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Expert advice for digital nature photos...flowers are like people too
Summary: Expert advice for digital nature photos can help you adapt portrait techniques to the great outdoors. Portraits of nature and the colorful flowers of any season bring out the best in photographers.
 | | This panorama by Dave Jenke from the Cincinnati Zoo was three individual photo "stitched" together with Adobe Photoshop Elements software. |
The cold embrace of Winter is being replaced by
budding flora as photographers prepare for a color
onslaught. Flowering shrubs, trees, bulbs and perennials are full
of potential for spectacular photos.
Planting areas in backyard gardens and in public displays will be in full bloom soon.
When you plan a photo outing to capture the first
colors of the season there are a few tips that will help keep missteps
to a minimum.
Preparation checklist
Let’s start with the camera and batteries.
Replace or recharge your batteries. Be kind to the environment when
discarding batteries. Check the battery contacts for wear or
dirt. Use the eraser tip of a pencil to wipe contacts
clean. Compressed air, often packaged for use on electronics, can
be used to blow away dust and smaller dirt particles for the battery
housing.
A soft cloth or lens tissue can be used to clean the camera itself. Do not use water or cleaning solution.
Cleaning the camera/lens
The lens of the camera, including point and shoot
cameras, is your next target. Use a lens cleaning tissue and lens
cleaner (applied to the tissue) to gently wipe away dust and grime that
can  | | Isolate your subject using a telephoto lens to reveal greater detail and drama in the composition. |
accumulate.
It you remove the lens from your digital SLR camera;
do not attempt to clean the image sensor (CCD) without consulting the
camera manual. Compressed air, lens cleaning solution and other
“improvised” methods will ruin your sensor. Consult professional
camera store personnel if you have reservations about cleaning the
image sensor. Some stores offer sensor cleaning by trained
professionals.
Take inventory of your gadget bag. Replace lost lens
and camera caps. Check the cases for camera media cards, readers
and the like. Clean lens filters and other accessories as needed.
A little preparation will save you time when you begin to shoot the
photos.
Tips for success
There are three essentials for great pictorials in the garden.
• Lighting…early
morning and late afternoon provide dramatic natural lighting. By
contrast, the morning mist or fog and the twilight can provide
photographic drama as well. Supplemental flash, both on and off
camera, can provide great detail. The compromise is the loss of a
natural look and feel to your photos.
• Lens selection…both
compact digital cameras and digital SLR’s have lenses and settings that
provide for close-up photography. Those presets will prove
worthwhile for some photos. Check the camera manual for the minimum
distance to your subject. If you have interchangeable lenses for
your SLR, I suggest using every lens you have to compose and shoot
photos. Composition is an asset that enhances artistic expression.
Experimenting with lens selection increases your chances of striking
just the right angle at the right time for the perfect photo.
• Patience…waiting
for the moment to develop is an acquired skill. Waiting for a water
droplet to form on a petal, the sun to trek every so slightly on a tree
branch or a caterpillar to inch its way into you composition will be
worth the wait.
Getting the most from your camera
A few considerations on how to compose your photos depend on the camera equipment you have at the ready.
For extreme close-up photos your will need a macro
lens or use a macro filter attachment to your lens.  | | Using a point and shoot camera, a photo including a child, adds a compositional element to a rather ordinary photo. |
This will
enable you to focus on individual parts of a flower like the stamen,
pistil or variegated color in petals and foliage.
However, many compact digital cameras do not provide
for filter attachments. You will be somewhat limited by that but do not
be deterred. Panorama shots including architecture, trees and
sky, along with the blooms, present great photo opportunities.
It is best to keep it simple when photographing
people and flowers. Posing your children, friends and others with  | | Use your zoom to lens to get close to your subject without invading their space and distracting them from a "true moment". |
flowers in the background is acceptable, but commonplace. Step back
from the predictable scene and utilize the zoom lens of your camera to
capture a close-up of a child with a nose buried in the bloom.
Using that same zoom lens in its telephoto mode,
simplify the background of the photo by isolating your subject from the
background. That technique will work much like a macro lens to simulate
a close-up.
Creative lighting
Experiment with lighting. Use backlighting to
increase the drama in your photo. If you are using a light metering
system in your camera set it to a 1 to 2 stop under exposure. Then
reset the exposure compensation to 1 stop over. Monitor the effect of
the exposure compensation on the camera display to see if you like the
results.
There is no right or wrong exposure when it comes to
personal taste and artistic interpretation, so feel free to flex your
creative muscle.
Steady hands
Always set the camera ISO or sensitivity level to
the lowest possible setting for the highest quality image. With lower
settings you run the risk of camera movement when you press the shutter
release. Camera shake (movement) can ruin a photograph.
Use a tripod to steady the camera. An added benefit
of the tripod will allow you to perfect your composition if you are
waiting for a bee or other insect to complete your photo masterpiece.
Do not trust the initial scan of your camera’s rear
display to assess sharpness. If the camera allows you to zoom in
on the displayed image, use that function to check for camera movement
and critical focus.  | | Using a zoom lens and a slow shutter speed creates a whimsical and exciting photo of a rose bloom. |
Wet and wild
A final technique involves using water. In the
absence of heavy morning dew, give your garden, mulched areas, walkways
and even architectural details a light spray from a garden hose. The
combination of water and early morning or late afternoon light can
elevate the overall appearance of a garden scene.
Somone should have said this...
"The beauty of a photograph is not in the taking, but in experiencing
the moment. Take in your surroundings and the wonder as nature reveals
itself through the lens."
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Good photographs begin with good light. In the digital photography world, the quality of light corresponds to the quality of the photograph. The dramatic light of the early morning and late afternoon can raise the quality of your images. In poorly lit situations use supplemental lighting from the camera's flash in the fill-flash mode.
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Adobe's Photoshop is very expensive at nearly $700, Is it worth it?
Dear PS,
Adobe's Photoshop is very expensive at nearly $700, Is it worth it?
On the cheap in Oregon
Dear On the cheap,
Yes! If you plan to take creative steps in dealing with your images, photoshop and the lastest Creative Suite 2 are simply the best and most efficients image handling programs available. Is it "worth it" to you, that depends on what you hope to achieve with your images. I would suggest the Elements version of photoshop as an entry level position. Better yet, check a local computer store or even the Apple Store an invest a little time in attending a couple of their tutorial classes for a "test drive" of the program. Then you'll be better informed before you spend your money.
Thanks for your question,
Michael at PS
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