A photograph I took, of a boat anchored in the still waters of the Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of Maine, has been published, in Wanderlust, an online literary journal on travel. Check out the postcard, by clicking on the below link:
My photograph of a family of mallards has been selected for RATTLE’s ekphrastic challenge for the month of October 2021. Ekphrastic refers to art inspiring poetry and vice versa. Click this link to read the winning poems – one that was chosen by the editor of Rattle and the other that was chosen by me.
For I, had, the time of my life….I can’t get this tune out of my hand as I type this post, because that is exactly how I felt, on the 11-day journey that was the bioblitz organized by NANPA (North America Nature Photography Association).
Click here to read in greater detail about how I got into nature photography and what motivated me to participate in the bioblitz. I just want to add that, regardless of whether you are a professional photographer or a hobbyist (like me) if you have never participated in a bioblitz, you should take the plunge at the first opportunity that comes your way. It goes a long way in increasing our understanding of what other species call planet Earth home.
On my first day, I was merely dipping my toes in warm water just to get a sense of what exactly it was that I had signed up for. I logged 10 species that day during a stroll at a local trail, called the Bloomsburg Rail Trail. That day I was scouting for anything that blooms and is not green.
It was during a hike at Ricketts Glen State Park, that I picked up on plants as a species, thanks to a couple who were walking encyclopedias when it came to the identification of plants. They could look at a sapling and immediately recall the Latin name. Nothing short of pure genius! I took the cue from them and started to include plants as entries to the bioblitz. By the end of Day 11, I had recorded well over 500 unique species alive within a radius of 100 miles from where I live.
NANPA was kind to recognize me as one of the winners of the bioblitz. I won a Visa gift card and a Wimberley plamp stake. I am very much looking forward to putting the plamp stake to use. It is a device that can help you facilitate still photography in nature. Thank you NANPA for making me fall, irrevocably, in love with Nature.
Take the guesswork out of what works when photographing a waterfall. Waterfalls make for pretty pictures but are challenging for two reasons. One, you have to take into account the cascading motion of the water. Two, waterfalls reflect a large amount of light. Read more if you want your waterfall pictures to rock instead of blob.
Waterfalls are white and bright subjects. Take pictures when the natural lighting is low. This could be either during dawn or dusk when the amount of sunlight is low. Photographing a waterfall on a cloudy day is another option. Choose the time of the day to avoid the harsh light reflection that waterfalls bounce back to the camera on a sunny day. Below is a picture of a waterfall taken in broad daylight. Notice how overtly bright it is.
Take a moment to decide on the composition of your photograph. Do you want to render a vertical picture (the portrait mode) or do you want to render a horizontal view (the landscape mode)? If the first thing you notice about a waterfall is its awe-inspiring height, then choose the portrait mode to emphasize the length of the waterfall. But if the waterfall length is short, then choose the landscape mode. Use the landscape mode to capture the natural settings within which the waterfall is embedded. Landscape mode also works well if your waterfall is sparse.
Waterfalls reflect a lot of light, which is why you should use a low ISO. For photographing a waterfall subject, the general rule of thumb is the lower the ISO, the better. An ISO setting that is 400 or below is a good place to start. If the waterfall is buried under dense forest foliage, then start with an initial ISO setting of 400. If the waterfall is under the direct gaze of the sun, then use an even lower ISO setting of 100.
Use a long shutter speed, to blur the motion of the water. This will also smoothen the appearance of the flowing water. Instead of a bunch of pellets, the water will look like a gossamer gown. Slide the slider below to see the difference. The image to the left was taken at a relatively faster shutter speed than the image to the right which was shot with a shutter speed of 1/5 seconds. Albeit these pictures were taken without a tripod, a tripod will allow you to prolong the shutter speeds and yield pictures that are softer.
A neutral density filter is a device you fit on top of your lens to lower the amount of light that enters the lens. If you are out on a sunny day, you can use the ND filter, to reduce the intensity of exposure and still take sharp photographs, instead of splotchy ones.
The tips provided above are placed in order of the amount of photography equipment you prefer to carry around. So, if you only want to use your smartphone, use the first two tips. If you have a DSLR or if you have a smartphone app, then use the first four tips. Invest in the tripod and the neutral density filter, if you want to have more flexibility and control for your next waterfall photography excursion.
