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Photograph What It Feels Like, Not What It Looks Like

February 27, 2018 by Steve Berardi 1 Comment

Photo by Steve BerardiIn the past few months, I’ve written a lot about how to show more emotion in your photographs, and to think of your photos as a way of saying something specific about your subject. To think beyond things like “this flower is beautiful” and instead get to the core of what you want to express about your subject.

I recently stumbled upon a quote by photographer David Alan Harvey that I think really helps explain how to do this: “Don’t shoot what it looks like, shoot what it feels like.”*

In the beginning, we tend to photograph what everything looks like, and that makes perfect sense as we’re initially attracted to photography because we want to record all the beautiful things we see in nature. But, then somewhere along the way, we start wanting more from our photographs. Something to set them apart from other photos of the same subject. And, the secret to that is photographing what it feels like, instead of what it looks like. [Read more…] about Photograph What It Feels Like, Not What It Looks Like

Filed Under: Philosophy, Tips Tagged With: alabama hills, composition, david alan harvey, vision

Reviewing Old Photos

December 6, 2017 by Steve Berardi 7 Comments

Photo by Steve Berardi
Photo by Steve Berardi
In a previous post, I talked about why you should periodically review old photos. In the post, I specifically referred to photos that you originally overlooked and didn’t think were “good enough” to process and share.

Well, I’ve recently realized how valuable it can be to also review all your photos that made it to the “good” pile, especially concentrating on your favorite images. Once we take a photo we’re proud of and post-process it and share it online or print it, we usually stop thinking about it. But, I think it’s really helpful to review these photos periodically for a variety of reasons.

Here are some things to think about when reviewing your old favorites: [Read more…] about Reviewing Old Photos

Filed Under: Philosophy, Tips Tagged With: images, message, perspective, photos, review, vision

Questions to Guide Your Composition

October 4, 2017 by Steve Berardi 4 Comments

Trona PinnaclesComposition is all about creating pleasing images. It’s a difficult aspect of photography because there aren’t really any set-in-stone rules about it, and many aspects of composition are really about how you see the world uniquely from everyone else.

So although there aren’t any scripts you can follow that will always lead you to a good composition, I think there are some questions you can ask yourself that will help steer you in the right direction: [Read more…] about Questions to Guide Your Composition

Filed Under: Philosophy, Tips Tagged With: composition, perspective, vision

Completing Your Vision in Post-Processing

March 24, 2015 by Vic Berardi 4 Comments

Red-tailed Hawk / Photo by Vic Berardi
Red-tailed Hawk / Photo by Vic Berardi
Note from the editor (Steve): After reading this great post by my Dad, please check out his new blog, where he’s writing about his travels, his passion for hawks, and other thoughts on life.

That term “vision”—what does it mean? For me it’s simple. When I get home from a day of shooting, I review all my photos. I intentionally look for the images that stood out when I first saw them through my viewfinder. However, I usually get confusingly disappointed when I realize the camera didn’t capture the scene exactly the way I “saw” it—or maybe the way I thought I saw it? [Read more…] about Completing Your Vision in Post-Processing

Filed Under: Philosophy Tagged With: edit, ethics, filter, lightroom, photos, photoshop, post, post processing, vision

Introduction to Insect Macro Photography (Part II) – How to Approach Insects

February 24, 2014 by Huub de Waard 1 Comment

Photo by Huub de Ward / Portrait of the Common Yellow Dung-fly (Scathophaga stercoraria), sometimes called the golden dung fly:  Magnification 9, f/6.4, ISO 100 and 1/250 sec
Photo by Huub de Ward / Portrait of the Common Yellow Dung-fly (Scathophaga stercoraria), sometimes called the golden dung fly: Magnification 9, f/6.4, ISO 100 and 1/250 sec
This is part II of a guest post by Huub de Waard, an exceptional photographer who specializes in close-up shots of insects. After reading his post, be sure to check out more of his awesome photos at his website. And, if you’re also interested in writing a guest post here on PhotoNaturalist, please contact me, thanks! –Steve

Although most insects do not have orifices in their body for picking up sound vibrations, many use parts of their body, such as their wings, antennae, or special hairs, like TV antennae to detect vibrations in the environment or in the air. Any errant movement on your part could cause you to miss a shot, so be sure to tread carefully when approaching your subjects.

Your job is to make yourself appear non-threatening. The first thing you want to do is move very slowly. Look before you move, look at where you place your feet, look at where your equipment is, and most of all plan where you are going to put the front of your lens. Many potentially good shots have been ruined by the front of a lens bumping a branch or leaf where an insect was resting, causing it to flee. [Read more…] about Introduction to Insect Macro Photography (Part II) – How to Approach Insects

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: approaching, close, close up, insect, lens, Macro, micro, photography, small, up, vision

Which Photo Do You Like Better?

October 16, 2013 by Steve Berardi 68 Comments

Red Rock in Utah / Photos by Steve Berardi
Red Rock in Utah / Photos by Steve Berardi

Which of the two photos above do you like better? Why?

Both photos are very similar, but one was shot at sunrise and one was shot at sunset, so different parts of the red rock were lit up by the sun.

There’s no right or wrong answer here. The reason I’m asking the question is to get you thinking about composition, and specifically help you think about your own unique perspective of the world. [Read more…] about Which Photo Do You Like Better?

Filed Under: Landscapes, Tips Tagged With: art, compare, compose, composition, contrast, landscape, nature, photo, photography, style, sunrise, sunset, vision

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