Well, when you’re also using a teleconverter on your lens, it’s important to attach the extension tube in between the teleconverter and the lens (so, the teleconverter should be closest to the camera body). This is a little trick that I just learned from an article by Arthur Morris in the latest issue of Nature Photographer Magazine.

I was interested to find out just how much the order matters, so I did a few tests with my Canon 300mm f/4L (a lens that I love to use for close-up photos) and a 25mm extension tube. Here’s a table that summarizes my results:

So, attaching the teleconverter and extension tube in the wrong order can cost you six inches! That may not seem like a lot, but it can certainly be the difference that allows you to fill the frame with your subject.

Filling the frame is important for a couple of reasons: it helps you get a sharper shot, and it’ll help you get a more out of focus background because it forces you to get close to your subject (remember the three things that affect depth of field).

In summary, here’s some photos that show the right and wrong way of attaching your teleconverter and extension tubes:

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About the Author: Steve Berardi is a naturalist, photographer, computer scientist, and founder of PhotoNaturalist. You can usually find him hiking in the beautiful mountains and deserts of Southern California.

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This 18-page eBook is not meant to be a complete guide on the subject of photographing dragonflies, but it includes many great tips for dealing with the unique challenges of dragonfly photography. You’ll get the most out of the book if you already have a basic understanding of how to use your camera (you’re familiar with the terms aperture, shutter speed, ISO, depth of field, etc).

Here’s what you’ll learn from the book:

• What equipment you’ll need, why you need it, and why even a point-and-shoot camera can be good enough for getting great dragonfly photos
• How to ensure you get the sharpest photo possible, while finding a good balance between depth of field, aperture and shutter speed
• How to get a good exposure, and the benefits of certain lighting conditions
• How to create pleasing compositions of dragonflies
• Why it’s important to understand the behavior and biology of dragonflies
• Where to learn more about dragonflies (with a recommended reading list)

The eBook comes in the standard PDF format, which you can view with Adobe’s free Reader.

Please share this book with your friends!

If you find the content of the eBook useful (and I know you will!), the best way to thank us is to share this page with your friends on Facebook or Twitter, or feel free to even e-mail the eBook to them. Just please do not sell it — it’s meant to be free

And, if you’re not already subscribed to PhotoNaturalist, then sign up for FREE updates by email or RSS. Thanks, and have a great day!

Related posts:

1. New eBook, Digital Wildflower Photography, is now available!
2. What went wrong with this dragonfly photo?
3. 3 things that affect depth of field

Photo by Steve Berardi (shot with a Canon G10 point and shoot camera)

The biggest problem you’ll run into with the point and shoot camera is the large depth of field you get from the super small sensor. This limits some of your options, but there’s a few ways to get around it, and as always, light also plays a huge role in the success of a photo.

So, here are a few tips for photographing wildflowers when you’re limited to a point and shoot camera:

#1 – Enable the “Macro mode”

Most point and shoot cameras have a special “macro” mode that allows the lens to focus at a much closer distance. This helps you fill the frame with smaller flowers, and create a more out of focus background (remember the three things that affect depth of field).

#2 – Maximize the zoom on your lens (just optical zoom though!)

Another thing you can do to create a more out of focus background is maximize the zoom on your lens. Make sure you only use optical zoom though. The digital zoom on point and shoot cameras is really just a poor digital interpolation that will likely degrade the quality of your photo.

#3 – Turn off the flash

If you’re in a shaded area, your camera may want to fire the flash if it’s set to auto (the default on most cameras). But, the flash could ruin wildflower photos by creating that weird artificial light look and casting harsh shadows. So, remember to turn off the flash.

#4 – Use the lowest possible ISO speed

Unlike SLRs, point and shoot cameras usually have very poor performance at high ISOs, so to avoid getting super noisy images, make sure you’re shooting at the lowest possible ISO value of your camera.

#5 – Wait for an overcast or cloudy day

Overcast or cloudy skies will help create the perfect lighting conditions for photographing wildflowers. The clouds act as a natural light diffuser that balances the light on the flower (preventing blown highlights and harsh shadows that you’d experience on a bright sunny day).

#6 – Use a light diffuser if you can’t wait for a cloudy day

If you can’t wait for an overcast day, or they rarely occur in your area, you can also make an artificial light diffuser that also works quite well.

#7 – Find a flower with a far away background that contrasts well with the flower’s colors

The background plays an important role in wildflower portraits: it helps draw attention to the main subject, the flower. So, look for a flower that has a background that not only contrasts well with the flower, but is also far away (5 ft or more). The farther away the background is, the better: this will dramatically help you get that out of focus background on a point and shoot camera.

#8 – Take more than one shot (at least 3 or 5)

To help increase your chances of getting a sharp photo, remember to take more than one shot. Even on a seemingly calm day, flowers can be seen bouncing frantically through the air. Taking a couple shots will help ensure you photographed the flower when it was still.

#9 – Find a flower that’s in good shape

There’s always creatures that like to eat flowers, so spend some time looking for one that’s in good shape (e.g. not missing petals). Some flowers are also more saturated than others of the same species, so be on the lookout for these gems.

What did I miss?

If you have another favorite tip for photographing wildflowers with a point and shoot camera, please share it with us by leaving a comment below! Thanks

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About the Author: Steve Berardi is a naturalist, photographer, computer scientist, and founder of PhotoNaturalist. You can usually find him hiking in the beautiful mountains and deserts of Southern California.

Related posts:

1. “Wow, you must have a really good camera!”
2. 7 tips for photographing silhouettes
3. How to create intimate portraits of nature

Bigelow's Monkeyflower / Photos by Steve Berardi

They were both taken of the same flower, with the same camera settings. The only difference between the two shots is the position of the camera.

I’ll take a wild guess that you like the first one more. And, I think this photo is better because it has more of an intimate and friendly feeling to it.

Now, part of the reason the first photo has this intimate feeling is because the flower is more isolated from its background.

But, what’s more important here is the perspective: the first photo was taken from a position looking directly at the flower (which stood just a few inches high). I was lying down on the ground with the camera on the same level as the flower, almost as if I was seeing eye-to-eye with the flower (if the flower had eyes, hehe).

The second photo was taken from a more elevated position: I was kneeling and looking down on the flower with my camera. When we look down on things, we tend to have a slight feeling of superiority or conquer, and this diminishes that friendly feeling.

I’ve talked about this topic before, as it applies to photographing wildlife, but I think it’s just as important for any kind of nature portrait. The position of your camera in relation to your subject (whether it’s above, below, or on the same level), will determine the feeling you portray in your photo.

So, to create that intimate and friendly feeling in your nature portraits, you have to photograph your subject on their level. You have to see them eye-to-eye.

Sometimes this might mean lying down on a bed of sharp rocks and being sore for a couple days, but the rewards are well worth it

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About the Author: Steve Berardi is a naturalist, photographer, computer scientist, and founder of PhotoNaturalist. You can usually find him hiking in the beautiful mountains and deserts of Southern California.

Related posts:

1. 3 reasons to photograph wildlife at eye level
2. “Wow, you must have a really good camera!”
3. 9 tips for photographing wildflowers with a point and shoot camera

Diagram by Jared C. Benedict (used under the CC-Attr-SA license)

Three Ways to Control Depth of Field

I’d highly recommend checking it out. Brian did a nice job of explaining the three things that affect depth of field (aperture, camera to subject distance, and focal length), including some sample images too.

There’s a few things I’d like to add though:

If the f-number is doubled, then the depth of field is also doubled. Note that “doubling” here literally means doubling (e.g. from f/4 to f/8), it does NOT mean one whole stop (e.g. from f/4 to f/5.6).

If the subject distance is doubled, then the depth of field is increased by four times (depth of field is proportional to the subject distance squared).

If the focal length is doubled, then the depth of field is decreased by four times (depth of field is inversely proportional to the focal length squared).

So, if you’re looking for small depth of field (i.e. to help isolate your subject against an out-of-focus background), then the key is to use a small f-number, get close, and use a long focal length lens.

The only place I’ve seen these three things explained so precisely like this, is in Ansel Adams’ wonderful book, The Camera. It’s 195 pages of pure magical goodness, and it’s a book that I constantly reread and go back to. I just wish there was a pocket size edition too

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About the Author: Steve Berardi is a naturalist, photographer, computer scientist, and founder of PhotoNaturalist. You can usually find him hiking in the beautiful mountains and deserts of Southern California.

Related posts:

1. 9 tips for photographing wildflowers with a point and shoot camera
2. Why you should memorize the f-number series
3. Why the Sharpest Photo Isn’t Always the Best Photo

(c) iStockPhoto / Johanna Goodyear

For this very reason, sometimes it’s hard to find good subjects for macro shots. We just don’t normally look at things up close, and even when we do, it’s hard to see detail with the naked eye.

Sure, you could just pop on your macro lens and look everywhere, but it’s hard to see things through that tiny viewfinder.

The solution? Well, one of the great tips I learned from Scott Kelby’s Digital Photography Book (volume 2) is to carry around a magnifying glass and do some exploring! Simple, huh?

When you start to look more closely at nature through a magnifying glass, you’ll begin to notice the most intricate little details. And, when you find a detail that especially draws your interest, that’s when it’s time to put on the macro lens and snap a photo

Where to start looking

I think it’s most rewarding to look everywhere, but here are a few things I’ve found to look very interesting up close:

• backlit leaves
• moss (especially when it’s wet)
• tree bark
• weathered wood

So, go pickup a cheap magnifying glass today and begin exploring a whole new microscopic world!

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About the Author: Steve Berardi is a naturalist, photographer, computer scientist, and founder of PhotoNaturalist. You can usually find him hiking in the San Gabriel Mountains or the Mojave Desert, both located in the beautiful state of California.

Related posts:

1. How to Focus Closer When Using Teleconverters
2. 9 tips for photographing wildflowers with a point and shoot camera
3. “Wow, you must have a really good camera!”

Thanks to all those who sent in questions, and although we don’t answer them all in this first episode, we may get a chance to answer them in a future episode (or write an article about it). So, stay tuned!

In our first episode we talk about the top 3 things to know before a trip to Yellowstone along with the top 3 things to bring, tips for getting sharper macro photos, and a critique of the photo below of a male Frigate Bird taken by Janet Atkinson. We also summarize a few news stories.

Photo by Janet Atkinson

Do you have a nature photography question?

If you have a nature photography related question that you’d like us to answer, please tell us about it using our contact form or e-mail us directly at editor@photonaturalist.net

Do you have a photo you’d like us to critique?

Great! Please e-mail your photo to editor@photonaturalist.net

Questions/comments/suggestions?

Since this is our first podcast, we strongly value your feedback so please let us know what you think by leaving a comment below or contacting us directly. Thanks a lot!

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Here’s what you’ll learn in this free 20-page eBook:

#1 – How to identify wildflowers

#2 – The secret to getting perfect light

#3 – What to do if you can’t wait for perfect light

#4 – (NEW) How to get a proper exposure

#5 – How to position your camera

#6 – How to get sharper photos

#7 – (NEW) How to get a perfect background

#8 – (NEW) How to battle the wind

#9 – (NEW) How to compose landscapes with wildflowers

#10 – (NEW) How to get butterflies in your photos

#11 – Why it’s important to leave no trace

#12 – How to sharpen your photos in Photoshop

#13 – (NEW) How to darken a background in Photoshop

So, what are you waiting for?

Download the FREE eBook now!

The eBook is in Adobe PDF format (which you can view with Adobe’s free reader).

If you enjoy the tips in this eBook, the best way to thank us is to share it with your friends

And, if you’re not already subscribed to PhotoNaturalist, then sign up for FREE updates by email or RSS. Thanks, and have a great day!

About the Author: Steve Berardi is a naturalist, photographer, computer scientist, and founder of PhotoNaturalist. You can usually find him hiking in the beautiful mountains and deserts of Southern California.

Related posts:

1. New eBook, Digital Wildflower Photography, is now available!

But, what if you can’t wait for an overcast day? Or worse, what if overcast days rarely occur in your area?

In the article, I briefly mentioned how you can build a box, covered with a shower curtain, and use this as a sort of artificial light diffuser.

I never liked the idea of building a box, because it would just add too much more for me to carry. So, this past weekend when I saw a bright sunny day in the desert forecast (surprise surprise), I decided to try and build a more lightweight solution. All I used was a small cutout from a shower curtain, and an old wire clothes hanger. Total cost: $5 and 5 minutes.

Here’s how you can build your own lightweight diffuser (in two easy steps):

Things you’ll need:

• wire clothes hanger
• shower curtain (make sure you get a semi-clear, and non-tinted one)
• scissors
• tape

Step One

Bend the wire hanger into a square or circular shape. You can do this just by pulling on the bottom of the hanger and bending it until you get a nice square shape.

Step Two

Place the shower curtain over your bent hanger, and cutout a piece that is a little bigger than the wire frame. Then, just tape this onto the frame, and you’re done!

You should have something that looks like this (please forgive my poor product photography skills):

How to use your new lightweight diffuser

Using your new diffuser is easy–just hold it between the sunlight and the wildflower you’re photographing. Make sure you’re holding it in such a way to diffuse ALL light that’s coming into the frame (not just the light that’s shining on the flower).

Since it’s difficult to handhold the camera and hold this diffuser at the same time, you’ll definitely need a tripod and a remote shutter release.

How well does it work?

Here’s a photo of a desert five-spot that I took using this lightweight diffuser:

Photo by Steve Berardi

Only use this as a last resort!

Although using an artificial light diffuser like this can produce some pretty good results, they don’t come anywhere near the effect of the natural diffuser–clouds. So, only use this when you can’t wait for an overcast day, or you live in an area that rarely gets overcast days (like the desert).

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Photo by Cliff Hutson (used under the CC-Attr-2.0 license)

When you decide to photograph a particular subject, how many shots do you usually take? Do you just hit the shutter once and move on? Or, do you take a lot of shots, and perhaps change your camera settings in the process?

Well, regardless of what your subject is, you should always take lots and lots of photos. This may not seem obvious for all subjects, so here’s a breakdown:

Macro

If you’ve ever tried taking macro shots, then you definitely know how difficult it is to focus at such a close distance. Just one little movement of the camera or the subject can dramatically throw off your focus. It’s impossible to anticipate these subtle movements, so always take lots of photos when shooting macro to ensure you capture the subject in between these movements.

Wildlife

Okay, this one should be obvious. When photographing uncontrollable and moving subjects, it’s important to take lots and lots of photos because you never know when they’re going to stand still for a second, when they’re going to stand in that perfect pose, or when you’ll successfully “freeze” their action (for every 100 shots I take of a moving subject, I usually get just one sharp photo).

Landscape

With a stationary subject like a landscape, you may be wondering why you should still take lots of photos. Well, here are a couple reasons:

(1) If you’re shooting during sunrise or sunset, then you’ll notice how quickly the light changes (in seconds). It’s impossible to anticipate when the most magical light will occur, so take lots of photos to ensure you capture it!

(2) There may be movement in the scene that you don’t notice (like a tree being blown by the wind), and you don’t want any blurry objects in your photo, so take lots of photos to ensure you capture a still scene.

Wildflowers

Wildflowers are gentle–very gentle. The slightest breeze can send the flower shaking through the air, resulting in a blurry photograph. The key is to shoot the flower when it’s completely still, but this only happens for split seconds, so it’s impossible to anticipate. Take a lot of photos to ensure you capture the flower in between these movements.

Try changing your camera settings too

If you’ve just started getting into photography, one of the best ways to learn about your camera is to experiment with different settings. Just remember to change one at a time, so you can track the effectiveness of each change.

Even if you’re not a beginner, I’d still recommend taking multiple shots with slightly different f-stops and different exposures, because even with the LCD preview and histogram, it’s impossible to determine if you got everything right with the photo.

Taking lots of photos with slightly different settings will prevent you from saying later on, “if only I would have used f/16 instead of f/11.?”

Does this mean you should change every setting possible in between photos? Of course not! I usually just take each photo at a couple different f-stops and two or three different exposures.

And, if you’re handholding your camera…

Then you really need to take a lot of photos. So far, I’ve only mentioned movement of the subject, but your hands also cause a lot of movement. The goal is to get a shot when both your hands and the subject are perfectly still. Taking lots of shots (repeatedly) will help increase your chances.

The photograph at the beginning of this article was taken by Cliff Hutson, and is used under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 license.

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