Innholdsfortegnelse for June 2020 i Outdoor Photographer

Giving Voice Use your photography to help captive rescue animals, and you’ll gain valuable insights into behavior that can help in the wild, too. 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. 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. On Landscape William Neill’s column on the fine art of landscape photography explores thoughtful approaches to composition and creativity. 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.…

Grand Prize Napali Storm By Richard Langer “This photograph was taken from a small helicopter over the Napali cliffs on the island of Kauai, Hawaii. To avoid the distortions that would result from photographing through the helicopter’s dome, I selected one that had no doors. This was fine for photography, but it let the rain and wind in on my wife and me. Though the weather had been stormy and rainy throughout the flight, it lifted a little as we flew over the ocean. By the end of the trip, we were drenched and shaken but knew that we had witnessed an amazing sight.” Second Prize River Bend By Douglas Croft “I’ve been to Yosemite Valley so many times, and I've never seen it as beautiful as it was on…

Prairie rats.” “A nuisance to farmers, ranchers, developers.” “Overpopulated.” Do prairie dogs really deserve this reputation? These fluffy, charismatic animals play a complex and important role in the prairie ecosystem by providing food and creating unique habitat in the Great Plains of North America. Prairie dogs are a “keystone” species—one that’s essential to the structure and function of an ecosystem. Without it, the ecosystem would most likely fail. Due to agriculture, ranching and urban expansion, about 98 percent of the prairie dog’s habitat, which stretches from Canada to Mexico, has been destroyed. I moved west from Cleveland, Ohio, to Fort Collins, Colorado, to study ecosystem science and sustainability at Colorado State University. I discovered prairie dogs shortly after moving to Colorado and became completely fascinated by these creatures. I learned…

I moved to Viera, Florida, five years ago from Palm Coast, Florida. I had only recently taken up photography, and my efforts to date had concentrated on landscape, travel and long-exposure night photography. I had never even given any thought to wildlife photography. Within a short period, I learned that the Ritch Grissom Memorial Wetlands, also known as the Viera Wetlands, were only a mile from where I was living. The Viera Wetlands are located between the Moccasin Island Tract of the River Lakes Conservation Area and the Brevard Zoo, and are popular among birders, photographers and eco-tourists. Natural Resources Management Department staff assisted by members of the Viera Wetlands Volunteer Program provide land management for this 200-acre constructed wetland system belonging to Brevard County Utility Services. The wetlands consist…

Photographer: Lisa Langell Location: Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming Equipment: Canon EOS 7D Mark II, Tamron SP 150-600mm F/5-6.3 Di VC USD G2, Fotopro Eagle Series tripod Situation: This vintage-style image of a bison was inspired on a drizzly day in Yellowstone National Park right near Yellowstone Lake. The light was perfect for high-key photography, and the bison’s coat collected the wet rain like a sponge, emphasizing the textures so beautifully and enhancing the contrast needed for this style of image. I was at a unique position so as to be able to photograph the bison at ground level, which gave better positioning for a connection between the animal and viewer of the image. I’m always watchful for bison and their unpredictable behavior. The reach of my long lens allowed me…

Over 30 million acres burned during Australia’s 2019-2020 summer of hell. That’s 12 times the recent Amazon fires and more extensive than ever before in recorded history. The intensity (how much heat was generated) and the severity (the amount of damage to vegetation) were both at record levels. Wet forests burned. Rainforests burned. And experts say some habitats will never be the same. Add to this the animal welfare impacts, with over a billion mammals, birds and reptiles burnt to death and the hundreds of millions of animals that are still suffering and dying from exposure, starvation, injury or dehydration, and I don’t think the expression “disaster” is too strong a term. As a conservation and animal welfare photojournalist based in Australia, three months before the bushfires hit, I was…

A tricolored heron inches toward the muddy shores that a rival snowy egret has claimed for the afternoon. I lift my lens through my car’s sunroof and take aim. The midafternoon sun perfectly silhouettes them in the silvery water. Suddenly, the snowy egret takes off with a flurry of motion toward the tricolored heron. The retreating bird quickly dances through the water, running from the onslaught of white feathers. I snap my first photos of a species that, up until this moment, I had no idea lived in the middle of Orange County, California. The greater Los Angeles area, which consists of five counties, including L.A. and Orange counties, isn’t the first place that most people think of when they think of “nature.” In fact, it’s probably one of the…

Polar Bear Learning Photography “I was guiding a photography expedition in Svalbard in 2018, and while we were photographing this male polar bear, he suddenly turned around and started walking in our direction,” says Roie Galitz. “Of course, when a bear approaches, the most important thing to do is clear its path as soon as possible to avoid confrontation. So, we jumped on our snowmobiles and had to leave some of our cameras behind since there was no time. The bear approached the camera, looked at it and smelled it with curiosity. After he understood it wasn’t edible, he continued on his path. Polar bears are very intelligent and curious, that’s one of the reasons I love going out there so many times.” This image was the winner in the…

As we were working on this issue, most of us around the world were at home, grappling with the complexity of the COVID-19 outbreak and its disruption to our normal routines. For many in the Outdoor Photographer community, the restrictions on travel have meant major setbacks in their livelihoods, with projects and assignments put on hold and tours and workshops canceled. It’s something we think about every day, and we hope when we’re able to return to normal travel and opportunities for photography in the field, you’ll consider joining a photo workshop or tour for your next photo adventure, to support those who lead these programs and to enjoy the camaraderie of creativity with your fellow nature photographers. In times like these, our reflex may be to worry and focus…

Location This is a vast area of almost 2,000 square miles of uplifted layered rocks eroded into canyons, mesa, buttes, rock towers and natural arches. It’s Bureau of Land Management real estate bisected by Interstate 70, which provides much of the access to the area. As you leave Green River, Utah, westbound on I-70, a sign advises “No Services for the Next 106 Miles.” You’ll see a similar sign if you’re traveling eastbound on I-70 from the San Rafael Swell. A maze of gravel roads maintained by Emery County is suitable for automobile and light truck travel, though a few roads in the area require a four-wheel-drive vehicle. The San Rafael Swell is ringed by the towns of Price, Green River, Hanksville, Caineville, Emery, Castle Dale, Huntington and Cleveland. In…

Selling prints successfully. It’s the goal of many nature photographers to share their craft, earn an income and get a return on investment for the gear, time and travel that this passion requires. Yet for the vast majority of photographers, even the most impactful, contest-winning types of images often sit unsold when they’re mounted and offered for sale. Why are many of the very best images out there unsellable—especially when photographers frequently hear fans say their images are good enough to be sold? Veterans in the field often feel the market for nature photography as art is minimal. This isn’t because nature as décor has become out-of-vogue. In fact, incorporating elements of nature continues to be on-trend for 2020 among numerous interior design-related references touting what's hot—and not. The Mindset…