Mountains | Russ Bishop Photography | Nature Photo Blog

August 20, 2013July 17, 2018

Outdoor Photographer September 2013 Cover

OP September 2013 Cover

I’m excited to share my September 2013 cover of Outdoor Photographer Magazine!

The eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains of California are my backyard playground as many of you know. With an amazing variety of rugged peaks, alpine meadows and gorgeous light, they offer endless opportunity for photography and those with an adventurous spirit.

Here, my wife Maureen, is enjoying the view of the pristine lakes below Bishop Pass on our way to Dusy Basin. It’s honestly hard to say which side of the pass is more spectacular! In case you missed it – check out my recent profile piece in OP here.

January 17, 2012

Hurry Up and Wait

Mount Shuksan from Picture Lake, North Cascades National Park, Washington

In the perennial search for sure-fire ways to create compelling landscape photography it’s easy to overlook one of the simplest elements in the equation. Sometimes you just have to wait.

You’ve done your location research, you are proficient in the features and functions of your equipment, and you’ve selected a lens and composition that accurately expresses your vision. Now all you need is the light. When it’s a sunrise or sunset you’re after, it’s easy to calculate the time you need to arrive at your location and programs like The Photographers Ephemeris (www.photoephemeris.com) are an excellent resource. But weather is the great unknown that even meteorologists can’t predict with 100 percent accuracy.

The image above was made at one of the most popular and well-known locations in the US, and when I arrived I was surrounded by the anticipated number of photographers. But the mountain had been covered in clouds most of the morning and showed little promise of making an appearance. It was a long wait, and everyone else decided it was more time than they were willing to invest.

This was the only image I made that day as the weather rapidly deteriorated, but when the clouds parted for that brief moment my patience and preparation was rewarded. It doesn’t always work out this way, but as the saying goes – “you’ll always miss 100 percent of the shots you never take”.

October 13, 2011August 23, 2016

High and Wild

Climbers on the classic traverse of Matthes Crest, Yosemite National Park, California

Exploring the high peaks of the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California is a magical experience. The Range of Light, as John Muir affectionately called it, is essentially in my backyard (just a few hours drive away) and I try to make the most of it throughout the year. Winter is a fantastic time to discover the vast solitude that awaits the backcountry skier, late spring and summer provide ample opportunity to backpack to secluded lakes and hidden valleys, and autumn, my favorite time of year, is perfect for sharing the lofty summits with good friends.

Many of the peaks in the range average over 13,000 feet and the views stretch far and wide. Photography in the crisp, clear alpine air needs no polarizing filter to faithfully reproduce the deep indigo hue that looks as if it must have been tweaked in Photoshop. My go-to lens in these high and wild places is the Nikkor 16mm, which has a wide field of view, provides maximum depth of field with extremely close focusing, and is very compact making it especially easy to climb with.

Climbing photography is challenging as vantage points are often limited and safety always comes first. But the heightened sense of awareness that is a requirement when scaling the peaks has a dual benefit – that of visual clarity. Great shots have a way of presenting themselves, and capturing those images is often just a matter of living in the moment.