You are here

Home » Photography in the Parks

Photography in the Parks

Photography In The National Parks: Water, Water, Everywhere …

National parks and protected areas are brimming over with water scenes, from glaciers to snowy landscapes to ponds to rivers to misty mornings. Contributing photographer Rebecca Latson provides tips and techniques for how to capture those myriad forms of water (glaciers, snow, ponds, streams, rivers, mist, clouds) in a composition.

Photography In The National Parks: Seeing The Forest For The Trees

Not all park forests are alike. Some forests thrive in moist, even waterlogged environments, while others flourish in much drier climates. Some forests remain green year-round while others burst with color in the fall. Some forests stand as stark testaments to the ravages of wildfires while other forests provide environments for trees to grow to mind-boggling heights and widths. All these forests and their trees flesh out the story of a national park visit and the Traveler’s contributing photographer Rebecca Latson provides example images, tips, and techniques to help you capture the forest story of your own park trip.

Photography In The National Parks: The Yin And Yang Of A Composition

When you look at photos you’ve captured during a visit to a national park unit, do you notice one or more of your shots clearly showing a division of light and dark, or energy and calm, or two different colors, or two different textures? Contributing photographer Rebecca Latson sees this phenomenon in many of her own images, calling it the “yin and yang of a composition.” In this month's column, Rebecca provides examples of this yin-yang concept and how you can look for it in nature with your camera.

Photography In The National Parks: Whiskeytown National Recreation Area

Western landscapes are suffering more than a glancing blow from this year’s wildfires. Many of those fires are encroaching upon National Park System units. Two years ago, a wildfire devastated 97% of the 42,000 acres of Whiskeytown National Recreation Area in California. Thanks to the hard work and dedication of park staff and their partners, most of this park is once again open for recreation, including landscape and bird photography. Before heading home from her Redwood National and State Parks visit, contributing photographer Rebecca Latson took a detour over to Whiskeytown, returning with tips on what you can see and photograph within this recreation area risen from the ashes of the 2018 Carr Fire.

2020 Year In Review: Parks, A Pandemic, And Photography

Despite 2020’s coronavirus pandemic causing cancellation of a number of park photo trips, Traveler’s Rebecca Latson still managed to visit several of the National Park System’s units in a safe, distanced manner. Over the year, Rebecca shared tips, techniques, and favorite places to photograph as well as how to stay safe and healthy while doing so. Here’s a look back at her articles and photos.

Photography In The National Parks: Winter Wonderlands

Winter is one of photographer Rebecca Latson’s two favorite seasons of the year during which to visit a national park. There are fewer people, the vistas are much clearer due to fewer water molecules in the atmosphere, and the landscape looks so much different than it does during the warmer seasons of the year. So, this month’s photo column by Rebecca is about winter photography within the National Park System. Yes, she’s written about this before, but it’s always nice to have a little refresher course for those who regularly read the Traveler, and it’s a good introduction to winter imagery for those readers who are new to the Traveler.

Photography In The National Parks: The Redwood Forests Are Made For Vertical Shots

If you've only been capturing horizontal imagery of your national park visits, then you should think about also adding a few verticals to your park photo gallery. A great place for getting vertical photos is Redwood National and State Parks in northern California. Photographer Rebecca Latson visited this cooperative of national and state parks and returns with tips on capturing photos of some very tall trees, with meadow and coastal vistas thrown in for good measure.

Photography In The National Parks: Capturing Sunrise, Sunset, And The Milky Way At Mount Rainier’s Sunrise Area

If you enjoy photographing sunrises, sunsets, and/or the stars in a national park, the Sunrise area of Mount Rainier National Park is definitely a must-see-and-photograph location you should place on your bucket list. You might or might not encounter long waits and large crowds, but it’s a good idea to prepare for the possibility, and bring along a mask or two for your safety as well as the safety of others on the trail.

INN Member

The easiest way to explore RV-friendly National Park campgrounds.

The Essential RVing Guide to the National Parks

Here’s the definitive guide to National Park System campgrounds where RVers can park their rigs.

Our app is packed with RVing- specific details on more than 250 campgrounds in more than 70 national parks.

You’ll also find stories about RVing in the parks, tips helpful if you’ve just recently become an RVer, and useful planning suggestions.

The Essential RVing Guide to the National Parks

FREE for iPhones and Android phones.