The Wild Photographer
Learn techniques, tips, and tricks for improving your wildlife, travel, landscape, and general nature photography with Court Whelan. Whether you consider yourself a beginner, serious hobbyist, or advanced professional, this is the way to rapidly understand and implement new skills to elevate your photography to new heights.
Episodes
If you know you know...these are highly revered and often photographers' go-to lenses. But how do they stack up for wildlife, landscape, travel, and general nature photography?
Well, I just returned from a Borneo Photo Expedition and found that I had this on my camera about 80% of the time. Yep, they're that good.
In this episode I go over all the reasons why these are exceptiona...
Chris is one of the most accomplished and talented photographers in today's day and age, known for everything from extraordinary aerial landscape photography, to surf photography, to epic storytelling in the nature and adventure space. He's authored multiple books, has directed and produced sensational films, and has a business acumen that has made him a household name in the world of outdoor photo...
When you see a professional landscape photo, usually in a gallery, a magazine cover or photobook, there is just something different...it's jumps out to you as "pro level."
In today's episode, I do a deep dive into how you can achieve this same look and vibe in your own photography. Spoiler alert, there is no shortcut. But, I do have a roadmap.
It involves a lot of the ...
Today we're talking with Rich--a phenomenal photographer, African safari guide, and just great person all-around. Having had a long, yet still ascending guiding career, he's got a lot of sage advice for seasoned photographers and budding photographers alike.
We go over a lot, and there is so much to take away from this conversation. We get some excellent thoughts on storytelling in photog...
The wide angle lens is a thing of beauty--it's probably the most crucial piece of any photographer's gear bag. They're a must for landscape photography, but also really excellent at travel and cultural photography, and even wildlife photography if you get the right one. Plus, they give you a lot of bang for your buck and are often a beginner photographer's first entry into high quality l...
This episode is full of so many gems! Today I talk with Arthur Lefo, an extraordinary wildlife photographer out of Denver (and Jackson Hole) whose meteoric rise with photography has been nothing short of inspirational.
In this episode, we talk a lot about his strategy, thoughts, and workflow when setting up, taking the photo, and processing the result. We talk about positioning with wildlife, following the l...
It's shocking, demoralizing and just wrong...you nail the shot but then you go back later and look at your "prized" photos and they all have a slight blur to them. Or worse, they're really blurry! Either way, I have the explanation and solution for you.
It this episode, I do a deep dive into all the reasons this happens, and specific guidance on how to avoid this in the future....
Zoom Telephoto lenses are the workhorses of wildlife photography. However, there are many attributes that differ between each "class" of zoom telephoto. Whether you're deciding which telephoto to bring on your next trip or are just wanting to know what to look for in your next purchase, this covers it all.
In this episode, we dive into the various components that you should consider wh...
The blue hour is a fantastic time of day for creating unique scenes out of the ordinary. That time just after sunset and prior to pure darkness has a special hue to the sky. Not only is it great to photograph during this time of day, but it's a logical "transition" from sunset photography.
Listen for a full digest on how to set up and capture brilliant photography during the blue hou...
Bear photography is one of the most spectacular forms of wildlife photography on planet earth. It's also one of the most popular, with summertime Brown Bear photography in places like Alaska and Yellowstone National Park being a yearly ritual for many wildlife photographers.
In this episode, I dive into the many strategies and pro tips for bear photography to ensure you get the absolute best ph...
In this episode I go through all of my camera gear discussing what I have and why I have each piece, whether its a lens, a tripod, an accessory, etc. I've always found this to be a super useful tool in broadening ones horizons with photography and learning from others. In addition to the things I do have, I mention certain things I do not in order to break out what I view as essential, nice-to-have, and...
When you're a traveling nature photographer, having a great camera bag is a must. In this snapshot episode I talk about the components of a great camera bag and give recommendations for my favorite styles for each type of photo adventure.
My Full Camera Kit:
Canon R5 Body
Canon 16-35mm f/2.8
Canon 24-105mm f/4
Canon 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1
Canon 100mm f/2.8
Manfrotto Carbon ...
Extraordinary wildlife, stunning scenery, and a travel vibe that is just plain awesome--African safaris are the best! Today we dive deep into all things African safari photography including gear advice, trip planning advice, as well as specific photo strategies for wildlife, sunrise, blue hour, and landscape photography (and more) in Africa.
I continue with a detailed overview of safari regions, di...
Today's digital cameras have SO many settings and modes! This can be overwhelming, but it's actually a good thing once you understand the perfect settings for your photography. In this episode you'll hear my go-to settings for every time I'm out in our wild world taking wildlife and landscape photos. If you match my settings I have no doubt you can master your camera and use these perfe...
When we see a pro photographer's wildlife portraiture, there is just something special about its look. It just "looks so professional." Want to know how this is consistently possible?
In this episode, we dive into how pro photographers use their tools and techniques to their advantage to get amazing portraiture of animals and emphasize that sensational contrast of blurred background ...
Photography certainly has its fair share of fancy terms and complicated menu systems. This is even more true in this digital age. However, bracketing is actually one of the more ancestral options within a camera menu, with roots stretching firmly back to film days.
Do you need bracketing? What is it? Tune in to learn all about it, the various applications, how to use it, and what are the best scenes to actu...
It's one of the more frequent opportunities we have as nature photographers...to capture an awesome sunset or sunrise. However, there is a big difference between just documenting it and capturing something extraordinary. And for those times where these solar displays are just mind-blowing, we tend to get lost in the moment and forget the artistry involved.
I've honed these techniques and ...
If you are ready to take the leap and move away from using the full auto setting on your camera, I commend you. And you will be happy you did so, because your photos, and your general creativity, will shine!
In this episode I walk you through the various "next steps" if you are ready to move toward greater creative control. The best part of this is that you do NOT have to immediately ju...
Gosh I wish this existed when I was learning photography! Today I go over 10 different "photo jargon" terms that will help you understand photography better. This isn't only designed to help you talk the talk, but also to help you better learn from tutorials, photo guides, and fellow photographers that might use these terms around you.
This one is straight to the point--learning de...
Drew is on an endless quest to photograph the world's "charismatic megafauna," as he calls it. But while his portfolio is filled with some of the best bear photography we've ever seen...sparring polar bears in the Canadian Arctic and brown (grizzly) bears fishing for salmon in Alaska are just a couple examples, it doesn't always come easy.
Today we host the great Drew Hamilt...
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