Outdoor Photographer November 2020

Beyond The Camera Aesthetic expression in a photograph is more important than the tools and techniques used to make it. By Huntington Witherill Assignments Share your best shots in our weekly “Assignments” photo challenges. Submit images that fit the week’s theme—you may be our next Assignment winner. Tip Of The Week Available on our website—or delivered directly to your inbox—our “Tip of the Week” provides shooting and processing techniques to sharpen your photography skills. Sign up today. The Big Picture Photographer and author Amy Gulick’s regular column takes a contemplative approach to nature photography, with an emphasis on conservation. 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. http://outdoorphotographer.com/newsletter/…

Photographer: Aaron Baggenstos Location: Katmai National Park & Preserve, Alaska Equipment: Nikon D5, AF-S NIKKOR 600mm f/4E FL ED VR Situation: In June 2017, I was leading my Ultimate Alaska photo tour in Katmai National Park & Preserve, a wilderness where about 2,200 brown bears roam in an unaltered, natural habitat. Our skiff picked us up from our floatplane as the heavens drenched us with heavy rain. Despite the downpour, we headed out for an afternoon shoot of about one hour where we sighted only a solitary bear high on a hill…no great photos. Then I spotted a beautiful brown bear on the beach. I estimated the path of the bear and quickly positioned my group about 75 yards ahead up the shoreline. We laid down in a row on the rocky shore to…

A fortunate turn of events led to our feature article in this issue when I received an email from John Sexton asking for help with his Outdoor Photographer membership. Of course, I knew the name—Sexton is among the great photographers living today, having worked for Ansel Adams in the late ’70s and early ’80s and then establishing a reputation as an artist in his own right with a body of work that is widely recognized and has earned numerous awards. Though Sexton’s photography has been featured in this magazine before, I had never worked with him personally, so I seized the opportunity to try to persuade him to contribute to OP once again. Over the course of our conversation, we discovered a mutual affection for Polaroid films, and he proposed the…

Grand Prize Dawn’s Early Light By Gary Grossman “This photograph was shot at daybreak in early February 2020 at Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge in southwest Washington. The refuge is on the Pacific Flyway and is part of a diverse chain of habitats extending from the arctic to the tropics. “As pink highlights appeared on the clouds, a flock of geese broke from their nightly roost and flew overhead, with many of them reflected in the wetland pond.” Second Prize Mesquite Dunes #2 By Thomas Gibson “This image was shot at sunrise in Death Valley National Park. My favorite time of day to photograph the sand dunes is at sunrise because it never disappoints and always provides some surprises. “The light was starting to get specular, so I began my trek back to the car but stopped to take another…

Tamron expanded its lens lineup for Sony’s full-frame E-mount mirrorless cameras this year with the 70-180mm F/2.8 Di III VXD (Model A056) and 28-200mm F/2.8-5.6 Di III RXD (Model A071). Both zooms offer appealing features for Sony shooters: compact weather-sealed lens bodies, versatile zoom ranges and fast maximum apertures. Even better for photographers on a budget, these Tamron E-mount lenses are relatively affordable. The 70-180mm F/2.8 Di III VXD sells for $1,199, and the 28-200mm F/2.8-5.6 Di III RXD goes for $729. Sony’s own closest equivalents to these lenses sell for considerably more. How do they perform? I had a chance to test these lenses this past summer in the Catskills in upstate New York, and they were both excellent telephoto zooms and a good value. TAMRON 70-180MM F/2.8 DI III VXD Tamron…

Location The Nature Conservancy’s Bear Rocks Preserve is remote, rugged, high-elevation West Virginia mountain land with an often-severe and quick-changing boreal climate. It’s atop the Allegheny Front, the predominant ridge of the Appalachians and the “eastern” continental divide. This ridge has a rim of sandstone cliffs and giant rock outcropping with a 2,000- to 3,000-foot drop below to hills and valleys. To the east, there are breathtaking 30-mile views where seven mountain ridges are visible on a clear day. Along the rim are stunted red spruce trees with flag-formed limbs pointing to the east as a result of the almost-constant and often high-velocity winds. Large, striking and uniquely shaped white sandstone and quartz rocks are found throughout the Bear Rocks Preserve area. These wind- and rain-sculpted boulders rise up out of the…