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| Below is a video clip I took while on a trip out to Arches National Park, Utah. Delicate Arch has become quite the "production" at sunset. So if you have idea's of wanting the Arch to yourself be prepared. Also don't even think of going under the Arch when the light is "just right" you will be yelled at "Get out of the f-n Arch" I just wish I had kept the camera filming when I heard that comment. Also it was VERY windy when I was last there so you might want to turn off the volume. |
| Here is what happens when I return from a hike. Cats are so funny. |
Long Exposure photography is one of my favorite techqunies to create images with movement. Whether it is water or clouds both are in constant motion. Increasing the exposure time does two wonderful things to a image. |
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This moonlight over 11 mile lake image was taken digitally. I exposed the image for about 30 minutes and the very thick cloud cover had almost vanished. I love the overall "feel" of the image. A few other neccesary items are required to help make long exposure images: |
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Years ago, i read this great photography book by Charles Campbell. "A Field Guide to Wilderness Photography", in it Charles offers a quick 15-second compostion evaluation. Here's how it works.
* 5 SECONDS: Is it a good subject?
* 5 SECONDS: Is it a good composition?
* 5 SECONDS: Is it good light?
After you answer "yes" to all three qustions, then the image should be a winner. Using a tripod also will force you to slow down and "look" at the scene. A big thing to remember is that, not every compostion is correct. It is better to NOT take the picture, then to take the picture and delete it later. "Take a second and think before you shot."
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Proper exposure, is the most challenging aspect of nature photography. Dozens of books are written about proper exposure techinques. Try these tools help make your exposure "Spot-on".
Histogram: The least understood/used and best tool to help you obtain proper exposure. Look at your histogram after taking the shot. The histogram will like like a bell curve when the image is well exposured , if the spikes are too much to the left then the image is too dark, if the spikes are too much too the right then the image is too light.
AE shutter-lock: ( * Asterisks symbol on camera) Very useful feature while shooting sunrise/sunset situations. Meter the mid-tone of the image and press the AE lock button, the exposure will meter for all the middle tones, recompose the picture and "click'.
Filters: Yes, you can filter colors, contrast, and light in your digital darkroom, however do you really want to sit at the computer and adjust 300 to 500 images off one CF/SD card? I would rather use filters as i shot. Skylight helps protect the lens, Polarizer's help reduce glare and enrich blue skies, Neutral density filters allow you to take long exposure shots on sunny conditions. Beware, if you use normal size filters with wide-angle lens. You need to purchase a wide angle filter for this type of lens, why? A normal 77mm filter say for a 300mm lens works fine, but fit it on the 10-20mm DSLR lens and you will get vignetting
(an unwanted darkening of the corners of the image.)
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As a nature photographer you need to become aware of and how to predict (as least as well as a Meterologist ) these conditions. Each one can drastically effect the lighting and feel of a location. Weather can play a huge factor in when to go, what to bring, and how to adapt to the changing light conditions. Each season brings its own weather pattern, which brings me to sunlight. The earths tilt and its obitial position around the sun will cause the sun's rays to shine/reflect off the earths surface differently throughout the year ( thus creating our seasons). Photography is the study of light interaction. Knowing how light hits the earth during each season will enable you to better understand the lighting of a certain location during a certain season. Confused? For those of us living in Northern latitudes the sunlight we recieve is mostly to our south nearly all year (except in summer when the sunlight is almost directly over us). The more the sun is to the south (also lower in the sky ) light rays are longer casting more shadow details during the day. Now do you start to understand? So even though plants love long summer days, its nature photographers whom enjoy winter days when the "good light" is available from sunrise to sunset. I love to shoot when there is no moon or a full moon. Moonlight has a totally different effect on a scene and unlike the seasons it is constant. Below is a cool Moon phase module i uploaded to the website, come back tomorrow or next week to see which phas ethe moon is going into or out of. My favorite online forecast is from www.noaa.gov
CURRENT MOON |
