Nature Photography | Russ Bishop Photography | Nature Photo Blog

October 9, 2018June 7, 2022

My Backyard

As a landscape photographer I spend a fair amount of time on the road each year often traveling hundreds or thousands of miles to remote locations. So it struck a chord when it was recently suggested within the online community of photographers to showcase images of those special places that are close to home – essentially in our backyard.

I’m fortunate to have a national park adjacent to my community and, although it’s 11 miles offshore in the Pacific Ocean and I don’t make it out there as often as I’d like, I do get to see it most every day. Channel Islands National Park is made up of five of the eight Channel Islands with Santa Cruz seen here being the largest. The islands are rich in Native American culture and wildlife, and are a diver’s paradise. But even from afar they make a wonderful setting for a classic Southern California sunset.

When planning your next photographic adventure don’t overlook the local gems that are within easy reach and may provide just as much visual opportunity as those popular locations miles from home.

March 2, 2018September 3, 2020

Kings Canyon National Park

Dusy Basin in Kings Canyon National Park includes the largest concentration of 14,000 foot peaks in the Sierra Nevada range, and one of the southernmost glaciers in North America. As a major entry point for the John Muir Trail along the Sierra high route, this popular spot also makes a relatively easy weekend trip from the town of Bishop, passing through the John Muir Wilderness and over Bishop Pass.

Here the warm alpenglow on the The Palisade Group is reflected in one of the many alpine tarns scattered among this beautiful hanging valley. These pristine lakes are fed only by surrounding snow melt, and their glassy waters are the perfect complement for photographing magic hour in what John Muir so eloquently called the Range of Light.

August 3, 2017August 3, 2017

Soft Water

Lower Calf Creek Falls, Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Utah

Shooting water in all its endless variety is one of the creative pleasures of nature photography. From drops of dew reflecting a crisp autumn morning to the power of cascading falls frozen in time, the camera allows many unique perspectives of our most abundant resource that are seldom seen in a passing glance.

A polarizing filter is a favorite tool for photographing water as it slows exposure and increases contrast, both of which serve to enhance the emotional response to a scene. While some may say this is altering reality, it’s good to remember that art is more about personal expression than documentation.

“Most creative photographs are departures from reality and it seems to take a higher order of craft to make this departure than to simulate reality.” ~Ansel Adams

This image of Calf Creek Falls in the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument was made on an overcast day with a long exposure of 20 seconds. The cloudy sky diffused the harsh mid-day light and saturated the colors of the moss covered rock, while the slow shutter speed gave the falls a silky look.