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Photography in the Parks

Photography In The National Parks: Seeing The Forest For The Trees

Not all park forests are alike. Some forests thrive in moist, even waterlogged environments, while others flourish in much drier climates. Some forests remain green year-round while others burst with color in the fall. Some forests stand as stark testaments to the ravages of wildfires while other forests provide environments for trees to grow to mind-boggling heights and widths. All these forests and their trees flesh out the story of a national park visit and the Traveler’s contributing photographer Rebecca Latson provides example images, tips, and techniques to help you capture the forest story of your own park trip.

Photography In The National Parks: The Yin And Yang Of A Composition

When you look at photos you’ve captured during a visit to a national park unit, do you notice one or more of your shots clearly showing a division of light and dark, or energy and calm, or two different colors, or two different textures? Contributing photographer Rebecca Latson sees this phenomenon in many of her own images, calling it the “yin and yang of a composition.” In this month's column, Rebecca provides examples of this yin-yang concept and how you can look for it in nature with your camera.

Photography In The National Parks: Whiskeytown National Recreation Area

Western landscapes are suffering more than a glancing blow from this year’s wildfires. Many of those fires are encroaching upon National Park System units. Two years ago, a wildfire devastated 97% of the 42,000 acres of Whiskeytown National Recreation Area in California. Thanks to the hard work and dedication of park staff and their partners, most of this park is once again open for recreation, including landscape and bird photography. Before heading home from her Redwood National and State Parks visit, contributing photographer Rebecca Latson took a detour over to Whiskeytown, returning with tips on what you can see and photograph within this recreation area risen from the ashes of the 2018 Carr Fire.

2020 Year In Review: Parks, A Pandemic, And Photography

Despite 2020’s coronavirus pandemic causing cancellation of a number of park photo trips, Traveler’s Rebecca Latson still managed to visit several of the National Park System’s units in a safe, distanced manner. Over the year, Rebecca shared tips, techniques, and favorite places to photograph as well as how to stay safe and healthy while doing so. Here’s a look back at her articles and photos.

Photography In The National Parks: Winter Wonderlands

Winter is one of photographer Rebecca Latson’s two favorite seasons of the year during which to visit a national park. There are fewer people, the vistas are much clearer due to fewer water molecules in the atmosphere, and the landscape looks so much different than it does during the warmer seasons of the year. So, this month’s photo column by Rebecca is about winter photography within the National Park System. Yes, she’s written about this before, but it’s always nice to have a little refresher course for those who regularly read the Traveler, and it’s a good introduction to winter imagery for those readers who are new to the Traveler.

Photography In The National Parks: The Redwood Forests Are Made For Vertical Shots

If you've only been capturing horizontal imagery of your national park visits, then you should think about also adding a few verticals to your park photo gallery. A great place for getting vertical photos is Redwood National and State Parks in northern California. Photographer Rebecca Latson visited this cooperative of national and state parks and returns with tips on capturing photos of some very tall trees, with meadow and coastal vistas thrown in for good measure.

Photography In The National Parks: Capturing Sunrise, Sunset, And The Milky Way At Mount Rainier’s Sunrise Area

If you enjoy photographing sunrises, sunsets, and/or the stars in a national park, the Sunrise area of Mount Rainier National Park is definitely a must-see-and-photograph location you should place on your bucket list. You might or might not encounter long waits and large crowds, but it’s a good idea to prepare for the possibility, and bring along a mask or two for your safety as well as the safety of others on the trail.

Photography In The National Parks: My Final Favorite Places For Photography

Planning for your next national park trip once the parks re-open? Can’t decide where to go? Photographer Rebecca Latson shares her final list of favorite spots for photo ops within national parks she’s visited. Perhaps her favorite spots will become your favorite spots. Or perhaps her favorite spots already are your favorite spots.

The African Photo Safari Simplified

While growing up, nerve-racking, spine-tingling, heart-pumping stories of hunting man-eating tigers and leopards in India by such legends as Jim Corbett and Kenneth Anderson ensured that my passion for the wild and the wilderness was set on a never-ending, all-consuming fire, while stories by forest guides and jungle guards about their encounters with tigers, leopards, elephants, sloth bears, wolves, jackals, and hyenas went a long way in painting a magical and mysterious picture of the jungle in my heart and mind. In August 2007, I made my way into the Jim Corbett National Park armed with a fine but borrowed point-and-shoot camera. Since then I have progressed to be a professional natural history photographer.

The Essential RVing Guide

The Essential RVing Guide to the National Parks

The National Parks RVing Guide, aka the Essential RVing Guide To The National Parks, is the definitive guide for RVers seeking information on campgrounds in the National Park System where they can park their rigs. It's available for free for both iPhones and Android models.

This app is packed with RVing specific details on more than 250 campgrounds in more than 70 parks.

You'll also find stories about RVing in the parks, some tips if you've just recently turned into an RVer, and some planning suggestions. A bonus that wasn't in the previous eBook or PDF versions of this guide are feeds of Traveler content: you'll find our latest stories as well as our most recent podcasts just a click away.

So whether you have an iPhone or an Android, download this app and start exploring the campgrounds in the National Park System where you can park your rig.