Wednesday, December 2, 2009

My favorite five photographs that I took

Here are some of my favorite photographs that I have taken over the course of a couple of months. All five of these photographs were taken around Billings, Mt. I also used my Canon Rebel Xsi camera for all of these photos.
This photograph of a wild mustang was taken at the Bighorn Canyon National Park. I love this photograph because the horse is staring right at use and I have never seen a wild mustang before in its natural habitat. The one thing that I don't like about this picture is the fact that it is a little blurry because I under exposed it.
This photograph was taken at Pioneer Park in downtown Billings. I took this picture in the mid- afternoon. I love this photograph because, these two mallard ducks are looking at each other. I would have liked it if I took the picture when the female duck was in front of the male duck better but I still think it is a cool picture.

This photograph is one of my favorites because to me it looks like a snake coraling around a tree limb. I took this picture at Riverfront Park which is near downtown Billings, MT. I took a lot of these kinds of pictures but this one is the best out of the pictures I took. There isn't really anything that I don't like about this picture just because I have never taken a photograph of water that has turned out so clear.
This photograph was also one of my favorite photographs that I took because, I love the color of the wild berries around the nest. I took this picture at Two Moon Park which is located in the heights of Billings, MT. One thing that I would like to change about this photograph would be to have the background more blurred out. Overall, I enjoyed taking this picture.


This particular photograph was taken in the early morning at Bighorn Canyon National Park. I think this photograph of white tailed deer is kind of funny. It looks like that one deer has huge antlers. I also like how the deer are moving in a circular motion. Although I would like to have a clearer picture I like it.


Bob Johnson the nature photographer from the Pacific Northwest

I found this website when I was searching for nature photographers in Washington State. Apparently, Bob Johnson who is the photographer lives in Seattle, Washington. He has always loved photography since he was a kid. His family tended to move around a lot so that enabled him to take pictures of the rest of the country. Bob has been photographing for about 20 years. He is currently a member of the NANPA, Seattle Mountainers, and Nature Photographers of the Pacific Northwest. Most of his pictures are centered around earthbound light. I looked at some of his photographs and I especially liked the ones of Mt. Rainier. The photographs displayed a lot of natural sunlight.

I would highly recommend looking up the website: http://www.earthboundlight.com/

Rockies Senior Art Show

In the Rocky art show room there are three former Rocky students that had their senior show up. The first students name is, Krista Hoyes she displayed the emotions of flamenco dancers. A couple of pictures that captured my attention was Solea because, this dancer displayed the feeling of pain and despair in such a unique way. In fact there were two Solea pictures one was on oil on canvas and the other was water color and color pencils. I liked the water color painting better because it showed more details throughout the picture. The second artist was Monica Geary which captured recent work. Her paintings were of clothing designs and fabrics. I really liked the shadows in the model paintings. Finally, Cassie Scheidecker who is capturing the emotions in human portraits. Since she has been recently diagnoised with a type of arthritis she had paintings on the wall that showed how each day can be different even when they are the same. I loved how she opened up to people and could share with everyone her diagnose. Overall, I really enjoyed walking around the Rocky art show because, it displayed something that everyone can relate to.

Sunday, November 22, 2009

The Nature Photographer Magazine

I became very interested when reading this article about Nature Photography. This magazine only comes out once every season ( Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall). Nature Photography magazine isn't just for the professionals but encourage the amateurs to get involved too. Within this magazine their 5 main objectives are, how to photograph, how to use specialized equipment, understand natural history information, use field techniques, and read equipment reviews. All this magazine wants to do is to help people photograph wildlife in a way where they can enjoy what this world has to offer.

I would highly recommend looking into " Nature Photography Magazine" by, viewing this website: http://www.naturephotographermag.com/

Saturday, November 21, 2009

"Preparing Images for Presentation"

During this section we will learn how to display that "perfect" image. Have you ever wondered how some photographs have really vivant colors? Or how the shadows over the mountains look so dramatic? Well, within this section we will discover how to produce those same types of photographs.

The original photograph is called a "Raw" picture because it's the very first photograph that is taken. The picture isn't enhanced but, in the original mode. When you are a professional photographer you want to make sure that you save the original "Raw" photograph just in case you need to fix it or to have prof of the original. When changing your photograph from the camera to the computer you need to convert the picture to TIFF of PSD form. You however, do not want to convert your picture to JPEG on the computer because this setting tends to lose data.

Next of all, after converting the image you might want to fix up the color composition. There are three main ways to do this:
1) Use ProPhoto RGB: Allows you to use the largest color space which, is great for fine-art-printing.
2) Using Adobe RGB: This is mainly used for high- quality commercial printing like calender making or magazine articles.
3) Adobe sRGB IEC619662.1: This is the smallest color space that is used especially for web-posting.

This section is the one that I really like because you can change your photograph to make it line up properly. Basically, if you took a photograph of the ocean and the water didn't go straight across the image than you can remove or cut some of the image to make it look straight. It's kind of like using a ruler on the computer to fix your picture. To do this on your computer you need to use the Curve mode by going to, (Images>Adjustments>Curves). If you have a Windows than hold down the Control key and click on the part of the image you want to fix. However, if you have a Macintosh hold down the Command key. Once you have the line over your image you can move it by using the arrow keys to go up and down. By going down you may darken the certain area. By going up you can lighten the certain area.

After you are done fixing up the color and contrast of your image. You need to retouch up some parts of your image by using a healing brush or a clone stamp tool. Usually, this tools are needed when there is a dirt spot on the image or if you want to hide something in the image. A healing bush uses painted pixel samples from one part of the image to transfer to another part of the image. The clone stamp tool is copies of pixels from one area of the image to transfer to another part; like the healing brush. However, the clone stamp tool is used for bigger areas like cutting out a stop sign or a rock.

For more information on "Preparing Images for Presentation" I would highly recommend reading the book, "Nature Photography" written by, Tim Fitzharris.

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Photography Assignment

Here are some photographs I have taken at Rocky Mountain College on November 12, 2009.

This photograph is a reflection of trees in the puddle on the sidewalk at Rocky Mountain College in Billings,MT. The photograph was taken in the morning of a cold, snowy day. I used a Canon Rebel Xsi camera.
(AV) Aperture Value: 1/100
(TV) Shutter Speed: F8


The next picture was also taken at Rocky Mountain College in Billings, MT.
I used a Canon Rebel Xsi camera to take this picture of a water drop on a tree. This particular image shows details of the water drop up close.
(TV) Shutter speed: 1/60
(AV) Aperture Value: F8


The next photograph I took was again at Rocky Mountain College in Billings, MT. This image was taken on November 12, 2009 durning the afternoon when it was snowing steadily. The camera I used was a Canon Rebel Xsi. This picture is of a blurred cherry tree with an oak tree in the background. So this picture displays the use of the color red!
(TV) Shutter Speed: 1/30
(AV) Aperture Value: F11


On this photograph I used the use of hyperfocal setting by taking a photograph of leaves with light shinning on them to create a image with everything in focus. This photograph was taken at Rocky Mountain College in Billings, MT. It was cold with a trace of snow flurries in the early morning. I used a Canon Rebel Xsi camera to take this photo.
(TV) Shutter Speed: 1/100
(AV) Aperture Value: F8


This next photograph that I took was of an oak tree that had light shinning upon it but the tree was in the right half of the image to create a "rule of thirds". This photograph was again taken at Rocky Mountain College in Billings, MT durning the morning of November 12, 2009. It was cold with snow flurries and not a whole lot of natural light. The camera that was used to take this photograph was a Canon Rebel Xsi.
(TV) Shutter Speed: 1/50
(AV) Aperture Value: F8


On this photograph I used the use of color as my main focus. Because when this photo was taken there was snow built up on the trees which made it for a great background. This photograph was taken at Rocky Mountain College in Billings, MT. The picture is a cherry tree with snow covered on it. I used a Canon Rebel Xsi camera to take this picture. This picture was also enhanced to make the photo brighter.
(AV) Aperture Value: 1/60
(TV) Shutter Speed: F8

This photograph is of a blurred motion of a duck flapping its wings. I took this photograph at Two Moon park on November 14, 2009. This picture was taken with a Canon Rebel Xsi camera. The weather was cold and crisp in the late afternoon when this picture was taken.
(AV) Aperture Value: 1/50
(TV) Shutter Speed: F22


This next photograph I also took at Two Moon Park in Billings, MT. The picture is of a bird silhouette in a tree. I took this image on November 14, 2009 in the evening time when the sun was going down. The weather was a bite chilly but clear.
(TV) Shutter Speed:1/1600
(AV) Aperture Value: F5.6



This last picture is of a rock that shows side light due to the light bouncing off the one side. I took this photograph on November 12,2009 at rocky Mountain College. This picture was cropped through iphoto. I used a Canon Rebel Xsi camera to take this photograph.
(TV) Shutter Speed: 1/50
(AV) Aperture Value: F8

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Pictures from Bighorn National Forest

On November 8, 2009 I went to Bighorn National Forest which is located in Southern Montana and Northern Wyoming. The pictures below were taken in the early morning on a clear but cold day. The nearest town to were these pictures were taken was Lovell, Wyoming.
The picture of the mule deer was taken with a Canon Rebel Xsi camera.
(TV) Shutter Speed: 1/125
(AV) Aperture Value: F11

The picture of the rock was taken with a Canon Rebel Xsi camera.
(TV) Shutter Speed: 1/200
(AV) Aperture Value: F13

The picture of the wild horse was taken with a Canon Rebel Xsi camera.
(TV) Shutter Speed: 1/125
(AV) Aperture Value: F29

"Working at Close Range"


"TILT-SHIFT LENSES": When using these kinds of lenses you are able to have larger apertures and faster shutter speeds, which allows you to freeze motion. Tilt-shift lenses uses the depth of field approach. By, allowing the photographer to tilt the lens when its actually still in the camera body. You can use a tilt-shift lens with teleconverters and extensions and can be bought for the use of Canon and Nikon cameras. You can buy these lenses in three different sizes for the Canon camera which are; 24 mm, 45 mm, and the 90 mm lenses.

For more information on Tilt-Shift Lenses I would recommend reading the book, " Nature Photography" written by, Tim Fitzharris.
You can also read an article on theweb,
http://find.galegroup.com/gps/start.do?prodid=IPS&userGroupName=mtilb_1_729.

The photograph of the tilt-shift lenses are available at,
www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Canon-TS-...

Thursday, November 5, 2009

"Nature's Mystical Mirrors"

Within this section it talks about how to view the dramatic reflection of landscapes such as mountains.

OUTFITTING: When capturing mirror like images it is important to bring with you normal gear like tripods, zoom lenses, and neoprene chestwaders. Because you will most likely be in the water to capture the photograph you will want to wear warm and water proof clothes. A big enough vest is very critical for this type of shooting because you will never know what you may come across. You should carry your camera on your tripod so you can have it as a walking stick or depth finder.

ORIENTATION: To help you find the right spot to capture a reflection landscape it is said that beaver ponds are a great place to look for reflections. Other key spots to look for reflections would be lakes, oceans, and mountainous areas. Again the best time to photograph reflection shots would be just before sunrise and after sunrise.

CRYSTAL VISIONS: Although to see a mirror like image isn't hard to find capturing the right picture is. One main key point to capturing this kind of image would be to avoid or neutralize the effects of water and wind. The best time to go would be at dawn and dusk when the winds are calmer. Also, look for areas that will have less movements from the wind. Some of these places would be, areas with rocks, logs, and plant life. Finally, the best location to take a picture of a "mirror reflection" would be in a kneeling position or low to the ground.

To read more about "Nature's Mystical Mirrors" I would highly recommend reading the book, "Nature Photography" written by, Tim Fitzharris.

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

"The Power of Perspective"

Although color and side lighting is very important you also want to consider the depth of the landscape. For example, when you are taking arial shots of a city you can really get that feeling of three dimensional views. This is the same with wildlife landscapes on land. Here are some things to consider when taking pictures of landscapes.

SIZE CUES: One way to portray depth in a landscape would be the size of land itself. Something to keep in mind before taking a picture would be, objects that are closer to use appear to be larger than they really are. So, you really have to think of where and how to place your camera so you can get the right angle for a depth view. Some other smaller cues that you should think about could be how ripples in water can produce a pattern or how clumps of clouds appear smaller near the horizon.

HIGHS AND LOWS: Because of the way we are made we often times position the objects that are at our level (5 ft-6 ft) at a lower level. You need to find a middle ground when photographing landscapes. So, if the camera is to low you will lose space between the two size cues. However, if the camera is set up to high you will lose the horizon and eye level objects. When photographing also make sure that your camera is set at a position where it is level so that you can see all size cues. To find the right camera position it will take a lot of practice but, ultimately look for the color cues, light, and depth.

OVERLAPPING: Using overlapping to capture an image is a idea. To get an overlapping effect it would be useful to place the camera at a lateral or vertical view. When an image is overlapping it tends to appear blurred or blended together. A good example would be a photograph of a rainforest with the tree line being all the same. To avoid blurriness you might want to overlap contrasting colors or line conformity. One way to get a landscape photograph is to frame colorful or unique contour outlines that extend in opposite diagonal directions.

HAZY DAYS: There are many days where the sky isn't crystal clear but you have to find someway to that photographs in those not so great days. On foggy, hazy days close objects will appear clearer than farther objects. On these days, aerial point of views is a way of capturing the landscape. Because, with aerial views you are able to get out of the mist or haze. Although fog can make a cool effect on your picture, you could wait for it to lift or change your position.

FIVE PLANES: When you are wanting to capture depth within the landscape there are five planes to look for in the landscape.
1) Foreground plane consists of landscape details like water movement.
2) Midground plane consists of well-defined images that can lead the viewer into the picture.
3) Feature plane has the center of interest like a rock formation in the desert.
4) Cloud plane is basically the collection of the clouds.
5) Sky plane is like the background in a way because, it will be whatever the color at the moment is(blue, red, orange).
When capturing these five planes try to photograph each one clearly!

"Finding Photogenic Landscapes"

In this section you will be able to scope out a place to photograph based the angles of the landscape, color, and other key components. All this means is that you will have to do some kind of research before taking the picture. Here are some key components of taking a great landscape photograph.

COLOR FIRST: This is the first key component that will indicate wether or not this landscape will produce into a great photograph. Obviously, the color red to humans is the most attractive color which means any hint of red in a landscape has potential in being a great photograph. Although red is the best color to look for, other colors such as blues and greens are the next best colors to use.

CLOUDS MAKE THE DIFFERENCE: Having clouds in your landscape photograph can make for a more interesting picture. The most popular kinds of clouds to use in a picture would be the ones that are near the horizon and above the main area. Like most landscape pictures the best time to capture clouds would also be early morning or late afternoon because this is when there is the most dramatic amounts of coloring. Clouds are not only good for their dramatic coloring but, can add depth to the landscape buy, using the shadowing effect from the extracted light coming through the clouds.

NORTH/SOUTH CAMERA ANGLES: This is a very important skill to understand when photographing landscapes. When the camera angles are adjusted to either the North or South you will automatically get the sunsets and sunrises. When using sidelight you can use polarizing filters to give the background more density and more colors in the sky.

CHECK FOR OPEN HORIZONS: If you find a landscape that you think will make a great photograph see if the east and west horizons are clear of light filled landforms. This mainly has to do with mountainous regions. So if the eastern horizon is open than you should photograph at dawn. Than when the western horizon is clear that is when you want to photograph sunset. If you follow this simple "rule" you will most likely get the best chances of dramatic colors within the middle ground and backgrounds.

FOREGROUND DETAILS: To capture the best landscapes you really want to capture the details in the foregrounds. For example, on the Oregon Coasts the sand dunes and sea stacks are the details within that particular foreground. The sand dune can set up a scene for the photograph like having the sand dunes lead up to the ocean or something like that.

MAGIC MOMENTS BESIDE STILL POOLS: Bodies of water like rivers, lakes, and tide pools are excellent landscape scenes. Water allows you to have shadows and different depths of views. Basically, you can get a mirror like reflection of that subject which adds to be a dramatic scene. The best way to get a mirror like reflection is when the water is calm and still.

For more information on "Finding Photogenic Landscapes" I would read pages(143-153) in the book, "Nature Photography" , written by, Tim Fitzharris.

"Wildlife Portraits"

This section of " Wildlife Portraits" talks about what you should be looking for to get the great shots of wildlife. I will talk about what to depict when you are trying to capture a photograph of an animal like a black bear. Here are some things to consider when photographing portraits of wildlife.

TELEPHOTO ADVANTAGES: Using a telephoto lens is a great advantage when you are in Africa for example, and you want to capture an elephant in motion. Telephoto lens allows you to feel like you are close to your image when in reality you are not. Beside telephoto lenses are safer for both you and the animal. Another nice aspect to having a telephoto lens would be, it allows for a change in the depth of the floor ground without a lot of movement. Finally, since you are farther away from your subject it will allow for the subject to come closer to you for a better picture because, you aren't so threatening.

BUILD A THREE-LAYER PICTURE SPACE: One of the most important skills to have when photographing portraits of wildlife would be, to divide your photo into three different sections. The first section is the foreground which usually consists of wildflowers, limbs of trees, grass, and stumps. Midground would be the next section which consists of the subject itself. The last section is the sky.

SIZING UP THE SUBJECT: When you see professional pictures they are usually capturing something that is bright or extra big,long, or shiny. What I mean is you don't want your image to be dull and boring, you need something dramatic that captures the viewers attention. Now that you have a subject in mind ;how much of that subject do you want in the frame? Some things to keep in mind would be, to watch and observe the behavior of the animal. One final key to think about when photographing portrait animals is to make sure you have focus on their eyes. The eyes can tell you everything wether it is a human being or an animal.

FACIAL FEATURES IN FOCUS: like in "sizing up the subject" you want to make sure to eyes are in focus. However, you also need to make sure the animals face is in focus too. For the best dramatic look you want the animal or subject to be looking into the light and have the ears pointed straight forward. Adding these key factors will produce a more professional look.

LIGHTING: Different kinds of lighting will obviously produce different effects but in reality when photographing outdoors the early morning or late afternoons are the best sources of light.

For more information on " Wildlife Portraits" I would highly recommend reading the book," Nature Photography" written by, Tim Fitzharris.

"John B. Hyde"


This is a man who has been covering the southeast side of Alaska for about 20 years. Mostly capturing images of the wildlife, landscape, and nature that Alaska has to offer. John loves capturing the openness of this wonderful state. He has spent many years even before he was a professional photographer studying the animals. Because, he did get his degree in wildlife and science. Since he is a professional photographer you would think that he knows what the "perfect picture" is but, John often refers to the " perfect picture" as that picture you took that wants you to take another picture. You just get that determination in you to take more pictures. Currently, John B. Hyde is living in Alaska where he has his own business called, " Wild Things Photography" which is based in Juneau, Alaska.

If you want to learn more about John B. Hyde here are some internet sites that you can go to;
http://www.asmpal.ska.org/members/HydeJ/Hyde.html.
http://www.alaska-bear-viewing.net/john%20hyde.JPG.
http://www.wildthingsphotography.com/#mi=1&pt=0&pi=32&p=-1&at=0.
http://www.imaginginfo.com/print/studio-Photography/Hyde-and-Seek/3$2429.

Here is the website for John B. Hyde's photograph;
www.bibi.org/box/2005/setembro/John_Hyde.jpg.






Wednesday, October 28, 2009

"Animals in Action"

How do you photograph animals in movement? This will be the question that will be answered within this section. We will be covering Knowing your habitats, Be on site before the sun rises, Shoot first, edit later, and Build a stage to capture action.

KNOW YOUR HABITATS: Some of the best places to find natural wildlife would be at your local park or nearby national park. At some of the national parks and refuges you can hop on a guided tour where you will have a better chance of seeing wildlife. Each season has its time for certain animals to be active. Spring is a great time to photograph reproductive behaviors and the growing up of the young ones. Fall is a time to photograph birds and mammals. The winter time is mostly a time of relaxation and photographing migratory birds. Finally, the summer time is when animals are active again so this is a great time to be photographing.

BE ON SITE BEFORE THE SUN RISES: When you are filming birds this is when this rule comes into play. The best time to photograph birds in action in a marsh or woodland area would be right when the sun comes up. The birds tend to fly in when sun is rising and then it will get extremely quite by 9 am. By noon they will have disappeared and come back again in the early morning. So basically, if you are looking to photograph birds in a pond you might want to consider getting up early.

SHOOT FIRST, EDIT LATER: This is one thing to keep in mind when photographing. Some people prefer to edit on the job however, this might cause some problems one of them being you could miss an important pose. Especially when you are waiting all day to get that one pose and you miss it because you are editing the picture before. So, if you just keep taking picture after picture and not even look at them until you are done shooting you will end up getting a lot more better pictures than if you edit on the spot.

BUILD A STAGE TO CAPTURE ACTION: When you are photographing I would imagine that you want to get the best shot possible. In order to do that you should focus accurately on the subject. Next of all, the subject should be framed accordingly with no closed eyes. The last bit of tip would be, the setting or background should be simple with no telephone poles behind the subject.

For more information on "Animal in Action", I would highly suggest reading the book, " Nature Photography" written by, Tim Fitzharris.

"Getting Close"

Within this section we will talk about wildlife rules, keeping your distance, stalking strategies, how vehicles can be good shields, and other blinds for getting that "perfect picture".

WILDLIFE RULES: As a general rule for being a nature photographer you should know that you can only photograph the animal at its forbearance. Because, of yours and the the animals personal safety. So, for safety purposes when you are going out to photograph it would be a good idea to know which animals will let you get close and which ones won't. For example, small animals like marmots, hummingbirds, and raccoons don't have any fear of humans so they are easier to get close to. On the other hand, the second category of animals need to get used to you being there up close. Therefore you should make sure you are around the animal for many hours and in some cases days.

KEEP YOUR DISTANCE: If you want to photograph an animal where you can't get close to them due to the environment like a bear feeding you should stay far away. But in order to get the picture you want, a telephoto lens would work extremely well. A telephoto lens allows you to feel like you are close to your subject but, your actually far away from the subject.

STALKING STRATEGIES: A really useful tool to know even if you aren't a photographer is whenever you are approaching an animal stay calm, low and move slowly. However, when you do have your camera gear with you make sure you are knee-walking with the tripod over you. You should also try to look small harmless so don't make loud noises and run.

VEHICLES MAKE GOOD BLINDS: Did you know that animals are more afraid of a human beings than of huge vehicles? So you can use your car for a shield like protector in order to get the pictures you want. Using a camouflaged blind in you vehicle will allow you to take pictures of birds in their natural habitat without disturbing them.

OTHER BLINDS: Some others blinds that will help you achieve the photographs you want of animals in their natural habitat would be, camouflaging a tree, matching to color of the terrain, bag blinds, and using stationary blinds for bird photographing.

If you want to learn more about "Getting Close" I would highly recommend reading "Nature Photography" written by, Tim Fitzharris.

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

A Woman Photographer- Annie Griffiths Belt

Annie Griffiths Belt is one of National Geographics best photographers. Annie is origonally from Minnesota were she went to their University and received her B.A. in photojournalism. Than, she went and worked for the Minnesota Daily and later in 1978 ended up working for National Geographic Magazine. Her work includes pictures from Petra, Vancouver, the Middle East, and North America. The photographs cover everything from nature to culture. Annie also has many of her photographs in books like, "Woman in the Material World". Because of all of her hard work and commitment she has received a lot of awards including: National Organization for Women, and National Press Photographers Association. On her spare time Annie also does workshops!
Here is a picture of Annie Griffiths Belt;
For more information about Annie Griffiths Belt I would recommend going to this website: http://photography.nationalgeographic.com/photography/photographers/photographer-annie-griffins-belt.html.
The picture of Annie Griffiths Belt is located at: www.anniegriffithsbelt.com/images/annie.jpg.





Tuesday, October 20, 2009

"Designing the picture space" Part4

This is the last section I will be talking about in "Designing the picture space" . Rule of Thirds is the section that most photographers often use. For this concept you divide the picture into three rows and three columns. So as a photographer you would either have your main point of interests in 2/3 of the top or bottom of the photograph. Here is an example of "Rule of Thirds"; This photograph is displaying " The Rule of Thirds", you can find this photograph on blog.webshots.com/?p=75

If you want to find information on " Rule of Thirds" I highly recommend reading the book," Nature Photography" written by, Tim Fitzharris.



"Designing the picture space" Part3

In this section I will talk about "The Center of Interests" which talks about how photographers have areas of interests like a waterfall or a mountain lion. The "Center of Interests" can include portraits of people or wildlife pictures. Here is an example of "Center of Interests" from a photograph that I took; This photograph was taken at Riverfront Park in Billings,MT in late September. I was using a Rebel Xsi Canon camera, as you can see that my main "Center of Interests" was the goose flying.

For more information on " The Center of Interests" I would highly recommend reading the book,"Nature Photography" written by, Tim Fitzharris.




"Designing the picture space" Part2

The second part of this section would be about color use and how color is used in photographs. Color is typically used in photographs if the photographer wants to add emotion or moods. In a photograph, color isn't just to make the picture stand out but also uses visual ques. Lines, textures, and shapes are examples. Reds , Greens, and Yellows are considered to be warm colors while the Blues, and Greens are cool colors. Being a photographer you have to be open to different colors and how they are being used. Here is an example of color with a picture of some mountains in Whitefish, MT the photographer is Jim Purdy. In this photograph you can tell that there is a couple of main focuses which are; mountains, rainbow, and the floor ground. In this photograph the mountains are rigid which causes for a more dramatic look and the colorful rainbow adds for a more interesting picture.

For more information I would highly recommend reading "Nature Photography" by Tim Fitzharris. And look at the website for this photograph at; www.hiddenmeadowpreserve.net/

"Designing the picture space"


When being a photographer your shoots should depict these certain elements; Dominance, Color, Rules of Thirds, and Center of interests.

Dominance: Certain elements such as a certain color or how big or small your main topic is and if the photo is blurred or clear will establish the dominance of the picture. For example such a color as red, is more dominant or attractive than yellow. Another example that is used by many photographers is, a light picture is more appealing than a dark picture. Also when thinking of dominance as a photographer you should think of the surrounding area of the depicted photograph. Most ameature photographers don't think about the telephone that is in the way of the picture. However, being a professional photographer you would think about the background of the photograph. Here is an example of dominance through one of my photographs; This photograph was taken in late September at Riverfront Park using a Rebel Xsi Canon camera. This picture is depicting dominance because, the main subject is in focus and is a reddish- brown color. Although there is another image of a flower that is also red in the background it is blurred out and smaller than the key image.

For more information about Dominance in "Designing the Picture Space" I would highly recommend reading the book "Nature Photography" by Tim Fitzharris.

Monday, October 5, 2009

How to Shoot World- Class Swimming Events

Here are some facts and information on shooting swimming events;

1) Photographers who shoot at world- class swimming events should look into the culture where they will be shooting.
2) Because they are swimming photographers they will capture more striking images of athletes compared to other athletes.
3) Make sure to check for weight restrictions before traveling.
4) Expose your lenses to outdoor pool facilities before the event.
5) Anticipate limitations expecially when the event is televised or the Olympics.
6) The average swimming event consists of 3 Canon EOS 1D Mark 3 Canon bodies.
7) Lenses varying from 14 mm- 400 mm.
8) Because this shooting is swimming you would need scuba gear to put your camera underwater.
9) Make sure to arrive early to the shooting event!
10) Being a swimming photographer you need to communicate with photo marshals
11) Because it is a swimming shooting the laptop for photo editing will go somewhere on the pool deck.

All of this information is based on a swimming photographer working with Getty Images. I would highly recommend going to the website: http://imaginginfo.com/print/studio-photography/all-day event/How-to-Shoot-World-Class-Swimming-Events/3$3271.

Amanda Strong

Which Filters To Use With Natural Light

According to the book, "Nature Photography" by, Tim Fitzharris there are times when you as a photographer will need to use polarizing filters, Split neutral density filters, Graduated neutral density filters, and have portable reflectors handy.
If you have a photograph of leaves or water with a lot of glare than, you may want to use a polarizing filter. These filters will help reduce glare from nonmetallic surfaces and can reduce scene brightness by one to two stops. With polarizing filters you may want to buy the more expensive ones to reduce vignetting within the picture.
When your photograph of a landscape turns out with the sky being brighter than the foreground that is when the split neutral density filter (ND) comes to play. This specialized filter allows for one half of the filter to be clear and the other half to be gray. Having a darker half makes the sky darker and the clear half makes the foreground lighter.
A graduated neutral density filter lowers the density of the sky. Basically, the aspect of this filter is, it transitions the clear and dark regions of the photograph naturally.
There are also filters used for certain weather conditions for example, Blue/Gold polarizing filters are used only on sunny days to reduce glare, highlight water colors, and brighten the color density in the sky.
If you don't like carrying a bunch of equipment than you should use portable reflectors which are only 40 inches in diameter (maximum). Portable reflectors are circular and easy to fold up. You can use this reflector two ways because there are two sides. The first side is white which is used for bouncing light into shadows. The other side is silver which is useful when the element is farther away.

For more information on filters and reflectors I would highly recommend reading the book,"Nature Photography" written by, Tim Fitzharris.

Thursday, October 1, 2009

"John Pezzenti Jr"

John was an amazing wildlife photographer that lived in Anchorage, Alaska most of his life. He was born in Connecticut than moved out to Alaska and lived there from 1976 until 2007. For those 31 years John enjoyed taking pictures of Alaska's natural beauty. He even published three books called;
1. A Photographic Journey Through the Last Wilderness
2. The American Eagle
3. The Adventures of an Wildlife Photographer
John was very successful with his photographs, getting them published in magazines like National Geographic, Alaska Magazine, and Readers Digest.
Until one day on December 3, 2007 at the age of 55 he died.

For more information you can go to: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Pezzenti

Saturday, September 26, 2009

"Flying Goose"

This photograph of these geese were taken on a clear and crisp Saturday morning at Riverfront park in Billings,MT. I took this photo with a Canon Rebel XSi camera with the dimensions of;

(TV) Shutter Speed:1/640
(AV)Aperture Value:F8
Exposure Composition:0
ISO Speed:1600
Focal Length:400mm
Long Exposure
Narrow depth of field
Shooting Mode: Aperture priority AE

Photographer: Amanda Strong

"Motionless Tress"

I took this photograph with a Canon Rebel XSi at Riverfront park in Billings,MT. This picture was taken on a clear and crisp Saturday morning. Some of the dimensions of this particular photo are;
Shooting Mode:Shutter priority AE
(TV)Shutter Speed:1/500
(AV)Aperture Value:F5.6
Exposure Composition:0
ISO Speed:800
Focal Length:55mm
Short Exposure
Wide depth of field
Photographer: Amanda Strong

"Motion of Water"


This photograph was taken with a Canon Rebel XSi camera at Riverfront Park in Billings,MT. I used these dimensions for this picture;

Shooting Mode: Shutter priority AE
(TV)Shutter Speed: 1/800
(AV)Aperture value:F5.6
Exposure composition:0
ISO Speed:1600
Focal length:187mm
Short Exposure
Wide depth of field

I took this picture in the early morning when the air was crisp and on the banks of the Yellowstone river at Riverfront park.

Photographer: Amanda Strong

"Narrow Depth of Field"

This photograph was taken with a Canon Rebel XSi at Riverfront park early in the morning on Saturday. The morning was crisp with calm water.
Some of the dimensions of the picture are; shooting mode: aperture priority AE
(AV)Aperture value: F5.6
(TV)Shutter speed: 1/80
Exposure composition: 0
ISO Speed: 1600
Focal length: 400mm
Long Exposure/Narrow depth of field
Photographer: Amanda Strong

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

"Photographing this weekend"

Photo #1: Birds in flight
- 1/500 seconds
-Short exposure
-F8
-Wide depth of field

Photo #2: Movement of water
-1/2000 seconds
-Short exposure
-F4
-Narrow depth of field

Photo#3:Movement of water
-1 second
-Long exposure
-F16
-Narrow depth of field

Photo#4: Photographing Trees
-1/8 second
-Long exposure
-F4
-Narrow depth of field

Amanda Strong

"Beautiful Flowers at Mt. Rainier"

This photograph was taken at Mt. Rainier National Park in August 2009. The picture was taken in the afternoon on a clear sunny day. I used a Olympus digital underwater camera to take this photograph.

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

"Depths of fields and Exposure Time"

The depth of field in photography consists of four basic steps;
Step 1: correct your lens aperture
Step 2: your lenses focal length
Step 3: the subject distance
Step 4: the film size

After playing with your camera you can choose if you want your photo to be of a narrow depth or wide depth of field. There is one main difference in these two depths, to capture a photograph in narrow depth of field the picture should be out of focus of blurry. On the other hand, to capture a wide depth of field photograph the picture should be in focus and be clear.

Being a photographer means that you should know the difference between short exposures and long exposures. A short exposure means a fast, rapid moving picture is taken with a short timing period. This allows for the picture to be in focus and less blur. A longer exposure or a longer timing period means that the picture should be pretty blurry.

For more information on "Depths of field and Exposure Time" I would highly recommend going to these websites:
And the other website:

Amanda Strong

Monday, September 21, 2009

"Rule of Thirds"

The "Rule of Thirds" is a very popular rule to memorize when you are taking photographs or even drawing. This rule is pretty basic to understand and it will help you to take pictures that are easy on the eyes. When taking a picture you should have the topic in the third of the way up from the top, third of the way down, or one third of the way from either side of the photo.
Having this rule in mind your photographs should come out easy to read for the viewer!

For more information on the "Rule of Thirds" I would highly recommend reading the book," Nature Photography" written by, Tim Fitzharris.
I would also recommend looking at the article "The Rule Of Thirds"at, http://www.silverlight.co.uk/tutorials/compose_expose/thirds.html

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

"Exposure"

I found some interesting material while reading the book, "Nature Photography" written by, Tim Fitzharris.
First of all, in order to be a great photographer you have to make sure you know how to use your cameras exposure. Exposure is depicted by the the aperture size and shutter speed of the camera. The exposure can also be controlled manually or automatically. Another way to get the right exposure is to check the histogram on your camera. The histogram will tell you if the lighting in the picture is balanced. You usually would want a bell curve. On the other hand, if you are going out and taking photos of wild buffalo that are constantly moving you have to make sure you get the right exposure on the first photograph. Otherwise, you won't get the perfect photo you were hoping for because, the lighting in the background is moving just as fast as the buffalo. You should do the same thing if you are going to take pictures of landscapes so, you can capture the right photo.
A light meter can be very useful to capture that perfect photo. If you are taking a picture of a scene that has snow or lava than you would use a light meter. Without a light meter the picture would turn out to be neutral gray. However, in order to get the light meter working right you should set the metering pattern on your camera.
In another situation you might be taking a picture of a scene with unusual brightness or darkness which means that you will have to mess around with the meter lighting. However, the meter lighting only measures light not snow covering because that picture would only turn out gray.

For more information on "Exposure" I would highly recommend reading the book, "Nature Photography" written by, Tim Fitzharris.

"Glistening Redwoods"



This photograph was taken this summer at the Redwood National Park in northern California. I took this picture with my Olympus digital underwater camera. The picture was taken on a warm summer morning near San Franciso.
Photograph taken by, Amanda Strong

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Winter time in Washington



This photograph was taken over the winter season in Washington state. I took this picture at Crystal Mountain Ski Resort. This photo was taken with a digital camera.

Amanda Strong

Super-telephoto Lenses

There are many different kinds of super-telephoto lenses to choose from. And each one has it's specific purpose. Some of the brands of super-telephoto lenses includes; Canon, Nikon, Pentax, Minolta, and Sigma.
For the kind of photography that I would love to do I would prefer the Canon or Nikon super- telephoto lens that is water- resistant. I think the water- resistant super-telephoto lens would be the lens that I enjoy the most. Especially, when I am from Washington state were it does rain a lot. Also, it would be less of a hassel to use a water-resistant lens because, I wouldn't have to bring an umbrella with me. And I strongly believe that I would go out and take pictures more often considering I wouldn't have to worry about the weather.

For more information on super-telephoto lenses I would highly recommend reading the book, " Nature Photography" written by, Tim Fitzharris.


Monday, September 7, 2009

"Nature Photography's Year"

In "Nature Photography's Year" it talks about the perfect locations to go to according to the weather and the wildlife. In January the best place to go to see wildlife would be California's coast that is between Monterey and San Luis Obispo. Some of the wildlife that you might be able to see would be; elephant seals, monarch butterflies, and the majestic redwood trees.
February would be the month to go to South Florida for photography. Some locations that would be a great place to shoot would be the Everglades National Park and Bowman's Beach on the Sanibel Islands is a great place. Some of the wildlife that can be seen there would be turtles, alligators, and herons. During the month of March the perfect place to shoot would be the Grand Canyon. This national park provides a lot for photographers including beautiful sunsets and dramatic skies. For the month of April you should visit Texas. If you love wildflowers than Texas is the place to take pictures. You should take pictures at the Vancouver Islands during the month of May. At the Vancouver Islands you can take pictures of the beaches at Pacific Rim National Park where the sea lions and orcas like to hang out. In the month of June the place to be to photograph would be the Badlands National Park located in South Dakota. There they have many tourists attractions including the Wind Caves and Custer State Park. July is the perfect month to see the San Juan Mountains of southwest Colorado with its colorful granite and sandstone rocks. Mount Rainier National Park is the place to be in August. Because, that is when the wildflowers are coming out and when the creeks, waterfalls, and rivers are really flowing. The month of September is the perfect month to photograph Yellowstone and the Tetons National Parks. At these National Parks you can photograph the geysers and abundant wildlife. The Smoky Mountains is the place to go in October where you can photograph the giant forests. If you ever want to go to New Mexico than Bosque Del Apache is the place to go for photographers especially in November when the birds are migrating. Some of the birds include sandhill cranes and snow geese. Finally, Maui, Hawaii would be the location to be in December especially for the filming of their waterfalls and landscape photography.

For more information I would highly recommend the book, "Nature Photography" written by, Tim Fitzharris.

"Winter Photography"

Many quality photographs are taken during the winter time. However, in order to achieve that quality photograph you might have to think about the way you dress during that winter time. Some things to think about before you leave your house would be; are you going to be comfortable at the shooting location? Well, to make sure you are comfortable you should dress in a way that you can regulate the escape of your body heat. One way is to dress yourself with clothing that has zippers instead of layers. Zippers allows you to change your body heat without having to hassel with equipment in order to get clothes off. A second essential you should wear would be, loose-fitting and wind- breaking breathing parka material. On the other hand, your pants should be water-shedding, sturdy, and a suspendered bib to keep the heat in. It would be a good idea to concentrate on keeping your head warm considering about 70 percent of body heat is let out through the head. Finally, in extreme cold weather conditions a balalava is essential for keeping your head, and face covered.

Some other essentials that can comfort you on those chilly shoots would be; a wool or silk shirt with pockets. Also some hand warmers that you can keep in your gloves would do you some good. To conclude, besides keeping yourself warm you might want to store extra batteries for your camera in case the batteries get to cold and have a failure.

For more information on "Winter Photography" read the book, " Nature Photography" written by, Tim Fitzharris.

Saturday, September 5, 2009

Working In The Field

 "Working in the Field" is a great topic to cover for photographers! 

In order to be a great photographer you need to devote most of your time to traveling on the road but, more importantly you need to know how to mange your equipment. For example, when your hiking for no more than a mile you can carry your equipment over your shoulder. However, when your traveling more than a mile you might want to use the tripod full nelson method. This method is more sufficient; allowing the equipment to be balanced on your back letting your arms to get rest. Some other solutions that may help you get the perfect picture would be, using a vest to carry your equipment instead of a backpack. A vest could allow you to worry less about your equipment meaning, the equipment wouldn't get lost or ruined as much. Some examples of vests models would be, the Lowepro Street and the Field model. In fact, the Lowepro Street vest allows you to store your memory cards in the pouch it provides. 

Besides knowing how to mange your equipment you should know what to do in certain situations like, when its raining you might want to bring a friend along to hold an umbrella. Or if your by yourself you could find a covered shelter to prevent from getting your equipment wet. Finally, make sure you always have a way to contact other people in case of an emergancy. 

For more information on "Working in the Field" I would recommend reading the Book, " Nature Photography" written by, Tim Fitzharris. 

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Tripods

Basic information about tripods can be found at  
http://www.luminous-landscape.com/essays/tripods_&_heads.shtml

On this website I found out about the two major types of tripods that are used manly by professional and amateur photographers. Some interesting facts that I found on this website was the names of the two different tripods which are; Gitzo and Manfrotto/Bogen. 

Gitzo tripods are made from carbon fibers and seem to be durable for the weather. 
Manfrotto/Bogen tripods are less expensive though.

I would highly recommend this website especially if you have questions on tripods!!

Amanda

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Summer time at Yellowstone


This is a photograph of Yellowstone at summer time. It may look like snow but, it's actually a geyser at Mammoth. This picture was taken during the afternoon on a warm summer day in August. I took this photograph with a Olympus digital camera. 

Saturday, August 29, 2009

Joseph Cagliuso

I thought that Joseph's website is interesting in the fact that the capturing title of the website is "I Will Build It and They Will Come". On this website it talks about how Joseph travels around the world a lot for photography but, one day when he was in his backyard he noticed an abandoned in ground pool. The story goes on to talk about he fixed the pool up and made it into an ecosystem. Later, his home town backyard pool becomes his most famous place to take photographs. 
I highly recommend reading this story!