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Nature & Wildlife
Photography Close to Home
You can take great photos no matter where you live. Anywhere
in the world is perfect for photography. Step outside your door and there are unlimited
photo opportunities. Best part is that you can get to your favorite location anytime. The
problem is that many people are so used to their surroundings and they no longer
appreciate its beauty. Every time you get your camera and go out, pretend you are out of
town and on a vacation. Now start looking at things as if it were for the first time. You
can take wildlife, landscape, and close-ups as well as many other types of subjects
without having to travel the world. Things that no longer look interesting or you don't
notice anymore can turn into beautiful photographs. Lets look at some common and forgotten
subjects that deserve better look.
I shot this sunset off the road one late
afternoon while driving home. If you saw this place during the day, you probably wouldn't
even want to look at it. There is really not much to look at. By being there at the right
time, I was able to capture this landscape which comes to life only for a short period of
time.
Left Image:
Minolta Maxxum 9000, Tokina 80-200mm f-2.8
ATX lens, Fuji Velvia 50, Bogen tripod and pan/tilt head.
Centerweighted metering and +1 exposure compensation, shutter speed not recorded,
f-8 on aperture priority manual focus.
We find exotic birds interesting and get
excited when we see one, but not pigeons, crows, or seagulls. We see these birds everyday
and find nothing interesting about them. I think all common birds are interesting and make
good subjects. Check out this gull's eye. Isn't it beautiful. What about the black mark on
its beak? I think this guy had a great character even though he looks very serious, and
made a good photograph
.
Minolta Maxxum 9xi, Tokina 80-200mm f-2.8
ATX lens, Fuji Velvia 50, Bogen tripod and ball head.
Multi-segment metering, exposure not recorded. Aperture priority and autofocus.
Bugs are ugly. Nobody likes them. Even bugs
make great photos and best of all, they are everywhere. I found this Galico bug (I think
that's what they are called) one morning while I was hiking. With a macro lens I was able
to photograph them and in the process I got a chance to observe bugs' life. Something I
wouldn't normally do.
Minolta Maxxum
9000, 100mm f-2.8 macro lens, Fuji Velvia 50, Bogen tripod and ball head.
Centerweighted metering, exposure not recorded. Manual exposure mode and manual focus.
I photographed this camel at the zoo. He
looks very proud of himself and thinks he's better than the rest of us. This was an easy shot.
I had enough time to set up my camera and finish my ice-cream. Where else can you do
wildlife photography and have ice-cream at the same time? Only close to home.
Minolta Maxxum
9xi, 300mm f-2.8 APO lens, Fuji Velvia 50, Bogen monopod.
Spot meter (face) and +1 exposure compensation, 1/60 sec at f-2.8. Aperture priority and
autofocus.
One morning just when it had stopped
raining, I found this Pale Face flower on a hiking trail which is a few minutes from my
house. It was very low to the ground and probably went unnoticed by most people. Walk
slowly and look around and down. You'll find a new world that make great images.
Minolta Maxxum
9000, 100mm f-2.8 macro lens, Fuji Velvia 50, Bogen tripod and pan/tilt head.
Centerweighted metering, 1/15 sec at f-16, aperture priority and manual focus.
So, next time you don't know what to
photograph, go to places close to home that you wouldn't normally consider. Remember, it's
not the place but the time and dedication that make you a better photographer.
Recommended Equipment
Tamron Autofocus 17-35mm f/2.8-4 DI LD
Super Wide Angle Zoom Lens for Canon
Di Series Lenses: Digitally
Integrated Design, is a designation Tamron puts on lenses featuring
optical systems designed to meet the performance characteristics of
digital SLR cameras. Advent of an ideal Ultra wide-angle zoom lens
well balanced in all aspects. With its superb image quality, compact
size and excellent operational ease, this ultra wide-angle zoom lens
lets you enjoy dynamic image composition by exaggerating your main
subject against a wide background. Tamron's new ultra wide-angle
zoom lens starts at 17mm when used with a conventional 35mm SLR
camera. When mounted on an APS-size digital SLR camera, it provides
a focal length coverage equivalent to a 28-55mm (on a 35mm format
camera), covering the desirable wide-angle to standard range.
Tamron SP AF 200-500mm/F5-6.3 Di LD (IF)
This is a
new zoom lens from Tamron that lets you bring your far away subjects
up close while compressing the distance between the main subject and
the background for professional-looking results. Even while covering
up to a 500mm that enables you to take ultra telephoto shots of
subjects further than the eye can see, its design is extremely
lightweight and compact. When mounted on an APS-C size digital SLR
camera, it provides a focal length equivalent to a 760mm for super
ultra telephoto imaging.
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