A beginner-friendly guide to photographing the Northern Lights—covering gear, camera settings, and simple tips to capture stunning aurora photos during Wisconsin’s active aurora season.

One of the best things to do in Glacier National Park is the Hidden Lake trail, which leads 1.5 miles into the wilderness to a hidden jewel of a glacial lake with sapphire waters nestled in emerald meadows. If you could do only one thing, photographing Hidden Lake is certainly a candidate as it rewards you not only with amazing views but wildlife. The trail starts at the back of the visitor center. Parking is usually full by 10 a.m., meaning if you don't get there early you'

This is also the perfect place to use a spot meter. I used the Sekonic L-758DR to spot meter off of the brink of the falls and open up 2.8 stops, plus polarizer compensation, to open the highlight and capture the full range of values in the scene. I can also use the light meter to meter the shadows and check the dynamic range of the scene to be sure it falls within the camera's range. It might be to your surprise that even most scenes like this, with such bright highlights, a

When I met George Lepp, Canon Explorer of Light, many years ago at a seminar, one of the questions I had then as an amateur was how to create a sun star effect. The answer was pretty straightforward, but I've added some tips. The kicker in the snow scene image is the sun star. To create an effect like this, start with a lens with a wide angle lens like 24 mm or shorter. The longer the lens, the less impact the effect will have. Start with the aperture fully closed, which

A vacation for me isn't like a vacation for everyone else. While most people think of theme parks, beaches, resorts, and lounging, I'm thinking about how I can capture the best images of the nature I love so much. In this series I share how I photographed my recent vacation to South Dakota. This isn't meant to be a complete guide to SD or how to photograph it, rather a look at my personal experiences, what I learned, and how you can bring home images more exciting than cooki