Hiking photography tips for rookies...that's me

[dvbl]

I predict that within 5 or 6 replies, this thread will turn into a highly technical discussion about shutter speeds and aperture priority and white balance. But hopefully it'll stay at a low enough level for people like me .

I recently took a few 2-hour photography classes at the local camera shop. Just wanted to share some things the instructor pointed out regarding nature / landscapes (although these things can apply to other types of photography). Some of these tips might be well-known to many of you, some are a little more subtle. Please add your own tips and tricks.

1) In the middle of the day, which is when most of us are on the mountains, an overcast sky will give you the best light for pictures. Yes, I know the grey rockpile of Mt Adams against a grey sky backdrop doesn't provide great contrast, but an overcast sky gives nice even lighting. A bright cloudless sky is beautiful to your eyes, but that light is very harsh for the camera. It often makes the light colors and the sky too bright, and it makes the shadows too dark. Since we don't usually WANT to hike on an overcast day, at least try to take your pictures when the sun is behind a nice big puffy white cloud. This also gives nice even light. Remember, this tip applies to the middle of the day, when the sun is almost straight up, and it's nearly impossible to put your back to the sun; or when you're taking a picture toward the general direction of the sun.

2) If conditions are such that you're taking your picture "toward" the sun, then include just enough of the sky in your picture to anchor the photo, to show the horizon. Yes, the sky will look bleached, but it only occupies the very top strip of your photo. Minimize the damage.

3) Do not center the subject of your picture. Use the "Rule of Thirds". Google it.

4) Early morning and early evening provide the best light for nature photography. Nice soft light.

5) If you have a landscape setting on your camera (it has a little picture of a mountain), use that as your default setting for landscapes. It'll provide sharp focus for both close and far away objects, known as a large "depth of field".

Ok, your turn...

 

[David Metsky]

5) If you have a landscape setting on your camera (it has a little picture of a mountain), use that as your default setting for landscapes. It'll provide sharp focus for both close and far away objects, known as a large "depth of field".

With Digital cameras, due to the sensor being smaller than the standard 35mm negative, it's almost impossible not to get a large DoF. If you're trying to blur the background it gets very annoying.

Carry your camera constantly; shots are everywhere. This is why I like an ultracompact to keep with you at all times, out and handy.

Step off the beaten path, get a different perspective on things. Shoot while lying on the ground, from up on top of rocks looking down, etc.

Bring a tripod, at least a mini-pod. Take low-light shots as often as you can, using a minipod and the shutter timer so you don't shake the camera.

Shoot at the lowest ISO (digital) your camera can manage. Only raise ISO when you must to get enough light. Don't use the automatic ISO, it always picks too high a value.

And most of all, SHOOT. Lots of shots, keep shooting, even if you think you're going to throw them away when you get home. Always have enough memory cards, never run out. Batteries, too.

-dave-

 

[lumberzac]

And most of all, SHOOT. Lots of shots, keep shooting, even if you think you're going to throw them away when you get home. Always have enough memory cards, never run out. Batteries, too.

-dave-

Along that line.
Always take the photo even if you don’t think it will come out well. And take them as soon as you think about taking them. The, “I take the picture on my way back through,” almost never gets taken or the light has changed and the shot looks different. The worst shots I’ve taken are the one’s I never took.

 

[Mark Driscoll]

Dave, What ultracompact do you use?

Thanks, Mark

 

[David Metsky]

I use a Canon SD300, but the current model I like is the SD700, more zoom, Image Stabilization, better high ISO performance in a small package. Casio and Panasonic also make some nice cameras in this class. In general I don't like Sony's, but that's just me.

But I'm also looking to get a Canon S3 ultrazoom for skiing/action/video and wildlife. That's not an ultracompact, or even a compact, but it is a really nice camera for some things that my SD300 can't do.

Bottom line, any camera on the market today by a major manufacturer can take excellent photos. The key is to learn how to use the tool and then take lots of pictures.

-dave-

 

[nartreb]

Ditto to everything Dave Metsky said. Get out there and shoot. Try to find an interesting composition or unusual point-of-view, and learn to recognize good lighting; that's much more important than megapixels, apertures, or file formats. "This is me in front of the Eiffel tower at high noon" is boring no matter what equipment you use.

As a side note, though, most new cameras have a "portrait mode" that's designed to blur the background as much as possible [ie, use maximum aperture]- works best when the subject is up close. Very useful for flowers and butterflies, as well as little kids, puppies, and anything else you might find on cuteoverload.com.

My two biggest problems have been poor autofocus (especially on close-ups of flowers - there's usually lots of other stuff close behind them) and camera shake. To fix the first (when not using a camera I can focus manually), I set the autofocus to "focus on center". Then I point the center at the part of the scene I want in focus, hold the shutter down halfway ["focus lock"], and move the camera to re-compose the shot.
The second is harder. Just holding the camera steady and pushing the shutter very gently will go a long way, but there comes a point where the light is low enough that you need to brace the camera on something. It's hard to recognize that point with an auto-everything camera that won't tell you what exposure it's using, but if your camera tells you that you need to use a flash, you've probably found it.

 

[vegematic]

Shoot at the lowest ISO (digital) your camera can manage. Only raise ISO when you must to get enough light. Don't use the automatic ISO, it always picks too high a value.
-dave-

Care to elaborate? I don't know much about this.

Great idea for a thread, by the way. Thanks.
-veg

 

[arghman]

Your eye can see a lot more than the camera. (or rather, your brain thinks your eye can see a lot more than the camera, because you have a huge wide field of vision and decent resolution towards the center, and your eye has the luxury of re-aiming and focusing at different things you're interested in -- whereas the camera has to grab everything at once)

for landscapes, the temptation to zoom out & put the whole view into the frame is strong -- try ignoring it; just because you can't get the whole mountain is ok. Ditto for closeups on an object (e.g. plants, I'm guilty of this), give it some context. try different zoom levels, if you have enough battery/memory/time, you can always take more pictures.

 

[arghman]

ISO = the digital equivalent of film speed (signal gain). There's a tradeoff both in film and digital between high & low ISO. High ISO amplifies the signal (in digital, I think between the camera CCD & the camera analog-to-digital converter), this means you can shoot with a smaller exposure time (or a higher F-stop = more depth of field) to get the same image brightness. But it also amplifies noise (in film this is graininess) and you will have a poorer quality picture in some cases.

My camera does a poorer job with bright green colors at high ISO (it looks somewhat pointillistic), I probably should keep it at lSO 100 instead of ISO 200 but I shoot more often at low light than I do at very bright green things.

 

[bubba]

dvbl - nice thread. My tip is to make sure you get the detail rather than the spread. Group shots are okay, but getting detail of individuals is so much more interesting... someone's joy, exhaustion, tears?? closer up. That which is around you - texture and features. Note my avatar... Jim managed to capture the feel of the flags -- not just the flags from afar.

 

[RGF1]

ISO = the digital equivalent of film speed (signal gain). There's a tradeoff both in film and digital between high & low ISO. High ISO amplifies the signal (in digital, I think between the camera CCD & the camera analog-to-digital converter), this means you can shoot with a smaller exposure time (or a higher F-stop = more depth of field) to get the same image brightness. But it also amplifies noise (in film this is graininess) and you will have a poorer quality picture in some cases.

My camera does a poorer job with bright green colors at high ISO (it looks somewhat pointillistic), I probably should keep it at lSO 100 instead of ISO 200 but I shoot more often at low light than I do at very bright green things.

Jason I have no idea what type of camera you have .but if you want ot use alow speed flim as i like ot and still take close up of planst on over cast days or use small aperature try using your canrals automaitic fillinl flash if it has one if not see if it has a way to do it by another seeint usually thier is but it is in a obscure place on both the camera nad instucuin book .
i use 645 equipomnet anda canon c 35 mm and haveot set it semi manually . IE tell the canra and flash mounted on it i am suing thflash as fillinlight .
ok back to main topic . buy a decet graduated neutral density filter . it will hep balece say a saded valley and earyl/late day light on hig peaks . i have a photo Itook of the moon over the matoon Bells doing this ill thryto link it . also flash

http://community.webshots.com/photo/382972685/1382985174073318485uJbYdz


try that
Rick

 

[Periwinkle]

The take the shot rule is key. I've got some great Whites photos, not because I'm a great photographer, but because the law of averages works in your favor -- take enough pictures, you'll get a few good ones. Most times, I take the same shot with a few variations. I always take timered summit self portraits and group shots twice, to be sure I get something useable.

A few digital thoughts (things that work with my Sony Digital):

If it's partly cloudy, have a little patience in waiting for the clouds to line up in the shot. A few puff white clouds placed just right can really add to a landscape view and lighting. In reverse, cloud shadows on prominent land features (say the Flume Slide) can detract, and change the overall lighting of your photo, depending on what you focused on.

To correct lighting, focus on something lighter or darker, and try holding the shutter down halfway to lock the meter setting. Then re-frame the shot and press the shutter all the way down. Particularly good for correcting lighting around ponds and lakes.

Keep your LCD display off unless you really need it. Saves batteries.

Speaking of batteries, in cold weather, keep you camera close to your body, including sleeping with it. I missed the ultimate photo-op, a huge full moon just over Mt. Washington, because I left my camera in my pack overnight. Fortunately, shoving it down my shirt warmed up the battery enough to take the summit shot later.

Other than that, I keep my lens cap on a leash and the camera bag clipped to the camera strap so I don't leave anything behind or get lazy about putting the camera away. In good weather, I leave the camera clipped to my should strap so I never have to think about whether a shot is worth pulling the camera out for.

 

[forestgnome]

Light...good tip about waiting for a puffy cloud to cover the sun on a sunny day. IMO, a mountain landscape in an overcast sky looks drab, unless there is strong structure among the clouds. I like the nice blue sky, and if you have a cloud covering the sun so you are in its' shadow, the light will be similar to overcast. In my avatar, I shadowed the bluebells with my body. What a gorgeous day Sunday in the Alpine Garden!

Filters...For landscapes, a circular polarizer is prescious. For sunsets and autumn foliage, a warming (aka enhancing) filter is nice.

Stowage..Inspired by Bobngeri, I carry my camera in a toploader case, attached to my shoulder straps with carribiners, where the sturnum strap is. This encourages much more shooting than when you have to drop pack and dig. Also, when you see that bear or moose you can draw and shoot much faster and quieter.

Happy Trails

 

[forestgnome]

Care to elaborate? I don't know much about this.

Great idea for a thread, by the way. Thanks.
-veg

The lower the ISO, the sharper the image, with digital and film.

In low light, you must choose one of three methods to get enough light. You must either take a slower shot(could cause blur if anything moves), or increase aperature (which shrinks depth of field which will be in focus) or raise the ISO ( which yeilds more graininess/pixelation).

 

[Waumbek]

I took this bear in my yard tonight in very low light and from a distance. I didn't think it would be worth the effort as I had no time to run and set up a tripod. I can probably edit it into just a slightly better image, but I'm still glad I took it. I agree--shoot, shoot, shoot, and see what you get.

 

[pudgy_groundhog]

Filters...For landscapes, a circular polarizer is prescious. For sunsets and autumn foliage, a warming (aka enhancing) filter is nice.

I was going to mention a polarizer too. I've found that with hiking/backpacking we often can't sit around and wait for the perfect light so a polarizer can help minimize the harsh midday light.

Tripod is great too for the low light pictures like sunrise and sunset (it was also crucial on our southwest trip since we spent so much time in canyons with low light).

If you are taking waterfall pictures, try the neutral density filter (it's in a menu on our Canon digital - I'm sure it's on most cameras). It blurs the water nicely (must have a tripod or some way to steady the camera).

 

[JohnL]

One of the keys to low light photography is a steady hand. Today’s smaller cameras actually work against you in this regard. Like Dave said, shoot, shoot, shoot. Practice, practice, practice. There are not always times where you will have the luxury of setting up a mini-tripod or setting your camera on a rock to help steady the shot.

Biathletes (you know, the guys who cross country ski with the rifle) will tell you that one key to a steady shot is to pull the trigger between heartbeats. The same goes for taking photos with a slow shutter speed.

I never use the LCD for anything except macro shots. You simply cannot hold a camera as steady with your arms out in front of you. Use the eyepiece. As was already pointed out, the LCD eats battery power.

For macro shots, particularly small flowers, I pre-focus the camera on its closest setting. On my camera, that’s four inches. The width of my hand across the knuckles is just shy of four inches. It makes a perfect guide to where I set up my camera in relation to the flower. Remember that the focus setting is not the distance from the subject to the front of the lens. It is the distance from the subject to the plane of the film (in the digital world it would be the sensor). Once you have your camera distance set up, open your hand and set your palm off to the side but at the same distance as your subject. The palm of your hand then can act as both a focal point and as your 18% gray card. Press your shutter button down half way, recompose your shot with the LCD and shoot. It takes some practice but hey, pixels are recyclable.

With practice and good technique, you can shoot effectively at low shutter speeds without any external devices. These three unplanned portraits were all shot with shutter speeds between 1/15 and ¼ of a second.

JohnL

 

[Mark Schaefer]

Keep it simple. Before you press the shutter ask yourself. What is this a picture of? Make that bold, exclude whatever is unneeded. Less is almost always more.

Tidy up the scene. Move dead leaves, twigs, blowdown (unless that is the subject) out of the frame if possible. If not zoom in or change the camera position.

Think foreground, middleground, and background. A picture that only includes the latter two will lack depth. Try to include something in the foreground. If the foreground is not the principle subject it does not need to be in sharp focus.

Unless there is something interesting in the sky, keep it out of the frame. When shooting mountains that is not easy. Some sky is OK. But try to use trees or other objects to cover much of that blank white sky.

Control contrast. The camera will try to compromise wide extremes, highlights will burn out, shadow areas will go black. A blue sky and sun drenched landscape are often be nicely in balance. A light gray sky and unlit landscape will be far out of balance. Your landscape will most likely be rendered too dark. Keep that gray sky out of the frame, and the camera's exposure will be better. Similarly photos taken in the woods on sunny days are often too contrasty, those subjects work better on more overcast days.

A polarizer filter will improve most landscapes. It reduces the glare on all shiny surfaces, saturating the color of foliage, reducing the glare on wet rocks on near waterfalls, deepening blue skies (by eliminating the glare on the microscopic water droplets in the atmosphere), and slightly reducing the effect of haze.

A photo album of just landscapes and nature can wear thin. Try to include some people, and try to shoot candids. There are valid times for posed shots where your subject is looking at the camera. Photos where people are actively engaged, hiking, looking into the landscape, eating, conversing with others are often more effective.

Give your subject stature, don't look down on them. Lower yourself. Photos of people and animals usually work best when shot at or just below their eye level. Same principle often works for plants as well.

Edit your work, discard the duds. Don't let your seconds and bad shots reduce the impact of your good photos. Never bore your audience. Always leave them asking for more.

All rules are made to be broken. Experiment, but use the prior rule when it doesn't work.

 

[4000'er]

Great thread with great info.
Here are a few of my thoughts:

Angles:
Low or high angles can clean up cluttered backgrounds or make a bla photo interesting.

Details:
Don't be afraid to move in tight.

Light:
Just after sunrise and before sunset creates long dramatic shadows.

People:
Add scale, don't need to be looking at the camera, are just interesting to look at.

Mini Tripod:
Worth the weight for self portraits, and timed exposures

I’ve illustrated each point with a photo that can be found here.

 

[pudgy_groundhog]

4000'er --- I like the "look for characters". Nice set of pics.