Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do…. Explore. Dream.
Discover.
—Mark Twain
As evidenced by the explosion in popularity of Outside magazine, National Geographic Adventure, and the ubiquitousness of Patagonia outdoor clothing, more and more people are
exploring the great outdoors. As long as photography has been in existence, the natural landscape has been a prominent subject in photographs. The subtle contours of rolling hillsides, the grandeur of precipitous and craggy cliffs, and the ever-changing sky provide an infinite array of photographic potential. This
At Point Wild in the Antarctic , Weddell seals and penguins
lounge on ice floes in this remote par t of the wor ld. I love the name of the place , as those words re-create the essence of
what this felt like to me . In the background, a lone penguin on its own jour ney is the one extr a “dimension” providing depth
and a feeling of discover y in that layer of the photo. 50–200mm lens at 169mm, 1/320 second at f8, 100 ISO
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chapter will help you improve your outdoor photographs and give you invaluable tips on photographing wildlife and protecting your camera equipment in unpredictable environs.
We All Want to Be
Ansel Adams
It was early in the morning when we set the helicopter down on Roraima-tepui in
southeast Venezuela. These giant and ancient granite monoliths rise straight from the
surrounding rainforest floor to heights of 5000 to 6000 feet. Roraima-tepui, the largest, is almost 15 miles long and several miles wide. The tepuis are protected by the Venezuelan government as part of the country’s national park system. National Geographic had obtained permission for me and a writer, Tom Melham, to escort a mountain rescue team as they practiced for a month on several of the nearly 100 tepuis.
Angel Falls, the wor ld’s tallest waterfall, shot from a bird’s-eye view while I was on assignment for a National
Geogr aphic book, Beyond the Horizon . I spent sever al weeks photogr aphing the tepuis in souther n Venezuela. 20mm lens, 1/500 second at f3.5
We had the luxury of air support (two helicopters) on this assignment, which allowed us to visit Roraima-, Auyan- (the home of Angel Falls, the tallest waterfall in the world), and Cuquenan-tepuis. Normally this is a hike of several days from small villages, themselves very remote. Wandering about the vast geological wonderland of Roraima’s surface,
I saw a couple of people standing perilously close to the near-vertical edge of the 4000-foot drop. I thought perhaps they were two locals
from a nearby village. Two local tribes had recently been warring, and I didn’t want to be mistaken for an adversary, so I moved with as much noise as I could to give them plenty of warning that I was in the vicinity. I cautiously approached the people, and as I drew closer
I realized that their huge size was due to their backpacks and camera bags. They were
photographing the amazing view of the jungle canopy afforded them by days of hiking. I’d found the local Ansel Adamses.
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Isla Rasa in the Sea of Cor tez is a protected bird sanctuar y with huge , huge number s of
Heer mann’s Gulls, Elegant Ter ns, and other unique or nithological species (birds, in other words). Late after noon, in a Zodiac r aft, a group from the National Geogr aphic Endeavour was watching as these Elegant Ter ns (Sterna elegans) gathered on rocks along the littor al zone of the island.
I love the one ter n hanging above the other s and the lineup of other birds, each par t of the composition of this image . 50–200mm lens at 158mm, 1/500 second at f5.6, 100 ISO
On Isla Rasa, this group of Heer mann’s Gulls had been fr ightened into an explosion of flight by another more fear some resident of this densely packed isle sanctuar y—a falcon had flown overhead. 50–200mm lens at 200mm, 1/500 second at f3.5, 100 ISO
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Cameras have given us glimpses into the most remote and untraveled corners of the Earth. When we can see and share the images of the rainforests in Brazil or the tepuis of Venezuela, it gives us a greater understanding of the importance of these areas instead of what we gain by just reading a description. Through photographers such as Eliot Porter and Frans
Lanting, the photograph has helped generate support for the preservation of wild places.
Photographers and travelers (almost synonymous) want to record their travels into the natural world. Let’s talk about the various components of photography in the outdoor world and what a perfect fit digital is with the great outdoors.
The Components of
Outdoor Photography
Successful landscape and outdoor photography uses several components that are key in making it successful. A powerful photograph provides the viewer with a sense of scale, place, or magic.
Creating a Sense of Scale
Who isn’t overwhelmed by the scale of the Grand Canyon or the size of the redwoods in northern California? If you’ve seen Yosemite, the view from Glacier Point can hold you
for hours. Unfortunately, most aspiring photographers are underwhelmed when they view their photos of these places. One of the reasons this happens is that they fail to convey a sense of scale in their images. This is critical, as you have to translate an immense physical location into a 4 × 6 or 8 × 10 print.
One of the simplest solutions is to add a person to your landscape. This creates an instant sense of scale if that person can be
used to gauge the size of the cliff, waterfall, or whatever natural feature you’re photographing.
Here are a couple of tips for effectively communicating a sense of scale:
■ Don’t place the subject too close to the camera. This does not put the person in a place that creates scale. Place her back in an area where the size of the natural feature can be judged against the size of the person.
■ Use a clean background. If the person in the photo is lost in the trees, the sense
of scale will not exist. Place her against a solid bar of color or against the sky. This will make your photo stronger by making the subject stand out and uses scale as another dimension of the photo.
■ Incorporate subject elements that are familiar to the viewer. A barn, a lone house, a fence post, or a windmill can also help tell the story of the area and provide a tangible point of reference for the landscape.
■ You don’t always have to use a person for sense of scale. The interior of Iceland is one of the most phenomenal places I’ve had the fortune to visit. Equally portioned between stunning and breathtaking, these four photos shown on the following page convey my sense of this amazing place.
Finding Your Subject
Within those “Big Places,” your subject can be the focal point of the photo, whether that subject is a person, bird, or bear. What your
subject is doing helps create a more interesting photo. When the subject is centered in the frame staring into the camera, our eyes gravitate toward the center and little else.
Conversely, when your subject interacts in the scene, the overall photo becomes the message.
Adding a subject to your photographs of Big Places not only adds a sense of scale, but it heightens your personal interest in the photo. Photographs are most successful when the subject interacts with the environment, as the interaction tells a story and engages the viewer.
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Dur ing a late after noon snowmobile for ay to the middle of Vatnajökull Glacier in Iceland,
the lar gest glacier in Europe , I looked back to see another member of our par ty r ushing to catch up with us, under the r ising moon. 180mm lens, 1/30 second at f2.8
Par t of the assignment was a three-day, 100-mile hor seback r ide in the mountains of southeast Iceland. This photo was shot the mor ning our far mer s were gather ing the Icelandic ponies for the trek. 300mm lens, 1/500 second at f5.6
Iceland gets the major ity of its power from geother mal sources; I saw this natur al geother mal vent one late after noon as the sun was setting. 180mm lens, 1/125 second at f2.8
A pair of white swans perfor m a mating r itual in the volcanic fissure lakes in the inter ior of Iceland. 80–200mm lens, 1/125 second at f4
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The photogr apher has to be ready—when that camer a str ap goes over your head, a switch
should be tur ned on in your mind so you are “on,” thinking photogr aphically. Magdalena Bay on the Pacific side of Mexico’s Baja Califor nia peninsula is a breeding ground for the gr ay whale . Hundreds of these magnificent creatures retur n to this fair ly remote bay to give bir th to their calves. This event also attr acts viewer s, ar r iving by boat. As I was photogr aphing the whales,
the mother s almost pushed their babies to the surface to encounter humans (whales must
have shor t memor ies, consider ing how humans near ly wiped them off the face of the Ear th),
bumping against as well as under our Zodiac r afts. I wanted to capture a slightly different look at this event, so I used my camer a’s Live View, holding it at ar ms’ length, just above the water’s surface , to capture this young whale just as it surfaced, while it eyed my camer a with cur iosity. 12–60mm lens at 12mm, 1/500 second at f4.5, 100 ISO
Creating Interest: Make Your Audience Want More
Flipping through a stack of prints from your latest vacation can be an exhilarating experience or an exercise in frustration, depending on the content of those photos. How do you make your photos command the attention of the viewer and make your audience want more? Here are a few tips:
■ Keep things simple in the frame. One common mistake is having too much going on in the frame. Strive for simple, elegant compositions.
■ Have your subject interact with the scene, not stare into the camera. Stay with
the subject until something interesting happens. If you are photographing prairie dogs in a field, wait until two dogs interact or one stretches its head toward the sky. Often a simple gesture creates a spark of interest in what could have been a boring photo.
■ Use contrasting colors to create interest. An expanse of blue sky with a strategically placed person in a red sweater creates
a contrast in palette that draws the attention of the viewer.
■ Shoot during a time of day when you can utilize the light. Good afternoon or morning light against the wall of a cliff may not only produce a nicer quality light, but it can also create a more even light that helps the photograph succeed.
■ Even in the natural world, the idea of “moment” still exists—the photo of the young gray whale is an example of this. If
the photo had been shot a moment before or after, the eye might have been closed or underwater. This is our job—to wait for that moment when everything comes together.
Creating a Sense of Place
One of the old rules of thumb when covering a story as a newspaper photographer was to shoot wide as you started your coverage. This anchors the story within the environment. It could be the zoo, the middle of the Sahara, or a village in Scotland. Next time you pick up a photo-driven magazine such as National Geographic, look for the establishing photo that shows the viewer where you are. A photo that works well in this sense works on several layers. The first and most obvious is to introduce the viewer to what the subject’s world looks like. Second, it gives clues to
the character of the subject as we are heavily influenced by where we live.
You’ve traveled far and wide to get to the place of your dreams, and you want your photos to convey that feeling of being there.
You want the viewer to understand the magic of what attracted you to the locale. Remember that if something makes you say “Wow!”
it’s worth a photograph. What is the single element in the environment that compels you to pick up your camera? Isolate it and make that element the subject of your photograph. It’s easy for landscape images to become cluttered. By composing your photo around a central element, your landscapes will be easier to “read” and will convey the essence of the environment.
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Creating a Sense of Magic
Veteran photographers have the uncanny ability to be at the right place at the right time, consistently—almost like a sixth sense. Your “spider” sense may not tingle when a stunning opportunity is near, but your pictures can benefit by using some of the tricks employed by professional landscape photographers.
The photographer is constantly struggling with glare, scattered light, and reflections that degrade the quality of the photograph. These can dilute the light or obscure subjects in the
photograph. The extended dynamic range of a scene may be beyond the ability for the sensor to capture the full range of bright to dark in the image. A polarizer, when used correctly, can assist in mitigating these problems.
A polarizing filter is one of the most essential filters to reside in your camera bag. What makes it indispensable is its ability to control glare, deepen colors, and eliminate reflections. All photographers should have
a basic understanding of how the polarizer works to take full advantage of this uber-filter.
The Namib Deser t in Namibia, Afr ica, is one of the oldest deser ts on Ear th, and Traveler
Overseas magazine sent me there on assignment. Our job as a photogr apher is to make sense of the “visual chaos” that is always in front of us. As an or yx was passing the dunes in the
background, I shot this image with a “super-telephoto,” allowing the compression created by a
long lens to place foreground and background on the same plane of focus. 20–250mm lens, 1.4 conver ter, at 320mm, 1/500 second at f5.6, 100 ISO
Some shooters leave polarizers on their cameras permanently, which can result in images that look obviously polarized. Also, be wary of wearing polarized sunglasses—you
might miss a good picture because you couldn’t see a reflectance that the polarized glasses absorbed.
A Quick Polarizer Tutorial
Almost all outdoor photography is accom- plished with primary light sources such as the sun or moon. The light from these sources can be described, very simply, as a flow of particles moving perpendicular from the source. These light sources are unpolarized, and the job of the polarizer is to allow passage of the light rays that are directed in the polarizing direction, effectively “selecting” which light rays may enter your camera’s lens.
Polarizers work when the lens is pointed at a 90-degree angle to the light source (sometimes you may want to polarize a source or reflectance that isn’t related to the sun).
One easy trick: Use your hand to make an “L” with thumb and index finger. With your index finger, point at the sun and extend your thumb at a 90-degree angle to your index finger. That will be the direction you’ll want to point your lens for maximum polarizer effect.
The bezel, or rotating front glass element of the polarizer, is turned while you’re looking through the camera. You watch through the viewfinder or the monitor to ascertain when the desired effect is reached. Wide-angle lenses can create problems with landscapes that include a lot of sky. Since the wide lens takes in such a large expanse of horizon, the ideal
90-degree positioning of the camera to the sun is changed on the extreme sides of the wide- angle image. The lens takes in so much of the horizon that the effective angle of the edges of the frame to the sun will not be 90 degrees, but closer to 45 to 75 degrees. This causes the polarizer not to darken the sky equally in the corners, but proportionally as to the relative angle. You will notice a darkening of the sky in the middle of the frame and lighter sky at the edges. One way to deal with this is to use
a graduated filter. (See the section “Another Necessity: The Graduated Filter” a bit later in the chapter.) This filter will provide an even darkening of the sky. Polarizing filters also affect the exposure as they are essentially a neutral density filter that absorbs about 2
f-stops of light. Your camera’s TTL metering will adjust for this, but if you are using an external meter, adjust the camera’s aperture by opening it 2 f-stops. If the external meter reads 1/250 second at f8, the correct exposure with the polarizer would be 1/250 second at f4.
Two types of polarizing filters are available:
■ Linear polarizers are considered standard and can actually cause problems with auto-focus and/or auto-exposure, contributing to inaccurate exposure and
focus problems. Also, they may play havoc with your TTL light meter.
■ Circular polarizers can be used on all cameras without any of the problems associated with the linear polarizer. A circular polarizer is preferred for digital photography as it will provide the best results with auto-focus lenses.
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Using a polar izer for this photo of the volcano on the Aeolian island of Vulcano allowed the sky to dar ken, balancing out the density of foreground and sky, and having a human in the scene
provide a sense of scale . 12–60mm lens at 12mm, 1/125 second at f8
Polarizers in Action
Saturation of colors is a natural and often desired component of using a polarizer…an almost other-world scene is enhanced by the use of this filter.
Another Necessity:The Graduated Filter
We photographers use many tools in our business. Some deal with the natural inability of digital to capture the dynamic range of the scene as our eyes can see it. The human eye can look at a scene and readily capture the full range of light, while the camera is limited by its ability to capture only a slice of that full brightness range.
Another lifesaver that is a close second to the polarizer is the graduated neutral density filter. This filter helps to compress a scene’s brightness range into a range that can be captured by film or digital. This rectangular filter is half neutral density, half clear, with a split in the middle. Used for situations where the sky is significantly brighter than the rest of the image, the filter is placed over the lens so that the split section of the lens aligns with the horizon and the neutral density portion of the filter covers the sky. This balances the brightness values so you can correctly expose for both the sky and the foreground.
Two Singh-Ray gr aduated filter s are always in my bag. The ver sion at left is a 2 f-stop filter,
the ver sion at r ight a 3 f-stop gr aduated filter.
When we look at a beach scene, our eyes capture the deep blue sky, the aquamarine
of the water, and the soft umber color of the sand—all in the full blaze of the midday sunlight. The camera’s sensor does not have the dynamic range of the eye and thus the unfiltered photo of that scene will suffer. If
the exposure for the sky is correct, more than likely the sand will be blown out. Or if we expose for the sand, the sky will be almost black. The graduated neutral density filters let you more nearly capture the scene as you see it. Filters are the method by which we control the light and the exposure range.
The Neutral Density Filter
A graduated neutral density filter, as used in the photo of Oban, has half the filter darkened to enable the photographer to reduce half the image’s exposure. A neutral density filter is 100-percent darkened.
The sole purpose of this filter is to evenly reduce light passing through the lens. This can be used when the ambient exposure requires too high a shutter speed. These filters come
in 1 f-stop, 2 f-stop, or 3 f-stop levels of reduction. Say you want to shoot a blurred image of runners to accentuate the movement, and the slowest exposure you can achieve is 1/60 of a second at f16. Pop on a 2 f-stop neutral density filter and you immediately alter the exposure to 1/15 second by the 2 f-stop light loss the filter creates.
Skylight/UV/81A Filters
These are the filters to leave on the lens at all times. With no light loss and a very minimal amount of impact on the image, these filters will be a cheap insurance policy against having to replace an unprotected front element if something whacks the front of your lens. And believe me, after replacing a few front elements over the years, I have learned that keeping a filter on the lens is a lot cheaper way to go. I use B+W or Heliopan as my filters of choice, as I’ve seen the results a cheap filter can create on optical benches in measuring the distortion.
As a photographer who grew up shooting film, I always kept an 81A filter on the lens for protection and for the slight warming effect the filter imposed. The 81 filters come in three strengths: 81A, 81B, and 81C. I have all the filters listed on the back of a Minolta color meter, which includes 81D and 81EF. The
A filter has a very slight warming effect, just enough to add a warm (gold-orange) feeling to the photo. The B filter goes further, as does the C, both being too strong for everyday
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Oban is a resor t town in the r ugged and beautiful Wester n Highlands of Scotland. Becky and I were there scouting a location for a Fir stLight Wor kshop. It was late after noon, and the day had been r ainy and cold, but we decided to venture to an over look of the por t city. The ear ly evening skies broke open, providing a stunning scene as one of the fer r ies that ply the outer isles came into por t. The use of a gr aduated neutr al density filter and a Singh-Ray war ming
polar izer allowed me to dar ken the sky so that the foreground could be exposed proper ly. 50–200mm lens at 100mm, 1/20 second at f4, 100 ISO
shooting. Digital does present a bit of a problem with the 81A, B, and C filters. The white balance setting on your camera will see that warmer light that has been enhanced by the filter and will pump up the blue channel in the camera’s software, thereby neutralizing the filter’s effect. The problem here is that the blue channel is where the main body of noise comes from. A skylight or UV filter is the best choice for a permanent filter on your lens.
Software Filter Packages
In the not-so-long-ago past, all filtration was done in the obvious place, in front of the lens. Understanding filter packs, light loss, and mixed light sources all were part of that knowledge
you gained through years in school or in the business. With the advent of digital, the
photographer now has some filtration options that can be introduced in the computer.
Unfortunately, the most common uses of photographic filters can’t be introduced in the digital darkroom. Filtering a scattered light source with a polarizer or compressing the brightness range of the scene can’t be done on the computer. Digital filters are nice tools for slightly enhancing or modifying photographs, but they are not a substitute for filtration done on the lens.
The photographer can use warming and cooling filters that can be applied to the image with ultimate control as Photo Filter adjustment layers in Photoshop and Lightroom.
Photographing Wildlife
Animals, animals, animals require patience, patience, patience. Wildlife photography is a wildly popular area of photography that does not necessarily demand that you travel to the four corners of the Earth. I’ll discuss where you can go to obtain great wildlife photographs without breaking the bank. I’ll also include some ideas regarding photographing critters.
I spent some time in the Dry Bay Area of the enormous Glacier Bay National Park, a very remote section accessible only by bush plane or boat via the Gulf of Alaska. I was
photographing a story for National Geographic on the Tatshenshini-Alsek River and needed to photograph grizzlies for the story. Greg Dudgeon, a National Park Service ranger
for the northern extremes of the park, had suggested the area, which has one of the highest densities of the bears in the world. Access to Greg’s location had required an all-
terrain vehicle (a four-wheeled motorcycle) trek followed by a short hike to the banks of the East Alsek River. We took off early and made it to the river before dawn. A shallow rapid was a natural ladder for the salmon swimming upstream to spawn, and we were right in the middle of the spawning season. Moving as quietly as we could so we would not scare off any bears, we tiptoed past dozens of bear-mauled salmon carcasses.
Greg chose a spot on the riverbank, thinking that we could make our presence known to the grizzlies and not surprise them, which could initiate an attack. We sat that first morning for two or three hours, with several predators moving past in the distance. A gray wolf and a grizzly were out that morning, but not close enough to photograph. We decided to try again the next morning and headed back to the same place. A super-telephoto 600mm lens was mounted on my tripod with a second camera carrying an 80–200mm zoom. I hoped I would be ready for anything.
Within a few minutes a large coastal grizzly (so named because these bears stay close to the ocean for the abundance of fish) appeared out of the willow brush along the far shore, about 200 yards away, thus a little
too far to photograph. Still, the grizzly’s arrival caused an immediate increase in my pulse rate and focused my attention—these bears are generally larger than their mountain brethren and this one was no exception. Greg, armed with a shotgun, was talking softly so the bear would not be alarmed by our presence.
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The gr izzly stopped just shor t of us, deciding to feast on this salmon instead. 80–200mm lens at 100mm, 1/125 second at f2.8, 200 ISO
The initial rush of seeing this huge critter so close soon gave way to our relaxing a bit as the bear moved around in a small area. Twenty minutes passed and my attention was starting to drift. Something, a sound or motion, triggered the bear’s next reaction. Turning toward us, he lit out in a full sprint directly
at our exposed position. I started shooting with my camera and Greg brought his weapon up. The charging bear stopped in the water immediately in front of us. Sizing us up, he looked at us, and then looked into the water, back at us, and back at the water. He then dunked his enormous head into the rapids, bringing up a large salmon. I’ve always thought he was deciding, “Hmmm, surf or turf?”
Animal Encounters Close to Home
The Serengeti, the Arctic Circle, the rainforest…. Traveling to these exotic locales will provide amazing photo opportunities. However, it will also expose you to hungry lions, ornery polar bears, and a host of creepy crawlers that you’d probably rather not have scurrying around your camera bag. Practicing your techniques at your local zoo provides access to animals from around the world,
but without the risk of becoming lunch for a hungry carnivore.
Encounters like my grizzly adventure are rare and require time—a lot of time. I’ve always hugely admired the wildlife photography of
Frans Lanting, Paul Nicklen, and John Shaw and wished I had the same patience their craft requires. If you are short on time or don’t want an unexpected encounter with a giant bear, the zoo can provide a wonderful environment for capturing wildlife. In your bag, be sure and carry a long lens for close-up portraits of the animals and to help compress the photo enough that the distracting background is a blur.
■ A 300mm lens is a great choice for shooting in a zoo—long enough to reach out but not so long that any tiny bit of motion is amplified because of the long reach. This long lens will also help to blur the bars of the cage between you and the animal you’re photographing.
■ Find out when feeding takes place. This is a time when you’ll get action from the animals instead of a series of portraits of sleeping bears.
■
Take your time. Hang out at a cage or pen that has an interesting animal and give it time for something to develop. Remember that wildlife photographers may be hunkered down in a cold blind for hours waiting for the moment the eagle swoops down for a fish. This is good training for the time you are in the field and have to practice patience.
■ Think early and late when deciding when to visit. Often, these are the times when the zoo is least crowded and the animals may be up and moving.
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In the Sea of Cor tez, a por poise breaks the surface of the ocean. Steady tracking and anticipation was the for mula for this image . 50–200mm lens at 158mm, 1/500 second at f5.6, 100 ISO
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■ Approach a zoo administrator and ask if they ever need photos for possible publicity, archiving, and so on. Most
larger zoos have their own photographic staff, but smaller zoos may be quite interested in working out an arrangement. This relationship may pay off by them contacting you the next time they have an animal birth or special event happening.
■ Bring a flash so you can fill in the shadows on a harshly lit or backlit photo.
■ Zoos are more than pleased to have amateur photographers on the premises as long as they are not shooting for commercial gain. This means no selling the images, for publication or for any monetary gain. This is a strict policy with large zoos, and you should ask for a copy of the zoo’s policy on commercial photography if that is your intent.
Specialized Equipment
The world of outdoor photography can demand a lot of photographers and their equipment. Weather conditions are not always ideal, traveling to and from a location can
be arduous if not hazardous, and trying to
unspoiled and largely uninhabited area of Canada. Terry was not only a guide; he was an accomplished photographer as well. He’d
whittled his equipment down to two bodies— one in a LowePro TLZ Pro AW chest case and the other a body with a long (400mm) lens attached to a monopod. (Imagine using one leg of a tripod with a ballhead attached and you get the picture: fast and stable.) This was no country for a camera bag. I had my vest loaded with the minimum amount of gear to get the job done: a total of two cameras and three lenses. I used a wide zoom on one body, a medium-length zoom (80–200mm) in my vest pocket, and a 600mm on the other body, also on a monopod.
The outdoors will teach you quickly what works and what doesn’t. What does work well are cases such as the LowePro bag that attach firmly to your torso so there is no bouncing of the camera against your chest.
Providing a snug fit for a camera with up to an 80–200mm lens attached, the bag also affords weatherproofing and is well padded against shock and accidental knocks.
When you don’t need them, tripods are a pain to carry, but when the
combine good light with the perfect moment
On the Web
conditions require the use of a
can be frustrating. In this section, I’ll talk about how to improve your odds and make life a bit easier.
Camera Equipment and Such
We’d hiked across the tundra in the eskers country of the Northwest Territories for hours, trying to find the den of arctic wolves that Terry had seen earlier. I was on assignment
for Condé Nast Traveler to photograph this
tripod, they are utterly invaluable. Those conditions include long exposures, and when shooting with longer lenses and holding 15 pounds of lens and camera would be unrealistic. I carry a Gitzo GT2540 6X carbon fiber base with an Acratech GV2 ballhead. This light combination works extremely well for me in the outdoors and has taken and shaken off quite
a bit of abuse. For further information, please visit www.perfectdigitalphotography.com.
Another piece of equipment that is always in my outdoors bag is a macro lens. This extreme close-up lens opens worlds to the outdoor photographer. I’ve spent hours in a 10-square-yard area working on shooting close-ups. It is another world that some photographers even specialize in. Here are a few tips for macro work:
■ A small flash can be helpful, or try a ring light. Ring lights are flash units designed in a circular pattern to fit around the lens. The light produced by a ring light is very even across the photo.
■ A reflector is a must for the macro photographer, often to reflect a bit of light to fill in the shadow caused by the camera and photographer or to warm up the image. To improvise, I’ll carry small pieces of paper and aluminum foil to create
mini-reflectors that can be fitted into very small spaces yet reflect just enough light to fill in shadowed areas of a flower or insect. The foil that wraps Wratten filters can sometimes be the right size.
■ A small tripod is a necessity as the zone of focus of a macro lens can be very shallow, and working close in lower light amplifies any movement of the camera.
■ On that small tripod is a ballhead, and my brand of choice is the Acratech head, which is beautifully machined, ultra- light, and very stable. Ballheads are great because they give you almost unlimited positioning and lock down quickly once you have found that perfect angle.
■ A shutter release cord should also be in your macro kit. When you are working with extreme close-ups in low light, any movement of the camera can affect the sharpness, and the shutter release cord removes your shaky hands from the camera. If you’ve forgotten your shutter release cord, try using the self-timer on the camera. Set it for a couple of seconds, compose your photo, and then remove your hands as soon as you press the shutter. This allows any movement of
the camera to settle out, ensuring a very stable platform. Mirror lockup can be used to help steady the camera further when shooting long exposures, but focusing must be done pre-lockup as this trick eliminates the ability to see through the camera.
■ A small spray bottle of water can be used to moisten leaves, petals, flowers, and other parts to give them a bit more life.
■ If shooting insects, bugs, birds, and such for possible sales, decipher the scientific name. Any serious biological journal will want to know that you’ve photographed an Euchromus giganteus and not a “funky kinda green and gold huge critter.”
Various and Sundry
Other Gear to Contemplate
In my years of working as a photographer, I’ve accumulated my own set of specialized outdoor gear as well as stuff I find helps me in my photographic mission. Keep a list of what you take, and at the end of the shoot note
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The Amazon basin has a dizzyingly lar ge ar r ay of insects. On assignment for Condé Nast Traveler, my photogr aphic subjects, who happened to be biologists, found this beautiful beetle , Euchromus giganteus, about 2.5 inches long. I used a reflector to fill in the light on the insect’s wings, producing a visual “pop” to heighten the attention on the colorful creature . 60mm macro lens, 1/60 second at f5.6
what was used and what wasn’t. Over time you will have your own list addressing your shooting style and needs.
Here are a few other bits of specialized gear I’ll take on outdoor shoots:
■ I always carry one or two chamois cloths in my bag/vest. These are invaluable as camera wipes and rain covers. Check your local auto parts store or grocery store for a chamois.
■ A camera raincoat is a rain cover made specifically for the camera and lens. Several different brands are available,
including Photo-Fax Camera Raincoat, which is one of the most serious looking covers, and rain covers made by FotoSharp (www.fotosharp.com) and Think Tank (www.thinktankphoto.com/ttp_products
.html). If you’re serious about shooting in the great outdoors, a good rain cover is an absolute necessity.
■ I always take an umbrella—either a small, portable one that fits in a pocket of my vest or a golf umbrella. It’s cumbersome, but it provides great protection as long as the wind is not blowing!
■
Desiccants and zippered baggies are also permanent residents of my travel/
outdoor kit. At the end of a day shooting in a rainforest or other high-humidity situation, the camera and lens go in a baggie along with a small container of desiccant. Desiccants are the little bags of moisture-absorbing silica gel we’re
not supposed to eat that are included in almost every bit of electronic/
photographic gear that we purchase. The Camping Survival website (www
.campingsurvival.com) offers good silica gel desiccants in containers that make them realistic to carry and reuse, as they are able to be “baked” back to new.
■ One unfortunate byproduct of the Golden Hour, that perfect time near sunset when the light is ethereal, is that it is also the time mosquitoes call lunch hour. To deal with these little devils, I always wear a long-sleeved, light-colored shirt, sprayed with Permethrin. When sprayed on clothing, this product repels
ticks, mosquitoes, chiggers, and mites. I’ve never had a reaction of any sort to this product and it works wonderfully. Find it online at www.sawyerproducts
.com. Several clothing manufacturers now offer clothing that is pretreated with Permethrin, such as Exofficio’s Buzz Off line of clothing.
■ I keep a lens pen and batteries specific to my camera in my vest.
The Benefits of Digital in Nat u r e Photography
On a three-month assignment in Papua New Guinea, I was so remote I did not have the opportunity to ship my ever-growing pile of film to National Geographic for processing. Every day I’d check the case where the rolls resided and worry about exposure, camera problems, if the moment was captured, and so on. Beyond frustrated, I found myself shooting more than normal with different cameras on the same situation. I wanted to cover my tail and protect against losing an important image due to camera malfunction.
Fast-forward to the digital era. I shoot, I confirm, I move on. At night, I back up my cards to my laptop and external RAID system (two WiebeTech pocket drives configured
in my Disk Utility to appear as one icon on my laptop) and burn them to DVD. The advantages of digital in this particular area of photography are legion. The ability to check out the image immediately for
composition and exposure actually empowers the photographer in this craft. (And, don’t forget, it also allows you to spend countless hours poring over your laptop when you could be sleeping!) Instead of covering your tail by shooting and shooting, you can move on to the next image when you see the fruition of the moment or situation on the monitor. If possible, I shoot test exposures based on my metering and make adjustment prior to the real deal. Then I know I don’t have to bracket, shooting additional exposures a third of a stop or so on either side of the correct exposure to cover myself—and I can work on the moment.
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How To : Creating a Sense of Place in Your Outdoor Photography
When photographing on assignment for an outdoor publication, the photographer is responsible for capturing a sense of place. The viewer has to feel that photo resonate. Here are some tips for effectively conveying that sense of place:
■
It may take more than one photo. Start with a wide shot to create an overall scene. Again, use your light as a key factor by shooting at good times of the day. Supporting photos can be details and moments that help create that sense of grandeur.
■ What attracted you to this area? This could be the key element to your photos. If it’s Yellowstone National Park’s Old Faithful, then use it as an element in your photo, even if it is only in part of the frame—perhaps with your child in the foreground taking a photo of the geyser.
■ The preceding tip goes hand in hand with this one: Don’t be literal. A photo of Old Faithful by itself will not be as interesting as a photo that includes a human. Try shooting from different levels—up high, down low. Look around. An image of Old Faithful reflected in a tourist’s sunglasses tells a lot about the crowds that eagerly await its eruptions.
■ Include scale if the scene is grand. This will give the viewer a sense of the majesty of the place.
■ Don’t stop working the scene after the sun sets. This can be a wonderful time to bring out the tripod for long exposures, which open up another world of photography and a fresh look and palette.
■ As an aside, here’s a website that I recommend to students: www.artphotogallery.org. This website has a Masters section with important images from some of the most legendary photographers ever: Ansel Adams, Edward Weston, Arnold Newman, Joel Meyerowitz, Walker Evans, Yosuf Karsh, Irving Penn, Richard Avedon—62 artists are catalogued here. This is a nice, free access photo library for anyone interested in seeing accomplished work.
Stromboli volcano, the Aeolian Islands of Italy. A
long hike in late after noon with a guide landed us at the constantly changing over look of this active
volcano. Explosive er uptions were absolutely star tling,
and fir st instinct is to r un for cover. Looking down into the cr ater resulted in this late-
day photo. 12–60mm lens at 36mm, 3/10 second at f5.6,
100 ISO