Close-up wildlife encounters are one of those things you tend not to forget, especially if you’re a photographer and always have your camera at the ready. From massive bison to tiny birds, our community certainly impressed us this week with the encounters they shared for our Question of the Week series.

See below for some of those photos and stories. Even our own team got in on the fun! Click a member’s photo to see more.

Vladimir Nogin

David Lal

“I live in a rural English village which is in a national park. We get a lot of animal visitors to the garden. I care for them: feeding in the winter or offering water in our current drought. One winter morning, I was putting out the rubbish bin for collection. On turning round to walk back up the drive to the house, I noticed a young vixen on the drive staring at me. She was cold and wet – and hungry. I spoke gently to her and told her to follow me to the kitchen door. Blimey me, she did!

I keep a camera always ready. I threw her some dog biscuits, then offered her one with my left hand while my right held a Nikon D300 with an 18-35mm lens.”

Krusty79

Krusty79

“My friend and I were driving around some hills on the rural roads around Hollister, CA. We had spotted a golden eagle and had photographed it from a distance. Another golden eagle started following the first one. It must not have noticed us, because it came over a small hill right towards us! It got so close that my camera couldn’t focus on it. If I didn’t have my camera, I might have been close enough to touch a wingtip.”

dgbinpc

dgbinpc

“My first trip to Yellowstone National Park in winter was amazing. Snow everywhere. Bison covered in snow. Pillows of white piled along the rivers. It was a trip that exceeded all my expectations. We were told we might see wolves, and we did – miles away, through a spotting scope. It was exciting, but hardly intimate.

A few years later, I returned to Yellowstone in winter. As our snowcoach took us into the park from West Yellowstone, our driver pointed out wolf tracks that left the roadway and climbed the hillside beside us. He suggested we drive a little farther down the road. Maybe, if we were lucky, we would see them.

And see them we did. The wolves emerged from the trees several hundred yards behind us and dropped onto the groomed road. Apparently, the road was a pretty good travel route for them, too.”

RichDitch

RichDitch

“I had been in Arizona a bit over one year when there was a surprising report of an Eared Trogon seen about 2 hours north of Phoenix along Christopher Creek. Elegant Trogons are sparse nesters in southern AZ; Eared Trogons are very rare vagrants near the border with Mexico.

I had to go to Christopher Creek, hoping to see the reported bird. I waited around with a few other birders for over an hour after they had given up when I heard an unfamiliar call. I looked up in the tree I was standing under, and there it was! This is my best shot of the bird, on Fuji slide film with an N90 (probably) and my manual focus Nikkor 400 F5.6.

The species is now known as the Eared Quetzal. This shot was used as the Cover of the Western Birds Journal.”

CaseyD

FujiRon

“When my girlfriend and I moved from a small town in California to an even smaller town in rural Oregon, we were amazed by the amount of wildlife that came out of the forest and wetlands behind our home. We’ve had Black Bear, Bobcat, Black-tailed Deer, Coyote, Raccoons, too many species of birds to account for, frogs, snakes, newts, and who knows what else goes through at night.

As a cat owner, I particularly enjoyed my backyard encounter with a young Bobcat that stopped to pose for pictures, eventually got bored, and walked back into the forest.”

elliottnewcomb

elliottnewcomb

“I stepped out of my front door, exactly when the cicadas came out of the ground, emerged from their shells, and were drying their wings, so I could get within inches of them. I used a Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 M1 – close focus and no macro setting or macro lens.”

fuji_phile_e

fuji_phile_e

“Being an inner-city dweller, we don’t see much other than gulls, sparrows, blackbirds and jackdaws on a regular basis, though I sometimes see various tits, occasional dunnock and robins, and once a dinky Eurasian wren.

I’m sharing some juvenile jackdaw images here. It was waiting for its mam, by the looks of it. I kept out of sight to avoid stressing it, using a window angled obliquely to obscure me, my XF100-400mm on my X-T3 poking under the window.

This first pic is what I call the Marilyn Monroe shot.”

Nigelpitt13

Nigelpitt13

“While on an early morning walking safari in Southern Africa, I came across four young cheetahs in my path approximately thirty yards from me. I was standing in long grass because there had been heavy rain the previous week. I stopped, raised my camera lens and focused on the Cheetah closest to me. The Cheetah stopped in the open and stood and looked straight at me while I took a few shots. I then focused on the others as they made their way down to the open riverbed and crossed into Botswana.

A beautiful moment in close contact. Luckily, there were no lions, leopards, or hyenas nearby (The cheetah would’ve known). In a matter of minutes, all four cheetahs had moved off. Two things one never does when encountering wild animals: never show fear (they can sense it); two, never ever run (they’ll see you as prey).”

FuhTeng

FuhTeng

“My family and I (wife and two pre-teen boys) had a wonderful road trip to Grand Teton National Park (and then Yellowstone and then Badlands) this summer. We kept hearing from everyone about how they’d seen bears, but we hadn’t seen one yet. We were in the Colter Bay visitor center area and went for a hike, knowing there was a grizzly who’d been around the area. We hoped to see him from a nice, safe distance.

I was grumpy from not seeing a bear, and tired and warm from the hike, so I just wanted to get back to the car. At that moment, I came to a land bridge between the near-island we’d hiked around and the mainland. It’s only a few yards wide, maybe 8 or 9, when THIS appears. I didn’t believe it at first. I remember pausing and going, “That’s not real.” Then instincts took over, and I dropped to my knee and got my long lens up for a couple of shots.

Then I realized – THERE’S NO WHERE TO GO. He’s coming right at us…”

BenGauthier

BenGauthier

“I spent the summer in a coastal small town of Britanny, Trébeurden. I like to fish nearly every day. For a couple of years, I have been admiring seals that live on rocks around the location, 1 mile from the coast. It seems that they became used to my small boat. On the first encounter, they were difficult to see from less than 150 feet away. This year, they stay on their rocks even though I can see them from 50 feet away.

Here is a picture taken with a 100 mm equivalent (Sony RX100). One of the seals came close to the boat. These animals are beautiful and sometimes noisy, and their song sounds like a wolf’s.”

There are many other photos that we unfortunately couldn’t fit into this article. They all deserve praise and to be seen, so be sure to visit the forum discussion. Thanks to everyone who took the time to step outside and capture the unique wildlife encounters of your region.

We’re celebrating Save Your Photos Month in September with a new type of photo-taking mini-challenge. We’d love for you to participate to show off your photography.

Save Your Photos Month is all about treasuring life’s moments and experiences captured in your photography, whether they are mundane, magical or melancholic. Expect this mini-challenge to support this idea throughout the month as we reveal daily challenge updates.

Here’s how it will work

Every 48-hours this September, we’ll announce a new photo theme. Your challenge: shoot and upload a matching photo to our community album before the period ends. At the end of the month, we’ll feature our favorite photos in a front-page DPReview spotlight.

The photo album we create at the start of the mini-challenge will be the same one you use for submitting each period’s themed photo. As soon as we announce the update for the new period, submissions will no longer be possible. Think of it as an advent calendar of sorts, where we reveal the next period’s theme every 48-hours.

We will reveal the next theme at 8pm PDT / 3 am UTC, 48-hours after the prior one (see schedule below).

Steps to share your photos

• Stand by for the 48-hour’s announcement here on this post (see the schedule below).
• Take a photo that supports the theme. It must be taken during that period.
• Upload that photo to the shared album with at least a one-sentence caption. Feel free to write more if you have a story to tell.
• Feel free to announce your photo upload and discuss the mini-challenge below (but please only share the actual photo in the album).

Notice: If you are a new forum member, you need TWO normal posts before you can upload photos to the album.

That’s it!

To share your photos outside of the forums and on social media, be sure to use the hashtag #SaveYourPhotosMonth. DPReview has an Instagram channel you can mention as well (thank you).

Daily theme reveals

Watch here daily at 7 pm PDT / 3 am UTC to see the next 48-hour’s theme announced.

We’ve already revealed the opening theme, so you can prepare to upload once the album opens on that morning:

• September 1: What’s on your dinner plate
• 3: Something interesting on or around the outside of your home
• 5: When the light hits just right (indoor photo of an amazing lighting and shadow scene)
• To continue…

We’re excited to see your photos, so get ready for Tuesday’s mini-challenge kick-off. Have fun!

Meet Lester Lefkowitz

Home base: New York State, USA

Community member Lester Lefkowitz is a frequent contributor to two notable DPReview forums: Fujifilm X System Talk and Macro & Still Life Photography. Once we told him that his photography and story would be featured, he also provided a really great look at his gear, which you can check out below. His gear bag has one of the most unique spreads of accessories we’ve seen yet in this series.

“A moderator of the Fujifilm X System Talk forum asked me to create a special post about the automatic focus bracketing feature of Fuji cameras, so I was happy to oblige. I enjoy discussing photography and showing my work in the community.”

Our ‘What’s in your bag?’ community spotlight series features readers sharing their favorite gear and photography, including from past DPReview collaborators. See below for what Lester has to share.

How did you get started as a photographer?

Lester Lefkowitz

“I taught myself photography while working on my college yearbook. After graduate school, I ran a technical and scientific photography service at a university with occasional needs for macro photography.

Eventually, I transitioned to teaching at the college level, then became the Director of Education at The International Center of Photography, and eventually went into commercial photography (30 years), specializing in industrial, scientific and medical fields (again with an occasional need for macro work).

Along the way, I was recommended to write a major textbook on macro photography (the bestseller in the Popular Photography Book Club, back in the day). Recently, I decided to make a total rewrite of the macro book, resulting in the recently published two-volume set The Manual of Close-Up and Macro Photography, Volumes I & II, which has become the definitive work in the field.”

What’s in Lester’s bag

Lester Lefkowitz

Favorite cameras(s): Fujifilm X-T4

Favorite lens(s): Fujifilm 80mm macro, 18-55mm, 70-300mm,
Fujifilm 1.4X and 2X teleconverters and a Laowa 65mm 2X macro

Must-have accessories: “I laid out in the photo all of the main accessories I will consider taking with me on a photography trip. There’s quite a bit of stuff, so here’s the list for your perusal:

• Raynox DCR-150 and DCR-250 achromat close-up filters and adapter rings
• Godox V350 flash with a X2T wireless remote and spare batteries
• Swebo focusing slide
• Vello mini-softbox for flash
• Gitzo carbon fiber tripod
• Benro geared head
• SmallRig cage
• Wired remote shutter release
• Bracket with a magic arm for off-camera flash
• And a bunch of plant ties, garden snips, a homemade adjustable ground-level pod and a rocket blower.

Not shown in the photo above: ThinkTank backpack (at least 25 years old) and even more miscellaneous items: paper towels, lens wipes, sweatband, sun hat, water bottle and insect repellent.”

Do you recognize these accessories and have them in your gear bag?

What do you like to shoot?

Lester Lefkowitz

“I spent many years with film, and then digital changed everything (I was a very early adopter), especially the ability for immediate feedback. As digital technology progressed, high ISO has become a godsend, as has modern noise reduction and sharpening. Though focus stacking is really the greatest thing to happen to macro photography since the invention of color film.

Macro photography requires patience – lots of it. Another strategy for getting a good photo is to experiment with the same subject, studying it from different angles and magnifications. DPReview folks: if you’re interested, I would be happy to provide examples!”

What draws you to Costa Rica?

Lester Lefkowitz

“Anything small is of interest. As you can see in the photographs I am sharing with you today, I enjoy taking close-up photos of insects and flowers, as well as seashells, minerals and fungi. Nature is amazing and infinitely interesting. But there are lots of things around the house that look pretty cool too when photographed close-up, like food.

There are interesting and unexpected things to photograph all over the world. Some worry that inclement weather will get in the way of their experience, but even then, there are many great subjects I can photograph indoors. When the weather is good, I go to Costa Rica. The variety of flora and fauna is extraordinary there – just be careful exploring around, as there are critters out to get you.”

Take a moment to visualize the scene

Lester Lefkowitz

“As I said before, macro photography requires patience – it cannot be done well casually. There is no such thing as a poor macro lens, and old macro lenses are often a bargain. Just start with an inexpensive set of close-up filters to see if you like the endeavor.”

Lester really enjoyed participating in this spotlight article and would love to hear what you think of his photography and to answer any of your questions in the comments below.

You can check out Lester’s other work at macrophotographer.net.

Editor’s note: This article continues a series, ‘What’s in your bag?’, highlighting DPReview community members, their photography and the gear they depend on. Would you like your photography to be featured in a future installment? Tell us a bit about yourself by filling out this form.

For several years, I lived in the western part of Austin, TX. A beautiful area covered with forested rolling hills and a couple of big lakes. It’s close enough to the edge of town that local wildlife sometimes walks right up to your front door.

A beautiful wildlife encounter happened to me a few years ago during a once-in-a-century snowfall across the area. Intending to shovel the walkway to the road, I opened the front door, and right there was an adult doe (a female deer) and two of her fawns, sheltering from the weather. Unfortunately, they bolted as soon as they saw me, so I never had a chance to take a photo.

Yesterday, we published an article about the National History Museum’s Wildlife Photographer of the Year sneak peek of the 100 winning images of this year’s contest. To celebrate the amazing talent in the wildlife photography community, as expressed in places like the history museum mentioned above, we want to see your unique and artistic captures of local fauna.

So, with that said…

What interesting, and perhaps even unexpected, wildlife have you encountered?

Special thanks to community member swimmy for allowing us to use one of his Yellowstone National Park photos as the lead article image. It’s a majestic depiction of a bison, one of the park’s flagship wildlife encounters.

Drop a reply in the comments section below, and if you’ve got a photo to include from your mentioned forum sections, it may be selected for next week’s showcase article on this topic!

Meet Johan O E

Home base: Sweden

Community member Johan O E, known as Ocoloy in the forums, has a passion for minimalist black-and-white photography. Many of his photos are portraits of ordinary people going about their daily lives, each with a unique angle that tells a particular part of their story.

“Since as long as I can remember, I´ve been in love with photography. From the album covers I saw as a child in the 80s to the surf and music magazines in the 90s. I´ve been photographing for nearly 30 years, but the last 15 years have been more intense. My dad is a photographer as well, but he has never influenced me in any form when it comes to photography. I was never allowed to use his cameras.”

Our ‘What’s in your bag?’ community spotlight series features readers sharing their favorite gear and photography, including from past DPReview collaborators. See below for what Johan has to share.

What draws you to a minimalist view?

Johan O E

“I shoot whatever inspires me. Preferably, there needs to be a person in the shot, but some of my best shots are free from people. I tend to go more for a minimalistic black-and-white vibe when I’m out and about. Been photographing all over the world. New Zealand has been my favorite by far. I also love portraits and candid moments.

I am in my third year with one camera, one lens, and a one-year project, OCOLOY. This time it is the Nikon ZF and the Voigtlander 40mm F1.2, and I only shoot in black and white. Accepts 36 images in color. I made a list of 36 things I love, which I will later print in color A4 and save.”

I like rough, wild and different environments. From stormy seas to deep jungles or the backstreets of towns in Europe.”

What’s in Johan’s bag

Johan O E

Favorite cameras(s): Nikon Zf

Preferred camera bag: “I carry with me the simplest Caselogic bag available on the market. It has just enough space for the camera and barely anything more. I have two different camera bag setups, depending on my mood. My main bag is just my camera, an extra battery, a CPL and a mist filter. If I am out working, I also bring my tablet for editing and an Instax printer for special moments to give away prints.”

Must-have accessories: “I always bring music. I make playlists for different moods and photowalks. In fact, I am recording a song about photography at the moment in my recording studio. I got a crystal from a chandelier and sometimes put it in front of my lens to create different images. I try to carry as little as possible when I am out and about.”

Why is New Zealand on your visit list?

Johan O E

“I have been on the road for the past 26 years, spending many years in New Zealand, Spain and Sweden. I’ve seen remote places in Asia, done a total of 12 months of van trips throughout Europe, spent 5 months in Sri Lanka, and taken surf trips to Hawaii and the Lofoten Islands. My most memorable photography trip was probably the COVID year, when I was 6 months into my time in New Zealand. I made a bucket list and got most of the shots, which later on boosted my photography career.”

Any strategies you’d pass along to your fellow photographers?

Johan O E

“It builds confidence to capture something unique and what I have not seen before. I use my eyes rather than predefined or scripted techniques. I almost always shoot in M mode, mostly with manual lenses, to create exactly what I want. I want a photograph to create emotions and make people look again.”

Photograph what you love and do not photograph purely for likes. Also, a good professional photography lesson will give you way more than any new camera or lens.”

Do you peer into Johan’s photos and see another person’s unique life looking back at you? He enjoyed participating in this spotlight article and would love to hear what you think of his photography in the comments below.

You can check out Johan’s other work at www.stayuntilforever.com,

Editor’s note: This article continues a series, ‘What’s in your bag?’, highlighting DPReview community members, their photography and the gear they depend on. Would you like your photography to be featured in a future installment? Tell us a bit about yourself by filling out this form.

We love to celebrate world events and special days as they approach. Last Friday, we asked the community what type of landscapes are near them and to share a photo with the rest of us. A key objective of the ask was to take a fresh photo only after our announcement. We wanted to see what people experience right outside their doors. It’s always fun to see the different places our community calls home.

“The journey of preserving images in time, which began with the invention of the daguerreotype, has evolved to the point where even the fleeting fury of lightning can be captured and immortalized. It bears witness to a powerful response from nature in an age when urban sprawl narrows the sky, and concrete stands in opposition to the natural world. The photograph makes visible the striking encounter between humanity’s desire to reshape nature and nature’s enduring power to remind us of its presence.” – Hicret

Here are some of the photos and comments they shared. Even our own team got in on the fun! Click each photo to see more within the forum conversation.

Vladimir Nogin

Vladimir Nogin

Ofer Agiv

Ofer Agiv

DNZM

DNZM

Slass

Slass

gpwitteveen

gpwitteveen

CaseyD

CaseyD

keepreal

keepreal

Joe Explore Photography

Joe Explores Photography

Abby Ferguson

Abby Ferguson

tranceliner

tranceliner

Gayle159626

Gayle159626

leunam

leunam

There are so many other photos we couldn’t fit in this article that are shared in the forums. While not all met the requirements for inclusion in this article, they all deserve praise. Thanks to everyone who took the time to step outside and capture the unique landscapes of your region.

Feel free to share your local landscapes to continue to celebrate the day with us. We can’t wait to see more!

Want to stay up to date on the latest product news and releases? Add DPReview as a preferred source to ensure our independent journalism makes it to the top of your Google search results.

Getty Images

Attention photographers: Wednesday, August 19th, is World Photography Day!

World Photography Day is a global celebration that honors Louis Daguerre‘s invention of the daguerreotype.

In 1884, George Eastman of Rochester, NY, helped advance photography by developing a practical, flexible roll film, building on earlier photographic processes. Rather than relying on heavy glass or metal plates, Eastman’s approach used a light-sensitive gelatin emulsion on a paper backing – an early flexible film, though not yet the transparent film we know today.

Just a few years later, in 1888, Eastman introduced the Kodak camera, helping make photography accessible to a much wider audience.

If you want to learn more about the origins of the World Photography Day, check out our article from last year’s mini-challenge.

Take a landscape photo and celebrate with us

We’ve decided to celebrate World Photography Day by taking pictures, and we’re challenging you to do the same. But this time, have the photo represent your local landscapes.

• Take a new photo representing your local landscapes sometime after this announcement. Landscapes can mean anything from mountains, an urban park environment, an interesting retention pond, or even something in your backyard.
• Submit your photo in a comment reply below. Tell us something about it (at least 25 words), along with what camera you used.
• Photos need to be submitted by 12pm PT / 3pm ET / 7pm UTC on Monday, August 17th, to be considered for inclusion in our honorary photo album.
• Please only submit 1 or 2 photos

That’s it! We’ll pick our favorites and publish them in an exclusive album on the DPReview homepage next week, along with similar photos taken by DPReview’s staff. The article will also be mentioned in an upcoming newsletter.

You can use any camera or technique, but if you manage to shoot a daguerreotype between now and then, we can pretty much guarantee your submission will be selected.

Bring on the photos!

Meet Mikael Aguirre

Home base: Paris, France

Community member Mikael Aguirre, known as Orioto in the forums, loves hanging out among the crowds in his local area of Paris, France. The streets are where his photography comes alive. In the following chat we had with Mikael, it quickly became clear that the excitement and unpredictable nature of a crowd brings up some great opportunities for unplanned but unique photography.

“I studied cinema at university, and as I had bought a Canon EOS 550D for that filming need, I figured I would try photography one day out of curiosity. Love at first sight. I then started documenting my experiences, and soon after, fell in love with French humanist photographers and street photography. I also experiment a lot with video too.”

Our ‘What’s in your bag?’ community spotlight series features readers sharing their favorite gear and photography, including from past DPReview collaborators. See below for what Andrew has to share.

How did you get started as a street photographer?

Mikael Aguirre

“I love to shoot in Paris, as there is a special sort of photography history there. Now I love to shoot young people being alive and messy. Seeing the motion and excitement is rejuvenating. To me, the mixed kids playing with cardboard in Robert Doisneau’s 50’s-era photography are teens and young adults being crazy in the street nowadays.

To illustrate the point, the above photo shows teens running in the middle of the road after PSG won the Champions League. I have others where teens are diving in the Canal St Martin (which is against the law).”

What’s in Mikael’s bag

Mikael Aguirre

Favorite cameras(s): Sony A7III with a Sony FE 35mm F1.8 lens

Preferred camera bag: “I carry with me the simplest Caselogic bag available on the market. It has just enough space for the camera and barely anything more.”

Must-have accessories: “An umbrella sometimes, because the rain always seems to surprise. And of course any snacks that I can get my hands on.”

For these spotlights, we often receive long lists of cameras, lenses and all sorts of accessories. But sometimes we’re surprised by the simplicity of a photographer’s setup, reminding us that great photography doesn’t necessarily require fancy equipment.

How has your photography changed since University?

Mikael Aguirre

“I love to shoot events where people get wild, and whenever Paris gets different, unique. It can be heavy rain, snow, pride or anything.

“At first, I was mimicking old black and white photos, trying to find humanist type stuff, such as cute and melancholic. I needed years and years to discover and appreciate modern street photography.

I started wanting to get closer, wider, with less blur and more colors in my photos. It isn’t just for aesthetics, but cause I realized that’s what humanism should be nowadays. Nothing artificial or dated, it should be raw and make you feel like you’re there in the scene. So, I went from a 70-300mm to an 85mm, and several other sizes. I found that 28mm is too wide for how I want to fill the frame.”

How do you optimize for a great shot?

Mikael Aguirre

“I’m not yet an expert in the Webb-type multilayered approach, and my photography is subject-centered rather than visually driven. By that, I mean I’m not necessarily looking for visuals; I’m looking for interesting subjects or moments. Then I try to create the best visual I can with them, depending on the subject.”

“I rely quite a bit on intuition. I’ll try to frame my subject in a way that allows the surroundings to contribute to the overall effect I intend, but most of the time I shoot very quickly, so I can’t really focus on everything unless I’m in a slower situation. It’s more about optimizing on the fly and relying on quick intuition.

Also, I tend to move very quickly to find a better angle. The goal is to make things like figure-to-ground relationships, the rule of thirds and the golden ratio automatic enough that they appear naturally in your mind without requiring too much conscious thought.”

Why street photography?

Mikael Aguirre

“I think street photography was born from literally documenting the streets, and it feels a little narrow when some intellectuals want to turn it into something more abstract. You can’t remove the core idea from something and then say that’s what it is now.

Street photography has become a niche bubble, but photographs that stand the test of time generally show us something. They aren’t just the product of an aesthetic challenge. As for me, I’m going to keep documenting life in Paris!”

Mikael enjoyed participating in this spotlight article and would love to hear what you think of his photography. He’s happy to answer any of your questions in the comments below.

You can check out Mikael’s other work on Instagram @oriotophotography.

Editor’s note: This article continues a series, ‘What’s in your bag?’, highlighting DPReview community members, their photography and the gear they depend on. Would you like your photography to be featured in a future installment? Tell us a bit about yourself by filling out this form.

I’m a big history buff when it comes to all things civilization, so I was excited when a community member suggested we ask everyone who their biggest photography inspiration is. The question initially got me thinking about the deep history of cameras and how our use of them can shape future generations, so I took our community member’s advice last week and asked you all who inspires you.

Today, we’re sharing some of the results of that conversation, which is still ongoing in the forums. I encourage you to jump in and join the conversation with your own inspiring stories.

Inspiration from family

Inspiration can come from many sources. As was anticipated, many folks thought of their parents, or a friend or colleague.

Sergii Lakhno: When I was a kid, one of my dad’s friends was a professional photographer and worked for the news agency, who taught me a lot. Actually, he taught me everything, starting from EV choosing and ending with composition, light settings and more. Working on the big events or in the studio, I always remember his advice and follow it.

Inspiration from famous photographers

Photography’s greats were also mentioned. Topping the list was Ansel Adams, the American landscape photographer and environmentalist best known for his black-and-white photographs of the American West. Close behind was Galen Rowell, an American wilderness photographer and mountaineer. Both have helped shape our community’s perception of great photography.

sirhawkeye64: Ever since I was a kid, I liked to take pictures. When I feel like I’m not making much progress on some days, I remember something many photographers have said over and over again: not every shot has to be a hero shot, and if you’re not making mistakes, you’re not trying. My favorite quote, though, is from Ansel Adams: “Twelve significant photographs in any one year is a good crop. [“crop” meaning selection]”

Ernst Haas

Your stories

Here are several other community stories that mention over a dozen famous photographers, ranging from 1950s magazine portraits to 2026 Instagram hits.

Klaus dk: My first thought was Annie Leibovitz for making the iconic picture of Whoopi Goldberg in the bath of milk, and Gregory Heisler for his magazine portraits. Then it dawned on me that the inspiration from those top-shelf photographers (and I have an even longer list) all filter down to my level through layers of professional fashion and portrait photographers that are only known in small circles.

T-Schaeffer: Henry Turner. I’ve been following his YouTube channel for several years. Henry’s photography skills, combined with his infectious enthusiasm for the art, have inspired me to improve. I appreciate his down-to-earth approach and personable live-time narrative style. It makes one feel like they’re right there with him, experiencing the realities and joys of landscape photography.

egk4260: Bill Fuller, my science teacher near retirement in the late 1960’s. As a side project, Mr. Fuller got me interested in the basics of optics and film. We even did work in his home darkroom. Imagine the teacher who dared, or the parent who allowed that in the current era! My favorite early image, a surprisingly detailed image of the house across the road, was taken with a pinhole camera, a shoebox with a pinhole in the aluminum foil aperture.

Nicolas Alexander Otto: First, I would cite Kilian Schönberger, one of my photography colleagues and friends, who pretty much influenced a whole new style during the early days of Instagram. I do not share his stylistic trades even though we work together, but simply because I think his work ethic is absolutely commendable.

RetCapt: When I started in photography, I was living on the Monterey Peninsula in Calif. Despite being brand new and limited to 35mm film, I was drawn to the works of Adams, Edward Weston and the others who were part of the F64 group. Their images had to be razor-sharp, which meant maximum depth of field. I started making my own prints, using a great old Leitz Focomat 1c enlarger. The die was cast for me then.

Galen Rowell

Dale Baskin: I’ve loved cameras my entire life. In at least half the photos from my childhood, I’m holding some type of camera. Growing up, I took photos for years and loved it – some of them were even pretty good – but beyond trying to take great photos, I never quite figured out what to do with photography.

When I got older and started reading books and magazines about photography, I instantly fell in love with Galen Rowell’s work. He wasn’t just a photographer: he was a skilled writer and a legitimate explorer, one who went on expeditions and made first ascents of Himalayan peaks. He was doing the things I dreamed of: exploring remote places, taking photos, and writing about them.

But perhaps the most important thing I learned from Rowell is that it’s not enough just to get a nice photo or visit an unexplored place. You have to tell the story. Whether it’s a photo essay, an article, or some other medium, the story is what matters and what people remember.

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