Mornings in the Khutzeymateen Inlet in northern British Columbia are mesmerizing - so breathtaking that you feel you might still be asleep. Waking in my ship's cabin, I immediately began to feel the anticipation of the coming day when I would get the chance to see and photograph grizzly bears. But as soon as I climbed the polished wooden ladder to the main deck of the … [Read more...]
My 8 Favourite Photography Locations on the Oregon Coast
Every year on our snowbird trip, when we go south to find the winter sun, we travel on Highway 101 along the Oregon coast, eagerly anticipating each curve in the road that reveals sea stacks, ocean waves, and the rugged coastline. We've driven the road 15 times now (an odd number because one year we went to the east coast in spring and drove all the way around the USA in a … [Read more...]
How to Use the Dodge and Burn Technique in Photo Processing
Dodging and burning is an easy and effective way to make portions of your image lighter or darker. So why is it so confusing to understand how it works? Because the terminology comes from the old darkroom days when processing photos was a two stage process. First we made the NEGATIVE by exposing the film to light. Just like when you make an image in your digital camera … [Read more...]
The Fairy Pools, Isle of Skye, Scotland
The Isle of Skye is brimming with stunning and incredibly unique photography locations to choose from. Every day I wanted to go somewhere new. But, at least for me, really good photography doesn't work that way. I frequently find that I have to visit a location more than once before I make my best images. I think it's because on the first visit I can become overwhelmed by … [Read more...]
Heilan’ Coo, Isle of Skye, Scotland
It’s a Highland Cow! But in Scots (which is an actual language and different from Gaelic), they are known as Heilan’ Coo, and that’s what everyone calls them in Scotland. A little tangent about Scots. I’m a little embarrassed to admit that I didn’t know about Scots. I was expecting Gaelic, but I didn’t know there was also Scots. There’s some disagreement about … [Read more...]
The Old Man of Storr, Isle of Skye, Scotland
My stubbornness got the best of me - and sometimes that is a good thing in photography! When I left on my trip to Scotland, it was with a slight sense of disappointment since I knew my knee troubles would prevent me from doing the hiking I wanted to do. I wasn't going to be able to get that one shot I wanted the most. But I decided to go anyway and make the best of … [Read more...]
What’s New in Luminar 2018 Version 1.2 “Jupiter”
Last week, the folks over at Skylum (previously known as MacPhun) released a major update to Luminar, their premier photo editing software. The new release contains some massive improvements that you are going to love! Plus, if you already own Luminar 2018, this new version is completely free. If you haven’t tried Luminar yet, now is a great time. Pick up a free trial … [Read more...]
New Find and Cool Rock Art at Saddle Mountain Arizona
Always on the lookout for free camping in a photo-worthy location, one of my favourite new finds from this year's snowbird season is Saddle Mountain near Tonopah, Arizona. Located about 50 miles west of Phoenix, it's a large dispersed camping area where you can have lots of space to yourself while enjoying the peaceful wilderness location. One of my favourite desert … [Read more...]