Mark W. Decker Articles

By: Ted Burns

Photography is a type of art. With the skillful use of the artist’s hands, photography can bring out the subject’s “personality” and create almost magical moments which might not ordinarily be achieved through other means of self-expression. However, this magic can only be accomplished by those with technical skills, good taste, and a deep sense of appreciation for the object of that artistic expression. Many people eventually harness their skills and knowledge into a role as a professional photographer.

Nature is an important creative part of our lives. Capturing nature’s beauty and creatures in the wild is a thrilling experience. Specifically, birds are subjects that have attracted many nature photographers because of their exquisite beauty and graceful “aerial dance.”

For photographers, a bird can be an amazing focus of attention due to its incredible flight capabilities. If you are interested in mastering nature photography - birds in particular - below are some techniques to aid in improving and developing your skills to help guide you toward capturing these fascinating creatures.

1. The first step is to determine which types of birds interest you most. Familiarity with your own interests will help steer your direction, motivating you even more to develop expertise in those particular niches. After deciding, try to gather as much information as you can about those birds by soliciting advice from a professional or consulting a bird guide book. These will help you in taking great pictures once you’re familiar with the bird’s eating habits, behaviors, and even breeding seasons.

2. Always keep the bird’s concerns in mind and try to capture it on film only when it is involved in its natural habitat. Temporarily leave the bird alone if you sense it is stressed by your presence, and instead wait until it is relaxed and comfortable. The disturbance might simply be that the bird has laid eggs in the vicinity and is invoking its protective behavior. A good photographer should always give priority to the well-being of his subject above his work.

3. In some areas, birds are accustomed to vehicles coming to and parking in the vicinity; however, few are familiar with a person standing on the top of a vehicle watching its every move while attempting to capture its movements on camera. Instead, take photographs of birds while sitting inside your vehicle. With that in mind, bring to the picture sight a vehicle from which you can easily capture a beautiful, natural shot of a bird. And position the vehicle in a location where birds seem comfortable in your presence. Be patient while waiting for them to adjust to their new “visitor.”

4. To capture great bird images, use cameras with fast shutter speeds. We all know that birds zip through the air in a flash and are gone in the blink of an eye. Getting a fast flying bird on film must then be accomplished through a lightening fast shutter speed, preferably one that is 0.002 seconds quick.

A nature photographer should explore his surroundings. A great, simple, and inexpensive way to begin developing early expertise in capturing nature with your camera is to start in your own backyard.

By: Steve Grant

Landscape photography is essentially all about one’s ability to see. No matter what camera you might have, unless the photographer has the ability to see the essence of a landscape, he or she will never end up with any images out of the ordinary. This ability to see, distinguish, and isolate the extraordinary from the ordinary, and then have the technical knowledge to be able to capture it photographically, is what separates the best photographers from the crowd. Too many people get obsessed with the equipment, and it tends to distract them away from what photography is really all about, which is seeing.

Subject matter, location, lighting and timing are also very important aspects in any type of photographic work, but particularly so in landscape photography. You must do your homework, learn about the location and what are its main features. You also need to find out what season, and what time of day is the best to capture the location at its aesthetically best. You then need to have the patience and preparation to capture that magic moment in time when the lighting is just right, and when captured, you end up with an image that will be appreciated by all who see it. .

Emotion is another feature that plays a part in landscape photography. Keep in mind that if a location doesn’t affect you emotionally in some way, it is probably not going to be a great image either. Also be aware of the fact that emotion is very different from one person to another, and what might affect you deeply, might not have any affect on some other people who will see you images, but who were not present at the time of capture. So don’t be disappointed if others don’t share your emotional attachment to an image. If it is important to you, then that is all that matters. .

The choice of photographic equipment is very important. You must select the camera, lenses, and tripod that suit your style of travelling and general lifestyle. There is no point in being burdened down with a mass of equipment if it negatively affects your travelling and ability to actually capture images.

By: MIKE SELVON

One way that photographers share their work with the world is through stock photography. The average person may wonder what exactly stock photography is. Stock photography is when photographs are shared with licensing attached.

Anyone can use it, but in order to do that, understanding of all the legal aspects is critical in order to avoid being sued.

Stock photography has been around for a long time. According to wikipedia.org, H. Armstrong Roberts started the first agency for this type of photography in 1920, and the company is still going strong today under the name RobertStock. For years, photography stock was composed of “outtakes (”seconds”) from commercial magazine assignments.”

But, in the eighties, it had become unique, and photographers began making photographs just for photo sharing. Today several online photography stock houses exist, but before being used, the legal terms and aspects must be completely understood in order to avoid being sued.

One type of stock photography is royalty-free. This does not mean that the photograph can be used for free. What royalty-free means is that in order to use a specific picture, a photo buyer pays a one time fee to use the picture many times for a multitude of purposes within certain guidelines. Usually a time limit does not exist as to when the image can be used.

However, a royalty-free image does have a limit on exactly how many times the photograph can be reproduced. All of these restrictions will depend exactly on the contract that is decided upon.

One thing to consider with stock photography regarding royalty-free is that exclusive rights are non-existent. If a publication wants to be unique from the others, than royalty-free images are not the way to go. The best bet for uniqueness is to have an photographer on staff.

Stock photography has another kind called rights-managed that is sometimes difficult to understand. Rights-managed photography stock is when an image is negotiated exclusively for a certain allotted time frame.

During this time frame, no one else will be able to use that particular image for any reason. How long that this will go on will depend on the contract negotiations that are made for the image.

Because of online photography sharing, it has become readily accessible for all to use. Some agencies allow for images to be used for free, and others are based on contracts for their photography gallery.

Photojournalism uses it regularly, but the in’s and outs of the business must be fully understood to take advantage of all of the images that are flooding the market.

Whether or not to use rights-managed or royalty-free images will depend on what can be negotiated within a contract, and the legalities can get sticky.

Author: Dan Feildman
Standing near a path, hedge, fence or wall which stretches away into the distance will carry the eye from the foreground through to the distance, giving the picture the extra dimension of depth. Rivers and streams, stretching into the distance, can be used to serve the same function with the added advantage of sparkling with light and reflecting a blue sky. Whether the photograph is framed to give a vertical picture (portrait format) or horizontal picture (landscape format) will always be dictated by purely visual considerations. Just what is visually most effective in any particular situation will determine whether we should take a landscape or portrait format photograph. Street scenes are another popular subject in this category. Streets in villages, old market towns or the endless variety of town scenes in other countries provide a continuous source of interest. Looking down a street automatically gives the picture a certain depth. Finding a suitable item for the foreground can help this along. This might be such things as a quaint shop front, a market stall, the wing of a car or a person.

If you’re planning on opening up a studio to take children’s photos then you’re going to need to lease a building. It doesn’t have to be anything large but it should be in a visible part of town with a lot of other businesses. Visibility is half the battle won. Finally, you’re going to have to take lots of photos, especially if you want to build a reputation for yourself. You’ll want to put together a portfolio of your work so that you can bring it around with you. Again, this is going to depend on what field you want to get into, whether it be freelancing for a magazine, setting up your own shop, or working for somebody else, which is usually a good way to break in. The world of photography is wide open. There are many options to each aspiring photographer. So pick a game plan and stick to it. With patience and perseverance, you’ll eventually get to where you want to be.

A digital photography camera is a tricky choice for some. Many people are more concerned with price than they are with how much memory the camera will have. The cameras range in price from a hundred dollars all the way to thousands of dollars. Depending on what is needed, the choice can seem overwhelming. One photography site that can help determine just what is right is Short courses. This site helps the consumer decide from the four major types of cameras as to which one fits their lifestyle. Digital photography is a great way to capture the images of an individual that will be seen for generations to come. By using digital photography instead of regular film, those memories will be perfect the first time. The choices of cameras are endless, and with the help of the internet, a person can make sure and choose the right camera that best fits their lifestyle and price range.

Anyone who wants to learn how to be a photographer doesn’t have to enroll for many years to get a degree. There are colleges who offer this as one of the subjects which the student may take as an elective. Can you still learn how to be a photographer being out of school for many years? The answer is yes. The only thing needed is your dedication to learn from the proper techniques and a camera to take some shots. Some students don’t have to go to campus anymore. There are some institutions that offer distance education. A good example is the New York Institute of Photography. You will learn everything from exposure, lenses, the various techniques used to cover different events, journalism and much more. Being affiliated with the school, you will be entitled to free online magazine articles such as contests and digital imaging.

Some of you may have more options than others depending on where you live. If there are several schools in your area I highly recommend investigating the following; 1) Go over the course outline; by looking over the subject matter in the digital photography course, you will be able to check out which classes are suitable for your skill level. Some classes teach just the basics like how to work your camera. So if you’re well passed that, why not take on something a little more challenging? 2) See if there are any interesting aspects to your class. Does the class teach nothing but black and white photography? Will you be out and about in nature trying to photograph birds at six in the morning? Some of this may interest you and it also might give you a headache.

Computer skills: A good photography school needs to have courses regarding the use of computers. The field of photography is a very competitive one and you could really use some knowledge of computers. With the advent of digital photography, the need for computer literacy is more evident than ever. Scholarships It would be best if the photography school is offering some kind of financial assistance for their students. Some of the equipments in photography are not that cheap. These are just some tips on how to choose a photography school. Choosing the right school is as important as having a good view of where you want to go. The right school is the best way to get there.

To keep yourself enthusiastic about your subject, you might want to shoot two or maybe three projects at a time. Spend a Saturday afternoon shooting your local town’s attractions and people, and next weekend drive into the nearest city to shoot architecture and calf culture. But how do you choose projects that will assist in creating strong saleable images? Search stock photography agencies, look through travel magazines and newspapers. What you see everyday is what sells. The key is to plan what you are going to shoot. Although we are all guided by weather conditions, it is possible to select the images you want before you arrive at your location. I rarely arrive without at least a few images mapped out in my head, and never without a shoot list. As travel photographers, it goes without saying that we have a passion for travel. It’s why we do what we do. But it is an extremely difficult business to get into. The catch 22 is that to produce a portfolio or stock image library you need time and money. To fund your photography you need to work. It will take time and dedication, but by shooting close to home you will gradually improve your photography skills and start to build a portfolio of images to be proud of. It all comes down to the way we view our surrounding.

Author: Graham Baylis Jr
Correct composition is without doubt one of the most important factors when seeking to take that perfect photograph, composition being most critical when taking landscapes.

But what is “composition” and why is it so important?

In essence, composition is all about putting together objects in your viewfinder in such a way as to emphasise the bits you want to, making them stand out in just the right way. These objects include anything in the foreground, the background, those that “frame” the picture, and most importantly light. I’m sure you’ve seen many landscape photographs with so many objects in them that you’ve honestly had no idea what the subject actually was? Was it the mountain? Well, it could have been, but it’s sort of obscured by that tree. No, how about the waterfall, but that’s not very centred, and anyway I’ve never seen a sky that colour before.

The truth of the matter is that most successful photographic compositions are in fact quite simple, there may be numerous objects but there is never any doubt as to what the subject actually is.

Another great truth is that no matter how expensive your camera equipment is, that without a knowledge of composition, you’ll never be able to “capture” the essence of the image you see. Worse still, someone with a cheaper set up, and who knows about composition, will more than likely be producing better photographs…

Annoyingly, some people seem to have the knack for creating well composed images, while others have to shoot and shoot whilst they hone their composition skills. The important thing to remember is that wherever you start, you will only get better with practice.

With landscapes the challenge is to capture an image so that the subject is presented in the way that you want it to be, which for many means learning new ways of seeing what is in front of you.

Besides the subject, there is of course “light”, it can make all the difference between a fantastic picture and a dull and uninteresting one. Make sure you note the lights direction, intensity and colour (yes the colour of light changes quite dramatically, e.g. at the beginning and end of the day).

Besides the colour of the light, the position of the sun in the sky also has a major impact on a photograph, as when the sun is low it produces marvelous shadows that enhance the subjects shape and give it that important 3d effect.

There is another thing about taking photographs when the sun is low in the sky, as this means that it is either early or late in the day and thus its intensity is not at its height, which in turn means that the range of contrast (the difference between the deep shadows and highlights) is low, something that really helps capturing the details in both (especially with digital cameras).

The viewpoint is the next vital ingredient, but just what is the best? Here only you can tell, you just have to move around the subject, looking at it from different angles and from different heights, not to mention different focal lengths from the very wide to the telephoto. All of these will have dramatic impact on the image you capture and there is no real formula to follow, except perhaps one.

This composition “formula” centres on something called the “thirds”. Take any image and divide it into three equal part both lengthwise and height wise and you end up with 2 vertical and 2 horizontal lines, placing anything on these vertical lines can really emphasize them, whilst placing anything on the intersections can be really powerful. Bearing these “thirds” in mind when composing your photograph could make all the difference.

To sum up, when taking your photographs, decide what your subject is, from which viewpoint and angle it looks the best, decide where to place it, and most importantly, make sure that the light is right, after all with landscapes there is normally always another day.

Author: Andrew Goodall

Digital photography has forever changed the photography landscape. Has it changed the way we look at landscape photography?

In my collection, which you can find on my website, I have a photo of a kangaroo on a beach. I am not the only nature photographer in Australia to have captured such a subject, so it is not a unique occurrence; but it is unusual. As such, many people have never seen such a thing with their own eyes.

Ten years ago, when film was standard, people would often ask “Where were you lucky enough to find a kangaroo on a beach?” Fair question.

Today, someone asked me “Did you superimpose that kangaroo on your computer?” Some people don’t ask; they just assume the photo is a fake. Some even want to argue with me even after I have told them where, when and how the photo was taken. People like to transfer their own limitations onto others. So, if they could not have taken that picture, they assume that nobody could. Therefore (they like to believe) it must be fake.

For nature photographers, being told your photo has been manufactured on a computer is like being accused of fraud.

The kangaroo on the beach is the most commented-on image in my collection, but it is by no means the only photo that invites doubt. These days it seems that any nature photo, if unique and perfectly captured (and isn’t that what we are all striving for?) is automatically an object of suspicion.

We have entered an era when technology has become so advanced, people have begun to doubt their own eyes when it comes to photography. It is true, some amazing things can be done with software, and many photographers find ‘photoshopping’ an image more interesting than taking the photo in the first place. This is a perfectly legitimate pursuit and one that is simply a fact of life in the modern world.

However, problems arise when people start to forget that good photography, and in particular good nature photography, existed long before the digital age. The skills of nature photography are as they have always been. An ability to read the light, to recognise and capture a spectacular sky, to simply know the time of day and the perfect weather to shoot your subject: these are the stock in trade of the nature photographer. Next comes knowledge of the camera and photography theory, along with a practiced sense of balance and composition.

If you get these right (and there are still plenty of photographers out there who can), you simply don’t need to rely on your computer to create a good image. In fact for most nature photographers, the whole point of the pursuit is the joy of capturing a perfect moment using only patience, skill and timing.

Technology is amazing. Using software, you can take the sky from one photo, put it behind the foreground from another photo, and add a few birds flying past for good measure. In the case of my photo, perhaps you could add a kangaroo into your beach photo. The point is, why would you, when there is so much satisfaction in finding that beach, and being there to capture the moment for real.

The truly wonderful thing about nature photography is that it can remind us of all the things we love about nature. It helps us to appreciate what is at stake as environmental issues come to the fore, and often (like my kangaroo on the beach) it allows us to see the natural world from a point of view that we never knew existed. Old school nature photographers like me don’t want you to look at a photo and see only the technology that produced it. They want you to remember what it is we love about nature, and perhaps pause to appreciate the skill and artistry of the photographer.

So the next time you see a great nature photo, show some respect for the patience and skills that went in to capturing that image. And if you aspire to one day do the same, try thinking a little less about your computer and a little more about nature. It can only make you a better photographer.