Outdoor Tips

Using a hard shell case to protect sensitive camera gear has its advantages—until you try to carry it for a few miles over rough terrain. So professional photographer Laurens Parsons, founder of RucPac, invented the Hardcase Strap system that effectively turns your hard-sided case into a backpack. This is just one of the many useful and innovative products in the RucPac photo accessory stable.

Are you tired of hearing locals say, “Shoulda been here last week,” after driving to a likely destination to view and photograph autumn foliage? Improve your odds of finding the red and orange leaves you crave by downloading the most respected nationwide fall leaf map and one of the best fall resources in the country. 

Don’t wait! Plan your fall foliage photography forays now. Here are four interactive maps that help you predict when the fall colors peak in your area, plus a recommendation of three glass screw-in camera filters that make autumn colors more vibrant.

Traveling by car, camper, camel caravan or even backpacking it on foot – you need these five important accessories. (And if you’re just hanging around the house like I am, put these accessories on the must-have list right up there with the automatic wine bottle opener and TV remote.)

When it’s cold outside, our bodies know it. If you’re like me, the agony travels from your fingers to your toes and from your ears to your nose. In that order. Warm boots, hats and earmuffs are not obstacles to creativity, but how can you use a camera with gloves on? To find out, read on…

Even if you don’t snorkel, ski or engage in any outdoor activities that can be unfriendly toward cameras, you need a ruggedized, waterproof, compact zoom that can stay in your pocket through cloudbursts, snowball fights and a capsized canoe without fret or falter. They are the SUVs of the camera world, and they’re great for younger kids, too. (And if you’re looking for a Mother’s Day, Father’s Day or Graduation gift, these cameras…

Jim Harmer didn’t start out as a travel and nature photographer. He was in law school when the photography bug bit him, and, before he knew it, he was traveling the world, capturing moments in time with his camera.