Photography Articles by Scotland Photographer

Macro Nature Photography

As a photographer getting close up to nature is a very important part of my life. It allows a far greater appreciation of the beauty and a clearer understanding of the natural world in which we live.

Take for example a clear cold winters day with crispness so sharp it is breathtaking. When we start to look for close ups in nature in these conditions we are immediately drawn to magical patterns in the snow, frosted ivy leaves and shimmering icicles. Ice patterns are one of my favourite winter closeup photography subjects as they offer such diversity and literally capture a moment frozen in time. Some offer gracefully smooth curves whilst others display harsh jagged lines depending on the prevailing weather conditions. So even something as simple as a puddle icing over is heavily influenced by its immediate surroundings.

Light quality will also play a significant part in our close up nature photography allowing us to fully appreciation the finer details of these shapes and textures, if it is too harsh then the increase in contrast will actually block out the very detail we are trying to see and photograph. It is far better to have the diffused light that occurs with high thin cloud cover. This provides a much softer light allowing all the detail, texture and nuances to be so clearly seen and recorded in our photography. Subject colour will also influence our interpretation of the subject, for example vibrant colours like reds and yellows suggest dominance and power, whereas muted shades like grey and browns portray more tranquil, earthy and basic feelings.

Early morning is often a fine time to appreciate a wide range of macro nature photography subjects and a stroll in the garden will pay dividends. Flowers and grasses, for example when covered with dew or fine rain make fascinating photographic studies, the fine hairs hold onto droplets of water so that they almost defy gravity. If the conditions are right there may be insects that have become encrusted with minute droplets of water following a nights inactivity. Butterflies in particular look stunning covered in dew as it makes them sparkle as though covered with a myriad of jewels making them rewarding close up nature photography subjects.

Often the simplest things in life can can provide satisfaction and contentment and bring with it harmony and inner peace. So, with renewed vision and childlike wonder the natural world is without doubt a beautiful place that only requires a little time and an inquisitive mind to fully appreciate.

Essential Landscape Photography Equipment

Landscape Photography Exposure Considerations

Exposure control in landscape photography is one of the most important aspects of photography and fundamental to the principle of our photographic knowledge. To really learn how to master exposure we must use the creative controls on our camera and say goodbye to the auto settings.

Exposure is controlled by 3 things - the ISO rating, the aperture and the shutter speed. It is this relationship that controls the exposure. Although it is simply a relationship it is a very involved area of photography and a continual learning process so time spent understanding exposure will be invaluable.

Achieving the correct exposure is really a misnomer, what we are aiming for is an exposure that accurately records to the digital file what we want to record. If it is darker or lighter than we intended then we have failed to master exposure.

Landscape work is more often than not done on a tripod, this holds the camera still, enables considered composition and allows a small aperture to maximise depth of field. As we are using a tripod we can use a slow ISO setting, say ISO 100, a slow speed will produce an almost noiseless image. I would select this as a maximum speed for 90% of my landscape work, occasionally going down to 50 ISO if necessary.

Our cameras digital sensor can record up to 6 stops of dynamic range so we need to ensure that our scene can be contained within this range, failure to do this can leave the image with blown highlights or clogged up shadow.

There are time when the contrast range will exceed 6 stops, if so we can either use a neutral density graduated filter to lower the contrast of the sky or alternatively we can blend two differently exposed images in Photoshop.

In Landscape Photography There Is No Such Thing As Bad Light

The word photography comes from the French photographie and is based on the Greek for light and stylus or paintbrush or graphe (a representation by means of lines or drawing), essential meaning "drawing with light". With that in mind landscape photography is a combination of drawing light across the land. Light in particular is, in my opinion what the landscape is all about, light is what makes the scene, transforming it throughout the day. The ability to consider light first and foremost is what sets one photographer apart from the other.

There is no such thing as bad light and we can take our photographs in virtually any light but the intensity, direction and colour of the light will have an enormous influence on how the scene looks in front of us. We may find a stunning location but know we will have to come back at another time to ensure the direction of light is just how we would like it to be, this may be a different time of the day or indeed a different time of the year.

Whilst the time of day has a significant bearing on the quality of light so too does the time of year, the position of the sun is significantly higher in summer than in winter at the same time of day. So for example if we want the light on part of a particular landscape scene we may only be able to shoot it at a certain time of the year.

There is no such thing as bad light for landscape photography, there is only changing light and our ability to make the most of it. Dark, heavy cloud may not be everyone's idea of the perfect day but for the landscape photographer it can be perfect, providing both mood and drama.

Light can change very quickly, the scene in front of us literally changing before our eyes. Sometimes the changes are quite subtle, as illustrated in the two images above taken only minutes apart, other times they can be dramatic. With a strong composition it is often good to wait and see what happens. Being in the right place at the right time is just about luck.

Even at times of flat un-directional lighting that is less than ideal for the grand scenic we need not despair, we can always concentrate on inner landscapes, those small details within the great outdoors that are often overlooked. This kind of lighting is perfect for these details, removing harsh shadow so the intricacies and fine details can be recorded.

Weather will always affect the quality of light, dark and sombre or bright and cheery we should try and see the potential of every occasion. Showery days can be interesting as changes occur constantly with the possibility of rainbows.

So as photographers we need to be very aware of changing light, be alert to potential changes when out in the field. Look ahead for breaks in the cloud that may provide a shaft of light and be ready for it.

• Previous Posts:

• Macro Nature Photography
• Essential Landscape Photography Equipment
• Landscape Photography Exposure Considerations
• In Landscape Photography There Is No Such Thing As Bad Light
• Photo Trip to Hilbre Island
• Autumnal Reflections - Ideas for autumn photography
• Photo Trip To Ben More, Isle of Mull, Scotland
• The Art of Backlighting in Photography

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