RSS Feed- It Can Take Decades September 22, 2024Sometimes it can take years to get a picture. This photograph took over two decades. Continue reading → The post It Can Take Decades appeared first on The Heart of Nature™ by Mike MacDonald.Mike MacDonald
- Winter Red January 31, 2024Winter Red So far this winter, the magic of frozen white was nowhere to be found. So, I tried to photograph it, anyway. With dense fog predicted for the morning of Dec. 24, I visited Illinois Beach Nature Preserve in … Continue reading → The post Winter Red appeared first on The Heart of Nature™ […]Mike MacDonald
- From Dreary to Dreamy February 11, 2022From Dreary to Dreamy Just in case you’re unaware, all of my images are available as big, beautiful photographic prints. More than just pretty, they tell elaborate stories that celebrate Chicago’s wondrous habitats and inhabitants. Click here for more information. … Continue reading → The post From Dreary to Dreamy appeared first on The Heart […]Mike MacDonald
- Sometimes You Just Need A Little Distance February 11, 2022Sometimes You Just Need A Little Distance The great blue heron is one of Chicago’s most recognizable and elusive birds. Pass by any wetland, and you’ll probably see one off in the distance, hunting motionless, like a statue in the … Continue reading → The post Sometimes You Just Need A Little Distance appeared first […]Mike MacDonald
- The Extraordinary in the “Ordinary” February 3, 2022The Extraordinary in the “Ordinary” I am both haunted and fascinated by a phrase that’s often used to praise and describe my work. It all came to a head one day after I performed my one-man show about Chicago nature. … Continue reading → The post The Extraordinary in the “Ordinary” appeared first on The […]Mike MacDonald
- The Boy and the Waterfall: A Photographer’s Story and Message of Hope January 1, 2021The Boy and the Waterfall: A Photographer’s Story and Message of Hope I’d like to end the year with a message of hope by sharing this inspirational story from my experience in nature as a photographer. There once was a … Continue reading → The post The Boy and the Waterfall: A Photographer’s Story and […]Mike MacDonald
- Light in Landscape Photography: A Matter of Life & Depth June 25, 2014Good light can bring shape and depth to a photograph. In particular, low side-lighting or “glancing light” can be used to transform your landscape photographs and make them come to life. In Photo A (below), the feathery June grass, yellow flowers of hoary … Continue reading → The post Light in Landscape Photography: A Matter of Life & […]Mike MacDonald
- Landscape Photography: Use Your Mind’s Eye June 13, 2014A photograph is a facsimile of reality and our experience. Sometimes it represents the moment quite accurately; at other times, quite poorly. Landscape photography can be more like the latter. This article is about how to photographically communicate the drama and the … Continue reading → The post Landscape Photography: Use Your Mind’s Eye appeared first on […]Mike MacDonald
- Landscape Photography: Sometimes It Just Takes Two May 13, 2014Landscape photography sometimes requires two shots to capture the drama of a single scene. Here in the woodlands of Will County, this afternoon landscape of bluebells along the stream would have been impossible to convey with just one photograph. Those who … Continue reading → The post Landscape Photography: Sometimes It Just Takes Two appeared first […]Mike MacDonald
- The Digital Darkroom: Image Capture is Only the Beginning November 20, 2013Like it or not, capturing the image with your camera is only the beginning. Digital darkroom work is needed to best convey the truth of your experience. That’s because, straight out of your camera, digital images are inherently flat, lacking the … Continue reading → The post The Digital Darkroom: Image Capture is Only the Beginning […]Mike MacDonald
- It Can Take Decades September 22, 2024
Category Archives: Chicago Nature
On the Coldest Days, Winter Plays
There were some very cold days last week and most people stayed inside, but I know better. Because, it is on the coldest days when winter plays and her plans change to mischief and whimsy. After years of winter photography, I still never know … Continue reading
Posted in Chicago Nature, Digital Photography, DuPage County Nature, Illinois Nature Photography, Nature, Nature Photography, Photography Lessons
Tagged Animal Tracking, Closeup Photography, Cold Weather Photography, Forest Preserve District of DuPage County, Ice Photography, Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve, Winter Photography
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New Nature Photography Blog: A Celebration of Biodiversity & The Art of Nature Photography
It’s a new day and a new year, and with them come a fresh new resource, a nature photography blog that speaks to the avid photographer and the lover of nature. I call it: The Heart of Nature. The purpose of this blog is to share my insights about photography … Continue reading
Posted in Biodiversity, Chicago Nature, Cook County Nature, Digital Photography, Ecological Restoration, Film Photography, Illinois Nature Photography, Landscape Photography, Macro Photography, Nature, Nature Photography, Photography Lessons, Wildlife Photography
Tagged Bluff Spring Fen, Elgin, Fen Photography, Flower Photography, Forest Preserve District of Cook County, Prairie Photography
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