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How to Focus Closer When Using Teleconverters

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In a previous post, I explained how you can use an extension tube to focus closer with your lens. Using one of these hollow tubes can help you fill the frame when doing close-up photography of things like flowers or butterflies.

Well, when you’re also using a teleconverter on your lens, it’s important to attach the extension tube in between the teleconverter and the lens (so, the teleconverter should be closest to the camera body). This is a little trick that I just learned from an article by Arthur Morris in the latest issue of Nature Photographer Magazine.

I was interested to find out just how much the order matters, so I did a few tests with my Canon 300mm f/4L (a lens that I love to use for close-up photos) and a 25mm extension tube. Here’s a table that summarizes my results: [Read more…] about How to Focus Closer When Using Teleconverters

Take a Second Look at Your Subject

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Photos by Vic Berardi
Photos by Vic Berardi
Ever wonder why some photographers see things that you donʼt? True, there is some degree of “right brain” thinking going on with the more experienced photographer, but I think thereʼs more to it than just that.

Whatʼs most important is perseverance and taking a second look at your subject. [Read more…] about Take a Second Look at Your Subject

How to Photograph Hummingbirds in the Wild

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Black-chinned Hummingbird / Photo by Steve Berardi
Black-chinned Hummingbird (juvenile female) / Photo by Steve Berardi
Hummingbirds are amazing little birds: they’re the only birds that can fly backwards, and they’re the fastest animal on the planet (if you measure speed in body lengths per second, heh).

They’re fairly easy to photograph if you setup a feeder, but I prefer to photograph them in the wild, since my goal is to photograph truly wild moments. Sometimes that means waiting awhile for a hummingbird to show up at the perfect flower, but your patience pays off when you get that truly wild photo.

Anyway, here’s what I’ve learned so far about photographing hummingbirds in the wild: [Read more…] about How to Photograph Hummingbirds in the Wild

Why the Sharpest Photo Isn’t Always the Best Photo

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Desert Sunflower photo
Desert Sunflower @ f5.6 / Photo by Steve Berardi
As nature photographers, we tend to have an obsession with tack sharp photos and will do almost anything to increase the sharpness just a tiny bit. After all, looking up close at a sharp photo of a dragonfly is one of the greatest rewards of photographing the natural world 🙂

But, sometimes it’s necessary to sacrifice a little sharpness for a better composition.

As an example, consider the photo above of a Desert Sunflower in front of a patch of Desert Sand Verbena (see original size photo too). There are three reasons why the sunflower isn’t as sharp as it could have been:

  1. The wind was blowing pretty hard, and constantly swaying the flower

  2. The camera’s sensor was not parallel to the most important plane of the flower

  3. A pretty large aperture was used (f/5.6), which limited depth of field

Of course, the wind was out of my control, so all I could do for that was wait for the calmest moment possible. But, the other two were in my control. Why didn’t I address these problems? [Read more…] about Why the Sharpest Photo Isn’t Always the Best Photo

When NOT to Use a Battery Grip

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The battery grip is a great accessory for an SLR: not only does it allow you to plug in two batteries to your camera, but it also helps give you a much better grip on the camera, making it easier to handle.

But, there’s at least one situation where you should avoid using this great accessory: whenever you’re shooting handheld.

Yeah, yeah.. I know, “always use a tripod.” But, there are times when it’s just not possible to use a tripod, like when you’re trying to photograph birds in flight. In these situations, you’ll likely be changing camera positions pretty quickly. [Read more…] about When NOT to Use a Battery Grip

How to Photograph Dragonflies (free eBook!)

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Today I’m happy to announce the release of a free eBook about photographing one of the most unique insects on the planet: dragonflies. The eBook was written by my father, Vic Berardi, who is an outstanding photographer of hawks, dragonflies, and wildflowers.

This 18-page eBook is not meant to be a complete guide on the subject of photographing dragonflies, but it includes many great tips for dealing with the unique challenges of dragonfly photography. You’ll get the most out of the book if you already have a basic understanding of how to use your camera (you’re familiar with the terms aperture, shutter speed, ISO, depth of field, etc). [Read more…] about How to Photograph Dragonflies (free eBook!)