Posted on July 22, 2015, 12:21 am, by QT Luong, under
Locations.
The Zion Narrows are amongst the most unique hikes in America. For details, refer to my post: National Parks Photo Spot #10: Zion Narrows (whole series here). The downside of accessibility and awesomeness is popularity. Compared to the canyons mentioned in the previous posts, the Zion Narrows can feel downright crowded. For photography, this is […]
When you think about natural subjects for night photography, things like the rock formations or bristlecone pines of the southwest often come to mind, not the redwood forest. In old-growth groves, the dense canopy obscures most of the night sky. I made so many visits to Redwood National Park in the 1990s that I haven’t […]
Posted on October 29, 2014, 10:09 am, by QT Luong, under
Locations.
Part 1 of 4: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 The dark coniferous forests and imposing mountains of the Cascade Range do not look like an obvious place to look for fall color, but within North Cascades National Park, there are places with impressive displays if you know where to look. In 2010, I […]
Posted on June 20, 2014, 10:29 am, by QT Luong, under
Techniques.
I’ve been asked how I created my 360 spherical panoramas (360s). By the way, if you haven’t, be sure to check the latest ones from the Grand Canyon. A detailed tutorial would take several posts, so instead I’m going to try and explain just the finer points I’ve learned – information which doesn’t seem to […]
Posted on October 29, 2012, 9:41 am, by QT Luong, under
Gear.
This is a review of the Nikon 14-24 f/2.8 lens from the point of view of a Canon user. However, Nikon users will find the sections about filters and focus shift of interest as well. Canon has many great lens offerings, but their area of weakness has long been the wide-angles. Both the two Canon […]
Posted on October 11, 2012, 12:52 pm, by QT Luong, under
Locations.
During the two last weeks of September, I took a road trip in the Southwest. One of my goals was to create landscape photographs by night in the National Parks. It was productive, but tiring. In the days of film, sensitivity was too low for stars (unless you wanted trails, which I am not that […]
Posted on August 16, 2012, 2:12 pm, by QT Luong, under
Books.
Some photographers are known only for their photographs. Ansel Adams was a public figure who enjoyed the spotlight, and used it as a passionate advocate for the things he believed in, photography and environmentalism. A teacher, prolific and talented writer, Adams left us with an unusually large set of writings which gives us a deep […]
Posted on June 8, 2012, 5:39 pm, by QT Luong, under
Gear.
Watching a moonbow with your own eyes is an awesome experience. While the camera can capture colors that the eye doesn’t see (as explained in my previous blog post about moonbows), the way it works doesn’t capture the experience that well. A long moonlit exposure looks almost the same as a daylight exposure that one […]
Posted on May 30, 2012, 12:11 pm, by QT Luong, under
Techniques.
A moonbow is a rainbow produced by moonlight, rather than direct sunlight. While observing a rainbow in the sky requires rare and unpredictable combination of conditions, it isn’t too difficult to predict the appearance of spray moonbows, which occur in the mist of waterfalls. Yosemite moonbows have been known for some time. John Muir described […]
Posted on January 26, 2012, 5:54 pm, by QT Luong, under
Locations.
Although they are not as tall as the coastal redwoods, the giant sequoia trees still reach impressively into the sky. I found it difficult to convey the sense of cosmic height in daylight images. The usually blue sky isn’t visually that interesting, there are almost always harsh shadows or dappled light on a part of […]
