Category: Travel Photographer: Prabhu Shankar "Ayyanakere Lake, Chikamagalur, Karnataka" Photographer of the Day, Prabhu Shankar, stops time as he captures the perfect moment when five men simultaneously dive into Ayyanakere Lake, India. The leading line of the pier down the center of the photograph is strong, drawing the eye to the man sitting on the cupola. This sitting man is actually sitting atop two triangles. The smaller triangle is formed by the cupola and is surrounded by a larger one shaped by the sitting man and the two lower … [Read more...] about Photographer of the Day: Prabhu Shankar
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Photographer of the Day: Jim Denham
Category: Travel Photographer: Jim Denham "Manteo Lighthouse Smooth" Photographer of the Day Jim Denham used a long exposure to soften the water and clouds, and to capture the quiet, stillness of the evening at Manteo Lighthouse on Roanoke Sound, North Carolina. His shutter speed was 245s, at F/8 and ISO 100. Originally shared on the Photofocus Group on Google+ here. To learn how your work can be featured on the Photofocus, please read this article. … [Read more...] about Photographer of the Day: Jim Denham
Photographer of the Day: Ken Lee
Category: Travel Photographer: Ken Lee "Skogafoss In The Mist" Photographer of the Day, Ken Lee, has captured the might and majesty of Skogafoss, in Iceland--a country known for its waterfalls. The sheer magnitude of the falls, with people dwarfed in the foreground, is intensified by the mist and water softened by a slower shutter speed. The woman in the red jacket is sharp, and an anchor point in the foreground, framed by the outcropping on the upper right and the rock on the ground on the lower left. I look at this photograph and … [Read more...] about Photographer of the Day: Ken Lee
Day of the Dead in San Miguel de Allende
Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos) is traditionally a Mexican holiday to remember and honor the dead. I traveled to San Miguel de Allende to join in the celebrations and to work on my street photography skills. San Miguel de Allende is considered by some to be one of the prettiest cities in Mexico. Located in the central highlands, the streets are hilly and cobblestoned, with colonial architecture and charming plazas and parks. An art center known for high-end galleries and boutiques, the city attracts a large number of tourists, and … [Read more...] about Day of the Dead in San Miguel de Allende
Photographer of the Day: Lorraine Grey LRPS
Category: Travel Photographer: Lorraine Grey LRPS "Another sunrise in this fantastic place" The bold graphics and color palette of this image stopped me in my tracks. I love the use of shadow and light, the leading lines in the foreground, and the silhouettes of the camels and people in the background. I feel the shifting sands sinking beneath my feet and my mind wanders to tales of travelers in ancient caravans crossing vast, empty deserts. Lorraine shot this image with a Canon EOS 5D Mark lll, at F/16, 1/60 and ISO 800. Originally … [Read more...] about Photographer of the Day: Lorraine Grey LRPS
Photographing San Miguel de Allende
Nestled in the highlands of central Mexico and steeped in history, San Miguel de Allende is a charming city to visit and to photograph at any time. During the Day of the Dead celebration, beginning the end of October, it is transformed from charming to effervescent. My holiday memories in the city are filled with images of bold colors and designs, people participating in holiday spirit, and nighttime festivities. As you first arrive into the city center of San Miguel your eyes will pop with photographic possibilities. The colonial … [Read more...] about Photographing San Miguel de Allende
New Category & Curator for Photographer of the Day
Travel Photofocus' popular feature "Photographer of the Day" has a new category--Travel. Susan Kanfer who herself is an amazingly talented destination photographer curates Travel. The Weddings category is on hiatus. I'm excited about evolving Photographer of the Day. If you have category ideas or other thoughts, email me at [email protected] Be a Photofocus Photographer of the Day The POTD curators scour submissions to the Photofocus groups on Flickr, 500px & Google Plus. Upload photos that you have made with one of our daily … [Read more...] about New Category & Curator for Photographer of the Day
Photographer of the Day: Ian Lewry
Category: Travel Photographer: Ian Lewry "A Gentleman Attending the Lonach Highland Games" This "Gentleman," portrayed by Photographer of the Day Ian Lewry, brings home a piece of Scotland. His rugged face is well-framed by a beret and Scottish plaids, accented by the long beard. The blurred background's color palette blends nicely, setting off the foreground. I like the expression Ian has captured--I detect a bit of a twinkle in the gentleman's left eye and a partial smile. This Highlander has stories to be told and I would like to … [Read more...] about Photographer of the Day: Ian Lewry
Printing Images From Your Cell Phone While Traveling
I took along a Polaroid printer when I traveled to Cuba earlier this year. It enabled me to make prints of my iPhone photos via Bluetooth. I gave the prints to people I had photographed with my iPhone after I had photographed them with my Fuji X-T1. The printer is small (2.91" x 4.72") and lightweight (0.41 lb.), important since I travel as light as I can when visiting a country such as Cuba. Prior to traveling with the Polaroid printer I used a Fujifilm Instax Mini, an instant film camera. The quality of the images was “okay," and the … [Read more...] about Printing Images From Your Cell Phone While Traveling
Just How Much Gear Can You Fit in a Carry-On Bag?
I'm getting ready for an overseas trip to China. I made a similar trip a few years ago and learned a few lessons about how to pack my gear. The goal was to travel light, but with redundancy. I also knew I'd be shooting in lots of different shooting situations. The goal was to be able to fit virtually all my gear into a single piece of carry-on baggage (there was no way I was going to deal with lost items). Why Go Carry On? As soon as you let your gear out of your site... things can go wrong. From lost baggage and delays to outright theft … [Read more...] about Just How Much Gear Can You Fit in a Carry-On Bag?
Northern Michigan, A Best Kept Secret
I just returned from the North Woods--the Upper Peninsula of Michigan on the shores of Lake Superior. My visit focused on Hiawatha National Forest and Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. The Lakeshore has been called Michigan’s “Best Kept Secret," and a hidden treasure. The UP of Michigan is a perfect destination for a nature photographer. It offers rugged landscapes with carved, colorful cliffs along Lake Superior; northern hardwood and mixed forests vibrant in fall colors; wildflowers in the spring and summer; abundant waterfalls and … [Read more...] about Northern Michigan, A Best Kept Secret
Double Up–Packing Extras When You Travel
Seeing double? I see double every time I pack for a trip. Like two remote shutter releases, two tripod plates, and the list continues, including two cameras or camera bodies. Sometimes I also see triple, quadruple, and beyond. It has never failed. Just when everything is going great I seem to misplace or lose something when I am out shooting for the day, away from my hotel room. Or my equipment stops working or breaks. Now I try to second guess my future travails, and plan head with multiples. I recommend the same for any traveling … [Read more...] about Double Up–Packing Extras When You Travel
Camera Bag Review: Borealis Backpack, from Mountainsmith
Let's cut straight to it: the Mountainsmith Borealis is a very fine backpack, and it's a very fine camera bag. It's exceptionally well made, logically designed by people who clearly know what photographers need, and I think it'll last a lifetime. I've got just a few caveats, but this is a good backpack. Lifetime Construction I've owned Mountainsmith bags since I was a young mountaineer in Colorado, which is where Mountainsmith are headquartered. I've been using one of their bags for 20 years, and it's still going strong. The reason these … [Read more...] about Camera Bag Review: Borealis Backpack, from Mountainsmith
Two Simple Ways to Protect Photos on Travels
Photographing while travelling is a joy, and you'll make many of your best pictures when you're visiting somewhere new and are inspired by the culture and events. You may also have the opportunity to travel and shoot for clients. Either way, you need to make sure you get your photos home and keep them safe along the way. Here are some ideas to help you get it done without a big hassle. Keep It Simple There are volumes written on data management and backup, and you should read those. The most important thing about data management is keeping … [Read more...] about Two Simple Ways to Protect Photos on Travels
Rocky Mountain National Park–A Picture Perfect Autumn Destination
Rocky Mountain National Park in the fall is a nature photographer's dream come true: tall, rugged mountains, landscapes saturated with the colors of changing leaves, and wildlife so close at times you barely need a telephoto lens. I last visited the park the first week of October. Colors were still bold across the mountainsides, although they probably had peaked a week or two before, depending on the location. The days were warm, the mornings and evenings cool to cold. The air definitely felt like the seasons were in transition. Longs Peak, … [Read more...] about Rocky Mountain National Park–A Picture Perfect Autumn Destination
How to Compensate for a Lightweight Tripod
Maybe you're on a trip and you only brought a lightweight tripod, or maybe you were seduced into buying that cheap tripod that came in a package with your camera. Either way, you'll find that using a lightweight tripod often ruins the pictures you're trying to make. A tripod is supposed to be a steady platform for shooting, but if it's too light then a breeze can make the whole thing shake during an exposure and ruin the picture with movement blur. The following techniques will help you get the most from your lightweight tripod even in less … [Read more...] about How to Compensate for a Lightweight Tripod
Using Shadows As Creative Tools In Your Photography
Shadows define an image. They are transformative, a paintbrush in a photographer's hand, giving us the ability to use light to sculpt a three dimensional image from a two dimensional reality. I traveled to the Palouse agricultural region, primarily in Washington and Oregon, to photograph shadows. Shadows on undulating fields of crops, buildings, farm equipment, train cars and tracks, and on old cars. The funny thing is -- I didn’t realize I was visiting the Palouse to shoot shadows until after I arrived and started to photograph. The … [Read more...] about Using Shadows As Creative Tools In Your Photography
The Palouse—Finding Your Artistic Soul as a Photographer
The Palouse is where photographers can travel to hone their photographic skills and find their artistic soul. An agricultural region located primarily in Washington and Idaho, its beauty is subtle. Back-roads meander through small towns and pass by barns, abandoned buildings, grain elevators, and silos. Sunrises and sunsets over the fields weave abstract tapestries of colors and patterns etched by the interplay of shadows and light. Wheat is the major crop grown in the Palouse. Other crops include lentils, canola, and barley. The specific … [Read more...] about The Palouse—Finding Your Artistic Soul as a Photographer
Photographer of the Day: Laurent Glasson
Category: Nature Photographer: Laurent Glasson Title: Couché de soleil sur le bargy On their own, the mountains and the dramatic sky, would make this a wonderful image. What grabbed me was Glasson's use of the foreground. The darkness of the foreground makes the mountain and sky pop. The "transparency" of the bare tree limbs gives the frame a sense of depth it might otherwise lack. It all comes together as a cinematic image that evokes the start of a journey. Lovely. Photo originally shared in Photofocus' Flickr group. To … [Read more...] about Photographer of the Day: Laurent Glasson
Photographing St. Ives, Cornwall
Cornwall, at the southwest tip of England, is a photographer’s dream. A rugged land with cliffs molded by the sea and shadowed by stormy clouds, it glows in the light. A local tour guide said the light glowed pink in the town of St. Ives, from the color of the sand. My friends and I stayed in St. Ives while we walked some of the coastal paths of Cornwall. Attracting artists for decades, and bustling with tourists, St. Ives has a little bit of everything: galleries, art museums (including the Tate St. Ives), beaches, eclectic shops and … [Read more...] about Photographing St. Ives, Cornwall
5 Ideas when faced with ‘blah’ light… but a GREAT location
Lately I've been working on a project which includes capturing ‘post card’ type images in and around San Francisco. A huge challenge with this project is that I'm doing on my own time, which ain't much, and it means that I can't often visit the best locations at the most ideal times. This presents a problem to solve which is, ‘How can I get at least a good (doesn’t have to be great) photo when the light isn’t very good?’ And I decided to share some ideas which have come from this experience. On one particular occasion, I took time to … [Read more...] about 5 Ideas when faced with ‘blah’ light… but a GREAT location
Walking Cornwall
Last summer I joined friends on a walking tour of the coastal cliffs of Cornwall, located at England’s southwestern tip. The undulating Cornish coastline is steep and rugged, with hidden coves and beaches, picturesque villages, fishing harbors, and ruins of vacant mines. This was not a trip geared to photography or photographers, so bringing home good photos that gave a feel for the area was a challenge. Walking up to 12 miles a day with a fast-paced walking group meant I wouldn’t have much time to set up a shot. A tripod was thus out of … [Read more...] about Walking Cornwall
Exploring Travel Photography: Hummingbird Editing (CR08)
Would you like to take a trip? In our new series on travel photography we'll explore the beautiful country of Costa Rica. We'll use this scenic Central American country to illustrate many types of photography as well as share lessons learned. This full course is also available on lynda.com and you can subscribe to watch the entire thing on their site. https://youtu.be/P8HZXeBULhU Let's take a look some of those hummingbird images. You'll note as we select the different images, you could see the settings that were used in the metadata … [Read more...] about Exploring Travel Photography: Hummingbird Editing (CR08)
Exploring Travel Photography: Photographing Hummingbirds (CR07)
Would you like to take a trip? In our new series on travel photography we'll explore the beautiful country of Costa Rica. We'll use this scenic Central American country to illustrate many types of photography as well as share lessons learned. This full course is also available on lynda.com and you can subscribe to watch the entire thing on their site. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBt0hoPZpJs&feature=youtu.be One of the most challenging things to shoot is a hummingbird. Hummingbirds move really, really fast. Typically, a hummingbird … [Read more...] about Exploring Travel Photography: Photographing Hummingbirds (CR07)
On Traveling to Cuba as a Photographer….
If you are from the U.S., traveling to Cuba differs from other destinations you have visited. It is not as easy as booking a flight and a hotel. Your travel purpose must fall within one of the categories of travel approved by the Department of Treasury. People-to-people educational programs offered by travel providers are one of the more popular approved ways Americans travel to Cuba. As an example, I joined a photo tour that came under the requirements of the general license for people-to-people travel. I understand that the recent easing … [Read more...] about On Traveling to Cuba as a Photographer….
Cuba: Preparation Leads to Success
Difficult lighting and quickly moving subject matter made photography tricky at times, during my recent trip to Cuba. I relied on a combination of planning and technique to bring home the types of images I envisioned. When I travel I usually have an initial photography plan for the day, before leaving my hotel each morning. My plan considers where I am going, what type of photography I anticipate, what lenses to carry, weather conditions, and whether I need a tripod. I also decide on initial camera settings so I am ready to start shooting … [Read more...] about Cuba: Preparation Leads to Success
Exploring Travel Photography: Shooting in a Cloud Forest (CR06)
Would you like to take a trip? In our new series on travel photography we'll explore the beautiful country of Costa Rica. We'll use this scenic Central American country to illustrate many types of photography as well as share lessons learned. This full course is also available on lynda.com and you can subscribe to watch the entire thing on their site. https://youtu.be/o5oEzg6aYFI The region of Monteverde is right along the continental divide for Costa Rica. It's also tremendously high elevation, about 4,600 feet. If you're not used to … [Read more...] about Exploring Travel Photography: Shooting in a Cloud Forest (CR06)
Looking for a Hiking Tripod? Platypod Max is It
I hike every week with my family, and I travel by air and shoot in other cities every month. You and I both know that using a tripod unlocks picture opportunities that just can't be made without one. I can use it for super long exposures to blur the sea and clouds, or reduce traffic to trails of light down the road, and make waterfalls that pour smoothly into eternity. However, carrying a tripod can be wearisome. Just thinking about carrying it on a seven-mile hike makes my shoulders and legs hurt. I know I need a tripod, and I know my … [Read more...] about Looking for a Hiking Tripod? Platypod Max is It
Exploring Travel Photography: Packing for a Mountain Trip (CR05)
Would you like to take a trip? In our new series on travel photography we'll explore the beautiful country of Costa Rica. We'll use this scenic Central American country to illustrate many types of photography as well as share lessons learned. This full course is also available on lynda.com and you can subscribe to watch the entire thing on their site. https://youtu.be/gezYQCIbsZI Monteverde is one of the most remote regions of Costa Rica, but it's incredible. It's this great little mountain town that's actually founded by (laughs) some … [Read more...] about Exploring Travel Photography: Packing for a Mountain Trip (CR05)
Exploring Travel Photography: Health& Safety (CR04)
Would you like to take a trip? In our new series on travel photography we'll explore the beautiful country of Costa Rica. We'll use this scenic Central American country to illustrate many types of photography as well as share lessons learned. This full course is also available on lynda.com and you can subscribe to watch the entire thing on their site. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOBSVitX6L0&feature=youtu.be A lot of photographers I know get nervous about traveling, particularly if they're traveling with their family. My family … [Read more...] about Exploring Travel Photography: Health& Safety (CR04)
