Leland D Howard Blogs

In the corporate world, considerable resources are dedicated to constructing spaces where people conduct business and strive toward community objectives. We hold high expectations for creativity, productivity, and optimal performance within these env... 

Transform your surroundings from dull and uninviting to vibrant and inspiring. This is the power of landscape and nature art! As an experienced landscape and nature art seller, I can attest to the transformative effects of well-chosen artwork. Not ... 

What initially started out as a simple passion for capturing the stunning moments in nature quickly grew into something much larger; something that had the potential for a positive impact on people’s lives. It's been a tremendous experience to lear... 

Knowing what to photograph by Leland Howard Knowing what to photograph is like the process involved in other mediums. How does a painter know what to paint or how does the musician know what to play? Mostly it’s what moves you. Photographically i... 

Raw files are lifeless data. So they require some sort of processing to get an image similar to how the human eye perceives color, and shadow and highlights detail, clarity, etc. I prefer the word “processing” because it is like processing a nega... 

In landscape art, hopefully, an image has something to say about an environment or maybe it reflects an emotional reaction to a scene. Regardless, the sensor (or film) is the canvas and light is the brush. 

The term for what I specialize in is referred to as fine art nature photography. When I’m asked how I got started doing this, I can’t pronounce momentous events, sudden inspirations, or a mentor experience. I’m not even sure when I first picked... 

Image of Leland Howard with Wisner 4x5 view camera. Even though a camera is just the tool used in this trade, the question most often asked is “what camera do you use”? So here goes, I’ve used a lot of different equipment over the years and one... 

Capturing the grandeur of a large landscape scene can be one of the hardest challenges. Far too often the magnificence is lost when rendered on a small two-dimensional plane. A lifetime is spent in search of ideal conditions along with beautiful ligh... 

Over the years I have visited hundreds of businesses large and small involved in about everything you could imagine. An unbelievable amount of corporate money is spent creating structures for people to conduct business or whatever. We expect humans t... 

Captured on medium format film a few decades ago. There are more lights in the Snake River Valley of east Idaho now. Over time, as technologies developed, first allowing for home office drum scanning, then later adequately combining of images into pa... 

I’m now able to communicate more effectively with wilderness hikers, and here is the important stuff learned just last week: First, hiking style categorization is necessary. For example, hiking off the trail is “type 2”. This will allow you to ... 

I’m fortunate to have a first-hand history of this homestead written by Bernard L. Oberlander. It was his uncles, Miles and Karl Hollingshead that filed a claim for this 160-acre plot on the Idaho side of the Tetons in1910. Oberlander explained the... 

The seldom visited Castle Lake in the White Cloud Wilderness area, central Idaho. Alpine glow images are common and may even seem cliche to some but, I will never tire of watching it happen. Anxious anticipation is the norm for me. I drag my sleeping... 

Kebler Pass Colorado, a fabled route for those sometimes dismissed as “leaf Peepers”. By venturing into the forest called the largest single organism on the continent, I was able to find what I envisioned — huge aspens, straight and tall. It wa... 

Another silver state surprise. An artsy fireplace in the back of beyond. Evidence implies some of the later inhabitants of this ghost town were of unique character, inspired, or something else depending on interpretation. A variety of bricks, some co... 

These extraordinary and colorful patterns were discovered in rare Idaho gemstones. The official name for the stone is agate, which as a mineral variety is not all that rare, but incredible mineral assemblages and depositional textures like these are ... 

We spend an astounding amount of corporate money creating structures in which people conduct business and pursue community goals. We expect human beings to be creative, to work, and to function at their best in the interior environments of these buil... 

Last July on the Continental Divide looking west into Idaho pre-sunrise, which means these light rays are anti-crepuscular — opposite of the sun. The convergence to a vanishing point is a visual illusion created by distance, same as looking down a ... 

Early 20th century truck in the ghost town of Berlin in central Nevada. Berlin-Ichthyosaur State Park is called a hybrid park since it consists of the old town and some ancient fossil grounds in the nearby hills. Berlin is one of several towns that s... 

Many see fog, clouds, and mist as kind of depressing or cold. For me not only does it lend depth but also feelings of calm and quiet. There is a trail in the forest below where one can make silent steps on soft needles under huge old-growth trees. Th... 

This is an area of historical significance in the Clearwater National Forest of northern Idaho. It’s a section of the Lewis and Clark route and the place were later 350 soldiers led by General Howard suffered from lack of experience in rugged mount... 

Some say Jarbidge Nevada is the most remote town in the lower 48 states however, this isn’t the only claim to fame. It might be where the last stagecoach robbery in the US took place. The speed limit is 10 MPH on the dirt road through the town whic... 

Thousand Creek Gorge, northern Nevada. Hiking in the gorge requires some painful brush busting through head high rose bushes with needle-like thorns and some avoidance of poisonous plants. So overall a good experience with a few small wounds that wil... 

Black Magic Canyon in south central Idaho. Sad to say some of the formations are now showing signs of graffiti and vandalism. I wonder sometimes if it would have been better to not show any photographs of this unique and amazing place but for the mos... 

Montana, east, The famous wild horse, known as Cloud in the Pryor Mountains. This wild horse, given the name Cloud as a newborn colt by Ginger Kathrens when she did the PBS Nature series, has become kind of famous and his likeness is painted on the w... 

Oregon, north-central, Geological formations aptly referred to as the Painted Hills in the John Day National Monument area. Years ago when I first started displaying images from here, the colors, shapes and patterns seemed unbelievable to some and we... 

Despite possible cultural pressures, one shouldn't be apologetic when enjoying natural beauty as subject matter in an art form. It is an island of respite in a world focused on tragedy. Beauty and nature offer the kind of hope and uplift we need for ... 

Autumn view from the Cress Creek Preserve. Idaho is my home state and sometimes I can receive a little bereavement from residents when I travel and work in other states or regions. I think for the most part though people do understand what it takes t... 

Recently, while giving a talk, I was ask: "What makes your photography better than others"?. The question caught me a bit off guard because I don't think in terms of being better than others. For me its about sharing a vision and maybe along the way ... 

Bronze award winner in the Epson International Photographic Pano Awards 

I look for areas that have different and far less photographed perspectives such as this view of the cliffs of Zion National Park from the BLM land just adjacent. It pays off sometimes with unique work and another advantage is not having to fight the... 

The Cress Creek Nature Trail and preserve in east Idaho is becoming increasingly popular. The BLM has so far procured about 24 million for land easements, trail and bridge work at this site using my work in slide shows. It's a nice place to go for a ...