Posts by David Swindler
10 Lessons from 10 Years of Leading Photography Workshops
After more than a decade of leading workshops, I’ve seen what truly helps photographers grow. It’s rarely expensive gear or technical tricks. Growth comes from mindset, consistency, and curiosity. These are the ten lessons that have helped my clients progress the most—and the ones that continue to shape my own photography today. 1. Be a…
Read MoreChasing the Monsoon: A Photographer’s Paradise
The monsoon season in the Desert Southwest is magical—an ever-changing dance of light that transforms an already beautiful landscape into something otherworldly. For us at Action Photo Tours, this is one of the most exhilarating times to be out with our cameras. When storms roll in, the atmosphere itself becomes electric: dramatic skies, vibrant rainbows,…
Read MoreUsing Blend Modes to Enhance Your Landscape Photography
Blend modes are one of the most confusing aspects of Photoshop. First off, there’s twenty-seven of them. Further adding to the confusion, many of them have similar names or do similar things. As you cycle through the blend modes, it’s hard to know exactly what’s happening, and their names do little to prepare you for…
Read MoreBetter than golden hour? Photographing Twilight
In the world of photography, golden hour gets all the praise. Warm side light and colorful clouds at sunset may make for dramatic photos, but don’t put your camera away when the color fades. Often, the most interesting time of day can happen after the sun has set. This period of time is called twilight…
Read MorePower & Beauty: Photographing Brown Bears
Join pro-photographer David Swindler as he shares his best tips and tricks for photographing brown bears in the wild. Watch the video below where David will talk in-depth on the following subjects: About Brown Bears Safety Bear Activities When To Go Where to Go Photo Gear Shooting Techniques Putting It All Together Join Us for…
Read More5 Tips for Shooting Telephoto Lenses
Learning how to use a telephoto lens is an important skill. We see a lot of mistakes people make in the field and it ends up impacting their ability to get sharp shots. In this informative video, David Swindler shares his must-know tips on how to use long telephoto lenses for outdoor photography, from landscapes…
Read MoreHow to Photograph the Aurora Borealis
Watching the aurora borealis as it dances across the sky is both mesmerizing and spectacular. Being able to photograph it effectively requires specific skills. During this talk, David Swindler will give you the tools to capture your best aurora shots, covering topics such as forecasting, gear selection, in-field technique, and post-processing. Watch the video below…
Read MoreKanab Utah – A Photographer’s Dream!
I grew up in the Midwest – Iowa to be exact. I learned to enjoy the outdoors from a young age and my favorite childhood experiences were those memorable family vacations out to the Western US. I fell in love with the mountains, deserts, and wild landscapes. One summer evening when I was 10-years old,…
Read MoreThe Wave: Maximizing Your Chances to Win Permits
Winning a permit to the iconic Wave is not easy but it’s well worth the effort to get out there. It’s one of our favorite places to photograph in the Southwest and certainly qualifies as a bucket list experience! According to data obtained from the Bureau of Land Management, 200,589 people applied for wave permits…
Read MoreBack Button Focus
One of the best methods for gaining more control over your auto-focus system is to use back-button focus. This technique has numerous applications both for landscape, wildlife, and action photographers. In this episode, Juan and David discuss why they recommend using back-button focus and cover a variety of real-world scenarios where it comes in handy.…
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