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nature photography tips and tutorials

Articles by Steve Berardi

Top 10 PhotoNaturalist Posts of 2011

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Photo by Steve Berardi
With 2011 coming to a close in about a week, I thought it’d be good to check out the top posts of the year. So, here they are:

  1. When NOT to Use Lens Stabilization
  2. The Perfect Tripod For a Hiking Photographer
  3. How to Fix a Washed Out Sky in Photoshop
  4. 5 Essential Tools For Closeup Photography
  5. 9 Tips For Photographing Perched Birds
  6. Keys To Getting Sharp Photos of Birds In Flight
  7. How To Make Your Camera Shoot Faster
  8. How Perspective Affects Your Photos
  9. How to Keep Your Camera Ready For Action
  10. How to Photograph Landscapes With The Moon

I hope you enjoyed all the articles at PhotoNaturalist this year! I’m looking forward to another great year of capturing natural light 🙂 [Read more…] about Top 10 PhotoNaturalist Posts of 2011

Why You Should Keep Your Camera’s Clock Accurate

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When I first get a camera, I always set the right date and time, but then I usually completely forget about it. A few daylight savings time changes go by, and of course I forget to update the time, so for half the year, my cameras are an hour off.

But, there’s also a few other problems: when I first set the clock, I’m usually pretty lazy about it (if a nearby clock says 7:34 PM, I’ll just set the camera to 7:30 PM). Also, a lot of digital clocks lose seconds over time, so with a camera that’s a few years old, my clock could be off by 5-10 minutes (plus any adjustments for daylight savings).

Why does this matter? [Read more…] about Why You Should Keep Your Camera’s Clock Accurate

Watch the Premiere of The Last Lions This Friday on Nat Geo WILD

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Photo by Beverly Joubert
Photo by Beverly Joubert
This Friday, the documentary The Last Lions will make its television premiere on Nat Geo WILD (check your local TV listings for the start time). The film documents the life of a lioness named Ma di Tau (“Mother of Lions”) as she protects her cubs from enemies to ensure their survival.

The film was created by Dereck and Beverly Joubert, two very passionate filmmakers/photographers who have dedicated their lives to documenting and protecting the lives of wild lions.

Unfortunately, the population of wild lions is rapidly declining, mostly due to habitat loss, hunting, and disease. In 1950, the African lion population was estimated to be around 400,000. But, today, the population is down to just 20,000. [Read more…] about Watch the Premiere of The Last Lions This Friday on Nat Geo WILD

Total Lunar Eclipse This Saturday

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Photo by Jiyang Chen
Photo by Jiyang Chen (used under the CC-Attr-SA license)
This Saturday, December 10th, there will be a total eclipse of the Moon, visible from western North America, and much of Asia and Australia. To see it in the western US, you’ll have to wake up pretty early (about 4:45 AM PST if you want to see the entire show), but it’s well worth it.

In a total eclipse, the Moon turns bright red (due to the way the light from the Sun is scattered as it passes through our atmosphere), and it’s truly a beautiful site. In fact, it was a lunar eclipse that originally inspired me to get a digital SLR 🙂

If you’re interested in photographing the eclipse, check out this great blog post by Michael Frye. He offers some good tips, especially about exposure. [Read more…] about Total Lunar Eclipse This Saturday

Why You Shouldn’t Rely on Auto White Balance

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Photo by Steve Berardi
Photo by Steve Berardi
Don’t you love it when something is “automatic”? It’s just one less thing to worry about, right?

Well, as you probably already know, “automatic” doesn’t always work (especially when it comes to cameras). But, that’s what makes photography so fun 🙂

One of those automatic features of your camera that doesn’t always work is white balance.

[Read more…] about Why You Shouldn’t Rely on Auto White Balance

How To Get Started With Animal Tracking

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If you’re serious about wildlife photography, then it’s helpful to learn a little about animal tracking. Knowing where an animal typically hangs out or walks around can significantly increase your chances of being in the right place at the right time.

Learning how to accurately track animals can be a long process, but here are a few simple ways to get started: [Read more…] about How To Get Started With Animal Tracking