Innholdsfortegnelse for January/February 2023 i Outdoor Photographer

Captured In Ice Tips for photographing methane bubbles, one of winter’s most captivating phenomena. By Paul Zizka The Big Picture Amy Gulick’s regular column explores our connections to the natural world and the power of photography in support of conservation efforts. Assignments Share your best shots in our weekly “Assignments” photo challenges. Submit images that fit the week’s theme—you may be our next Assignment winner. Tip Of The Week Available on our website—or delivered directly to your inbox—our “Tip of the Week” provides shooting and processing techniques to sharpen your photography skills. Sign up today. Connect With Us Get the latest news and be inspired by great photos from the Outdoor Photographer community. Newsletter Subscribe today for updates on the latest features, how-to articles and photography news. outdoorphotographer.com/newsletter…

Sony introduced its next-generation model in the company’s a7R line, the a7R V. This 61-megapixel camera is the highest-resolution model in the Alpha camera system. The a7R V features a new processing unit that’s dedicated to AI subject recognition, something not offered before in an Alpha camera. The upgraded AF Real-time Recognition system can identify and track a broader range of subjects than was previously possible, including animals and even insects. Another feature unique to the a7R V is an improved image stabilization system that’s capable of up to 8 stops of correction for handheld shooting. Despite the camera’s very hi-res sensor, it’s able to shoot continuously at speeds up to 10 fps with full AF and AE tracking, in bursts of up to 583 compressed RAW files. There’s also…

As a nature photographer, I find nothing more satisfying than going on a true expedition in search of wild animals. Emperor penguins had been on my bucket list since the release of the documentary March of the Penguins, which explores the incredible life of these birds. Over time, my infatuation with them grew, and my desire to photograph and observe them was at a peak when I found an expedition to go see them. Although many Antarctica tours include potential emperor penguin spotting, in small print, their literature typically says their success rate is very low. I got my opportunity in 2018, when Quark Expeditions offered its highly successful expedition again. It had been eight years since the company was able to hire an icebreaker with helicopters, which are necessary…

My wife and I spent our honeymoon at the winter lodge in Yellowstone National Park. After a week cross-country skiing to photograph the geysers, waterfalls and wildlife, we spent a few days in West Yellowstone, Montana. I had heard of the Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center, an Association of Zoos & Aquariums-accredited wildlife park, and was excited to photograph their animals in realistic habitats. The center had one large bear enclosure where the staff rotated a combination of grizzlies for exhibition and enrichment throughout the day and two wolf enclosures housing separate packs. The day I visited the center, a storm with heavy snow was forecasted. With the weather in mind, my goal was to photograph the bears and wolves in the harsh winter environment. As the snowstorm picked up,…

Many photographers hibernate in the winter, especially those who live in locations that experience extreme weather. It’s easy to find a reason not to struggle across an inclement landscape laden with photography gear, but as our feature stories in this issue illustrate, those surroundings provide a chance to make rare images. “I love photographing in snow and harsh winter conditions,” says Charles Glatzer, “especially capturing wildlife in the struggle for survival in harsh conditions, with severe winds and temperatures well below freezing.” In “Cold Weather Wildlife,” Glatzer shares a thorough introduction to the experience, from practical tips for protecting yourself and your gear to basic camera technique for achieving correct exposures of winter scenes. What we think of as winter conditions exist year-round in Antarctica, where emperor penguins are found.…

First Prize Reassurance By Meg Sommers “We all need a little reassurance every once in a while. One minute you are happily playing on a tree limb (which happens to be at eye level for a safari vehicle), and the next minute you hear a constant whirl of cameras clicking. You keep playing for another 20 minutes with mom always nearby. Something tells you, though, that it’s time to check in, and you move closer to her. Mom, an old hand at being a star, knows you are there without even looking. She reaches out and gives you that reassuring touch that says, ‘It’s OK, I’m here.’” Second Prize Walking the Line By Craig Elson “Iconic Amboseli. I saw this shot in my mind before I made the trip: A…

OM Digital Solutions (formerly Olympus) released the OM SYSTEM OM-5 camera, a 20.4-megapixel Micro Four Thirds sensor camera aimed at enthusiast photographers who want a lightweight, compact body. The OM SYSTEM OM-5 continues the lineage of the Olympus OM-D E-M5 series, the company’s mid-range model. One of the features that OM Digital Solutions is emphasizing with the OM-5 is its impressive image stabilization capabilities for handheld shooting. The OM-5 provides up to 6.5 stops of stabilization—and up to 7.5 stops with compatible lenses—with its in-body 5-axis system. The system not only assists single-shot photography but also enables a 50-megapixel Hand-Held Hi-Res mode that combines multiple captures to produce one high-resolution image. The camera can shoot continuously at up to 30 fps and, with its Pro Capture mode enabled, can record…

Location The Presidential Range in the White Mountain National Forest of New Hampshire has the highest mountains in the Northeast and contains the largest continuous alpine zone east of the Rockies in the United States. Take in a magnificent winter view of this snow-clad world from 4,310-foot Mount Pierce, a peak at the southern end of the range whose trailhead departs U.S. Route 302 near the town of Twin Mountain and is a three-hour drive from Boston, Massachusetts. Among the peaks visible from the summit is 6,288-foot Mount Washington, famous for having “the world’s worst weather” and for recording a 231-mph wind speed, which stood as the world record from 1934 until 2010, when it was discovered to have been beaten by a typhoon off the coast of Australia. Weather…

When I first visited the Grand Canyon about 10 years ago, it was impossible even to comprehend its size. Looking out from the North Rim, it seemed to stretch on for eternity. In every direction I could see, there was no end to the labyrinth of slithering, intersecting canyons below. When trying to take photographs, I found even my widest lens fell short as I tried to fit it all within the frame. The place was simply too immense to capture. I have not returned to the Grand Canyon since, but if I were to be standing there again today, my approach to photographing it would be very different. Instead of trying to capture the entire scene in front of me with a wide-angle lens, I would use a telephoto…

Bison Play “During Christmas and New Year’s of 2020-2021, I was visiting Yellowstone National Park with the hope that I’d get to photograph wolves,” explains Sumi Das. “Well, that wish was hard to come by despite our weeklong stay in the park. After spending a whole day driving up and down the Lamar Valley, as we were exiting the park, I saw a bison herd crossing the road, causing a traffic jam. I looked out through the window and saw two young bison start nudging each other in a playful way. I quickly rolled down the window to take this shot.” See more of Sumi Das’ work on Instagram @sumiswildphoto.…

The Fujifilm X-H2S—which since its introduction has been joined by the higher-resolution X-H2—is a fascinating successor to 2018’s X-H1. At that time, the Fujifilm X-H1 was an outlier in the Fujifilm X Series lineup. The camera was larger, featured a bigger grip and sported a large information display on top. It looked like a hybrid between the GFX series and the X Series. “Hybrid” is a fitting word since the X-H1 was also Fujifilm’s most “hybrid” camera yet. The new flagship camera was the first X Series camera to include in-body image stabilization and the first to record DCI 4K video with internal log (F-log) recording. Enter the Fujifilm X-H2S, Fujifilm’s highest-performance X Series camera ever. Speed is the name of the game with the X-H2S. Inside its SLR-style body…

Nikon debuted its fourth super telephoto prime for the Z mirrorless system, the NIKKOR Z 600mm f/4 TC VR S, which includes a 1.4x teleconverter built in. This enables photographers to instantly switch between a 600mm f/4 and an 840mm f/5.6 without swapping lenses. Though this is unsurprisingly a relatively large and heavy lens, at 7.2 pounds, it’s actually 1.2 pounds lighter than the F-mount AF-S NIKKOR 600mm f/4E FL ED VR, even with its integrated teleconverter. To achieve even greater telephoto reach, the lens is compatible with the Z Teleconverter TC-2.0x, for maximum focal length of 1680mm. The lens also has the distinction of being the most expensive NIKKOR for the Z system to date, with a list price of $15,499. Contact: Nikon, nikonusa.com.…

The winter season in Yellowstone National Park and Seal River and the Hudson Bay in Manitoba are two of my favorite places to photograph. I love photographing in snow and harsh winter conditions, especially capturing wildlife in the struggle for survival in harsh conditions, with severe winds and temperatures well below freezing. Snowy environments are certainly challenging for both man and equipment, but the stark—often surreal—graphic quality of images produced in these conditions continues to lure me back year after year. I feel privileged to photograph and share these wildlife stories from an environment most will never get to, nor want to, experience. If winter wildlife photography appeals to you, here is a collection of tips and insights that will help you have a more enjoyable and successful adventure. EQUIPMENT…

In Part 1 of this article series exploring a modern approach to visualization, I discussed what photographic visualization is, where the concept originated and how it plays a critical role in getting a photographer to think creatively. Bearing that in mind, thinking creatively alone doesn’t make for beautiful imagery. I believe that without a clear concept behind a photograph, creating something personal and meaningful would be challenging at best. However, technique also plays a critical role. And the more technique one knows, the deeper the reservoir one can pull from when visualizing and creating photographs. A few years back, I wrote a book called Creative Workflow in Lightroom. The foreword of that book, I’m honored to say, was written by David Bayles. Bayles is an accomplished photographer and co-author of…