It was just before five in the morning. The páramo, and the sky above, were still lit only by thousands of stars. High in the Ecuadorian Andes, the nights are cold. And the fact that the equator lies just 50 kilometers away changes nothing about that. Here, on the Earth's...
Essays and Inspiration Category Archive
Photographing the Muskox in Dovrefjell During Winter
In this article, I will share my experience taking photos of the muskox in Norway’s Dovrefjell National Park in the heart of winter. You can consider this my continuation of the essay “Photographing the Muskox in a Winter Wonderland” previously published on Photography Life by Dr. Michael Rübhausen.
The Red-Winged Blackbird
Some say flowers herald the coming of spring, but I feel it is the song of the Red-winged Blackbird that signifies the change of seasons. I still remember their beautiful call one very cold morning near the end of winter, before the growth of any plant or the disappearance of ice.
The Right Time, the Wrong Place: A Story of Wildlife Photography
You might be smiling ironically right now, thinking those words – “the right time, the wrong place” – sum up a misadventure you’ve had as a wildlife photographer. And because I know that shared misery is half the misery, let me reassure you with this little story that you are not alone.
Photographing “Little Brown Jobs” – The Beauty of Less-Loved Birds
Open any bird guide, from any country or region, and you'll quickly notice that most birds are, well... brown. Some might even call their appearance boring. But I disagree. Personally, I have a soft spot for what we in the Czech Republic call "the universal brown birds." In English-speaking countries,...
Photographing Beauty in Ugly Places
Wildlife photography is usually associated with breathtaking natural beauty, the soothing silence of forest groves, or the fresh scent of meadow flowers. But today's article is about something completely different. I want to show you that beautiful wildlife photos can be taken in a completely different environment - in the...
Photographing Container Ships: The Linchpin in the Global Supply Chain
Last month marked one year since the container ship Dali tragically struck and collapsed the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore on the night of March 26, 2024, causing shock and headlines around the world. The horrific disaster resulted in the death of six construction workers that night, damage to...
Photography: The Search for Ephemeral Worlds
The other day, I tried to list everything that contributes to a good photo. What are the crucial ingredients? High on the list were two things: thinking actively about composition in the field, and deliberate and careful post-processing. But what sustains the activity of going and taking those photos in...
One Day, I Found a Dancing Star in the Woods
With my backpack loaded with equipment, I entered the woods. Normally, there, I would be photographing roe deer. However, my goal this time was different: to photograph the Dog’s-Tooth-Violet (Erythronium dens-canis) so as to highlight the elegant shape and colorful nuances of this beautiful flower.
Finding a Photographic Style in Nature Photography
In nature photography – where the image is unlikely to be prepared, posed, or lit by the photographer – one’s unique personal style may be less apparent than, say, in a studio portrait. A photographer cannot claim full responsibility for results that heavily depend on natural conditions, right? Well, I disagree.