Photo by Martin Taylor
Have you ever felt like you were just one camera lens away from completing your ultimate collection of gear? Have you ever said to yourself, “if only I had that 600mm lens, THEN I could take those awesome photos I want.” Or maybe there’s some nifty little accessories that you’re just itching to get.
I think it’s pretty easy to get excited about new camera gear. I’ll admit it: I’d love to get my hands on a 600mm f/4, or that Canon 7D. And, I’m sure you would too 
But, then we get reminded by great photographers like David duChemin that gear isn’t the most important thing. The photographer is what really makes the photo, and one of the best ways to improve your photography is to simply just go out there and take more photos. Experiment. Make mistakes. Learn from them.
I think as nature photographers, it’s especially important to minimize our gear, and here are a few reasons why: [read more…]
Bigelow's Monkeyflower / Photos by Steve Berardi
Which of the two photos above do you like better?
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. [read more…]
Photo by Martin Taylor
Anyone who has ever taken a sharp, properly exposed, and well-composed photo has heard these very words.
A couple of years ago someone I know, a writer of three published books and numerous articles, came across some of my flower photos. He looked at them intensely and said, “Wow, you must have a really good camera!”
I stared at him looking perplexed then smiled and said that I thought his writing was excellent and that he must have a “really good keyboard and computer!” He understood. [read more…]
(c) iStockPhoto/CreativeShot
Have you ever seen the movie
Ferris Bueller’s Day off? One of my all time favorite quotes is at the end of this film when Ferris says,
“Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and take a look around once in awhile, you could miss it.”
Bueller wasn’t a naturalist (or a photographer), but I think his advice is the key to enjoying nature.
In our modern world of cell phones, next day shipping, and instant access to just about anything, it’s really hard sometimes to take a break and escape this “on demand” attitude.
But, to really enjoy nature and see all of its beauty, you have to look through patient eyes. You have to stop and take a look around once in awhile.
Here’s a short story to help illustrate what I mean: [read more…]
Photo by Vic Berardi
Sometimes as nature photographers, our minds focus too much on getting a good photograph, instead of just enjoying nature and being there to capture some of the light we come across.
It’s important to keep nature natural, and I’ll tell you a story to help illustrate what I mean. It’s about the ethics of attracting animals by “baiting” them–feeding them in an effort to get them to come closer to you, so you can get a photograph. [read more…]
