My group and I have been working on our mid-term project, so I found it fitting to do my thursday blog on some interesting facts I have come across. Our hypothetical trip takes place in South America and here are some fun facts:


~~Atacama Desert in northern Chile is one of the driest regions in the world and to this date has yet to record rainfall.


~~Charles Darwin made the Galapagos Islands famous when he studied animals and their behavior, which contributed to his ground-breaking theory of evolution.


~~Brazil measures 2,725 miles north to south which is the equivilant to the distance between New York City and Reno, Nevada.

My first photograph of slow exposure was easy since my camera has no problem taking blurry photographs. I did not have to adjust or change the settings on my camera for this shot. I took this shot while driving to Big Timber.

For my second shot, a fast exposure, I used the fireworks mode on my camera, and thanks to my lovely assistant, Stacey, I was able to capture a graceful mid-air shot! The second one is one of my favorites, but was taken previous to the assignment at Evel Kneivel Days in Butte, MT in July of this year.

My third photo is narrow depth of field, and I was able to capture this shot by choosing the close-up option on my camera. This is a flower in the yard of my house.




Lastly, my large depth of field photo I used my landscape mode. This was taken outside of Billings. This is not my favorite picture, but I do like the layering that is present in the depth of the photograph.

Finally we get to take pictures!!!!!

We have four photos we must complete including a long exposure, short exposure, narrow depth of field, and lastly long depth of field.

For a long exposure, I would like to probably start with something rather easy like the water that runs in my back yard and capture some leaves floating on top of the water.

For short exposure, I want to capture a person in mid-air jumping!

Narrow depth of field, I would like to photograph the bark of a tree or maybe some of its leaves.

Long depth of field, possibly take a picture off the rims, especially at night would be cool!!

~~~~~~MOTION~~~~~~

The next chapter of Nature Photography discusses how one would attain great images in motion just as the author Tim Fitzharris has done. The most important factor of capturing an action shot is shutter speed. In situations like this, a tripod is not necessary but can be extremely important as it may make or break the shot. Depending on the shot that you would like to attain, determines the setting or speed of the shutter. Sometimes action photos display part of the action and other times the action is completely frozen. The faster the shutter speed, the more still or frozen the picture will appear. I'm looking forward to experimenting with shutter speed!!

Exposures

Learning How to Produce a good exposure:

"Exposure is based on through-the-lens light meter readings that transmit the luminance of the scene to the camera's onboard computer," says James Fitzharris. The aperature size and shutter speed control the exposure. One important part of attaining the correct exposure is by looking at the histogram graph.

Histogram

The histogram graph displays the amounts of different values of light consisting of a shadow area on the far left, a midtone area in the middle, and a highlight area on the far right. If the graph displays a much greater amount of light on one side than on the other, it means that the exposure is either too dark or too light and that the aperature or shutter speed need adjusting. It is important that you get the exposure right on the first try to aviod missing a great shot. The light meters cannot differentiate between white snow or sand that is supposed to be light from land that is supposed to be dark. If left unadjusted, these areas will be dsiplayed as neutral-gray. Evaluative/matrix metering is the best mode for general-purposes, whereas spot metering only determines the exposure based on merely 6% of the picture, which can be useful when shooting wildlife.

Modes:

The next step is done by manually or automatically adjusting the the shutter speed and aperature. AV or Aperature Priority Mode "is the best mode for subjects because it gives priority to depth of field." The larger the depth of field desired, the smaller the aperature and vice versa. TV mode or Shutter Priority mode allows you to set the speed of the shutter and the camera will choose the aperature. Manual Mode allows you to set both the shutter speed and aperature and is useful when shooting action shots.

Problems:

Difficult lighting and short amount of time to capture a shot can create problems. Always remember that a one notch increase or decrease in exposure makes a significant change. In situations like this it is important to refer to the histogram and make sure that the picture's values are generally balanced. If the picture is darker or lies in a shadow try decreasing the exposure by one notch. To aviod neutral grey areas when shooting white or really bright lit subjects increase the exposure by one or two stops. Sunrise and sunset provide some of the best and most popular lighting to shoot in. To measure the light, do a meter reading of midtone section including the sun.

Chase Jarvis

http://www.chasejarvis.com

“The best camera is the one that is with you.” I was online looking at Chase Jarvis' site, his pictures, awards and processes. After clicking the button titled "Chase," I was able to read a little something straight from the heart of this great photographer. It was extremely refreshing to read about someone as passionate and dedicated to what they do as Chase is. And I would definitely swim the English Channel with him.

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/

The Big Picture displays news stories through pictures. I selected my top three favorites including Scenes from Sri Lanka, Ballots, Bullets and Bombs in Afghanistan and Greenland. The first two were very political and offered a great insight to what is going on in these parts of the world. On a lighter note, I much enjoyed the photography of Greenland and may even consider adding it to the places I would like to visit. Bright rainbow colored houses cover the hillside and glaciers right in their backyard along with other remarkable landscapes. Check it out!

Working in the field,Winter photography,Nature Photography's Year

Working in the field enjoyably is what this section of the book explains. Making sure that once again, you have a convenient tripod for lugging around. The book also suggests getting a vest which also sounds quite efficient when searching for numerous gadgets and such. I found something I strongly agree with when it comes to cell phones. Always keep one on you in case of an emergency and especially when shooting by yourself. Alert someone of your location and length of stay before leaving.

One of the most important parts of this next section, 'Winter Photography,' is dedicated to clothing. Layers are crucial and those that zip on and off are even better for those freezing days. This is easily understood for me coming from Montana where the weather can change drastically in an instance. It can be hot and beautiful, rain and snow in the same day without question in Montana. Also, for this class we will be shooting during the fall season when times can get pretty chilly. This segment helps give a good winter preparation.

Lastly, Fitzharris depicts his favorite place to photograph each month. It is interesting to see what his explanations are for each month and even though they are surely different for all photographers, I loved looking at the great shots he has captured in this section and throughout the book. I have been to Kauai, HI and loved every second of the trip. From sunrise to sunset I remember looking at the beautiful land and absorbing all of the perfect snapshot opportunities. I would love to go again with a really great camera...possibly in December as he advises.

After reading the segment in our book on photographing tiny critters, I found the future face for my insect photo shoot on the pavement by my car. Actually, I almost stepped on the quarter-sized black beetle as I got out of my car. I could not believe the size of this beetle and couldn’t wait to photograph it. Then I remembered that the book said one cannot make frame-filling pictures with only standard lenses. I decided to take a quick picture on my cell just for proof of how large the beetle I had found indeed was. A reflector is also helpful in situations like this, to help with spotlighting the famous critter. Two more items added to my list for when I decide to become a down-right serious photographer who can justify spending the amount necessary to buy adequate equipment.

I am so excited to get out and begin taking some wildlife and nature photographs. As I continue to read Fitzharris’ book I find myself wondering if my camera will even be able to do any justice to the objects and scenes I am shooting. When I think about buying a new camera I also begin to think about all the lenses I will need and the tripod for stability. Then of course I will need a camouflage lens cover and tri-pads for carrying the tripod. Needless to say, I will be broke by the time I have purchased all of these items.

Super-telephoto...what?

Wow! Talk about mind boggling…I feel like I do when my roommate starts talking about organic chemistry! Super-telephoto lenses....what? Focal length, lens speed, brand, zoom telephotos, and auto-focus all seem like very important concepts when attempting to take a great photograph. This section breaks down and explains some of the reasoning behind different lenses and their purpose. For instance, the paragraph on lens color discusses how black super-telephotos appear classy, white ones are intended to reflect heat and most nature lenses are camouflage to blend with its surroundings. There is also a lens for shooting in precipitation that protects your camera while managing to capture great pictures that you had intended on getting before nature’s interference. Image stabilization is extremely important as well as the lens focus. I would probably choose the 500mm lens because like in the photo above, it has proven to get the job done!

TRIPODS!!

Tripods….hmmm…I have read that for serious photographers, tripods are quite important and in some cases absolutely necessary. The more lightweight the tripod is, the better and also that the tripod has the ability to get very low to the ground. Another important factor is that the tripod can be erected quickly in order to get that perfect shot! A tripod head is also beneficial towards being a serious photographer since the head provides a panning opportunity! Not sure what tripod would be best for me, although I have a bit more insight after our last class when Dave went through each tripod example and explained the pros and cons. Now I can conclude that I would also like a stylish pair of tri-pads to place on the legs so my shoulders will be protected while packing my tripod around. I was also very intrigued with the beanbag camera stabilizers. I think that for most of my circumstances the beanbag would come in handy. Not creating a savings account for a tripod or beanbag yet, but possibly in the future I may find I wish to splurge and help take my photography to the next serious level.

http://www.margecasey.com/davidlindseywade

While searching the web, I stumbled upon an artist by the name of David Lindsey Wade. His photography is quite appealing and extremely unique. I would highly suggest taking a look at his portfolio on http://http//www.margecasey.com/davidlindseywade. Once you have taken a look at his portfolio, browse through the eight other categories listed by clicking the (more) button. I found the category titled 'Nudes' as particularly interesting and have no doubt that you will as well! Check it out! You will be glad and possibly inspired that you did!