One of my favorite expressions is a “sea change” moment. Even Merriam-Webster’s entry for sea change is highly evocative: “Archaic. A change brought about by the sea.” You can imagine a time in the past when the ocean represented the ultimate unknown. To watch the sea, of all things, change, would be grand and terrifying.
Essays and Inspiration Category Archive - Page 3
The Hard Life of a Predator
Being at the top of the food chain doesn’t mean you’ve got it all figured out. Sure, it’s nice to slither through the woods, swim in the water, or lurk in a burrow, knowing that nothing can eat you. But like everything else in this world, being a predator has its bugs. Literally.
Photographing Atlantic Puffins on the Island of Runde
Few birds have the gift of evoking such sympathy in humans as the small, comical-looking puffin. In many ways, its appearance is reminiscent of penguins, although the two aren't closely related. Nor do they share a habitat: Penguins are inhabitants of the Southern Hemisphere, while all four species of puffins...
Helpful Photography Reminders for the New Year
It’s not the most exciting part of photography, but it’s one of the most important: Getting your ducks in a row! There are some critical behind-the-scenes parts of photography, like backing up your photos, that you don’t want to forget. Here are five of my top reminders as we venture into 2023.
Highlights from an Exciting 2022 at Photography Life
Another year is wrapping up, and it was a big one! Our team at Photography Life grew by four talented writers during 2022. Meanwhile, the photography world kept chugging along with new technological developments, especially in artificial intelligence. Here’s how I see the “best of 2022” from my position as the Editor of Photography Life.
Behind the Photos: Australian Bowerbirds
Kangaroos with babies in a pouch, cute koalas eating eucalyptus leaves, and the world’s most venomous snakes… All of these things come to mind when you say Australia. But have you ever heard of bowerbirds? We’ll take a closer look at two of them in today’s edition of “Behind the Photos.”
Photographing the Antpitta: My Favorite, Elusive Bird
Occasionally, someone sees my long lens and asks me the question, "What's your favorite bird?" If I have too little mood or time to explain my answer, I usually pull out one that doesn't disappoint. Birds like eagles and harpies are usually a safe bet. But if I were to...
Bird Photography in Ottawa: Challenge or Opportunity?
Ottawa, Canada may not be the easiest place to see birds, or the best place to be a photographer, or even the warmest place... wait, why am I writing about Ottawa? Because I live here, and I've photographed birds and wildlife here for more hours than anywhere else. Ottawa has...
Photographing the Spectacled Bear with the Nikon Z 400mm f/4.5
A couple of weeks ago, I went to South America to photograph birds. But as fate would have it, one of the first animals to come into my camera’s viewfinder was a mammal. And not just any mammal! It was the Spectacled Bear – one of the largest carnivores on the continent.
Photographing the Ubiquitous Urban Wildlife
There's one big link between rats and pigeons. Although the species are separated by millions of years genetically, they are drawn together through their shared affinity for humans. Most humans, by comparison, have very little affinity for either species! But as a biologist and photographer, I'm always curious about how...