Innehållsförteckning för June/July 2023 från Outdoor Photographer

Mount Rainier National Park Discover diverse landscapes among the ancient forests of majestic Mount Rainier. By Kevin McNeal Making Connections Travel photographer Ken Kaminesky explores the significance of making personal connections for successful photojournalism and documentary. 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. outdoorphotographer.com/newsletter…

The pandemic has led to an increase in outdoor recreation activities, resulting in overcrowding in some of the most popular national parks in the U.S. For photographers, this increased visitation can be a challenge. Crowds create logistical problems and get in the way of a landscape or wildlife photography session. They ruin the solitude, sense of calm and meditative experience that most seek when photographing in nature. Having spent more than a quarter century photographing each of the 63 U.S. national parks, I particularly cherished my visits to the parks that are less traveled. My book Treasured Lands aimed to illustrate and describe in detail not only the better-known parks but also the hidden gems. This article features a supremely diverse mix of 10 less-visited national parks all around the…

As I’ve been living in Utah as a full-time nature photographer for the last 10 years, I’ve visited Zion National Park countless times and have experienced it in all different kinds of conditions. While Zion is undeniably beautiful year-round—spring greens, fresh snow, bare cottonwood trees, flowing water, golden light—I’ll say that it’s exceptionally photogenic during the fall season. The entire canyon abounds with subject matter as golden foliage reflects the warm sunlight and creates wonderful color contrast. Vibrant, colorful patterns of fallen leaves can be found everywhere on rocks, mud or shallow pools. The occasional rainstorm can engulf the dramatic peaks up above in a beautiful atmosphere. Even though Zion isn’t the largest national park in Utah, there’s no shortage of scenic areas with endless photographic potential. What I enjoy…

It was January 2021 and I hadn’t seen my best friend and favorite photography buddy, Linda Scher, since February 2020, when we had been shooting wildlife in Hokkaido and had managed to leave Japan just ahead of the impending pandemic and shelter-in-place orders. After having been in pandemic lockdown for 10 months, we were anxious to go out shooting somewhere farther from home. Linda lives in Minneapolis and I live north of San Francisco. There were a few places in New Mexico and Arizona we had always wanted to go photograph, and we figured we could avoid crowds and air travel by driving there. Restaurant choices in such remote locations were quite limited during that part of the pandemic, so I packed food for the entire trip in a cooler…

With summer just around the corner, we’re sure you’re already making travel plans, so we’ve packed this special double issue on the National Parks with some of our favorite and less heralded parks we think you should visit with your camera. If you want to avoid tourists (and who doesn’t?), dive into QT Luong’s story with his picks for the top ten less-crowded national parks. Some of these parks you might never have heard of—and that’s the point—but they all offer rich and tranquil photographic experiences. “Crowds create logistical problems and get in the way of a landscape or wildlife photography session,” he explains. “They ruin the solitude, sense of calm and meditative experience that most seek when photographing in nature.” Other parks we feature in this issue are better…

Fighting Grizzlies By Jimmy Day “This image was taken while I was a guest at Jacques Adventure Lodge in remote Iliamna, Alaska, near Katmai National Park. Our small group of wildlife photographers was flown to different rugged locations in float planes landing on small lakes or the beach. Our only purpose was to photograph Alaskan brown bears up close and personal. Jerry Jacques, lodge owner and chief pilot, landed us on the beach in Katmai to photograph a group of bears known to be feasting on a beached whale carcass. These two brown bears happened to be fighting over that carcass when I captured this exciting action shot. I was later thrilled to have my photo picked as a finalist in Outdoor Photographer’s Great Outdoors Photo Contest, making this photo…

Recently, I was asked by Dan Havlik, the editor-in-chief of Outdoor Photographer, what my favorite national park was and if I’d be interested in writing about some of my favorite locations in that park. Talk about a dream assignment! Truth be told, my favorite park is the reason I moved from Washington state to California the day I graduated college. After graduation, I drove my old minivan south and never looked back. In the beginning, I moved to California not for the photography but for the climbing. I lived in my minivan for much of the next two years, climbing and guiding and making my first visits to the famed climbing areas of California, including Yosemite. At first, the draw to Yosemite was for its granite walls and dirtbag lifestyle.…

When the skies cloud up and the rain falls, grab your cameras and head out to capture spectacular monsoons, lightning and dramatic light. A great two-destination trip starts in Bryce Canyon and ends at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. Plan on 10 days to two weeks to give you ample opportunities for great images. Bryce Canyon National Park has spectacular monsoon summer storms. The park has complete facilities, so you can be close to the action when storms form. Paved roads eliminate washouts and impassible streams, and you can drive to all the overlooks. Storm and weather photography requires planning for the elements and potential dangers with protective gear for you and your equipment. Weatherize your vehicle and carry chains. Watch the weather around you, especially the potential…

While Nikon has continued to expand its mirrorless Z camera system with great new lenses, many wildlife photographers have been asking for a long telephoto zoom to be added to the arsenal. Sure, Nikon has the 400mm F2.8 and the 600mm F4 lenses, but those are $14,000 and $15,500, respectively. That’s way too expensive for most photographers. You can also adapt DSLR lenses like the popular 200-500mm F5.6. However, that lens, while solid, could be sharper. Nikon’s new NIKKOR Z 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 VR S comes to the rescue, offering telephoto reach, the flexibility of a zoom, excellent image quality, a native Z-mount design and a professional build, all at less than $3,000. It’s hard to go wrong with that. Let’s take a closer look at the NIKKOR Z 100-400mm F4.5-5.6…

Location The San Juan Mountains are one the most photographic mountain ranges in the United States. Its jagged character is very unique, and specifically, Mount Wilson is very prominent and alluring. Its sharp peak towers 14,000 feet overlooking the valley floor of beautiful San Miguel County, which includes the town of Telluride. There are many angles to photograph this mountain, be it from the town of Mountain Village or driving up forest roads around the area, but for this image, I was on the scenic Last Dollar Road located between Ridgway and Telluride. I’ve been to a lot of places in my life, but nothing beats this view. Weather When it comes to big mountains at very high altitudes, you just can’t be certain about the weather. The forecast could…

You never forget your first love. When I launched my career as a landscape photographer some 30 years ago, my first love was Rocky Mountain National Park. Estes Park, the eastern gateway town for the park, is just a one-hour drive from my home in Boulder. Over the years, I’ve done well over 100 shoots in the park, ranging in time from a few hours to multiple days. In a moment, I’ll describe 10 of my favorite photo locations, arranged in order of ease of access, from short strolls to long day hikes and backpacking trips. Before I dive into specifics, however, you need a general introduction to the park. Rocky Mountain National Park’s 415 square miles straddle the Continental Divide, which runs, very roughly, north to south. The most…

California is a state of incredible ecological diversity, offering a stunning variety of landscapes and ecoregions to explore. From the marine environments of Channel Islands National Park to the deserts of Joshua Tree and the Sierra Nevada mountain range, California is a photographer’s dream. One of the state’s most remarkable natural wonders is Redwood National Park, home to the world’s tallest trees. Unlike Sequoia National Park, which boasts redwoods of greater weight and girth, Redwood National Park offers a wide range of photographic opportunities. From old-growth forests mixed with coastal beaches to wetlands, estuaries and meadows teeming with wildlife, the park is a treasure trove of natural beauty. In this article, we’ll explore the best techniques and locations for photographing Redwood National Park, including tips for capturing the distinctive features…