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We nature photographers spend a lot of time obsessing over our equipment. Most of that energy is directed toward the high-ticket items like cameras, lenses, and tripods, but I want to spread a little love for three creative essentials that live at the bottom of my bag—they’re not sexy, and don’t come out a lot, but sometimes they make the difference between a thrilling…
First, the honor and legacy part Not long ago I received an e-mail informing me that I’d been awarded the North American Nature Photography Association‘s Kinne Legacy Award, “Recognizing a NANPA Member whose selfless sharing of professional expertise benefits NANPA Members and the nature photography community.” It’s an honor just to have been nominated, and an even greater honor to actually have been selected….
Like most decisions in life, choosing to chase tornadoes requires making a personal risk/reward calculation. The risks are real, but for me the potential reward was worth giving storm chasing one try. But a funny thing happened to my math on that first trip: the answer changed. I think I’ve made it pretty clear in prior posts that the reward side of the storm…
Retirement? … I do not think it means what you think it means. I’ve been talking about retirement for a few years now, mentally plotting that soft landing into a rocking chair on my porch, chasing kids off the lawn, by 2030. Comparing this year’s workshop schedule to the 2024 schedule, at first glance it might appear that I’m right on track. Gone are…
Puffin Profile, Dyrhólaey, Iceland Sony a7R VI Sony 100-400 GM ISO 800 f/8 1/800 second I’ve never been to Rome and have no idea what Romans do, but I have been to Iceland enough to know that when in Iceland, you photograph puffins. So, despite years of proclaiming that I never photograph anything that moves, in Iceland earlier this month I was able to…
Fifteen years of chasing I’ve been photographing lightning for more than 15 years. Living in Northern California (where lightning is newsworthy), I have to travel to photograph lightning, so until last year, virtually all of my lightning images came from Grand Canyon. But in 2025 I upped my lightning photography game by adding Midwest storm chasing to my schedule, then doubled-down this year with…
I can think of no better way to see the world than to follow your camera to new, far-flung destinations. But since much of my photography travel is tied to my photo workshops, I don’t get to visit truly new places as much as I’d like. I’m not complaining—I love the intimate connection to locations that can only be developed by frequent, regular visits….
The rallying cry of the early ’50s Brooklyn Dodgers, “Wait ’til next year!”, was spawned by years of disappointment served up by crosstown rivals: mostly the New York Yankees, plus a lethal dose of 1951 New York Giants. Entering this year, the “wait ’til next year” nemesis for Don Smith, me, and our New Zealand workshops had become the Blue Pools of Haast Pass….
Greetings from New Zealand. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that New Zealand is my favorite place to photograph the Milky Way. So, because I only get down here once a year, I always choose June, when the Milky Way is up all night and New Zealand nights are longest. The New Zealand workshop Don Smith and I do follows pretty much…
If there’s one thing every nature photographer agrees on, it’s this: Before the really good stuff can happen, someone needs to take one for the team. In other words, the truly spectacular (sunset, aurora, rainbow, lightning, and so on.) display everyone hopes for will not happen unless, 1) someone who could have been there opts out, or 2) at least one person gives up…
