Holding winter court at Court of the Patriarchs, Zion National Park / Rebecca Latson
Each year, millions of people travel to our national parks, cameras (smartphone, point-and-shoot, SLR) in hand. We all want a great shot to remind us of our park visit as well as show friends, colleagues and even total strangers (think Instagram, Twitter or Facebook) the fantastic sights we viewed. Throughout 2019, contributing photographer and editor Rebecca Latson has shared tips, techniques, and her favorite places to photograph within the national parks she’s visited. Here’s a look back at her articles and supporting photos.
My 10 Fave Photos From 2018
A New Year's Day sunrise, Arches National Park / Rebecca Latson
Following a January tradition from the past few years with the Traveler, contributing photographer and editor Rebecca Latson posts her favorite national park images from 2018, with reasons why each image is a favorite.
Negative Space And Color Space
Dawn over Oxbow Bend scenery, Grand Teton National Park / Rebecca Latson
Negative space and color space both have a huge effect on your national park composition. Photographer Rebecca Latson defines and discusses these two spaces to help you better understand how to frame and later process your national park image, so it looks its best for online and print use.
A Winter Shutdown Stay In Olympic National Park
July Creek and surrounding rainforest scenery, Quinault Rainforest, Olympic National Park / Rebecca Latson
Contributing photographer and editor Rebecca Latson made a January trip to Olympic National Park during the latter part of the most recent government shutdown for a little winter photography. Although seasonal road closures as well as storm damage, snow buildup, and lack of personnel during the shutdown kept Rebecca from seeing everything she wanted, the images she captured and the photo tips she provides should whet your own photographic appetite for a visit to this national park any time of the year.
Capturing The Grandness Of The Grand Tetons
A home where the bison roam, Grand Teton National Park / Rebecca Latson
How many of you have ever traveled to Grand Teton National Park in the Cowboy State? How many of you might be considering a first time visit to this park? During her move from Texas to Washington State, contributing photographer and editor Rebecca Latson spent 2-1/2 days photographing the beauty of Grand Teton National Park, coming away with wonderful images and a new appreciation for the word "Grand."
A Photographic And Geologic Gem Of A Painted Park
Layered and petrified, Petrified Forest National Park / Rebecca Latson
Contributing photographer and editor Rebecca Latson took a small detour on her move from Texas to Washington state last summer, veering off to check out the less-visited gem of Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona.
A 1,000-Foot Difference
Sunrise over the North Rim, Grand Canyon National Park / Rebecca Latson
According to the National Park Service, only 10% of all visitors to Grand Canyon National Park ever travel to the North Rim, which has an elevation gain of about 1,000 feet above the South Rim, cooler temperatures, and more trees. Contributing photographer and editor Rebecca Latson added the North Rim to her itinerary during her summer move from Texas to central Washington, writing about what she saw and photographed.
That Square Format Thing And Adding Text To Your Images
Who's afraid of using a square format? Not this bison, Grand Canyon National Park / Rebecca Latson
How many of you automatically think about Instagram when you see a square-format image? Sure, the square format is the way to go with this popular social media application, but there are other advantages to the square format, beyond Instagram. Contributing photographer and editor Rebecca Latson discusses these advantages and how you can use them with your own national park photography.
Is There In Truth No Beauty? Some Random Thoughts About Photographic Honesty
A swath of sunlight over the landscape, Bryce Canyon National Park / Rebecca Latson
How much does excessive photo editing, altering, or manipulation matter to you when admiring a lovely image on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook? Is it still a pretty photo that entices you to visit a national park? Photographer Rebecca Latson asks those questions of herself, and you, and gives her thoughts about truth in photography
Yellowstone – More Than Just Geysers And Wildlife
Yellowstone landscape, Yellowstone National Park / Rebecca Latson
Yellowstone National Park covers 3,471 square miles. That is quite a bit of national park to see if you only have a short amount of time, and while summer is a great season to visit weather-wise, crowds are heavy and parking is slim-to-none. So, if you are unable to see everything you planned to see, for whatever reason (weather, crowds, time), don't be disappointed. Remember that there is so much more to this national park than geysers and big wildlife. Contributing photographer Rebecca Latson discovered this when she visited Yellowstone for the first time, and shares her observations and tips for getting gorgeous photos of everything you might see during your own summer visit.
Where Will That Trail Take You? Creating A Theme
Where will the trail take you? Grand Teton National Park / Rebecca Latson
When you visit national parks, do you find yourself focusing on a certain aspect of those parks? Maybe you are concentrating your photography on cactus blooms, or wildflowers, or the results of glacial geology, or a particular specimen of wildlife. What you are doing, in fact, is creating a theme to your national park photographic story. Photographer Rebecca Latson discusses themes and how they can improve your powers of observation as well as your photographic skills.
The Geometry Of Nature
Delicate Arch in the winter, Arches National Park / Rebecca Latson
If you look hard enough, you'll find mathematics everywhere, even in nature. Photographer Rebecca Latson has photographed that geometry, both manmade and natural, during her national park visits and shows you how to see the obvious (and not-so-obvious) lines, angles, circles, arcs and ellipses to improve your compositions and create beautiful national park photos of your own.
Mount Rainier In May
The Mountain coming out to play, Mount Rainier National Park / Rebecca Latson
May in the mountains. Lower elevations get rain and the higher elevations get snow. Mount Rainier National Park is a perfect example. Contributing photographer and editor Rebecca Latson tells you what you might expect from a May visit to Mount Rainier, and what you might actually receive regarding photo ops.
Three Days In Stehekin
The Stehekin Landing, Lake Chelan National Recreation Area, North Cascades Complex / Rebecca Latson
How many of you think about spending time in a remote place, free of cell service and internet and filled with stunning mountain scenery and backcountry hiking trails? How much time do you think you'd need to really see everything in a place like this? Photographer Rebecca Latson spent 3 days in Stehekin, Washington, nestled within the North Cascades Complex, and returned with details of her visit.
Your Armchair Photography Guide To The North Cascades Complex
Sunrise over Diablo Lake, Ross Lake National Recreation Area, North Cascades Complex / Rebecca Latson
The North Cascades Complex, comprised of Lake Chelan National Recreation Area, Ross Lake National Recreation Area, and North Cascades National Park, is a vast landscape of cold, clear rivers, thick forests, and rugged mountains webbed with a network of trails having few access roads and mainly for backcountry backpackers. Photographer Rebecca Latson visited this area, returning an Armchair Photography Guide proving you can still get awesome photos of the North Cascades Complex without having to hike into the backcountry to do so.
Your Armchair Photography Guide To Olympic National Park, Part 1 – The Beaches
Sunset's afterglow at Ruby Beach, Olympic National Park / Rebecca Latson
Olympic National Park is the place to go if you ever want to visit and photograph a national park with a little bit of everything, from beaches to forests to mountains with cold, clear streams, rivers and waterfalls. Contributing photographer and editor Rebecca Latson visited this national park during both winter and summer seasons, returning with plenty of material for another Armchair Photography Guide, Part 1 of which focuses on the park's beach scenery.
Your Armchair Photography Guide To Olympic National Park, Part 2 – The Forests
A trail through the Hoh Rain Forest, Olympic National Park / Rebecca Latson
Part 2 of photographer Rebecca Latson’s Armchair Photography Guide to Olympic National Park, you’ll read about tips and techniques for composing and photographing the different forests within this national park.
Your Armchair Photography Guide To Olympic National Park, Part 3 – The Mountains
Clouds at Hurricane Ridge, Olympic National Park / Rebecca Latson
If you’ve read Part 1 and Part 2 of Rebecca Latson's Armchair Photography Guide to Olympic National Park, you'll have learned tips and techniques for photographing the beaches and forests within this almost-one-million-acre national park. Now, it’s time to see where and what to photograph of this park’s mountains from pullouts, parking areas, and short trails in Part 3.
Listening To The Sounds Of Yellowstone
Thar she blows! Old Faithful geyser, Yellowstone National Park / Rebecca Latson
Photographer and contributing editor Rebecca Latson recently spent a little over a week enjoying autumn in Yellowstone National Park. She not only returned with photos capturing the sights of this park in Wyoming, but also video of the sounds. Yellowstone is as much about listening as it is looking.
Bringing It All Together In Yellowstone
Morning Glory Pool on a snowy autumn day, Yellowstone National Park / Rebecca Latson
Over the course of 7 years with the National Parks Traveler, photographer Rebecca Latson has written quite a few articles with suggestions, tips, and techniques to help you get the most out of your own national park photography. In this month’s column, Rebecca summarizes the information from selected articles which she applies most often to her photography, with images captured during her recent trip to Yellowstone National Park to provide examples, tell her story, and bring it all together for you.
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