Techniques | Russ Bishop Photography | Nature Photo Blog

March 16, 2023March 16, 2023

Canyon Light

For all the equipment I’ve purchased over the years, from camera bodies to lenses and filters, the most important tool of my craft is one I’ve never had to buy. The world of natural light provides landscape photographers with a constantly varied selection from soft light to lightning and everything in between. Here canyon light illuminates the subtle hues of Antelope Canyon, and best of all there’s never a cost.

Unlike a studio strobe, it’s sometimes a challenge to harness the light Mother Nature provides. But therein lies the art of outdoor photography – knowing how to work with what you’re given or having the patience to wait for something better.

In previous posts I’ve mentioned various ways to work with challenging conditions, but there is one place where the light is constant and never leaves you wishing for more – the indirect, reflected light found deep in the canyons of the Southwest.

Its consistent, ethereal glow could easily be mistaken for artificial light, and its true colors can hardly be discerned by the naked eye in the dark recesses of a slot canyon. In sharp contrast to magic hour, the best time to experience this light is when the sun is high overhead and able to penetrate these deep fissures in the earth’s crust. And only when the scene is revealed on the sensor or emulsion do you see the true beauty of the canyon light.

February 28, 2023February 28, 2023

Go With The Flow

Previsualization is an often used term in landscape photography – the process of researching a location, determining perspective through lens selection and framing, and forming a solid image in your mind’s eye before ever arriving at a scene or tripping the shutter. Ansel Adams referred to it often as “the ability to anticipate a finished image before making the exposure”, and it was a favorite expression of other luminaries such as Minor White and Edward Weston.

There is a lot to be said for this approach and it’s certainly the route I take whenever possible. If all goes according to plan, you do your homework, arrive at the predetermined location, setup the shot, then wait for the ideal light and the image falls into place. This technique works quite well much of the time (assuming you’ve done that homework), but there are those moments when mother nature simply won’t cooperate. The golden light has been replaced with drab overcast, the wind is determined to keep every leaf or flower in motion, or the road has been closed by an avalanche and you can’t even get to the desired location. Fear not, it’s happened to everyone.

This is the time to give in and go with the flow. There are still great images to be made, but now you need to throw out those mental notes and let that right brain have a little fun. When the flowers and leaves are blowing make abstracts. If the light is anything but exciting, avoid the sky and look for the soft even lighting illuminating the ground cover. And even if that avalanche has closed the road, this is the perfect time to take a detour and explore someplace you’ve never seen before.

So the next time that great image you’ve envisioned isn’t working out as planned, try an alternate approach and go with the flow. You might find your masterpiece was there all along just waiting to be discovered.

January 17, 2022January 29, 2022

The Power of Negative Space

The Power of Negative Space. Successful landscape photography is often comprised of several elements coming together in harmonious balance within the frame. This can be quite complex or deceptively simple. Spatial relationships and color are the building blocks used to balance most compositions, and careful lens selection is essential in distilling an image down to its essence.

But sometimes less is more and an effective use of negative space can be a great tool to elicit an equally powerful response. This basic, but often overlooked principle of design, gives the eye a place to rest and increases the appeal of a composition through subtle means. The Japanese word ma is a perfect example. Roughly translated to “the space between two structural parts”, it is best described as a consciousness of place – the simultaneous awareness of form and non-form deriving from an intensification of vision.

The image above was made as a late winter storm was moving out of the Teton Range. By using a medium telephoto and focusing on the predominant white space I was able to isolate the spires and ridges to give the illusion that the mountains were floating in the clouds.

With the right conditions, adding negative space to your visual toolkit can be a simple yet powerful way to create strong images that resonate with your viewers.