Outdoor Photography...

Out Door Photography...

Your Complete Guide to Outdoor Photography

Outdoor photography encompasses a whole host of genres, like:  landscapes, nature, macro, wildlife and even low-light, thus it can be the perfect opportunity to try new techniques and compositions that are outside your traditional comfort zone.  So while you might have set off to capture some fascinating vistas, you might stumble upon a collection of unusual looking fungi and want to photograph that too, which is great as long as you’ve packed the right kit.

 The key here is preparation, because once you’re out in wild it can be a long trek home if you’ve forgotten something. Whatever you’re heading outdoors to capture, here are a few things to consider before you leave.
Guide to Outdoor Photography

Backpack

If you plan on packing everything, including the kitchen sink you’ll need to invest in a large, lightweight yet hard-wearing backpack, ones with Velcro padded dividers are a great choice if you’re planning on packing a selection of cameras and lenses. Ideally waterproofed ones are favourable, for obvious reasons and you’ll be thanking yourself later if you’ve bought one with soft, broad shoulder straps.

Accessories

Bags with zippable pockets will ensure you don’t lose your keys and wallet in the wilderness, but they are also great for securing smaller accessories such as memory cards; a handful ranging in capacity, a lens pen and cloth; for smudge-free glass, spare batteries or battery unit, and a selection of filters. It’s also a good idea to carry some small change with you in case you need to use a pay phone, toilets or parking.

Tripod

For most of the subjects that outdoor photography encompasses, a tripod will be necessary. Select a lightweight one such as one made of carbon-fibre, which is not only lighter to carry than most aluminium ones, but is much more rugged and durable. Opt for one that has a low minimum height (i.e. one where the central column doesn’t prevent you from getting down low enough to capture land-level macros).

Lenses

A good selection of lens covering a range of focal lengths will ensure you’re covered whatever the subject, from wide-angle focal lengths for landscapes to telephoto reaches for wildlife. If you’re budget doesn’t allow such luxury than you might want to consider a zoom lens for varying between all focal lengths, and perhaps one sharp prime lens for ensuring macros and nature subjects are captured in stunning life-like detail.
 

Plastic bags

The all important plastic bag, in fact pack a couple. Never has one item been so useful to the outdoor photographer, and what’s more, they are incredible versatile, take up practically no space and most importantly – are free! If you’re caught in an unexpected downpour pull it over your camera, poke a hole in the bottom and slid the lens through the hole, then make a seal with your lens hood from the outside – et voila a waterproof camera shield. Want to lie down to get a close up of those flowers but the meadow is muddy? Lay down a line of plastic bags to stop you’re clothes getting wet and dirty. Want to shoot a long exposure landscape but the wind is blowing the tripod? Collect a few rocks or stones in your bag and attach it to the tripod’s centre column. There are 101 uses for a plastic bag, if not more!

Unless you’re a Bear Grylls (adventurer) type and are used to fending for yourself in the wild, it’s wise to take a few precautionary measures before you leave home, especially if the location you are heading to is dangerous, isolated or you are planning on going at night. These may seem like some obvious precautions, but actually it could make the difference between life and death.

Phone

Ensure the battery on your phone is fully charged and to stop it draining in the cold keep it somewhere warm, like close to your body such as an inside jacket pocket.
It’s a good idea to put a few helpful apps on your Smartphone too if you can such as Maps, Compass, First Aid, Find My Phone – in case you become lost or injured, plus photography relevant apps such as an app that tells you of your location’s sunset/sunrise times, one that can work out hyperfocal distances or even act as a light meter.

Tell a friend

Tell at least one person where you are going, the route you’ll be taking and when you expect to return. Perhaps offer to text or call them when you arrive at your location and also when you are on your way home again, just to put their mind at rest.

Road worthy

Double check your vehicle is topped up with gas and oil, and that the tires are correctly inflated and are in a good condition. If you are travelling some distance, or off the beaten track, it is a good idea to carry a small amount of fuel in a jerry can, to get you to the next gas station. Check the lights are working and pack a couple of spares. Keep a copy of your breakdown details just in case, but minimise the need of having to call someone out by having a spare tire and jack in your trunk.

Weather forecast

Check the weather forecast before you go to avoid adverse conditions (unless this is what you’re after) and wear/pack the appropriate clothing. Depending on the type of climate you are working in you may want to consider packing a few extra items in the trunk too, such as; a change of clothes and shoes, a blanket, spade/snow shovel, flask of hot tea/coffee, food, water, and sunscreen. A First Aid Kit and flashlight may also come in useful.

What to wear

Comfort and safety is the name of the game here rather than looking like a trendsetting explorer. A pair of hard-wearing hiking boots, or shoes with ankle-support, will keep your feet and legs as comfortable as possible when trekking over long distances. Consider the weather and dress appropriately so; waterproof clothing if it’s raining, thermals and insulated clothing if it snows light, bright cottons if it’s hot. Clothing with plenty of pockets is always a bonus as they are ideal and convenient place for keeping lens caps, cards, filters and cloths at arm’s reach. A hat is surely obligatory if it’s super cold or super sunny out, so opt for an insulated woolly one, or a wide brimmed white one respectively. If you’re venturing out after dark and are near roads or highways be sure to wear reflective or bright clothing so that you stand out, warning drivers to veer round you.

Your Compete Guide to Outdoor Photography – Part Two

Shooting mode

As outdoor photography incorporates a wide selection of genres you’ll find Manual mode will offer you the most flexible and convenient grounds for setting and changing values on the go. But Manual mode isn’t for everyone, so if you’re not feeling confident enough yet, try using a semi-manual mode. Aperture Priority is great if you want to control the depth of field of your image, for example if you want the majority of the scene to be sharp and in focus. This is helpful when you’re shooting a landscape for example, simply plump for a smaller aperture (larger number) such as f/11. However if you want to soften the area around the subject, to focus attention on one part of the scene or subject; such as the centre of a flower or the tip of a mushroom, then you’re better off using a larger aperture (smaller number) such as f/5.6.


Shutter priority is ideal for long exposure landscapes when you want to incorporate some ‘movement’ into the frame, for example clouds travelling across the sky, a river flowing down stream or tree branches swaying in the wind. Opt for a slow shutter speed here (but use a ND or polarizer filter if it’s a particularly bright day so that you don’t risk overexposing). If you want to freeze a subject on the other hand, a wild animal for instance, then dial in a fast shutter speed to avoid blur.
Shoot in RAW if your camera permits, as this will allow greater ability to perfect colours, details and exposure post-shoot.

Avoid camera shake

Using a long exposure means keeping the shutter open for a lengthy period of time, and the slightest knock during this window can result in detrimental camera shake. The first step is to use a tripod or rest your camera on something sturdy such as a wall or bench. Then with your shot composed the next step is to fire the shutter using a remote control rather than pressing the button;

 as even the lightest of touches can result in the camera moving. Wireless and tethered controls are available, and many contemporary cameras can be fired using a Smartphone or tablet. Alternatively you can program the self-timer to start the exposure. If it’s windy, or you are particularly heavy-handed, then set a longer timer to give the tripod and the attached camera enough time to reset to a stationery position.

Saving power

If you’re out for the day, or a very long period, but don’t have a spare battery, always consider ways to save power. For starters, if it’s cold out, keep the camera insulated when not in use; wrapped in a spare sweater in the bag, inside your jacket or even under your arm.



Avoid using LiveView and rather than use in-camera editing wait until you return home to edit. Minimize the time you spend reviewing shots in Playback mode and use the histogram to nail exposure. It always seem tempting to delete frames on location, particularly if you’re waiting for something to appear (e.g. wildlife, sunset, stars etc) but you’re better off saving the battery for photographing. What’s more – something that seems unworthy on the camera’s LCD may offer some redeeming features on a larger computer screen.

Time of day

Sunrise and sunset can make for some truly arresting images. In order to capture the golden-flame light in all its glory you’ll need to arrive at your shooting location approximately an hour and a half before the actual event. Use half an hour to prepare your kit; attach the right lens, secure your camera on the tripod, decide on the composition, ensure the horizon is straight using the in-camera spirit level (if your camera has one) and program the desired values. If you’re using a tripod, turn the lens’ image stabilisation switch to off; and opt for a suitable ISO (ideally between ISO 200-800).
The best light is born an hour before sunrise and an hour before sunset, which is why you need to be there early – once the sun has risen or set the vibrancy of hues diminish, so enjoy the 60 minute build up with its soft caressing light, and capture the ever-changing colours of the sky and its effect on the land below. To add some extra punch to those tones try using a ‘cloudy’ white balance option for pumped up reds, oranges and yellows.
The great outdoors can offer up some wonderful subjects for night photography, and by using a long exposure the light of the moon will paint in the elements of your scene. Alternatively, if there is no moon or nearby light source, use a flashlight or even the beam from your phone. Simply compose the scene, opt for Bulb mode to keep the shutter open as long as you need, and flick the beam over the nearby subjects; such as a tree, boulder, hay bale, truck, etc. Move the beam smoothly and steadily, trying not to hold it in one place for too long. When you are finished painting with light, simply end the exposure and review the result.

Editing

The hard work has been done and now you’re home with a collection of charismatic captures. While many of them are probably perfect straight out the camera, there might be a few ways you can inject a little extra interest into those not quite up to scratch. Here are a few suggestions for adding the ‘great’ into your great outdoors images.

Colours

Editing suites are fantastic for turning the bland into the beautiful; and if you’ve captured your images as RAW files, there’s even more scope for success. Make sure your screen is probably calibrated so that the colours you see onscreen are presented as the same as the ones you’ve photographed.


The majority of editing software will offer an automatic colour correction tool which is great if you feel the colour values are a little off and unrealistic. Usually you will be able to click on a white area of the image and the software will use this as a reading to change the colours in the image. You can do this manually by offsetting hues. For instance, should you feel the tones are looking a little cold, then warm them up by scaling up the yellow.


If you feel your image would benefit from some vivacious colouring, ramp up the power of the hues using the suite’s saturation slider, this works well for flower meadows or landscapes of patchwork-quilt fields. Just be careful not to go too far as it can start to look unrealistic and garish. Likewise you can pull the saturation back to make an image appear more sombre or stark, ideal for winter shots for example.

Blemishes

Dead pixels, lens spots and smudges can totally distract attention away from the main focus of your picture.  The good news is they are easily rectified. Many suites like Photoshop, Elements and Lightroom offer users the ability to clone out errors.


In Photoshop you simply select the Clone tool, hold down Alt and click on an area you wish to copy (i.e. identical colour and shade – the more similar it is the better it will blend in). Next move the cursor to the offending spot and click again. This will cover up the spot and most people won’t be able to notice.

Noise

Most new cameras shoot to sensitivities of ISO 25,600 (or higher), with noise making an appearance as late as ISO 6400, providing better support for low-light, night and sports enthusiasts. For those who aren’t endowed with the market’s latest launches it might be wise to administer some noise reduction software if you’ve shot at high sensitivities and noise is visible.
Noise-reduction software plug-ins (add-on features that can be used within your editing suite such as Noise Ninja, Topaz deNoise or Neat Image) are fantastic. After a few simple steps the noise can be muted without over-softening the main subjects within the picture.

Composition

We’ve all been there – you’ve spent ages composing the frame in the field, only to return home to find it falls flat. Composing images effectively takes time and practice or a good eye and natural talent, but there are a few ways to enhance the composition post-shoot.

The first is to bring up the thirds grid while editing. Crop into the frame so that the interesting part of the frame or the main subject lies on one of the intersecting points or lines, this will get rid of unwanted negative space and force the eye onto the subject. You can also crop out areas of the frame that clutter the image, thus directing the viewer’s focus onto the important elements. Lock the aspect ratio to ensure the proportions of the image stay the same – especially if you intend to print it.

Exposure

Tools such as Photoshop’s Curves can help photographers correct slightly over or underexposed frames. Using Curves lift the line one third of the way from the top to reveal details shrouded in shadow or drag the line one third from the bottom down to bring edge back details blown out by overexposing.

Black & White

Want to make your images more moody and deep? Simply desaturate them and heighten the contrast. Yes it’s as easy as that; drag the saturation slider down so that all traces of colour vanish from the frame and increase the contrast or tweak using Curves, so that the blacks are richer and the whites are brighter.

 
 Save and print
Today’s digital camera sensor’s usually pack an insane amount of megapixels, which means you can print your images at a larger size and still maintain a high resolution quality. Therefore if you want to print your outdoor scenes in all their glory, print using the resolution you shot it at. Alternatively if you intend to share your frames online – either of a social network or your own website reduce the size to 72dpi for quick and easy uploading and viewing. In Photoshop you can do this simply by heading to ‘Image’ on the Menu Bar and then ‘Image Size’ from the drop down menu and change its resolution to 72dpi (and a smaller size in pixels as well for online sharing).


Now we’ve explored the majority of considerations you need to make when pursuing outdoor photography you’ve got no excuse to give it a try. Maybe you have some tips and techniques of your own you’d like to tell us about? We’d love to see them, so please share them here for your fellow photographers to see and try!

 

 

Learning about Exposure – The Exposure Triangle

Bryan Peterson has written a book titled Understanding Exposure which is a highly recommended read if you’re wanting to venture out of the Auto mode on your digital camera and experiment with it’s manual settings.
In it Bryan illustrates the three main elements that need to be considered when playing around with exposure by calling them ‘the exposure triangle’.
Each of the three aspects of the triangle relate to light and how it enters and interacts with the camera.

The three elements are:

1. ISO – the measure of a digital camera sensor’s sensitivity to light
2. Aperture – the size of the opening in the lens when a picture is taken
3. Shutter Speed – the amount of time that the shutter is open

It is at the intersection of these three elements that an image’s exposure is worked out.
Most importantly – a change in one of the elements will impact the others. This means that you can never really isolate just one of the elements alone but always need to have the others in the back of your mind.

3 Metaphors for understanding the digital photography exposure triangle:

Many people describe the relationship between ISO, Aperture and Shutter Speed using different metaphors to help us get our heads around it. Let me share three. A quick word of warning first though – like most metaphors – these are far from perfect and are just for illustrative purposes:

The Window
Imagine your camera is like a window with shutters that open and close.
Aperture is the size of the window. If it’s bigger more light gets through and the room is brighter.
Shutter Speed is the amount of time that the shutters of the window are open. The longer you leave them open the more that comes in.
Now imagine that you’re inside the room and are wearing sunglasses (hopefully this isn’t too much of a stretch). Your eyes become desensitized to the light that comes in (it’s like a low ISO).


There are a number of ways of increasing the amount of light in the room (or at least how much it seems that there is. You could increase the time that the shutters are open (decrease shutter speed), you could increase the size of the window (increase aperture) or you could take off your sunglasses (make the ISO larger).
Ok – it’s not the perfect illustration – but you get the idea.

      

  

Sunbaking
Another way that a friend recently shared with me is to think about digital camera exposure as being like getting a sun tan.
Now getting a suntan is something I always wanted growing up – but unfortunately being very fair skinned it was something that I never really achieved. All I did was get burnt when I went out into the sun. In a sense your skin type is like an ISO rating. Some people are more sensitive to the sun than others.
Shutter speed in this metaphor is like the length of time you spend out in the sun. The longer you spend in the sun the increased chances of you getting a tan (of course spending too long in the sun can mean being over exposed).

Aperture is like sunscreen which you apply to your skin. Sunscreen blocks the sun at different rates depending upon it’s strength. Apply a high strength sunscreen and you decrease the amount of sunlight that gets through – and as a result even a person with highly sensitive skin can spend more time in the sun (ie decrease the Aperture and you can slow down shutter speed and/or decrease ISO).
As I’ve said – neither metaphor is perfect but both illustrate the interconnectedness of shutter speed, aperture and ISO on your digital camera.


Update: A third metaphor that I’ve heard used is the Garden Hose (the width of the hose is aperture, the length that the hose is left on is shutter speed and the pressure of the water (the speed it gets through) is ISO.

 

Bringing  It All Together

Mastering the art of exposure is something that takes a lot of practice. In many ways it’s a juggling act and even the most experienced photographers experiment and tweak their settings as they go. Keep in mind that changing each element not only impacts the exposure of the image but each one also has an impact upon other aspects of it (ie changing aperture changes depth of field, changing ISO changes the graininess of a shot and changing shutter speed impacts how motion is captured).


The great thing about digital cameras is that they are the ideal testing bed for learning about exposure. You can take as many shots as you like at no cost and they not only allow you to shoot in Auto mode and Manual mode – but also generally have semi-automatic modes like aperture priority and shutter priority modes which allow you to make decisions about one or two elements of the triangle and let the camera handle the other elements.