PhotoNaturalist - nature photography tips and tutorials
nature photography tips and tutorials
This time I want to talk about a photo I took last weekend while camping in the Mojave Desert. I intentionally picked this weekend because of the full moon–I was hoping to catch a few glorious moonrises and moonsets.
The first night I was there, I shot this photo a few minutes before sunset: [Read more…] about What went wrong with this sand dune photo?
Mirror lockup is one of those little things you can do to get sharper photographs. Sure, by itself you may not see a big difference, but combine it with a few other little things, and you’ll begin to notice that extra sharpness.
It makes sense to use mirror lockup when you have a somewhat controllable subject, like a landscape or wildflower. But, when you need to take shots quickly (like when you’re photographing wildlife or insects), then mirror lockup doesn’t make much sense because it only adds more time to your shots.
You should also avoid using mirror lockup when you’re photographing a bright light source (like the setting sun). After reading Canon’s white paper on the XTi, I’ve learned that this can actually damage the shutter curtains. [Read more…] about When NOT to use mirror lockup
I first discovered John and Barbara Gerlach about a year ago through Nature Photographer Magazine. I remember looking at their photos for the first time and just saying, “wow!” They seem to have mastered every type of nature photography: everything from wildlife to landscapes.
But, they’re not just amazing photographers, they’re also pretty awesome writers. I always look forward to their clear and useful articles in Nature Photographer Magazine. I’ve already shared a lot of what I’ve learned from them here on PhotoNaturalist, like how the Live Preview on your camera can help you take better photos.
So, when I heard about their new book, Digital Landscape Photography, I immediately ordered it on Amazon!
Well, I’ve had a chance to read it, and look through it again pretty thoroughly, so I thought I’d share my reaction to the book. [Read more…] about Book Review: Digital Landscape Photography by John and Barbara Gerlach
For landscape photography, it’s good to always be aware of the sunrise/sunset times, and the sun’s azimuth at these times. It helps to know this for the moon too (as well as the current phase). Lots of information to keep track of, huh?
Well, luckily there’s a free program out there that will help you do all this and more! It’s called The Photographer’s Ephemeris, and it’s developed by Stephen Trainor.
Here’s a quick look at some of this tool’s great features: [Read more…] about Free software for landscape photographers
But, that all changes during the golden hours–those precious moments of warm sunlight that occur around sunrise and sunset.
During these times, the quality of light constantly changes as the Sun rises or sets and the light scatters more through the atmosphere. Add some clouds in there, and you’ll see some really drastic changes–in minutes or seconds.
To illustrate just how drastic the light can change during a sunrise, here’s a photo I took at the Alabama Hills (Eastern Sierra, California), about 15 minutes before sunrise: [Read more…] about Why timing is everything for landscape photography
This photo was taken at Joshua Tree National Park, which is in the Mojave Desert of the Southwestern United States.
I think the photo is unique for a couple reasons:
And, here are a couple of tips on how to get this kind of photo: [Read more…] about How to get this photo from the Mojave Desert