We wanted to take some time to look at our 5th year of operations for Visual Wilderness and wish you all a very happy holidays. Here are some of the highlights from this past year.
More About Our Contributing Photographers
In spite of their best efforts to portray themselves as super heroes on social media, all our contributing landscape photographers are humans that have lives beyond photography. Some of them more than others. ;) Here are interesting tidbits from our contributors:
Joshua Snow – I built a camper van, spent 220+ nights on the road, was able to travel a few times internationally, and forgot how to take photos in the process.
Christine Hauber – I competed in the National Senior Olympics and I am not even old! A few years ago they dropped the “senior” age to 50. Although I did not win any of my swimming events, I was happy that I did not come in last.
Kate Silvia – I started learning to paint! I never knew I could do this and it’s kinda blowing me away. Just goes to show… try new things… all the time! You never know what you might be capable of!
Artwork by Landscape Photographer Kate Silvia
Pro Landscape Photographer Christine Hauber participating in National Senior Olympics
Landscape photographer’s ultimate transportation by Joshua Snow
Chrissy Donadi – I had a baby in January so this has been the first year of my adult life with absolutely no travel. I remained in the same state for 365 days and have been a stay-at-home parent. After more sleep deprivation than photographing in Iceland during the months of almost 24 hours daylight, my husband and I are considering our first year as parents of a mini human somewhat successful.
Varina Patel – In 2019, I discovered that I had MS… and named it Grover. Bad Grover!! Go away Grover. So I decided to add water colors to keep my fingers active and combat the effects of MS.
How MS effected Varina Patel – Click to Play
Gaurav Mittal – 2019 was very challenging for me health-wise. Facing a very serious cervical spondylosis issue, I have been through multiple surgeries and numerous nerve block procedures. While I did not do anything outside of photography this year, I did learn something new about myself… a steel-like determination to not give up.
Lace Andersen – I became a full time photographer, got laid off, and started photographing people, weddings, and families etc. Outside of photography… I have been avidly going to yoga 4-5 days a week in hopes of touching my toes one day soon. Until then, there will be no yoga selfies.
Jay Patel – This year I decided to stop running and take up long-distance biking. Why? So I can make sure my knees don’t need replacing when I grow up. Which by the way, I don’t plan on doing as soon as I figure out how to stop time.
Bear, the super-sidekick guard dog watching over Chrissy Donadi’d tripod & camera.
Landscape photographer Jay Patel testing out new Shimoda Bag in Iceland
Travel photography from Japan by Ugo Cei
Ugo Cei – This year I started shooting film again with a large format view camera and learned how to develop it at home. I also started studying Japanese and was able to use what I learned during my first trip to Japan. I will keep studying the language in preparation for my upcoming fall colors tour of 2020. Finally, I learned how to dance… no, really!!
Most Popular Blog Posts
Oh yes… and our contributing photographers continued to create some fantastic blog posts. Below are some of the most popular with landscape photographers from all over the world in 2019 (in no particular order).
This was the second full year of a landscape photography streaming service offering for our customers. We have an excellent subscriber retention rate and continue to provide new content throughout the year. In addition, we introduced several new nature photography video tutorials that were available for free for streaming subscribers. Here are is what the customers are saying about our video tutorials:
You do a terrific job of explaining things clearly
I just wanted to let you know that I’m working my way through the Ultimate Landscape Photography Course and loving it! You do a terrific job of explaining things clearly, and you have a great onscreen
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I just wanted to let you know that I’m working my way through the Ultimate Landscape Photography Course and loving it! You do a terrific job of explaining things clearly, and you have a great onscreen presence and rapport with each other. Really enjoying it – looks like I’ll have to get Behind the Lens next… And I look forward to more after that!
Jay and Varina Patel’s Ultimate Landscape Photography Course has been a great resource to help me in my journey towards taking great photos. Their presentations are in the terrific clear, simple, engaging style that they use
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Jay and Varina Patel’s Ultimate Landscape Photography Course has been a great resource to help me in my journey towards taking great photos. Their presentations are in the terrific clear, simple, engaging style that they use in their workshops. Their content is comprehensive and includes handy tips and information that I haven’t seen elsewhere on the net.
Varina – this is EXACTLY what I have been studying these days and you have solved a huge mystery for me with this explanation of hyperfocal distance. I’m going to put your chart in my iPhone
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Varina – this is EXACTLY what I have been studying these days and you have solved a huge mystery for me with this explanation of hyperfocal distance. I’m going to put your chart in my iPhone so I have it with me when I’m out in the field.
I have used both your free and paid video tutorials. What I really like about your approach over some of the many others I have read, is that you concentrate on one small topic (such as
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I have used both your free and paid video tutorials. What I really like about your approach over some of the many others I have read, is that you concentrate on one small topic (such as hyperfocal distance). I found that I was more likely to go out and practice and thus retain what I learned better than when attacking a much broader topic.
The Creative Sharpening Class by Jay Patel enlightened me as to the different approaches to sharpening various aspects of a landscape scene. It would be an excellent class for a new student of Lightroom as well
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The Creative Sharpening Class by Jay Patel enlightened me as to the different approaches to sharpening various aspects of a landscape scene. It would be an excellent class for a new student of Lightroom as well as someone experienced who can be reminded by the very good illustrations of the various tools and the interactive potential of these tools in Lightroom. I went back over part of this tutorial several time. It is excellent.
Passionate hobbyists should follow Jay and Varina Patel
Passionate hobbyists interested in learning the technical aspects of photography in a simple and understanding way should follow Jay and Varina Patel.
Jaikumar Menon
Mumbai, India
Jay was very clear and to the point
Jay was very clear and to the point in In Sharp Focus Webinar. I learned a lot from him today and come to realize how much I don’t know.
Bob
Salida, Calif
Great and informative
Alan Shapiro‘s texture webinar was great and informative – only wish it was longer!
Susan Germyn-Francis
Florida
Alan Shapiro is an excellent teacher
Some people are gifted photographers but cannot teach. Alan Shapiro is not only extremely talented but an excellent teacher. I would take any and all of his classes.
Sue Reyman
Chicago, USA
It was excellent!
In camera exposure principles very simply explained in today’s Mastering Exposure Webinar . It was excellent!
In 2019, we expanded our video tutorial offering by becoming a multi-vendor marketplace for nature photographers. We now offer video courses from several contributing photographers on all aspects of landscape photography. Here are some of the most popular video courses from this past year...
Our latest video courses were based on fine-tuning your start-to-finish workflow for some of the most important aspects of photography. These video courses, with a razor-sharp focus on different aspects of landscape and nature photography and are sold in over 70 countries around the world.
Newsletter and Web App Notifications
We have over 46,000 subscribers for our InFocus newsletter and over 18,000 subscribers get educational content via notifications from Visual Wilderness on their mobile and desktop devices. Not surprisingly, both of these free resources have superb engagement and a worldwide audience. Here is what some of the readers have to say...
I thoroughly enjoy each Newsletter
I thoroughly enjoy each Newsletter (InFocus Nature Photography Newsletter). They have all been interesting and informative. I love the photos I’ve seen and the text describing how the shot was made. I’ve
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I thoroughly enjoy each Newsletter (InFocus Nature Photography Newsletter). They have all been interesting and informative. I love the photos I’ve seen and the text describing how the shot was made. I’ve especially enjoyed seeing and reading how the light has changed the photo, or how the different approach of Jay and Varina to the same location will result in photos that can be dramatically different.
My landscape photos have improved greatly from the help from InFocus Newsletter from Visual Wilderness.
Earl
Montgomery, Alabama
Excellent source of information and inspiration
InFocus Newsletter is an excellent source of information and inspiration, from two of my favorite photographers.
Alex
Walnut Creek, CA
InFocus Newsletter is keeping my skills sharp
I’ve been a photographer for a long time – more than 35 years. One might think that I have plenty of knowledge and I just need to apply that knowledge. With almost
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I’ve been a photographer for a long time – more than 35 years. One might think that I have plenty of knowledge and I just need to apply that knowledge. With almost every issue of InFocus Nature Photography Newsletter, I learn something new. Or at the very least, I’m reminded of something that I should have remembered but has been forgotten. InFocus Nature Photography Newsletter is keeping my skills sharp while increasing my knowledge and challenging me to seek out new photographic experiences.
Absolutely love the honesty and integrity that shines through whenever I hear Jay or Varina speak. There isn’t any of the obvious marketing of products with InFocus Nature Photography Newsletter that is
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Absolutely love the honesty and integrity that shines through whenever I hear Jay or Varina speak. There isn’t any of the obvious marketing of products with InFocus Nature Photography Newsletter that is so pervasive in other instructional websites and magazines. You are excellent instructors, motivators and inspire me to try new things in better ways. Keep up the good work and thanks for all your efforts.
InFocus Newsletter is one of the best photography magazines out there. I really get a lot out of it and enjoy reading from beginning to end.
Mary
Broke, NSW. Australia
Thank you for providing a free tool
As someone who is hopping to build a photography business I am always looking for new tips and tricks to improve my skills and expand my knowledge. I find all the articles
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As someone who is hopping to build a photography business I am always looking for new tips and tricks to improve my skills and expand my knowledge. I find all the articles inspiring and helpful. Thank you Visual Wildereness Nature Photography Newsletter for providing a free tool to help me grow my skills.
InFocus Newsletter provides great inspiration, help and source of information in easy-to-understand language for beginners like me. You gave me that little push to always have my camera with me when I’m
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InFocus Newsletter provides great inspiration, help and source of information in easy-to-understand language for beginners like me. You gave me that little push to always have my camera with me when I’m out and about. Keep up the great work!
InFocus Newsletter has been part of my educational process
For me the best parts are the InFocus Nature Photography Newsletter and the Video Tutorials. The article on how to take pictures of the stars motivated me to get out there and
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For me the best parts are the InFocus Nature Photography Newsletter and the Video Tutorials. The article on how to take pictures of the stars motivated me to get out there and try it. I bought the video series on Essential Photographic Filters which I found informative. That led me to try out your new video series on the Histogram Exposed Tutorial. InFocus Nature Photography Newsletter has been part of my educational process in my quest to improve my photography.
The topics covered in InFocus Newsletter are very helpful for us photography enthusiasts and the courses offered are precise yet highly educative, informative.
JaiKumar
Oman
What is Coming in 2020?
Throughout this coming year, we plan to create more in-depth video courses on several aspects of landscape photography. In addition, producing more on-location video courses that feature workshop-style lessons is also part of our 2020 plan.
I could startoff like this – “Seeds of Jay Patel’s appreciation for beautiful places were planted early in his childhood….” but it would get boring really fast. I will just sum it up and say that I am a Landscape and Wilderness Photographer who loves to capture dramatic light. My photographs have been published in various magazines, calendars and advertising materials throughout the world. Patience is a virtue...unless you are chasing your dreams
Wonderful that you have put this personal touch out there. May your holidays be all you want them to be and may the new year bring healing for those in need and continued enthusiasm for all the great work you do.
keith fey says:
May all of you at Visual Wilderness continue capturing the light of our wonderful World for all of us to see and dream about. May you share your knowledge with an ever widening enthralled community of like minded photographers. May you inspire the next generation to carry photography’s colors, may you return everything you have in your power to do so… to the pool of life … these wide open spaces which become rare because of their beauty and wildness…. and may you.. one and all have a very special blessed Christmas and prosperous new year… Thank you for the year gone by… too fast.. Kind regards.. Keith Fey.
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Wonderful that you have put this personal touch out there. May your holidays be all you want them to be and may the new year bring healing for those in need and continued enthusiasm for all the great work you do.
May all of you at Visual Wilderness continue capturing the light of our wonderful World for all of us to see and dream about. May you share your knowledge with an ever widening enthralled community of like minded photographers. May you inspire the next generation to carry photography’s colors, may you return everything you have in your power to do so… to the pool of life … these wide open spaces which become rare because of their beauty and wildness…. and may you.. one and all have a very special blessed Christmas and prosperous new year… Thank you for the year gone by… too fast.. Kind regards.. Keith Fey.