Leaving Only Footprints is a free newsletter from Carol Fox Henrichs Photography, for anyone who wants to join the fun! In it, I write about life as a nature photographer – the art, the technology, and the story of my adventures. Along the way, I provide educational resources; nuggets of information for you and your photography.
The name comes from the saying “Take only photographs and leave only footprints.” I’m passionate about taking care of our natural resources for the coming generations to enjoy.
The Leaving Only Footprints Newsletter inspires me with beautiful images and tips for improving my skills as an amateur photographer.
-David, Victoria, TX
Thanks to the newsletter, I saw several gorgeous photos that I’ve added to my home decor.
-Sherry, Pensacola, FL
Here are a few of the inspirational stories, real-life examples and easy-to-understand nature photography tutorials
that appeared in recent issues of Leaving Only Footprints Newsletter.
Spider Rock is a spire about 800 feet tall in Canyon de Chelly, pronounced “shay” from the Navajo word tsegi, meaning “rock canyon. This is a National Monument and a vast park in northeastern Arizona, on Navajo tribal lands.
Spider Rock overlook in Canyon de Chelly, takes on various hues and the light in the canyon assumes many shapes. Shadows form and reform on walls and crevices as the sun dances across the sky. After staring at the scene for a while, I began to see familiar silhouettes. Was that a rider on horseback in the shadows? I blink and he is gone. Was he really there?
For the past 4 years, I spend some of my summer at a nearby day camp for kids, which is designed to help the campers develop or expand their appreciation of nature. As the camp photographer, I tried to make myself as inconspicuous as possible while following groups of campers throughout the day capturing candid shots of their daily activities.
I also conduct short classes on nature photography. The point of my presentation is to be responsible nature photographers, respecting nature, and I discuss several ways to capture interesting images rather than just snapshots.
Is panning photography for wildflowers a thing? Sure! Especially if you are a nature photographer wanting a camera technique to create some spectacular, fine art images. I don’t mean panning as in searching for flecks of gold like the miners of the forties. I mean panning with your camera to create images like the one shown here.
The panning method I employ challenges the traditional use and definition of panning in photography. Traditionally speaking, panning with your camera involves following a moving subject in order to capture it sharply while conveying a sense of movement through the streaking of objects in other parts of the image. You’ve likely seen photos of race cars, cyclists, and other fast moving subjects that illustrate this concept. Further, most definitions indicate panning is only horizontal. While I can agree with these two tenets, I think there is more!