Innholdsfortegnelse for December 2017 i Outdoor Photographer

“Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon is one of Iceland's top tourist attractions. When the chunks of ice flow through the lagoon outlet and enter the sea, some are thrown back at the beach. Temperature and wave action make them melt in crazy ways. This can result in holes in the ice. To create this picture, my front lens element was just centimeters away from the ice. I had to run in as soon as the wave was receding, compose, take a few handheld pictures, then run back up the beach to keep myself and my camera dry.” Canon EOS 6D, Canon EF 16-35mm f/4L IS USM at 16mm. Exposure: 1/400 sec., ƒ/16, ISO 800. See more of Alex Speijer’s photography at alexspeijer. photography.…

For sports and adventure lifestyle photographer Paul Morrison, the ability to capture stunning images with the smallest camera system possible is a big advantage. “For hiking, backpacking and travel,” he says of the Olympus OM-D system, “the size and weight are very appealing.” And, just as importantly, “I found right away that the sensors were just as good—maybe even better—than competitive systems. I can print up to 30x40 inches with excellent results.” “Olympus has been unusually progressive with its technology,” Morrison observes. In addition to the reduced size and weight of OM-D system cameras and lenses, he points to features like Olympus’ advanced inbody 5-Axis Image Stabilization, which compensates for all types of camera motion to provide up to 5.5 stops of correction when shooting handheld. Because this system is…

Mongolia lies nestled between Russia to the north and China to the south. At roughly 600,000 square miles, it’s the world’s 18th largest country by area. The total population is about three million, and about half of those live in the capital city of Ulaanbaatar. Most of the country is sparsely populated, wild and beautiful. Mongolia has been an independent country since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991. I’ve now been on two expeditions to Mongolia to visit and photograph Lake Hovsgol National Park, located in the northernmost part of the country. We spent these expeditions making photographs of this area for use by the Mongol Ecology Center in its efforts to protect the lake’s delicate ecosystem. Our first visit was in August of 2015. During this trip,…

We have a lifelong association of the sky and the color blue. On a clear day, the sky is always blue. The last color we see in the sky as we look toward the zenith at nightfall is blue; the first color we see when light returns at dawn is once again blue. Naturally, we assume that the sky is blue even on a moonless night at midnight. Digital cameras know better, however. If you use a daylight white balance, which records the actual color of the light reaching the camera, you may be startled to discover that a moonless night sky is usually some shade of green. Although your camera’s recording of this color is accurate, a green sky is wildly different from our expectations. That creates a dilemma,…

For most of us, the opportunity to make a photo expedition to a place as awe-inspiring as Mongolia is once in a lifetime. Kerik Kouklis has been there twice—once in the milder climate of August and, more recently, in the incredibly challenging sub-zero conditions of February. Working with the Mongol Ecology Center, Kouklis made these treks to build a portfolio of images that could be used in efforts to protect the ecosystem of Lake Hovsgol National Park. In Mongolia’s winter months, “Temperatures dip down to 40 below zero Celsius and colder,” Kouklis notes. “I have never before experienced weather like Mongolia in February, let alone tried to make photographs at those temperatures.” In his article “Expedition To Mongolia,” Kouklis shares his experience photographing in this difficult but “starkly beautiful” environment.…

When undertaking an expedition in such extreme conditions, first and foremost to consider is your safety. Having the right clothing and using it properly is essential to comfort and survival. There’s plenty of information published about how to dress in layers in cold weather and the different materials for the various layers. I wore a Smartwool base layer, a fleece second layer, then either heavy cotton or snow pants on the bottom and a down jacket on the top. I also had a very heavy winter parka that I wore on a couple of the coldest days instead of the down jacket. A balaclava is essential to protect your head and face. I also wore a knit cap made from Mongolian cashmere. For photographers, one of the most important items…

In the fall of 2015, Tamron began introducing new versions of popular lenses with upgraded construction and ergonomics. It began with several primes and now includes zooms as well, starting with the SP 150-600mm F/5.6-6.3 Di VC USD G2, followed by the SP 70-200mm F/2.8 Di VC USD G2 and now the newest G2 lens, the SP 24-70mm F/2.8 Di VC USD G2 (Model A032). A Di-series lens, the new 24-70mm is designed to be used with full-frame sensor cameras, but can also be used with APS-C systems, providing an equivalent focal range of approximately 36-105mm when attached to the latter. Available in Canon and Nikon mounts, at $1,199, it’s priced very competitively against the options available from those camera makers. Canon’s ƒ/2.8 offering, the EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM,…

Location Trillium Lake is located 7.5 miles southwest of the summit of Mt. Hood in the state of Oregon. From Portland, the drive takes about an hour and a half and climbs around 3,600 feet in elevation. The 63-acre lake is surrounded by a mixed conifer forest and has breathtaking views of the 11,249-foot-tall Mt. Hood. There’s a campground on the east side of the lake, as well as day-use facilities. Located in the Mt. Hood National Forest, Trillium Lake offers ample opportunities for hiking, canoeing and biking nearby. Mt. Hood also boasts one of the longest ski seasons in North America, so you could potentially shoot in the morning and ski in the afternoon. Government Camp is the closest town and has options for food and lodging. Weather The…

Surfing is one of the most exhilarating adventure sports, bar none. The athleticism and skill on display by world-class surfers pushing the boundaries of what’s humanly possible on huge waves is a visual feast for any photographer. Because of this, there has been a swell of interest in surfing photography. From exploding waves to surfers launching down huge wave faces, the number of photographers interested in surf photography has grown exponentially. In this article, we’ll discuss the basic techniques and what’s involved when heading out to shoot surfing. There are typically three ways to photograph surfing. First, you can shoot from the beach or a nearby pier. Second, you can shoot from a boat or a jet ski. Both of these first two options use a telephoto lens to shoot…

These days, people around Jackson, Wyoming, refer to it as “The Burn,” the largest wildfire in the history of Grand Teton National Park. The Berry Fire, ignited by lightning on July 25, 2016, burned for more than two months before park management filed its last report on September 21. The fire ultimately consumed just over 21,000 acres of lodgepole and spruce timber, short grass and brush in a swath reaching from its origin near the Berry and Owl Creeks on the west side of Jackson Lake, north around the lake, to the base of Huckleberry Mountain east of the highway connecting Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks. The highway was closed repeatedly as fire crossed the road, reducing visibility to near-zero and making driving virtually impossible—and definitely unsafe. While wildfires…

Roadblock On Penguin Highway While photographing wildlife at Mikkelsen Harbor, Antarctica, Sara Stein discovered that penguins could exhibit some delightfully dim-witted behavior. “Penguins are some of the fastest swimmers I’ve ever seen, but when it comes to getting around on land, they’re less than graceful,” Stein explains. “This is where penguin highways come in. Similar to game trails you might see deer use, these highways help the mobility-challenged birds get from their nests to the ocean. Penguin highways aren’t very wide and tend to be dug deep into the ground due to the hundreds of penguins that use them. This can cause some problems when two of them run into each other. As cute as they are, penguins aren’t the brightest of birds, and when these two met in the…