The Wild Photographer

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 light, and his intuitive way to edit photos using mostly gradients and brushes.  And we get some fantastic ideas and techniques for the best bear photography!Again, this episode is chock full of amazing photography advice, thoughts and inspiration.  Give it a listen and come away with some new tools and techniques for really mastering the art of wildlife photography from someone who has embraced the digital age and is absolutely crushing it. Show Notes and Where to Find Arthur:Arthur's Instagram Handle: @arthurlefoArthur's Personal Website: www.arthurlefo.comArthur's Company: Think Wild

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.  I talk a good bit about shutter speed, but also explain how ISO, aperture, focusing mechanisms and even lens quality can play a major role.This is a big one, but oh so worth the listen--it may be a total game-changer for your wildlife photography.My Full Camera Kit:Canon R5 BodyCanon 16-35mm f/2.8Canon 24-105mm f/4Canon 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1Canon 100mm f/2.8Manfrotto Carbon Fiber Tripod

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 when picking out a lens for wildlife photography, including max telephoto length, range, build quality, image quality, and aperture. I specifically go over the pros and cons of different features and which ones are the most important and dealing with various conditions for wildlife photography. Canon 100-500mmTamron 150-600mmNikon 200-500mmCanon Super Telephoto 300mm f/2.8

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 hour.My Full Camera Kit:Canon R5 BodyCanon 16-35mm f/2.8Canon 24-105mm f/4Canon 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1Canon 100mm f/2.8Manfrotto Carbon Fiber TripodManfrotto Pistol Grip Ballhead

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 photos during your bear photography adventure.  While most of my examples speak about Brown Bears, you'll quickly realize that these tips are very generalizable for all bear photography, be it Polar Bears, Black Bears, or any of the 8 species of bears found around the world.My Full Camera Kit:Canon R5 BodyCanon 16-35mm f/2.8Canon 24-105mm f/4Canon 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1Canon 100mm f/2.8Manfrotto Carbon Fiber Tripod

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 can-do-without. Although I call out specific brands and models, this definitely isn't meant to be salesy at all.  It's really just a way for you to understand the what and why behind my lifelong quest to assemble the perfect nature, wildlife and landscape photography setup and all the gear that comes with it.Enjoy!My Full Camera Kit:Canon R5 BodyCanon 16-35mm f/2.8Canon 24-105mm f/4Canon 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1Canon 100mm f/2.8Manfrotto Carbon Fiber Tripod

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 BodyCanon 16-35mm f/2.8Canon 24-105mm f/4Canon 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1Canon 100mm f/2.8Manfrotto Carbon Fiber TripodManfrotto Pistol Grip Ballhead

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, discussing the merits and specifics of East Africa and Southern Africa photo safaris, getting down to the country level.And finally, we discuss what a typical day looks like on the best African safaris to help you plan and prep for your extraordinary photo adventure.My Full Camera Kit:Canon R5 BodyCanon 16-35mm f/2.8Canon 24-105mm f/4Canon 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1Canon 100mm f/2.8Manfrotto Carbon Fiber Tripod

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 perfect (and easy) settings to capture the best photos each and every time.My Full Camera Kit:Canon R5 BodyCanon 16-35mm f/2.8Canon 24-105mm f/4Canon 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1Canon 100mm f/2.8Manfrotto Carbon Fiber TripodManfrotto Pistol Grip Ballhead

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 with tack-sharp focus on the animal subject. My Full Camera Kit:Canon R5 BodyCanon 16-35mm f/2.8Canon 24-105mm f/4Canon 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1Canon 100mm f/2.8Manfrotto Carbon Fiber TripodManfrotto Pistol Grip Ballhead

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 actually use it.My Full Camera Kit:Canon R5 BodyCanon 16-35mm f/2.8Canon 24-105mm f/4Canon 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1Canon 100mm f/2.8Manfrotto Carbon Fiber TripodManfrotto Pistol Grip Ballhead

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 tips for years and years of photographing sunsets (and sunrises!) from all over the world and am excited to share them with you.  Some are simple...some are a bit more complex, but each will individually level-up your sunset photography.  And when used in conjunction, they come together in a grand formula for getting sensational, and unique, sunrise and sunset photos guaranteed to impress.My Full Camera Kit:Canon R5 BodyCanon 16-35mm f/2.8Canon 24-105mm f/4Canon 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1Canon 100mm f/2.8Manfrotto Carbon Fiber Tripod

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 jump to Aperture or Manual modes to take the first step.  For instance, P or Program mode is a fantastic way to start experimenting with exposure compensation, white balance, and metering modes.  I'll walk you through all this.  Aperture and shutter speed priority modes add in one more opportunity, to control the depth of field and shutter of your camera.  Finally, I give you my personal style for using manual in a unique way that gets me sharp photos, at the exact depth of field I'm envisioning, with less work and better photos than ever before.Take that first step and enter a big world of awesome possibilities!My Full Camera Kit:Canon R5 BodyCanon 16-35mm f/2.8Canon 24-105mm f/4Canon 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1Canon 100mm f/2.8Manfrotto Carbon Fiber Tripod

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 definitions can be fun, right?My Full Camera Kit:Canon R5 BodyCanon 16-35mm f/2.8Canon 24-105mm f/4Canon 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1Canon 100mm f/2.8Manfrotto Carbon Fiber TripodManfrotto Pistol Grip Ballhead

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 Hamilton himself and talk about a variety of nature photography topics, including his latest photo expedition in Nome, Alaska, what happens when photo trips don't quite work out, his technique for photo stitching wildlife shots, his affinity for reverse-engineering inspiring photos he sees on social media, and why sometimes he forces himself to take only one lens with him in the field. 

Composition is king.  It is absolutely critical that your final photo (after editing and whatnot) has great composition or else it's a big miss.  It will miss the opportunity to make a powerful first imrpression--the WOW factor--and also miss on the lasting power of great art.Fortunately, composition is something that can be mastered both in-camera as well as when processing and editing your photos.  Join me in this episode to get the full download on composition...what to think about when lining up a shot, how to pivot, advanced composition techniques, and camera settings that will help give you maximum flexibility to nail perfect composition each and every time.My Full Camera Kit:Canon R5 BodyCanon 16-35mm f/2.8Canon 24-105mm f/4Canon 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1Canon 100mm f/2.8Manfrotto Carbon Fiber Tripod

Our first interview is with none other than the Colby Brokvist.  He wears a lot of hats, including premier Expedition Leader in polar regions of the world, conservation biologist, all around outdoorsman and backcountry aficionado.  But what he quickly says what he identifies with perhaps what he enjoys most is being a Travel Photographer.Tune in here and get a glimpse into the brain of one of the greats and learn about his favorite animal to photography, that time he was 30 feet above a sailboat in Antarctica, and his unique perspectives when it comes to being thoughtful with nature, wildlife, conservation, and travel photography.

There's nothing bigger, more exciting, or more monumental than a photo safari to Africa.  Get the low down from Court on key pieces of gear that you may or may not be thinking of to ensure it's the photographic adventure of a lifetime.My Full Camera Kit:Canon R5 BodyCanon 16-35mm f/2.8Canon 24-105mm f/4Canon 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1Canon 100mm f/2.8Manfrotto Carbon Fiber TripodManfrotto Pistol Grip Ballhead

Wildlife photography is my jam!  It's one of the most exciting kinds of photography out there. Just being amongst the world's greatest animals is thrilling...capturing them in the camera for a lifetime of memories is even better.As we all strive toward better photos, understanding your camera settings for each type of photography is becoming more and more important. I've distilled this down into the three most important settings (in my opinion) as they pertain to wildlife photography. In this episode I go into detail on the proper focus settings, drive mode (aka frame rate) and the aperture/shutter speed balance for superb wildlife photography.  Sit back and let's adventure together into the world of wildlife photography!My Full Camera Kit:Canon R5 BodyCanon 16-35mm f/2.8Canon 24-105mm f/4Canon 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1Canon 100mm f/2.8Manfrotto Carbon Fiber Tripod

This is the essence of photography--the balance between aperture and shutter speed. This episode does a deep dive into not only this relationship, but examples of when you want to prioritize big vs. small apertures and long vs. short shutter speeds. In addition, Court explains where and how ISO plays a part, plus recommendations for your camera settings if you shoot on aperture or shutter speed priority modes. Finally, Court will share his newest pro tip on manual camera settings to save you time and increase accuracy for your photographic vision.My Full Camera Kit:Canon R5 BodyCanon 16-35mm f/2.8Canon 24-105mm f/4Canon 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1Canon 100mm f/2.8Manfrotto Carbon Fiber TripodManfrotto Pistol Grip Ballhead