Outdoor Tips

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Jon Sienkiewicz  |  Jul 02, 2025

Shutterbug readers love photographing birds. One look at our Photo of the Day gallery confirms it. So we asked Owen Deutsch, a renowned bird photographer, to share his expert advice.

Jon Sienkiewicz  |  Nov 17, 2023

So, your camera is weather-resistant, great! Is your lens? And just exactly how weatherproof is it? Don't risk triggering an expensive repair—or turning your camera into a brick. The affordable RucPac Camera Rain Cover protects cameras and most lenses from rain, snow and dust, and it can save your bacon. This is a great (and thoughtful) holiday gift for the photographer in your life.

Jon Sienkiewicz  |  May 19, 2023

Using a hard shell case to protect sensitive camera gear has its advantages—until you try to carry it for a few miles over rough terrain. So professional photographer Laurens Parsons, founder of RucPac, invented the Hardcase Strap system that effectively turns your hard-sided case into a backpack. This is just one of the many useful and innovative products in the RucPac photo accessory stable.

Jeff Van Scoyk  |  Nov 28, 2022

We are surrounded by people and places. Add a camera and you have everything you need for street photography.

Jon Sienkiewicz  |  Sep 09, 2022

Are you tired of hearing locals say, “Shoulda been here last week,” after driving to a likely destination to view and photograph autumn foliage? Improve your odds of finding the red and orange leaves you crave by downloading the most respected nationwide fall leaf map and one of the best fall resources in the country. 

Jon Sienkiewicz  |  Sep 02, 2022

Experienced photographers appreciate the value of filters, the kind that go in front of the lens. Screw-in filters alter the characteristics of light before it reaches the image sensor—something not even Photoshop can do. Here are three I recommend for autumn leaf colors and all fall festivities.

Jon Sienkiewicz  |  Sep 03, 2021

Don’t wait! Plan your fall foliage photography forays now. Here are four interactive maps that help you predict when the fall colors peak in your area, plus a recommendation of three glass screw-in camera filters that make autumn colors more vibrant.

Jon Sienkiewicz  |  Jul 08, 2021

It’s Friday and I just ordered a set of 9 color graduated filters from Amazon for $26.59 in 67mm. Cheap, no? Amazingly, the 52mm set is $4 cheaper. Part of me says, “What can you expect from a $3 filter?” But the optimistic little devil sitting on my other shoulder whispers, “How bad can they be?”

Read on to learn whether this buy turned out to be a bargain or a bagel.

Jon Sienkiewicz  |  Feb 05, 2021

Traveling by car, camper, camel caravan or even backpacking it on foot – you need these five important accessories. (And if you’re just hanging around the house like I am, put these accessories on the must-have list right up there with the automatic wine bottle opener and TV remote.)

Jon Sienkiewicz  |  Feb 20, 2020

Warmer weather is in the forecast and that can mean only one thing: time to take stock of your camera gear and get ready for the colorful bounty that spring unfailingly brings. Here’s our checklist of pre-summer mileposts to ponder.

Jon Sienkiewicz  |  Jan 09, 2020

When it’s cold outside, our bodies know it. If you’re like me, the agony travels from your fingers to your toes and from your ears to your nose. In that order. Warm boots, hats and earmuffs are not obstacles to creativity, but how can you use a camera with gloves on? To find out, read on…

Shutterbug Staff  |  May 22, 2019

If you're shooting landscape photos, one of the first things you want to ensure is that they're in focus. Even better is if you can nail "perfect focus" in your landscape shots.

Jon Sienkiewicz  |  May 02, 2019

Even if you don’t snorkel, ski or engage in any outdoor activities that can be unfriendly toward cameras, you need a ruggedized, waterproof, compact zoom that can stay in your pocket through cloudbursts, snowball fights and a capsized canoe without fret or falter. They are the SUVs of the camera world, and they’re great for younger kids, too. (And if you’re looking for a Mother’s Day, Father’s Day or Graduation gift, these cameras…

Jack Neubart  |  Jul 08, 2016

Anuar Patjane Floriuk, popularly known as Anuar Patjane, has been scuba diving for 17 years. Much of his photography in the past has been focused on travel around the globe, but lately he’s been giving in more and more to his fascination with the sea. He’s been shooting underwater for five of those 17 years and finds the camera a natural extension of his inner being, helping him explore and fathom pelagic life, especially whales, and himself in the process.

Jack Neubart  |  May 10, 2016

Jim Harmer didn’t start out as a travel and nature photographer. He was in law school when the photography bug bit him, and, before he knew it, he was traveling the world, capturing moments in time with his camera.

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