Outdoor Photographer May 2020

Take Better Travel Photos How to make the most of your next trip and return home with a portfolio of memorable images. Assignments 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. Wild By Nature Melissa Groo’s recurring column on wildlife photography considers all of the elements for success, from equipment to techniques and good field ethics. Our Premier Contest The American Landscape 2020 photo contest is your chance to win recognition and incredible prize packages with your best landscape photography of North America. Enter today! 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: Mark Edward Harris Location: Nyaru Menteng, Borneo, Indonesia Equipment: Nikon D850, AF-S NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II Situation: Borneo is one of only two places on the planet where orangutans exist in the wild. My work with orangutans has been focused on the Indonesian side of the island at three Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation locations. While my normal modus operandi when trolling the streets of the world is to have an AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm F2.8G ED on one camera body and an AF-S NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II on another, I replaced the wider lens with a prime AF-S NIKKOR 300mm F2.8G ED VR II or the more demure f/4 model when heading into the jungle. I also carry a Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR in case…

As we were working on this issue dedicated to travel photography, the global news was dominated by concerns over the outbreak of COVID-19, known more commonly as coronavirus. Beyond the reported illnesses, it has already done serious damage to the travel industry and, specifically in our community, to the photographers who lead workshops and their associated tour operators. A canceled workshop or trip is no small setback for them, and multiple cancellations can be devastating. For many, it’s their primary or only source of income. Our heartfelt sympathy goes out to the photographers and tour companies who are impacted. Hopefully, by the time you read this, spread of the virus will be contained and worries over travel will have eased. If you have a trip coming up that you’re still hoping…

Grand Prize Beautiful Moments In Nature “When I arrived at my location in Grand Teton National Park to set up for the sunrise, I noticed a female moose in the stream below. She was further left in the scene at the time I first noticed her, and so I was hoping she would continue walking downstream so that I could capture her and still get the Grand Teton range in my photo at the same time. I had my lens as wide as it would go at 24mm, and so I was really thankful that the moose continued walking towards the location I was hoping for. I was very fortunate that she was cooperative that morning. This beautiful moment I had in nature was such a rewarding experience for me.” Second Prize Rib Mountain…

NEW OLYMPUS FLAGSHIP & WIDE ZOOM Olympus has released an upgraded version of its top model, the OM-D E-M1 Mark III. It’s positioned as a “co-flagship” alongside the OM-D E-M1X released last year, as the two cameras both offer pro-level performance characteristics but in different body styles, the E-M1 Mark III being the more compact of the two. The camera features a new image processor, TruePic IX, which Olympus states enables features such as a 50MP Handheld High-Res Shot mode that captures 16 individual frames at the camera’s native 20.4-megapixel resolution, moving the sensor slightly between each frame, and then composites these into a final 50-megapixel image. The in-body stabilization system is “the world’s most effective,” providing up to seven stops of correction with any lens or up to 7.5 stops of correction…

I was recently teaching at a winter workshop for five days in Yosemite, and we had no clouds. The students had come from far and wide with visions of winter snow and clearing storms with dramatic clouds. It was not to be. But the instructors, a very experienced and creative lot, knew how to improvise. Was not Yosemite always beautiful? We adjusted to the conditions and focused on subjects that worked well, such as sunlit cliffs reflecting in river rapids or ice formations and patterns of spray of the waterfalls. The workshop was scheduled to coincide with a full moon, which worked well for students, but even that was tougher given the lack of clouds. In the end, the participants embraced the challenges and created many beautiful images. This experience led me…