Archives For how to photograph

Developing Creativity

Jay Patel —  April 15, 2013

How often to you hear photographers say that there is nothing to shoot because the light is really bad? When you hear yourself using that as an excuse – change your perspective. Instead of putting away your camera, see if you can get creative!

Hilo, Big Island, Hawaii (HI), USA

I took this shot late in the morning during our stay on the Big Island of Hawaii. The brilliant sunbeams appeared as mist from ocean spray blew through the trees. To capture sunbeams like these, you need bright sunlight… and mist or dust in the air. The particles in the air scatter the light, and create sunbeams.

Hilo, Big Island, Hawaii (HI), USA

I took this second shot to show you the conditions I was working with that morning. As you can see, the light was pretty harsh because the sun was up, and there were no clouds. Most photographers would classify this as “bad light” - but I see this as a great time to stretch your creativity.

Ok – so maybe this shot required certain conditions – the angle of the sun, the sea spray, the high trees near the beach. But this isn’t the only shot I took in bright sun while we were on the islands. I took each of the shots below when lighting conditions were less than optimal.

  • Hilo, Big Island, Hawaii (HI), USA

    Hilo, Hawaii

  • Lanai Kai, Oahu, Hawaii (HI), USA

    LaniKai, Oahu

  • Big Island, Hawaii (HI), USA

    Big Island, Hawaii

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Playing with Shutter Speed

Jay Patel —  March 11, 2013
Hilo, Big Island, Hawaii (HI), USA

Shutter Speed: 0.5s

Have you tried playing with different shutter speeds to see the changing impact on an image? I spent some time experimenting with my camera during our recent trip to Hawaii while taking abstract shots of a stream.  My objective was to create an abstract that captures both the reflected color on the surface, and the flow lines in the water. The key to getting the look I wanted was to find just the right shutter speed.

  • Hilo, Big Island, Hawaii (HI), USA

    Shutter Speed 1/5s

  • Shutter Speed: 1s

    Shutter Speed: 1s

  • Shutter Speed: 2.5s

    Shutter Speed: 2.5s

So, how do I determine the “right” shutter speed? It comes down to experimentation – I took a series of shots with different shutter speeds and compared them. I used a 4 stop ND filter to get a very slow shutter speed – between 1/6s and 2.5s. I used my Induro Tripod and a 2 second timer to make sure that the camera was rock solid steady during the exposure. I took 4 shots between those shutter speeds, and checked them for contrast and exposure using the histogram on back of the camera.

The most brilliant reflected colors occurred at high speeds of around 1/6s and o.5s. At that speed, I could capture the reflections without losing color as the white flow lines started to mix with the smooth surface. A longer shutter speed meant that the overall contrast was reduced – along with the intensity of the colors. I could easily see the differences on the back of my camera – and the histograms confirmed it.

In the end, the choice came down to two photos – taken with shutter speeds of 1/6s and 0.5s. I liked the flow lines in the 0.5s shot better than the ones in 1/6s shot. Don’t be afraid to play around with different camera settings to see what you get.

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Am I An Effective Landscape Photographer?

Jay Patel —  February 25, 2013

Tom McCall Nature Preserve, Oregon (OR), USA

So – you’ve got the brand new Canon 5D MKIII or the Nikon D800, and you’ve stocked up on the most expensive lenses money can buy. And maybe now you think you are all set to conquer the world of landscape photography. Right? Well… we’re guessing you know it’s not that easy. Buying the gear is the easy part. Now it’s time to head out into the field.

Some photographers spend hours reading every single review of the latest cameras. They study the MTF curves for each lens in their collection, and indulge in countless debates about the best gear for pursuing their landscape photography passion. But sometime they forget to consider something more important – what to photograph, and how to get a good shot.

I’m not talking about improving your technical or processing skills. No. This is about your effectiveness as a photographer in the field. Ask yourself – can I consistently capture effective images when I am on location?

Tom McCall Nature Preserve, Oregon (OR), USA

Pony Tail Falls, Columbia River Gorge, Oregon (OR), USA

During interviews, we are often asked, “How much time do you spend on location?” To answer this question, let’s take a look at a typical year for us. We traveled to Florida, California, Utah, Oregon, Nicaragua, Denver, and Hawaii. For an example of a typical photography trip, consider our trip to Oregon. We spent 3 full days hiking, exploring, and shooting in the Columbia River Gorge and the surrounding area. To date, I have processed 14 unique images (photos with completely different compositions) that will make it to my portfolio. Sometimes we’ll shoot more, and sometimes less… but 14 shots is a nice average for a short photography trip.

Punch Bowl Falls, Columbia River Gorge, Oregon (OR), USA

So how can I produce a few good images per day on a consistent basis?  It comes down to research and field techniques that allow us to shoot in a variety of different light conditions. Before we go out, we research weather patterns, tides, seasonal colors, phases of the moon, climate, flora, fauna, and locations. We often contact local photographers and pick their brains about the local landscapes. Based upon this research, we try to choose the locations that will allow us to maximize the probability of getting a good photograph at the time we plan to travel to the location. When we arrive at the location, our plans will always be fluid. They will change based upon weather patterns as necessary.

How much time do you devote to research and field techniques vs developing your technical and processing skills? Does the time spent researching locations help you make the most of your time on location?

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Photographing Rainbows with a Circular Polarizer

Jay Patel —  February 20, 2013

The traditional use for circular polarizer in photography is for enhancing colors, reducing reflections on water, and cutting through glare on wet rocks. Here’s another great way to use a circular polarizer. Under right conditions, a circular polarizer can help intensify the colors of the rainbow. I used a circular polarizer to capture this shot from Niagara Falls in New York. In order to get such intense colors, I rotated the circular polarizer while looking through the view finder until the colors of the rainbow were at their brightest.

Rainbows are produced by white sunlight that is being scattered by water droplets in the air, so it’s important to realize that a circular polarizer can also reduce the intensity of the colors in the rainbow… or even remove it completely! I took this second shot at the same location on the same day – but I set my polarizer incorrectly to show the effect. The rainbow is barely visible in this second shot.

Use a circular polarizer to bring out those beautiful colors in the rainbow… but pay attention! Make sure the filter is rotated properly before taking your shot!

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Hilo, Big Island, Hawaii (HI), USA

Capturing Reflected Colors

Jay Patel —  January 28, 2013

When we talk about using reflections, the first thing that comes to mind is capturing reflections on the smooth and still surface of a body of water. Most of us will ignore the reflections on a windy day when the surface of the lake is choppy – or in a flowing stream. But reflected light can make an image beautiful even even when the reflection is blurred.

This is an abstract shot I took during our recent visit to the Big Island of Hawai’i. I positioned my camera so that the most intense reflected light surrounded a small cascade in the stream. The brilliant colors you see in the stream are reflected from vegetation that was lit by harsh, late morning sunlight. I chose a long shutter speed that would preserve the flow lines in the water to create a pleasing abstract.

What if I were to change the position of my camera? In the image above, I photographed the same cascade from a different angle. As you can see, the glowing colors are completely gone.

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Pony Tail Falls, Columbia River Gorge, Oregon (OR), USA

Composing with Intent

Jay Patel —  January 21, 2013

In many photography courses, Composition is taught as a set of rules – but the topic goes far deeper than any collection of guidelines. A photographer can use composition to set the mood, create depth, highlight perspective, and focus a viewer’s attention on an object of interest. In the video below, Varina and I discuss how we use composition with SmugMugs’s Rocky ‘Bowles.

If you are interested in a SmugMug Pro Account, you can use this code for a 20% discount: SMUGMUGPATEL

How do you use composition to engage the viewer in your own photographs?

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Maroon Bells, Colorado (CO), USA

Using Foreground in your Photos

Jay Patel —  December 10, 2012

Landscape photographers know that you can’t always get what you want when you want it. So, what happens when you don’t get those dramatic skies and perfect clouds that light up like a fireworks show? Do you just give up and go chat with your buddies on social networks? Or find the nearest Starbucks and tell stories about that one time when the light was perfect?

Not me! I try to scout the area for foreground elements that might help me create a photograph with impact. On our last visit to the Maroon Bells, I used reflections to add interest in the foreground of this photograph. I chose to fill the frame mostly with the reflections and fall colors. A small slice of sky is enough to provide a sense of  calm.

Reflections are not the only element that you can use to create an interesting foreground. In this next photograph I used colorful pebbles that were sitting  just below the surface of Bow Lake in Banff.

A vertical composition lets me fill majority of the frame with the colorful textures of the pebbles. Geology, flowers, flowing water, and other local elements can be used as interesting foreground elements. Get creative with whatever you find on location! When the sky doesn’t grab your attention, find something else that will grab your viewer’s eye.

Do you have an example of interesting foregrounds? Please feel free to share. To learn more about photograph please check our eBooks below:

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Death Valley National Park, CA

Photographing Reflected Light

Jay Patel —  December 3, 2012

The word reflection is usually used in reference to reflections on wet surfaces… but light is often reflected from other surfaces as well. In nature, this phenomenon is most obvious when light reflects off surface with smooth textures – such as sand, snow, salt, or mud. I took the image below just before sunrise at Mesquite Dunes in Death Valley National Park. Notice that the sand is reflecting the rich red and orange light from the clouds. Clouds and humidity will influence the color and intensity of the reflected light.

Death Valley National Park, CA

After the sun comes up, the color of the light usually becomes more golden. I took the next shot on another morning – this time, just after sunrise. On this particular day scattered clouds allowed the sunlight to come through and paint the dunes with an intense warm light.

I took the photograph below at mid-day under blue skies. As you might expect, the dunes in this image are reflecting the white midday light. The scene looks very different at noon than it does during the golden hour.

In many cases, your camera’s automatic settings will try to “correct” these natural color casts. Camera algorithms are set to determine a neutral base point, and to adjust the other colors accordingly. You can get past this annoying problem by paying attention to colors when you are shooting – and setting your color balance manually. Those color casts are real and beautiful! Don’t let your camera (or automatic settings in your processing software) make decisions about color balance for you!

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Workflow Series Macro

eBook: The Workflow Series – Details and Macro

Jay Patel —  November 19, 2012

Price:  $6.00

Format:  eBook, PDF format, 29 pages

Size:  16.4 MB

Requirement:  Adobe Acrobat Reader 9.0 or greater

Add to Cart

Continue Reading…

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Finding Neverland, Florida Keys

Using Human Elements in your Photos

Jay Patel —  October 8, 2012

Landscape photographers love to shoot pristine scenes that seem to be untouched by human hands. I believe that humans are part of nature, and sometimes a human element can add an interesting or emotional point of interest. Here are some examples that show how I have incorporated human elements into my photographs.

Point of Interest

Here is a shot of a tall ship in the Florida Keys. I used this ship as a point of interest. I composed the photo to include the sea, the ship, and the sky – and nothing else. The ship stands out as a point of interest because it is so different from the natural elements within the frame.

Leading Lines

In this shot from Olympic National Park, I used leading lines to lead the viewers through the coastal rainforest. Trails, fences, bridges, and roads can make great leading lines. In the example below, I used the long beams of a fence to lead the viewer toward the fantastic sunrise, and the photographers who were hard at work during our workshop at Yellowstone National Park. The photographers also serve as point of interest in this shot.

Emotional Impact

Here’s a shot that captures the beauty of this location, and evokes a strong emotional response. Not only does our friend, Anna, serve as a beautiful point of interest in the photograph, but since it is unusual to see a person in a wheelchair at the beach, the impact of the photograph is increased. Anna’s contented smile adds to the emotional impact as well. Children are another great subject for photos like these. They tend to put a smile on our faces and remind us of our own youth.

Perspective

Oftentimes, a familiar object such as a tree, a bush, or a human figure will provide a sense of scale in an photograph. Without the human figure in the image above, it would be difficult to judge the height of the canyon walls. Adding a human element puts the walls of the canyon into perspective. The boy’s pose also adds a sense of wonder as he tilts his head to look upward.

Here is another example of perspective using an human element. I took this shot of Havasu falls as Varina was crossing the creek. I waited until she was close to the falls to provide a sense of perspective for the viewer, allowing you to understand just how high these falls really are. This shot also conveys a sense of adventure and emotional impact to those of us who love the great outdoors.

Each of these photos would lose some of their impact without the human elements. So, next time you find yourself without a good foreground object or a point of interest, ask yourself this – Can I place myself or another human element in the photograph?

Do you have any examples that show the use of human elements in a landscape photograph? If so, feel free to share them in the comments below.

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