Most people would look at landscape and wildlife photographer Anita Wooldridge’s perfect portrait of a large bull moose peering over its shoulder in front of the snow-covered Grandt Tetons and call it “a lucky shot.” And Wooldridge would agree, to an extent.

“People say, ‘Well, you were lucky.’ And it’s like part of it is luck,” she told Cowboy State Daily. “That day, it came together. It was a really great experience. But you’ve got to go get it. If you don’t go, you don’t get the shot.”

Wooldridge captured the photo on her first winter visit to Jackson, but it took years of expertise and plenty of day-of effort to capture such a majestic moment.

The Extra Effort

Wooldridge is a Colorado resident who’s been a photographer her whole life. Since her retirement, she’s been able to dive deeper into her hobby.

“It’s just always been a passion to capture landscape and wildlife photography,” she said. “And if you can get both settings like that one photo, a picture’s worth 1,000 words. I used to do a lot of underwater photography. I have degrees in oceanography. So, that was always a passion for me. But I moved to Colorado in 2012 because the mountains called.”

Despite living in Colorado and its famous section of the Rocky Mountains, Wooldridge said the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone National Park are “two of my favorite places in the world.” She’s made plenty of trips to Wyoming for nature photography, but her last visit provided the first opportunity for winter wildlife photography.

A lack of winter weather and a COVID-afflicted companion altered the first leg of Wooldridge’s winter excursion in Jackson. Then, as her friend recovered, the snow finally arrived and she could immerse herself in the atmosphere she had come for.

“That’s when I found him posing,” she said.

Tactical Moose

Wooldridge likes moose, and there are plenty of them in the Jackson area. Capturing her majestic moose shot took considerable effort and planning, but the results are evident.

For starters, she knew she was in the right place at the right time to find mellower moose. The critters are notorious for having hair-trigger tempers — docile and cool one moment, agitated and aggressive the next.

“The moose this time of year are out of the rut. So, they are in a different mindset. Their brain has gone back into their head,” she said.

She also knew where to find the most moose. The best opportunities for good photos would be near the bitterroot bushes, where the bulls and cows hang out at this time of the winter season.

“They really like bitterroot bush, apparently,” she said. “They need that for digestion (but it has) very little nutritional value. In the Antelope Flats area, there’s a lot of this plant. So, they congregate in that area to eat the plants. Everybody knows they hang out in that area.”

Getting there is half the fun. Once Wooldridge found the bitterroot bushes, she identified the two-track roads that could get her closer. The first outing was more than she anticipated.

“I wasn’t prepared for my first trip to walk out where I needed to get the shot,” she said. “It’s a little dicey to walk in that kind of stuff. I didn’t get the shot I wanted.”

The strategy was sound, but the tactics needed some alterations. She’d be back the next day.

Patience Makes Perfect

On her second outing, Wooldridge got where she needed to go.

“On the next trip, I decided to take my time and meander to where the moose are. That’s where you must go to get a shot with the moose in front of the Tetons and with the right lens,” she said.

The moose were closer than the day before, but her slower approach and respectful distance kept them all calm. Wooldridge said other people were standing in the same area, but everyone were careful and avoided startling the bitterroot-munching moose.

Wooldridge knew the photo she wanted, but didn’t know when her moose moment would manifest in front of her camera. So she watched and waited, letting her moose models determine the shooting schedule.

That’s when “he” wandered into the frame.

“There were several bulls in the area,” she said. “Some were interacting; they will do some antler rattling this time of year because they’re trying to get rid of their antlers. Then, they walk off and eat for a while. He just happened to be isolated where I could get him alone and not have others in the same frame.

The perfect image of a bull moose wintering in the Grand Tetons was a short moment that resulted from a healthy amount of planning and preparation. Wooldridge’s effort paid off, but it was no accident.

“I tried several times on several different occasions to get that shot,” she said. “It was going out there many times to try to get the right conditions and have a cooperative subject in front of the Tetons. That made the shot.”

Get The Shot

The moral of Wooldridge’s story is how much foresight, planning and effort it takes to capture the perfect moment on a camera, one everyone looks at and says, “Boy, you got lucky.”

She’ll be the first to admit there was an element of luck to her majestic moose mountain photo, but she made most of her luck.

A quote falsely attributed to Thomas Jefferson says, “I’m a great believer in luck. The harder I work, the more luck I have.” Regardless of who said it (most likely writer Coleman Cox in the 1920s), it’s Wooldridge’s tried-and-true key to successful wildlife photography.

“As a photographer, if you don’t go out, you don’t get the shot,” she said. “The more you go out and are in the area, the more likely you are to see what you want to take a picture of. You can get lucky on a given day and just happen to be there and say, ‘Oh, wow, that’s great.’

“But some people work for a shot and go out day after day and hope they’re there when it comes together. And that day, it came together.”

Finding luck is more challenging than finding the perfect moose photo, but even Wooldridge would admit she got lucky during that trip. After her moose moment, she was fortunate enough to be in the area where an orphaned black bear cub was found stuck in a tree.

Wooldridge got incredible images of the unfortunate black bear, but the story had a happy ending. The cub was rescued by Idaho Black Bear Rehab, where she will reside until she can return to the wild in spring.

“That was an experience for me because it was maybe once in a lifetime,” she said.

Any photographer or tourist would call that a lucky break. Regardless, Wooldridge’s message for any aspiring wildlife photographer remains the same.

“You’ve got to go get it,” she said. “If you don’t go, you don’t get the shot.”

Andrew Rossi can be reached at arossi@cowboystatedaily.com.

The decision to upgrade camera gear, especially within high-end brands like Leica, is significant. The shift from the Leica M10 to the M11, for instance, represents not just a financial investment but also a commitment to a specific photographic approach and style. Here’s why one photographer thought the upgrade was worth it. 

Coming to you from Benj Haisch, this video essay discusses five reasons he loves his Leica M11. The M11’s improved dynamic range stands out as a primary factor for the upgrade. This enhancement is crucial for photographers who often work in challenging lighting It’s comparable to other high-performing cameras, like the Sony a7R V, making it particularly beneficial for outdoor and street photography, where control over lighting is limited. Another noteworthy feature is the M11’s internal storage, providing a much-appreciated redundancy for wedding photographers. It’s a feature I’m surprised every modern camera doesn’t have.

The M11’s ISO 64 setting and 61-megapixel sensor are also significant upgrades. In partricular, the higher megapixel count brings a new level of detail and flexibility in post-processing, while Leica’s clever resolution options allow one to save storage space and improve noise performance should they not need all that extra resolution. Altogether, the M11 is an impressively clever camera that can satisfy the needs of many demanding creatives. Check out the video above for Haisch’s full thoughts. 

Russian photographer and filmmaker Vadim Sherbakov has published a new personal project highlighting the beautiful architecture of Moscow’s metro stations.

Moscow’s Illustrious Metro System

The history of Moscow’s metro system is a lengthy one, dating back more than a century to the years of the Russian Empire. After wars and revolutions delayed the start of the Moscow Metro system, progress was finally made in 1923 when the Moscow City Council formed the Underground Railway Design Office as part of the Moscow Board of Urban Railways, and preliminary studies and planning began in earnest. By 1928, the first route had been decided, going from Sokolniki to Moscow’s city center.

In June 1931, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union decided to begin constructing the metro system. By January of the following year, the first lines were approved, and the next year, a revised plan with 10 routes was approved, with the tracks totaling about 80 kilometers (50 miles). The metro system officially opened in May of 1935.

Sherbakov Showcases His Home’s Beauty

These days, after decades of improvements and new construction, the Moscow Metro system has more than 330 stations and nearly 800 km of track. In his latest project, Sherbakov turned his lens toward the newest stations with the most interesting architecture, and the results are glorious.

The project is far from the first time Sherbakov captured Moscow’s beauty. In 2018, he delivered an amazing time-blended composite photo series of the city. For those photos, the long exposures helped deal with a major issue of photographing cities and busy metro stations — the people.

AI Helps in Surprising Ways

In the new series, the photographer instead relied on improved software technology, especially the AI-powered Generative Fill feature in Adobe Photoshop. “The Photoshop AI (generative fill) is amazing for removing stuff. The metro stations, even new ones, still have a few people who pop into the frame, here and there,” Sherbakov explains.

“In previous years, I would hesitate to shoot architecture with people standing close to the camera that had to be removed, but because of [the new] AI tool, I am more relaxed and focused on the architecture than some random people getting in the frame, because I knew that [they] wouldn’t be a problem to delete.”

Getting the shot right in camera is still important, of course, but now Sherbakov can worry more about his exposure, composition, and focus than the occasional stranger walking through the frame.

Late Nights and Challenging Handheld Photography

Speaking of exposure, the photographer occasionally brackets for highlights and creates composites to capture the scene’s dynamic range. “They are basically bracketing shots with occasional bracketing for highlight. Mostly single exposure from five bracketed shots. The process of shooting involved traveling to all those stations late at night on weekends. Although they are relatively new stations, weekdays are busy… I had to avoid crowds. Because of that, it had to be late at night on weekends, around 11 PM to 12 AM,” Sherbakov explains. The Moscow Metro has an average daily ridership of about 7.5 million passengers.

Alongside helping remove people from the photos, Photoshop also helps Sherbakov make the metro stations look super clean and pristine, although not even AI can fix all the mess.

“It’s winter in Moscow, so dirty snow can crawl in… I had to reduce the luminosity manually to darken the floor to avoid cleaning [it all] up, which would take hours, even with AI tools.”

The photographer must also work to straighten lines and perform perspective correction during post-processing. The photographer explains that tripods are prohibited in the Moscow Metro system, so tilt-shift lenses are “out of the question.”

“I had a specific lens in mind that would help me with that situation, the Irix 21mm f/1.4 EF lens for my Canon EOS R5,” Sherbakov tells PetaPixel. “It’s not as wide as the 17mm f/4 TS-E lens, but not as [long as a] 24mm either. It’s something in between.”

“It’s super fast. One of the fastest lenses I own (the fast [aperture] is not a necessity in architectural and interior photography as you shoot on a tripod most of the time). So, I use this Irix lens [and] shoot everything handheld and do post-production work later,” he explains.

Compared to some of Sherbakov’s other work, which includes gorgeous building exteriors, brilliant aerial work, and spectacular landscape photos, the new Moscow Metro series has a much different aesthetic and overall feel.

“I think it’s all due to the fact that there are no natural elements such as clouds in [the new series]. Therefore, the images are quite different,” the photographer explains. “I really like the symmetrical architecture of the stations and want to emphasize [that]. I went with quite a wide lens to capture the station’s surroundings. I think the architecture dictated a lot [of the look of the series].”

Symmetry and Modern Architecture

The symmetry and futuristic vibe of the newly constructed stations initially drew Sherbakov into the new project. “I do use the metro, so it is not a foreign concept to me. However, the underground or trains are not my primary interest. Architecture first. I think the architects did a great job on those stations, and I want to bring it to the light.”

As for the cooler tones in the newer stations, Sherbakov says that is just what they look like, which lends itself to the futuristic vibes. “I didn’t manipulate the white balance a lot. In fact, I think it was almost no shifting. The new stations are such a contrast to the old ones that indeed had more yellowish and warmer tones, and the new stations are brighter and more blue in real life.”

More from Photographer Vadim Sherbakov

To see more of Vadim Sherbakov’s photography, including his New Moscow Metro series, visit his website and follow him on Instagram.

Sherbakov’s commercial work is available on a separate website. The photographer’s long list of clients includes huge names like HBO, Showtime, Netflix, DJI, Canon, Xiaomi, Hisense, Toyota, and many more.

Image credits: All images © Vadim Sherbakov

Landscape photography comes in various forms, however, in this list of 10 landscape photographers I have included those who photograph the natural landscape – I’ll leave urban landscape for another story! 

The photographers below represent a combination of mediums, styles, and approaches, so there is something for everyone. The great thing about social media is you can often gain a better insight into how the photographer has created an image, often showcasing you don’t need the best camera for landscape photography to make an epic image.

These are 10 photographers who influence and inspire me and I hope that they can do the same for you, after all, that’s what social media is best used for! 

Adrian Vila

Adrian Vila, a.k.a AOWS, is a Portuguese photographer who travels the world photographing unique landscapes in his signature square black and white style. Vila has documented many of his photographic excursions on his YouTube channel, showing his approach, as well as his editing techniques. He has provided many helpful tutorials and following his social media has provided consistent inspiration.  

Daniel Kordan

Daniel Kordan has built a huge following on social media, capturing beautiful saturated land and seascapes. A beautifully curated social feed showcases a combination of draw-dropping traditional and drone shots.

Awoiska van der Molen

Awoiska van der Molen is a Dutch artist photographer who captures stunning and surreal black-and-white analog landscapes. Her work has been exhibited all around the world, and has three published books, the latest being The Living Mountain which was released in 2020.

Daniel Casson

Daniel Casson creates painterly landscape photographs of rural scenes. The use of golden hour shooting illuminates the British landscape with a warm glow and transports the viewer into the scenery. 

Sam Laughlin

Not your conventional landscape photographer, Sam Laughlin photographs intimate details of nature with an old 4×5 camera. His recent body of work titled ‘Spinning Away‘, has been created by using extremely long exposures in moonlight, capturing the ebbs and flows of the River Severn in the UK. 

Mads Peter Iversen

I first discovered Mads Peter Iverson’s work via his YouTube channel, where he has several tutorials on capturing landscapes. His social media is chock filled with masterfully composed images, captured during his many travels. 

Chris Burkard

More than likely the most famous name on this list. Chris Burkard is one of the world’s leading landscape photographers, featured countless times in National Geographic and holding exhibitions of his work around the globe. Burkard’s new book, The Oceans is filled with awe-inspiring seascapes as well as an insight into Burkard’s inspirations and early beginnings. 

Paul Hart

Primarily using a black-and-white analog process, shooting with large and medium format film cameras, Paul Hart captures the ever-changing British landscapes with a focus on the many different waterways. He has several published books with the newest one, Fragile, scheduled for release in Spring 2024 and published by Dewi Lewis – one to keep a look out for!

Zay Yar Lin

It is not often social media algorithms provide noteworthy recommendations but the work of Zay Yar Lin, a photographer from Myanmar, was just that. His landscapes and use of colors are incredible, and the incorporation of people provides scale to the grand vistas.  

Isabella Tabacchi

Isabella Tabacchi is recognized worldwide for her dream-like landscapes. Her social feed is an incredible resource of inspiration, featuring drone, Astro, landscape, and wildlife photography, all of the highest caliber. She is also a Hasselblad heroine, using the Hasselblad X1D II for many of her captures. 

Having only recently started shooting landscape-type images, I have a new sense of admiration for these photographers. A genre that may sound easy to create images for is extremely difficult to get right. By studying the work posted on social media and the tutorials on YouTube, these photographers have provided great insight into how they get the epic shots you see on their feeds – well worth a follow!

See our guides for more information on the best lenses for landscapes, the best camera for astrophotography, and the best tripod for photography. 

ORANGEBURG, S.C. (APTN) — Much of how South Carolina has seen its civil rights history has been through the lens of photographer Cecil Williams. From sit-ins to prayer protests to portraits of African Americans integrating universities and rising to federal judges, Williams has snapped it.

After years of work, his chief dream of a civil rights museum marking how Black Americans fought segregation and discrimination in the state is about to move out of his old house and into a much bigger, and more prominent, building in Orangeburg.

“Photography is so important to telling stories about history. And we in South Carolina formally have not been known for involvement in the American Civil Rights Movement and the progress that took place bringing down the barriers to segregation,” said Williams, who turned 85 last month.

“But in South Carolina, we have so many untold stories that are yet to be known. And one of the ways to save these stories, these stories of sacrifice, these stories of overcoming, is to have a museum like we are developing here in Orangeburg.”

Williams got his first camera when he was 9. A few years later he took one picture of civil rights attorney and later Supreme Court justice Thurgood Marshall getting off a train to work on a segregation case — just one frame because it was dark and flashbulbs were $1 each.

The photo got a lot of attention. Soon, Jet magazine had Williams taking pictures. He kept going for decades, capturing images of the Charleston hospital workers strike, U.S. Sen. Strom Thurmond’s last campaign and the Confederate flag being removed from atop the Statehouse dome.

He recalled how South Carolina newspapers would not hire a Black photographer, so he took his work to The Associated Press instead.

“And I was not welcomed as an African-American youth and as a photographer in the state newspaper,” said Williams. “But I could go upstairs where the Associated Press used many of my photographs during the 1960s.”

In 2019, Williams converted his old house and darkroom in a residential neighborhood in Orangeburg into the Cecil Williams South Carolina Civil Rights Museum. It’s the only civil rights museum in the state.

In the next year or so, Williams hopes to move his museum into a building three times larger in downtown Orangeburg with full-time staff.

It’s part of a $23 million federal grant to revitalize Railroad Corner in Orangeburg as a gateway to the city that is nearly three-quarters African American with two neighboring historically Black universities. And it’s the culmination of years of trying to get support from anyone who will listen.

When it comes to landscape photography, few other genres offer both the rewards and disappointments it can bring. However, we should avoid the easy route of annoyance and instead get excited about our landscape photography, and here’s why! I understand the struggle – the elusive perfect composition, the uncooperative weather. It’s easy to become frustrated, annoyed, and perhaps even consider giving up. But before you dismiss the excitement, I have something to share that might just change your perspective!

Landscape Photography Is Built Different 

Landscape photography often serves as the gateway for many into the world of photography. Typically, one’s initial foray into this art form begins either with receiving a camera as a gift or purchasing one due to a love for the outdoors, right?

It’s a fair assumption that only a handful of people get their first camera with the intention of shooting portraits, weddings, or wildlife. Most of us start by capturing the beauty of the outdoors. Nowadays, many of us begin and often continue to use a smartphone for photography. The capabilities of these devices are immense, and they’re almost always at hand.

However, issues can arise when we set out on dedicated photography excursions. Maybe we anticipate a particular composition that ends up being non-existent, or our high hopes for the perfect weather and lighting are dashed.

Back to the Basics

Do you remember your first landscape photography trip? Was it a solo venture, or did you go with others? Or perhaps you just happened to have your camera with you when an opportunity presented itself. Regardless of the situation, try to recall the feelings you experienced before, during, and after. For me, it was a mix of excitement, nervousness, and wonder about what lay ahead. These emotions laid the foundation for my passion for landscape photography and likely did the same for many others, spurring us on to the next adventure, and then the next, and the one after that!

Mindset Management 

It all boils down to mindset, and thankfully, that’s something within our control.

Would you prefer to feel let down or disappointed by a photography outing, or would you rather embrace the feeling of having given it your best shot? I often talk with photographers, both amateurs and professionals, who feel frustrated when their outings don’t go as planned. However, the reality is that if they hadn’t been out there, they would have missed the chance to capture that potentially stunning shot.

The light in a scene can change rapidly, enhancing its beauty dramatically. But even if the ideal light doesn’t materialize, isn’t the scene still worth appreciating? Moreover, even in rain, there’s joy to be found in being outdoors and experiencing the elements. And despite the weather, you might still capture a great photo, one rich in mood, drama, atmosphere, and emotion. These feelings might be personal, but when you look back at any photograph you’ve taken, I bet you remember the location, the time, whether it was cold or warm, calm or windy, and most importantly, what you felt in that moment.

This is why it’s so rewarding to feel excited about your landscape photography. You’re outside, breathing fresh air, getting exercise, perhaps enduring blisters, fatigue, and dampness, but you’re there with a chance of success. The alternative is staying home, gazing out the window, and wondering how it might have been if you’d ventured out.

Landscape Photography Is a Feeling 

If landscape photography continually frustrates you, that frustration might eventually become your default reaction. Even when you encounter beautiful light or conditions, it might be hard to muster excitement. Instead, you may find yourself yearning for perfect conditions, and anything less could be seen as a letdown. But is this really what you imagined landscape photography would be about?

On the other hand, if you head out filled with anticipation for what might unfold, and you do encounter light — even if it’s just mediocre — your excitement can intensify. The thrill of the chase could propel you forward, leaving you bursting with enthusiasm right up until the final shutter click. However, there is a risk associated with high expectations, as they can lead to disappointment. Some believe it’s better to keep your hopes modest, viewing any positive outcome as a bonus.

When you look back at your images, which emotions would you prefer to remember? For me, the choice is clear, and at the end of the day, those feelings are within my control.

Happy or Sad, You Decide 

Observing other landscape photographers, I’ve noticed some common characteristics. Some are self-professed pessimists, or “realists,” as they sometimes prefer to be known. These photographers often end up feeling disappointed unless they encounter perfect conditions. On the other hand, there are the optimists, for whom every shoot is either “epic” or the best they’ve ever had. Their excitement can be so intense that it might seem almost exaggerated to others.

Each of these outlooks seems right for the individuals who hold them, and you might find yourself relating to either, depending on the situation. However, the risk with the pessimistic view is that when those rare, epic conditions do occur, you might struggle to feel the excitement that originally drew you to landscape photography.

What About Groups?

I’ve noticed many workshop leaders who maintain enthusiasm regardless of the conditions they face. Is this excitement genuine, or are they amplifying it for the benefit of their participants? I believe it’s a bit of both. If a leader shows frustration, it can negatively affect the entire group. Who would want to lead or participate in a workshop filled with annoyed people? I’d wager very few.

Conclusion  

To sum up this discussion, I urge you to revel in your landscape photography journey. Embrace the excitement of venturing outdoors, and if everything aligns perfectly, that’s wonderful. But if it doesn’t, that’s alright too. There will be other opportunities. The key is to associate positive feelings with your efforts and shots, motivating you to keep braving the elements and pursuing that perfect shot on another day.

Does this article strike a chord with you? Do you have additional insights from your own experiences, or have you ever felt discouraged to the point of not venturing out for dedicated shoots?

Let’s keep this conversation going in the comments below.

Help us make it a very HAPPY new year for our local nonprofits! The 4th annual Nonprofit Holiday Wish Catalog features the year-end needs of 30+ local nonprofits in one easy to browse – and easy to donate – online portal.

Thanks to the generosity of our community, 13 of the nonprofit wishes have already been fully funded! With over 20 remaining, from arts organizations to human services, education to healthcare… there are still so many opportunities to find and support organizations and wishes that move you, until the Catalog closes December 31.

New this year is an emphasis on mostly small and underfunded organizations, so community members can get to know (and support) Arlington organizations they may have never even heard of. The Giving Season is financially critical for so many nonprofits, and the Wish Catalog is just one way that we, as a community, can help ease a little bit of that stress for the nonprofits in the Wish Catalog.

Click here. Grant wishes!