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photography in the national parks

Photography In The National Parks: The Geometry Of Nature

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.

Photography In The National Parks: Yellowstone - More Than Just Geysers And Wildlife

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. While summer is a great time 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, during her move from Texas to Washington, and shares her observations and tips for getting gorgeous photos of everything you might see during your own summer visit.

Photography In The National Parks: Is There In Truth No Beauty? Some Random Thoughts About Photographic Honesty

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 on the subject of truth in photography.

Photography In The National Parks: That Square Format Thing And Adding Text To Your Images

How many of you automatically think about Instagram when you see a square-formatted 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 Rebecca Latson discusses these advantages and how you can use them with your own national park photography.

Photography In The National Parks: A 1,000-Foot Difference

Did you know that, 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 Rebecca Latson added the North Rim to her itinerary during her summer move from Texas to central Washington. Rebecca writes about what she saw and photographed and provides tips on how to capture unique images during your own trip to that part of the Grand Canyon.

Photography In The National Parks: A Photographic And Geologic Gem of A Painted Park

When I designed the itinerary for my road trip move from Texas to Washington, last summer, I worked on several different routes to take me to national parks I’d never photographed but which are still within a relatively straight shot to central Washington. No matter which route I planned, they all had one thing in common: a stop at Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona. Considered an “open-air geologic textbook” in a past Traveler article, Petrified Forest is a less-visited gem filled with all sorts of colorful photographic possibilities, right off Interstate 40.

Photography In The National Parks: Capturing The Grandness Of The Grand Tetons

How many of you have ever traveled to Grand Teton National Parkm 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 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." While Rebecca's stay was all too short and she didn't get to visit every iconic scene on her Grand Teton bucket list, what she did see is enough to provide tips and techniques to help you with your own Grand Teton photography.

Photography In The National Parks: A Winter Shutdown Stay In Olympic National Park

Olympic National Park encompasses scenery ranging from rugged beaches to temperate rainforests to craggy peaks. Contributing photographer and writer Rebecca Latson traveled to this large national park in January 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.

Photography In The National Parks: Negative Space And Color Space

Believe it or not, space has a lot to do with photography. No, not outer space. Negative space and color space both have a huge effect on your national park composition. What are these two spaces? Photographer Rebecca Latson defines and discusses negative and color 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.

Photography In The National Parks: My 10 Fave Photos From 2018

Out of all the national parks and other protected areas you visited the previous year, you've got certain favorites, right? How easy (or difficult) was it to choose those favorites? Sometimes, it might come down more to the feeling you had when capturing that image rather than just the composition. Continuing her New Year's tradition with the Traveler, contributing photographer Rebecca Latson shares her favorite photos captured during the previous year. Usually stopping at 5 or 7 shots, this year, Rebecca is sharing 10 favorite images to mark her 2018 visit to 9 national parks and 1 national recreation area, explaining why she chose each image and how she captured it.

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