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
Punch Bowl Falls, Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, OregonGranite boulders at Jumbo Rocks, Joshua Tree National Park, CaliforniaIcebergs on glacial meltwater, Jasper National Park, CanadaClearing winter storm over Yosemite Valley, Yosemite National Park, CaliforniaWildflowers at sunrise, Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, OregonBackpacker on the Bishop Pass Trail, John Muir Wilderness, CaliforniaGiant Sequoia in the Congress Grove, Sequoia National Park, CaliforniaKalalau Beach, Napali Coast Wilderness State Park, Kauai, HawaiiWildflowers in the Temblor Range, Carrizo Plain National Monument, CaliforniaMilky Way over Sierra Nevada Mountains, John Muir Wilderness, CaliforniaForest abstract, Yosemite National Park, CaliforniaFairy Falls, Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, Oregon USA
Mountain Dogwood above the Merced River, Yosemite National Park, California
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.
Wildflowers above Sand Dollar Beach, Los Padres National Forest, Big Sur, California
There are many ways to create stronger compositions in landscape photography, but one of the easiest and most effective techniques is the use of leading lines. Dynamic lighting and great subject matter are the desired cornerstones of any great composition, but even when these elements are less than exceptional there is still a way to create an emotional connection with your audience. Draw them into the scene with leading lines.
The wide-angle lens (anything 24mm and wider) has numerous benefits for the landscape photographer from incredible depth of field and relatively small size to a viewing angle that really captures the big picture. But all that visual information can be a bit overwhelming without some direction.
Using the rule of thirds and carefully composing to include natural lines such as a shoreline, forest edge, stream, or mountain ridge can lead your viewers into the frame or guide them to a specific part of the image. Diagonal lines in particular create visual tension, which is a sure-fire way to add drama to your images and create an emotional response with your audience.
Next time you’re out photographing the landscape, take a moment before you trip the shutter to make sure the elements within the frame are being used to their best advantage. Think of yourself as a director guiding your audience rather than just a photographer documenting the scene and you’ll be rewarded with stronger, more exciting images.
