Journal of Wildlife Photography Magazine - Summer 2025
Here’s a sneak peek into this issue:
Beyond The Portrait: Mastering Wildlife In Its Natural World
by Ray Hennessy
Ray Hennessy walks readers through the art and technique of moving beyond tight portraits to wide-angle storytelling in wildlife photography. He explores how to intentionally make the subject smaller in the frame, incorporating more habitat and atmospheric context to enhance storytelling. From minimalist sunrise silhouettes to complex forest compositions, the article is rich with practical advice on managing distractions, background contrast, composition, and lens selection.
The piece also dives into the use of weather, elevation, aperture control, and water perspectives to build stronger environmental narratives. Through real-world examples, EXIF data, and thoughtful image breakdowns, Hennessy illustrates how embracing space, scenery, and natural light transforms not just the photo—but how we see wildlife.
Permission to Play: Rewilding Your Creative Process
by Jaymi Heimbuch
Jaymi Heimbuch encourages photographers to let go of perfection and rediscover creative joy through play. Sharing her personal story of burnout and reawakening, she argues that creative fulfillment returns when we shoot for ourselves—not for the algorithm, awards, or portfolio. Rewilding, she says, is about unlearning rigid habits and reconnecting with curiosity, emotion, and instinct.
The article includes five powerful exercises to shake off creative rust, such as “The What If Walk” and “The Nature Photo Dice Game.” Jaymi’s writing is vulnerable, practical, and uplifting—reminding readers that the best photos often come when we’re not trying to impress, but to feel. It’s a call to reclaim the childlike wonder that started our journey in the first place.
Grey Skies, Beautiful Images: Making the Most of Overcast Days for Wildlife Photography
by Alyce Bender
Alyce Bender presents a compelling case for embracing cloudy skies as a gift rather than a limitation. Overcast days offer soft, even lighting that reveals feather and fur detail, enables emotional storytelling, and extends shooting windows well beyond golden hour. With techniques ranging from ETTR exposure to contrast control and color balance, Bender provides photographers with a full toolkit for flat-light excellence.
She shares detailed fieldcraft tips for leveraging soft backgrounds, managing high ISO noise, and creating painterly moods—often impossible on sunny days. Through detailed examples and behavior-aware shooting strategies, the article shows how “boring light” can elevate narrative, mood, and technical execution in wildlife photography.
Mastering Fieldcraft for Macro Photography: Approaching Insects, Reptiles & Amphibians – Part I
by Lee Hoy
Lee Hoy kicks off a multi-part series on macro fieldcraft, focusing on photographing insects, reptiles, and amphibians with ethical, effective approaches. This first installment emphasizes the “art and science” of finding and approaching subjects safely, calmly, and with respect for their welfare. Hoy explains how deep knowledge of behavior and environmental awareness makes the difference between a missed opportunity and a stunning shot.
The piece compares super-telephoto vs macro lens setups (with and without flash), the use of diffusion, and how to safely photograph potentially dangerous species like rattlesnakes and scorpions. Through real-world anecdotes, detailed equipment recommendations, and powerful cautionary guidance, Hoy equips readers with the skills and mindset required to excel in macro without disturbing the subjects they love.
April 2025 - June 2025 Photo Contest Winners
This section celebrates the winners of the April–June 2025 contest, including themed entries for “Behavior”, “Birds-in-Flight”, and “Reflections.” Each winner shares not only a striking image but the story behind it—capturing moments of predator instinct, family tenderness, aerial drama, and creative use of water and light.
Highlights include a pair of leaping dolphins at sunset, an osprey stealing a fish still attached to a fishing line, a blue-footed booby diving in front of Kicker Rock, and a night hide shot of an impala’s reflection in Kenya. These winning images demonstrate not just technical excellence, but deep patience, emotional resonance, and an eye for visual storytelling.
Spring 2025 Contest – “Tight Portraits” Theme
The Spring 2025 contest winners focused on tight portraits—wildlife images that emphasize intimate detail, expression, and artistic framing. Winning entries range from a raccoon glowing in golden shoreline light to a young orangutan in Borneo and a puffin loaded with sand eels on a bright, high-key background.
Each photographer’s story reveals what it took to get close (or appear close), whether it was returning to a favorite dock each morning, sitting motionless in a river channel, or using framing elements like fog and stone to isolate the subject. This section is as much about patience and ethics as it is about lenses and settings.
Welcome to Daniel Cadieux – New Contest Master
The issue closes with an introduction to Daniel Cadieux, the Journal’s new Photo Contest Master. A celebrated bird photographer from Ottawa, Cadieux brings decades of field experience and a strong commitment to ethical wildlife photography. His deep roots in the birding community, award-winning images, and mentoring background make him a natural fit for guiding contest judging and offering thoughtful critique going forward.
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- Access to the "Facebook-like" social media community.