Archives For nature

How Can I Simplify an Image?

Varina Patel —  April 25, 2013

california_1570

Simplifying an image can be difficult, but it starts with choosing a simple subject. Look for subjects that draw the eye and stands out from its surroundings. Don’t try to include the whole scene in the finished image – instead, choose a very simple composition that showcases just one area or object. Once you’ve identified your subject, look for distractions. It’s ok to have a secondary element in your shot… but avoid clutter.

Blinded by the Light - Varina Patel

I use lots of other techniques to simplify my images as well. If clashing colors are distracting – try converting to black and white. If dark shadows or bright highlights draw your attention away from the subject, use a diffuser to soften the light. Look for colors that are similar for a simplified color palette.

Trillium - Varina Patel

I like to use a long shutter speed to smooth the surface of a lake or pond to remove ripples on the surface. And sometimes I use a wide aperture to create a narrow depth of field that softens a distracting background.

The Quiet - Varina Patel

What techniques do you use to simplify a composition? Feel free to share examples and ideas in the comments!

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The End of Days

Varina Patel —  April 12, 2013

Kilauea Lava Flow, Big Island - Hawai'i, USA

This is a shot from the Big Island of Hawaii. Here, the lava flows in to the sea. I loved the chaos of this location. The slow shift of the fiery lava that created a startling new landscapes overnight. The intense heat against my skin – and the steady breeze off the sea that tossed my hair, and provided a breath of fresh air above the burning. The furious boiling as hot lava hit the cool ocean – and the rush of steam that seemed to have a life of its own. The lava creates a brand new landscape – by destroying everything in its path. Houses. Trees. Livelihoods. We walked for two hours and saw just one living creature – a tiny spider that had laid claim to the wasteland and spun a little hammock to call home.  In some places – where the lava was old – tiny plants were springing up. Harbingers of a new world to come.

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Akaka Falls - Big Island - Hawaii, USA

Light and Layers

Varina Patel —  February 28, 2013

Akaka falls is located just North of Hilo on the Big Island of Hawai’i. It’s a gorgeous location and well worth the short hike… plus a couple bucks to park and use the trails. When we arrived at the falls, it was bright and sunny. The ferns were brightly lit, but the base of the falls and the left wall of the canyon were in deep shade. But I’d been watching the sky all morning, and I knew that we had enough big clouds in the sky to make the photo work. I set up my camera and tripod (we were testing Induro’s awesome CT113′s that week), and waited until a cloud blocked the direct light from the sun. Then, in that softly filtered light, I took my shot. But I still needed to bracket because the shadows were much deeper down in the valley – and the water was very bright. I took a second shot to expose correctly for the dark shadows, and a third to expose for the bright water.

Once I got home, I opened up my files and got to work. You can see the layers I used in the screen shot above. I stacked my images, and used my Intuos graphics tablet and stylus to draw simple selections. I also made slight curves adjustments to ensure that the layers looked natural together. My goal was to ensure that the scene felt natural, and that details were visible in dark and light areas alike.

A Few Simple Tips:

  • Photograph waterfalls on cloudy days, or wait for a cloud to pass over the sun. Soft light is great for waterfall shots.
  • Check to make sure you’ve captured the details you want in both the highlights areas and the shadows. You may need to bracket to get all the detail you want.
  • Use a tripod when you shoot. Our Induro’s come with us wherever we go. We often use long shutter speeds when we shoot waterfalls. I used a 0.5 second shutter speed to get the soft blur I wanted for the water in this shot.

What other tips can you share for shooting Waterfalls?

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Hakalau - Big Island - Hawai

Light Matters

Varina Patel —  February 4, 2013

This is a shot from Hawaii’s big island. Pay attention to the light. Maybe you think light isn’t very important in this shot. There are no brilliant sunbeams or brightly colored skies. But I’ll argue that light is critically important to this photograph. Maybe two more photos from the same location will help convince you.

I took this shot in full sun. (Click to view larger)

As I was taking the first shot in this post, I realized that I was looking at a perfect setting for a teachable moment. I turned around and took a shot of the forest down the road – which was in bright, full sunlight. Compare it to the shady shot at the top of the post. The greens in this shot are intense… but the shadows are way too dark.  The image lacks the depth that is so much a part of the first shot, and the finished photograph is unappealing.

Half of this image is in shade and the other half is in sun. (Click to view larger)

This one is even worse. To get this shot, I turned so that I could capture an image half in sun and half in shade. The colors are washed out – this is because colors look best when they are properly exposed. In this case, the shadows are too dark, and the highlights are too bright.

Soft, even lighting works very well for photographs of wooded areas like this. In the first photo, light is evenly scattered throughout the image. The soft light brings out the rich green and gold tones in the forest, and produces a sense of depth. When you are shooting in the woods, look for shady areas, and avoid a sun and shade mix.

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Hakalau - Big Island - Hawai

The Spider’s Pearls: Tips for Shooting Tiny Things

Varina Patel —  February 1, 2013


This is a shot I took on the Big Island of Hawai’i. We were driving along the road, and we noticed a small road way down below us in a beautiful valley full. So, we pulled off the main drag and found the road we’d seen from above. I’m glad we did. We found ourselves in a gorgeous spot – waves pounding the rocky shore on one side, and lush rain forest on the other.

I noticed these lovely water droplets strung like pearls on a spider’s web. So, of course, I pulled out my macro lens and got down to business.

Capturing a shot like this is tough. Even with a macro lens, it was hard to get in close enough for the shot I wanted. And the slightest breeze is enough to keep the web dancing… so getting a sharp picture required patience.

I took several shots – hoping that I could get one that was sharp. Thanks to a few moments of stillness, the photo I took with a 1.6 second shutter speed (ISO 100) is cleaner than another I took with a 1/6 second shutter speed (ISO 400. :) Sometimes, you just get lucky. :)

A few tips for shooting spider webs.

1. Look for a clean background. Here, I used an aperture of 7.1. That setting gave me just a bit of depth of field to work with, and left my background completely blurred out. I was VERY close for this shot… just at the focus limit of my lens, so my depth of field is incredibly narrow.

2. Look for patterns. Notice that I included only a few strands of the web in this shot. I looked at it carefully to find repeating patterns that were appealing to me. The Y-shaped strands give me the patterns I want, and the single strands break up the pattern just enough to keep things interesting… in my opinion, anyway. :)

3. Align the objects you want in focus on a flat plane – and keep that plane parallel to your camera’s sensor. As I mentioned before, I was working with a ridiculously narrow depth of field here, so anything outside my narrow plane of focus would be blurred. I adjusted my camera very carefully to be sure it was aligned as accurately as possible.

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Oahu, Hawaii (HI), USA

Review: Induro Tripod and Ballhead

Varina Patel —  January 24, 2013

Just a few weeks before we left the mainland for a trip to beautiful Hawaii  we were contacted by Induro. They wanted to send us a couple of tripods and ball heads, and they hoped we’d share our thoughts about them here on our blog. The trip to the islands would be a perfect opportunity to put the tripods through the paces, so we agreed. They sent us each a CT113 carbon fiber tripod and a BHL1 ball head, and off we went. We used the tripods while we were on location… and what did we think? Well… put it this way. We’ve already sold our old tripods. We like our new Induro’s that much.

Cost

First of all, the complete package costs less than our old tripods did – and the tripods come with a tool kit and a carry case with a shoulder strap. The tools come in a little pouch that I keep in my camera bag, and I think most people will really appreciate having a carry case for travel and storage. Of course, cost isn’t everything. The real question is whether or not the tripod can stand up to the abuse we throw at it.

Lightweight, Stable, and Sturdy

Hawaii is definitely a great place to abuse a tripod. It’s got everything. Sand, salt water and spray, rough terrain, dirt, heat, humidity, pouring rain… you name it. And we sure as heck weren’t sitting around on the beach enjoying margaritas while we were in paradise. We were traipsing all over the islands, getting nice and sweaty and dirty – and carrying our tripods everywhere we went.

They held up just fine. They were incredibly sturdy – both Jay and I agree that they felt sturdier than our old tripods… even though they weighed a few ounces less. These are carbon fiber tripods, so they are lightweight as well. We’re carrying a lot of gear out there, so we’re always conscious of how much our gear weighs. They feel very stable no matter the terrain, thanks to the solid construction and wide-stance cross-braced “spider”.

Comfort Grips

We also appreciated the comfort grips. These may not sound important, but when you get up early in the morning and you are carrying around a tripod in chilly weather, you hands can get mighty uncomfortable as you work with cold metal parts. Even a pair of gloves isn’t enough to keep the cold from creeping through. Chilly mornings were much more comfortable because of those comfort grips, and they are great for really hot conditions too. In fact, I was pretty grateful for them while we were shooting lava on the big island. We were so close to the oozing orange lava that my face and forearms were getting pretty uncomfortable in the heat… and my tripod was heating up, too. But it wasn’t a problem at all. The comfort grips kept my hands from burning, and they held up just fine in the heat. The grips did get wet when it rained, but because they are made of closed cell foam, they dried very quickly. (Most of the bubbles in closed cell foam are unbroken, so moisture doesn’t work its way deep inside. Closed cell foam is also more durable and longer lasting.)

Feet and Legs

I was a little concerned about the feet of the tripod when we were shooting on the lava beds. The ground was so rough and hot in this area, that the Vibram soles on my hiking boots show some obvious damage. The woman leading the tour tells us that she replaces her hiking boots about once a month. But the rubber feet of my tripod held up just fine. If you are worried about heat damage to the rubber feet though, the tripods also came with metal spikes. These are great for ice and uneven terrain as well.

Sand is another problem for tripod users. It tends to work its way into every little groove, and cause damage to threads and leg locks. Induro’s leg locks are moisture and dust resistant – and we found less gunk than we expected when we cleaned our tripods after the trip. We were happy with that. Some sand did get into the threads, though – that’s to be expected. No matter the brand, we highly recommend cleaning your tripod regularly if you use it in sand or mud or salt water or dust… you get the idea. We also recommend extending the lower legs a bit whenever you shoot in something you don’t want in the threads. If you can avoid pushing the leg locks into the muck in the first place, you’ll have a lot less cleaning to do… and a lot less damage over time.

The leg locks themselves work beautifully. A quarter turn releases the leg, and it slides smoothly out for a very quick setup. I could easily loosen both joints on one leg together for an even faster setup. Tightening them is just as easy – and they’ll stay nice and tight with a gentle twist. We like the three leg segments on the CT113, and there are four segment models available for those who want a tripod that will fit neatly into a smaller carry-on bag. The legs also move independently of one another – which is very important for us. We need to be able to adjust the legs to any length and any angle for maximum flexibility no matter the terrain.

Other Features

A few extra features came in handy while we were working. The spring loaded weight hook is great for stabilizing the tripod in windy weather, and the bubble level can help you get your horizon straight. The center column is reversible – which is great if you want to shoot at a very low angle – and grooved, so it won’t rotate when you adjust it. You can also purchase a shorter center column if you need one.

Ballhead

The Ballhead was very solid and locked firmly in place – even when we were using our heaviest lens combinations. I noticed absolutely no slippage whatsoever. The ballheads did take a little getting used to for us because they were built differently than our old ones. The knobs are located on opposite sides of the base and require a little more tension to turn than we’re used to. On the other hand, the spring loaded quick-release has a double safety lock that prevents accidental release – that’s is pretty darned important when you are trusting it to hold on to thousands of dollars worth of gear. We also liked the lock limiter tension control on the head lock knob. It let us adjust for the weight of different cameras and lenses as we worked. It was a bit tight when the tripod first arrived, but a quick twist with a coin loosened it up, and after that we could turn it easily with the pad of our thumbs. The ballhead also has a pan action lock and a 360-degree graduated base scale for positioning your camera for panoramic photography. Oh yeah – and a bubble level too.

Overall, the Induro CT113 tripod and BHL1 ballhead are exactly what we need when we are shooting on location. They are lightweight, sturdy, and flexible – and they have lots of features that add value. They held up to shooting in a variety of difficult conditions, and were easy to clean as well. (Keep an eye out for our new How To Clean Your Tripod video. It should be ready for release in a few days!)

I know some of you already own this tripod and/or ballhead. Please jump in and tell us what you think of Induro gear. I know that many of our readers are looking for great gear, and good information makes it a lot easier to make tough decisions!

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The Dreaming - Varina Patel

Featured Download: The Dreaming

Varina Patel —  December 21, 2012

I took this shot a few years ago in Bryce Canyon National Park. This is a spectacularly beautiful location at any time of year – but on this day, the fresh snow made Bryce look like a winter wonderland. We arrived while it was still dark, and ours were the only footprints in the newly-fallen snow. Although I wore my warmest clothing, I was shivering with cold – until I pulled out my camera. Suddenly, I forgot about the cold… scenes like this are what nature photographers dream of. Everything came together for me. A beautiful location in perfect conditions. Stunning skies, soft light… and perfect silence.

“May your days be merry and bright!”

Happy Holidays!

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Click on the image above to download the image for your desktop background. We hope you enjoy this featured download.

As always, these images are provided for personal use as computer wallpaper or backgrounds ONLY. Copyright belongs to the photographer, and photographs cannot be used, redistributed, or recreated in print, on the web, or in any other medium without written permission from the photographer.

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The Tree - Varina Patel

Winter is Coming

Varina Patel —  December 18, 2012


When you’re shooting, do you lose track of your physical self?

Bryce Canyon National Park is gorgeous at any time of year – but there’s nothing quite like shooting there after a heavy snowfall. We made the first tracks through the snow that morning – and our fingers were freezing. But you won’t hear me complaining! Once I had my camera in my hands, I forgot about the cold. I guess that’s why I love photography. When I’m on location, everything else disappears from my mind. I am completely absorbed in what I’m doing. I’m searching for the composition, planning my shot, visualizing my finished image… and I don’t notice the cold or the heat. I don’t worry about the pile of work that needs to get done, or even getting the next shot. I’m in my element.

Do you feel that way when you have a camera in your hand? Is it a part of your being?

Check it out!  This photo is on PhotoExtract for November 6, 2012 along with some really beautiful work from other photographers!

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Individuality

Do you Think Before you Shoot?

Varina Patel —  December 6, 2012


I love aspens. Who doesn’t? But if you’ve tried to photograph trees, maybe you know that getting a shot you really like isn’t as easy as you think it’s going to be. You pull out your camera in front of all that golden glory, and the resulting image just doesn’t do the scene justice. So, how do you go about getting the shot you want?

Start by thinking about the most important element in your image. What are you trying to show? Is it the sweeping landscape? The beautiful mountainside? Or is the most important element of the image the colors themselves? In this case, I really wanted to show off the details on the trunks of the trees – but I also wanted to make sure that the colors were an important part of the photo. And I am almost always looking for a minimalist composition – so of course, that was part of my planning as well.

The first step was to find the right aspen glen. :) I know – that seems kind of obvious… but the thing is, it isn’t that easy. Notice that there’s no bright sunlight coming through those leaves. And notice that you can’t see the base of the trees, the ground, or any canopy or sky. Those are important details. The elements you don’t include in a photo are just as important in the planning process as the things you do include.

I needed a high vantage point with trees growing below me. Standing on the forest floor would put me too low – I’d end up with ground in the photo if I pointed my camera downward or even straight ahead. And I’d end up with sky in the photo – and distortion – if I angled the lens upward. No good. When we drove past this glen, I knew we were in the right place. The road was high enough, and the bases of the trees were low enough. And behind my scene was a vast mountain that blocked the brightness of the sky. Perfect.

The next step was to find the right tree for my “point of interest“. I walked up and down the road searching for the best one – but each time, there was something distracting behind. A trunk that tilted at an odd angle – calling attention to itself. A broken branch. Too much white trunk behind and not enough golden color. And often, trees that were too close to let just one stand out on its own. This tree was just right – but only if I stood in just the right place. There’s actually a dead trunk just behind this one, but I chose an angle that hides it. No distracting elements allowed. :)

We were in this spot for about 20 minutes, and I have just one image to show for it. But it’s the photo I wanted.

When I finally found my composition, I took a few shots to decide how much depth of field I wanted. I chose an aperture (f/4) that would allow me to smooth the details in the background as much as possible – while keeping the tree in the foreground nice and sharp.

The most important step in post-processing was getting the color balance just right. A slight color cast would be enough to leave the whole image feeling dull. A bit of contrast, some targeted sharpening and a little more brightness just for the tree trunk… and that’s about it.

So, there you go. These are the kinds of things I’m thinking about when I’m taking a photograph.

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Independence Pass

Stay Warm and Dry this Winter!

Varina Patel —  December 4, 2012

 

Independence Pass 3,687 m (12,095 ft) – Colorado, USA

How do you stay warm and dry when you are shooting in cold weather?

Shooting in cold weather can be challenging – but there’s nothing quite like the beauty of snow. It changes the look of the landscape profoundly. When we are getting ready to shoot in cold weather, we make sure we’re ready for it. We carry chemical heat packs in our pockets to keep our hands warm – but for another reason as well. In between shots, we’ll tuck our cameras inside our jackets to keep the battery warm… which helps increase battery life. We know from experience that cold batteries drain quickly, so the longer we can keep them warm, the more time we can spend shooting. Some people like to tuck warmers into their boots as well – though I find that they don’t work as well in such cramped spaces. Make sure your boots will keep your feet warm and dry, and keep moving to stay warm.

We also wear waterproof and windproof gloves – and we prefer the ones with a mitten flap. We fold the flap back so that we can use our fingers to adjust the controls on our cameras. I recommend wearing a thinner pair of “glove liners” underneath. And try tucking an extra chemical warmer into the mitten flap so your fingers stay warm.

I almost feel silly suggesting that you wear a warm hat, since I think it’s obvious… but on the other hand, I see people out there all the time without one. They are the ones shivering in the wind, complaining about the cold despite their heavy parka. Put a hat on! Sheesh! :) I like to have a hood as well, since it keeps the back of my neck warm and gives me an extra layer of protection if I need it.

The trick to staying warm is to keep your core temperature up. If your center (and your head) are warm, your extremities will stay warm longer. Use a waterproof outer layer to keep dry if the conditions are wet.

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