Photographic Art

Beverly Bradner Bestpitch was the winner of  the Dramatic Serenity Challenge. Her amazing image of the FireFall at horsetail falls in Yosemite N.P. is a truly breath taking example what what photographic art should look like. I asked Beverly a few questions about this image and this is what she had to say.

Q- Beverly, congratulations on the win this week
A.  Thank you. There are so many wonderful photographers in this group. It’s an honor to have my image selected.  

Q- This picture is pretty incredible, what made you decide on this location?

A: Last year, Priscilla Reynaud, another photog in this group, planned to meet me sometime in Feb to go shooting. We hadn’t met before our trip to Yosemite, but have the same passion for photography. She suggested we try horsetail falls.

Ever since learning about this phenomenon four years ago, horsetail falls has been on my bucket list. Perfect Choice! We chose Friday instead of the weekend as it was a 3-day holiday weekend; figuring it would be less crowded. Going to my dental appointment was out of the question. Dental appointment or take a chance to capture this incredible image? No comparison – cancelled the appointment in a heartbeat for this trip!

Q- You’re from Sacramento ca. so that was a pretty good trip. I am sure some of our members would like to know about the image. Can you take us into picture and describe what is going on during this shoot? Camera, settings?

 A: It WAS quite a drive! We fueled up the car, loaded way too many clothes, added in too much camera gear, packed up both dogs, and left around 8:00 am for Yosemite. Dave made great time – getting us there and back safely in spite of the crazies on the road. Old dog (Duke) will be 17 next month – 104 in people years - and is quite feeble – we couldn’t leave him home alone; little dog (Doc) pretty much goes with us everywhere. Duker got diarrhea while we were there – but that didn’t stop us from staying to get this shot. Paper towels and baby wipes come in handy - not just for babies. :)  Luckily for us the state had built a temporary bridge around landslide that blocked 140.
We met Priscilla at the parking lot at horsetail falls. We had lunch together at the little deli. What fun meeting another photographer! Around 3:00 we left to find parking spaces, and stake out our spot. You have to be there several hours early to get your spot AND a parking place as well. Park where you shouldn’t and you risk a $300.00 fine!

Q- What genre or subjects do you enjoy photographing the most?

A. Flowers, landscapes are among my favorites subjects. Do you see a trend here? They don’t move! lol :)
 

Q- Any words for our members just starting out?

A. As a “long-time” member of the “Just starting out group” – most often heard suggestion you hear is to keep shooting, learn your equipment and experiment!

 
Q- Where else can we see your work?

As of now, only on my facebook page. Beverly.Bestpitch.Photography.

 
Q- last words?

It’s awesome to connect with kindred photographers. There’s always something new to be learned from every single photographer. And I cannot close without thanking my husband Dave, who is so supportive of my photography.

Thanks Beverly for the insight into your photo.

I want to talk a little about exposure today as I see an amazingly lot of blown out images lately. Not on the challenge but all over. Often times you see portraits with a blown background that draws the attention to the subject and that works great but, I am talking about blowing out the details in a persons face during a session, or blowing out highlights with a mid day sun because the light is to harsh. A good exposure is or should be the key during the shoot. If your using a light, adjust your camera for that added foreground/ subject light with some test shots first. Use your cameras Built in histogram. If your using a reflector, you can generally adjust right off the bat. Knowing how to get a proper exposure is very important. I realize that the DSLR is not capable of capturing the light as we see it but through post processing we have a valuable set of tools to tweek things to our liking.

I have heard this many times. Expose for the highlights and develope for the shadows. This keeps you from blowing out the image and latter, you can adjust the shadows where you want them. This is one instance where digital is different than film so if you shoot film, keep exposing for the shadows. 

Use Filters, yes I realize that many filters can be mimiced in post processing like a warming or cooling filter. Even grad NDs can be mimiced BUT using them in the the field can change your exposures to get the right shot. the same with a CPL. I would much rather have a CPL or ND on my lens than a UV filter but thats my preference.

In many ways HDRI has changed the way we look at an image as well. capturing everything from pure white to pitch black in an image and combining multiple images together. With the invention of good inexpensive HDR software there are some who can make you feel like your in the scene with their knowledge of HDR imaging. There is a lot of hype over HDR and for good reason. many fail to understand HDR and go a little to far in the process. often this comes down to opinion and preference. It is another tool to be used just like Photoshop, Lightroom, or Aperture.

Lastly, yes we have great software these days. There is very little that you cant do in post processing BUT do your best to get it right in camera before you have to sit at your computer for hours on end when you could be out taking more photos.

A word with Richard Yarbrough And Family

Richard Yarbrough was the winner of our Animals Challenge last week with the amazing image below. Richard, a long time veteran photographer of all things wild has some amazing images on his personal Website http://bearlythere.zenfolio.com/ I encourage you to visit his site and take a look around.

I asked Richard to say a few things about himself as well as his photography and this shot in particular. Here is what he had to say...

             

"I am blessed to live in Montana ( for the third time now), surrounded by an abundance of wildlife and scenery that are beyond compare, making photography an almost too easy pastime and passion. I try to capture what I see, as it is, when it is, and how it is.........I'm seldom disappointed. You have to get out there and hang around a while, and take roads your mother would frown at. My photographic comfort zone includes layered clothing, coffee, and my youngest daughter along, whenever possible............Montana supplies the rest. From the film days, back in the 70s til now, I have loved sharing the wonders around me with family and friends and have been encouraged and inspired by many people to whom I owe thanks. No matter what gear I take with me, I seem to fall back on my trusty six year old Nikon D-50 and 70-300mm Tamron. The winning shot this week was taken with that camera at 1/500, f/5.3 and about 260mm zoom. I really enjoy the online company of folks who love to take pictures and share the knowledge and experiences of their own journeys. The best advice I have to give is to get out there often, stay out there for as long as you can and while you're waiting for that WOW shot....just keep taking pictures! Thanks and good luck to all of you."

Wow is right Richard, Thank you!

I am going to warn you the following is light on tech talk or the ins and outs of photography:
               After posting the challenge this week, or rather receiving a few questions about the challenge and also reading Richard's message above, I got to thinking about family. Our family and photography specifically. Lets be honest here, I think we have all used our kids as our "models" from time to time. But what about teaching them about the art? letting them tag along and learn about what you enjoy photographing? what about the rest of the family? I remember a brother and sister that used to fight ALL the time. Now they are working and learning together. This to me is so inspirational that I almost get choked up when I think about it.
              And Richard, who takes his daughter with him as much as possible, spending time together in a priceless atmosphere... This is what it "should" be about, experiencing life as a family. Sharing those moments and capturing them forever.  Desiree, Sierra, and I often go out together. In California, frequent trips into the Sierra Cascades were common for us. We try to teach her as much about the outdoors as possible and she has even gotten the photography bug taking her Playschool camera with us when we get a chance to go here in Florida.
 If you ever need a change of perspective, just hand a child a camera (preferably one that you wont mind breaking) and let them have fun. I encourage you all to expose your loved ones to the things you love the most, Not only as your impromptu model but from the other side of the lens

Photo by Desiree Aulabaugh

Photograph: a picture painted by the sun without instruction in art.
 ~Ambrose Bierce

No place is boring, if you've had a good night's sleep and have a pocket full of unexposed film. ~Robert Adams

I think a photography class should be a requirement in all educational programs because it makes you see the world rather than just look at it. ~Author Unknown

Lets talk Wild

This weeks winner of The Photographers Challenge is Ted Riley. His impressive macro stole the show and he was kind enough to share these words with us.

"This was a real fun shot, as I worried the hell out of my brother for such a long time to get the shot. I used a Nikon D90 with 18-105mm lens, one macro tube @ 30mm with setting at 1/60 sec @ F 5.6 ISO 800 with an external flash attached, aimed toward the ceiling so that it would bounce off the white softly."

Amazing job Ted and thank you for sharing!

Now like myself, Ted is an outdoorsman and every outdoorsman has a fascination for animals and wildlife in particular. That means that this weeks subject for the challenge would have to be about animals.
Photographing animals can be a real challenge depending on what your trying to shoot. Much like kids, you can generally get your pet to pose for a few shots before it gets bored and wants to do other things. This is generally referred to as animal portraiture.

Wildlife photography can be very rewarding... and very stressful at times. Knowing your animals habits is a key element to getting good photos. That being said you can know an animal track it for weeks and never get that "perfect" shot. Other days you you cant even get out of your vehicle and that shot is happening right before your eyes.

I am not going to say that shooting still wildlife is easy by any means, BUT the best photos are generally of the animal in action. And to top it off that action in most (but not all) instances should be tack sharp or show movement only in specific areas like a hummingbirds wings in motion.

So as I mentioned knowing about the animals habits can be a great way to know what they "might do next" Knowing that many birds will defecate right before they take flight is a key factor in knowing when to get that camera up to your eye and shooting. Knowing that most water fowl stop flapping their wings before they land, making a prime time to shoot, can be the difference between a good image and a great image. 

Some of the best places to get great wildlife images are parks such as Yellowstone or the Great Smokey Mountains simply because the animals have adapted to people and are less skittish.

So what is a typical wildlife shoot for me? Armed with my camera and a 70-200mm 2.8, a 2x teleconverter, and my 18-105 kit lens, a steady tripod and ball head I will go to a place known to have the specific types of animals I am looking to photograph. Blinds, Tree stands, and rain protection are all required when I go.
I am a very big fan of being as close to eye level as possible to the animal. right down to being belly down on the beach photographing birds or in a tree stand photographing Osprey.
I am a fan of tack sharp images so that means high shutter speeds for an animal on the move. I generally go by the rule of focal length = shutter speed. that means for a subject that is completely static (not moving) I will use a shutter speed equal to the focal length of the lens even with image stabilization. that means that with my lens and 2x teleconverter I will be shooting with no less than a 1/400 shutter speed. once the animal begins to move that shutter speed can climb very fast to 1/1000, 1/2000 or even more. with shutter speed that high it is some times difficult to get the right exposure dialed in but once you do that's when the magic happens
I shoot raw and try to meter off of trees or any object that comes close to a neutral gray color. I am also attempting o learn and use the Zone System that has been modified for Digital Photography.

When photographing dangerous animals keep a safe distance and NEVER try to coax them closer by feeding them and that goes for any animal. In many states it is not only frowned upon but actually illegal. Once an animal looses it's fear of people, that is when the animal stands a good chance of becoming a nuisance and may possibly be put down because of carelessness.

There are a lot of different views of how wildlife photographers should conduct themselves in the outdoors and I think one of the most widely accepted views is that a wildlife photographer should have respect for the wildlife and do as little to disturb them as possible.

Wildlife photography is not just about getting the picture. It is about conservation, awareness, and the experience itself. As an avid outdoorsman I believe in leaving an area better than when I got there. I believe in the responsible management of our wildlife and our wild places, as well as supporting the hunters heritage. I often joke that I get to hunt year round with one tool or the other, and feel blessed that I can pass on my knowledge to my daughter Sierra as she grows. As a photographer, it is my goal to get people outdoors and exploring the world around them and maybe they will come to love & respect the outdoors as much as I.

Macro, Point & shoot style

Last week our winner of The Photographers Challenge was Danny Rose. His sunset picture really catches the brilliant colors as well as keeping the theme of photographic rules. Great Job Danny!

Danny Also issued this weeks challenge, throwing us into the world of Macro and Close Up Photography.

Now I do not do to much macro photography. Usually if I see a Bug or something of that nature I will see what I can do while I am out to get the picture but I have not really delved into the wonderful world of Macro Photography. Generally when doing a tutorial or discussing photography I would focus on what a DSLR can do but honestly there is so many different tricks to macro and none of them or right or wrong in my opinion.

I know a few members of The Photographers Challenge that do not have DSLR's, so this is more geared for them. True macro is technically when you can produce an image at 1:1 or bigger and most P&S that I know of is not capable of that. Close up photography might be a better term for those with P&S. That being said. Many P&S cameras have a macro setting so find out if your camera has it. Got it? cool! how about a tripod? It is my opinion that every photographer should have a good tripod. That does not translate to expensive by any means, just suitable for your camera. It is not often I find myself fooling with a P&S but I have my wifes older Nikon Coolpix S51 in hand right now and I am messing with it.  This camera is capable of focusing at just 1.6 inches from your subject and produces some pretty cool images. For those with Nikon P&S cameras a little flower on the back or in the menu means you have found the Macro setting. Once you have your camera on a tripod you can zoom it in to your subject and click away. Now thats not to say that you have it as good as your going to get because we have not talked about light. Do not forget to try your cameras flash on and off to get the results your looking for. Subjects like flowers, bugs, etc are always great to shoot close up but don't overlook other things like money, find details of old watches... Anything with super fine detail can create an amazing picture. Wile this is not an amazing image it is an idea of how you can make a P&S shoot sharp close up pictures.