Landscape Photography | Russ Bishop Photography

August 11, 2025August 11, 2025

Pele’s Realm

For more than a quarter century the lava on Hawaii’s Big Island has continued to flow. From the Pu’u O’o vent on the flanks of Kilauea down into the Pacific and lately a fountain filling the sky above Halema’uma’u crater. A mesmerizing river of molten earth that is equally beautiful and terrifying as it slowly devours everything in it’s path, while adding acres to Hawaii’s newest Island.

Since ancient times Pele, the Goddess of Fire, has been a central figure of Hawaiian lore. “She-Who-Shapes-The-Sacred-Land” is often recounted in ancient Hawaiian chants, and today is the most visible of the Hawaiian deities.

Pele is known to be a passionate goddess, yet volatile and capricious as evidenced by her destruction of the modern Waha’ula visitor center while completely avoiding an ancient heiau (Hawaiian temple) in her path.

I’ve been back many times over the past thirty years to pay homage to Pele, and I’m always in awe of her powerful hand in shaping these Islands. Will Rogers once said, “buy real estate, they don’t make it any more”. But clearly he had never been to this part of the world!

July 21, 2025July 21, 2025

Visual Opportunity Is Closer Than You Think

It’s been said that you don’t need to circle the globe to find wonderful subjects to photograph. And while shooting close to home may not sound as exciting as travelling to far off exotic destinations, a little research and an open mind can reveal grand landscapes and intimate details right in your own backyard.

I’m fortunate to live in Southern California where icons like Death Valley and Joshua Tree National Parks are within a day’s drive, yet I’ve discovered many less frequented local spots that can be just as rewarding for photography. Los Padres National Forest is one such place that includes a large portion of California’s coastal mountains from Ojai to Monterey. Nearly half of the forest is designated wilderness that ranges from semi-desert in the interior areas to redwood forests on the coast, providing a wealth of photographic potential.

So the next time you’re scouting photo locations or just searching for a quiet place to call your own don’t forget the state parks, national forests, and other public lands nearby. You won’t experience the crowds or expense that come with the bigger parks and international travel, and you might just be surprised by the quality images and visual opportunities that can be found close to home.

May 12, 2025May 12, 2025

The World of Light & Shadow

The World of Light & Shadow. In the continuing search to develop our photographic vision it’s often said that trying a new or different approach yields the best results. While we employ many tried and true techniques in our craft that help to define our style, it’s the ongoing challenge to see the world anew that offers the greatest rewards in helping us grow creatively.

If you typically use wide-angle lenses switch to a telephoto and isolate elements from the bigger picture. When shooting under sunny skies is the norm try the soft diffused light of an overcast day to eliminate shadows and create rich, saturated colors. As I’ve mentioned before, filters can also be an indispensable tool in shaping and controlling light in the field, and are almost always preferable to post processing. One exception is the conversion to monochrome.

With today’s powerful controls in Lightroom and Nik Software’s Silver Efex Pro, it’s now possible to make gorgeous black and white conversions from our color files that express all the subtleties and tonal range once only achievable with film and a darkroom. The challenge here is to seek out images that work well in monochrome. Typically high contrast scenes with defined edges and shadow detail are strong contenders, but there are no hard fast rules and experimentation is the key.

Although I don’t always shoot with black and white in mind, I’ve discovered many images in my files that express my emotional response to the scene much clearer than the color version. Most current digital cameras do have a black and white shooting mode, but it’s always preferable to shoot in RAW and then convert using the full tonal adjustments available in the programs I’ve mentioned. The added benefit is that you always have your original when color is the best option.

So spend some time reviewing your images with a new perspective in mind. You might just find some real gems that were waiting to be discovered in the world of light and shadow.