Photographing Wind-Swept Sand Dunes in Death Valley

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How to Leverage a Clear, Cloudless Sky in Your Landscape Photos

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Peaceful and Serene Photo Series of Death Valley’s Sand Dunes

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Photographer Captures Unique Angles of Kauai’s Diverse Landscape

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Taking the “impossible” photos of the Milky Way above the foggy Golden Gate Bridge

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Fog Allows for ‘Impossible’ Photo of Milky Way Over Golden Gate Bridge



Photographer Michael Shainblum captured what was previously thought to be impossible due to heavy light pollution: a photo of both the Golden Gate Bridge and the Milky Way together.

It takes great determination to head out in the night and patiently wait hours to photograph a landscape scene that may or may not work out in the end. Shainblum wanted to combine some iconic elements together into a photo, but getting everything to fall into place perfectly was a gamble and the idea of seeing stars and the bridge together was, to this point, a pipe dream.

But he got extremely lucky thanks to perfect conditions.

Although he has captured fog numerous times before, such as in a forest and high up in mountains, he was able to join the brightly lit Golden Gate Bridge with the normally invisible Milky Way galaxy in one photo.

Normally, the San Francisco Bay is a terrible spot to try and photograph any stars and being able to capture the Milky Way at all in this location is incredibly uncommon. Shainblum tells PetaPixel that he has visited the site countless times but always had little to no stars visible due to heavy light pollution in the area.

"I think this was the perfect balance of a few different things," he explains. "The fog was thick and low enough to really block out most of the light pollution from the city, but the fog had also traveled so far inland that it covered most of the eastern bay as well. The clouds above just the eastern side around the cities may have also helped. The last thing is the time of evening and time of the season. I was photographing the Milky Way late at night as it started to glide across the western sky, away from the city."

To make the photo, Shainblum took two rows of horizontal shots that he later stitched together in post-processing. Although at the time of capture he had no idea if it would result in a successful shot, he was pleased with what he made, especially considering the rarity of the circumstances. With the warmly lit bridge tower slightly pointing out of the thick fog on the left, the blue Milky Way delivers a contrast on the other side of the image.

The one photo wasn't the only image he captured that night. Shainblum also took a "classic view" of the iconic bridge that many enjoy photographing. In the composition, he included both bridge towers, poking out of the soft fog that completely covered the scene, and the light trails of cars driving on the road.

To get different patterns of fog and variations of car light trails, Shainblum took multiple exposures and created a photo with colorful contrasts between the warm and cool tones.

The Milky Way overlooking the hill deserved an image of its own, too. Unprepared to encounter a photo opportunity like this, Shainblum notes that photographers should take the chances when they present themselves, even if it means steering off the initial plan.

Just before calling it a day, Shainblum took the few last long exposures of the bridge tower and the fog flowing past and through the gate for a simple, minimalist scene.

For photographers who are considering capturing the Milky Way, Shainblum recommends checking the weather first, such as on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration website, noting the phase of the moon, which can be tracked using the PhotoPills app, and checking the light pollution.

When it comes to equipment, Shainblum recommends bringing a tripod and a wide lens, such as a 14mm-24mm full-frame lens, with an aperture f/2.8 or lower. In addition, a headlamp comes in handy, especially if the phone runs out of battery.

More of Shainblum’s educational and inspirational videos can be viewed on his YouTube and his photographic and video work can be found on his website and Instagram.

Image credits: Photos by Michael Shainblum.

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Photographing Fog on Both Film and Digital

For photographers curious about using either film or digital to capture foggy landscape, Michael Shainblum has put together a video showing the behind-the-scenes of using both mediums with a telephoto lens.

Shainblum, a passionate landscape photographer and filmmaker, often switches between a wide-angle and a telephoto lens, depending on the subject at hand. He has shared in the past the different ways to use a telephoto lens for landscape work, such as when shooting minimalist scenes of sand dunes or when looking for compelling and unique shots in areas that have been photographed by many, such as Yosemite National Park.

This time, when Shainblum headed up the mountains to photograph the scenic views filled with fog, he took his Sony Alpha 1 with a Sigma 100-400mm zoom lens alongside a 35mm Nikon FE camera body loaded with a roll of Portra 400 film and also equipped with a telephoto lens.

The beauty (and the challenge) of photographing fog is that the scene in front of the camera continuously changes, revealing new opportunities for compositions. As the fog passes through the trees and as the light changes, no one frame will be the same as the previous one.

Similarly, a telephoto lens, if used from a good vantage point, gives numerous ways to capture the landscape, for example by zooming in on a pattern or a particular detail that a wide lens wouldn't reach.

Long exposure creates soft blur in the fog

When photographing in foggy conditions, photographers have the choice of shooting shorter exposures to capture the texture of the fog or opting for a longer one that blurs out and softens its movement. During his trip, Shainblum experimented with both and also added his film camera to the mix to capture the exact same scene with both cameras.

Taken with Nikon FE Taken with Sony Alpha 1

Although the results delivered from both digital and film are different, the subjective preference of the medium is down to the photographer themselves. All in all, for Shainblum, the experience of photographing fog can be therapeutic, whether it is shot with a film or digital camera.

Taken with Nikon FE Taken with Sony Alpha 1

In fact, although Shainblum usually has his camera with him, there are plenty of times where the soothing experience of simply watching the changing landscape can be more than enough.

More of Shainblum’s educational and inspirational videos can be viewed on his YouTube and his photographic and video work can be found on his website and Instagram.

Image credits: All images by Michael Shainblum and used with permission.

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How to Leverage a Wide-Angle 16-35mm for the Best Seascape Photos

Photographer Michael Shainblum chose to capture photos with only his 16-35mm f/4 lens and shares how he composes his seascape images with such a wide angle and how he crops them for a polished finished photo.

Landscape photography that encompasses bodies of water can give photographers a wide range of opportunities in just one area. Photographers can choose to shoot detail up-close, such as rock and sand patterns, or opt for a wider composition that takes in more of the land, water, and the sky.

Shainblum wanted to explore the seaside with his wide-angle lens and has shared a behind-the-scenes first-person perspective. Although generally he carries a telephoto lens in his kit to give him the opportunity to create a variety of compositions, this time he constrained himself to just the wide-angle.

There is no right or wrong when it comes to picking out the type of lens for coastline photography, Shainblum tells PetaPixel.

"Part of it comes from instinct of what is happening around me and then another part of it is just what I feel like shooting," he says.

A downside to picking a telephoto lens is its weight. Having to bring two cameras, multiple lenses, and two tripods for these types of shoots, Shainblum often weighs the benefits of bringing a heavy telephoto lens with him. Having said that, the decision to leave it behind has come back to bite him many times in the past.

The weight of the equipment also comes into play when photographers want to be more adventurous and explore compositions that require climbing, for example. Shainblum found a stack of rocks that gave him a good vantage point and revealed a more unique composition than simply shooting from the coast. Photographers who try similar vantage points should note that it's important to be mindful of the tide to avoid getting stuck in high water.

Shooting with a wide-angle lens allows the inclusion of more detail in the image and gives the opportunity to later crop the photo during post-processing. In this instance, Shainblum cropped every horizontal image from 2:3 ratio to 8:10 because he felt this type of crop makes the images more impactful by removing some of the empty space on the left and right side of the image.

For vertical images -- which are his favorite for seascape work -- Shainblum left them as 2:3 ratio and included as much sky or foreground flow as possible. By comparison, he felt that cropping the vertical images would remove elements that are too important to the composition.

As Shainblum shares in his video above, landscape photography is not just a technical exercise -- it can be an emotive and relaxing experience that allows photographers to enjoy the beauty of the landscape around them, especially as the sun lights up the sky in a variety of colors.

More landscape videos like the one above can be found on Shainblum’s YouTube channel, with his photography portfolio available on his website and Instagram.

Image credits: All images by Michael Shainblum and used with permission.

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How Landscape Photographers Can Make the Most Out of Dull Lighting

Landscape photography does not always have to be about dramatic sunsets and striking light. In his latest video, photographer Michael Shainblum demonstrates how to bring out the nuanced beauty of an overcast day.

Although Shainblum is not a stranger to dramatic landscapes and certainly doesn't shy away from weather conditions that would deter most -- such as his storm and monsoon chasing adventures -- he also is appreciative of more subtle environments -- perhaps those that others might even classify as dull.

In the video above, Shainblum explains that there are times when photographers simply feel creative inspiration and want to wander out on a shoot, even though the weather and lighting conditions may not be ideal. However, there are ways that photographers can fill those days with interesting shots and find inspiration to make the most of what the landscape in front of them has to offer, despite poor lighting.

On this occasion, Shainblum decides to slow down, forego wide shots of the view, and focus on the details of the land instead. He finds that the coastal rocks are a great source of unique images and provide nuances of color, texture, pattern -- all of which can be composed in countless ways.

Details like these can be shot either handheld or on a tripod, however, for the image focus stack, Shainblum uses a tripod to make sure that every corner of the image is in focus. Shooting and studying rocks so closely can create almost unrecognizable patterns, depending on the formation and colors of the rocks, that could even be attributed to reptile skin or alien life form, says Shainblum.

After exploring the area, Shainblum located a small pool of water with a round boulder right in the middle. In this scenario, tripod is a no-go because the rocks around make it difficult terrain for a tripod to be placed on. He shoots it handheld, finding just the right angle to avoid his own reflection in the water. The resulting image makes the rocks come alive which Shainblum describes he views it as a dragon protecting their egg.

Shainblum points out that although the images may not appear dramatic, the process is all about learning to find something special in seemingly ordinary scenes. Every photographer will bring their unique vision to the table and find parts and details of the land that resonate with them.

In his video, Shainblum shares how he finds abstract compositions to create images that almost resemble paintings. Although the finished images may look simple to recreate, Shainblums says that it's a challenging yet rewarding process.

More landscape videos like the one above can be found on Shainblum’s YouTube channel, with his photography portfolio available on his website and Instagram.

Image credits: All images by Michael Shainblum and used with permission.

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Chasing Storms: Photographing a Monsoon and Dramatic Lightning

Photographer Michael Shainblum has shared the behind-the-scenes footage of capturing picturesque monsoon formations as well as a powerful and dramatic lightning storm, all shot on a Sony 16-35mm f/4 lens.

Shainblum, a landscape, timelapse and aerial photographer based in San Francisco, California, is already familiar with photographing unpredictable and at times dangerous weather conditions that nature provides. It's not something he recommends for beginners to try solo and has previously shared advice for others who are keen to attempt storm chasing.

This time, Shainblum starts out by photographing a dried-out lake bed -- also known as playa -- on a sunny day, joined by his friend, photographer, and fellow storm chaser, Nick Page. The dry weather conditions created a pattern on the ground, made out of crack formations. In an anticipation of a storm that was to come later on, Shainblum captures a few test shots and makes sure to shoot several images of the scene to stack later on.

He says that it is a good practice to take a few extra frames with different focus points -- to avoid regretting not having those additional images during post-processing -- in the scene, especially if the foreground has so much character. This also includes getting all corners tack-sharp.

As the sun starts to go down and the light illuminates the clouds, it can become overwhelming to decide what to shoot and how to shoot it because there are so many options. The key is to decide and stick with that decision. One of those options is a panorama -- as seen above -- which, in Shainblum's case, provides about 180-degrees of view and took 18 wide-angle photos to create. Shainblum also shot two rows of horizontal shots which further adds the impression of vastness in the final shot.

Storm clouds give photographers a diverse range of colors and textures to play with, Shainblum says. To make the most of the given scene, he shoots timelapses and still images, without forgetting to simply enjoy and witness the beautiful view, especially as the sunset brings dramatic sky formations.

As the sun goes down and the storm advances, Shainblum ensured that his camera was set up for a timelapse so as not to miss an important shot when the lightning starts. He says that it is important to monitor the storm and the direction it is heading in to ensure safety, which is why Shainblum and Page have previously recommended photographers to join a storm photography community or find someone who has experience in reading storms.

The night concludes with a strong rainfall, which prompts them to find a different vantage point. However, it's well worth the wait and extra effort because they are able to capture dramatic lightning strikes.

More landscape videos like these can be found on Shainblum's YouTube channel, with his photography portfolio available on his website and Instagram.

Image credits: All images by Michael Shainblum and used with permission.

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