posted by James on 02/28/10

Standing Alone

There’s something about taking pictures at this time of year–it’s just really hard to find anything colorful. Though in winter it is the nature photographer’s goal to find and showcase hidden color, there are times when it simply doesn’t exist. Hence, one must compensate with high contrast and well defined shapes. For shapes to work, however, they will usually need to be positioned against a solid background, a challenge in timberland environs. Of the many snow-blanketed trees I shot that morning, this maple was the only one that popped out enough from the background to make it worth displaying

If I were to shoot this picture again, I would lower my tripod considerably to conceal more of the distracting snow-plowed road and the black line on the bottom right of the picture. This would also have allowed more of the tree to be visible against the sky. I think the pine tree on the left gives good depth, but the dark bushes on the right are distracting, seeing they are not clearly defined. Perhaps moving closer to the tree and pulling back on the zoom would have made for a more dynamic image. What do you think?

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posted by James on 01/31/10

Nope, I haven’t forgotten about posting the Pics of the Month! I just figured it would be better to post them on the last day of the month instead of the first; that way, each picture will actually have something in common with the month it’s supposed to represent. When December rolls around, how can I post a picture of the spectacular fall foliage I shot in November? In March, are we are not slightly tired of seeing the glistening snow of February? It can now just as well be the Pic from the Month as it is a Pic of the Month.

Moonlit Midnight

Every year, it has been a goal for me to get a new, cozy picture of our house nestled in the Appalachian foothills of West Virginia at wintertime. You know, it’s like getting a family picture. Sometimes there is never a good snowfall, so you have to get creative. But this year, there was the most phenomenal combination of environmental elements I had heretofore experienced: a full moon hanging in a partly cloudy sky spread out over a charming landscape blanketed in deep snow. Completely enchanted. The last time I ever remember a similar combination (that met my standard of perfection) was seven years ago. Seven years ago! The fact that the temperature was in the teens that night didn’t deter me from venturing out into the dreamy wonderland.

Using a tripod was essential. Turning on all the lights inside the house helped it to look extra cozy. A wide angle lens reached into the sky to lasso in the moon. And a little processing in Photoshop developed the sky, making it look exactly as it did on that glorious, enchanted, moonlit midnight.

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posted by James on 12/29/09

Taking pictures at sunrise and sunset on the beach is one of the most enjoyable experiences for a photographer! Or, at least that is the conclusion I have come to after spending the past few days here in on Sanibel Island in south-western Florida. This is the first time in my life I’ve ever done serious photography on the beach, so from this fresh perspective, here are a few things that I’ve learned concerning keeping your equipment clean, planning ahead, and capturing great compositions!

The beach is one of the most unhealthy environments for the camera! Sand and salt water destroy equipment, so the most important things I learned first were how to keep my camera clean.

• Kneel or squat, instead of sit, on the shore to keep clothes from being covered in sand.
• Keep at least one hand clean for holding the camera. After touching sandy objects with the other hand, rinse them off in water and dry them before touching the camera again.
• Keep camera and lenses in plastic bags inside your camera bag. This makes it more time-consuming to change lenses, but it sure keeps them dry.

And it always helps to plan ahead.

• Find out the exact time of the sunrise/sunset. Though the best pictures are captured at this exact time, great pictures can easily be taken 30 minutes before and after.
• Know in what direction the sun will be rising/setting. In Florida, it’s as difficult to get a good sunrise over the Gulf as it is a sunset over the Atlantic.
• Bring plenty of storage and charged batteries!

Now for the fun part: composition!

• Clouds are what make dynamic compositions. Go wide-angle and capture the sky.

• Look for subjects to complement the sunrise/sunset. Flying or wading birds, trees, grass, boardwalks, piers, buildings, shells, and driftwood all make great foreground subjects. Strong shapes are best, as most subjects will be silhouetted.

• People are also excellent subjects!

• Look behind you. You might be surprised at the color in the opposite direction of the sunrise/sunset.

• Watch that the horizon is either perfectly level or tilted to a degree that it is obviously intentional.

• Try using a tripod to play around with long exposures. Moving water can create some interesting textures your eye never sees.

Last, but most important, never let photography become higher priority than relationships and never ever forget why you are taking the pictures:

“The sea is His, and He made it:
and His hands formed the dry land. O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker.”

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posted by James on 12/1/09

Evening Stroll

The wind was blowing briskly. For once, it was actually cold outside. My bare hands tingled as they nimbly positioned the metal legs of the tripod. Click; the scene in front of me wouldn’t last for long. Click; the geese took another step forward. Click! And the composition disappeared for ever.

Though telephoto equipment is key in taking spectacular wildlife photography, an expensive zoom lens isn’t necessarily mandatory. I walked into the field that cold evening with a tiny 18-70mm lens on the camera to take pictures of the vibrant sunset. But when I stumbled upon this perfect line-up of Canadian geese, I didn’t have time to switch lenses, zoom in, or fine-tune focus. In fact, the lens was only extended to 48mm when I snapped the three pictures; the only three pictures. A wide angle perspective on wildlife can create some sweet compositions. Don’t miss an opportunity to do what you can with what you’ve got by wishing you had what you do not have.

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posted by James on 11/13/09

While in Virginia last weekend, we decided to take an afternoon off to go for a little hike in the Shenandoah mountains. We only had two hours, so we figured we would go as far as we could.

It hadn’t rained in a while, so we crossed several dry creek beds. Then we came to a big bridge that crossed the main creek. “Look, there is water!” someone said. We all stopped to look at the water.

A little further down the trail, we saw a small, tumbling waterfall. It looked very pretty. We stopped to take pictures.

Further up there was a bigger waterfall. This one was several feet high. We had to stop to take more pictures. After all, it was much better than the first one!

As we progressed up the valley, the waterfalls became more and more significant until we reached a very spectacular sight. You could hear it before you could see it. An 80 foot waterfall cascaded picturesquely down the side of the mountain ahead of us. Everyone had their camera’s out now!

From hiking that very same trail several years ago, I remember that first truly big waterfall was exactly that: the first. They only got bigger and grander the higher you climbed.

On the way back, we passed up the Better Waterfall, the Pretty Waterfall, and the Place of Water. It was hard to believe that we thought those places were very neat earlier. But that is when the writings of old Isaiah echoed clearly back: “For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside Thee, what He hath prepared for him that waiteth for Him” (Isaiah 64:4).

It’s important to stop and enjoy the blessings that are around you; but don’t stay there. Get up, press forward, climb the next mountain. God’s got a bigger waterfall of blessing down the trail.

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