Back to Home Page

English

Website

Email

Jennifer Wu 

Independant Photographer

About

Jennifer Wu is a renowned nature and landscape photographer with a particular talent for capturing stunning images of the night sky and stars. Recognized as one of the world's top photographers, she was selected in January 2009 as an Explorer Of Light by Canon U.S.A, an honor bestowed upon a small group of 36 photographers globally. Her work showcases a keen understanding of the delicate balance of light, color, and composition, a skill she developed over more than 28 years of photography practice, including a decade dedicated to traditional black and white photography.

Beyond her extensive experience behind the lens, Jennifer also holds a BA in Photography from California State University. Her educational background, combined with her vast practical experience, led her to co-author and provide photographs for the book "Photography Night Sky: A Field Guide to Shooting After Dark," published by Mountaineers Books in 2014.

Jennifer's work has graced the pages of numerous prestigious publications such as Fortune, Popular Photography, Photo District News, Sierra Club, Sierra Styles, ProfiFoto, Outdoor Photography, Digital Photo, Shutterbug, Bloomberg, and BusinessWeek, among others. She has also lent her visual expertise to various high-profile advertisement campaigns, including Canon U.S.A. and Time. In addition to these accomplishments, her photographs have been showcased in nationally recognized galleries and art shows.

Having taught photography and digital imaging at The California State University of Sacramento, Jennifer finds joy in sharing her passion and techniques with others. She leads workshops across the United States in notable locations like Yosemite, Eastern Sierra, Death Valley, and Big Sur, as well as in Alaska and Hawaii. Internationally, she has hosted workshops in diverse locales including Iceland, Tanzania, Namibia, and Greenland.

When she isn't journeying to the world's most unique photographic locations or leading workshops, Jennifer resides in Nevada City, California. Here, she continues to pursue her passion for photography, capturing the splendors of the natural world with a keen eye and a profound appreciation for the beauty that surrounds us.

My Courses

PHOTOGRAPHING THE MOON, STARS AND MILKY WAY

—  Jennifer Wu 

Intermediate 

Embarking on a journey into the world of night photography can be a thrilling experience. Guided by the skilled hand of instructor Jennifer, this course presents an immersive learning experience to understand and master the craft of night photography. This comprehensive curriculum, spanning over twelve carefully constructed lessons, ensures an engaging journey from understanding the basics to mastering the advanced aspects of night photography. The course commences with an introductory session where Jennifer outlines the various topics that the course covers. She gives a broad overview of the skills and techniques students will learn, setting the stage for an engaging learning journey. Subsequently, the course delves into the specifics of the tools of the trade - the equipment needed for night photography. Here, Jennifer meticulously details the recommended cameras, lenses, and other gear essentials that cater specifically to the requirements of night photography. This lesson underscores the crucial role equipment plays in achieving desired photographic results, especially under low light conditions. The third lesson guides students on the enchanting quest to find the Milky Way and the Moon in the night sky. Jennifer introduces various resources that can help identify their location, thereby assisting photographers to plan their shoots accordingly. The lesson demonstrates the importance of planning and research in photography, particularly for celestial subjects. Next, the course dives into the heart of night photography - understanding and setting the camera controls for capturing stars as points of light. Jennifer goes through five crucial camera settings that play a significant role in obtaining clear, sharp, and well-exposed images of the night sky. This lesson emphasizes the importance of technical proficiency in mastering the art of night photography. Focusing under low light conditions can be challenging, and the fifth lesson is dedicated to overcoming these issues. Jennifer provides guidance on how to accurately focus on the night sky, a skill that is essential for capturing detailed and sharp celestial images. With the theoretical and technical basics covered, the sixth lesson moves onto the practical aspect of night photography - scouting locations. After researching the rise of the Milky Way or Moon, the next step involves finding an appropriate location with interesting foreground elements to complement the celestial bodies. This lesson underscores the importance of location in enhancing the visual appeal of night photography. Lesson seven delves into the artistic realm of photography – composition. Having all the elements in place – a clear sky, the right equipment, perfect settings, and a captivating location – the task now is to arrange these elements into an appealing composition. Jennifer shares insights on how to create compelling compositions in night photography, emphasizing the artistic aspect of the craft. The eighth lesson focuses on one of the key subjects of night photography – the Moon. Jennifer discusses the various factors to consider while photographing the Moon, such as its phase, brightness, and position, among others. This lesson underscores the need for understanding the unique aspects of your subject in photography. Next, the course introduces students to a creative technique - painting with light. This technique allows photographers to manipulate and control light in the frame creatively, providing unique opportunities for artistic expression after sundown. Moving into the realm of post-processing, lesson ten shares insights on how to refine and enhance night photos. Jennifer goes over a workflow to correct any issues and make the photos truly stand out. This lesson reinforces the critical role of post-processing in shaping the final look and feel of photographs. In the eleventh session, Jennifer explores more advanced post-processing techniques, such as blending multiple photos together. She demonstrates how to use Photoshop to combine different exposures into a single image for a greater dynamic range, highlighting the creative possibilities that post-processing tools offer. The course concludes with an exciting introduction to time-lapse photography. This technique can be used to create a sequence of images capturing the movements of the night sky over a certain period, offering an immersive viewing experience. This session encapsulates the exploratory spirit of the course, encouraging students to continually learn, experiment, and push their creative boundaries in photography.

English

Read More
Scroll to Top