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Articles by Steve Berardi

Do You Refactor Your Photographs?

September 13, 2011 by Steve Berardi 17 Comments

cholla cactusAs a software developer, one of the things I do every day is refactor code. I’ll write some code to solve a problem, test it out to make sure it works, and then I’ll take another look at the code and see if there’s a way to make it more clear or more efficient. Then, of course, I’ll test it again 😉

Writers do this too. First, they’ll write a basic draft of their story to cover the main ideas, and then they’ll read it over and over again to make the words flow better and to make their message stand out more.

But, what about photographers? Do you ever take a look at one of your photos and say something like, “wow, I really like this photo of mine, but I wish one thing was different”? It doesn’t have to be something big, it could even be something as simple as moving your camera one step to the left so a tree stands out more from the background. [Read more…] about Do You Refactor Your Photographs?

Filed Under: Landscapes, Tips Tagged With: cholla, code, composition, envisioned, example, image, improve, landscape, perspective, photo, photographs, previsualize, refactor, software, visualization

When NOT to Use Lens Stabilization

September 6, 2011 by Steve Berardi 29 Comments

lens stabilizationMany camera lenses come with some kind of lens stabilization technology. It’s usually called something different by every camera manufacturer (e.g. Nikon calls it “vibration reduction” and Canon calls it “image stabilization”), but they all have the same goal: helping to stabilize your lens.

It works great for those times when you’re forced to hand-hold your camera, but you should always make sure to turn it off when your camera is on a tripod. [Read more…] about When NOT to Use Lens Stabilization

Filed Under: Macro, Tips, Wildflowers, Wildlife Tagged With: blur, image, lens, lenses, reduction, sharp, stabilization, tripod, vibration

How Perspective Affects Your Photos

August 23, 2011 by Steve Berardi 3 Comments

Ansel Adams once said, “A good photograph is knowing where to stand.” But, before you know where to stand, it’s important to understand a few concepts about perspective.

I’ve written about perspective here on PhotoNaturalist a few times, but I’ve also written a couple posts about it over at the Digital Photography School (a great blog that covers all types of photography). And, one of those posts was just published today, so I thought it’d be good to put a list together of all the posts I’ve written about perspective: [Read more…] about How Perspective Affects Your Photos

Filed Under: Landscapes, Macro, Tips, Wildflowers, Wildlife Tagged With: affect, ansel adams, book, close up, composition, effect, emotion, feeling, focal length, height, image, landscape, management, perspective, photos, telephoto, the camera

5 Essential Tools For Closeup Photography

August 3, 2011 by Steve Berardi 39 Comments

Tidy Tips / Photo by Steve Berardi
Photo by Steve Berardi
As nature photographers, we usually have to limit the amount of gear we carry (and that is certainly a good thing).

But, there’s always that list of “essential” items we bring on a hike, so here’s a little peek at what I carry in my bag when I know I’ll be doing some closeup photography:

#1 – Light Diffuser

Since you won’t always have the most ideal lighting conditions, it’s helpful to carry around some tools to help you control the light. A light diffuser will probably be the one you use the most, because they help balance the light on your subject. You can get a light diffuser at a camera store, or make your own out of a wire clothes hanger and a shower curtain. [Read more…] about 5 Essential Tools For Closeup Photography

Filed Under: Macro, Tips, Wildflowers Tagged With: balanced, bean bag, close, closeup, cloth, extension tube, flower, focus, light diffuser, Macro, photography, remote shutter, tripod, up, wildflowers

Quick Tip for Identifying Your Unknown Subjects

July 26, 2011 by Steve Berardi 7 Comments

Flame Skimmer (Libellula saturata)
Photo by Steve Berardi
One of the most rewarding parts of nature photography is learning how to identify your subjects. When we place a name on something, it somehow makes us feel more connected to it.

When you first meet someone new, the first thing you tell them is your name.

And, so naturally, when we photograph something we haven’t seen before, we immediately want to know what it is.

But, it’s not always easy to identify your subjects. Sure, you probably know all the common birds and insects of your area, but what if you’re hiking down a trail and see this amazing looking butterfly for the first time?

Well, there’s one thing you can do that’ll make it A LOT easier to identify that butterfly later: [Read more…] about Quick Tip for Identifying Your Unknown Subjects

Filed Under: Macro, Tips, Wildflowers Tagged With: birds, closeup, dragonflies, dragonfly, ebook, id, identification, identify, identifying, insect, Macro, photo, subject, unknown, what is, wildflowers

What To Do When You Need Inspiration

July 18, 2011 by Steve Berardi 11 Comments

Photo by Steve Berardi
A few weeks ago, I wrote a post about how to tell if you’re in a slump. I made the argument that you’re most likely not in a slump at all–that perhaps you’re just learning and being more picky about your compositions (which is a very good thing).

But, what do you do when you really are in an artistic slump?

Maybe it’s been months since you shot a photo you’re proud of, or maybe you feel like you’re losing interest in photography. What do you do then?

Well, there’s one thing that has never failed for me: [Read more…] about What To Do When You Need Inspiration

Filed Under: Tips Tagged With: ansel adams, art, artistic, book, flickr, galen rowell, inspiration, learning, new ideas, photography, photos, slump, style, subject, unique, voice

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