Fall Leaves

This picture was taken at the Moss Mansion.  Our trees begin changing fairly early in the season, and have proven to be great for autumn photography. This photograph is edited, which I am not a master at yet, of course.  The red tips of the leaves drew my attention to the tree while I was at work the other day.  I used an F3.5 in aperture priority mode with an ISO of 800 and 1/640 second shutter speed.  Because it was a cloudy day I had to do a bit of exposure compensation on my camera.

Share 2 and Critque #1

 With this photo, several rules of dominance apply. There are reds/oranges that draw the viewer's attention.  Also, light is more attractive than dark.  The leaves are made up of diagonal and jagged lines, as well.

For this photo, I have my subject (the leaves with the water droplets) somewhat following the bottom third line.  Also, sharpness is more attractive than blur plays into this picture.  The leaves have jagged lines and none of the lines in the photo are really vertical or horizontal.

My Sunset Photography Failure

Last week I attempted photographing a beautiful sunset from out in Shepherd, MT.  However, none of the pictures turned out very well.  It was a somewhat spontaneous trip, and I think I missed the best moments of the sunset.  When I got home, I got online to find some tips for sunset/sunrise photography.  Many of those tips relate to what we have talked about in class.

The first thing mentioned being prepared, which I had not been.  Understanding your surroundings and what kind of pictures you want to produce is necessary for making great photographs.  Had I planned better, I may have stood a chance at getting a few decent shots.

The article also mentioned the rule of thirds, something we have talked a lot about in class.  When I found a good spot to photograph from, I was mindful of the rule, but the lighting was no longer what I wanted. 

Another tip we talked about in class was shooting at a variety of exposures.  Because I missed most of the sunset while trying to find a good spot, I didn't really have a chance to play with different exposures.  Next time I will be more prepared and have time to try different exposures.

Overall, most of the shooting tips were ones we talked about in class and I recognized.  However, by not prepping beforehand, I lost my first chance to photograph a beautiful sunset using all those great tips and rules we've learned.  This weekend I'm planning for the sunsets and hopefully will get better pictures this time.

Link: https://digital-photography-school.com/how-to-photograph-sunrises-and-sunsets/

It's the Little Things in Life

Clay Bolt is a natural history and conservation photographer.  He has spent the majority of his time using macro photography to convince people to care about the little organisms that surround us in our every day lives.

Like we have talked about in class, Bolt explains that you need to know and understand your subject in order to take great photos of it.  As a conservation photographer, Bolt has to understand the biology of his subjects and their environment.

Bolt also talks about how he uses wide-angle macro photography techniques to capture his subjects in context with their environment.  He uses a Sigma 15mm F2.8 EX DG Diagonal Fisheye lens to get close to his subjects, but still include much of the environment within the photograph.

Another technique Bolt talks about is the use of off-camera flashes and white or black backgrounds to emphasize the stunning details of his subjects.  This is very similar to the technique Joel Sartore uses, which I wrote about last week.  However, Bolt uses this technique in the wild as opposed to with captive animals.  Both photographers have similar end goals, though.

Like other conservation photographers, Bolt's main goal is to capture his subjects, which are often species that are close to extinction, in a way that makes people want to save that species.  He informs people of these species and the habitat in which they live.  Conservation photography plays a huge role in conservation itself because it makes the public aware of what needs to be protected and saved.

Link:  https://www.outdoorphotographer.com/tips-techniques/wildlife-techniques/big-dreams-little-things/

Saving Animals Through Photography

Joel Sartore has recently become one of my top favorite photographers.  We share a common passion -- save the animals.

Sartore has been using an interesting technique to give his photographs more power.  This technique consists of placing these captive animals against black or white backgrounds.  And what an impact that technique has had.

By placing his subjects against a solid white or black background, he can capture the personality of each animal outside of its habitat.  He wants people to be able to relate to these animals and see them for who they are.  And like me, he wants people to want to save these animals.  Also, by using animals in captivity, he can showcase the stark reality that many of these animals face possible extinction within the next 100 years.

People have destroyed this earth and caused an unthinkable number of species to go extinct, but we are also the only ones who can save and replenish what remains.  I have such extreme respect for photographers like Sartore who want to help save these animals.  Sartore has discovered a great way to photograph these animals so that people feel differently about what they're seeing and are urged to help prevent these animals' extinction.

Using blank backgrounds forces the audience to look the subject in the eye and connect with it.  A stark white or black background helps colors pop and personalities shine through.  When there isn't a background to distract the audience, all of their attention can be focused on to just that one subject.  It's a brilliant technique for animal photography, especially when it's being used to help save lives.

Link: http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/ng-live/151208-sartore-photo-ark-lecture-nglive