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Which photo do you prefer?
I took this shot of my youngest son, Damian, a few years ago in Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Damian and I spent that morning traipsing through the woods, playing in the leaves, and enjoying the...
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Stay Warm and Dry this Winter!
Independence Pass 3,687 m (12,095 ft) – Colorado, USA How do you stay warm and dry when you are shooting in cold weather? Shooting in cold weather can be challenging – but there’s nothing quite like...
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Do you Think Before you Shoot?
I love aspens. Who doesn’t? But if you’ve tried to photograph trees, maybe you know that getting a shot you really like isn’t as easy as you think it’s going to be. You pull out your camera in front...
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Photoshop Blending Modes: Lighten
This is a composite shot I took several years ago in Death Valley National Park. I took the first shot with a wide angle lens. Then, I switched to a long lens and photographed the full moon as it rose...
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Winter is Coming
When you’re shooting, do you lose track of your physical self? Bryce Canyon National Park is gorgeous at any time of year – but there’s nothing quite like shooting there after a heavy snowfall. We...
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A Complicated Blend: The Coming Storm
Sometimes, I can finish post-production work in just a few minutes… and sometimes, it takes a lot longer. This shot from Snowmass Wilderness in Colorado was a real challenge. Let me see if I can give...
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Making Targeted Adjustments with Masks
I use masks in Photoshop all the time. Take a look at the layers and masks I used to process this photograph from Valley of Fire State Park in Nevada. You can see that I used a mask on all but my...
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Critique Your Own Work
This is a shot from Bean Hollow State Park in California. It’s not one of my favorite shots – and it won’t make it to my portfolio or my website. So why am I posting it here? Well – I believe that we...
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Color or Monochrome?
When I decide to convert an image to monotone, it’s usually because I want to change what the image is about. What does that mean exactly? Well, take a look at this example. Here’s a photograph of a...
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Goodbye to Winter
I stood by the window a few weeks ago, watching new snow fall on the snowdrops by the door. The tiny, white flowers were tightly closed against the chill – waiting for a moment of warmth. They were a...
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Varina and Jay on This Week in Photo #307
Check out TWiP episode #307, where Varina and Jay Patel talk with Frederick Van Johnson and Topher Martini. We talk about the latest mirror-less cameras, our individual post-processing workflows, and...
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Landscape Photography: Maximizing Sales Potential
You never know what a buyer will want – and each buyer is different. But, over the past several years, we’ve learned a few things about maximizing the potential of our portfolios. Here are a few tips...
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Getting Ready to Shoot Autumn
When I was a child, autumn was my favorite season. I loved the appearance of the first colored leaves – and the inevitable explosion of red and gold as the maples shifted their hue. And shooting fall...
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