2023 – The Year in Pictures

2023 – The Year in Pictures. Here is a selection of favorite images released in the past year. These are not necessarily my best or most popular, but each represents a special moment in time in which the beauty of this amazing world revealed itself before my lens.

Please share and enjoy!  I’d love to know your thoughts and if any images resonated with you or conjured up good memories. You can click on any image for a large high quality view, to learn more about it or purchase a fine art print.

I look forward to seeing your favorite images, and most of all I wish everyone a healthy and Happy New Year!

-Russ

2023 - The Year in Pictures. Punch Bowl Falls, Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, Oregon USA
Punch Bowl Falls, Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, Oregon

2023 - The Year in Pictures. Granite boulders at Jumbo Rocks, Joshua Tree National Park, California USA
Granite boulders at Jumbo Rocks, Joshua Tree National Park, California

2023 - The Year in Pictures. Icebergs on glacial meltwater under Mount Edith Cavell, Jasper National Park, Alberta Canada
Icebergs on glacial meltwater, Jasper National Park, Canada

2023 - The Year in Pictures. Clearing winter storm over Yosemite Valley, Yosemite National Park, California USA
Clearing winter storm over Yosemite Valley, Yosemite National Park, California

2023 - The Year in Pictures. Wildflowers at Tom McCall Preserve, Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, Oregon USA
Wildflowers at sunrise, Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, Oregon

2023 - The Year in Pictures. Backpacker on the Bishop Pass Trail, John Muir Wilderness, Sierra Nevada Mountains, California USA
Backpacker on the Bishop Pass Trail, John Muir Wilderness, California

2023 - The Year in Pictures. Giant Sequoia in the Congress Grove in winter, Giant Forest, Sequoia National Park, California USA
Giant Sequoia in the Congress Grove, Sequoia National Park, California

2023 - The Year in Pictures. Kalalau Beach on the Na Pali Coast (aerial), Napali Coast Wilderness State Park, Kauai, Hawaii USA
Kalalau Beach, Napali Coast Wilderness State Park, Kauai, Hawaii

2023 - The Year in Pictures. Wildflowers in the Temblor Range, Carrizo Plain National Monument, California USA
Wildflowers in the Temblor Range, Carrizo Plain National Monument, California

2023 - The Year in Pictures. Milky Way over Sierra Nevada Mountains, John Muir Wilderness, California USA
Milky Way over Sierra Nevada Mountains, John Muir Wilderness, California
2023 - The Year in Pictures. Forest abstract, Yosemite National Park, California USA
Forest abstract, Yosemite National Park, California

2023 - The Year in Pictures. Fairy Falls, Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, Oregon USA
Fairy Falls, Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, Oregon USA

 

 

 

©Russ Bishop/All Rights Reserved


Simplify, Simplify

Simplify, Simplify. Afternoon haze over the Sierra Nevada foothills from Moro Rock, Sequoia National Park, California
Afternoon haze over the Sierra Nevada foothills, Sequoia National Park, California

Simplify, Simplify. Thoreau’s famous words apply as much to successful landscape photography as life itself. Often when we first approach a classic scene we’re inclined to capture as much of it as possible in hopes that nothing is left out.

Many times a wide-angle view is the best perspective for those grand vistas, but it needs to be carefully composed in order to guide the viewer’s eye through the frame. Problems arise when there is too much information and the image becomes cluttered and confusing. That’s the time to go long and distill the key elements down to their essence.

As with taking on too much in our lives and missing the forest for the trees, sometimes we need to simplify the scene to make it stronger. By carefully cropping out distracting elements and focusing on light and form we can create images with  more visual impact that connect with our audience on a deeper level.

 

 

©Russ Bishop/All Rights Reserved

Fall Color Photography – Where’s The Light?

Fall color and early snow at North Lake, Inyo National Forest, Sierra Nevada Mountains, California | Fall Color Photography - Where's The Light?
Fall color and early snow at North Lake, Inyo National Forest, California.

Fall Color Photography – Where’s The Light? Successful fall color photography obviously starts with planning around the seasonal changing of the leaves (and this Fall Color Map can help), but once you’ve scouted your location there’s another key factor to consider.

Where and how the color happens is dependent upon elevation and temperature and no two years are ever the same. The higher mountains of the west begin in mid-September, eastern hardwoods in October, and the lower red-rock country of the southwest typically in early November. Once you’ve settled on a destination and found that great grove of trees the next step is to understand the light.

It might seem like the vibrant reds or yellows before you would be faithfully reproduced by your sensor no matter what time of day, but understanding the quality of the light can go along way towards guaranteeing your success. Using backlight or sidelight when the sun is low on the horizon and illuminates the leaves from behind creates a wonderful warm glow, especially when set against a dark background.

Softlight is another great light source (illustrated above) that occurs when the sky is overcast and acts like a giant studio softbox. Under these conditions, it doesn’t matter what time of day you’re shooting as the shadows are eliminated and the uniform light both reduces the contrast while intensifying the colors.

So when the scene presents itself, consider the light and framing, and don’t be too quick to trip the shutter. A slight change in position or a little patience can often make the difference between a good image and a great one.

 

©Russ Bishop/All Rights Reserved