Landscape Photography | Russ Bishop Photography

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.

April 21, 2025April 21, 2025

Chasing Waterfalls

Chasing Waterfalls. There’s something about flowing water that soothes the soul and sparks the imagination. Mesmerizing ripples on a lake, the fluid dynamics of an eddy as it dances over rocks in a stream, or the powerful force of a cascading waterfall. It’s poetry in motion – nature’s visual elixir.

Preserving these moments of natural movement on film or sensor is a tireless indulgence for the outdoor photographer. Varying shutter speeds and focal lengths can create dramatic landscapes or freeze intimate moments of light and form. And most impressive is the fact that no two images will ever be the same!

Learning to read the flow of the water becomes intuitive with experience and helps solidify the visual appeal of each frame. Waterfalls in particular are constantly changing their course as the wind shifts, and timing your exposure for the best flow can greatly reduce editing time when reviewing dozens of images.

As with all nature photography, time spent thoughtfully viewing a scene and carefully framing your composition is paramount. It will ensure that when the decisive moments arrive you’re able to capture the dancing waters at peak performance.

February 6, 2025February 6, 2025

Cold Snap – Tips for Successful Winter Photography

Cold Snap – Tips for Successful Winter Photography. The last of autumn’s leaves have fallen and it’s time to focus on the next photographic season (and one of the most challenging!). Winter is a wonderful time to explore and create striking images, but preparation is the key to success. Here are a few tips to make your next photo outing both comfortable and rewarding.

1) Warm Clothing. This might seem obvious, but being comfortable for long hours in the elements will allow you to focus on photography and not your numb toes. Waterproof snow boots are essential along with a hat, gloves, and layers so that you can adjust your body temperature during the day as temperatures rise. Two of my sponsors REI and Patagonia have a large selection of gear to keep you warm and dry.

2) Hand Warmers. Chemical hand warmers can be purchased at most sporting good stores, heat up instantly, and last up to 8 hours. They are excellent inside gloves, for keeping spare batteries warm, and in pockets when you need to warm your hands after taking your gloves off to change batteries or memory cards.

3) Spare Batteries. Today’s lithium-ion camera batteries are a modern marvel of compact energy and perform quite well in the cold, but keeping them warm inside your jacket will extend their life even more. I always have one or two spares and avoid excessive image reviewing in the field. Turning off features such as camera sounds and lights can also greatly help to extend battery life.

4) Tripod Care. I always recommend using a tripod to maximize sharpness and winter is no exception. But when shooting in snow you need to be careful not to over extend the legs and damage the tripod. To avoid this, simply keep the legs together as you sink the tripod in the snow and they will naturally expand to form a solid base. Covering the legs with custom covers or pipe insulation also makes them easier to handle in the cold and more comfortable when carrying over the shoulder.

5) Expose for the Snow. Back in the days of film this was easy to forget and would often result in an entire roll of underexposed images. The problem is your camera’s light meter sees everything as neutral gray (including snow) and adjusts your camera settings accordingly. In scenes with large amounts of snow, this results in images being up to 2 stops underexposed. Fortunately this is easily detected and corrected with today’s digital cameras by setting the exposure compensation dial (typically 2 stops overexposed, but check that histogram). As long as the light is consistent, this works well in both auto and manual metering modes.

6) Breathe Easy. It’s not that standing in the snow is physically exhausting, but your breath can be detrimental to your photography! If it’s cold enough that water vapor will create a sheet of ice on the back of your camera, which is difficult to remove and could cost you the shot. It takes a little practice, but breathing out of the side of your mouth or holding your breath while composing works well to prevent this.

So don’t let the cold keep you from enjoying this wonderful season. It’s a special time with unlimited photographic possibilities, and with a little preparation and care you’ll be experiencing one of nature’s best displays and capturing all that beauty in comfort.