olympus Archives - Photo Tips, Creative Photography + Travel Guides - The Wandering Lens

Photographing the Dunes of Sossusvlei + The Namib Desert

Lisa Michele Burns — Sat, 25 Mar 2023 09:02:19 +0000

Photographing Deadvlei with Wilderness Safaris – Namibia Departing in darkness, a slight glow simmered on the horizon, a tiny hint of the magic soon to be revealed across the Namib Desert. With Kulala Desert Lodge being the closest lodge to Sossusvlei, a short drive led us to the Namib Naukluft National Park gate from where the peaks of dunes grew closer and my camera quickly jumped out of the bag, never to leave my hands for the rest of the day. Despite knowing photos from a moving vehicle don’t always produce the best results, I couldn’t help myself. As the sun rose slowly in the distance, the dunes changed colour and I was snapping out the window at anything and everything that revealed one of the dunes I’d been wanting to photograph for years. With me for the day I had the Olympus E-M1X and E-M1 MKII bodies, both with impeccable weather sealing to ensure the desert dust wouldn’t be an issue. The M.Zuiko 7-14mm f2.8, 12-40mm and 40-150mm pro lenses were also in my bag to ensure all bases were covered for the scenes I imagined along with the MC-20 2x teleconverter which I was using for the first...

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Hoanib Skeleton Coast – The True Desert Oasis

Lisa Michele Burns — Thu, 11 Aug 2022 12:33:25 +0000

Hoanib Skeleton Coast – Wilderness Safaris Let’s start with this statement – once you’ve experienced Hoanib, you’ll forever want to return. I promise. Be mesmerised and intrigued by the landscapes, animals and the atmosphere of this magnificent and even otherworldly glamping experience in Namibia. What the team have created here is almost beyond words, actually, it’s best described in song and dance, something the staff are more than competent in performing; not me, I wouldn’t put anyone through that. Instead I’ve put together a collection of photographs from my time at Hoanib Skeleton Coast, where I took roughly 8500 images in 3 days. Not joking. Located within a remote area of dry riverbeds in the Kaoloveld, it’s where unforgiving conditions provide the setting for an adventure like no other. Here wildlife exists where it seems impossible, their habits adapted to the harsh desert environment of the Skeleton Coast. Wake to a golden glow on the horizon that softly illuminates the scenes surrounding your tent. In the distance perhaps a giraffe is nibbling on acacia trees, a dust cloud is stirred by passing oryx and the fresh morning air provides a burst of energy on your walk to breakfast. Then, a...

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Behind the Lens – The Olympus Photographers

Lisa Michele Burns — Wed, 24 Jun 2020 08:59:32 +0000

Photography Inspiration: Behind the Professional Lens You’ve heard me say it before and I’ll say it again to kick off this article; photography isn’t only about what gear you have but how you use it and what story you want to convey with your image. Having a creative vision, the ability to read a scene and dream up compositions using light, props or the scene before you requires skills and talent that takes time to develop. When you can then pair that practice with equipment that helps you to bring your ideas to life, this is when the magic happens. Now, speaking of what gear you use, have you ever wondered if other photographers use their cameras in the same way you do? Sure there are the key features and buttons that most people will use but do they see through the lens in a different way? I’ve been photographing with the Olympus system for the past three years (read the archive of articles here) and absolutely love their rugged, lightweight bodies for the work I do. Having met up with many other Olympus photographers, both professional and enthusiast, I’m always amazed at how much we can teach each other...

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How to Photograph in Freezing Conditions

Lisa Michele Burns — Tue, 31 Mar 2020 09:22:33 +0000

Photographing in Cold Climates It might be tad chilly outside but photographing in crazy conditions like this can result in some of the best images you’ll ever take – so get out there…after reading this article! Spoiler alert – your hands will get cold, BUT, there are ways to manage just how cold and ensure your fingers and camera remain in full functioning mode. As an Australian, the extreme chill of an Arctic winter is totally foreign to me. It’s a cold that still, after countless photoshoots in this environment never fails to shock me, give me a dose of reality and remind me that stepping outside without gloves on is not okay. It only takes one episode of frozen fingers to remember the pain. When photographing in temperatures not only below zero but below -20 degrees Celsius, it’s essential to be prepared and plan ahead to make your experience outdoors successful and pleasant because cold hands will quickly ruin any photo mission! Not only of course do you need to manage your own warmth, you need to look out for your camera. Anything you’ve read about battery life can be thrown out the window and depending on what camera...

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Aerial Photography: Floating Above the Namib Desert

Lisa Michele Burns — Thu, 06 Feb 2020 12:34:23 +0000

Aerial Photography in Namibia Orange hues of all shades pass below as the basket drifts slowly across the Namib Desert. A gentle breeze pushes us over deeply etched sand patterns carved by wind, footprints by wandering Oryx and towering dunes stacked all the way to the horizon like they’d been painted perfectly in place beneath a contrasting blue sky. When the subject you’re shooting is a sandy, barren desert, composition becomes the key to creating images that showcase it’s beauty. From above the world is a truly inspiring place and on a recent trip to Namibia I saw just how striking it can be while photographing from both a hot air balloon and a tiny Cessna 206 plane. The aerial perspective is one that I’ve been drawn to for years. It’s one thing to work with a landscape at ground level, using the horizon to compose your image along with elements such as water and wind plus shadows and reflections. From the air though things change quite dramatically, the scene that once had peaks and depth is now flat, stretched out like a giant canvas waiting for your interpretation. Aerial Composition Photographing aerials requires a degree of thought to...

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Wilderness Wonders at Kulala Desert Lodge, Namibia

Lisa Michele Burns — Wed, 05 Feb 2020 07:19:14 +0000

Kulala Desert Lodge – A Visual Hotel Review Staring into the distance, sand dunes dance in a haze of heat and oryx are spotted wandering on the horizon. It’s a desert scene of dreams, one that you can experience somewhere just as rugged as it is luxurious; Kulala Desert Lodge. Namibia is one of those places that takes your breath away at first sight. Flying over vast landscapes of rocky, sandy wonders was just the start of my time in the Namib Desert, on route to Sossusvlei, one of the most photogenic regions on earth. As we descended towards the runway, a small dirt airstrip beside mountainous ranges, it became obvious the desert was far larger than I’d imagined. Those images we see of Sossusvlei on Instagram are one thing, actually seeing the entire region from above and witnessing the expansive landscapes as they stretch for hundreds of miles is another. I’d actually say that nothing can really prepare you for how Namibia will dazzle you, especially when travelling with Wilderness Safaris. From Windhoek it’s roughly one hour by small plane with Wilderness Air, a flight you want your camera out for the entire way. The scenes below are some of...

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Behind the Lens: Photographing Zabriskie Point, Death Valley

Lisa Michele Burns — Mon, 30 Dec 2019 08:41:45 +0000

Heat, gale force winds and giggle fits at Zabriskie Point, California. As the car door opened and a gush of warmth swarmed my face I suddenly realised, oh gosh, I’m in Death Valley…and it’s HOT. Obviously I had planned to be there however being early summer I thought perhaps temperatures wouldn’t be too bad. I was wrong. Arriving at Zabriskie Point at 4pm, the cars temperature gauge was reading 43 degrees. A sign in the carpark nearby also read ‘temperatures radiating from the ground may be 40% hotter’. Perfect. This was however why I was here. To experience the hottest place on earth and photograph the landscapes of Death Valley that have been carved by these climatic extremes over centuries for The Photographic Forecast. Now the heat was one thing, the first glimpse of Zabriskie Point though signified a whole other world. Actually, make that another planet. Influenced by volcanic activity for millions of years, Zabriskie Point highlights layers of lava and minerals that’s evident in the textures and changing colours within the landscape. Up to five million years ago, the valley around this point was filled with water, now however it’s one of the driest locations in the world....

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Gear Talk – A Review of the new Olympus OM-D E-M1X

Lisa Michele Burns — Thu, 24 Jan 2019 07:00:13 +0000

Hello Gorgeous – The Olympus OM-D E-M1X has arrived! Hiking through the frozen tundra of Finnish Lapland in -20degrees, the Olympus OM-D E-M1X slung over my shoulder, I was in awe of the pastel tones and natural beauty of polar night above the Arctic Circle. Then…I fell in a giant hole. A pit of nothingness suddenly swallowed me up to my waist in snow, the camera taking on a frosted new white coat and getting a good battering in my desperate attempt to clamber back up on to solid ground. While it wasn’t in my original plan, I was in Finland putting the E-M1X to the test and with such advanced weatherproofing knew that it would no doubt come out of this ditch in much better shape than me! So, I’m guessing you’ve heard the news…the mighty Olympus OM-D E-M1X has just been announced and boy does it pack a punch. As part of the Olympus Visionary team, I was lucky enough to meet this new beauty back in December 2018 and take it for a test run on the plains of Madikwe Game Reserve in South Africa. Photographing wildlife, capturing high-speed shots and testing its features alongside a group...

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Gear Talk: The Freedom of Photographing Tripod Free

Lisa Michele Burns — Tue, 13 Nov 2018 23:00:24 +0000

It’s a question most photographers ask themselves while packing for a photo trip; will I need my tripod? Personally, to be totally honest, about 95% of the time my answer will be no. The reason behind why or why not will differ between photographers. Those who focus on astrophotography, use filters and photograph long exposures will of course be inclined to take theirs everywhere, others though, prefer to ditch it and shoot with a little more freedom. I’m very much in the second camp, opting to leave my tripod behind unless it’s absolutely certain I’ll be photographing either the night sky or exposures longer than 4 seconds. Sometimes I feel there’s a bit of a misconception that you need to carry a tripod around to ‘be a photographer’, or to capture the best images but when creativity is concerned, it’s definitely not the case. More often than not I find a tripod is really restrictive in terms of finding unique angles. Because your mind is focused on setting it up and keeping it stable, you’re missing the chance to put your camera in amongst the flowers, just above the water surface or take some quick shots in the moment. It...

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Shooting Sunrise at Sensoji Temple, Tokyo

Lisa Michele Burns — Thu, 07 Dec 2017 07:53:28 +0000

Sunrise Photography at Sensoji Temple Walking through the historic streets of Asakusa at 5:30am, it was hard not to wonder what on earth we were doing awake. Usually buzzing with atmosphere, the streets were quiet and almost completely empty at this crazy hour of the morning. Not to mention the temperature was hovering just above freezing. As I repeat to myself often, all good photos come to those who rise early, and while sunrises and I might not be best friends, I knew this one would be pretty special! Not only was it a historic location, it was the first sunrise of my Japan Photo Tour and I was SO excited to share the beauty of Tokyo with my group. Sensoji Temple (also known as Asakusa Kannon Temple) is Tokyo’s oldest temple and boy is it impressive. Having visited before in summer during the daytime I knew that anytime after 8am it was crowded, really crowded. Luckily though, the temple grounds are open 24hours so you can wander through and explore Sensoji under the stars or like us, as the sun rises over the city. The actual temple opens at sunrise but the rest of the grounds are completely open...

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Photographing the Colours of the Cook Islands

Lisa Michele Burns — Thu, 23 Nov 2017 00:30:14 +0000

Photographing the Cook Islands of Rarotonga + Aitutaki The Cook Islands are a bright, visual playground of tropical tones. From the sea to the sky, you’re spoilt for ever changing landscapes to photograph and if you’re a beach person, this is one place to add to your list! Having visited this corner of paradise three times before, I had a few spots in mind that I wanted to revisit and capture some new creative landscape images Island landscapes are a subject I’ve grown very familiar as my photography career has developed. Having lived on Hayman Island in Australia’s Whitsundays for six years, palm trees and clear water became kind of routine…if that’s even possible!? Always beautiful, but it was necessary to think outside the box to make the palm trees look different every time I photographed them. The same happens when I revisit a destination, I love to look for new angles, new locations and bring some creativity to capturing them in a new light. Luckily the Cook Islands have a kind of mystery to them. Especially the island of Rarotonga which is always offering different conditions no matter how many times I visit. With a lush interior rising in...

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The 48hr Guide to Queenstown’s Photo Spots

Lisa Michele Burns — Thu, 16 Nov 2017 03:48:16 +0000

Queenstown Photography Locations Queenstown, New Zealand is somewhere I’d usually recommend you spend a lifetime in preference to a weekend. It’s the kind of place you arrive and instantly realise you’re somewhere special. That said, if you’ve only got a few days to explore then don’t fear, you can still cover a lot of ground! One of the beautiful things about Queenstown is that upon arrival you’re already somewhere photogenic. The airport sits beneath the spiked peaks of The Remarkables so even the first photo you take is going to be a keeper, not to mention the shots you’ll capture from the flight! Back in October I spent 48hrs on a photography adventure with Olympus Australia and the new OM-D E-M10 Mark III camera for the #NeverStopTheJourney campaign. We set out with an itinerary to hit up as many photogenic locations as we could to showcase not only the capabilities of the camera, but the beauty of Queenstown and its surrounding photo spots all the way from Glenorchy to Wanaka…so way more than just Queenstown alone. So… if you find yourself in Queenstown with just 48hrs to capture as much as possible I wanted to share our itinerary and locations....

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