OWAA Outdoor Voices Blog

Come for the conference, stay for the adventure. This August 19–21, the Outdoor Writers Association of America (OWAA) is bringing its annual conference to Chattanooga, Tennessee — and if you’ve ever needed an excuse to combine work and play, this is it. Nestled between mountains and the Tennessee River, Chattanooga is a hub for outdoor

With so many options, we’ve decided to put together a list of the largest and most spectacular outdoor waterfalls in the area. We’re talking big, tall, powerful waterfalls; every falls on this list features at least 50 feet of free-falling water, and some considerably more than that. Here’s our top nine. How many have you

Anybody who thinks radio is made up of talk-show hosts, “too-cool-for-school” disc jockeys and an endless supply of music really doesn’t know a lot about broadcasting. Radio is about one thing: money. If station management can make money playing automated reggae music, then that’s what it will do. When the national and local advertising money

What happens when you take eight outdoor journalists from across the country and ship them off to a winter wonderland? A great time, new friendships, and most importantly, LOTS of great stories! This past February, Visit Keweenaw hosted eight of our OWAA members in an epic experience they called Snowventure. Along with a couple members from Pure Michigan’s marketing

JOIN US AUGUST 19-21 AT THE 2025 ANNUAL OUTDOOR MEDIA CONFERENCE IN CHATTANOOGA, TENNESSEE! Smack dab in the Tennessee River between Chattanooga’s bustling Riverfront and vibrant Northshore district, sits an 18.8-acre island that’s easy to overlook. Maclellan Island is a refuge for wildlife and offers a unique experience for hiking, camping, and views of Chattanooga. And it’s

More than 25 years ago, I learned an invaluable wildlife photography lesson when I had the good fortune to partner with a couple of seasoned photographers preparing to work a ferruginous hawk nest in the Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area in southwest Idaho.James P. Blair, a National Geographic photographer, was on assignment

Want to shoot great wildlife photographs all the time? It can be done by strict adherence to one hard, fast rule: “The eyes have it.” Photography is all about the eyes, especially the eyes of the subject.  Eyes are much more than the windows of the soul. So much so that the manner in which they are rendered in a photograph or painting

Are you an outdoor media professional? Join us in Chattanooga, Tennessee at our 2025 annual conference August 19-21. Learn more and register today! With nearly nine months of pleasant weather, seeing Chattanooga by bike is an almost year-round proposition. And there’s no better way than via the city’s bike transit system with its 400 bikes

As outdoor media professionals, there are mixed reviews on heated jackets. Some pros love them and some pros prefer simply layering up and keeping moving to stay warm. For those who find themselves braving the elements to capture the perfect shot or story — often having to stay still so the wildlife won’t spot them