Taking Vertical Or Horizontal Photos - Which Is Best?

One common characteristic of newbie nature photographers is the tendency to shoot every image in a horizontal layout. That is, they hold the camera in the same orientation it would have if it was placed on a counter or a shelf. This is the most familiar way that people interact with cameras and it becomes almost instinctual to just shoot everything they see in the same format.

But many scenes or subjects do not lend themselves to a horizontal view nearly as well as they do to a vertical viewpoint. For instance, many landscape shots will be in horizontal mode since we often try to get as much of the landscape in the shot as we can and the horizon is horizontal anyway (pun intended).

However, many bird images are better taken in a vertical format instead to get as much of the bird's body in the shot as possible. Flowers can often benefit from being shot in a vertical position too.

Of course, there are no hard and fast rules here, just as there aren't with almost everything in photographic art, but the point is that the next time you pick up a camera, ask yourself whether the subject or scene you are aiming at will be best revealed in a horizontal or vertical position in the image you are trying to create. Maybe try it both ways and see what looks best to you in the viewfinder.

Here are two very different bird shots that I took recently. One favors a more horizontal layout while the other benefits from a vertical viewpoint:

An american oystercatcher at rest on the beach

A snowy egret in a standing pose on a windy day

As you can see the oystercatcher in the first photo is laying down and the body shape of the bird lends itself to using a horizontal format. But the snowy egret is standing, and being a rather tall bird anyway, it makes much more sense to use a vertical format in this case.

One of the easiest ways to improve the artistic appearance of your photos is to occasionally turn the camera on it's side and shoot vertically. Why not give it a try soon?

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Use Back-lighting For Dramatic Photos

So much of photography is about lighting. The kind of light, the quality of the light, the direction of the light, etc. Indeed, light is the brush that we use to paint our images.

In many cases, having the main light source behind the photographer and facing the subject of the photograph is a very desirable thing. Doing so can eliminate shadows that diminish detail in the dark parts of the image and at the same time give life to colors. But frontal lighting can also be rather bland and ordinary too.

If drama and mood are what you are looking for instead, it's time to start experimenting with the light you have. Try side-lighting your subject and you will see a whole different look suddenly appear. But if you are shooting flowers, back-lighting the subject can really make your image pop even more.

This is because of the effect that light has when viewed through the thin petals of a flower. It almost makes them glow. It gives them an ethereal quality that is very inviting to the eye of the viewer.

Here is an example of a flower I shot recently using back-lighting provided by the best light source possible, sunlight:

Red and yellow rose back-lit by the sun

In the image above, notice how the sunlight is caught by the yellow parts of the flower petals. It almost looks as if they are aglow. The effect of the sunlight is even evident in the leaves of the flower as well.

I have other shots of this same flower that uses more side-lighting instead. And even though those images are fine in their own way, this image is pure magic and the main reason for that is simply because I placed the sun behind the flower.

Of course, you have to be careful with back-lighting that you don't include too much of the sunlight in the shot and overwhelm your main subject or even create annoying flare in the image. But when used properly, back-lighting can add a whole new dimension to your photography, especially when you are shooting flowers.

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The Importance Of Head Angle In Bird Photography - Part 2

In June of this year I made a post on this blog about making sure that the head position of a bird that is your subject in a photograph is at a pleasing angle in order to produce the best image possible, one that really invites the viewer into the photo. You can read the article here.

Just recently I was visiting the Fort DeSoto park in the St. Petersburg area where you can usually find plenty of interesting and colorful shore birds. When I got back home and was post-processing the images I had taken, I found an excellent example of how much the head angle of a bird can help make or break the shot, or at least change it significantly.

I had been patiently following a few American Oystercatchers along the shore and had several shots of them because they eventually got used to my presence and pretty much ignored me. These are very colorful and interesting birds so they are definitely one of my favorite subjects. Here are two shots of the same bird taken just seconds apart that illustrate how a bird's head angle changes the whole look of an image.

American Oystercatcher Photo 1

American Oystercatcher Photo 2

If you look closely in the above photos, you will see that the body of the bird is identical from one shot to the next. The only thing that has changed from one photo to the other is the head angle of the bird. So which angle do you like best?

Personally, I like the second shot because the bird seems to be more engaged with you as the viewer of the photo. It's as if he is looking right at you, and that just seems to inspire more interest in most viewers. Whether or not you agree, isn't it clear from this example that the head angle of your subject makes a huge difference in the feel of the image?

A head angle of anywhere from 45 degrees to 90 degrees is generally good for most bird shots. Interestingly, if the bird is facing you head on, the image is not as good in many cases because having the eye in good focus in the photograph is very important and it almost disappears in such a shot since the eyes of most birds are not close together, but instead on each side of their head.

Now of course, keep in mind that this is not a rule in bird photography, since there are always exceptions to the rule where art is concerned. But generally speaking, paying close attention to the head angle of a bird you are photographing will be effort well spent.

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Change Your Camera Angle For Better Nature Photos

One of the simplest changes that a nature photographer can make to increase a viewer's interest in the images they produce is to change the camera angle. What this means is that most people who use a camera instinctively look at a subject and bring the camera up to their eye level to take the photo. In other words, the angle of view that they choose for the bird or animal on the ground or in the bush is the same as they have while standing.

This is ok in some cases, but it doesn't present the photo's subject in an interesting way, especially if it is a bird or animal that is rather commonly seen. It usually results in a photo that is fairly hum-drum and boring.

Instead, lower the camera angle down to at least eye level with the subject, or maybe even flatten yourself out on the ground entirely. This does two things - first it makes for a fresh way to view the subject, and second it totally changes the background. If your camera angle no longer includes the grass or ground in the near vicinity of the subject, it doesn't compete for our attention when we view the photo.

It's amazing how this one simple tip can take a mundane and uninteresting image and transform it into something that our eye finds attractive. Here is a few shots taken this last weekend at Fort Desoto's North Beach area that helps emphasize the need to get eye level with your subject to spice up the photo:

A marbled godwit relaxing in the water

An american oystercatcher in the sand

Notice how both shots above are fromn low camera angles and as a result the background is moved far away from the bird making it go pleasingly out of focus. This draws our attention to the place where we as photographers want it to be - on the bird.

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A Great Source For Quality Used Camera Lenses

Nature and wildlife photographers are always on the lookout for ways to buy high quality camera lenses for as little as possible. Of course, we are always keeping an eye on camera bodies too, but we all know that it's the lens that actually makes the image, and most of us would much rather have a so-so camera body with a great lens than a great camera body with a so-so lens.

There are several places to buy used equipment online at good prices. I have bought a few lenses on Ebay with good success, but I always stick with sellers that are highly rated by their customers for selling quality photographic equipment. Amazon is another good source for used camera gear and again I recommend that you stick with sellers that are reviewed favorably by many satisfied customers. KEH is another source of good high quality photo equipment at a fair price.

But I recently bought a Tamron SP 150-600mm lens for my Sony cameras from a site called LensAuthority.com. This site is essentially a storefront for selling lenses that have been in rental service at LensRentals.com for a while.

So why buy from a place like this? Well, a photo gear rental site lives and dies by the quality of the equipment they are sending to their rental customers. If the equipment stinks, they simply don't get any return business or good word of mouth. In addition, when an article returns from service in the field, it has to be inspected and serviced to keep it in the best condition possible for the next rental. This means that the equipment has been repeatedly inspected and kept in tip-top shape by people who know what they are doing.

Before buying a lens from this company I did my research and found that they have a very good reputation from past customers who have taken the time to post on forums and websites about their buying experience with LensAuthority.com. So I took the plunge, and it has been a great experience thus far.

The lens itself was bought at a price that was over $100 less than I could find anywhere else online. They also sent the lens out to me the same day I ordered it and when it arrived it was packed very well. They kept in very good contact with me all the way, and I felt like I was working with people who valued quality and service.

The lens is in perfect condition, just as advertised, and even came with its original box. I am a happy camper and want to share my good experience with you. So if you are looking for camera bodies or lenses on the used market, give the folks at LensAuthority.com a look and see if they have what you want. If you get the same service I did, you will be very glad that you did.

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Super Telephoto Lenses And Nature Photography

It's usually not very long before a nature photographer realizes that if they want to fill the frame with richly detailed images of birds and animals, they are going to have to consider getting what is often called a "super telephoto" lens. This a lens that is at least 500mm or higher.

Not only does a super telephoto lens allow you to get shots of far away subjects more easily, but if you use it well, and try to get as close as you can, it will return images that display the subject in absolute sharp focus against a background that is pleasingly out of focus. This highlights the subject of your image and makes for spectacular shots.

So what lens do you choose? Well, the bad news is that many super telephoto lenses are unbelievably expensive and can cost as much as a decent used car. The Canon 500mm f4 and Nikon 500mm f4 spring to mind. These lenses are at the very pinnacle of quality and sharpness while also letting in a lot of light to work with in darker situations. But they are also HUGE, heavy and as I said, really expensive. In fact, they will set you back a good $6,000 to $10,000 or more depending on their condition.

Sony users like me don't have a lot to choose from in this area, but the Minolta 500mm mirror lens (not made anymore) is a fine lens and much less expensive than the ones mentioned earlier. However, it has a fixed f8 aperture that can be limiting, and the way that mirror lenses treat out of focus highlights in the background can be annoying or even irritating. It tends to turn them into donut shapes. Some people like these kind of images, but many do not.

So what are the other alternatives? Fortunately, Tamron and Sigma have entered this horse race and are making products that can fill the bill for those that are willing to make a few compromises in overall quality to get results that are still very pleasing.

Just recently I bought a Tamron 150-600mm lens for my Sony cameras and so far I am thrilled with the results I am seeing in my images. Sigma makes a fine 150-600mm lens as well from what I can tell, but at the time of this post, it is not available in the Sony A mount, neither the regular "Contemporary" lens nor the upgraded "Sport" lens.

This Tamron has a f6.3 aperture at its lowest setting and some may consider that an issue because of its lower light gathering capability, but honestly, I am most often using it in daylight conditions anyway, and it just doesn't bother me that much. And the difference in out of focus background appearance between f4 and f6.3 is not a deal breaker either, especially if one gets pretty close to their subjects anyway as I mentioned earlier in this post.

But the big feature of these lenses is their reach. 600mm! WOW! That really gets you close to the action. And if you are using a crop-sensor camera like most of us amateurs do, that means that your effective focal length is somewhere around 900mm. Now that is really WOW!

There are other super telephotos made by third party lens manufacturers like Tamron and Sigma, but these 150-600mm cannons tend to be the best deal out there overall in my humble opinion. The good news is that my Tamron does have some heft to it, but it can still be used successfully by hand without any tripod or monopod, although I highly recommend some type of support if you want the best chance of getting really sharp images. The Canon and Nikon f4 behemoths mentioned above are often only usable on a solid tripod due to their weight and size.

What about sharpness, you say? For me, the Tamron I have is plenty sharp. No doubt, the more expensive lenses deliver an even more impressive level of detail and sharpness, but for my purposes, this lens delivers enough to keep me happy. And there is certainly not enough difference that I feel impelled to part with many thousands of my hard earned cash to get the next higher level of  lens performance.

In fact, here are a few shots I made a couple weeks ago at a local lake that I think proves my point that this lens delivers highly detailed, sharp, and color-saturated images:

White egret in dappled lighting

Muscovy duck close-up

White ibis portrait

So if you are thinking about moving into the super telephoto category of lenses for your nature photography, why not give these third party 150-600mm lenses an honest look? For me, it's just what I was looking for.

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See my latest nature and wildlife images at:
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Super Telephoto Lenses And Nature Photography

It's usually not very long before a nature photographer realizes that if they want to fill the frame with richly detailed images of birds and animals, they are going to have to consider getting what is often called a "super telephoto" lens. This a lens that is at least 500mm or higher.

Not only does a super telephoto lens allow you to get shots of far away subjects more easily, but if you use it well, and try to get as close as you can, it will return images that display the subject in absolute sharp focus against a background that is pleasingly out of focus. This highlights the subject of your image and makes for spectacular shots.

So what lens do you choose? Well, the bad news is that many super telephoto lenses are unbelievably expensive and can cost as much as a decent used car. The Canon 500mm f4 and Nikon 500mm f4 spring to mind. These lenses are at the very pinnacle of quality and sharpness while also letting in a lot of light to work with in darker situations. But they are also HUGE, heavy and as I said, really expensive. In fact, they will set you back a good $6,000 to $10,000 or more depending on their condition.

Sony users like me don't have a lot to choose from in this area, but the Minolta 500mm mirror lens (not made anymore) is a fine lens and much less expensive than the ones mentioned earlier. However, it has a fixed f8 aperture that can be limiting, and the way that mirror lenses treat out of focus highlights in the background can be annoying or even irritating. It tends to turn them into donut shapes. Some people like these kind of images, but many do not.

So what are the other alternatives? Fortunately, Tamron and Sigma have entered this horse race and are making products that can fill the bill for those that are willing to make a few compromises in overall quality to get results that are still very pleasing.

Just recently I bought a Tamron 150-600mm lens for my Sony cameras and so far I am thrilled with the results I am seeing in my images. Sigma makes a fine 150-600mm lens as well from what I can tell, but at the time of this post, it is not available in the Sony A mount, neither the regular "Contemporary" lens nor the upgraded "Sport" lens.

This Tamron has a f6.3 aperture at its lowest setting and some may consider that an issue because of its lower light gathering capability, but honestly, I am most often using it in daylight conditions anyway, and it just doesn't bother me that much. And the difference in out of focus background appearance between f4 and f6.3 is not a deal breaker either, especially if one gets pretty close to their subjects anyway as I mentioned earlier in this post.

But the big feature of these lenses is their reach. 600mm! WOW! That really gets you close to the action. And if you are using a crop-sensor camera like most of us amateurs do, that means that your effective focal length is somewhere around 900mm. Now that is really WOW!

There are other super telephotos made by third party lens manufacturers like Tamron and Sigma, but these 150-600mm cannons tend to be the best deal out there overall in my humble opinion. The good news is that my Tamron does have some heft to it, but it can still be used successfully by hand without any tripod or monopod, although I highly recommend some type of support if you want the best chance of getting really sharp images. The Canon and Nikon f4 behemoths mentioned above are often only usable on a solid tripod due to their weight and size.

What about sharpness, you say? For me, the Tamron I have is plenty sharp. No doubt, the more expensive lenses deliver an even more impressive level of detail and sharpness, but for my purposes, this lens delivers enough to keep me happy. And there is certainly not enough difference that I feel impelled to part with many thousands of my hard earned cash to get the next higher level of  lens performance.

In fact, here are a few shots I made a couple weeks ago at a local lake that I think proves my point that this lens delivers highly detailed, sharp, and color-saturated images:

White egret in dappled lighting

Muscovy duck close-up

White ibis portrait

So if you are thinking about moving into the super telephoto category of lenses for your nature photography, why not give these third party 150-600mm lenses an honest look? For me, it's just what I was looking for.

---

See my latest nature and wildlife images at:
www.duanelipham.com
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Lightroom Tip - Use The Full Histogram For Your Photos

When I visit Flickr or 500px, I often see photos that are composed well, have an interesting subject and great detail, but have an overall appearance that is very lackluster and blah. I rarely "favorite" these kind of images because they just don't impart any visual interest or excitement.

If you notice that some of the photos you take fall into this category, there is a way to help these kind of images become much better visually. The first step is to realize what the problem is to be able to solve it, and the problem often lies in the histogram.

A histogram of each image is a graphic representation of all of the tones in an image from dark to light. Photographs that have a good representation of tones across the full spectrum, or display, of the histogram tend to be visually interesting and a feast for the eyes to behold.

But sometimes, such as on cloudy days or in heavily shaded areas, the tones are severely confined to a small part of the histogram, typically in the center. This means that many of the lighter and darker tones are simply missing in the image, and so the image lacks visual interest. It just doesn't pop!

So how to solve this? Well, there are several things that can be done to make the image better but in Lightroom one of the easiest ways to make these lackluster images more interesting is to stretch the tones that have been recorded in the digital file by widening them out across the entire histogram. You can accomplish this with the sliders entitled "Blacks" and "Whites".

In the Develop module of Lightroom, these can be found in the Basic Adjustments area. The histogram of each image is usually displayed at the top of the right column of tools to adjust your image, and the Basic Adjustments section is often right under the histogram. If the histogram shows that the majority of pixels in your image are confined to tones clustered in the center of the histogram and very little to none showing at the far right and left of the histogram, you have an image that is often visually uninteresting.

To remedy this, simply adjust the "Blacks" and "Whites" sliders so that the tones in the histogram are more evenly spread across the entire histogram from side to side. You will immediately see the difference in the photo as it's displayed in the center of the screen. Just keep playing with the sliders till the image starts to look the way that you want. if you overdo it a little, just bring the slider back to the center "0" point and try again. It's really that simple.

This is an easy way to make many of your photos look better with very little effort.

Here is an example of a shot I took of a zebra finch in a very shaded area that required some serious adjustment in Lightroom. After playing with the "Blacks" and "Whites" sliders, this image shows a lot more visual pop than it did initially.

Zebra finch in heavy shade

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The Value Of Patience In Wildlife Photography

Wildlife, and birds in particular, are notoriously uncooperative photographic subjects. They are constantly on the move, and who can blame them? After all, their food doesn't come from a grocery store, so every day is a constant search for something to eat. Besides that, who knows what else is out there on the prowl, so it's no wonder that they are always looking around to keep an eye on what's happening while trying not to stay in the same place too long.

This is all so understandable. But from the perspective of a nature and wildlife photographer, it can also be extremely frustrating. Just when you think you have the shot you are looking for, the animal turns its head, starts cleaning itself, or just walks off altogether.

Interestingly, the difference between a so-so photo and one that engages the viewer can be so small. Just a subtle shift of the head angle, or a closed eye, or a shift of lighting can change the entire look of the shot. So what are we to make of this?

Well, first of all, if wildlife photography was easy, everybody would be taking award-winning shots. So, the difficulty is also part of the charm and challenge and it's good to remind oneself of that fact from time to time, especially when frustration sets in.

That is why a successful wildlife photographer needs to develop extraordinary patience. For instance, birds in particular love to go into preening mode, where they use their beak to clean and adjust their feathers. And they can make a preening session last for what can seem like an eternity to a photographer who has all the pieces in place for a great shot, but needs a decent head angle from the bird to get the right look. It's in these moments that many photographers just give up and walk away. I know, because I have been sorely tempted to do the same thing on many occasions myself.

But that is when you need to just hang in there. Take some deep breaths, relax, and wait for it. Sometimes the shot never comes. But I can't tell you how many times I've had it work out in my favor too.

Just the other day I went to Lake Morton in this area to test out a new Tamron 150-600mm lens and see if it's as sharp as everyone says. The great thing about Lake Morton is that there is never any shortage of water fowl and birds. But on a few occasions that day, I had to go into super patient mode and wait a long time to get the shot I could envision in my mind.

In this first example, a white egret was standing under a tree where the sun happened to be shining on him while the background behind was in dark shadow. I love situations like this where the subject is really highlighted and there is no competing background. The eye of the viewer is drawn exactly where you want it to go. But on this occasion, the egret was obsessive about preening, and it went on for a very long time. Fortunately, I had the lens on a monopod so it allowed me to hang in there without having to support the full weight of that long and heavy lens. In the end, I took several shots, but finally got the one I wanted. Here it is (you can even see a small feather stuck in his beak):

White egret in front lighting

Farther along the lake path, I encountered a Muscovy duck that I thought would make a good subject. But this duck was in constant movement. He didn't seem to be upset by my presence, but he had some kind of agenda in mind that kept him in perpetual motion in and out of good lighting. Just as soon as I had the right shot in focus, off he went on another tangent. I hung in there though and finally I got this shot:

Muscovy duck at Lake Morton

(Some people think these ducks look ugly, but I think their facial wattles are interesting.)

These are just a couple of examples of the need to be patient and wait for the right shot in nature and wildlife photography. The more patience you develop the better photographer you can become!

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To Get That Great Photo You Want - Just Be There

You've probably heard the old saying that "80% of life is just showing up." Well, the truth is that photographic success is kind of similar.

You can have the best gear and know all the great techniques. But if you aren't putting yourself out there in the field regularly enough, you just aren't going to get the results you want. This is especially true in nature and wildlife photography. Of course, as a nature photographer, I do my best to put myself in the right place at the right time to get the shot that I am looking for. But honestly, nature has a mind of its own.

Sometimes, it all works according to plan and everything falls in place. More often though, it's a struggle to acquire the images you have in mind. This is because all sorts of factors are in constant flux. The time of day and therefore the position of our light source, the sun, is always moving, albeit kind of slowly. The weather can change in an instant. The animals themselves can change their behavior and simply not be available at times. And on it goes ....

But there is one equalizing factor to all of this uncertainty - being there often. The more chances you give yourself to get the shots you want, the more you will find that good and fortunate things just seem to happen to you in the field.

Case in point - a few days ago I went to the Circle B Bar Reserve in our local area to spend a few hours there, as I can usually come away with something that I'm pleased with even if it's not what I expected. But I was so disappointed to find that a couple of the main trails had been closed by the officials, in many cases because of dangerous alligators. I only found a few wading birds on the trails I was allowed to use, so I was not a very happy photographer at that point.

But as I was heading back to the parking lot, sure enough, serendipity happened! All of a sudden, a mature red-shouldered hawk just appeared out of nowhere and landed on a branch within 10 yards of me. Not only that, he wasn't even bothered by my presence at all, so he just stayed on the branch and gave me pose after pose as I clicked away for about 20 minutes. I tried different angles, compositions, and lighting. And through it all he just patiently stayed put and looked around.

Later on that day, I was just thinking how disappointed I was initially about the trails being closed at Circle B Bar. But just because I was there, a very fortunate occurrence happened that I've never experienced before. It wasn't due to my skill as a photographer, or to anything I had planned for this outing. It was just simply because I was out there making myself available to whatever nature would send my way.

Now, let me be clear. Nature doesn't doesn't always throw me a bone like this on slow photographic days. But, I find that the more I make myself available to nature, the more serendipitous success I have.

So, if you aren't happy with the images you are getting lately, maybe you just need to put yourself out there in the wild more often!

Here are a few of the shots I took of that red-shouldered hawk:

Red-shouldered hawk

Red-shouldered hawk with backlighting

Red-shouldered hawk from a different angle

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Photographing The Long Piers Of Florida

One thing Florida has plenty of is coastline on both sides of the state. And wherever there is a long stretch of seacoast you can usually find a long pier that juts out into the water for fishermen to enjoy.

On the west side of Florida, the side that faces the Gulf of Mexico, you also get the advantage of having incredible sunsets over the water. And since you don't have anything in the way between you and the horizon when the sun sets over the gulf, you often get this incredible big ball of a sun just before it actually dips below the horizon and disappears.

Then if you add a long pier in the shot for foreground interest, you can get some pretty spectacular sunset shots. Also, many of the larger birds like to hang around the pier to feed on the small fish hiding in the shadows underneath and also the spoils that the fishermen leave behind, so if you happen to catch them flying around the pier at the same time that the sun sets, that's a great image to capture as well.

One of my favorite piers to photograph on the gulf coast is the Redington Long Pier. The owner has a a reputation for not being very cooperative with photographers, so you may have to search for a good parking space, but usually one is available on Gulf Blvd. within pretty easy walking distance.

Another pier that I visited just a few weeks ago is the Venice Long Pier. It's situated really close to a public parking area, so getting a close parking spot is easy to do.

Taking photos of these piers can be done in a wide variety of ways, ranging from wide-angle to telephoto. The key is knowing how much of the pier to include in the shot, because you can rarely get a good composition that includes the entire pier.

Here are a few shots I have taken with different lenses, of the piers I mentioned above:

Redington Long Pier during a cloudy sunset (notice the birds flying)

The sun setting behind the Redington Long Pier on a clear day

The Redington Long Pier after sunset during blue hour

A telephoto shot of the Venice Pier at sunset

A long exposure shot of the Venice Pier just after sunset

As you can see, you have a lot of options for shooting long piers and they don't have to be at sunset either. In fact, when the sun goes down and the lights come on, that can produce some of the best long pier shots when the orange and red of the sunset is still visible just over the horizon.

And long exposure shots can be spectacular if you have the right combination of weather conditions and cloud formations helping you along. So if you have a long pier in your area, why not scout out a good spot for sunrise, sunset or blue hour shots including the pier?

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Shooting A Beach Sunset With A Telephoto Lens

One of the great perks of living in Florida is that the beach is never very far away no matter where you live in the state. For us, it's a little over an hour away on the gulf side. And there are several great photo subjects that can be found on the beaches of the Gulf Of Mexico, but not much can compare with the unbelievable beauty that happens almost daily when the sun sets over the water.

I have traveled around the country and lived in various other places, but I have never seen anything like the glory of a Florida gulf-side sunset. Of course, if the weather is not cooperating and there is heavy rain and thick clouds, it may not turn out as spectacular as you would like. But if the conditions are right, the sky just lights up with warm colors that gradually blend into each other like yellows, oranges, reds and even purples.

How you choose to capture the image of a Florida sunset is largely a matter of taste, but I notice that most photographers seem to like using wide-angle lenses. This is a great choice and makes incredible photos, but the down-side is that the sun becomes just a small dot with this kind of image.

But here in Florida, since you get to see the entire sunset as the sun goes all the way down on the horizon over the water with nothing of any substance in its way, the sun becomes a big red ball and appears very large just before it slips under the horizon's edge. So how do you convey this kind of effect in a photograph?

One way is to use a telephoto lens. Of course, this takes much of the foreground out of the picture, but why not make the sun the star of the show anyway? For instance, I like to use a fishing pier as a foreground object that is large enough to provide some kind of scale in the image if I can. You can also use a sailboat or yacht in the photo if it is available.

Here are a few shots I took recently at a couple of gulf-side beaches here in Florida using a 300mm lens:

The Venice FL pier at sunset

A sailboat at sunset

A large boat at sunset

In all of these shots, the sun was not altered in any way in post-processing. The size of the sun is in these pictures is more in line with what you actually see as the sun sets over the water here in Florida. A good telephoto lens helps capture that look and feel and that makes it a valuable tool in your bag for beach sunsets.

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Why Be A Nature Photographer?

There are so many tutorials and blog posts about the nuts and bolts of photography. Articles that recommend certain equipment, showcase a particular location, or provide tips on how to achieve a particular look in your images. My blog is no different. The majority of my posts have to do with the same kinds of subject matter.

But, every once in a while, it's a good idea to step back and see the forest, not just the trees. In doing so, we can ask that all important question - why? Why am I a nature photographer? Why do I enjoy it so much?

There are a myriad of reasons that try to answer that question, but today I'll discuss just a few of the major thoughts that come to mind when trying to answer why I am a nature photographer in the first place.

Perhaps the first thought that commands attention is the peace that nature and wildlife photography brings to my soul. In daily mundane life, there is a lot going on. Appointments to meet, people to see, situations that demand immediate attention. Frankly, it eventually gets wearing, both physically and emotionally. This is so even if you enjoy what you do in your daily life.

But when you step out into nature, the world just seems to slow down to a much more pleasing pace. You can actually become more aware of what is going on around you. Even small things that you wouldn't normally notice in everyday life can seize and arrest our attention for a time. The noise of the busy world fades away and we become aware of the songs of birds, the quiet of a peaceful reserve, the softness of water lapping against the shore of a lake, and much more. Time loses its hold over us.

We become sensitive to the ever-changing light that surrounds us and how light and dark shadow create interesting contrasts in even the simplest of subjects in sight. Our imagination is fed and nurtured, and soon we see textures and symmetry that we would never have appreciated if we were not looking for them. There is much greater depth to the world when we see it with curious and caring eyes.

That leads me to another major reason why nature photography is so important to me personally - it fills me with a sense of gratitude and thankfulness for all that is around me. I didn't put those amazingly beautiful and intricate plants, animals and ecosystems in place. And yet there they are in all their glory and splendor. Great appreciation fills my heart, and it feels good, it feels right!

As I said there are many more reasons why I enjoy nature and wildlife photography so much, but this post won't begin to cover them all. It's just a beginning. I'll come back to this subject again in the future and explore it in more detail. For now, here are a few images from recent walks in nature that I remember well and highly prize:

Roseatte Spoonbills gathering at low tide at Ding Darling Reserve

A burrowing owl perched in front of his home

A reddish egret foraging in the surf at sunset on Captiva Island

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Are Monopods Safe Or Hazardous In A Crowd?

During this past week my wife and I visited The Ringling in Sarasota, which features the house that John Ringling and his wife Mable built and enjoyed for several years while he owned the Ringling Brothers Circus. The grounds also boasts a circus museum and a fantastic art museum that the Ringling's built to share their impressive art collection with the outside world. Overall, the various features of the Ringling, including the grounds themselves, will take several hours to view and fully appreciate.

When I entered The Ringling I was provided with a map and instructions on the do's and don'ts while on the property. I quickly went to the section that discussed photography and saw that they did not allow tripods and selfie-sticks as well as professional lighting equipment to be used by photographers, especially when entering any of the buildings on the site. But otherwise, cameras themselves were permitted everywhere.

Since I didn't see anything in their material about monopods I felt safe in taking it with me. And while I was outside in the gardens no one said anything to me about it. But as I went inside each building I was often told that I had to check my monopod as it was not allowed inside the residence or the museums.

At first, I just complied, but as I went from one building to the next it became clear that the rules about monopods were not uniform, so I started to ask the reason why such a rule had been made. The response was that it was a safety hazard. When I pressed further to ask why it is considered a safety hazard I got some really bizarre answers and mostly bewilderment on the part of the staff that eventually ended with a simple "Well, you will have to take that up with management." It was clear that the staff was simply lumping monopods in with tripods and most did not know the difference.

Finally, the last employee I encountered actually discussed it very reasonably with me and came to the conclusion that since it was not mentioned in the prohibited photography equipment listed in the map and brochure of the estate, it was probably alright to use. I went ahead and checked it anyway though because I didn't want anyone to get in trouble with management on my account. But she was so impressed by the discussion that she said that she intended to bring the subject up at the next staff meeting to see if she can get the unwritten policy on monopods changed.

So now, after giving it further thought, I can easily see why an estate would not allow a tripod or selfie-stick to be used onsite because they extend out away from the photographer's body and can cause an unintended accident when others pass by and don't realize that they are there. But what objection can honestly be made about a monopod? It is attached to the underside of the camera so that the lens of the camera will usually extend out farther from the photographer than the monopod itself. And as long as it is carried in an erect position it should not be unmanageable or unwieldy.

Monopods are an invaluable aid in situations where light is low, such as the inside of buildings and residences. Although they are not as sturdy and stable as a tripod, they can often make the difference between getting a sharp and clear image in low light, and not doing so. I would hate to see monopods lumped in with other equipment that can be risky when used in a crowd. So, I recommend that if you face the same situation and are prohibited from using a monopod on the grounds of safety, have a polite conversation with the staff and see if you can educate and influence them to change their mind on the issue. It will help all of the rest of your photographer brethren if you do!

Here are a few shots I took using the monopod on the grounds of the estate:

White rose tinged with red

Pink rose bud

Yellow Zinnia

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Water Lilies At Naples Botanical Garden

In Florida, something beautiful is blooming almost any time of the year, and I've been to several botanical gardens in Florida's mid-section and gulf coast in search of the best flower images that can be found. Most of the botanical gardens I have visited have not disappointed either. In most cases, each one has a unique look. Some feature orchids and bromeliads, others cater to daisies, zinnias or coneflowers, and still others to flowering bushes and trees.

But if you want great shots of water lilies, the best place I have found so far is Naples Botanical Gardens. Of course, they have a great representation of all sorts of flowering plants and bushes. In fact, there are several areas dedicated to showcasing plants and flowers from all around the world, and so they have a Caribbean section, a Brazilian section, an Asian garden, an orchid garden and so on. But you can find fabulous water lilies almost everywhere on their grounds.

The facility itself is very well maintained, better than almost any other botanical gardens I have seen in Florida. It even has its own lunch cafe. And the grounds are pristine, even in the dead of summer. It takes a lot of work and attention to detail to pull off this level of floral beauty over such a large area, and they have succeeded on all levels. And I'm not the only one who thinks so either as the Naples Botanical Gardens currently has a 4.7 Google reviewer rating and it is well-deserved.

But water lilies are one of my all-time favorite flowers to photograph, so naturally I was drawn to them right away. Here are a few shots I got while I was there:

A purple water lily

I always love the blue and yellow water lilies

Water lily with reflection on the pond

So if you are a fan of the bright colors and symmetry of water lilies, I can't really recommend any place in Florida more than the Naples Botanical Gardens. And you will certainly enjoy the rest of the gardens as well.

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The Burrowing Owls Of Cape Coral

As a nature and wildlife photographer, I am always looking for new subjects. Many of the birds and flowers that I photograph are subjects that show up repeatedly in my work. And that's ok, because there will always be new and fresh ways to make images of the same subject, depending on the background, the quality of light, composition, and so forth.

But it really is a nice change of pace when you can work with a photo subject that you have never taken before. For me, the burrowing owls in Cape Coral, FL are just such a refreshing change. I had heard of these unique owls that actually build their homes in the ground instead of trees, but I had never seen them and certainly had no experience whatsoever in photographing them.

But since my wife and I planned to take a short vacation in the Fort Myers area, I figured it might be a great opportunity to check out these amazing birds. Fortunately, there is a great resource online that provides a map of some of the most common places where these owls can be found throughout the Cape Coral area. You can find that map here.

I am happy to say that the map was a great help and led us right to the owls on the first try. The map outlines five areas around the city where the owls have been known to make their home. In most cases, the map was right on. The only place that we could not find any owls was around Cape Coral's City Hall.

Apparently, this is not unusual as I understand that the owls move around from year to year and set up shop in a different location whenever they feel it is necessary to do so. For some reason then, city hall is no longer desirable real estate for the owls, at least not for this year anyway.

But the other locations on the map all had burrowing owl nests, some more than others. And these owls make for some great photo opportunities! They are easily accessible, there is usually not a crowd around, and as long as you aren't foolish and try to get too close, they put up with your presence without much complaint.

Here are a few burrowing owl images that I took while we in Cape Coral for the day:

A pair of owls perched outside their home

Talk about curious - this one thought we were pretty odd

Another owl pair in the tall grass

I highly recommend a long lens when working with these owls. I used a 500mm Tamron lens and it helped me get close without making them unduly frightened or anxious. You might get away with as little as a 300mm lens, but I personally could have have used as much focal length as I could get to help keep the images as natural as possible and throw the background out of focus.

So if you have a day or so to kill, try a new subject for your nature and wildlife photography, and visit the burrowing owls of Cape Coral.

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The Essentials Of Good Photo Composition

The ingredients that make up composition that interests and engages viewers of photographic images is a subject that has received a lot of attention by some of the best photographers out there. But if you look at many of the photos that are shared online, it is not hard to pick out major weaknesses that could of been improved immeasurably by simply composing the scene in a different way.

So why is good composition so difficult for many photographers to grasp? Sometimes it just hasn't been explained in a clear and understandable way. I often see articles on composition that focus almost exclusively on certain basic rules of composition that are accepted as conventional wisdom. But the problem is that art does not always conform to rules. It's not that easily defined.

Instead, those who teach the art of composition well, teach guidelines that can be used in a flexible way and adjusted according to the artistic eye of the individual photographer. One of the best teachers of artistic composition that I have seen lately is Robert Rodriguez Jr. He is a professional photographer that also teaches subjects like artistic composition and how to be creative, But he also can be very helpful in practical areas like how to print and display your photographic work as well.

Recently he was invited to give a class on composition at the 2016 B&H Optic Conference, and it has been placed on YouTube to be able to be viewed for free. I enjoyed many of the points that he shared in the class and he helped me expand my understanding on the subject of what makes for good composition in a photo. I highly recommend watching the video as soon as you can. You can find the video here.

While you are on his website, be sure to sign up for his newsletter and read some of the articles on his blog that he has posted in the past. If you are interested in taking your photography to a higher level artistically, it will be very helpful.

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See my latest nature and wildlife images at:
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Anthuriums As Photo Subjects

When you are a nature photographer, there is always more to add to your list of photographed subjects. And when it comes to flowers, it seems like there is a never ending stream of plants and flowers that have interesting shapes, or colors that grab your attention.

Recently, I came across another group of flowers that had not made on my list so far while I was visiting the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens in Sarasota. I have made a couple of earlier posts about the bromeliads and orchids that you can find in the main greenhouse of the botanical gardens after paying your entrance fee.

But while I was in the greenhouse I also came across some especially colorful and interesting flowering plants called anthuriums. Anthuriums are also called by other more common names like Painter's Palette, Flamingo Flower, Laceleaf, and Tail Flower. They usually have a heart shaped colorful leaf that has a kind of waxy appearance, and it surrounds a central spike called a spadix that can be very long. In many ways it looks very odd, but in the right light and composed correctly, they can make for some beautiful images.

Here are a few anthurium shots that I got while in Sarasota:

Red Anthurium

Red Laceleaf flower 

Anthurium macro shot

I love the bright red colors of the leaves that are usually contrasted with another bright color on the spadix. It's tempting to to try to get the whole flower in the frame, but don't be afraid to get in tight to get some more unusual close-up shots as well as I did in the last shot above.

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Nature Photography With Smartphones

If you are like me, you are always trying to think of ways to improve your nature photography. And there are so many new and different techniques to use when shooting wildlife and nature. In addition to that, you can change the entire look of your images by learning new skills in post-processing or by purchasing a lens in a different focal length, or maybe even a camera body that has the capability of high-speed shooting, etc.

But just recently a situation presented itself that reminded me of a very important lesson about how to improve my photography skills and it didn't require that I spend a single dollar on additional equipment or training.

Here is what happened - I was shooting a sunset on Captiva island and thought I had gotten all the shots that I wanted. So I packed up my tripod and digital camera and headed back to the car. After packing my gear away, I looked back at the sky and as often happens, it had opened up and unexpectedly bold colors were shining through from the sunset. At the same time, a small group of people just happened to be taking a walk down the beach by the spot where my car was parked.

I could quickly see that a really nice shot was shaping up, but it would most likely be gone by the time that I unloaded all my gear and got set up again. So what to do? Well, I don't usually think of using my smartphone camera for nature shots, but it occurred to me that at this point it was my only option. Within just a few seconds it was in my hands and the image was taken.

What is the lesson to be learned here? Simply that even the most expensive and high quality gear won't help get the shot you want if you don't have them with you or can't get them set up and ready for the shot in time. But I usually carry my smartphone almost everywhere, and you probably do as well. And modern smartphones are capable of very good photographs too, much better than the quality of phone photos that we used to take. So get familiar with your smartphone camera and how to use it easily and quickly, because you never know when it may be the only way to get the image that you want.

Here is the shot I took with my smartphone that day:

Beachgoers taking a walk on the beach during sunset on Captiva island 

So don't be a camera snob! Keep your smartphone handy just in case.

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