Equipment | Russ Bishop Photography | Nature Photo Blog

January 12, 2017July 12, 2018

That Extra Something

Mount Rushmore and fall color, Mount Rushmore National Memorial, South Dakota

I always strive to find the unique angle or foreground subject in my landscape and travel photography, and most of the time this is simply a matter of scouting the location before the sweet light arrives to find that special element. But sometimes the options are limited and even the subject itself has really only one angle. Mount Rushmore is a classic example.

The sculpture created by Gutzon Borglum in the 1930s is an icon of Americana, and has probably been photographed more times than Old Faithful or Yosemite Falls. Of course I too had to capture my version, but with limited access to the monument my choice of lens was about the only option. Tight telephoto images are captivating and show the skill and detail that went into Borglum’s creation, but in the end it was a simple splash of fall color and a wide field of view that captured the essence of what I felt and gave the image that extra something.

So the next time you find your vision is hampered by the limitations of your surroundings go long or go wide, but try to include something unique within the frame that imparts a sense of time or place – and sets your image apart from the crowd.

February 9, 2016February 9, 2016

The Sky’s the Limit

Digital photography offers many benefits over the old days of film, but one area where the new technology falls short is the constant need for power. Manual film cameras like the classic Nikon FM and FE2 could be used with no battery at all, but today’s hi-tech devices are just fancy paperweights without a battery. I’m often asked how I manage this challenge when traveling in the wilderness and the answer is the sun!

In addition to bringing a good supply of fully charged lithium-ion batteries (which perform remarkably well in the cold) I have a solar panel made by Brunton that rolls up into a small tube and cranks out a powerful 14 watts. That’s enough juice to power a laptop or sat phone and will even charge batteries on overcast days. So with an unlimited source of power and several large capacity memory cards the sky really is the limit when shooting in the backcountry.

March 4, 2015March 13, 2018

Antelope Canyon Magic

Delicate slickrock formations in upper Antelope Canyon, Arizona

Antelope Canyon on the Navajo Indian Reservation in Arizona is arguably one of the finest slot canyons in the American southwest, and certainly one of the most photographed. Although beautiful to witness with the naked eye, these jewels of the desert really shine when a long exposure reveals the light and color our eyes can’t perceive – the subtle shades and hues of the sunlight as it plays off the wind and water sculpted sandstone.

Unlike most landscape photography, which benefits from the warm light of dawn or dusk, slot canyons are best photographed midday when the greatest amount of light penetrates the steep and narrow canyon walls. A tripod is mandatory for sharp images with the long exposures necessary to capture the light in these dimly lit passages. And once your eyes have adjusted, the challenge is to create meaningful compositions that lead the eye into the frame and showcase the myriad textures that surround you.

This image was made with a wide 24mm lens and a 30 second exposure – no filter or artificial lighting was used!