A couple weeks ago my husband, Ron, and I attended the Seven Ponds Nature Center Photo Expo. It was a beautiful, sunny day and we had the opportunity to take classes and enjoy taking photographs at the nature center. We split up, taking separate classes to fit our own personal interests and so we could share information from as many sources as possible.
Class subjects we participated in included Travel Photography, Subject Elements and Composition in Nature, Night/Low Light Photography, and Shades of Gray (visualizing your photograph in black and white when shooting). Extended and overlapping break times allowed us to meet up and eat lunch together in the car before once again splitting up. We even walked areas of the nature center separately, which is sometimes beneficial so that our photographs are not all alike or of the exact same subjects.
There were several drawings for door prizes and Ron was the lucky winner of a $50 gift certificate to Camera Mart in Pontiac — a place that we frequent. While at the seminar we purchased a new mono-pod for Ron and a new tri-pod that converts to a mono-pod for me. I had been having trouble with my tripod and the Benro dealer informed me it could be sent in and re-worked/repaired at no charge by using his name from the seminar. Needless to say I was very pleased to hear that, and Camera Mart handled getting that sent in for me.
Nature photography is something we both enjoy. Everyone taking a walk in a wooded area or nature center should always have some form of camera available to capture the things that make those walks beautiful to you. Take the time to look and enjoy the small things. There are times I have taken walks with others who are not photographers, and they traverse the area much faster than I, because I am spotting and photographing many subjects that they never see. I’m including some pictures taken the day of the seminar at Seven Ponds Nature Center.
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- Taken through glass, hand-held
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- Look at everything, capture the beauty of all nature, not just the obvious.
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- Follow the rule of thirds when composing your photographs.
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- Taken through glass, hand-held.
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- Walking by a pond, would you have noticed the dragon fly on the lilly pad?
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- Pay attention to shadows, they can be interestong photographs on their own.
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- Look for the unusual – reflections in the water and the base of the plant down through the water.
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- Don’t assume underwater items won’t turn out – take the picture and see what happens
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- Capture details of items, not just the entire thing — in this case a shed door.
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- Things look best in odd numbered groups, and items such as bees can add additional interest to a photo.
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- If shooting with a DSLR set our F-stops to enhance your focal point and mute out distracting background.
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- Although zooming in close is good to get details, photos that are wide and give an overall viewpoint are also beneficial for capturing the beauty of an area.
~~ ALL PHOTOGRAPHS TAKEN BY GRACE GROGAN ~~
~~COPYRIGHT 2015 GRACE GROGAN.~~
--- LIFE IS A MELTING POT --- Grace Grogan...Writer, Photographer 