Ebb and Flow
Inspired by the success of the Working with Water photography workshop I decided to spend a while exploring the ephemeral link between the transient waters of a local stream with the ancient permanence of the rocks though which it flows. The very edges of water proved to be a real draw to my students, they [...]
The Rule of Thirds.
Thoughts and theories of composition are often considered out of bounds to all but the most dedicated photographers and artists, and sadly this is a state of affairs that is propagated by many teachers. However I want to buck that trend and help our newsletter readers to create better pictures by the simple application of [...]
The Magical Diagonal
You know the feeling. You’ve downloaded your shots onto the computer, or collected the prints from the shop, are particularly proud of one certain image that seems to really capture what you wanted to say. It becomes your desire to let all your friends know of your success, to spread the shot around on facebook [...]
Story Telling with your Camera
Most people’s connection with photography is based on the technical aspects of image capture. A world of f-stops, shutter speeds, focal points and more recently sensors and white balance concerns to name but a few. This plethora of geeky considerations can totally consume the head space of we hapless photographers and quickly send us on [...]
Fully Auto versus Bravery
On virtually all cameras, from the smallest cheapest compact to the most complex professional tools there’s a setting demarcated by a small green box or another simple icon. Fully Auto. Idiot proof. Just press the button. Let the camera do the work. You know the one, fully auto, switch off brain and just hand over [...]
From Dusk ’til Dawn.
After setting your alarm extra early to enjoy a connection with the dawn, or resisting the temptation of an easy evening choosing to venture into the darkening countryside instead, you’ll probably want to capture the images of your experience. After all it may not be a regular event! Here are a few tips to help [...]
Beach Photography
Of course no trip to the beach is complete without a set of photos! Well, that’s my opinion of course. Here’s a set of guidelines to help you get the most out of the day, photographically speaking. Safety first. Never ever wander too far out onto the sands when the tide is incoming. Be aware [...]
My View on Perspectives.
It’s easy to shoot from eye level, after all that’s how we see the world. It’s the familiar viewpoint, the one we and our viewers are most comfortable with. We see our life from eye level and expect our visual content to be fed to us from about five feet above the ground. So why [...]
Quick and Easy way to better nature photos. Part 4.
Zoom Zoom… On my workshops I often ask students what’s the purpose of the zoom lens on their camera and to this day everyone has said it’s to bring things closer or move them farther away. While that may seem to be a good response, at least at first glance, in reality there’s so much [...]
Quick and Easy way to better nature photos. Part 3.
Composition Considerations. Rules. Not a word that sits too well with me, especially when it’s related to photography, something which should be free flowing from the heart of our intuition. However, having a basic knowledge of the ‘rules’ of composition can have a definite benefit as it gives us a language with which we can [...]
Quick and Easy way to Better nature photos. Part 2.
Steady On! Adapted from the Essence of Wild free newsletter. One of the main issues with photos these days is a lack of sharpness. We all suffer from it from time to time and there are measures we can take to overcome the problem. Modern compact cameras are so light and small that it can [...]
Quick and Easy Way to better nature photos. Part 1
Start as you mean to go on. Capturing the spirit of nature with your camera can be a frustrating business. Firstly there’s that instruction manual, roughly translated from some foreign tongue, that for me at least proves to be a major hurdle of horribleness. After all, your camera manufacturer invented lots of bells and whistles [...]
