For manual 35-mm film and DSLR camera users, I have uploaded a Word document that discusses shutter speeds, apertures, ISOs, depth of field, exposures and more...CLICK HERE.Taking great pictures outdoors is a rewarding pastime–or profession. Following are a few ideas that will help you improve your outdoor pictures. Please e-mail meif you have questions. Cheers! Clive
Composition. The composition of paintings and photographs is the subject of season-long classes, so we can hardly do it justice on one short web page. But here goes.First of all, the KISS principle applies to composition: keep it simple silly. What are you taking a picture of? Is there one main subject or is there a bunch of extra stuff in the picture that does not contribute to the actual subject? Or perhaps extra stuff distracts from the main theme. If so do something about it. Change your position or that of the subject/s.
Have a close look through the lens. Are the subjects arranged in a way that is pleasing to look at? But perhaps you don't know what is pleasing and what's not.
Here's a simple way to compose pictures that are easy to look at and that have impact. It is called the Rule of Thirds. Imagine the scene you want to photograph has a grid over it like shown in the diagram. Visually strong locations on this grid are where the lines intersect. Rarely will you want the primary subject in the center of the picture. (This “rule” does fall apart in close-up photography.)
Mentally arrange the scene in thirds and place the center/s
of interest near these imaginary spot/s. Many (not all) of the accompanying pictures are arranged in this manner. The horizontal lines (as shown in the diagram) are also good spots to locate background horizons as they usually don't “look right” when exactly in the center.
Get vertical! Perhaps the least used, but easiest method, to improve picture quality is to tip the camera sideways and take a vertical picture. I'd guess that close to one half of my outdoor pictures are vertical because this format suits many
of the subjects I shoot. This does not mean there is not a place for the horizontal format. The point is, have a look and decide which format best suits the scene and subject.
Clutter. This is a variation on the KISS principle. Many pictures otherwise outstanding pictures are ruined because of background or foreground clutter like trees, wires, posts and bright sun spots (albeit out of focus) on leaves. Sometimes objects protrude from the primary object. The solution for this is to pay special attention to the foreground and background before clicking the shutter. We often become so concentrated on the subject we forget to look behind, around and in front of the main subject.
You be the judge. Have a look at the pictures on some of my pages. Most are simple. They have one main subject and a generally free from clutter. What say you? (Email me.)
The Three Ls of Photography. Light, light and light. Light makes all pictures and some light is better than other. There is not enough space to go into all the details here, so you may want look up lighting in photography books at your public library.Sunshine usually results in brighter, more colorful pictures compared to those taken on dull, overcast days. Of course, some great moody pictures have been taken on dull days. (Which raises the issue of “all of these rules.” There really are no such thing as rules. The topics discussed here are simply guidelines that work more often than not. Pictures are art, and it's hard to constrain great art with a lot of rules.)
Clearly you can't wait for the sun to come out when you have to
photograph some important one-time event. But if you want special shots of outdoor subjects (and have a choice of time), normally you'll get better pictures on a sunny day. (The time of day is another matter and discussed below.)
Sun can also ruin pictures. Usually it is best to have the sun in front of the primary subject or off to either side when the sun is low in the sky. Unless you are trying for moody special effects bright sun from behind the subject often results in sun flare blemishes on the picture and poorly lit subjects.
Bright overhead sunshine often results in unwanted dark shadows in the primary subject. (Which can be overcome with fill flash...another story. Here are two examples: one where fill flash has been used and one without. Some day I will write more on this subject.)
The magic hours. We said that bright sun is usually better than shade or dull overcast, and fill flash can be used to reduce shading. But the best light of all is natural, low angle, soft, warm light from the sun an hour or so after sunrise and an hour or sobefore sunset: a photographer's happy hours. Some call these the magic hours. The physics here are simple. First, the low angle fills in all nooks and crags of vertical subjects—like people's faces—so there are no harsh shadows. The second reason these are the magic hours is the color of the light. Whereas noonday light is white, early morning and evening light is warm--it takes on a subtle orange color. So if you want a classic shot of your buddy on the stream wait till the sun is low in the sky. (Of course, if you wait too long the light intensity will drop dramatically and the picture could end up blurred because the shutter speed is so slow.)
You old pro! Do you think of yourself as an up-and-coming
outdoor photographer? Perhaps thinking of taking pictures next summer to submit to a magazine? Then use a tripod whenever you can. No, I do not use a tripod for many general shots that are for my own use or perhaps used for small prints in magazine articles. But when I know pictures may be for sale, or perhaps for possible use on a magazine cover I almost always use a sturdy tripod. There is a big difference in sharpness between hand held pictures and pictures taken with a tripod.
All pictures and text Clive Schaupmeyer©2000
Clive Schaupmeyer
Coaldale, Alberta, Canada
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