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Unplug from technology and find photo inspiration in Nature. Freelance photographer Katherine Keates brings us a motivating article that serves as a wake-up call to reconnect with our natural surroundings.

© Katherine Keates

Insights and Inspiration
from nature

by Katherine Keates

© Katherine Keates
Cactus Close-up Detail

In a day and age of high definition vision, media overload, and entertainment and communication in the palm of the hand, we have become increasingly hard to please, over-stimulated, yet at the same time, incredibly lazy. Mea culpa.

What we seem to have forgotten in this hubbub is how to quieten down, look deeper within and, for goodness sake, open our eyes. There are great works of art by Mother Nature herself that we brush by, step on and simply ignore in our quest for the bigger and better. While focused on SMS, iPods and iPads, the world is not only passing us by, but we are at increased risk of getting run over by it.

So I ask you: Is there any hope left for being struck by unsolicited, unplugged inspiration?

Perhaps so. At least I believe it.

The best news of all is that to be truly, creatively inspired does not require expensive equipment and gadgets, or exotic tours and classes that promise take-home ‘winning’ images. And, believe it or not, creative photo inspiration is not something you can pick up on eBay from your Blackberry. In fact, you come equipped with the required equipment from day one, and it is FREE. The real secret lies in a killer combination of the mass of gray matter churning between our ears and two amazing orbs on either side of our nose that, when trained and practiced, can hone in on some of the most magical beauty known to humankind.

© Katherine Keates
Wave-washed Sand, Thunder Beach, ON, Canada

We boast of how the world is getting smaller as we zoom in and out with Google Earth and how we find our way with GPS instead of orienteering with maps and compasses. Is this new small world really something to brag about? Isn’t it ironic, that when plugged in, our quest for photo inspiration dwindles exponentially? Can you still remember what happens when you pause, close in on your immediate surroundings, and allow yourself to feel the stirring within as Nature tells her incredible story? Perhaps this is the mysterious, exotic world we need to get to know or, in many cases, revisit.

© Katherine Keates
Point Lobos Rocks at Low Tide, CA, USA

In the quietened mind’s eye, the bark of a tree or cactus can become a provocative piece of art hanging in our planet’s great gallery. The grains of sand on a beach offer texture and depth to a wave-formed sculpture that people simply walk over. Moving water washes colour over rocks like freshly dumped cans of paint. The vignetted leafy textiles of a garden or forest plant stimulate curiosity and wonder. All of this, and more, is out there, just waiting for us. So, be brave and take this challenge. Absorb all you can in this overly technical world because it is there for the taking, and it is useful; but then…STOP. Just go unplugged and unblogged for awhile. Capture a feeling instead of a trophy. Let the magic in, fill your pores, and let it move you to inner creative greatness.

© Katherine Keates
White Sand Dune Close-up, South Africa

 

About Katherine Keates

 

A photographer for many years, Katherine’s love of photography has led her to explore many avenues in the art and craft of photography. She has explored and photographed in places such as South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Kenya, Tanzania, France, Israel, Hawaii, Alaska, China, the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador and many North American national parks. She particularly loves to shoot on her home turf in Ontario, Canada.

She strives to present a unique vision and apply an artistic approach to all of her subjects. This national and international award-winning photographer has taught workshops and presented instructional programs. Her prints have been displayed in traditional and unique gallery situations, and in numerous exhibitions, and her work can be found on the walls of private homes and corporate offices.

She has participated on the speakers’ circuit for the Greater Toronto Council of Camera Clubs specializing in Audio Visual presentations and is a qualified international photographic judge. She is currently an active member and Vice President of the Toronto Focal Forum print makers group.

Katherine is also a freelance writer and has had numerous articles and images published in both local and international photographic publications such as BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year, Photo Life, Pets Magazine, Best of Photography, Local Colour and the CAPA Journal.

Katherine welcomes you to visit her website at:

www.katherinekeatesphotography.com

 

© Katherine Keates
Algonquin Park Autumn Reflection, ON, Canada

 

Next, you may want to read more articles from guest writers on learning digital photography.

• Home
• Digital Photography Technique
• Bulb Mode

What is the bulb setting on your camera all about? How do you use it? How does it work? Why would you want to choose this camera mode for shooting? Watch below to find out!

 

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Video Transcript

Hello! It’s Julie here from Ultimate Photo Tips. Today’s two minute tip is all about bulb mode on your camera. This mode is typically used for taking exposures that are longer than 30", which is the longest shutter speed that’s programmed as a setting on your camera. You might use the bulb setting for doing night photography, where you need very long exposures to capture enough light. Or you might use it for photographing fireworks or lightning, where you leave the shutter open until the event occurs, and then end the exposure.

To use the bulb setting on your camera, switch to either manual mode or shutter priority mode, and then slow down your shutter speed until you get to 30 seconds. One more click should put you in bulb mode. Alternatively, on some Canon SLRs, there’s a bulb mode built right into the main control dial. Instead of Manual or shutter priority mode, you actually pick bulb directly. It’s marked with a "B."

In bulb mode, the shutter remains open for as long as shutter release is held down. That means that either your finger is holding down the shutter release button — which is not the best option, since you could be shaking the camera — or your cable release is locked into the shooting position. If you are using a wireless remote, you will press the remote once to open the shutter and a second time to close it.

That’s the bulb setting in a nutshell! If want more great tips, please visit me on ultimate-photo-tips.com, and be sure to sign up for my newsletter.

Happy shooting, and I’ll see you next time!

 

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• Digital Photography Technique
• Digital Night Photography

Have you ever wondered what shutter speed to use to capture star points, and not star trails? In this short video on digital night photography, Julie reveals the formula to use to calculate the maximum shutter speed you can use to keep those stars looking like points.

 

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Video Transcript

Have you been curious about photographing the night sky, but you’re not really sure what settings to use so that your stars actually look like stars, and not lines in your photograph? Hi, I’m Julie from Ultimate Photo Tips, and today’s Two Minute Photo Tip is all about answering that question: what settings should you use on your camera so that you stars look like star points and not star trails?

Fist of all, you get star trails, meaning lines across your photograph, because the Earth is moving. If you leave your shutter open for a long period of time, the stars will move through your frame, and leave behind a trail of light. To avoid that, you need a short enough shutter speed that you stars come out just as points. So, what is that shutter speed, and how do we figure it out?

Digital Night Photography: Star Points
© Julie Waterhouse Photography

A good rule of thumb, if you don’t want to do any math, is that for a wide angle lens, 30 seconds is about as long as you can go. If you want to know the exact number, there’s a formula. It’s 600 divided by the focal length of your lens. This is for a 35mm format camera.

So let’s say you’re using an 18mm lens. 600 / 18 = 33.3. So with an 18mm lens, 30 seconds is the longest exposure you can use and still have your stars rendered as star points.

If you are going to be using a very short exposure like that, to get star points, that’s not going to give you a lot of light. You have to boost your light in other ways. That means setting an aperture that’s quite wide, and boosting you ISO as high as your camera can comfortably go without getting too much noise, so at least 1600, and possibly as high as 6400.

Time to try it out! Wait for the next clear sky, and get your camera out there — on a tripod, of course! – and try doing some digital night photography.

That’s your two minute tip for today! If you like this video, please like it, tweet it and share it with your friends. For more great tips, be sure to visit ultimate-photo-tips.com and sign up for my newsletter, where I share tips, ideas and inspiration that I don’t share anywhere else!

Happy shooting, and I’ll see you next time.

 

• Home
• Photo Challenges
• September 2012

Photo Challenges:
September 2012

Abstracts

For the last couple of months, the winning challenge image has inspired the topic for the next month. That’s what happened this time, too! And it’s also a topic that was suggested on our Facebook Page. The topic is "abstract photos."

Abstract photos rely less on the actual content, and more on colors, lines, shapes, and textures, to produce a visually stimulating image. I think that creating abstract photos is excellent training for any photographer, as it causes us to concentrate on the fundamental building blocks of all images. If you can train yourself to see abstractly, I think that all of your photography will benefit.

Your imagination is your only limit when it comes to choosing subject matter that can be used to create abstract photos. I think the key is to find something that stirs your emotions, piques your curiosity, or excites you. Let’s see what you can find!

If you need a little extra inspiration, I found this wonderful collection of abstract photos online.

Read the rules. One entry only each month per person, please!

Enter your super-amazing photos in our photo contests. The winning image will be featured on the Ultimate Photo Tips homepage for all of the following month.

Submit your image.

See what other people are submitting, and vote for your favorite:
View other entries.

 

My Abstract View

I’ve decided not to tell you what each photograph is actually of. I think it would spoil it! 🙂 If it works as an abstract, it shouldn’t really matter what the subject is. If you’re just dying to know, then try out the commenting facility at the very bottom of this page (you must be signed in through Facebook, Yahoo, AOL or Hotmail), and ask me there.

© Julie Waterhouse

 

© Julie Waterhouse

 

© Julie Waterhouse

 

© Julie Waterhouse

 

© Julie Waterhouse

 

© Julie Waterhouse

 

© Julie Waterhouse

 

 

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• Home
• Digital Photography Technique
• People in Nature Photography

Do you tend to avoid including people in your nature and landscape photography? In this short video, Julie gives two good reasons to change your practice, and include people in your nature and landscape shots. Watch below to find out what they are.

 

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Video Transcript

Hello! I’m Julie from Ultimate Photo Tips, back with another Two Minute Tip. I want to talk to you about including people in your photographs. I’m not talking about photos where your subject is a person, or a group of people. Instead, I want to encourage you to include people in photos of landscapes or nature.

For a long time, I was one of those photographers who waited until all the tourists cleared out of a spot before taking my picture. I wanted the scene to appear pristine and untouched. Now, there’s nothing wrong with that approach, but I want you to consider telling a different story.

Let me give you a couple of reasons why I’ve started including people in nature photography. First, having a person in the scene can add a sense of scale. Everyone knows immediately how big a person is, so if there’s a person in the image, we quickly assess the relative size of the other elements. If you’re in the forest photographing the giant sequoia tree, it doesn’t mean much until you put a person beside it.

Second, and probably even more significant, is that people in nature photography add that human interest factor. If there’s a person in the scene, then the viewer can easily substitute themselves, and imagine being there. It gives the photo a sense of immediacy. If you’re submitting photos to magazines, they love the inclusion of people because their readers can relate better to the image.

If you are going to include people in images that you intend to sell, of course you need to make sure you get the appropriate model releases. You also want to include the right people in the photo. Any old tourist may not be the best choice. You want someone well-groomed, and dressed appropriately for the scene. Your best — and most cooperative! — subject might just be yourself, so consider using a timer delay when you shoot, and including yourself in your photo.

Let me close with a couple of examples so you can decide whether you prefer the one with or without me in the frame.

Here’s the Hopewell Rocks in New Brunswick, Canada at sunrise:

Hopewell Rocks, NB, Canada, with no one in the scene
© Julie Waterhouse Photography

And here they are again with me in the scene. Do you react any differently to this photo?

Hopewell Rocks, NB, Canada, including myself in the scene
© Julie Waterhouse Photography

So get out there, and try a few photos with people in nature photography, and see if you like the difference it makes. For more photo tips, come on over to ultimate-photo-tips.com, and be sure to sign up for my newsletter.

Happy shooting, and I’ll see you next time!

 

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• Digital Photography Technique
• RAW versus JPEG

Are you confused about whether to shoot in RAW or JPEG? Not sure exactly what the difference is? Julie compares these two file formats in a short video, and recommends which you should be using.

 

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Video Transcript

Hi! It’s time for another two minute photo tip. I’m Julie from Ultimate Photo Tips, and I’m here today with a quick comparison of RAW versus JPEG. Which one should you be using? And what’s the difference, anyway?

RAW and JPEG are different file formats that the camera can use to store your images. I like to compare the RAW format to unbaked cookie dough. Shooting RAW is like taking a digital negative. Your camera stores all the data that it captures. That means that you can take your RAW data, and bake your cookie to any recipe you want. In other words, you have complete control over the final look of your image, in terms of white balance, contrast, brightness and much more. And in fact, you can take your same RAW data, and process it in multiple ways – like baking several kinds of cookies – to create different final looks to your image. Now, a RAW image straight out of the camera never looks very good. You must expect to do some post-processing on your images using software like Lightroom, Photoshop, Aperture, or the RAW editor that comes free with your camera.

If RAW format is like unbaked cookie dough, then JPEG is a baked cookie. When you shoot in JPEG, the camera takes into account the picture modes that you have pre-selected, and then produces an image to those specifications, or a specific cookie recipe. Here’s the thing – JPEG is what’s known as a compressed file format. That means the final file is smaller than RAW (it’s been compressed down), but that’s because all the extra data not used in your recipe gets thrown away. Once you’ve made your choice, there’s no changing your mind, and re-processing the image. If you try to, every time you save the JPEG file, you will degrade the image and throw away more data.

If you are just starting out, I suggest that you concentrate on learning composition and exposure, and just shoot in JPEG. That way, your images are ready to send to print or the web without any more work. Figuring out post-processing software is a whole other learning curve!

If you are a more advanced photographer, and are ready to expand your creative control to include post-processing, then I encourage you to shoot in RAW for the best quality images, and the most flexibility and control.

Drop by ultimate-photo-tips.com for more information about raw versus jpeg file formats, as well as heaps more info and tips on other photography-related topics.

Happy shooting, and I’ll see you next time!

Find out more about RAW Versus JPEG

Find out more detail about raw vs jpeg.

 

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• Digital Photography Technique
• Background in Photography

Never underestimate the importance of background in photography! This short video explains how your background can be the key to taking an image from snapshot to photograph.

 

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Video Transcript

Have you ever wondered what the difference is between a snapshot and a photograph? You know it when you see it, but have you ever stopped to analyze what the real differences are? Hi, I’m Julie from Ultimate Photo Tips, and for today’s Two Minute Phot Tip, I want to talk about one of the factors that I think makes a difference: backgrounds.

Novice photographers tend to be so focused on their subject, that they forget all about the background in photography, whereas an advanced photographer is much more aware that the background is an integral part of the image – that it’s just as important as the foreground subject.

So how do you start taking your images from "snapshot" to "photograph?" The first thing you need to do is clean up your backgrounds. That’s like level 1. Make sure that the background has no distractions – no elbows or trees coming in from the side, no bright spots or dark spots to pull your attention away from the subject.

Then, at level 2, you actually want to start paying attention to what is in the background, and making sure that it complements your subject, that it works in harmony with it. So don’t just look at the objects in the background, but look at their shapes, and colors, and the lines in them and their textures, and make sure all those things are playing together with your subject, to actually enhance your subject.

A great way to get started with background in photography is to go out and to look at the work of photographers you admire. Make sure you take a look at the background in those pictures, and understand how they work with the subject. And then get out there and start practicing yourself!

If you want more great tips, please come on over to ultimate-photo-tips.com, and sign up for my newsletter while you’re there. Happy shooting, and I’ll see you next time!

 

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• Digital Photography Technique
• Wide Angle Lens

Are you using your wide angle lens just so you can fit more stuff in the frame? Watch this video for seven great tips to help you get the most out of your lens. Using a wide angle properly can produce dramatic results that pull the viewer right into your image.

 

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Video Transcript

Are you using your wide angle just so that you can fit more stuff into the frame? If you are, I can help you do better. I’m Julie from Ultimate Photo Tips, and today’s tip is all about using your wide angle lens. Wide angle lenses can be a bit tricky to use, but used effectively, they can produce some really dramatic results, and they can help your viewer feel they’re really pulled into the scene. Today, I’m going to give you seven tips for using wide angle lenses. Ready? Here we go!

1. Get close to your subject. Get closer than you’re used to – maybe even closer than you’re comfortable with. But do get up close and personal. Your wide angle lens can focus close, so that won’t be a problem.

2. Orient your camera vertically. Especially if you’re shooting landscapes, consider orienting your camera vertically. If this is the ground, you’re going to have your camera quite close to the ground, and you should probably angle it down just a little bit. That means you’re going to get a lot of foreground in the image, but the field of view is wide enough, that you’re going to see all the way up to the horizon.

Orienting the camera vertically emphasizes the foreground
© Julie Waterhouse

3. Create a visually interesting foreground that’s free of distractions. Because you have so much foreground in the image, and because it gets exaggerated so much by this lens, make sure it’s interesting.

4. Make deliberate and careful compositions. Pay special attention to what’s being pulled in at the edges of the frame.

5. Be careful when photographing people. When photographing people with a wide angle, body parts that are close ti the lens are going to be distorted and exaggerated, and it might look a little bit funny.

Yikes, distortion! Big head, big arms, scary photo! Shot at 24mm
© Julie Waterhouse

6. Be aware of distortion. If you’re pointing your camera above or below the horizon, be aware that a wide angle lens can distort vertical lines. That can affect things like buildings.

7. Be careful when using a polarizing filter. The effect of the polarization, because it’s such a wide angle, won’t be even across the image. You may end up with a very dark blue sky on one side of the image, fading to a light blue on the other side.

Those are your tips or using a wide angle lens. Now it’s time to try them out. Get out there with your camera, take some pictures, and experiment!

If you like this video, please like it, tweet it and share it with your friends. For more great tips, be sure to visit ultimate-photo-tips.com and sign up for my newsletter, where I share tips, ideas and inspiration that I don’t share anywhere else!

Happy shooting, and I’ll see you next time.

 

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• Digital Photography Technique
• Camera Protection

Shower caps are not just for use on your head! They can be used for camera protection too! Find out how to create a DIY shower cap camera cover in this short video.

 

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Video Transcript

Are you looking for an inexpensive way to protect your camera from dust or moisture? I have the perfect solution. Hi, I’m Julie from Ultimate Photo Tips, and it’s DIY Day today! For our very easy project, all you need is a shower cap. This is the secret ingredient. You can buy one at your local pharmacy, or, next time you’re in the hotel, make sure you go through the freebies, and pull out the shower cap and keep it. Optionally, you also need an elastic band and a pair of scissors.

There are two different ways you can use the shower cap to protect the camera. The first one is to wrap it around to protect the camera body.

Camera Protection: Protecting the Body

[demonstration] We just wrap it around, pull it in around the lens, and then use an elastic band to hold it in place. The advantage of this method, is that, because it’s a very thin plastic, you can still access all the controls and see what you’re doing, but your body is protected from moisture and dust.

Alternatively, you can put the shower cap on the other way around.

Camera Protection: Creating a Shell

So for this, we’re going to snip a small hold in the center of it. [demonstration] Find the middle, take your pair of scissors, and just make a small snip. Now we are going to find out hole and feed the lens through. Pull the the shower cap back and feed the lens through until it has a nice, tight seal. Now you want to pull the rest of the shower cap around your hands, and around the body of the camera. Now we can actually get our hands in there, and hold the camera and work the controls. The elastic on the shower cap is going to keep the plastic in place around your hands.

That’s it! That’s all there is to it!

If you like this video, please like it, tweet it and share it with your friends. For more great tips, be sure to visit ultimate-photo-tips.com and sign up for my newsletter, where I share tips, ideas and inspiration that I don’t share anywhere else!

Happy shooting, and I’ll see you next time.

 

• Home
• Photo Challenges
• October 2012

Photo Challenges:
October 2012

Serenity

Last week, as I was writing the creativity exercise for the weekly Ultimate Photo Tips newsletter, I talked about an exercise where you come up with the title of the photo first. This can be a tough challenge! Having the title first is a big restriction on what you can shoot, but that’s what gets you thinking creatively If you’re stuck for titles, I suggested you try using a song title. I also gave you a few examples:

I gave a few examples to get you started with ideas.

• Joy to the World
• Dreamscape
• Ode to Monet
• Serenity
• Transformation

And that gave me the idea to pick one for this month’s photo challenge! So, "Serenity" it is. We all need a little serenity in our hectic lives. So please, share an image that says "serenity" to you.

Read the rules. One entry only each month per person, please!

Enter your super-amazing photos in our photo contests. The winning image will be featured on the Ultimate Photo Tips homepage for all of the following month.

Submit your image.

See what other people are submitting, and vote for your favorite:
View other entries.

 

Serenity Now!

…with apologies to fans of the TV show Seinfeld 🙂

Here are a few of my more serene images to inspire you…

© Julie Waterhouse

 

© Julie Waterhouse

 

© Julie Waterhouse

 

© Julie Waterhouse

 

© Julie Waterhouse

 

© Julie Waterhouse

 

 

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