Steve Heap

@backyardimage

Photographer, Artist, Writer and all-round "good guy?" I write about my work at BackyardImage.com and my portfolio can be found at SteveHeap.com

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Steve Heap@backyardimage· 20d

Forests are a difficult subject for photographers - there is so much going on that it is hard to isolate a subject. But the sunlight can sometimes do that very nicely. Seen in Muir Woods, California. #Nature #Photography #MuirWoods

Sunlight hits small branch on redwood trees in Muir Woods California

Steve Heap@backyardimage· Jul 11

I just crossed $500K in lifetime earnings from selling photography online. But before you quit your day job, here is a reality check: stock is dying! Here is how I had to adapt my business to fine art prints to grow my business. backyardsilver.com/how-to-make-... #photography #workingartist

Steve Heap@backyardimage· Apr 25

1,600+ upvotes on Reddit for this 'crane-free' 2026 Austin skyline view! 🏙️ It’s been a whirlwind weekend of packing and shipping prints to collectors in Texas and West Virginia. Love seeing these drone panoramas come to life on canvas. #Austin #Photography #Drone #LandscapePhotography

15 shot stitched panorama of the 2026 skyline of Austin Texas from my drone, sold to a collector in South Austin

Steve Heap@backyardimage· Apr 21

A massive 30x40 canvas of the New River Gorge and a WVU night print are heading out to a buyer in Morgantown today! There is nothing quite like seeing local landscapes head back to the Mountain State to be displayed. 🏔️ #TravelTuesday #WestVirginia #LandscapePhotography #ECK

A nighttime photograph of the West Virginia University campus in Morgantown. The campus buildings and walkways are illuminated by warm streetlights against a dark night sky.

A breathtaking landscape view of the New River Gorge Bridge in West Virginia. The massive steel arch bridge spans a deep, wide gorge covered in dense green forest. The river is visible at the bottom of the valley.

Steve Heap@backyardimage· Apr 20

Stock buyers search for facts (brick building). Print buyers search for feelings (graduation gift). If you use your stock photography metadata on sites like Pictorem or Fine Art America, you are losing sales. Here is how I automate the switch using AI. 🧵👇 #Photography #FineArtPhotography #WallArt

Rear tailfin of antique classic car used to test AI keywording for fine art online portfolio

Steve Heap@backyardimage· Apr 17

As a herd of Longhorns retreated into the Texas scrubland near Llano, this mother paused to wait for her calf, giving me one final look. The natural prickly pear framing makes this one of my favorite recent wildlife portraits. 🐂🌵 #Texas #WildlifePhotography #LandscapePhotography #ECK #ArtShare

Longhorn Texas cow looking plaintively at the camera while waiting for her calf

Steve Heap@backyardimage· Apr 17

Purple Poppy Mallow (Callirhoe involucrata), also known as Winecup seen on a Texas ranch near Llano. #FlowersonFriday #floralfriday #Bluebonnets #LandscapePhotography

Steve Heap@backyardimage· Apr 14

I’ve tested many AI keywording tools for stock and fine art photography. Most share the same fatal flaw: they ignore your Lightroom catalog and force you to export JPEGs. I finally found a tool that actually respects a non-destructive XMP workflow: ArtushVision AI. 🧵👇 #Photography #StockPhotography

Process for creating keywords, titles and descriptions for stock images in Lightroom and Artushvision AI

Steve Heap@backyardimage· Apr 8

The freezing beauty of winter at Cucumber Falls. 🥶 I love how a long exposure captures the smooth, flowing water contrasting perfectly against the jagged, frozen icicles clinging to the rock face. #WaterfallWednesday #LandscapePhotography #Winter #ECK

A long-exposure photograph of Cucumber Falls in the winter. A smooth waterfall cascades down the right side of the frame into a small pool. The dark rock wall behind and to the left is completely covered in jagged, hanging icicles and thick shelves of white and blue ice. The overall tone of the image is a moody, freezing blue

Steve Heap@backyardimage· Apr 2

March was a tough month for my online photography business. Total earnings hit $2,625, but the fine art print side took a hit. I always publish my full earnings to help other photographers see what the market is actually doing. A few lessons below 🧵👇 #PhotographyBusiness #ArtMarket #BuildInPublic

Comparison of stock photo earnings with fine art sales

Steve Heap@backyardimage· Mar 31

Spring in Texas is dedicated to seeking out Bluebonnets and today we saw them in their tens of thousands at Turkey Bend and Muleshoe Bend by the Colorado River. #Bluebonnets #LandscapePhotography #Photography

Fields of bluebonnets at Muleshoe Bend Recreation Area near Austin

Fields of bluebonnets at Turkey Bend Recreation Area near Austin

Steve Heap@backyardimage· Mar 30

Nature or a giant fielder’s glove? 🌵⚾️ This Saguaro cactus in Arizona is the most unusual desert "hand" I’ve ever found. I call it "The Fielder." It’s part of my black-and-white desert series. #MonochromeMonday #LandscapePhotography #Saguaro #Arizona #ECK

A high-contrast black and white photograph of a large Saguaro cactus. The arms of the cactus have grown in a unique, clustered way that perfectly mimics the shape and webbing of a vintage leather baseball catcher's mitt. The texture of the cactus skin adds to the "leather" effect against a clear sky.

Steve Heap@backyardimage· Mar 29

#SilentSunday #LandscapePhotography #PNW #MtBaker

A serene, layered landscape photograph taken from the water, looking toward the mainland. In the foreground is choppy, deep-blue water. In the midground, multiple layers of dark, forested islands or hills recede into an atmospheric blue haze. The sky is a clear, pale blue. Dominating the upper background is the massive, snow-capped volcanic peak of Mount Baker.

Steve Heap@backyardimage· Mar 25

🌅 Witnessing the literal "liquid gold" effect during a fleeting sunset on Kauai. It took careful timing to catch the light hitting this hidden waterfall at the exact right angle within the dark lava rock. #WaterfallWednesday #LandscapePhotography #Kauai #Hawaii

A dramatic, professional landscape shot looking out from a rugged, dark lava rock cave toward the ocean. On the left, a waterfall cascades down the rough rock wall, brilliantly illuminated by a golden-orange sunset, making the water look like molten gold. The golden light reflects powerfully on the wet rocks and water at the base. The waterfall flows into a channel leading out to a choppy ocean. The sun is setting on the horizon to the right, under a dramatic sky with scattered clouds. The silhouette of a small figure fishing is visible on the far right coastline

Steve Heap@backyardimage· Mar 24

There is nothing quite like the panic of realizing sunset in the mountains happens much earlier than on the coast! 😅 I literally ran from the car park to find this composition just as the sun dipped below the horizon at Lake Wenatchee. #LandscapePhotography #WashingtonState #Photography

A vibrant sunset over Lake Wenatchee in Washington State. In the foreground, smooth rocks sit in the water, their shapes mirroring the distant mountain peaks. The sky is filled with glorious sunset colors reflecting on the calm surface of the lake.

Steve Heap@backyardimage· Mar 24

🦇 For #TravelTuesday, one of the most surreal wildlife experiences hidden in the middle of a city: the famous Congress Avenue bat emergence in Austin, Texas. Over a million Mexican free-tailed bats taking flight at dusk. #Austin #ATX #TravelPhotography #Texas #Wildlife #ECK

A stunning sunset silhouette against a vibrant orange sky in Austin, Texas. A massive flock of bats swarms in the air. Below, a line of people stands silhouetted against a railing watching the flight, with a sloped modern Sail building visible on the right.

Steve Heap@backyardimage· Mar 24

I'm not normally a bird photographer, but this White Throated Mountaingem from Costa Rica meets the #Tricolour theme of #BirdoftheDay. #Migratory #Birds #Nature #Wildlife #Photography #ECK

White throated mountain gem hummingbird perched on branch of a tree in rain forest of Costa Rica. Perfect as a print for your wall or as a gift to a bird lover

Steve Heap@backyardimage· Mar 24

The 2026 Austin skyline from above the Colorado River, reimagined as a charcoal sketch. 🏙️ Prints available: www.etsy.com/listing/4470... The story behind the shot: BackyardImage.com #Austin #ATX #Cityscape #UrbanGaze #Architecture #DigitalArt #Photography #Etsy #WallArt #Decor #ArtMarket #TexasArt

A high-contrast charcoal sketch of the Austin, Texas skyline. The distinct shapes of the skyscrapers are reflected in the dark water of the Colorado River in the foreground.

Steve Heap@backyardimage· Jan 30

Thrilled to have sold not one, but two prints of Woodburn Hall at #WVU this morning on my Etsy store. The prints will be winging their way to Florida later today. #BuyIntoArt #Photography #AlmostHeaven www.etsy.com/shop/Backyar...

Steve Heap@backyardimage· Jan 23

We are waiting for a threatened ice storm, but on Wednesday afternoon, the mood over the Colorado river in Austin Texas seems very mellow and warm. Aerial drone panorama of this modern cityscape. And no cranes visible, a first for this city! #Austin #AerialPhotography #BuyIntoArt

Steve Heap@backyardimage· Jan 17

I've written one of my articles on BackyardImage .com about my attempts to photograph these hummingbirds in Costa Rica. Here is a montage of my favorite images from that shoot. #hummingbird #BirdPhotography #Photography #BuyIntoArt www.backyardimage.com/hummingbirds...

Steve Heap@backyardimage· Jan 15

A white-throated mountaingem hummingbird sits patiently on a twig. But which is the best as a piece of wall art - photo or pencil sketch? #Photography #Buyintoart #AYearforart #birds #bird

White throated mountaingem hummingbird on a branch

White throated mountaingem hummingbird on a branch as a sketch

Steve Heap@backyardimage· Dec 23

Christmas has certainly come early! A buyer from Oakland, MD bought three large, framed prints of Morgantown last night, the largest being almost 5 feet wide. This is that print, the moon rising over the WVU Hope Coliseum. #Photography #Morgantownwv #AYearForArt www.pictorem.com/625749/moon-...

Steve Heap@backyardimage· Dec 6

My latest print available in my BackyardImage Etsy Store in many different sizes up to 40 x 90 inches. Quite a statement in your home! #Nature #Macro #Photography #AYearForArt #BuyIntoArt www.etsy.com/listing/4418...

Steve Heap@backyardimage· Dec 4

My latest image on my Etsy store. A pastel drawing of a famous Hawaiian canoe with Hanalei pier on Kauai in the background. Perfect for a Christmas present. www.etsy.com/listing/4417... #Hanalei #Kauai #Hawaii #Ayearforart #BuyIntoArt

Pastel sketch of hawaiian canoe on beach of Hanalei

Steve Heap@backyardimage· Nov 29

I'm thrilled to see that someone in South Dakota has purchased a 54x34 inch framed print of my aerial sunset over Hanalei Bay on Kauai. A Black Friday sale! #ayearforArt #Kauai #Hanalei #Photography #Landscape #Sunset steveheapphotos.com/featured/bre...

Steve Heap@backyardimage· Nov 17

I was thrilled and honored for my print of an old tin mine on the coast of Cornwall to be awarded first place in the annual Photography Club competition in the Landscapes category. All 120+ entries can be seen until mid-December #AYearForArt #BuyIntoArt www.pictorem.com/2494033/long...

Steve Heap@backyardimage· Oct 29

I was printing some work for a competition and came across this of Coopers Rock State Park near Morgantown in West Virginia. It wasn't actually successful, but I liked the look of it! #Morgantown #WestVirginia #AlmostHeaven #AYearForArt www.pictorem.com/990397/bw-co...

Coopers Rock in the snow near Morgantown WV

Steve Heap@backyardimage· Oct 26

I've started to write my extended articles about the cruise we took from New York to Iceland and have written three of them so far covering New York, Halifax in Canada and then Nuuk in Greenland. More to come. www.backyardimage.com/which-viking... #myvikingstory #myviking #myvikingjourney

Leaving New York City on the Viking cruise to Iceland

Steve Heap@backyardimage· Oct 23

A new product in my BackyardImage Etsy Store of a beautifully calm sunrise behind Hanalei Pier in Kauai. 8 second exposure to get the smooth ocean. #AYearForArt #BuyIntoArt #hanalei #Kauai #hawaii #Photography #Landscape www.etsy.com/listing/4392...