Friday, May 31, 2019
Thursday, May 30, 2019
Wednesday, May 29, 2019
The post Ultra-Compact Super Telephoto appeared first on Outdoor Photographer.
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Tuesday, May 28, 2019
Monday, May 27, 2019
In regard to outdoor photography, backlight can be utilized by direct sun, ambient light in the sky and, if the subject is small, with flash. From pre-dawn to post-sunset, opportunities present themselves that allow photographers to make backlit images with impact. Whether you desire silhouettes at sunrise, rim lit icicles or backlit autumn foliage at midday, backlight can enhance many subjects. The effects will leave the viewers of your images mesmerized.
To become familiar with how natural backlight plays upon a subject, simply observe how the sun illuminates what you view. First, look at a front-lit subject and notice how the flat light reveals little texture. Walk to the side of the subject to see highlights and shadows that create dimensionality. Contrast is more pronounced than with front light. Now, go behind your subject. Shape becomes the prominent aspect as the outline or silhouette becomes more pronounced. The contrast between highlights and shadows is emphasized.
Begin your training walks without a camera. The idea behind this is to get you acquainted with how backlight impacts an object. Make sure everything you observe is between you and the sun. Break away from the adage that the sun should be over your shoulder. Take the walks at different times of the day to see how the sun’s angle impacts the light. Sunrise and sunset reveal the most dramatic lighting, but successful images can be made during midday hours once you learn a few tricks.
Subject matter can range from insects to forests of trees, translucent to opaque objects, solids to liquids or anything that has strong definition and form. Smaller subjects have an advantage in that flash or other light modifiers can be used to produce a backlit image. Larger objects become more dependent upon natural light conditions. Colored filters or changes to the color temperature can help augment colorless light.
One of my favorite backlit subjects to shoot is water. Whether it’s in the form of steam, fog, mist, rain during a sun shower or a waterfall, it’s a subject that comes alive when backlit. In the case of mist or steam, backlight reveals its density, shape and the path with which the wind transports it. It glows from within and depicts highlights and shadows not revealed when front lit. Good subject matter for these types of shots are geysers, clouds, rolling fog and morning mist on lakes and rivers.
Waterfalls are great backlit subjects. As the water falls from its high point to the ground and then bounces off the surface, the motion of every drop is shown. The darker the background from where the drops are offset, the more prominent they become. This is due to the backlight that illuminates the translucent drops. The diamond-like effect each drop is bestowed is contrasted against a dark background that allows the drops to stand out. Fast shutter speeds freeze the motion of each drop while slower ones imply movement. Both effects net strong images. Try both options to see which you prefer. It’s better to be able to choose the better image when viewed on the computer than wish you’d have shot it the other way but didn’t.
Silhouettes are common subjects in regard to outdoor backlighting and are best shot early or late in the day. In order to create them, the light falling on the subject needs to be much less than the light behind it. Pre-sunrise light in the eastern sky works well, as does post-sunset light in the western sky. The added bonus is these are the points at which color in the sky is most vivid.
I always try to stretch sunrise and sunset light by arriving at my location before dawn or staying after sunset to look for interesting forms and shapes to silhouette against an alpenglow sky. The subject needs to be clearly discernible, have no clutter in the foreground or background and have interesting lines. If the sky lacks color, add a filter to give it punch. The color of the filter doesn’t affect the silhouette since it remains black. Just as the sun peeks over the horizon, continue to shoot using the sun as an added focal point and stop down the lens to ƒ/22 to create a sun star.
If serendipity presents itself, an animal may appear while the sun is on the horizon. If this happens, position yourself to get the animal directly between you and the sun. The result of these images will leave viewers breathless and in awe.
Silhouettes also work well with people. They are easily identifiable and make great subjects. Having them do something helps increase the drama. Try this the next time you’re out photographing with some friends. A framed print makes a wonderful gift come the holiday season.
There are techniques that allow you to create good photos during midday hours. Small backlit subjects can be successfully photographed during midday hours when shot toward the sun. Backlit leaves work well to show their fibers and networking of cells. The cliched photo of a dandelion seed head immediately comes to mind. Anything that allows light to pass through it is a good candidate. In regard to safety, never look directly at the sun through the viewfinder for fear of damaging your eyes.
Fall foliage is a great midday backlit subject. It’s obviously more restrictive because it’s seasonal, but put it on your calendar to try it. To really see its impact, take a front lit shot of a brightly colored tree in peak fall color. Then, go around to the other side and watch how the leaves literally glow. Whether you photograph the whole tree or a single leaf, backlit autumn foliage is a fabulous subject.
Be sure to review last week’s Tip of the Week that addresses backlight in indoor settings and mark your calendar to catch next week’s third installment on the topic.
Visit www.russburdenphotography.com for information about his nature photography tours and safari to Tanzania.
The post Create Dramatic Light With Backlight, Part 2 appeared first on Outdoor Photographer.
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Sunday, May 26, 2019
Saturday, May 25, 2019
Friday, May 24, 2019
Thursday, May 23, 2019
Wednesday, May 22, 2019
Tuesday, May 21, 2019
Monday, May 20, 2019
The post Create Dramatic Light With Backlight, Part 1 appeared first on Outdoor Photographer.
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Sunday, May 19, 2019
Saturday, May 18, 2019
Friday, May 17, 2019
Thursday, May 16, 2019
Wednesday, May 15, 2019
Tuesday, May 14, 2019
This is another special episode of the reCOMPOSE podcast, in which Andy and Juan continue their Lightroom series with a discussion of importing images into Lightroom, as well as their traveling Lightroom workflow. Plus, Andy digs in a bit on the licensing issues with Lightroom, specifically when traveling without internet access. This last bit is super useful information—make sure not to miss it.
The post reCOMPOSE Podcast 055: Lightroom Importing And Travel Workflow appeared first on Outdoor Photographer.
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Monday, May 13, 2019
When animals are active, interacting or whenever they’re in motion, the moment at which the shutter is pressed is crucial. There’s a fraction of a second in time that the movement or expression is optimum. Learning how to anticipate and capture that instant takes practice, knowledge of your subject, quick reaction time, persistence, instinct and, dare I even mention this, a stroke of luck.
An absolute essential ingredient that goes into knowing when to press the shutter is to become thoroughly familiar with your subject. You need to be able to anticipate its movement. If it flicks or turns its ears, does that demonstrate anything? If it begins to sniff the air, is this an indicator it will do something? Does a snort, growl or grumble illustrate anything? When a bird is prepared to take flight, what signs does it portray? Knowing what all these signs intimately is important to foretell what your subject will do. Whether you learn by trial and error or research the species before you head into the field, be sure to become familiar with its signs.
Patience and persistence are other ingredients that go into the recipe to capture the moment of truth. PATIENCE: There will be times when you’ll have to wait for that once-in-a-lifetime look, expression or action. You need to keep your eye glued to the viewfinder; you know that as soon as you take your eye away, the animal will do something amazing. You may think there’s something better around the corner and that may be so, but having patience can also reward you if you wait for the subject in your viewfinder to do something special. After all, if you do head around the corner, that’s when the subject you were just on will perform an amazing feat.
PERSISTENCE: There will be times when you have to work and rework the same subject to get that special image. This means returning to the same spot, hoping the animal will do something and being patient. You may be lucky and procure a great moment on the first go round, but you may have to return again and again if the potential is good. Good things come to those who are patient and persistent.
Many photographers stake their claim in their ability to consistently capture the moment of truth. Casual viewers of these types of images can often be heard saying how lucky that photographer was to be at the right place at the right time. Little do they know that on that specific press, a lot of time, sweat, enduring the cold, tolerating insects, etc. went into getting the shot. At times, you’ll be lucky and everything will fall into place with slight effort. But what many viewers don’t understand is that certain photographers are more consistently “lucky” and are able to reproduce this luck over and over again. Obviously, there’s a skill involved. Apply the above to make yourself one of the “luckier” ones.
Visit www.russburdenphotography.com for information about his nature photography tours and safari to Tanzania.
The post The Moment Of Truth appeared first on Outdoor Photographer.
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Sunday, May 12, 2019
Saturday, May 11, 2019
Friday, May 10, 2019
The post Sabino Canyon Recreation Area appeared first on Outdoor Photographer.
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The post Sabino Canyon Recreation Area appeared first on Outdoor Photographer.
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Thursday, May 9, 2019
Wednesday, May 8, 2019
If you live in a state that requires collection of sales tax on internet orders, B&H Photo has launched a new credit card, Payboo, that will credit your purchase for the amount of the tax.
The official press release describes the process: “The Payboo Card delivers instant, immediate savings to B&H customers. For example, when a customer in Los Angeles buys a $3,000 camera, 9.5% sales tax, or $285, is added to the cost for a total of $3,285. However, if the same customer purchases the camera from B&H using the Payboo Card, a $285 reward is instantly applied to the order, and only $3,000 is charged to the card! The savings are instant – no future credits, points to accrue, or coupons to worry about. The customer is only subject to usual credit approval.”
Available to customers with a U.S. billing address and SSN or ITIN, the first step is to apply for the card, issued by Synchrony Bank. The card has no annual fee but carries a relatively high APR of 29.99%, so to get the optimal benefit of the card, you’ll want to have cash on-hand to pay off your balance immediately.
The card can be used for B&H purchases only. Perhaps stating the obvious, the offer isn’t valid in states that don’t require the collection of sales tax on internet purchases, and some states that do require sales tax collection do not permit the benefit as described. The Payboo FAQ page provides a link to check your benefit based on your shipping zip code, so be sure to verify the benefits for which you are eligible before applying.
For additional details, see the Payboo FAQ page.
The post B&H Payboo Credit Card Reimburses Your Sales Tax appeared first on Outdoor Photographer.
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Tuesday, May 7, 2019
The post Big Moon Landscapes appeared first on Outdoor Photographer.
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The post Big Moon Landscapes appeared first on Outdoor Photographer.
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Monday, May 6, 2019
The post Captivating Chromatic Colors appeared first on Outdoor Photographer.
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Sunday, May 5, 2019
Saturday, May 4, 2019
Friday, May 3, 2019
If you already plan to be out photographing birds on Saturday, May 4, you might as well join the 30,000-plus birders who’ll be participating in The Cornell Lab’s free Global Big Day—a worldwide event where participants log bird species they spot throughout the day. During the 2018 event, more than 7,000 species were reported, and this year they hope to break that record.
Joining in on the fun is easy—simply go to ebird.org and create a free account. On May 4, go to your favorite bird photography spot, whether it’s a park, pond or your own backyard. Then, log the birds you see via the website or free eBird mobile app (after you capture your best shots, of course). Watch in real time as the sightings roll in. You may even discover some species to add to your bird photography bucket list.
Whether your goal is to photograph shorebirds or birds in flight, create some unique bird images for your portfolio or see what feathered friends you can find in your backyard, Global Big Day’s challenge adds a fun twist to your photo adventure.
Interested in learning more about different bird species? Our friends at BirdWatching have the scoop.
The post Calling All Bird Photographers appeared first on Outdoor Photographer.
from Outdoor Photographer http://bit.ly/2IVv5DT
Thursday, May 2, 2019
Wednesday, May 1, 2019
This is a special episode of the reCOMPOSE podcast, in which Juan and Andy continue their Lightroom series with episode #4, a discussion of Lightroom CC vs. Classic CC, Lightroom Mobile, using Lightroom while traveling without internet access as well as their favorite Lightroom keyboard shortcuts.
The post reCOMPOSE Podcast 054: Lightroom Keyboard Shortcuts And More appeared first on Outdoor Photographer.
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