Throughout the course of this class I learned quite a few things about digital nature photography. In this blog I will just highlight a few of the things I learned. My first blog posts were mainly about real-life digital nature photographers, so I figured I would talk a little about them. The first photographer I interviewed was Ansel Adams. He was a pioneer not only in the art of natural landscape photography, but also in the field of environmental preservation. The next photographer I featured, Chris Peterson, is the photographer and editor for Glacier Park Magazine. He went on a 100 day journey through Glacier National Park to capture undiscovered beauty. The next photographer I featured was Jim Reed. He specializes in extreme weather photography. I continued to look at the work of other established photographers, but realized they all had a lot in common. I learned that great photography requires patience, hard work, an eye for the irregular, a good technical knowledge, and a little legwork among other things.
I learned the importance of exposure when taking photos. Even though I currently only shoot pictures with a point-and-shoot camera, I have seen, even with automation, how the wrong settings can cause the photo to be blurry or over/underexposed. Aperture and shutter settings need to be adjusted for each shot. The first step in determining your aperture and shutter speed settings is to first measure the light of your subject. This is done by using a histogram and spot metering, evaluative/matrix metering, or averaging metering. When the frame is bright, the camera, in auto mode, might choose a combination of a smaller aperture (large f-stop and large depth of field) along with a fast shutter speed. In manual mode you have to determine the best aperture/shutter speed combination. In aperture priority mode, you have to choose your desired aperture while the camera chooses a shutter speed to compensate. Shutter priority mode allows the user to choose a desired shutter speed while the camera chooses a aperture to compensate.
There are certain elements to look for when taking photos that make it more appealing. I always just took pictures based on what I liked and never even really gave much thought to why I liked what I was shooting. You might subconsciously think of these things, but never realize the reasons just as I did. These include red is more attractive than yellow, large draws more attention than small, difference draws more attention than conformity, jagged lines are more striking than curved ones, diagonal lines are more attractive than vertical, sharpness is more attractive than blur, light is more attractive than dark. Keeping these things in mind can really give you some eye-catching photos.
Digital photography has so many benefits over 35mm photography. As I was growing up, my dad and grandfather were always talking about their 35mm camera equipment and its abilities. My grandfather was an old school black and white photographer who had his own small dark room in every house he owned. I remember him saying that he liked photographing in black and white because it was so much easier to develop and manipulate in the dark room than color. Looking at the easy process involved in digital shooting and developing makes 35mm photography seem so archaic. What used to take hours in basic processing now only takes minutes. 35mm developing was more of a trial-and-error process than digital processing. My grandfather would often go through several sheets of silver halide photo paper when trying to manually dodge and burn and experiment with different filters to get the final product he was looking for. With Photoshop, the modern photographer can make all these edits without having to waste paper or extra chemicals.
Finally, I learned there is no substitute for a digital SLR when taking digital photographs. Even though my point-and-shoot digital camera is about 8 years old, the same issues exist with present day point-and-shoot cameras. These types of cameras do not allow the photographer to have much control over features that allow for desired effects. These limitations include non-interchangeable lenses, inability of the photographer to set aperture, inability of the photographer to set shutter speed, inability of the photographer to set ISO, inability of the photographer to utilize lens filters, and inability of the photographer to utilize external lenses. These are large disadvantages when you are trying to shoot a picture that camera does not have the capability to shoot. Examples of this include trying to obtain a smooth textured waterfall with long shutter speeds and trying to reduce reflections off the water with a polarizing filter. Digital SLR cameras have the ability to shoot such photos.
My progress throughout this class, I think, has been great. I took a black and white 35mm photography class in high school, where I gained a basic knowledge of SLR photography and 35mm development. After taking the class I got a 35mm SLR camera so that I could have more control over shooting photos than the 35mm point-and-shoot camera that I previously owned. This was just as the digital photography technology was gaining feasible headway. Because of the lower costs associated with shooting digital compared to 35mm, I started to shoot digital with my point-and-shoot. So, I forgot a little of what I learned in my high school photography class. This digital nature photography class was a good refresher of what I previously knew, but forgot due to lack of use. I also learned plenty of new ideas including the effects of aperture on depth of field, how different lens speeds affect the brightness/quality of the shot, the abilities of new lenses and cameras, the abilities of editing software, and the abilities of extension tubes and teleconverters. The teacher of my first photography class in high school was not convinced that digital photography would last into the future. She would constantly question the archival abilities of digital photographs in comparison with the archival abilities of 35mm photographs. I have come to the belief that although digital prints might fade quicker than 35mm prints depending on the printer, both will eventually fade. The advantage of digital is that it can be stored for years on disks that can be used to reprint the photo later with absolutely no fading. There are just so many advantages utilizing digital photography that make it more inviting. I think that there is a general misunderstanding of what Photoshop is all about as well. I was always told that 35mm photography is a true art that is quickly fading away due to the ridiculous abilities of programs in the digital world like Photoshop. After taking this class, I have learned that this generalization, although true for some digital photography, is not true for the whole of digital photography. Programs like Photoshop allow digital photographers to do the same things that 35mm photographers used to do in the darkroom with more ease and less waste. It is up to the photographer to decide whether to alter the photograph beyond its original state or to keep it in its original state with basic edits. This class has re-sparked my interest in photography and has made me realize that I really want to take photographs a little more seriously than I previously have with my digital point-and-shoot.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Monday, November 22, 2010
Digital Nature Photography Final Presentation Photos
Camera: HP Photosmart R607
Camera Settings: 1/720 ss, ISO 100, F4.3, auto mode
Photoshop: Brightened entire photo, gradient tool to soften light in bottom right corner, increase picture saturation
About Photo: Picture was taken on RMC campus in front of the library
Camera Settings: Macro Mode, no flash, 1/250 ss, ISO 100, F4.8
Photoshop: Brightened entire picture, decreased contrast of entire picture, decreased hue of area around bee, decreased light of area around bee, increased brightness of bee, increased contrast of bee, decreased hue of bee, increased saturation of bee, decreased lightness of bee
About Photo: Picture was taken on RMC campus in front of the library
Camera: HP Photosmart R607
Camera Settings: 1/360 ss, ISO 100, F4.8, auto mode
Photoshop: Increased brightness, increased contrast, decreased hue, increased saturation, decreased lightness, used a warming filter
About Photo: Picture was take in Yellowstone National Park
Camera: HP Photosmart R607
Camera Settings: Portrait mode, 1/720 ss, ISO 100 F7.7
Photoshop: Cropped out finger, increased chipmunk brightness, increased chipmunk contrast, decreased brightness around chipmunk, decreased total hue, increased total saturation, used a warming filter
About Photo: This picture was taken at a pull-out on the Beartooth Highway
Camera Settings: Landscape mode, 1/1000 ss, ISO 100, F4.3
Photoshop: Decreased terrain brightness, increased sky brightness, increased sky contrast, increased lake brightness, increased lake contrast, decreased lake hue
About Photo: This picture was taken at a pull-out on the Beartooth Highway
Camera Settings: Landscape mode, 1/500 ss, ISO 100, F6.2
Photoshop: Increased total brightness, used a warming filter
About Photo: This is the Lower Falls in Yellowstone National Park
Camera: HP Photosmart R607
Camera Settings: 1/360 ss, ISO 100, F5.0, auto mode
Photoshop: Decreased hue, Increased saturation (bring out the red)
About Photo: Picture was taken on RMC campus in front of the library
Camera: HP Photosmart R607
Camera Settings: Action mode, burst mode, 1/1500 ss, ISO 100, F4.3
Photoshop: Increased tomato brightness, decreased total hue, increased total saturation, levels adjustment (brought black and white pointers in)
About Photo: This picture was taken mainly by trial and error (tossing the tomato up and trying to snap off a shot in the air)
Camera: HP Photosmart R607
Camera Settings: Landscape mode, 1/500 ss, ISO 100, F4.3
Photoshop: Decreased total hue, increased total saturation, increased sky hue, increased sky saturation, decreased sky lightness
About Photo: This picture was taken in Yellowstone National Park
Camera Settings: 1/500 ss, ISO 100, F4.3, automode
Photoshop: Increased sky hue, increased sky saturation, increased sky lightness, decreased terrain hue
About Photo: This picture was taken in Yellowstone National Park out of a moving car
.Camera: HP Photosmart R607
Camera Settings: 1/500 ss, ISO 100, F2.6, portrait mode
Photoshop: Cropped out some branches, increased total brightness, gradient adjustment to darken the upper portion of the frame, soft light filter, decreased total hue, increased saturation
About Photo: This is a picture of Tower Falls in Yellowstone National Park
Camera: HP Photosmart R607
Camera Settings: 1/1500 ss, ISO 100, F4.3, landscape mode
Photoshop: Gradient adjustment to darken sky, soft light filter, decreased ground hue (bring out red), increased ground saturation
About Photo: This picture was taken in Yellowstone National Park
Camera Settings: Macro mode, 1/360 ss,ISO 100, F7.7
Photoshop: Cropped picture to focus on the textures, decreased total hue, increased total saturation, decreased total lightness, used a deep yellow filter (bring out the yellow), increased brightness, increased contrast
About Photo: This picture was taken in Yellowstone National Park in one of the geyser basins
Camera: HP Photosmart R607
Camera Settings: Sunset mode (let more light in, no flash), 1/720 ss, ISO 100, F2.6
Photoshop: Increased brightness of the steps, decreased contrast of the steps, decreased hue of the steps (bring out red), increased saturation of the steps.
About Photo: This picture was taken in the Mammoth Hot Springs section of Yellowstone National Park
Camera Settings: Portrait mode, 1/250 ss, ISO 100, F4.3
Photoshop: Used a warming filter on terrain to add some color to all the white
About Photo: This picture was taken in the Mammoth Hot Springs section of Yellowstone National Park
Camera Settings: 1/125 ss, ISO 200, F4.8, automode
Photoshop: Decreased total hue (bring out the tan hair on the sheep), increased total saturation, used the gradient utility to darken the clouds, used a soft light filter, used a clone stamp to get rid of a post
About Photo: This picture was taken in Yellowstone National Park
Camera Settings: 1/720 ss ISO 100, F2.6, sunset mode, no flash
Photoshop: Used a clone stamp to get rid of a stop sign, used a levels adjustment to get the balance between light and dark that I wanted (brought white towards the center), decreased total contrast, decreased arch and road hue saturation, increased arch and road lightness
About Photo: This is the Teddy Roosevelt arch at the Gardener entrance to Yellowstone National Park
Camera Settings: 1/125 ss, ISO 100, F2.6, automode
Photoshop: Increased total brightness, increased total contrast, decreased total hue, Increased saturation, cropped out top of picture to make the holey rock the focus.
About Photo: This picture was taken at Phipps Park just outside of Billings. I thought it looked like a monster eating a bush
Camera: HP Photosmart R607
Camera Settings: 1/360 ss, ISO 100, F5.3, sunset mode, no flash
Photoshop: Used the gradient utility to darken the upper left corner, used a soft light filter, decreased total hue (bring out yellow), increased total saturation, decreased lightness, increased contrast
About Photo: This picture was taken at Phipps Park just outside of Billings
Camera Settings: Sunset mode, no flash, 1/360 ss, ISO 100, F2.6
Photoshop: Cropped out some of the rock to make the tree and the sky more of the focus, decreased the brightness of the sky, increased contrast of the sky, cooling filter on the sky, levels adjustment on whole picture (moved gray curser right), decreased total hue, applied a green filter on the terrain to make the terrain pop a little more
About Photo: This picture was taken at Phipps Park just outside of Billings
Camera: HP Photosmart R607
Camera Settings: Sunset mode, no flash, 1/720 ss, ISO 100, F4.3
Photoshop: Increased hue of the brush, increased total lightness, increased brightness of the sky, decreased contrast of the sky, used the levels adjustment to obtain a more defined silhouette of the tree
About Photo: This picture was taken at Phipps Park just outside of Billings
Camera: HP Photosmart R607
Camera Settings: 1/720 ss, ISO 100, F2.6, portrait mode, no flash
Photoshop: decreased total hue (bring out the yellows), increased saturation, cropped out a distracting fence post in bottom right of picture.
About Photo: This picture was taken in Yellowstone National Park
Camera Settings: Macro mode, 1/180 ss, ISO 117, F3.1, portrait mode
Photoshop: Lightened whole picture with levels adjustment (bring black to right), decreased hue of leaf (bring out the reds), increased saturation of leaf, decreased total lightness, increased total brightness.
About Photo: This picture was taken on the RMC campus next to the library
Camera Settings: landscape mode, 1/1250 ss, ISO 100, F4.3
Photoshop: decreased total hue, increased total brightness, increased total contrast (all to bring out the yellows), cropped out the tree trunk
About Photo: This picture was taken in Yellowstone National Park
Camera Settings: Landscape mode, 1/250 ss, ISO 105, F5.6
Photoshop: Increased terrain brighness, increased terrain contrast, increased terrain hue (all to bring out the yellows), increased sky brightness, decreased sky contrast (make the clouds softer)
About Photo: This picture was taken in Yellowstone National Park
Camera Settings: 1/720 ss, ISO 100, F4.3, automode
Photoshop: Increased total brightness, decreased total hue, used the gradient utility on upper right corner to darken the harsh light, used a soft light filter, used a levels adjustment to what ratio I wanted between light and dark (moved black and white cursers in)
About Photo: This picture was taken in Yellowstone National Park
Camera Settings: Landscame mode, 1/1250 ss, ISO 100, F4.3
Photoshop: Increased total brightness, decreased total hue (blue tinge to snow), increased total saturation
About Photo: This picture was taken at Pioneer Park in Billings
Camera: HP Photosmart R607
Camera Settings: Landscape mode, 1/1250 ss, ISO 100, F5.0
Photoshop: Decreased contrast (more detail), increased saturation, decreased lightness
About Photo: This picture was taken at Pioneer Park in Billings
Camera Settings: Macro mode, 1/100 ss, ISO 100, F4.3
Photoshop: Increased brightness, increased contrast, decreased hue (bring out blue), increased saturation
About Photo: This picture was taken at Pioneer Park in Billings
Camera: HP Photosmart R607
Camera Settings: AV mode, macro mode, 1/125 ss, ISO 133, F2.6
Photoshop: Decreased saturation all the way
About Photo: This picture was taken at Phipps park just outside of Billings
Thursday, November 18, 2010
A Synopsis of Part 6 of my Digital Nature Photography Book
The sixth and final section of my digital nature photography book is all about digital processing and how to use software to enhance your photos. The first step in this editing process is to make sure that you have the ability to save the images you took out in the field so that they can be accessed on a computer later. For the most part, 1-2 gigabyte compact flash cards will be fine for the average person shooting throughout a half day session. More than one is suggested just so that you do not have all your images on one card in the event of a loss of data. Once you are done shooting, you should offload the photos onto a larger storage device like a computer or external hard drive. Both would be ideal just for the protection against unforeseen data loss.
The book next goes into the types of computers and software that have the ability to edit photos. If you shoot in RAW format, this is where the photos can be transformed into standard TIFF, PSD, or JPEG formats that can then be edited for presentation. This process allows the user to easily make corrections to color, brightness, contrast, remove imperfections, and make many more manipulations. The book remarks that the standard and best image editing software is Adobe Photoshop. As far as computers, the book arguably suggests that the most prominent brands are Apple, Dell, and Hewlett-Packard. The faster the processors (at least 1GB of RAM), the better it will be at easily making modifications to photos. Again, it is very important to make sure that you have your photos saved to another storage device in case of unforeseen data loss.
Most professional digital photographers shoot in RAW format first and then convert them into standard formats later. RAW format allows the camera to save the photo without any kind of camera processing or manipulation. In order to edit these images, you must convert them to a standard lossless format of either TIFF or PSD. Appropriate computer software is required for this, Photoshop CS usually doing the best job according to the author. If you convert a RAW formatted photo to JPEG, you will lose some of the photo's data in compression. The book next talks about the three color spaces. ProPhoto RGB allows for immediate conversion. This color space is excellent for fine-art printing and retains all the data needed to reconvert for other uses. The next mentioned color space is Adobe RGB. It was designed for conversion to CNYK color mode, used for high-quality commercial printing. The third color space mentioned is Adobe sRGB IEC61966-2.1. This color space is used mostly for web-posting.
The first step in actual editing of the image is usually to adjust the brightness. Only minor adjustments in this area are usually needed if you first made sure that your exposure was within your camera's histogram. If your photo originally depicts low contrast, you may want to increase the contrast to add more vibrant color. One of my favorite features of Photoshop is playing around with the color saturation option. Although it is a neat option, avoid over-doing it because it may cause the photo to become grainy. Color balance is mentioned next. For shooting outdoors, the camera's white balance is most effectively set to "daylight" which will require less adjustment in color balance on the computer than if the camera is set to "auto white balance". The contrast utility is another feature that is fun to play with and see what you can do to make the photo unique. In professional photography, the purpose of this utility is to make adjustments to present as much color as possible without modifying it in a way that deviates completely from the original scene.
Finally, I want to talk a little about some really cool creative features that can allow the editor to completely modify imperfections or add effects to the original photo. Dodging and burning tools allow you to "dodge" out over exposed areas and "burn" in underexposed areas just like in the film darkroom. You can use selective contrast to increase or decrease contrast on certain points in the picture instead of the entire picture. Retouching tools, such as the healing brush and the clone stamp tool, allow the editor to add in desired items or take out/cover up undesired items. If you are looking to get rid of a stop sign in one of your landscape shots, you can use the clone stamp tool to get scenery from the background to cover up the sign. Likewise, you can use the healing brush to allow the program to intelligently take surrounding scenery to cover up the sign. The final stage in image editing is to adjust the sharpness. Image sharpening causes a loss of image data that cannot be reversed after saving it. According to the author, the best sharpening utilities in Photoshop are the Smart Sharpen and Sharpen utilities.
Citations:
Fitzharris, Tim. National Audubon Society Guide to Nature Photography Digital Edition. Buffalo: Firefly, 2008.
The book next goes into the types of computers and software that have the ability to edit photos. If you shoot in RAW format, this is where the photos can be transformed into standard TIFF, PSD, or JPEG formats that can then be edited for presentation. This process allows the user to easily make corrections to color, brightness, contrast, remove imperfections, and make many more manipulations. The book remarks that the standard and best image editing software is Adobe Photoshop. As far as computers, the book arguably suggests that the most prominent brands are Apple, Dell, and Hewlett-Packard. The faster the processors (at least 1GB of RAM), the better it will be at easily making modifications to photos. Again, it is very important to make sure that you have your photos saved to another storage device in case of unforeseen data loss.
Most professional digital photographers shoot in RAW format first and then convert them into standard formats later. RAW format allows the camera to save the photo without any kind of camera processing or manipulation. In order to edit these images, you must convert them to a standard lossless format of either TIFF or PSD. Appropriate computer software is required for this, Photoshop CS usually doing the best job according to the author. If you convert a RAW formatted photo to JPEG, you will lose some of the photo's data in compression. The book next talks about the three color spaces. ProPhoto RGB allows for immediate conversion. This color space is excellent for fine-art printing and retains all the data needed to reconvert for other uses. The next mentioned color space is Adobe RGB. It was designed for conversion to CNYK color mode, used for high-quality commercial printing. The third color space mentioned is Adobe sRGB IEC61966-2.1. This color space is used mostly for web-posting.
The first step in actual editing of the image is usually to adjust the brightness. Only minor adjustments in this area are usually needed if you first made sure that your exposure was within your camera's histogram. If your photo originally depicts low contrast, you may want to increase the contrast to add more vibrant color. One of my favorite features of Photoshop is playing around with the color saturation option. Although it is a neat option, avoid over-doing it because it may cause the photo to become grainy. Color balance is mentioned next. For shooting outdoors, the camera's white balance is most effectively set to "daylight" which will require less adjustment in color balance on the computer than if the camera is set to "auto white balance". The contrast utility is another feature that is fun to play with and see what you can do to make the photo unique. In professional photography, the purpose of this utility is to make adjustments to present as much color as possible without modifying it in a way that deviates completely from the original scene.
Finally, I want to talk a little about some really cool creative features that can allow the editor to completely modify imperfections or add effects to the original photo. Dodging and burning tools allow you to "dodge" out over exposed areas and "burn" in underexposed areas just like in the film darkroom. You can use selective contrast to increase or decrease contrast on certain points in the picture instead of the entire picture. Retouching tools, such as the healing brush and the clone stamp tool, allow the editor to add in desired items or take out/cover up undesired items. If you are looking to get rid of a stop sign in one of your landscape shots, you can use the clone stamp tool to get scenery from the background to cover up the sign. Likewise, you can use the healing brush to allow the program to intelligently take surrounding scenery to cover up the sign. The final stage in image editing is to adjust the sharpness. Image sharpening causes a loss of image data that cannot be reversed after saving it. According to the author, the best sharpening utilities in Photoshop are the Smart Sharpen and Sharpen utilities.
Citations:
Fitzharris, Tim. National Audubon Society Guide to Nature Photography Digital Edition. Buffalo: Firefly, 2008.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
A Synopsis of Part 5 of my Digital Nature Photography Book
Part 5 of my digital nature photography book is entitled "The Close-up World". For good close-up magnification of different subjects, macro lenses or extension tubes are usually required. "A true macro lens is designed and specifically corrected for high-quality close-up work." They have focusing ranges that extend from infinity to a distance that usually yields 1:2 life-size images. They can be used without any extra add-on to shoot anything from a close-up of a mosquito to a landscape of the ancient pyramids. Zoom macro lenses are also available, but the focusing ability is not quite as good as a true macro lens. Extension tubes and bellows can also be used in conjunction with non-macro lenses to produce the same magnified photos. The only down side to using these is that they reduce the amount of light transmitted by the lens and limits the ability of the photographer to capture motion.
When wanting to shoot close-ups at a distance, teleconverters can be used along with telephoto lenses which allow the photographer to add to the desired shooting distance. they increase the focal length of the prime lens by 2x or 1.4x. Unfortunately, a 10% loss of image quality occurs with a 1.4x teleconverter and a 20% loss of image quality occurs with a 2x teleconverter. Luckily this loss in image quality occurs around the outer edges of the frame, and does not affect the center where the subject is located.
Wide angle lenses can be successfully used with short extension tubes to create great macro shots. The author remarks that he likes to push the wide-angle lens directly into a clump of flowers to obtain his desired macro effect. These lenses when used with a short extension tube to produce magnifications exceeding life-size. At this magnification level, the image quality of the primary lens tends to deteriorate. To fix this, you can reverse mount the lens to the camera body, but closing the diaphragm manually and manual exposure control is required.
The author really enjoys shooting macro photographs of flowers. He dedicated a whole section of this part of the book to shooting "Wild Flora". He recommends restraining flowers as well as stabilizing camera equipment for these shots. Under natural overcast light and using a polarizing filter with a moderate ISO speed, a shutter speed of 1/15 or longer is usually required. When you are looking to capture a landscape of a meadow, windy days may be desirable due to the blurred effect that it can produce. The author suggests using a plamp (plant clamp) when shooting a macro shot of an individual flower even when it is not windy out. Macro shots are usually best accomplished with the use of natural light, because it does not flush out the natural color of the plant like a flash might.
I think there are some absolutely beautiful wildflower portraits in this part of the book. The author gives some great tips on how to shoot these great photos. The first of these steps is to get close enough so that the bloom will occupy most of the frame. Next, make sure the sharpest focus is on the flower's pistils and stamens unless there is a more distinctive feature to the flower. "Use out-of-focus patches of color to frame the main blossom." Check the outer edges of the frame to make sure that there is not anything else that will distract the viewer from the main subject. Finally, simplify the composition by shooting at a large aperture (shallow depth of field). This allows features surrounding the subject to be softened, allowing the subject stand out even more.
Citations:
Fitzharris, Tim. National Audubon Society Guide to Nature Photography Digital Edition. Buffalo: Firefly, 2008.
When wanting to shoot close-ups at a distance, teleconverters can be used along with telephoto lenses which allow the photographer to add to the desired shooting distance. they increase the focal length of the prime lens by 2x or 1.4x. Unfortunately, a 10% loss of image quality occurs with a 1.4x teleconverter and a 20% loss of image quality occurs with a 2x teleconverter. Luckily this loss in image quality occurs around the outer edges of the frame, and does not affect the center where the subject is located.
Wide angle lenses can be successfully used with short extension tubes to create great macro shots. The author remarks that he likes to push the wide-angle lens directly into a clump of flowers to obtain his desired macro effect. These lenses when used with a short extension tube to produce magnifications exceeding life-size. At this magnification level, the image quality of the primary lens tends to deteriorate. To fix this, you can reverse mount the lens to the camera body, but closing the diaphragm manually and manual exposure control is required.
The author really enjoys shooting macro photographs of flowers. He dedicated a whole section of this part of the book to shooting "Wild Flora". He recommends restraining flowers as well as stabilizing camera equipment for these shots. Under natural overcast light and using a polarizing filter with a moderate ISO speed, a shutter speed of 1/15 or longer is usually required. When you are looking to capture a landscape of a meadow, windy days may be desirable due to the blurred effect that it can produce. The author suggests using a plamp (plant clamp) when shooting a macro shot of an individual flower even when it is not windy out. Macro shots are usually best accomplished with the use of natural light, because it does not flush out the natural color of the plant like a flash might.
I think there are some absolutely beautiful wildflower portraits in this part of the book. The author gives some great tips on how to shoot these great photos. The first of these steps is to get close enough so that the bloom will occupy most of the frame. Next, make sure the sharpest focus is on the flower's pistils and stamens unless there is a more distinctive feature to the flower. "Use out-of-focus patches of color to frame the main blossom." Check the outer edges of the frame to make sure that there is not anything else that will distract the viewer from the main subject. Finally, simplify the composition by shooting at a large aperture (shallow depth of field). This allows features surrounding the subject to be softened, allowing the subject stand out even more.
Citations:
Fitzharris, Tim. National Audubon Society Guide to Nature Photography Digital Edition. Buffalo: Firefly, 2008.
Thursday, November 11, 2010
A Synopsis of Part 4 of my Digital Nature Photography Book
Part four of the book is entitled "Light on the Land". The first section talks about finding photogenic landscapes. The author suggests putting color first. If there is red in the landscape, it will draw even more attention than any other color. Making sure these vibrant colors/attention grabbers are in sharp focus is very important. Shooting pictures while there are clouds is a great approach because they act as natural filters for harsh natural light, while not detracting from the colorful accents and detail in your frame.
For landscape photographers, shooting in calm conditions ensures more sharpness throughout the picture. If wind is not causing trees and grass to move around, you can use longer exposure times and maximize your depth of field with a larger f-stop. Keep in mind that weather such as fog, snow, mist, and haze can add to the drama of the scene.
Looking for north/south camera angles are great for capturing detailed pictures with natural sidelight. This approach shows off the contours, shapes, and textures of the landscape better than any other camera angle. Making sure there are no light-obstructing landforms in the way when shooting is an important consideration. Especially keep this in mind when shooting in mountainous areas. If you are in these areas, make sure you are west of the landscape at sunset and east of the landscape at sunrise.
You can get some really cool effects while shooting when the moon is out or shooting beside still pools of water. If you are looking to shoot while a full moon is out, check your calendar. The author states that, "you will want to employ multiple captures and computer manipulation to achieve natural lunar luminosity and detail." Getting both the sun and the moon in the same shot is also a neat effect, but usually requires multiple shots and blending on a computer to avoid contrast problems. Shooting beside beaver ponds, vernal pools, lakes, lagoons, river backwaters and tide pools all can yield some great photos. These usually still bodies of water act like mirrors, reflecting the surrounding scenery and give almost a split image reflection. Using waders and getting into the water allows for you to get even more dramatic shots.
Paying attention to perspective allows you to give the viewer of you photos more of a three dimensional impression. The author first talks about the use of size cues. If you are looking at a picture, objects that were close to the camera appear to be bigger than objects that were far away from the camera. Components such as trees, shrubs , and wild flowers of the same species can be placed in the foreground to give a better perspective of size on the background. A good placement of the camera shows the size cues arranged at regular intervals from largest to smallest on a diagonal plane, or some variation of it. A great example of this is taking an up-close picture of a winding stream; the bottom of the frame will show the closeness of the stream (larger span) in comparison with the top of the frame which shows that upstream is further away (smaller span).
Citations:
Fitzharris, Tim. National Audubon Society Guide to Nature Photography Digital Edition. Buffalo: Firefly, 2008.
For landscape photographers, shooting in calm conditions ensures more sharpness throughout the picture. If wind is not causing trees and grass to move around, you can use longer exposure times and maximize your depth of field with a larger f-stop. Keep in mind that weather such as fog, snow, mist, and haze can add to the drama of the scene.
Looking for north/south camera angles are great for capturing detailed pictures with natural sidelight. This approach shows off the contours, shapes, and textures of the landscape better than any other camera angle. Making sure there are no light-obstructing landforms in the way when shooting is an important consideration. Especially keep this in mind when shooting in mountainous areas. If you are in these areas, make sure you are west of the landscape at sunset and east of the landscape at sunrise.
You can get some really cool effects while shooting when the moon is out or shooting beside still pools of water. If you are looking to shoot while a full moon is out, check your calendar. The author states that, "you will want to employ multiple captures and computer manipulation to achieve natural lunar luminosity and detail." Getting both the sun and the moon in the same shot is also a neat effect, but usually requires multiple shots and blending on a computer to avoid contrast problems. Shooting beside beaver ponds, vernal pools, lakes, lagoons, river backwaters and tide pools all can yield some great photos. These usually still bodies of water act like mirrors, reflecting the surrounding scenery and give almost a split image reflection. Using waders and getting into the water allows for you to get even more dramatic shots.
Paying attention to perspective allows you to give the viewer of you photos more of a three dimensional impression. The author first talks about the use of size cues. If you are looking at a picture, objects that were close to the camera appear to be bigger than objects that were far away from the camera. Components such as trees, shrubs , and wild flowers of the same species can be placed in the foreground to give a better perspective of size on the background. A good placement of the camera shows the size cues arranged at regular intervals from largest to smallest on a diagonal plane, or some variation of it. A great example of this is taking an up-close picture of a winding stream; the bottom of the frame will show the closeness of the stream (larger span) in comparison with the top of the frame which shows that upstream is further away (smaller span).
Citations:
Fitzharris, Tim. National Audubon Society Guide to Nature Photography Digital Edition. Buffalo: Firefly, 2008.
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
A Synopsis of Part 3 of my Digital Nature Photography Book
Part three of my digital nature photography book is all about "Adventures with Wildlife." The first section in this part of the book talks about getting your pictures without disturbing the wildlife. It is obvious that a good telephoto lens would allow you to keep your distance and still get a good picture, but what if your only option to getting the shot you want is by moving closer to the wildlife? Well, you have to keep in mind some simple rules. The book states that you can photograph at close range only at the subject's forbearance. Searching out animals that do not mind you being there is an important thing to keep in mind if you do not want to become dinner or end up on a stretcher.
When looking for animals, search the internet to get a good idea of their behavior and postulate where they might like to hang out before you go. When stalking animals, keep low and slow so as to not startle them. It can actually be a good thing if the animal you are shooting is aware of you; just don't make abrupt movements or noises. What ever you do, do not fence them in as this causes their "flight" option to be substituted for "fight." When trying to draw wildlife to your camera, the author suggests using peanut butter. I personally would not want to use this because I think it may draw a little more attention than I may want. When waiting for that perfect shot, remember to be patient and don't give up. It is just like hunting, but with a camera instead of a gun.
The next section talks about animals in motion. First you have to know where to shoot these scenes. The best possibilities for finding large groups of animals in motion is in national parks, wildlife preserves, and bird sanctuaries according to the author. Being on site before sunrise is optimal for shooting any kind of picture due to its soft light. Lowering your tripod is recommended so that you can get an eye level view of your subject. Especially in shooting motion, it is important to make sure you have the frame in focus, click off multiple shots at once, and worry about editing later. Some shots you will not get a second chance at, so shooting now and editing later is a great time saver.
When building a stage to capture action, there are three main things that you are tasked with. First, you have to focus on the subject accurately. Next, you must make sure your frame is set up how you want it (no twigs or branches in the way). Finally, you must make sure the background is supportive of your main subject and does not draw attention away from your subject.
The third section of the book talks about taking wildlife portraits. When taking portraits of more intimidating wildlife, telephoto lenses can be particularly advantageous. The book talks about building a three-layer picture space consisting of the foreground, midground, and background. Each one of these components must support the main subject. The foreground and background are usually out of focus while the midground might be in focus and supporting the definition of the subject. One of the most important rules in portrait photography is that the subject's face is in focus. It is better to have the head of an animal in focus and the rest of his body less in focus than to have the head out of focus and the body in focus.
Citations:
Fitzharris, Tim. National Audubon Society Guide to Nature Photography Digital Edition. Buffalo: Firefly, 2008.
When looking for animals, search the internet to get a good idea of their behavior and postulate where they might like to hang out before you go. When stalking animals, keep low and slow so as to not startle them. It can actually be a good thing if the animal you are shooting is aware of you; just don't make abrupt movements or noises. What ever you do, do not fence them in as this causes their "flight" option to be substituted for "fight." When trying to draw wildlife to your camera, the author suggests using peanut butter. I personally would not want to use this because I think it may draw a little more attention than I may want. When waiting for that perfect shot, remember to be patient and don't give up. It is just like hunting, but with a camera instead of a gun.
The next section talks about animals in motion. First you have to know where to shoot these scenes. The best possibilities for finding large groups of animals in motion is in national parks, wildlife preserves, and bird sanctuaries according to the author. Being on site before sunrise is optimal for shooting any kind of picture due to its soft light. Lowering your tripod is recommended so that you can get an eye level view of your subject. Especially in shooting motion, it is important to make sure you have the frame in focus, click off multiple shots at once, and worry about editing later. Some shots you will not get a second chance at, so shooting now and editing later is a great time saver.
When building a stage to capture action, there are three main things that you are tasked with. First, you have to focus on the subject accurately. Next, you must make sure your frame is set up how you want it (no twigs or branches in the way). Finally, you must make sure the background is supportive of your main subject and does not draw attention away from your subject.
The third section of the book talks about taking wildlife portraits. When taking portraits of more intimidating wildlife, telephoto lenses can be particularly advantageous. The book talks about building a three-layer picture space consisting of the foreground, midground, and background. Each one of these components must support the main subject. The foreground and background are usually out of focus while the midground might be in focus and supporting the definition of the subject. One of the most important rules in portrait photography is that the subject's face is in focus. It is better to have the head of an animal in focus and the rest of his body less in focus than to have the head out of focus and the body in focus.
Citations:
Fitzharris, Tim. National Audubon Society Guide to Nature Photography Digital Edition. Buffalo: Firefly, 2008.
Friday, November 5, 2010
A Synopsis of Part 2 of my Digital Nature Photography Book
The second part of my digital nature photography book begins by talking about how to get a good exposure. This, according to the text, is the first step in becoming a photographer. Exposure is based on light meter readings taken through the lens and transmitted to the camera's computer. It can be controlled by aperture and shutter speed. Histograms are useful in obtaining the best exposure for a particular shot. This tool, which is usually available on all DSLR camera LCD screens, graphs luminescent values of a particular frame and tells you if the sensor has recorded everything within the frame. The book goes into different types of light metering that most DSLRs can accomplish as well. Evaluative/Matrix metering is recommended as your default metering setting because it measures light from multiple points within the frame and uses a real-situation algorithm to accommodate spotlit and backlit scenes. Average metering is useless according to the book. Spot metering bases the light reading on a central spot of the frame and can be very useful in shooting wildlife to ensure detail of specific body parts. Center-weighted metering takes a light reading from the entire frame, but 75% of the priority is given to the center of the frame. The book also goes over the three basic exposure modes: aperture priority mode, shutter priority mode, and manual mode. Aperture priority allows the user to set his/her desired aperture while the camera decides a suitable shutter speed. Shutter priority allows the user to set his/her desired shutter speed while the camera decides a suitable aperture. Manual allows the user to set both aperture and shutter speed.
The second section in part two gives a few tips on reading light in different situations. It is generally accepted that the midday sun gives the most harsh light and is not conducive to picture taking. Front light refers to the light being positioned behind you. This type of lighting is recommended when you wish to portray saturated color and contrast, and it can be used in early or late day. Sidelight refers to the light coming from the side of the frame. "Sidelight produces long, deep shadows that reveal the wrinkles, dimples, ridges and other details of a surface in greatest relief." Backlight refers to the light being directly behind the subject in a photograph. It has the most dramatic effect on subjects with fur or feathers where the light can shine through and show high contrast. Sunset flash, which is just the use of natural light at either sunset or sunrise, is unique in that it allows for colorful soft light to be projected onto the subject. Electronic flash, which is the use of artificial light, delivers harsh and many times undesirable light to the subject, but can be properly used to shoot small animals with lots of depth of field.
I have always been interested in pictures that illustrate motion. Prerequisite to developing these shots is making sure the camera is secure (tripod recommended). A good rule of thumb to shooting these photos is to set the shutter speed no slower than the inverse of the lens' focal length. If you are looking to freeze the motion of something quickly coming towards the camera, a moderate shutter speed (around 1/125) would allow most of the shot to be frozen, while some motion could be blurred. If shooting a subject that is moving laterally across the frame, a much faster shutter speed may be required depending on how much the subject is magnified (greater shutter speed for more magnification). Panning the camera can be useful in reducing subject blur while the background is smoothly blurred. If a bird is flying laterally, you can pan the camera and get most of the bird in focus while the background is blurred.
Modifying natural light is sometimes necessary to improve definition, color, reduce glare, or make light to dark in-frame transitions less harsh. When looking for filters, it is best to get ones that will fit your biggest diameter lens. Polarizing lenses produce greater color saturation or eliminate reflective glare from non-metallic surfaces such as leaves, grass, and water. They reduce scene brightness by one or two stops. Split neutral density filters, which are half clear and half neutral density tint gray. They can be used in high contrast landscape situations when the sky is much brighter than the terrain. Graduated neutral density filters accomplish a similar goal as split neutral density filters, except the frame contrast may be less abrupt between light and dark. Graduated neutral density filters are gradually tinted from clear to neutral density gray. Standard neutral density filters can be used in extremely bright situations where the camera normally would not be able to take the shot. Blue/gold polarizing filters, like other polarizing filters, alter light only from reflected surfaces. They are used to reduce glare, bump up color saturation on land and water, and boost sky color and density.
Finally, designing the picture space is a crucial part to shooting any picture. It does not matter how good of a job you have done in getting proper exposure or properly manipulating the light if the frame is not composed in an interesting way. Establishing visual priorities is just based on the shooter's thoughts of what he/she is interesting. The book talks about some general visual priority thoughts: "red is more attractive than yellow; large draws more attention than small; difference draws more attention than conformity; jagged lines are more striking than curved ones; diagonal lines are more attractive than vertical ones; sharpness is more attractive than blur; and light is more attractive than dark. The rule of thirds is also an important concept in frame composition. It states that the center of interest should be placed one-third of the way from the top or bottom of the frame and one-third of the way from either side.
Citations:
Fitzharris, Tim. National Audubon Society Guide to Nature Photography Digital Edition. Buffalo: Firefly, 2008.
The second section in part two gives a few tips on reading light in different situations. It is generally accepted that the midday sun gives the most harsh light and is not conducive to picture taking. Front light refers to the light being positioned behind you. This type of lighting is recommended when you wish to portray saturated color and contrast, and it can be used in early or late day. Sidelight refers to the light coming from the side of the frame. "Sidelight produces long, deep shadows that reveal the wrinkles, dimples, ridges and other details of a surface in greatest relief." Backlight refers to the light being directly behind the subject in a photograph. It has the most dramatic effect on subjects with fur or feathers where the light can shine through and show high contrast. Sunset flash, which is just the use of natural light at either sunset or sunrise, is unique in that it allows for colorful soft light to be projected onto the subject. Electronic flash, which is the use of artificial light, delivers harsh and many times undesirable light to the subject, but can be properly used to shoot small animals with lots of depth of field.
I have always been interested in pictures that illustrate motion. Prerequisite to developing these shots is making sure the camera is secure (tripod recommended). A good rule of thumb to shooting these photos is to set the shutter speed no slower than the inverse of the lens' focal length. If you are looking to freeze the motion of something quickly coming towards the camera, a moderate shutter speed (around 1/125) would allow most of the shot to be frozen, while some motion could be blurred. If shooting a subject that is moving laterally across the frame, a much faster shutter speed may be required depending on how much the subject is magnified (greater shutter speed for more magnification). Panning the camera can be useful in reducing subject blur while the background is smoothly blurred. If a bird is flying laterally, you can pan the camera and get most of the bird in focus while the background is blurred.
Modifying natural light is sometimes necessary to improve definition, color, reduce glare, or make light to dark in-frame transitions less harsh. When looking for filters, it is best to get ones that will fit your biggest diameter lens. Polarizing lenses produce greater color saturation or eliminate reflective glare from non-metallic surfaces such as leaves, grass, and water. They reduce scene brightness by one or two stops. Split neutral density filters, which are half clear and half neutral density tint gray. They can be used in high contrast landscape situations when the sky is much brighter than the terrain. Graduated neutral density filters accomplish a similar goal as split neutral density filters, except the frame contrast may be less abrupt between light and dark. Graduated neutral density filters are gradually tinted from clear to neutral density gray. Standard neutral density filters can be used in extremely bright situations where the camera normally would not be able to take the shot. Blue/gold polarizing filters, like other polarizing filters, alter light only from reflected surfaces. They are used to reduce glare, bump up color saturation on land and water, and boost sky color and density.
Finally, designing the picture space is a crucial part to shooting any picture. It does not matter how good of a job you have done in getting proper exposure or properly manipulating the light if the frame is not composed in an interesting way. Establishing visual priorities is just based on the shooter's thoughts of what he/she is interesting. The book talks about some general visual priority thoughts: "red is more attractive than yellow; large draws more attention than small; difference draws more attention than conformity; jagged lines are more striking than curved ones; diagonal lines are more attractive than vertical ones; sharpness is more attractive than blur; and light is more attractive than dark. The rule of thirds is also an important concept in frame composition. It states that the center of interest should be placed one-third of the way from the top or bottom of the frame and one-third of the way from either side.
Citations:
Fitzharris, Tim. National Audubon Society Guide to Nature Photography Digital Edition. Buffalo: Firefly, 2008.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)