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:
Great and informative
Alan Shapiro‘s texture webinar was great and informative – only wish it was longer!
Susan Germyn-Francis
Florida
Very informative and well presented
In Sharp Focus Webinar was very informative and well presented.
Gavin Stuart
Chatham, Ontario, Canada
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!
I love Alan Shapiro‘s energy and enthusiasm for his subject. He brings inanimate objects to life and exposes their soul.
Alison Tinson
United Kingdom
In Sharp Focus Webinar was informative
In Sharp Focus Webinar was informative and gave me a better understanding and appreciation of some sharpening techniques available in software I use, but that I haven’t utilized before.
Paul
Norman, Oklahoma
The material is presented in easy-to-digest
I have been using filters for many years and still learned a number of helpful tidbits of information I didn’t already know or hadn’t thought about from the Essential Filters Course. The material is presented in
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I have been using filters for many years and still learned a number of helpful tidbits of information I didn’t already know or hadn’t thought about from the Essential Filters Course. The material is presented in easy-to-digest segments of video that you can sit down and watch all of back-to-back, or if you only have a few minutes you can watch them one at a time. The way the segments are divided makes it easy to go back and find specifics you want to review.
I have been enjoying your videos from Hyperfocal Distance and The Ultimate Landscape Photography Courses. And I must say you – Jay and Varina – explain photography really well. And I love the humour that you
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I have been enjoying your videos from Hyperfocal Distance and The Ultimate Landscape Photography Courses. And I must say you – Jay and Varina – explain photography really well. And I love the humour that you guys bring.
What a refreshing approach in an ever changing industry!
I have been an outdoor photographer for 25 years and really enjoy tuning in to Varina and Jay’s tutorials, they are leading the way with their technical knowledge and philosophy on composition, what a refreshing approach
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I have been an outdoor photographer for 25 years and really enjoy tuning in to Varina and Jay’s tutorials, they are leading the way with their technical knowledge and philosophy on composition, what a refreshing approach in an ever changing industry!
I really enjoyed the Behind the Lens course. It is the best of all the courses you’ve made. I own every one of your webinars and courses and this one was as intuitive as any of
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I really enjoyed the Behind the Lens course. It is the best of all the courses you’ve made. I own every one of your webinars and courses and this one was as intuitive as any of them.
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.
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...
Easy to follow and understand information
I love the easy to follow and understand information that Free Nature Photography Newsletter provide. It’s helped me tremendously as I am constantly trying to improve on the photos I take. Your post
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I love the easy to follow and understand information that Free Nature Photography Newsletter provide. It’s helped me tremendously as I am constantly trying to improve on the photos I take. Your post processing tips are awesome. Delivery to my email makes it very easy to read, whether I’m in the office or traveling.
I have enjoyed Infocus Newsletter and have learn much that has enhanced my enjoyment and technical skills. Keep up the great work.
Richard
Chattanooga, TN, USA
Helpful for us photography enthusiasts
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
I love the relaxed way you tell your stories
I love the relaxed way you tell your stories in InFocus Newsletter, and your wonderful pictures.
Gert
Denmark
I am really enjoying them
I have only recently started reading your InFocus Nature Photography Newsletter and looking at your Youtube Videos and I am really enjoying them and find them very helpful. Many Thanks!
Margaret
Ireland
Appeals to both experienced photos as well as newbie
InFocus Newsletter is an exciting publication that appeals to both experienced photos as well as newbie… always clear and to the point.
Roy
Kentucky, USA
Inspirational in every way
InFocus Nature Photography Newsletter is inspirational in every way, jaw dropping photos, quality advice and its free!
Marshall
England
It’s full of useful and well-presented info
The site is a pleasure to view and read, and it’s full of useful and well-presented info. The photos, of course, are a great source of inspiration. We always look forward to
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The site is a pleasure to view and read, and it’s full of useful and well-presented info. The photos, of course, are a great source of inspiration. We always look forward to receiving our InFocus Nature Photograph Newsletter updates, and we saved each one for future reference.
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.
InFocus Newsletter is an excellent source of information and inspiration, from two of my favorite photographers.
Alex
Walnut Creek, CA
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.