Outdoor Photographer December 2021

The Allure Of Winter Landscapes Practical tips and creative techniques to capture the magic of the season. By Kristen Ryan 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. 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. 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/…

What you choose to leave out of a photograph can be as important—sometimes even more important—than what you include. This idea can apply for simply aesthetic reasons, like omitting clutter or distracting elements from the edges of the frame, but it can also be used for more intentional purposes by removing references to scale. In “The Art of Mystery,” Eric Bennett explores this and other creative considerations he uses to develop images that attract and hold attention precisely because of what he has chosen to exclude from the frame. “The place, subject, lighting or weather conditions alone don’t make a great photograph,” Bennett observes. “These are just raw elements that have no extra meaning on their own. Successful images come down to the way in which the photographer intentionally organizes…

Photographer: Eric Bennett Location: Parque Nacional Los Glaciares, Patagonia, Argentina Equipment: Sony a7R II, Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6L IS USM with Metabones EF-E IV adapter Situation: Every year, thousands of hikers and photographers flock to Patagonia to admire its iconic granite monoliths that stretch high up into the sky. I was lucky enough to spend several months in this incredible region as I kept returning over three consecutive years to try and capture not only the obvious grandeur of the mountains but also more intimate scenes of trees, rocks and ice. On this morning, my friend and I were heading back to camp after photographing a phenomenal sunrise. Walking along the trail, still shaded by nearby mountains and trees, we felt the frigid air pushing us along as it bit at our skin. Trying to…

Grand Prize Trinity By Mukul Soman “This shot of a raven and two coyotes from Yellowstone National Park is possibly one of my most cherished moments as a wildlife photographer. As photographers, we are in search of that moment when everything just falls into place in a juxtaposition of visual elements, story and composition that simply presents itself in front of us as a reward for all those countless hours we have spent out in the wilderness. “I feel moments such as this can ever be re-created, ‘once in lifetime moments,’ privileged to be able to witness pure wild magic and even more privileged to share it with the world. It’s when we wonder and appreciate that we care. And it’s when we care that we protect all that we hold dear to…

Over decades of teaching photography, I’ve greatly enjoyed helping photographers both in the field and in online classes. It’s been so rewarding to share amazing landscape locations like Acadia, Death Valley, Yellowstone, the Tetons and, of course, Yosemite, helping folks connect with nature and realize ways to express their experiences through their images. I want people to appreciate that they have a unique and valuable point of view. The process of discovery, of learning about themselves and engaging with the wonders of nature, can enrich our lives immeasurably. Learning to trust one’s feelings is vital for anyone wishing to develop their artistic abilities and communicate their own way of seeing the world around them. During those years of teaching, returning students have brought their recent images to the workshops for our…

Location Grand Island National Recreation Area is located in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, surrounded by the crystal-clear waters of Lake Superior, about a half-mile offshore from the town of Munising. This 13,500-acre wilderness island is part of the Hiawatha National Forest and features massive sandstone cliffs, just across the lake from its famous neighbor, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. Summer visitors arrive by ferry or kayak and enjoy hiking, mountain biking and backpacking. Winter visitors face the daunting and potentially dangerous task of crossing Lake Superior on snowshoes, cross-country skis or snowmobiles to access a wonderland of ice caves and ice curtains that stretch for miles along its rugged shore. Weather Lake Superior can produce extreme weather that can evolve very quickly. Winter temperatures can range from the upper 20s all the way down to…