Al Toro de Lidia outside the Plaza de Toros, Ronda, Andalucia, Spain

So, you bought the best digital camera you could afford, with every intention of finally learning to take better photos. All those features sounded great while you were in the camera shop. Then you took one look at that inch-thick manual, full of technical terms and complex detail, and thought ‘Maybe I will stick with auto after all’. After all, if you make a mistake, you can just delete it, right?

Does this sound like you? Don’t worry, you are not alone. Camera manuals reflect the technical power of modern cameras, but they are intimidating to any beginner who just wants to take a decent photo.

Digital cameras are like most computer programs; you may only need to learn about 10% of the functions on offer. So don’t get tied up in knots trying to understand everything. Just learn what you need to know, and learn it well, and you will be well on the way to being a better photographer.

Here are a few tips that may just take the complexity out of photography for you.

Tip #1. Stick with the basics. In the days of film, good photographers used SLR cameras with two main settings; aperture and shutter speed. These were the ingredients of all great photography. Today, cameras come with hundreds of features, but guess which ones you really need to understand? That’s right, aperture and shutter speed.

If you can understand these two settings, you are halfway to becoming a better photographer. Your manual (I never said you could throw it away) will tell you which buttons to press on your camera. However, to really understand what these settings are all about, don’t rely on the manual. There is plenty of information out there; workshops, websites, books and ebooks can help.

Practice has never been easier than it is today. Most cameras have semi-automatic settings, called ‘aperture priority’ and ‘shutter priority,’ that allow you to operate one setting while the camera takes care of the other. This is a great way to practice a skill without fear of getting too many failed exposures.

Tip #2. Learn from your mistakes. If you just delete every photo you are not happy with, you are missing a golden opportunity to learn from your own experience. Your ‘failures’ contain so much information, you could be learning from each exposure – even the bad ones!

Let’s say you are experimenting with aperture. Try photographing a scene three times, with three different aperture settings, for three slightly different results. Instead of keeping your favourite and deleting the others immediately, you could transfer them to your computer and take the time to examine them properly. You can see how each setting changed the look of the picture, and which setting worked best for that subject. Now you can learn from your own results, not from some theory in a book.

Did you know that if you right-click your mouse over a photograph on your computer and select ‘properties’ you will find a lot of information embedded in the file? You don’t have to keep a note of the aperture/shutter speed information; your photo does it for you!

Of course in the long term you don’t want to keep every single photo you take, but you might want to keep a folder of ‘learning photos’ to refer to later, with maybe two versions of each subject you experiment with. To make it even easier, rename the pictures with relevant titles, for example: Red Rose/Small Aperture, Red Rose/Large Aperture; Waterfall/Fast Shutter, Waterfall/Slow Shutter.

Tip #3. Learn The Art As Well As The Technique. Every problem in photography cannot be solved by the camera. Professional photographers rely on light and composition as much as they rely on technology. In fact, most photos fail not because of bad technique, but because they were taken at the wrong time of day, or the photographer did not put enough thought into the composition. Yet daily I meet people who think that all their problems would be solved by a better camera, or some mysterious technique they are yet to learn.

Remember what I said in Tip #1; aperture and shutter speed are the fundamental skills, and with a little practice, they are not hard to learn. Master them and you are halfway there. The key to becoming a really good photographer is a balance of technical knowledge and artistic skill. Practice both, and soon your friends will be coming to you for photography tips!

If you found these tips helpful, Andrew Goodall has released two top-selling ebooks that have already helped thousands of new photographers learn the art and skills of nature photography. See Andrew’s images and ebooks at http://www.naturesimage.com.au While you are there, enjoy even more great photography tips by subscribing to our online newsletter…it’s free!

Beach photography can be particularly challenging, even for experienced nature photographers. We are often inspired by the sounds, the smells, the open space; so the job of the photographer is not just to photograph a place, but to capture a feeling.

This can make beach photography a deeply personal thing, so your approach to a photo will be guided by what that location means to you. However, there are some easy ways to add impact to your pictures. Here are five simple tips to help you enjoy your next beach photography outing.

Beach Photography Tip #1.

Time of Day. Every landscape photographer knows that early in the morning and late in the afternoon are the best times for taking outdoor photos. At these times the sunlight is soft and warmly coloured, and shining from a low angle to illuminate most subjects more evenly.

This is even more critical at the beach, particularly if your beach has white sand. If you take your photos in the middle of the day, the glare from the sand and the white water will create stark, high-contrast photos that will not do justice to the location. However, when the sun is low it will illuminate the entire scene with much warmer colours. The froth at the waters edge will light up like champagne bubbles, and the whole photo will be richer and more atmospheric.

Beach Photography Tip #2.

Get Down To The Water’s Edge. To get the best beach photos, be prepared to get your feet wet. Down at the water’s edge where the sand is wet, your foregrounds will be more colourful, and wiped clean of footprints, tyre tracks and other distractions that can spoil the natural look of a beach photo. You may also discover reflections that add interest to otherwise plain foregrounds.

Beach Photography Tip #3.

Find An Eye-Catching Feature. A long, empty expanse of white sand with a clear blue sky is perfect for a walk on the beach, but can be too empty and plain for a photograph. You should try to find a feature to build your composition around. Many beaches have a rocky headland at each end; head for the rocks to find a more interesting foreground. Not only will your photos have a stronger focal point; they will also have more appeal for viewers who can identify familiar features in the image.

Once you start looking, there are all types of features on a beach that can add interest to your composition; driftwood, shells, rocks, lifesavers’ flags…just be creative and the list is endless.

Beach Photography Tip #4.

Make The Most Of A Good Sky. A clear blue sky at the beach can be a thing of beauty – and can also be a photographer’s worst enemy. A great cloud formation can add a whole new dimension to your photo, especially if you can’t find anything of interest in the foreground.

Even if it quite overcast, don’t despair. With a little luck, you might be able to capture the magnificent effect of sunbeams over the water as the sun rises or sets behind the clouds. Remember that beach photos don’t always have to be bright and sunny. We see enough of that in advertising and the movies. The photos that stand out from the crowd are often the ones with dark skies and brooding atmosphere, not white sand and blue sky.

Beach Photograhy Tip #5.

Use Your Wide Angle Lens. A wide-angle lens can be the best way to capture that sense of isolation and distance that you often feel when walking on the beach. The smaller lens exaggerates the perspective, making the background appear to stretch away for many miles and creating a real sense of three-dimensional depth. If you are looking up the beach, you can capture everything from the swirling water right in front of you to the lighthouse in the distance. Even better, the stronger depth of field of the wide-angle lens lets you keep it all in focus.

This ‘wide-open-spaces’ effect can look plain and empty if your scene lacks features, so remember Tips #3 and #4 and make the most of your skies and foregrounds. Obviously the wide-angle lens is not the best option for every photo, but it not a bad place to start if you are looking for ideas.

So there you have my five simple tips for beach photography. This is by no means a comprehensive guide. As with all nature photography, beach photography is an adventure that never ends. You never get tired of taking photos, and you never take two photos quite the same. Still, if this little article encourages you to get out there and practice, then you are one step closer to becoming a better photographer.

If you found these tips helpful, visit http://www.naturesimage.com.au to find Andrew Goodall’s top selling ebook “Photography In Plain English” and check out his popular beach photography collection. While you are there, don’t forget to subscribe to the online newsletter for regular photography tips…it’s free!

Article Source: ArticleSpan

Carmanah Walbran Provincial Park, British Columbia, Canada

Great nature photography relies on good natural light above all else. Even a beginner soon learns that for most landscape photos, the best results are usually early in the morning and late in the afternoon, when the sun is low, and the light is soft and colourful. This is a terrific rule to follow in most situations, but busy lifestyles do not always allow us to choose the perfect conditions for our nature photography.

Have you ever planned and set aside a day to get out and practice your nature photography, only to wake up to grey, cloudy skies? You are not alone, this happens to us all; professional and beginner alike. And of course when you are traveling, you often only have one chance to take your photos before moving on, so you have to make the best of the situation as you find it.

Photographers, don’t despair. There are many situations that suit cloudy skies just fine; in fact, some subjects need overcast weather to create great photos. Here are just a few situations that you could explore when cloudy weather threatens to derail your photography outing.

#1. Rainforest Photography. When the sun shines through the trees in the forest, it creates a patchwork of light and shade that makes correct exposure almost impossible. You simply can’t manage the contrast in these conditions. Cloudy weather is actually the best way to take good rainforest photos. Some would say the cloudier the better, because if your rainforest is high enough to be in the clouds, you can capture some very atmospheric misty effects in the forest.

I live in South East Queensland, so I am close to both the beach and some fabulous rainforest. My rule is: If it’s sunny, go to the beach. If it’s cloudy, take your camera to the rainforest.

#2. Wildlife Photography (Pets and People Too). Bright sunlight can be a problem when shooting wildlife. In the middle part of the day, the sun can create heavy shadows which make exposure difficult, and rob your photo of essential colour and detail that gives the subject its character. Worst of all, sunlight can create shadows on the face of your subject. As you know, the most important element of a good wildlife photo is the eyes. If the eyes in your photo are lost in shadow, the personal connection with the subject is lost.

Animals do not like looking into the sun any more than you do, so even early in the morning and late in the afternoon, when the light is softer, photography can be difficult. More often than not, you will probably find your subject turning away from the light.

If you take your photo on a cloudy day, you can capture your wildlife subject in soft, even light that allows perfect exposure without ugly shadows. There will also be less glare reflecting off shiny surfaces (a snake’s skin, a bird’s feathers etc.) so your picture can actually appear more colourful.

#3. Sunset Photography. Clouds create a much more interesting sunset photo than clear skies. All you need is for the sun to break through the clouds as they cross the horizon. A good nature photographer learns to read the sky and try to predict what is coming. Often on a grey, cloudy day you will notice that the only patch of clear sky is far away near the horizon. If that is the case, you can go looking for a good location and set up for your sunset photo.

With a bit of luck, there will be several breaks in the clouds before the sun goes down. If so, you may be in place to capture some majestic sunbeams, one of the truly great natural effects that every nature photographer treasures.

Like all things in nature photography, all the planning in the world means nothing without a bit of luck. You may get your photo all set up, only to see the gap in the clouds close and your chance of a good photo disappear. Persistence wins in the end, so keep trying and from time to time you will end up with some breathtaking sunset photos.

I hope these tips encourage you to get out and enjoy your photography, no matter what the weather is like. As your experience grows, you will find it easier to read the light and know what sort of photography suits the conditions. Until then, practice, practice, practice!

Andrew Goodall has made his living from nature photography for over 20 years. See his images at http://www.naturesimage.com.au Andrew’s ebooks “Photography in Plain English” and “Every Picture Tells A Story” have helped thousands of beginners learn the art and skills of nature photography. Find them at http://www.naturesimage.com.au/page/25/default.asp

Article Source: ArticleSpan

One those occasions when you’re lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time, you really can admire the beauty of nature. But capturing those picturesque moments is not as easy as it might seem. There are many different aspects to consider when taking landscape and photos, but in this article, I’ll just touch on composition.

Composition

In case you aren’t already familiar with the Rule of Thirds, it basically states that you should imagine the viewfinder as having lines dividing it into three sections horizontally and three sections vertically. Essentially, it ends up looking like a grid of 9 boxes. The trick is to try and place your subject strategically in the intersections of those lines. Some cameras will actually draw the lines on the LCD screen for you. All you have to really do is just use your imagination and your best judgment. It’s really not a hard and fast rule, just a general guideline to try and follow. You don’t have to be 100% accurate, and if you’re a little off from one third it’s not a big deal.

Aim For the Corners

As for myself, I prefer to place the subject in one of the four corners: top left, top right, bottom left, or bottom right. That means I go in from any of the corners diagonally about one third of the way horizontally and one third of the way vertically. I also recommend that when shooting the horizon (which often times you are by definition when taking landscape photos), you place the horizon line along one of those imaginary lines of thirds. That means that the sky should either fill the top 1/3 of the photo, or it should fill the top 2/3 of the photo. Which one to choose? It really depends on the photo and where the main area of interest is. If there’s a lot going on in the sky, and not much going on below, then it makes sense to include more sky. On the other hand, if the sky is more of a background then limit it to just 1/3 of the frame and your photo should still turn out looking good.

Hopefully now you have a little bit better of an idea of how you can compose your nature and landscape photos better. Good luck shooting!

Ian Spellfield is a professional photographer who focuses on nature and landscape photography and tries to share his knowledge with others looking for digital photography tips.

Article Source: ArticleSpan

For a nature photographer, waterfall photography is like a dream come true. A subject tailor-made for a great image, waterfalls can be a magnet for anyone with a camera.

Like any subject in nature photography, waterfall photos also come with their own set of challenges. A beginner can be disappointed with their results time and time again, simply due to simple mistakes that can be easily overcome. A good waterfall photo does not require hi-tech photography equipment or fancy techniques; just a decent camera and a basic understanding of a few manual settings.

In fact, a really good waterfall photograph probably owes more to good lighting and composition than to technology. This is great news; it means you can improve your waterfall photos no matter what sort of camera you have! Here are five simple tips to help you take some great waterfall photos of your own.

Waterfall Photography Tip #1.

Choose the Right Weather Conditions. Many waterfalls are found in the rainforest, or in heavily wooded areas. That means the same rules of lighting that apply to rainforest photography also apply to waterfall photos. In most cases, the best results will happen when you take your photos in overcast weather. Cloud cover creates even, low-contrast lighting that eliminates harsh patches of light and shade from your waterfall image. While we are on the subject of lighting; avoid using your flash in most situations. It will destroy the atmosphere created by the natural light.

You should also try to avoid windy days. If you are working with a slow shutter (see tip #2), you don’t want the trees to be blowing about and blurring the background in your photo.

Waterfall Photography Tip #2.

Experiment With Shutter Speeds and Carry a Tripod. You have surely seen the soft wispy effect photographers create by shooting flowing water at very slow shutter speeeds. This is a popular techniqe and has great impact for some photos. However, it is not the only method you should try. Some photos can look great, but if you do all your photos this way it can become boring and repetitive. Also, the wispy effect just doesn’t suit every waterfall. In my experience, cascading waterfalls that tumble over rocks and have several levels look great at slow speeds. I usually a shutter speed of one second. However, waterfalls that fall straight down over a ledge into a pool usually look better with a bit more defininition; try a speed of about 30/sec or 15/sec. Experimenting with different speeds will always get you the best result in the end.

Regardless of the effect you are after, you should always have your tripod with you for waterfall photography. If you are in the forest on a cloudy day, the level of light will be very low, and you may find yourself forced to use very slow shutter speeds whether you like it or not.

Waterfall Photography Tip #3.

Explore Downstream. When you arrive at your location, the first instinct is usually to stand right in front of the waterfall and take the most straightforward angle. However, the best result is often found when you explore downstream. You may find an angle where the stream cascades toward you, with the main waterfall in the background. Or you may be able to frame waterfall through the branches of the trees. There are plenty of possibilities; the point is, there is never only one shot to take at a waterfall, and the obvious photo is not always the best.

Waterfall Photography Tip #4.

Give Your Wide-Angle Lens a Workout. A wide-angle lens comes in handy for a few reasons. Firstly, it has a naturally strong depth of field. If you are using a slow shutter speed for the water, it is important to keep the rest of the photo sharp. If your main subject is moving and the surroundings are out of focus, your result will just be a big blur. Secondly, the wide-angle lens has an exaggerated sense of perspective, allowing your viewer to feel that they are looking up the stream or into the rainforest, not just at a flat picture.

Waterfall Photography Tip #5.

Let The Flow Of Water Shape Your Composition. Whenever you compose a photo, you use the lines and shapes in the picture to create the best impact. The flow of water in a waterfall photo has great visual impact. The viewer’s eye will naturally follow the direction of the water, so you should use this to help shape your composition. If you stand downstream so that the stream flows toward the camera, you can create a distinct visual direction in your composition that will truly catch and lead the eye of the viewer.

So, there you have five very simple ways to take better waterfall photos. As in all nature photography, writing and reading about it is never as inspiring as getting out and doing it. I hope these tips give you some motivation to grab a friend, get out there and practice. Have fun!

If you found these tips helpful, visit http://www.naturesimage.com.au to find Andrew Goodall’s top selling ebook “Photography In Plain English” and check out his popular rainforest and waterfall photography collection. While you are there, don’t forget to subscribe to the online newsletter for regular photography tips…it’s free!

Article Source: ArticleSpan

If this sounds like you, keep reading, because I have good news. There are some great ways to take better photos without having to learn the complexities of your camera. That’s right – leave your camera on auto and still learn to take great photos.

Of course I encourage anybody to learn and understand aperture and shutter speed, the settings you will need to understand to really improve as a photographer. However, the best encouragement is to start getting results quickly, so here are five easy tips to help you improve your photography…the low-tech way!

Better Photography Tip#1.

Take your photo in the best possible light. You may have heard that the best light for most photography is very early or very late in the day, when the sun is low, and the light is soft and colourful. This is a good rule to follow most of the time. Not only is the light more attractive, you can also avoid the contrast and heavy shadows of midday.

Some subjects actually work better on cloudy days. For animals and people, cloudy weather softens the light and overcomes the problem of your subject squinting into the light. In the forest, overcast skies prevent the heavy contrast that is a problem on sunny days.

Better Photography Tip#2.

Landscape photos: create a more interesting composition. Many photos can be made more interesting not by zooming right in on the subject, but by zooming out, or standing further back to capture more of the surroundings. The important thing is to use make sure you use the surroundings to add impact to the picture.

For example, let’s say you are photographing an old rustic farmhouse. You could add even more character by using a line of fence posts, or a gravel driveway, to lead the eye into the picture. Or when photographing a waterfall, you could try going a little further downstream, to shoot the creek with the waterfall in the background for a more interesting angle.

Better Photography Tip#3.

Sunset and Sunrise. Everyone loves taking sunset (and sunrise) photos. A brilliant sunset sky can make a great photo, but you can make it even better by looking for a good subject in the foreground. The key is to find something that stands out against the sky, with a an outline people can recognize; a tree, a windmill, even a row of power poles. The subject does not have to dominate the photo; in fact it is probably best if it only takes up about ten percent of the composition so that the sky remains the starring attraction. But if you can create a striking silhouette, you will immediately add character to your sunset photograph.

Better Photography Tip#4.

Animals (And People). Portrait style photos are usually spoiled by a distracting background. When you take a photo of a friend, a pet, or an animal, you don’t want the surroundings to take attention away from the subject.

So here’s the trick. Don’t stand close to your subject and take the photo with a regular or wide-angle lens. Stand further back and zoom in with your largest lens magnification. This will have two results. First, it will reduce the area behind and around the subject that is visible in the photo. Second, it will minimize the depth of field, which means only your subject should be in focus. Anything in front or behind the subject will be out of focus, and will not cause a distraction.

Better Photography Tip#5.

Concentrate. Sometimes all it takes to make a photo a success is to move a little to the left or right, or zoom in or out just a little more. If you just point the camera in the right general direction and click, you are bound to fail most of the time. If you slow down and really examine what you can see in the viewfinder before you press the button, your success rate will impove.

Simple things to look out for include; trees and power-poles appearing to grow out of the head of the subject (move yourself or the subject to a better position); litter on the ground (pick it up); aircraft or distracting clouds in the sky (wait for them to pass by); blurry branches on a windy day (wait for conditions to settle for a moment). All these things and more can ruin a photo, and they can all be remedied by taking a good look to make sure your picture has captured everything you want, and nothing you don’t want.

So there you have some easy tips for good photography without getting hung up on technology. Above all, pay attention to tip #5 and slow down to concentrate on what you are doing. The other golden rule is to take lots of photos. Experience will teach you a lot more than being told what to do. Remember with digital cameras it doesn’t cost you anything to keep on snapping. With patience and attention to detail, you will be taking better photos in no time – guaranteed!

Andrew Goodall’s top selling ebooks on photography for beginners have already helped thousands of people learn the skills better photography. Find them at http://www.naturesimage.com.au and sign up the online newsletter for even more tips…it’s free!

Article Source: ArticleSpan

The great news is, good sunset photos are surprisingly easy to take. In my gallery, I don’t actually display many sunset photographs. You see, they are hard to sell, because almost everybody has a few great sunsets they have photographed themselves. Rather than buy mine, they are more likely to grab their camera and show me the picture they took the night before!

Consequently, I see a lot of sunset photos by amateur photographers, and have learned to quickly spot where they have gone wrong. It is not hard to expose a sunset photo; in many cases you can leave your camera on auto and it will do the work for you. The trouble people have is in making an interesting composition. It is not good enough just to photograph a good sky. The challenge is in making that sky part of an interesting photograph.

Here are my five tips for taking great sunset (and sunrise) photos.

Sunset Photography Tip #1.

Learn to predict a good sunset before it happens. Have you ever seen a perfect sky, only to realise you didn’t have your camera handy? In the five minutes it takes to get your camera and set up for the photo, the moment has passed. As brilliant as a sunset can be, the effect may last for only a few minutes, so you need to be able to choose your location, set up your camera, and be waiting for the show to start.

Sunset Photography Tip #2.

Be patient to get the best colours. The few minutes as the sun is crossing the horizon can be spectacular, but it is not the whole story of a sunset. As the sinking sun lights the clouds from below, often the richest colours can appear up to half an hour later. By this time it will be getting quite dark, so be prepared with your tripod. You may be shooting exposures of half a second or more to bring out the best in your sunset photograph.

Sunset Photography Tip #3.

Find a good foreground subject. This may be the most important tip of all. Time after time people show me their sunset photos, and all I can think is “Great sky…pity you didn’t make a better photo out of it.” We have all seen and photographed spectacular skies, so that alone is not enough to create your work of art. Try to identify some object that stands well above the horizon (trees, windmills, buildings, power-lines) and has a shape that will create a good silhouette. It doesn’t have to fill up your picture. In fact, it may only take up a small area – that will only make the sky seem even more impressive. The important thing is to give your picture a focal point, so that your viewer has something more interesting to look at than just a great sky.

Think back to my tip #1.

To get a great photo you need to be prepared in advance, so scout your location for a good foreground well before the razzle-dazzle gets underway.

Sunset Photography Tip #4.

Fill your photo with colour. You have probably heard of the ‘rule of thirds’ in landscape photography. In simple terms this rule suggests your horizon should be a third of the way from the top, or from the bottom, of your photo to create a balanced composition. The trouble is, when you are photographing into the sunset, everything in the foreground will be in silhouette. That means that by following the rule of thirds, a large part of your picture will be completely black. This is one situation where you can ignore the rule of thirds. By allowing your sky to dominate the composition, you fill your picture with colour and draw even more attention to the richness of the sunset.

Sunset Photography Tip #5.

If near water, use it to enhance the effect. People often see a sunset at the beach, or by a river, and stand a long way back to get their shot. This does not take full advantage of the reflections on the water, and instead of a colourful foreground there will again be too much black space.

Get right down to the water’s edge or to the wet sand on the beach. By capturing the reflections, your foreground will echo the colour of the sky. Not only will your photo be more colourful, but you will start to spot opportunities for much more interesting compositions.

So there you have my simple tips on sunset photography. Notice that I have concentrated on creativity, not technology. As I said at the beginning, exposing a good sunset photo is not difficult; the challenge is to make your photo stand out from the rest. Like all good nature photography, your sensitivity to nature is far more important than technical expertise. Be inspired by nature, and great photography will follow. Good luck!

If you found these tips helpful, Andrew Goodall has released two top-selling ebooks that have already helped thousands of new photographers learn the art and skills of nature photography. See Andrew’s images and ebooks at http://www.naturesimage.com.au While you are there, enjoy even more great photography tips by subscribing to our online newsletter…it’s free!

Article Source: ArticleSpan

Most of the photography guides these days focus on the technical aspects of the camera: but really good photography relies more on composition, lighting, and sensitivity to your subject. This means you can improve your photography by thinking creatively, not technically.

Here are five of my top tips for taking better wildlife photographs.

Wildlife Photography Tip #1. Get to the subject’s eye level. Wildlife photos are most effective if they create an intimate connection between the subject and the viewer. The best way to do this is to take your photo at the subject’s eye level. This way, the viewer can feel like they are looking at the subject from inside its little world, rather from the outside looking in.

If, for example, your subject is low to the ground (like a lizard, frog, or even a pet), crouch or lie flat, getting as low as possible so you can take your photo at the subject’s eye level.

Wildlife Photography Tip #2.It’s All In The Eyes. The personal connection mentioned in tip #1 is really about eye contact, so it is important to get the eyes right. If the eyes in your wildlife photo are sharp and clear, the photo will probably work. If they are out of focus, lost in shadow, or if the subject blinks or turns its eyes away, the connection will be lost, and the photo will almost certainly fail.

You don’t even need your whole subject to be in focus. Your animal could be mostly hidden by leaves, in shadow and out of focus. The picture could still work…as long as the eyes are open and captured sharply in the picture.

Wildlife Photography Tip #3. If The Background Doesn’t Help, Get Rid Of It. Many wildlife photos are spoiled because the background is cluttered, distracting, ugly, or just plain inappropriate. For example, seagulls on a beach can be quite beautiful, but seagulls at the local rubbish tip is a different matter. Also, wildlife photos look far less natural if you can tell they were taken in a zoo. Apply this principle: "Anything that does not make my photo better, makes it worse."

This does not mean you can’t take a good wildlife photo at the zoo, at the tip, or anywhere else for that matter. You just need to manage it. If your background is spoiling your shot, zoom right in on the subject to eliminate as much of the background as possible. By zooming in, you will also reduce the depth of field to a minimum, so any background that does appear in your photo will be out of focus and less distracting.

Wildlife Photography Tip #4. If Your Background Is Working For You, Use It Well. A wildlife photograph that captures the subject in a beautiful natural setting can be even more effective than a simple close-up. My photos of a kangaroo on the beach, for example, show the subject in an unexpected context, making a more interesting image than a close-up portrait style photo.

If you take your wildlife subject as part of a wider landscape, you need to consider all the techniques of composition that apply to landscape photography. Remember the rule of thirds (which may or may not help) and be careful to position your animal so that the subject and the background work together to make a more effective composition. In particular, try to have your wildlife subject looking into the picture, not out of it.

Wildlife Photography Tip #5. Capture your subject in the best possible light. Even the most perfectly composed wildlife photo can fail because of bad lighting. Losing your subject in the shadows, glare reflecting off shiny feathers, and shadows across the face of the subject are all simple mistakes that can ruin a photo.

There is no single rule for lighting in a wildlife photograph, but here are some suggestions. I often find the best results when the sky is lightly overcast with thin cloud. This produces light that is bright, but soft and even compared to full sunlight. Your subject will be well illuminated, but you avoid harsh contrast and heavy shadows that rob the image of important detail.

If the weather is sunny, try to take your photos early and late in the day when the sun is low. At these times the light is soft and warmly coloured. It is also easier to catch the full face of your subject in sunlight, rather than half-obscured by shadow.

So there you have my five tips for wildlife photography. I could cheat and add tip #6: take lots of photos. Animals move, blink, flap their wings, and generally find ways to frustrate the wildlife photographer. Don’t forget, with digital photography it costs you nothing to keep snapping. So practice, persevere, and try out these tips…you could be taking better photos in no time.

Andrew Goodall has made his living from nature photography for over 20 years. See his images at http://www.naturesimage.com.au Andrew’s ebooks “Photography in Plain English” and “Every Picture Tells A Story” have helped thousands of beginners learn the art and skills of nature photography. Find them at http://www.naturesimage.com.au/page/25/default.asp

Article Source: ArticleSpan

In my gallery and on my website, I sell a photograph of a kangaroo on a beach. I am not the only nature photographer in Australia to have captured such a subject, so it is not a unique occurrence; but it is unusual. As such, many people have never seen such a thing with their own eyes.

Ten years ago, when film was standard, people would often ask "Where were you lucky enough to find a kangaroo on a beach?" Fair question.

Today, someone asked me "Did you superimpose that kangaroo on your computer?" Some people don’t ask; they just assume the photo is a fake. Some even want to argue with me even after I have told them where, when and how the photo was taken. People like to transfer their own limitations onto others. So, if they could not have taken that picture, they assume that nobody could. Therefore (in their eyes) it must be fake.

For a nature photographer, the assumption that your nature photo has been manufactured is the same thing as being accused of fraud.

The kangaroo on the beach is the most commented-on image in my collection, but it is by no means the only photo that invites doubt. These days it seems that any nature photo, if unique and perfectly captured (and isn’t that what we are all striving for?) is automatically an object of suspicion.

We have entered an era when technology has become so advanced, people have begun to doubt their own eyes when it comes to photography. It is true, some amazing things can be done with software, and many photographers find ‘photoshopping’ an image more interesting than taking the photo in the first place. This is a perfectly legitimate pursuit and one that is simply a fact of life in the modern world.

However, problems arise when people start to forget that good photography, and in particular good nature photography, existed long before the digital age. The skills of nature photography are as they have always been. An ability to read the light, to recognise and capture a spectacular sky, to simply know the time of day and the perfect weather to shoot your subject: these are the stock in trade of the nature photographer. Next comes knowledge of the camera and photography theory, along with a practiced sense of balance and composition.

If you get these right (and there are still plenty of photographers out there who can), you simply don’t need to rely on your computer to create a good image. In fact for most nature photographers, the whole point of the pursuit is the joy of capturing a perfect moment using only patience, skill and timing.

Technology is amazing. It is possible to take a sunset sky from one photo, superimpose it on a foreground from another photo, add a few birds in the sky for good measure. In the case of my photo, perhaps you could add a kangaroo into your beach photo. The point is, why would you, when there is so much satisfaction in finding that beach, and being there to capture the moment for real.

The truly wonderful thing about nature photography is that it can remind us of all the things we love about nature. It helps us to appreciate what is at stake as environmental issues come to the fore, and often (like my kangaroo on the beach) it allows us to see the natural world from a point of view that we never knew existed. Old school nature photographers like me don’t want you to look at a photo and see only the technology that produced it. They want you to fall in love with nature all over again, and maybe have some appreciation of timing and artistry of the photographer.

So the next time you see a great nature photo, show some respect for the patience and skills that went in to capturing that image. And if you aspire to one day do the same, try thinking a little less about your computer and a little more about nature. It can only make you a better photographer.

Andrew Goodall is a professional nature photographer of over 20 years experience, and has released two ebooks on the art and skills of nature photography. Find out more at http://www.naturesimage.com.au Andrew’s simple philosophy is that good photography is not just about technology, but about skill and sensitivity to nature.

Article Source: ArticleSpan

Many people consider photography as an art because it allows for an expression of emotion. They believe that digital photography is a continuation of the art of drawing or painting. You see, photography is just like painting in the sense that although it does take accurate pictures of reality, it also allows for some modification through the various digital tools available today.

Even without the editing many people still believe that digital photography is art because of the fact that it does take an artist’s eye to find a great subject of digital photography. The nature of electronic photography as an art has something to do with the fact that an artist is able to express emotions and statements through visual subjects.

The supporters of this art also argue their case by stating its ability to convey emotional messages through aesthetics. The beauty of each photograph, of course, needs also to be credited to the person taking the pictures. One of the strongest arguments for the artistic nature of electronic photography is the fact that the picture is rarely really what is seen with the naked eye. Through the camera and computer, a person can alter the image in order to present what he or she wants to show.

Some people argue that science is the true nature of this art. One argument is that photography, unlike painting, actually comes from something existing and not from a painters mind or emotion. This can be very persuasive since, indeed, a photographer does not actually make photographs. He or she merely takes them.

Another argument regarding the scientific nature of digital photo taking is the fact that the editing that people do and adjustments that photographers make are based on a series of steps that can be narrowed down scientifically. People who argue for the scientific nature of digital photos may reason that the same series of steps can be taken in order to achieve the same results. There is a certain quality of constancy about this type of photography that renders it a science.

But what is the true nature of digital photos? We have read the various arguments supporting science and art. There appears to be no solution to this question, right?

The true nature of digital photography will always remain to be a paradox. This means that though it can be considered as an art, it can also be considered as a science. When is the paradox of the nature of digital photography solved? Well, it is solved when a person takes a digital photograph.

The true nature of digital photos lies in the hands of the person who takes the pictures. The way a person treats the process defines the nature of digital photography for him or her. It is not absolutely art nor is it absolutely science. The true nature of digital photography is a paradox. It might seem to be contradictory, but it is somehow true.

To learn more about the art and science of photography and how new technologies such as scancafe can help develop that understanding visit our website at http://scenesfromthepast.com/flotsam-and-jetsam/scancafe.

Article Source: ArticleSpan