Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Yellowstone

After our trip to Yellowstone this past weekend I decided that I would use these pictures for my blog this week.  The trip was great and really made you realize all the factors that come into play when you are actually out taking pictures in the field.  Overall the colors were awesome this trip and by far was my favorite.  The sun issue was a bit of a pain and really made you appreciate clouds and how they help with photography.  I was actually pretty pleased with quite a few of my pictures so I decided I would post a few of the ones that I liked the best. 





Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Maurits Van Wyk

Maurits Van Wyk: Stream Reflection    

            For this weeks blog I found this photo on National Geographics website and really liked it.  What I liked about this was how hard it is to tell that it is actually a reflection.  It is almost a mind puzzle because you feel like you can look at the picture in multiple viewpoints and it almost leaves it up the viewer.
            I also really liked the leaves because they add that pop of color to create another interesting dynamic to the photo.  The picture was just overall very interesting to me and really liked all the interesting things it has going.  I can see many of the "rules" being used and thought it was really cool that so many of them can be brought into one photo. 

Sky Photos: Picture Rules

Large draws more attention than small
Diagonal lines are more attractive than vertical lines

Difference draws more attention conformity
Light is more attractive than dark


Wednesday, September 15, 2010

"Rules" of Photography

Photographer: Giedo van der Zwan
Sharpness is more attractive than blur


Photographer:  Phil Pummell
Diagonal lines are more attractive than vertical ones


Photographer: Mat Hayward
Large draws more attention than small

 
Photographer:  Jozsef Szentpeteri
Red is more attractive than yellow

Photographer:  Carsten Peter
Difference draws more attention than comformity

Photographer: James Balog
Jagged lines are more striking than curved lines

Photographer: Jack Dykinga
Light is more attractive than dark

Sunday, September 12, 2010

Olegas Kurasovas: Autumn Landscape

    


    
      This picture was featured as National Geographics photo of the day and when I saw it I instantly loved it.  I am a huge fan of autumn in the first place and this picture seems to grab all the beautiful aspects of it.  The picture has an excellent source of color and a mystic feel which also was something that intrigued me. 
      The photographer said they used a tripod standing in cold water to capture this photo and nearly risked slipping on the rocks a few times but was overall pleased that she made it through successfully.  I could not find a direct website linked to photographer Olegas Kurasovas but I did find a few different articles regarding her achievements such as Planet Earth photographer of the year 2009 and International Photographer of the Year finalist. I could not seem to find a whole lot of information or photos by this photographer but I do hope and expect to see more in the future.

Essential Skills of Photography

      In the Essential Skills section of Nature Photography by Tim Fitzharris we learned about many different techniques to capture the best photo.  The broad subjects we studied in this section were; Exposure, Reading the Light, Depth of Field, Motion Effects, Modifying Natural Light, Designing the Picture Space and Photographs as Impressions.  These areas all consisted of detailed information regarding photography and what it takes to capture the best photo possible.
      Exposure is the first section brought to our attention and to me was one of the most complex and new areas to me.  Exposure is defined as the "through-the-lens light meter readings that transmit the luminance of the scene to the camera's onboard computer.  One of the ways we read our exposure is by viewing the histogram on our cameras LCD screen.  The histogram allows us to read the luminance values being displayed in the frame and decide whether or not these are the values desired in the picture.  A histogram reading will show dark to bright from left to right and will then graph to this scale according to the picture.  By reading the range and peaks in the histogram you are able to tell if you need to set more or less exposure to create a successful photo.  We also learned about different things such as metering which consists of evaluative/matrix metering, average metering, spot metering, and center-weighted metering.  Lastly we learned about the different modes used to best control exposure when working with your camera.
       The next thing we read about was Reading the Light which consisted of some obvious things and also some more advanced skills.  Some obvious things were things such as staying out of the midday sun, the effects of direct light and the concept of lens flare.   Some aspects that were a little newer to me were the different flash uses and the effects clouds can have on your picture.  I never really thought of a cloudy day as being a "picturesque" time of scene and how the clouds actually serve as a natural light reflector while keep the glare and unfavorable light effects away. 
        Our next couple sections involved depth of field and motion.  In depth of field it talked about the different aspects regarding the range of your photo and how to bring the most detail and sharpness to those areas you want to capture.  It also introduced the ways of bringing the main character to focus while cause a blurring trait to the background of the photo.  In the motion section I thought the panning area was interesting even though it really is almost common sense but I hadn't really though about it. How the best way to capture something in motion is to move the camera with the object to keep it from blurring but while keeping the movement from the still background. 
       The last two sections involved modifying natural light and designing the picture space.  In modifying natural light it talked about things such as different filters. I personally do not have any experience with camera filters so this stuff to me is all new and very interesting. I think the aspect of the split neutral density and the graduated neutral density filters is a great idea.  Just because you often are dealing with very different lighting, reflections and sources of exposure and this filter creates a sense of fit to the scene instead of having a solid filter applied to the entire photo. Lastly the Essential Skills section talked about the designing the picture space. This area talked about bringing balance to the photo with aspects such as color, space,  point of interest, and the division of the photo to keep a balance.
       Overall this section had a lot of detail and techniques that were new but also had a lot of things that are familiar in some way.  It was an interesting area to read about and created a new understanding of photography and the essential skills necessary to create a great photo. 

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

9/11

  Raising the Flag at Ground Zero

      When picking the picture for today's blog I decided I wanted something to embrace the week we are in.  It is a time for remembrance and because of this I chose Thomas E. Franklin's famous photo; Raising the Flag at Ground Zero.  I am sure it is a picture that many of us have seen since the horrific day and it is one that none of us should ever forget.  Although the picture obviously is not a a photo that grasps the idea of nature photography, I felt it was one of those photos that makes us realize how strong photography can be.  It is a key tool in grasping an emotion and a permanent remembrance of the events of a lifetime.
       Franklin did an excellent job of getting the key details necessary to remember a moment forever.  This photo will forever live in our history and will be a constant reminder of everything we went through that day.  It is a picture of power and a tool for time travel.  I am positive that anyone who looks at this picture will automatically go back to that day and will remember many details of their personal life.  Whether it is location or emotion we all have our memories and Franklin captured a way to bring these feelings back to us and forever create a memory of September 11, 2001.

Thursday, September 2, 2010

Super-Telephoto Lenses, Working in the Field & Winter Photography

          When reading today's sections from Nature Photography By Tim Fitzharris, I think it made me realize just how much information and time goes into photography. I think many people typically think of it as more of just a fun hobby but when reading these sections it makes you realize just how serious it can be.  The one thing that stood out the most to me was the picture diagram "Equipped for the Field" on page 41-42.  It really creates a visual that it typically is not just "you and your camera" when it comes to photography.  It can involve everything from cuffed jeans to keep out debris to hat for sun protection.  Overall photography is much more involved than I had ever really thought about.
          Another area that I feel I learned a lot was the Winter Photography section.  Its another area that you wouldn't consider much more than the obvious but there is a lot of key skills that go into capturing the right winter scene.  The book talks about things such as the limited subjects for winter scenes (due to hibernation) along with picking the right subject to create the best image.  The author also went into great detail considering winterizing and everything necessary to keep yourself safe and warm while fighting the harsh weather. I found this section extra interesting just because it is something that we all will come into contact with while leaving in the great (but cold) Montana.  Its an area that even if you don't want to be a professional photographer, you need to know and consider for many years to come. 

Charles Cramer

Charles Cramer: Maple Leaves, Mud, Clear Creek, Zion

               The photograph I chose for today's blog is one by photographer, Charles Cramer and is an excellent display of contrast.  I was instantly drawn to the picture and just loved the different elements in it.  One thing I love is the fact that the mud looks so "elegant."  Typically when you think of mud you do not think of beauty or anything that you would necessarily want to capture in any type of art.  I think that is one of the main aspects that caught me with this photograph and made me interested in his style of photography.
               One thing that I noticed throughout Cramer's photography is that he continuously uses contrast in his shots.  Whether it is color or texture he does a great job of pleasing the eye and making it study the picture.  Another thing that I found very interesting is Cramer's interest in music and how he often relates the two.  He says this first hit him when learning about famous Ansel Adams and the fact that Ansel looked at photography with a musical note.  Cramer said he instantly understood the analogys Adam's spoke of and continued to bring the musical theories into his photography. Overall I feel Charles has an excellent eye for different aspects of photography and can do a great job of drawing his viewer into his photographs.