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5 free software applications for nature photographers

April 5, 2009 by Steve Berardi 2 Comments

title1Photography is an expensive hobby, isn’t it?

Cameras cost hundreds or thousands of dollars, and lenses cost even more. Add on filters, and all the other required accessories, and you’ll quickly be staring at an empty wallet.

Fortunately, you can get some relief when it comes to software. Here are five great applications for nature photographers that are completely free: [Read more…] about 5 free software applications for nature photographers

Filed Under: Landscapes, Tips Tagged With: free software, gimp, google earth, hdr, hdri, high dynamic range, image processing, jalbum, moon rise times, nature photography, photoshop alternatives, photoshop free, qtpfsgui, software, software applications, stellarium, sunset times

How to fix blown-out highlights in your wildflower photos (using Photoshop)

March 31, 2009 by Steve Berardi 3 Comments

Photo by Steve Berardi
Photo by Steve Berardi
In our free eBook on wildflower photography, we explained how important it is to get a perfect exposure when photographing wildflowers. Otherwise, you’ll get blown-out highlights.

Well, sometimes there just isn’t a perfect exposure, and no matter what shutter speed you choose, you’ll either get a wildflower that is way too underexposed, or you’ll get tiny overexposed “patches” on your wildflower.

Fortunately, if these “patches” are small enough, there’s an easy way to fix them in Photoshop. Here’s how: [Read more…] about How to fix blown-out highlights in your wildflower photos (using Photoshop)

Filed Under: Photoshop Tutorials, Wildflowers Tagged With: adobe photoshop, blown-out highlights, photoshop, sponge tool, tutorials, wildflower photography, wildflower photos

How metadata can help you identify and organize your photos

March 29, 2009 by Matthew Fletcher 3 Comments

metadataPhoto metadata, simply put, is a set of data that describes various aspects of your photo (i.e. where it was taken, settings used, etc).

Photos without metadata are like the thousands of items at an antique market, whose origin and history you can only guess at. Using metadata is like adding a card next to each item in the antique market with details such as its origin, maker, purpose, how it was made, etc.

There are two types of metadata: technical and informational. [Read more…] about How metadata can help you identify and organize your photos

Filed Under: Photoshop Tutorials, Tips Tagged With: exif, how to add copyright to your photos, how to organize photos, how to use metadata, iptc, keywords, metadata, photo metadata, photoshop, photoshop metadata, photoshop tips, searching photos, white faced heron, xmp

FREE eBook: 13 tips for better wildflower photography

March 22, 2009 by Steve Berardi 40 Comments

free_ebookcoverIn anticipation of a great spring wildflower season, we decided to put together a FREE 20-page eBook, 13 tips for better wildflower photography. It contains some of our existing articles, but also includes SIX brand new articles!

Here’s what you’ll learn in this free 20-page eBook: [Read more…] about FREE eBook: 13 tips for better wildflower photography

Filed Under: Landscapes, Macro, Photoshop Tutorials, Tips, Wildflowers Tagged With: bokeh, ebook, how to, how to photograph butterflies, how to photograph wildflowers, sharp wildflower photos, wildflower exposure, wildflower photography, wildflower photography tips, wildflower photos, wildflowers

How to get a perfect exposure of an albino Red-tailed Hawk in flight

March 18, 2009 by Vic Berardi 14 Comments

Photo by Vic Berardi
Photo by Vic Berardi
This photo of a nearly all white albino Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) was taken in northern Illinois this past weekend, at midday.

This plumage variation of Red-tailed Hawks, although not necessarily rare in
occurrence, is somewhat rare in opportunities to photograph. When I first saw the bird, it was perched in a tree directly above me. The lighting was perfect as you can see in this photo below: [Read more…] about How to get a perfect exposure of an albino Red-tailed Hawk in flight

Filed Under: Wildlife Tagged With: albino red tailed hawk, backlit subject, bird photography, how to photograph birds in flight, how to photograph hawks, iso speed, manual exposure, red tailed hawk photos, shutter speed, sunny 16 rule, Wildlife

How a shower curtain and an old wire clothes hanger can get you better wildflower photos

March 8, 2009 by Steve Berardi 15 Comments

img_7386c2In a previous article, I revealed the secret to getting perfect light for your wildflower photos–shoot on an overcast day. The thick clouds act as a natural diffuser, helping to balance the light.

But, what if you can’t wait for an overcast day? Or worse, what if overcast days rarely occur in your area?

In the article, I briefly mentioned how you can build a box, covered with a shower curtain, and use this as a sort of artificial light diffuser.

I never liked the idea of building a box, because it would just add too much more for me to carry. So, this past weekend when I saw a bright sunny day in the desert forecast (surprise surprise), I decided to try and build a more lightweight solution. All I used was a small cutout from a shower curtain, and an old wire clothes hanger. Total cost: $5 and 5 minutes.

Here’s how you can build your own lightweight diffuser (in two easy steps): [Read more…] about How a shower curtain and an old wire clothes hanger can get you better wildflower photos

Filed Under: Macro, Tips, Wildflowers Tagged With: diffused light, how to build an artificial light diffuser, how to diffuse the sun light, how to photograph wildflowers, wildflower photography

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