Learning trips are visits to our sites in the countryside around the world where the Non-Violent Peace Force are active. These trips are educational opportunities for those who support us can feel the power of the Non Violent Peace Force in person first.
India Learning Journey, the group photograph at the Taj Mahal (more...)
Formal gardens provide a great opportunity to create some stunning landscape photographs. Beautiful public gardens exist in virtually every part of the world and are usually a microcosm of the geographic location itself. The meditation gardens of Japan or the plantation gardens of the American South provide evocative reflections of their locale. Equipment isn't much of a factor; a point-and-shoot will provide fine results. (more...)
For sheer variety of subjects–architecture, interesting faces, open-air markets, historic landmarks, parks–nothing competes with the urban whirl of a city. Best of all, you can change subjects as your mood or your ideas evolve and usually just by turning another corner. In Manhattan, for instance, the glamour of the United Nations, the glitz (and grunge) of Times Square, and the cool shade of Central Park are mere blocks apart. Read the rest of this entry »
Hostile and uninviting though they may seem, deserts can be wonderfully rewarding for photographers. We tend to visualize deserts as vast, arid wastelands, but in fact, most are rich with life.In the more barren desert regions, because the geologic and graphic components are so minimal–sand, rock, sky, and some plants–your compositions will by necessity often verge on the stark and abstract. In searching for and composing such scenes, then, exploit the visual simplicity to reveal the harsh nature of the place: ripples of wind-driven sand cresting into nomadic dunes, fractured patterns of cracking mud in long-dry watering holes, the delicate trail of lizard tracks leading from rock to rock. Read the rest of this entry »
The rocky shores of Maine or Scandinavia or the southwest coasts of England and Ireland provide a study in the absolute power and relentless energy of the sea. The best time to photograph the clash between surf and shore is at high tide, especially just prior to or after a storm or a full moon, when the sea is at its most volatile. Read the rest of this entry »
The best mountain photos are made by photographers who rise before the sun and rest only after it has. In his book Mountain Light, celebrated mountaineer and outdoor photographer Galen Rowell writes that “light during the magic hours [dusk and dawn] mixes in endless combinations, as if someone in the sky were shaking a kaleidoscope.” The pinks, yellows, golds, and reds of dusk and dawn are hallmarks of his work and make Rowell’s shots instantly recognizable. Read the rest of this entry »
There is an important point about photographing mountains: You must include some visual clue to indicate the true magnitude of the scene around you. Scale is probably more important in shooting mountain peaks and ranges than with any other subject.One way to establish a sense of scale is to use a wide-angle lens (24 mm to 35 mm) or wide-zoom setting and include an immediate foreground subject–a clump of wildflowers or a travel companion, for example. Read the rest of this entry »
The glistening white sands, turquoise waters, and vibrant blue skies of tropical beaches are the stuff of which wall calendars (and daydreams) are made. Capturing the simple beauty of such scenes is relatively easy if you keep a few basic concepts in mind.
Because tropical beaches have such inherent prettiness, finding attractive compositions isn’t hard. For broad views, use a wide-angle lens and look for vantage points where the curving line of the sea lures the eye into the scene–perhaps leading to a particularly attractive palm grove or a row of beached sailboats. Read the rest of this entry »