Travel Photography How To

Straddling a beautiful stretch of the Blue Ridge Mountains of northern Virginia, Shenandoah National Park is a hiker’s and photographer’s delight. Located only 70 miles from the nation’s capital, Shenandoah provides an oasis of nature surrounded by ever-encroaching civilization. Long and narrow, the park runs north/south along a ridge crest characterized by rolling hills and mountains, quiet hollows, rushing streams and waterfalls, and verdant forests. Running through the park is Skyline Drive, a 105-mile scenic roadway that meanders along the crest of the Blue Ridge. Along this roadway are 75 overlooks offering unparalleled views of the piedmont to the east and the valley and mountains to the west. The park is also host to a 101-mile segment of the venerable Appalachian Trail as it winds its way from Georgia to Maine.

Many of history’s greatest photographers gained their fame making b&w landscape images. With today’s modern cameras, and the digital darkroom, most of the goals remain the same but techniques often differ.

Landscape and travel scenes can be particularly striking when captured in black and white. Some photographers set their camera to monochrome so they can see the effect on the LCD screen, while others prefer to shoot in color and make the conversion during the editing process.

The island of Martha's Vineyard is located just seven miles off the Massachusetts coast. Its quaint atmosphere, beaches and proximity to Cape Cod make this area a very popular resort destination. Martha's Vineyard also offers a variety of photo opportunities, ranging from multicolored cliffs to colorful cottages and picturesque lighthouses. Whatever you choose to...

All photos by Don Gale

Have you ever embarked on an exciting wilderness adventure that promised great photo opportunities, only to be disappointed with your images after you got home? Maybe the skies in your pictures weren't as blue as you remembered them, or the colors as vivid. Perhaps the grand vistas you experienced appeared a little washed-out in your...

When we think about great adventure/travel photographers and spectacular imagery, National Geographic magazine immediately comes to mind. And the folks at Nat Geo just picked their best images of 2017, including the lead photo above of a black crested macaque captured on the Indonesian Island of Sulawesi. This striking shot appeared in the magazine’s March issue as part of an article on the social structure of monkeys.

Whether you’re shooting landscapes, street photos, or cityscapes, something magical happens when the sun dips below the horizon. Colorful lights abound, and less appealing components of a scene tend to fade into obscurity.