million acres of land designated as wilderness. According to the refuge’s website, it’s home to “42 fish species, 37 land mammals, eight marine mammals, and more than 200 migratory and resident bird species.” One of those land mammals is the porcupine caribou, which migrate to the refuge each spring to bear calves. The area is also home to the Gwich’in people, for whom the caribou have been an important source of sustenance “for the entirety of their cultural memory,” as photographer Peter Mather eloquently puts it. In…

Don Mammoser is a professional nature and travel photographer and author of a series of e-book guides to photograph iconic destinations around the world. He also leads workshops and photo tours to North American and international destinations. See more of his work at donmammoserphoto.com. Dave Welling has been capturing evocative images of the natural world for over 25 years. He is a charter member of the North American Nature Photography Association and the author of Sanctuary, a book celebrating the work of Wildlife Waystation. See more of his work at strikingnatureimagesbydavewelling.com. Aaron Baggenstos is an award-winning professional wildlife photographer, videographer and author in nature and wildlife. In addition to his own photography, Baggenstos leads small-group photo tours to some of the premier wildlife destinations on the planet. See more of his work…

Family Love “In late spring in the Sonoran Desert, burrowing owls mate, and then in early summer there are often several groups of owlets. In the early morning or late afternoon, the owlets wait for their parents to bring them food. This was taken at dusk at a small park in Gilbert, Arizona, right after the smaller owlet (left) had been fed by its parent (right).” See more of Sue Cullumber’s work at sue-cullumber.pixels.com. Halfhearted “A halfhearted breach by a humpback whale in Monterey Bay. It could be expected, since she had already leaped from the water roughly 20 times before this, and it takes a lot of energy when you weigh 40 tons. We watched this whale for an hour as she repeatedly did full breaches, chin slaps, half breaches and then more…

WATERPROOF BOOTS Footwear that provides waterproof protection and support for long hikes and mucky conditions is essential gear for tracking wildlife. LOWA’s Tibet GTX boots, available in both men’s and women’s styles, are an excellent option with their sturdy, durable construction and breathable, waterproof GORE-TEX lining. X-pattern lacing above the ankle makes them easy to put on and take off. The men’s version is available in both medium and wide widths. List price: $395. Contact: LOWA, lowaboots.com. VEHICLE SUPPORT Your car can serve as a convenient, mobile blind for wildlife photography and can be even more effective with the right camera support. The Kirk Window Mount WM-2 clamps inside your window to provide a stable platform from which to photograph in the comfort of your vehicle. The solid aluminum design can support super-tele…