Posts that relate to life in Israel and the beauty of nature and the Israeli landscape.
The Western Negev’s Ruchama Forest has become one of my “go to” spots for magical Israel wildflower photographs over the past several years. The prolific, red “kalanit” (anemone) is predictably spectacular and the star of the Jewish National Fund’s aptly named Scarlet South festival held each February. An outing to view Israel wildflowers has …
When preparing to photograph an event in Israel, I often don’t have much choice about the location of the photo session. Additionally, Israel event photography is fraught with challenges created by Jewish laws and customs that directly conflict with the photographer’s ability to succeed. The best example of this is that many religiously-observant couples will …
Taking the blinders off Israel event photography Read More »
There’s a powerful lesson in being able to take photographs of Jerusalem – or anywhere for that matter – in locations I can return to over and over again. Over-familiarity with a subject makes it easy to dismiss something as unaesthetic or not worth the bother to photograph. Often, we don’t see it at …
What a joy it is to make photographs of Jerusalem Read More »
I cannot recall a single occasion when I got out of bed before sunrise to make photograph almond trees in Israel when I regretted my decision. The early morning hours are full of magic, fleeting wonders of light and weather and climate that are missed when you linger between the sheets. This photograph of …
The Western Negev’s Ruchama Forest has become one of my “go to” spots for magical wildflower photographs over the past four years. The prolific, red “kalanit” (anemone) is predictably spectacular and the star of the Jewish National Fund’s aptly named Scarlet Spring Festival. Two important considerations if you plan to visit this region during the …
Much of what I have learned about the relationship between photographs and feeling – and the two are deeply connected – comes from the writing of Galen Rowell (1940-2002), a pioneer wilderness photographer and mountaineer. In an essay from his classic and still highly recommended book, “Mountain Light,” Rowell writes about his path to understanding that his …
HOW I GOT THE SHOT: It’s midnight in Paris and I’ve stepped back in time. At least a century, maybe two. I suppose if I didn’t really feel that way at times as I walk through the cobbled streets of the Old City of Tzfat, I wouldn’t imagine an image like this, no less actually …
Using selective focus to enhance your creativity One of the great joys of photography is creating images that cannot be seen with normal viewing. There are two ways of achieving this: by random experimentation or by pre-visualization and intent to create what one envisions. This photograph was made via the latter method, in an attempt …
Ten thousand cranes are a sight to behold. They honk. They wade. They preen. They fish. Mostly, though, they glide gracefully through the air as they shuttle from their roost to a nearby field where a breakfast of eight tons of corn awaits them. This daily feeding frenzy, served up by a conglomeration of government …
Editor’s Note: Although I wrote this in 2008, it could well apply to my visit last week to Tzfat and the Galilee. Anyone who encountered me toward the end of my recent three-day foray to the north would have seen the effects of rising three consecutive mornings well before dawn and schlepping my gear and …
