Russ Bishop | Russ Bishop Photography | Nature Photo Blog

November 11, 2010September 10, 2018

The Road to Hana

The Road to Hana along Maui’s east shore is as much a spiritual journey as a travel destination. The endless sea of lush vegetation blending into the azure waters of the Pacific along this legendary highway is quintessential Hawaii. And it’s also a typical scenario for the outdoor photographer – it’s almost too much to take it all in. But that’s where less often becomes more.

Once the grand landscapes have been preserved, it’s time to replace the wide-angle lens with a telephoto or macro and take a closer look. Sweeping vistas captivate our attention and are the cornerstone of outdoor photography, but visual storytelling is about filling in the details that give a sense of place. Often times these elements are right at our feet, and the challenge is simply to not overlook them.

November 5, 2010November 10, 2015

The Oregon Trail

Travelling down the interstate across the heartland of America it’s hard to imagine what it was like 170 years ago when the pioneers first set out west for a better life. What can now be covered in a few days took months of hardship and danger dealing with the likes of broken wheels, disease, and native Americans who were often less than welcoming to this new unknown tribe. The Lexus of the day (actually more of an RV) was a Conestoga wagon, which was outfitted with everything needed to live and establish a new life at the end of the journey.

The Oregon Trail, which began in Independence, Missouri, had been improved so much by the 1840s that it quickly became one of the main overland commerce and migration routes on the North American continent, competing with the already prosperous Santa Fe Trail to the south. It spanned over half the continent covering nearly 2,000 miles west through territories and land that later became six states, and ended in the fertile Willamette Valley in Oregon.

This image of wagons under Eagle Rock in Scott’s Bluff National Monument, Nebraska was typical of the day. Scott’s Bluff was an important landmark along the route both as a navigational aid for the wagon trains and as a psychological milestone for the pioneers. After travelling across the seemingly endless prairie, it was the first visual indication that the Great Plains were starting to give way to the foothills of the Rocky Mountains and a better life beyond.

October 19, 2010November 6, 2015

Hot Air Balloon Fiesta

Each year during the first week in October something special happens in the skies above Albuquerque, New Mexico. I’m not referring to the glowing fall aspens or the fiery sunsets over the Sangre de Christo Mountains, but a sea of giant orbs floating gently over the landscape the likes of which you’ll see nowhere else on earth. It’s the International Balloon Fiesta where over 600 aviators from 20 countries around the world bring their brightly colored and uniquely shaped envelopes to sample what is known as the Albuquerque Box – a unique set of wind currents that will carry a balloon in any direction depending on its elevation.

For spectators and photographers in particular, watching a mass ascension at dawn is breathtaking. Silent except for the murmur of the crowd and the occasional jet burst from the burners, the balloons slowly fill and lift into the morning sky gently “kissing” each other as they jostle for air space. This is one location where you can leave the tripod behind as the sheer volume of people and balloons covering the enormous grounds and the constant activity makes it a hazard. In years past shooting film was a challenge, but today’s digital cameras with low-noise sensors are perfect for the constantly changing light as the sun rises.

In addition to mass ascensions that usually occur on the weekends, the balloon glow is another spectacular event held in the evenings. The balloons are tethered to the ground and kept inflated with their burners, which cause the envelopes to glow like the famed luminarias of the region. The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta is the largest gathering of hot air balloons in the world and is something everyone should experience at least once.