RAW PERFECTION: THE PHOTOSHOP DISCLOSURE MANIFESTO

Those of you who follow this blog and/or have traveled with me on a photo tour here in Costa Rica know that I strive to capture the best RAW file possible and that I consider only a perfect (or near perfect!) RAW file to be a full success in my own photography. I don’t pretend that every photographer should adopt this standard in his or her own work; photographers have different goals and purposes for their images. Nonetheless, I do believe that we have come to a point in nature photography where disclosure of how a photo was processed is a necessity to ensure public trust in nature photography and to establish a baseline for viewers evaluating the merit of nature photographs taken by professionals and amateurs alike. I also think that striving for RAW perfection will generate personal rewards in terms of self-satisfaction and photographic growth for the nature photographer in his or her own photography. As a nature photographer, I am interested in expressing my vision through my skill as a photographer, employing all of the tools that are available to me, in the field. When I view the work of other photographers, I have the same interest. The photographers that I most admire are able to use their photographic equipment, patience, knowledge, and creativity in the field to give us fascinating and unusual glimpses into the natural world. In this article, I explain the criteria I think are necessary for success, and I discuss the benefits to be reaped from following this approach.

Toucans, Hummingbirds, and More – New Images

Check out a number of new images, along with detailed tech info and descriptions of how each was taken.

Images from the Central Pacific

I just returned recently from a photo tour with my friends and now three-time repeat clients Dick and Bert Wolf of Louisville, Kentucky. It’s always a pleasure to travel with Dick and Bert and, even though they shoot Nikon , we enjoy shooting together too. While Dick and Bert have traveled the world taking photographs, [...]

Setting Up Your New Canon 7D by Guest Contributor Doug Brown

The 7D is Canon’s latest and greatest prosumer camera body; it has generated a lot of interest, heated discussion, and plenty of confusion on the internet forums.  I’ve shot the 7D extensively and thought I’d share some of my initial impressions and usage settings with you.  I’ll start with the body’s construction.  It feels quite [...]

Hummingbird Portfolio Sneak Peek

I’ve been working a lot over the last year on my hummingbird portfolio. My goal was to experiment with different setups in order to produce a diverse portfolio with a variety of lighting styles, similar to what we find in the ever-changing conditions of Costa Rica’s cloud forest. I also wanted to be able to [...]

Exposure Series — The Basics

Our cameras see light differently than our eyes. Where we simultaneously see detail in the deepest shadows and the brightest highlights, our camera can only see one or the other. That is, in a high contrast scene, the camera is not capable of capturing the full range of tones that our eyes can see. Sometimes [...]

Flash Article Series — An Introduction

Being a rainforest photographer, I have learned the use of flash out of necessity. With typical forest conditions of low and flat light here in Costa Rica and the fact that many of the more interesting creatures are more active at night, being able to manufacture pleasing yet dramatic light is a highly useful skill. [...]

Telephoto Landscapes

When we think of landscape photography, most of us think of the grand vistas of the American West. Often taken with wide angle lenses, these images draw us into the scene by including a strong foreground element (e.g., a rock or a cactus), a middleground with some leading lines (perhaps a winding stream or a [...]

Welcome to the New Deep Green Photography Blog

So, the new blog is up! In this article I give a behind the scenes look at the process behind designing it and some of the features it offers to you.