12 Favorite Photos from 2012
As always, clicking on an image will bring you to a higher quality version.
January
Hoar frost clings to trees along the Snake River on a chilly January morning in Grand Teton National Park.
Despite a lack of wildlife to be found around the area, I was still able to make great opportunities as they arose. The winter had turned into an unusually warm one for Jackson Hole and while normally it’s too cold to even snow, rain was becoming common throughout January. Yet winter still persisted off and on. On one such morning, I woke up to -17F and made an opportunity to make the most of it. One of my favorite series of shots came from a bridge crossing the Snake River in Grand Teton National Park. Small pieces of ice were carried down the water from farther upstream as an earlier fog coated the trees that lined … Continue reading
Night Photography Basics Part 2 – Full Moon, Star Trails, and Auroras
Moonlight illuminates Glen Canyon and the Colorado River near Page, Arizona.
In Part 1, I discussed the ideal settings for shooting a dark night sky under a new moon, as well as what all those settings mean. If you’re not comfortable working in Manual Mode (M) on your camera, you should go back and read it to make sure you’re up to speed. This section will assume that you’ve got the basic understanding of M Mode and how it works.
This time around, I’ll be discussing how to alter those settings to account for a full moon, how to capture star trails, and also how to photograph the northern or southern lights, aka the Aurora Borealis or Australis, respectively.
Understanding The Histogram
Before moving further, it’s important to understand the histogram as displayed within the camera. Put simply, the histogram shows you the light that was captured in a given … Continue reading
Night Photography Basics Part 1 – New Moon and Milky Way
Light pollution from Jackson, Wyoming extends up into the Milky Way Galaxy.
There’s an expression in photography that goes, "Don’t pack till it’s black," implying that as long as there’s light in the day, there’s still something to shoot. While it’s certainly true, one of the most exciting times for photography is when it has actually gone black, or during night time hours. Whether there’s a new moon, full moon, or something spectacular in the sky, there’s still plenty of light to do something interesting. This is the first part of a two part series that will focus on how to do night photography with a DSLR camera. The first part will focus on the basics, such as recommended gear and ideal settings, and will get into how and why to use it under a new moon, or no moonlight. Part two will focus on what to do during a … Continue reading
The Backward Truth About Wolves and Grizzlies
A gray wolf walks along a ridge in the Lamar Valley of Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming.
Most people nowadays are well aware that wolves and grizzly bears are controversial species. Regular readers of this blog know that I am passionate about the well-being of these predatory animals. Most people think that all the controversy stems from them potentially eating ranchers’ cattle stock. The truth is, that’s just a scapegoat. The real motive is money that goes beyond ranching.
While wolves may in fact get into ranchers’ stocks and feed on a cow or calf every now and then, the claims are widely overblown thanks to fear and hatred perpetuated by corrupted politicians holding office in Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho, three states who rely heavily on hunting for valuable revenue. The simple fact is hunting brings in money to the states that they feel is much more important than the well-being … Continue reading
The 12 Best Photos from 2011
January
Pilgrim Mountain in Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming rests under glowing sunset clouds.
I found myself rather unproductive in early 2011 in terms of stills. With the recent purchase of a 7D and getting it up to working order, as well as discovering time-lapse photography, my still photography became a bit stagnant. As a result, most of my work was in the form of a time-lapse and before finding a good balance of time-lapse, video and still, I even wondered if I would move entirely into video. Eventually the balance did work itself out and once I had my 7D back and functioning properly the following spring, it was full-steam ahead in every direction!
I discovered this image during that time after forgetting about it. I was looking back through a day in January where I hadn’t shot very much at all, but saw potential in a nice sunset … Continue reading
Stormy Sunrise Above Jackson Hole, Wyoming
Sunrise illuminates a rain shower above a smoke-covered Jackson Hole, Wyoming from the Red Rock Fire.
Another local photographer invited me out to catch a sunrise yesterday out Sheep Creek Rd. Even though I’m freelancing, I’ve found myself on a weekday/weekend schedule, so the opportunity to shake things up a bit was definitely enticing. While it’s not that far of a distance away as the crow flies, the dirt road makes for a slow ride out there, making it approximately 45 minutes from Jackson to where we were headed. As a result I had to be ready to go by 5:30am so we could be there by 6:15am ready for early light before sunrise at 6:45am.
Last night however, put a lot of things into doubt and whether I would even be able to make it at all. I was up until about 11:30pm-midnight trying to finalize a website, and … Continue reading
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