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nature photography tips and tutorials

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When photographing wildlife, always keep an eye on the Sun

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Photo by Steve Berardi
Photo by Steve Berardi
There’s a big problem with the photo above, of a female Rufous Hummingbird. Can you spot what it is?

Okay, maybe the headline gave it away, but in case you haven’t figured it out yet, the problem is that big dark shadow on the bird’s breast.

Why did this happen? Simple: I wasn’t keeping an eye on the Sun. I don’t mean that literally, of course. If you really kept an eye on the Sun, you’d go blind pretty quickly (not a good condition for photographers!).

But, when you’re photographing wildlife, it’s a good idea to keep track of the Sun’s position, to avoid harsh shadows from appearing on your subject. You’ll most likely want an evenly lit subject, unless you’re exploring a creative type of photo. [Read more…] about When photographing wildlife, always keep an eye on the Sun

Guide to storing and backing up your photos (Part 1 of 2)

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Photo by Matthew Field (used under the CC-Attr-SA license)
Photo by Matthew Field (used under the CC-Attr-SA license)
Like toasters, cars and space shuttles, hard disks are mechanical devices that will eventually fail. Unlike most other devices, you cannot perform a service on a hard drive to prevent future failures. That means that all your images are sitting on a device that is like a ticking time bomb. The big question is: “What happens to your images when the bomb explodes?”

Having a backup plan in place is like having a bomb shelter. It might be inconvenient for a while but you will survive to live another day. Fortunately creating a backup strategy is much easier than making a bomb shelter. 🙂 [Read more…] about Guide to storing and backing up your photos (Part 1 of 2)

“Stop and take a look around once in awhile”

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(c) iStockPhoto/CreativeShot
(c) iStockPhoto/CreativeShot
Have you ever seen the movie Ferris Bueller’s Day off? One of my all time favorite quotes is at the end of this film when Ferris says,

“Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and take a look around once in awhile, you could miss it.”

Bueller wasn’t a naturalist (or a photographer), but I think his advice is the key to enjoying nature.

In our modern world of cell phones, next day shipping, and instant access to just about anything, it’s really hard sometimes to take a break and escape this “on demand” attitude.

But, to really enjoy nature and see all of its beauty, you have to look through patient eyes. You have to stop and take a look around once in awhile.

Here’s a short story to help illustrate what I mean: [Read more…] about “Stop and take a look around once in awhile”

How to avoid autofocus problems

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lockfocusSometimes autofocus can really be annoying. For some shots it’ll focus on the right part of your subject, but then the very next shot it may choose to focus on something far and away into the background.

Sure, you could avoid this problem by always using manual focus, but autofocus is great when you need to focus quickly or when you’re photographing a landscape and you need to focus on a certain spot in the scene (this isn’t always easy to do with manual focus).

So, here are two ways to lock your focus and prevent your camera from autofocusing on the wrong part of your subject: [Read more…] about How to avoid autofocus problems

Dispelling the megapixel myth

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megapixelmythThere seems to be an overwhelming obsession with megapixels these days.

It’s always the first number reported when a new camera is released, and many people still think it indicates the quality of the camera’s photographs.

Well, unfortunately that’s not the case. There is no direct correlation between number of megapixels and image quality. We all have a natural desire to sum up a product with one number, but with a camera that’s impossible. [Read more…] about Dispelling the megapixel myth

5 free software applications for nature photographers

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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