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sc_playgirl_69
Joined: 24 Jan 2008
Posts: 2
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 Posted: Sun Mar 23, 2008 7:31 pm Post subject: a question for photographers? |
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| lately ive been really into outdoor photography..i was doing portrait/artistic...but outdoor photography is so fun and there is just so much you can do...n/e ways...i was wondering if anyone could recomend some good outdoor lenses/lighting just any kind of helpful tips. i have a cannon rebel...and would really appreciate any tips...also i ave been getting bad glare off the sun so i have been going out when the sun is going down...is there a good polarizer thats good for sun glare? i have a couple but i notice the color in my pics arent as bright. |
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SoftPooll
Joined: 04 Oct 2007
Posts: 29
Location: USA
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| Posted: Mon Mar 24, 2008 12:38 am Post subject: a question for photographers? |
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| For something different try a Lens-babies 3g. Its a completely manual flexible lens that allows you to place the sweet spot wherevery you like and blur the rest. It is also pretty cheap at about $250.As for the glare make sure you use a hood on the front of the lens. Mornings and late afternoons are probably the best time to shoot landscapes. |
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RealityJack
Joined: 13 Dec 2007
Posts: 3
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| Posted: Mon Mar 24, 2008 5:46 am Post subject: a question for photographers? |
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| The best way to control glare is to always use the lens hood and avoid shooting directly into the sun.. Zooms are a bit more prone to glare than primes.For landscapes you don't really need a fast lens, after all, the ground isn't going to suddenly hop up and move (unless you have an earthquake, but that is a different story) A tripod will be of immense help, really you can't shoot some landscapes without one. I'm sure you've heard of the golden hours. The light at sunrise and sunset is different in color and striking from an angle to give definition and dimension to your image. Be sure to capture what the sun is falling upon in addition to the usual garden variety sunset where the lens is pointed at the sun. Composition is important in landscapes (and all photography) You will want to know about negative space, rule of thirds, leading lines, DOF, etc etc etc. Dynamic composition is the difference between ho-hum and wow.You will probably want a decent wide angle lens. I am not familiar with the Canon lens lineup, maybe a Canon user might suggest a good one.Landscape is my favorite area of photography (after my grandkids, that is!) I am leaving a link to one of my favorites, you may get some inspiration.http://photo.net/photodb/member-photos?user_id=192116&include=allEnjoy! |
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searchbab
Joined: 01 May 2007
Posts: 16
Location: USA
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| Posted: Mon Mar 24, 2008 10:53 am Post subject: a question for photographers? |
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| To help with glare you need a lens hood - one designed for your lens. There should be an Accessories section in your camera manual or the manual for the lens that will suggest one. No filter will help with glare from the sun. If you are shooting into the sun - a sunrise or sunset - remove any filter. Of course, you should always have a Skylight filter on your lens for added protection for the front element of your lens. Take it off when you want to use your polarizer.First, make sure you are using a circular polarizer. There is also a linear polarizer but it will mess up your exposure and auto focus. A polarizer filter is used to darken a blue sky and to remove glare and reflections from water, glass, snow, sand and painted metal - but not polished metal. It will also improve colors by removing any glare from shiny leaves or flower petals. To maximize the effect on a blue sky the sun should be on your shoulder. Pretend you are standing on the face of a clock looking in the direction of the 12. If the sun is at 9 or 3 (on your shouldrer) you will get the best results from your polarizer. You'll see the sky darken in your viewfinder as you rotate the polarizer. Always watch the effects in your viewfinder. If you have a lot of glare or reflections, just rotate the polarizer and watch until they are minimized. I often point my lens at the sky and rotate it until I get the maximum effect and then recompose and shoot the flowers - the effect may not be as visible but your colors will be better in the final image.One trick I learned long ago is to stand in the shadow of a tree trunk to keep the sun from interfering with my composition. Suppose the sun is at 1 on our clock face and the light on a grove of trees is really pretty. If you find a shaded area you can block the sun from your lens and compose and shoot. You get the beauty of a side-lighted subject without including the sun. Of course its not always possible to find a shaded area so here again a lens hood is your best defense. Although the hour just after sunrise and before sunset is considered the "golden hour" and most people will tell you to avoid shooting at mid-day, I tend to shoot whenever I think I see something worth shooting. Yes, the light at mid-day may be considered harsh but it can be used to your advantage. Colors can be brighter and shadows are minimized. The direct sun on the wings of a dragonfly* can reveal some subtle colors that otherwise may be missed. So shoot whenever you think you have something worth shooting. Try shooting a flower from below so the sun is coming through the leaves. So what if you look odd lying on your back shooting straight up? It was once said that "Only mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the noon day sun." Add this photographer to that short list.I also like the very early morning when bumblebees are my subject. In the coolness of the morning they are a bit sluggish and if you're lucky you may find one on a flower bud with dew drops. TIP: If you plan on spending time amongst the bees avoid wearing any perfumes or colognes. The natural human scent doesn't attract them - at least mine doesn't LOL! TIP: Always have your tripod with you. Your images will always be better if you can use a tripod, especially landscapes. If you're shooting moving water then a tripod is mandatory since you'll be using a slow shutter speed to blur the water.TIP: Mushrooms and other subjects close to the ground are best photographed at their level. A table-top tripod or a bean-bag will keep your camera steady and out of the dew.When out shooting, slow down. Pretend you're a sniper, not a machine gunner. Look for the play of light on a flower or through a leaf. Sit down and see what a low-angle composition will look like. Lie down if you have to. Stand in the middle of the creek if that's where the best composition is. Set your tripod as low as possible and shoot as close to the level of the water as possible - being careful to keep your camera high enough to avoid spray from water hitting rocks or the bank. Find a vantage point and shoot down at the rushing water. Include a large rock if possible or a tree trunk. SLOW DOWN. Observe everything around you. If you spend an entire day at your local nature preserve or state park or wherever you like to shoot and you come home with 30 or 40 images you've had a good day IMO. If you come back with 300 exposures and only 10% are worth having then you're using the machine gun approach. While you edit and delete, I'll be out with my camera.If I spend a day enjoying nature photography and come home with the seat of my pants and knees clean and with dry shoes I haven't done much - even if its winter. OK, I wear boots in the winter to keep my feet dry and warm. But in the summer...* From observing the behavior of dragonflies I've found that they almost always return to where you first saw them. So if you see one land on a branch or twig and he flies off before you can compose and shoot, just sit down and wait. In a couple of minutes he will return and land in the same place and position you originally saw him. I often use my 70-210mm zoom so I can stay back and not scare him off. Zoom in, focus and shoot. I once waited, in the sun, for almost an hour until a dragonfly landed on a twig sticking about 6 inches out of the water. My reward was an image of him perched on the end of the twig and a perfect reflection of him in the water. |
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