Photographing Plitvice Lakes NP, Croatia

It’s hard to believe that in such a beautiful lake-filled canyon, the first shots fired that marked the start of Croatia’s war with Yugoslavia occurred here.  In fact the first fatality of the war was the park’s police officer.  War never seems to make sense.

But that was then and now the park’s popularity is back stronger than ever, although we Americans are a little slower on traveling to here versus the Europeans.  I first learned of this area watching a Rick Steves travel segment on public television and was so impressed that when I had the chance to travel to the Adriatic, I made sure this park was on the itinerary.  It turned out that I was not disappointed.  The park was Croatia’s first national park (1949) and now is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. … Continue Reading

Rosa Frei’s Portrait of Morocco

Rosa Frei is a travel photographer based in Morocco who photographs the people and places and we asked her about living and shooting in Morocco.

I am a commercial and fine art photographer based in Morocco. In fine art, my passion is nature photography and portraits. I love black & white and monochrome, high key and low key, simple and minimalistic compositions. My aim is to see and express harmony and beauty in nature through my photography.

For me, photography is the art of perception. It is the art of expressing my personal relationship with what I see. Photography is a wonderful method of connecting with the outer world in a very intimate and intense way. My world has changed dramatically since I became a photographer. I now see light and shadow, hidden beauty in patterns, shapes and colors, and tiny details, I would never have previously noticed.

… Continue Reading

‘We Have To Get Out Now’: Kyle Hammons Photo Safari Becomes Escape From The Congo

There was no time to ask questions; we took off at a sprint to our bungalow overlooking Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. We packed our bags as quickly as possible and loaded into a large transport vehicle to begin our evacuation from the park.  Led by a truck loaded with six armed rangers, our convoy raced away from park headquarters down the bumpy dirt roads past villagers who just stared at the foreigners fleeing the scene.  Along the way, the park’s tourism director, Cai Willink, calmly explained that a rebel army of 1,500 men under the command of Bosco Ntaganda (known as “The Terminator) had entered the park during the night and crossed a detachment of Congolese soldiers, sparking a violent confrontation and forcing our immediate evacuation.  … Continue Reading

Globetrotting with International Travel Photographer Christian Heeb

You could easily say that Christian Heeb has ‘been there – shot that’.  This Swiss born photographer, living in the US for the last 20 years, has photographed in over 70 countries and has over 140 books credited to his name. His photography has also appeared in hundreds of publications across the globe including Outside, GEO, Conde Nast Traveller, Grands Reportages, and Rolling Stone.

Despite difficult times for professional photographers in business and the challenges with international travel, Christian and his wife and partner Regula, continue to hopscotch across the globe photographing new books, publishing a series of calendars, teaching international workshops, selling lots of stock, and simply thriving in this business.

Curious how he photographs and runs a successful business, Christian agreed to tell us how he does it.

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How to Be An Underwater Photographer Without Getting in The Water

There are so many cool toys in photography and video. Something innovative arrives all the time and here is another one.  Maybe you have always dreamed of being an underwater filmmaker or photographer but you never became a certified diver or you don’t like the water that much.

Well the folks over at Aquabotix have solved your problem. They have developed the Hydroview underwater high definition video camera and this thing is really cool.

It is a sleek and futuristic submarine type submersible housing with two battery powered electric motors that allow it to glide around underwater and up to a depth of 150 feet. It carries a high definition 1080 video camera and it has an LED light for the darker depths.

The submersible is controlled by your iPad on the surface using a 75’ tethered cable providing full control over its underwater movements. The software for the iPad allows you to see a live view of underwater scenery and there are also optional 150’ and 300’ cable.

While a few of my diving friends have filmed the great white shark, I have not found that to appealing. This device however would allow anybody to film sharks or anything else under water from the safety of the boat.

With a little more imagination you could certainly find plenty of uses for the Hydroview. It comes with a $4000 price tag and you can find it right here.

Have you used one of these? please leave a comment. … Continue Reading

Why You are Better Off Being a Local Hero Than an International Nobody

The world of photography has gone through many changes over the past 15 years, and if you have been a photographer for long, you have witnessed many of those changes. The process of capturing an image has changed. The delivery of photography to markets has changed. The markets that license images have changed.

What has not changed for many outdoor photographers is the passion to explore new territory, find new subjects and satisfy an inner desire to travel and create. This urge drives many of us; I know it drives me. I need to explore and discover with my camera. It’s that photographic wanderlust that takes us to locations far from home to seek unfamiliar terrain and exotic species. New scenery is exciting, stimulating and inspiring, and that’s the underlying reason many photographers travel far and wide to photograph. … Continue Reading

Michele Westmorlands Unique Tip on Packing Equipment for International Travel

Internationally recognized underwater photographer Michele Westmorland recently posted about here approach for packing her gear for international travel.

Who Needs a Pelican When You Have an Igloo?

I am often asked “How do I get all that equipment safely to location?” Diving adds an extra burden to the limits that are currently placed on those of us who travel to distant places. So here are a few tips that I have developed over the years to try and take a bit of the sting out it.

You know those shiny silver cases people often use to protect delicate camera equipment? Well, it’s unfortunate, but those branded cases such as Pelican are just too darned heavy and use up the precious pounds needed for the actual camera equipment. Another thing that bothers me about them is THEY SCREAM STEAL ME!

My solution for the past 15 or so years is a good old Igloo cooler. The 60 quart on wheels works fine but you do have to modify it a bit to secure it. By adding a little metal plate that has a loop on each side of cooler, zip ties can be used to secure the lid. The good news is that most people do not have a clue what is in the cooler and generally only ask if I have dead fish in it. I hope not!!! Is it pretty? Well, NO. But that is kind of the point. … Continue Reading

Today, This Labor Day: I Honor Professional Nature Photographers

Today is Labor Day. A holiday instituted in the late 1800’s to honor the contributions of the American labor workforce. In fact, my home state of Oregon was the first to make it an official holiday in 1887 and 7 years later it became a Federal holiday.

The original federal holiday was not conceived to honor workers but rather was quickly proposed and passed into law to avoid conflict with workers following the Pullman Strike.

Today it is observed as a day off from work, a three day weekend, and the last blast of summer in many areas. In my neck of the woods, school starts tomorrow. Although the original holiday was created to avoid conflict, Labor Day has become the official day we honor the labor force; American workers.

Today on this Labor Day, I wish to honor my colleagues: the professional nature photographer and their contributions to America and the World. … Continue Reading

Video Pick: Brilliant Filmmaking by Camp 4 Collective

The Camp4Collective team of adventurers, photographers, and filmmakers has produced some pretty awesome videos of mountain and rock climbing, skiing, general adventure travel, and product videos. Here they have produced another great video on climbing the Tooth Traverse in Alaska. If you are new to HDdSLR filmmaking, simply watching the camera moves, pans, and editing is inspiring and educational.

The Tooth Traverse from Camp 4 Collective on Vimeo.

… Continue Reading

6 New National Park Natural Landmarks Worth Photographing

It is always a nice surprise when the National Park Service adds more lands to its inventory of protected areas. Recently, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar announced the addition of 6 Natural Areas for protection and this is always good news to nature photographers.

Every National Park has been photographed to death and the inventory of amazing images is vast. So when there are new additions to the system this generates news and stories and increases the needs for photography from these locations.

The additions are part of President Obama’s America’s Great Outdoors Initiative designed to develop a conservation ethic in the 21st century.

The six new natural areas are: Barfoot Park in the Chiricahua Mountains of southern Arizona, Golden Fossil Areas west and north of Golden, Colo., Hanging Lake National Natural Landmark is east of Glenwood Springs, Colo.; Kahlotus Ridgetop National Natural Landmark is in Palouse country four miles north of Kahlotus, Wash.; Round Top Butte National Natural Landmark is near Medford, Ore.; and Island National Natural Landmark is located  in east-central Oregon. … Continue Reading