Wind Against Current

By Vladimir Brezina

One of the pleasures of blogging is seeing what your fellow bloggers are up to. Some blogs are quite spectacular. We’ve long wanted to start a series of posts featuring those blogs, the blogs that we particularly admire. So, here goes!

There’s a particular reason just now (read on!) to start our series with MJF Images. It’s a landscape and nature photography blog by Michael Flaherty. But it’s a photography blog with a difference:

Instead of a strict focus on photo how-to, gear and the like, I pass on knowledge about the places and people pictured. That means tips and recommendations from an experienced adventure traveler. It also means learning about the geology, nature, wildlife and cultural history of the photo destinations, all from a long-time teacher & earth scientist. And since I am a working photographer as well, I’ll pass on ways you can successfully capture the atmosphere of a place or the essence of a person or animal.

Michael tells you about his favorite photo locations (many of them in the American Pacific Northwest, where he is based) and how to get there. He tells you about the best angles, the best light and time of day. And yes, he does tell you,  in his Friday Foto Talk posts, how to use photographic techniques—both equipment and elements of composition—to capture the scene in front of you the way you imagine it in your mind’s eye. I myself have certainly learned a lot from a careful reading of Michael’s posts!

And of course, the blog, and the associated galleries, are full of beautiful images. Here is just one (reproduced with Michael’s permission):

Michael has been photographing, seriously, for about five years now. His aim is to become a professional photographer. It’s not a matter of photographic quality—his photos are already there—but, as usual, of supporting himself through photography. (Many of his photos are for sale.)

But just about a month ago, disaster struck. In scrambling about for the best shot, a momentary lapse—and his camera, a year-old Canon 5D III, tumbled down a waterfall. Although, at some risk to himself, Michael was able to retrieve it, it was waterlogged and totalled.

It was his one and only good-quality camera. In an instant, a whole promising career gone? No. Michael started an Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign to get back on his feet. Contributors get a choice of Michael’s photos, as well as his forthcoming e-book, “a comprehensive look at the art of nature photography”.

The campaign is doing well—but it could do better.

So, take a look at Michael’s photos, and, if the spirit moves you, do help him get back to what he does so well!