Outdoor Photography How To

John Paul Caponigro’s elegant, intriguing fine art images result from his control of a complex mix of inspiration, insight, and experience. And one other thing: his enthusiastic embrace of technology in the pursuit and realization of vision.

Maybe it's cold outside . . . but it's a great time to take pictures!

Winter brings with it some great photo opportunities. In many areas winter means snowy landscapes and snow sports; in others, it's just a somewhat cooler and slightly wetter time of year. Here are some winter-oriented photo tips that should help you add some nice shots to your portfolio, and have some fun doing it.

Here are 10 ways to get your creative juices flowing . . . and some great photos

1. Discover Your Own Backyard

If you put your mind to it, you can find lots of neat photo subjects right in your own backyard. (If you live in an apartment and don't have a formal backyard, don't worry—this assignment is about...

There’s a common misconception that beautiful photos of the night sky are a product of sleepless nights and big expense. While fancy equipment and ample free time may increase your chances of capturing amazing shots of the heavens, much can be achieved with the equipment most photographers already have, and a few minutes of experimentation—even if they’ve never thought about astrophotography.

There’s no reason to pack your photo gear away when the first snows of winter start to fly. Winter photography presents some of the most wonderful opportunities to capture stunning subject matter that is not available during other times of the year. With the ground enveloped in a blanket of white snow, even familiar surroundings will take on an entirely different perspective and serve as the background for new and exciting images.

Among the most popular landscape tutorials we post are those by Romanian nature photographer Toma Bonciu. But in the fascinating video below, Bonciu takes a different tact, by reviewing 10 vital lessons he learned by studying the work of master fine art landscape photographer Clyde Butcher.

There are no real "rules" in photography, no matter what anyone says. But there are methods that can help you shoot better pictures. And who doesn't want to do that?