PhotoNaturalist - nature photography tips and tutorials
nature photography tips and tutorials
Yesterday, I wrote a few tips for getting a perfect exposure of a snow covered landscape (or, how to avoid the “gray snow problem”).
But, what do you do with all those gray snow photos you already took? Throw them away?
Nope! Fortunately, there’s an easy way to fix the gray snow problem in Photoshop. With just a few clicks, you’ll transform that dull grayness into a beautiful bed of white textured snow.
Here’s how to do it: [Read more…] about How to fix the “gray snow problem” with Photoshop
Have you ever tried taking photos of a beautiful winter landscape covered in bright white snow? And, did the snow in all your photos end up looking gray, instead of that beautiful white?
The “gray snow problem” is very common, and happens because your camera’s light meter sees everything as neutral gray. When it looks at the bright white snow, it just thinks you’re trying to photograph a gray subject in brighter light, so it underexposes your shot.
Fortunately, there are three easy ways to avoid this problem:
[Read more…] about How to get a perfect exposure of a snow covered landscape
When you decide to photograph a particular subject, how many shots do you usually take? Do you just hit the shutter once and move on? Or, do you take a lot of shots, and perhaps change your camera settings in the process?
Well, regardless of what your subject is, you should always take lots and lots of photos. This may not seem obvious for all subjects, so here’s a breakdown:
[Read more…] about Why you should always take lots and lots of photos (regardless of subject)
There seems to be a lot of debate about the best sharpening method in Photoshop. Some say it’s “unsharp mask,” while others swear by “smart sharpen,” and a few have developed complex multi-step workflows for sharpening their photos.
I’ve tried a few of these techniques, but the one I like best is High-Pass sharpening. It’s my favorite method for two reasons:
So, here’s how you do it: [Read more…] about How to make your photos super sharp in Photoshop (without adding noise)
The photo above was taken at Sand Harbor, Lake Tahoe (Nevada). This area is known for those large rounded rocks that seem to have just been thrown onto the lake. It’s a wonderful place to watch the sunset because you’ll see some beautiful reflections on the the torquise water of Lake Tahoe.
There were three keys to getting this photo: [Read more…] about How to get this photo of Lake Tahoe
Wildflowers display some of the most brilliant colors found in nature. And, for good reason–they’re fiercely competing with each other to attract their pollinating friends: the insects and a few species of birds.
However, their brilliant colors often make them difficult to photograph. Have you ever come home with a full memory card only to find out that all those beautiful flower photos you took have blown out highlights, washed out colors, and harsh shadows?
Well, there’s a secret to avoiding all these problems, and I’m going to tell you what it is. Are you ready? [Read more…] about The secret to getting perfect light for your wildflower photographs