Black and white wildlife photography is a radical choice to strip the subject of its literal appearance and reveal its essence. In this article, I’ll explore how eliminating color can allow us to go beyond merely chronicling the moment in front of us, and instead embrace what I call the “Archetype.”
Photography Life
ALL ACCESS PHOTOGRAPHY LEARNING
So you may have noticed the blog has been pretty quiet now, for several months. Actually, to be straight up about it, I haven’t made a keystroke. Here at the studio, we’ve been working on a new site, and it is now up and running.
This site represents something I’ve always wanted to do. Which is, collect my thoughts, writings, video lessons, notions, rants, humorous bents, hard core tech info, lyrical expressions and flights of fancy about making pictures into one coherent, beautifully designed, easily accessible place. And it’s called Better Pictures with Joe.
This is a brand new photography community. It’s fast paced and responsive, dynamic and different than other photo sites. It’s a highly interactive two-way street consisting of pictures, and the discussion thereof. This is not passive, one-sided learning. It’s a back and forth sharing of visuals and information. And in addition to being loaded with good info, it’s fun. And responsive. Did I say that already? Pictures are shared, information exchanged, critiques and personal sessions are scheduled, livestreams dot the calendar, and the back and forth Q&A is lively indeed. We’ve just given out our very first group assignment, and it’s a corker. One of the members told me already she woke up at 4:00am thinking about how to do the job.
In short, it’s a site where you can ask questions and get answers. It’s not a pop in a quarter to the machine, pull the lever and out comes a video. It’s personal. And intriguing. And fun. Did I say that already?
It’s given me a place to hang my hat and do some real teaching and interaction with photographers, which I truly enjoy. This has always been a pass-it-on business, and this site fulfills that mandate. New lessons and videos pop up all the time. 45 years of photography in one spot.
Watch a video, and/or participate in LIVE events – webinars and critiques.
As a Community Member, you’ll get:
– Exclusive, educational photography pre-recorded VIDEO LESSONS.
– Access to member-only LIVE CRITIQUE REVIEW sessions.
– Access to member-only WEBINARS and LIVE updates.
– Access to discussion dialogues and a dynamic ACTIVITY FEED.
– Ability to purchase private 1:1 remote sessions
Plus have the chance to interact and learn from other like-minded members.
We have a Video Library of pre-recorded lessons…
Stay tuned for Member-Only LIVE updates from the road!
Hit the link, check us out. If you liked the blog, you’re gonna love Better Pictures with Joe.
More tk….
The post Better Pictures with Joe – A New Photography Community! appeared first on Joe McNally Photography.
Photography is a remarkable medium. In high-resolution photos, we can study every patch of skin, fur, or feather on an animal. High-speed burst shooting can capture fleeting moments of animal behavior in fractions of a second. What photography cannot capture, however, is sound—that vital yet invisible component of both animal and human existence without which an image may be incomplete. Today, using the example of two magnificent species of toucans inhabiting the western slopes of the Andes, I want to give you a glimpse of where photography does not tell the whole story.
Photography Life
It’s always a treat to see a good photo that employs a “visual echo” – when different parts of the photo call out to one another and make the whole composition feel interconnected. Not all scenes will have visual echoes that you can photograph, but they’re sure worth searching for.
Photography Life
Since its launch in 2021, the Nikon Z9 has received a steady stream of firmware updates that added a number of genuinely excellent features. Lately, however, it felt as if the update wind had died down—or perhaps more accurately, as if Nikon’s flagship had been sailing with partially reefed sails. Indeed, some really useful features such as the in-body focus limiter, pixel shift, or maximum aperture live view were available only on lower-tier models like the Z8 or even the Z6 III. However, firmware update 5.30—released in December of 2025—not only closes some of these gaps, but also introduces several entirely new features. In my opinion, it puts the Z9 back at the very front of the fleet.
Photography Life