It was 2 pm and 16 degrees Fahrenheit. I ‘layered up’ with clothes knowing that I’d be shedding one or more of the layers before I reached my destination. Snowshoes went on next and my backpack on last. I began my uphill trundle.

I’m just back from a 24-hour Mt. Jefferson Wilderness overnight camping trip. It was a whirlwind wow trip. The mountain scenery is stunning up there. It took more energy than I expected to get there and back but I’m happy with the results.

Have you ever been told you have a ‘good eye’? Is there any science behind the ‘good eye’ concept?

I am a realist. I believe my ‘good eye’ comes from studying the principles of photo composition. I prefer to take a thoughtful and deliberate approach to composing my images and not rely on pure intrinsic.

I believe a progressive learning approach results in a solid understanding of the fundamentals of photography. And, once these fundamentals become second nature well-balanced exposures will be the norm rather than the exception.

I was feeling sorry for myself. I felt mired in the mechanics of the photography business. I was spending much more time marketing, promoting, developing social media strategies, and balancing business expenses than I was taking photographs. I felt trapped at the desk. I hadn’t taken a landscape image in weeks!

We arrived in the glacier lake crater early in the day. It was hot. There was no place to hide. No trees, no shade. I am a low light nature and landscape photographer. Taking photos with blue skies is rare for me. Today was an exception with a beautiful result. Read more.

I arrived at the Dee Wright Observatory atop McKenzie Pass an hour before sunset. The skies looked very promising. North & Middle Sister mountains were prominent on the horizon. Both seemed ready for their 15 minutes of sunset fame! 

You’re in the market to buy a fine art photograph for your home but you have no idea where to start.

Don’t feel alone. Few people know exactly what they want when they start the buying process.

The choices are endless and can be overwhelming. So overwhelming that it’s not uncommon to get decision fatigue and just give up. Paralysis by analysis!

Solution: Take a methodical approach to the purchase process.

Now This Is Way Cool! Preview My Photos on Your Wall LIVE!

My website has always had a Wall Preview feature. That’s fine but you want to see photo on your wall with your furniture, right? Guess what? Now you can!

Hocus Focus

It is sunset. You’ve composed a dynamite low light mountain lake image and your exposure appears right on. You press the shutter release button and your auto focus just can’t quite deliver!

Competition for eyeballs is tough work. There are so many creative and talented artists out there all vying for attention. I haven't abandon my online presence but I am testing a bricks and mortar option. 

The sun was very bright. It was screaming through the trees creating deep blue canyon shadows and brilliant red & yellow tree highlights. Out came the camera gear.

Photographer’s Guide to Smith Rock State Park © 2018

This guide was created by Steve J. Giardini Photography, LLC. It may not be reprinted, copied or resold without permission. Contact information provided. Updated August 2018

Introduction

Smith Rock State Park (SRSP), Terrebonne, Oregon, USA is a world-class climbing venue. It is also a photographer's paradise!

The Park has all the elements outdoor photographers hope for; a winding river, rock pinnacles and overlooks, osprey, eagles, geese, ducks, otters and, a variety of plants including high desert Spring arrowleaf balsamroot wildflowers.

Throw in a few climbers hanging from ropes high on the rock walls and you have the perfect combination of subject matter to create beautiful and dramatic nature, landscape and lifestyle images.

Wrong Turn Nearly Cost Us Dearly!

I turned the car around, admitted my mistake and headed back towards town. The more promising the sky looked the more anxious I got. Had I blown our chance of capturing a stellar sunset?

One Scene 3 Interpretations

I joined a couple of fellow photographers for a lunar eclipse outing at o’dark thirty on a recent morning. Our goal was to capture an orange moon setting over stunning rock pinnacles. Unfortunately last minute cloud cover nixed our moon shots! Read on about how we salvaged the morning and how our individual vision of the same sunrise turned out to be quite different.

By morning there were some wild winter landscapes! Ice crystals became extensions of tree branches, pine needles and anything that stood still.

I am a ‘planner’ and a landscape photographer. These two things go well together. Each evening I check the next days weather conditions, sunrise and sunset times, predicted sky color by location, etc.

But being a pre-planner doesn’t mean last minute itinerary changes don’t happen. If I hadn’t opted to change the plan this morning I wouldn’t have made this photograph!

It was the second of a three day 25 mile hike below the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. I woke up at 4am, packed my gear and headed towards my next destination. The first day had been sunny and hot. I was hoping the sky would cooperate on this second morning and provide some clouds. I wanted to capture a sunrise that would showoff the colors and textures of the canyon at dawn. I wasn’t disappointed.

Yesterday at Silver Lake (7,600 feet) it was about 65 degrees daytime and 30 degrees at night. Today we're expecting the opposite. We're in Death Valley.

Silver Lake Quacking Color

By contrast the tall pine trees combined with the steep slopes of the Eastern Sierra mountains make the yellow quacking aspen tress along the shore of Silver Lake that much more spectacular!

Nevada Neach Tahoe Sunset

It was all coming together, the location, the composition and the color!

Duet of Cow Moos & Yelping Coyotes

Then a second sound overlapped the cow moos. It was the yelp of calling coyotes. Now this got Riley’s attention. He knows the sound of coyotes. He knows they are competition. He has run with the coyotes in Flagstaff Arizona. He knows they’re fast and not afraid of him.

Photographs can evoke a variety of emotions; joy, happiness, fear, sorrow, etc. I hope this photograph summons a sense of calm and peacefulness for you. I sure was feeling pretty stress free while taking it.

Whitebark pine trees populate the hillside atop Pauline Peak as the sun sets on the Oregon Cascade Mountains, Newberry Volcanic National Monument, Oregon, USA.

My peripheral vision caught something interesting. I turn to take a look. Holly cow, how did I miss that?!? The clouds were streaming orange-red above South Sister Mountain.

We recently returned from a photo RV trip to Southeastern Washington. We logged 1200 miles and came back amazed at what we saw.

https://www.giardiniphotography.com/art-print-vault/art_print_products/cascade-triplet-ii-171735lnd8-si

Early morning snow shoe to 7,800 feet results in a stunning Cascade Mountain sunrise panorama.

Camera equipment cleaned, batteries charged, personal gear packed and everything loaded into the car the night before. Set the alarm for 3am. Oh yea, don't forget to load the snow shoes and headlamp! One last check of the weather conditions before getting some sleep. Good to go.

I am often asked, “How do I decide between paper, metal or canvas? And, what final finishes should I order for this particular photograph?” 

These are fair questions. 

Making choices about all of the options often results in decision fatigue (paralysis by analysis)!

I feel "in my element" when I am alone in nature hunting for a scenic vista to photograph. So focused on capturing the outdoor world in dramatic natural light I often zone out what's happening around me. That's exactly what happen when I was out taking this photo. Read about my surprise photo guests.

I sell two or three times more fine art metal (aluminum) photo prints than paper or canvas. Metal prints are a hot commodity right now! Why is it that clients prefer metal over paper or canvas?

What I find interesting is that many who spend more than a moment looking at a photo frequently ask me questions about the circumstances; where I was standing, what were the weather conditions, how did I get to that specific spot, etc.

Staying Focused: A Photographer's Travel Log

Looking back 2016 was a wonderful year. It was a year of photo travel, art exhibit and a little achievement recognition.

Tips for Safe & Successful Winter Photography

Winter is a challenging time of the year for landscape and nature photographers. Shorten daylight hours, longer travel times, greater physical effort to reach locations, and potential weather hazards. Before you head out on your next winter photo adventure read my blog, Tips for Safe & Successful Winter Photography. The tips just might make the difference between a safe and pleasant experience versus one you would rather forget.

https://www.giardiniphotography.com/art-print-vault/art_print_products/cape-meares-i-161601lnd8-s-mini?product_gallery=3379&product_id=815562What comes to mind when you think of the Oregon Coast? A rugged coastline with fog, cold water, eroded beaches, drift wood piles and bent over trees pummeled by ocean winds. All of this is true. But on the flip side the Oregon Coast can be a tranquil and inviting place. Both extremes make this a wonderful place to photograph. Read on about how I captured the two faces of the Oregon Coast during an April 2015 and a November 2016 trip and see my Oregon Seascape Portfolio.

Become A Member - Get 30% Discount NOW!

30% off all purchases of $500 or more - 10% automatically + another 20% member discount.

SHOP NOW

Landscape Photography Magazine (LPM) selects Steve J. Giardini as their Photographer of the Week (November 13, 2016). LPM is the leading online monthly photography magazine. An international publication, the magazine has over 300,000 unique web visitors from 190 countriess each month. 

OutsideIN, a locally owned store offering active lifestyle footwear and clothing in the heart of Downtown Bend, Oregon will be hosting Steve J. Giardini Photography on December 2nd for First Friday Art Walk.

Receive 30% off when you buy $550 or more on Black Friday, !

We knew it was a long shot. It was the first week of October. Our busy schedule had prevented a more timely trip. The closer we got the more disappointed I became. From all indications we were 3 weeks too late. The chance of capturing the images we traveled here to get looked pretty slim. I had a choice, be disappointed and expect the worst or change gears and look for a silver lining. Read my blog and checkout the silver lining photo.

The RV was loaded and pointed towards Crater Lake National Park 110 miles south. A couple of   days prior I mentioned to a non-photographer friend that we were headed to the park for a 2 or 3 day photo trip. He remarked the weather forecast looked pretty good for those days. I was hoping he was wrong.

I am not a panorama image specialist but from time to time I find myself on location looking out over a beautiful wide landscape that forces my head to pan 180 degrees to take it all in. Often a single photograph just doesn't capture the natural beauty of these places. No, there is only one way to capture a majestic landscape like this, create a panorama image. This is easier said than done. Creating a panorama photograph requires a good deal of upfront preparation and an ordered sequence of specific steps. In August of this year I decided one of my favorite location's deserved the extra effort. Read my blog to find out which location, my technical approach, and how weather conditions cooperated for a stunning sunset.

What Does It Take?

I'm often asked, What does it takes to capture stunning landscape photos? Is it just a matter of good fortune, right place at the right time? My reply is, "No, for me it is a three step process; (1) research & reconnaissance, (2) planning & preparation plus, (3) pre-visualization and execution of basic photography principles. O'h sure a little good luck is always appreciated!"