For years, I have been experimenting with microphones to record nature sounds. Today, we are focusing not only on bird and wildlife photography but also on videography. Videography is essential since we occasionally sell nature-related footage. In this video, I ramble about my experience over the years with various microphones. Microphones are not all created equal, and even though quality matters, ease of use and minimalism are also issues when the goal is to keep everything in one bag.

There are no rules in photography that cannot be broken. Direction in images is one of them. Most photos have some direction. A picture of a person looking to the right, for example, directs attention to the right. When I was learning to design magazine layouts, a lot of emphasis was placed on the direction of images accompanying text or graphics. Images were supposed to guide the reader’s attention to where you wanted it to go. Most images have a directional flow, and you can guide the viewer’s attention using this. Sometimes, the goal is to create balance in the image so that the viewer’s eye lingers. At least, that’s how I see it. Guillemots are an extreme example of a subject with strong direction. Their heads are like arrows pointing to where they are looking. Three guillemots, all looking in the same direction, can lead the viewer’s attention right out of the frame. On the other hand, three guillemots, where two are looking left, and one is looking right, can create a sense of balance that holds the viewer’s eye within the image. Guillemots looking in opposite directions create a certain balance, as does when they look straight ahead. Similarly, two guillemots and two puffins looking in opposite directions can also form a sense of equilibrium. These reflections of mine about balance and direction in images are well-known concepts in all areas of design. The direction within images, especially in bird and wildlife photography, plays a significant role in determining which photos are suitable for a project or worthy of inclusion in my portfolio. Photographing guillemots can be challenging. They usually live in the middle of cliffs or on rocky slopes, which are difficult to access. With some luck and the right spot, it’s possible to photograph guillemots with a clean background and foreground. When photographing...

Experience has taught me that sharpness in nature photography is a fragile phenomenon. It’s easy to make mistakes that compromise sharpness. Even assuming the camera settings are appropriate for the conditions, several factors can ruin an image’s sharpness despite having the “right” settings. In my experience, while the quality difference between lenses does matter, how photos are taken plays a much more significant role. During winter, seals occasionally lounge on the ice that forms at the estuary of the Eyjafjarðará River. While reviewing photos of ringed and gray seals taken on a good day, I reflected on some considerations regarding sharpness. Most of the photos turned out well, but some lacked sharpness, which would not have been a problem with the proper techniques. The intention here isn’t to list all factors affecting sharpness. There are countless articles online about that. Instead, I aim to share what I keep in mind when photographing in certain conditions to ensure sharpness. These factors often get less attention than camera settings or lens selection. The difference in sharpness between expensive and moderately priced lenses pales in comparison to the impact of specific techniques that can compromise sharpness. While shutter speed, aperture, and tripod use are undoubtedly important, I consider other aspects as well. Nowadays, seals can relax at the Eyjafjarðará River without worry, as seal hunting has largely been banned in Iceland. Hunting seals was banned in 2019. Before that, seals were shot near river estuaries to protect the interests of anglers. Today, the Directorate of Fisheries may issue limited hunting permits in regions where such practices are traditional. However, seal hunting is mostly a thing of the past. The accompanying photos were taken with a Nikon Z7ii and a Nikon Z 400mm f4.5 lens, using 1.4X and 2X teleconverters. Hidden Causes of Poor Sharpness in Bird and Wildlife Photography Heat...

Mastering time pressure in landscape photography is tricky. In this video, we cover tips and tricks for capturing great photos when you have only a few minutes. Aperture and shutter speed are critical, and I explain why and what camera settings I use under stressful situations. However, how you work the scene is the most important part of a great landscape photo. Ensuring quality is not compromised is essential when you stand in front of a great landscape scene trying to capture it.

When you have spent decades photographing Iceland, it becomes harder to find new locations, creative compositions, and subjects. Sometimes you manage to find new compositions, sometimes not, and this photography trip to the mysterious mountain Snæfell in East Iceland demonstrated what we’ve often encountered: you need to return to some places, again and again, to get different conditions and lighting for your photography – and not least to learn the location and do what photographers call “working the scene.” Few shots from the photo journey Gyða gives a sense of scale, standing in front of the Hafrahvammagljúfur canion. The patterns and abstract formations created by the small ponds in the desert are amazing. The wind was strong when this was taken. The colors of the Snæfell mountain remind of Landmannalaugar. The colors are similar since this is a volcano. Some believe the mountain is still an active volcano.