Essays and Inspiration Category Archive

The Intimate Lives of Dragonflies

There are about 3,000 species of dragonflies in the world, and they inhabit the entire planet with the exception of Antarctica. They have not changed much since they flew on their webbed wings over the Carboniferous swamps of what is now Europe, more than three hundred million years ago. Well,...

Every Bird Has a Secret

In every genre of photography, there seems to be a lesson that must be learned in order to get good photos more easily. For example, portrait photographers often talk about developing a rapport with their subjects, and from own experience with portraits, I do think that's true. But what about...

Four Intuitive Steps for Meaningful Photography

Photography, by its very nature, is not just about reproducing what the photographer sees but about expressing our inner thoughts. When I journey through the natural world, my interactions with the places and wild animals I witness have stirred so many emotions in my heart. As a photographer, then, the...

When the Photographer Does Not Shoot

Often, photographers are driven by the obsessive need to capture the moment, to be productive at all costs. Recently, however, I rewatched a movie that contained a different reflection, one that I would like to share with you today. It is the beauty of choosing not to shoot, to fully...

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.