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Contents LETTER FROM KEN
IDENTIFYING FOREGROUNDS IN NATURE
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PROCESSING ARTICLE OF THE MONTH How to Eliminate a Halo
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FEATURED PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE MONTH An Interview with Jack Brauer
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THE STORY BEHIND THE PICTURE
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PHOTO TOURS AND WORKSHOPS
p 14
LOCATION FEATURE: THE CANADIAN ROCKIES Guest Article by Josh Merrill
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QUICK TIP: SHOULD I ZOOM IN TO FOCUS?
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LINKS TO PREVIOUS ISSUES OF INSPIRATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY
Cover Photo: Lofoten, Norway 2
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Letter From Ken Turn Around
You have probably heard it said that someone “has eyes in the back of their head”. The expression means that the person is aware of what is going on behind them, even if he or she cannot actually see it with their eyes. People often say this about parents and teachers. However, this is also a great trait for an outdoor photographer to have. It is easy for me to get too focused on what is in front of me when I am out scouting, photographing, or even walking back after a shoot. In some cases, the best picture (or at least an additional picture) is behind me. For example, I was walking back to my hotel in Manarola, Cinque Terre with one of my photographer friends. It had just rained and the sky was still a deep blue from the end of twilight. We had already shot the coastal view of the city and were on our way back when, fortunately, he had the sense to turn around and have a look at the city center behind us. We both ended up with a beautiful shot of reflective streets (which looked gold due to the incandescent lighting) with a deep blue sky in the background. I would have missed that shot if my friend hadn’t turned around to have a look. Presumably your best composition is usually in front of you while you are shooting. However, the light in the sky can change rapidly. Paying attention to what is behind you might better allow you to take advantage of good lighting conditions. So, make it a practice to turn around and have a look in all directions whenever you are out scouting, shooting, or even walking home. Thanks for reading! Ken Koskela http://www.kenkoskela.com To receive this magazine FREE each month click HERE 3
Identifying Foregrounds in Nature The “Classic Landscape Technique”
While in Norway in February, I spent about as much time scouting out locations as I did photographing. One reason for all the time spent is that I was busy looking for compelling foregrounds for images that I planned on taking using the “classic landscape technique”. This technique is characterized by a foreground element(s) that is close to the camera, a complementary background (which is generally the subject of the picture), a wide-angle lens, and sharpness throughout the image. Using this technique, if your foreground and/or background is weak, the picture will be a tosser. Characteristics of a Good Foreground It can be challenging locating good foregrounds. This is partly because the wide-angle lens exaggerates the distance between foreground and back4
ground. Foregrounds look great with a wide-angle, but backgrounds get pushed back, making them smaller in your composition. Therefore, proximity to your background is important when choosing a foreground. Some photographers address this by compositing two images at different focal lengths: a wider focal length for the foreground and something less wide for the background. Equally important is that your foreground complements your background. The idea isn’t to get the viewer focusing their attention on how awesome your foreground is. It is really to help balance the image and, ideally, to help point your viewer towards the background subject, leading their eyes through the frame. You want your foreground to add interest to the image, but not distract your viewer or lead his or her eyes away from the subject.
In this article, I’ll go through examples of the types of foreground elements that I generally look for. 1. Moving Water
In Norway in February, I was looking at cracked and broken ice. In the image below, there is a nice, curved line of ice that leads the viewer towards the distant mountain.
I’ve written an article or two on including moving water in your images. I love incorporating water into my foregrounds, especially when it is blurred through a slow shutter speed.
Notice that I’ve made the leading lines themselves a prominent part of the picture by using a very wide lens and getting close to the ice. I look for lines that can be an important part of the composition. The above picture includes water rushing through rocks that form a nice pattern, which was easy to identify as an effective foreground. If no such pattern exists, then I try to incorporate waves retreating back into the ocean or else splashing up against rocks. Including this foreground motion adds some nice dimension to the image. 2. Leading Lines Moving water can form leading lines. But, I look for leading lines in just about anything in nature.
3. Reflective Surfaces Reflective surfaces can make for great foregrounds. I look for pools of water, ice, wet beaches, and any other surface that I can find a reflection of the background in. For the Northern Lights image from Norway (see top of next page), the reflection of the Aurora and mountain, combined with a couple of rocks, was enough to balance the picture and add some interest to the foreground. 5
4. Textures
5. Framing Elements
Sometimes, something as simple as an interesting texture can serve as an effective foreground. Again, the idea isn’t to get the viewer to stare at the foreground. In the image at the top of the next column, taken in Death Valley’s Mesquite Dunes, ripples in the sand being hit with very low-angled light worked well.
The image at the top of the next page, taken in Namibia, always comes to mind when I think about framing. I’ve probably overused it in this magazine, but it is a good illustration of how a foreground element can frame a distant subject. Even though the distant tree is very small in the composition, your attention is drawn right to it because it is framed by the closer tree.
Leading lines, a reflective surface and texture all combined to create a nice foreground.
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6. Underwater Elements I sometimes like to include elements underneath the water’s surface in my foreground. In the header shot at the beginning of this article, as well as in the picture to the right, I’ve done exactly that. I put on my polarizer to eliminate the reflections on the water’s surface which allowed the sensor to capture the underwater patterns. The above list covers the majority of what I normally include as foreground elements when using the classic landscape technique. Although it requires a lot of effort, hunting out these foregrounds also adds to the enjoyment of outdoor photography.
Pack, Plan, Travel and Shoot Like a Pro Travel Photographer Rick Sammon Webinar, April 25th Hi, everyone - In the past 30 years, my friend (and China co-workshop leader!) Rick Sammon has traveled to more than 100 countries, making pictures for his 14 KelbyOne on-line classes, hundreds of magazine articles, and 37 books, including Creative Visualization for Photographers. In his travels, Rick has learned a ton about traveling and travel photography – stuff he will share with you in a four-part webinar on April 25. Hope you can join!! Cost is just $7. Register here. 7
How to Eliminate a Halo Post-Processing Article of the Month
I learned this technique from a landscape photographer who is a true expert in post-processing. Although this is an easy technique to explain and master, it is extremely useful.
that our layer stack looks like this... just the pixel layer and an adjustment layer on top.
The Problem: Halo’s on the Horizon It is fairly common in landscape photography to post-process the sky differently than the foreground. For example, many landscape photographers like their skies darkened. It is also common to add sharpening to an image, which gets applied to edges. Both of these techniques, and especially when used together, can cause “halo’s”... or light lines that run along a transition zone, such as a horizon line or along the top of a mountain. I see these halo’s all the time. They look bad, especially if you enlarge your image, such as for print.
Because you need a 100% opacity pixel layer on top, we will next do a “stamp visible”, which is a new layer that is a picture of all the other layers as they appear. On a Mac, you hit “Cmd-Opt-Shift-E”. With Windows, you hit “Shift-Ctrl-Alt-E”. You’ll then see a new layer appear on top of your layer stack.
Below is what one looks like. You might have to look carefully, but there is a white line along the top of the red roof. It is even more pronounced on the left side of the chimney just under the red roof.
Clone Stamp Tool, Darken Mode With the top layer active, grab the Clone Stamp Tool, which you are probably already familiar with:
Fortunately, halo’s are very easy to fix using a clever technique in Photoshop. Start With a Pixel Layer on Top To start out, you need a “pixel layer”, rather than an adjustment layer, at 100% opacity on top. Let’s say 8
Switch the mode of the Clone Stamp Tool to “Darken”. This is done using the pull-down box that you should see above your image after you have activated the tool. There is a good chance that it is currently set to “Normal”, as seen at the top of the next page.
Change it to “Darken” mode.
Next, make sure that the Opacity and Flow of the Clone Stamp Tool are both set to 100%.
Make sure “Aligned” is checked:
Lastly, make sure that the hardness of the brush is set to 0% and is a relatively small brush.
After you have finished, it is a good idea to switch your Clone Stamp Tool mode back to Normal so that you do not forget and are confused later why it does not appear to be working (the voice of experience talking). Also, it is a good idea to rename your layer something like “Halo Fixed” so that you can tell later what the purpose of the layer is. It might be difficult to see the modification to the layer and you might inadvertently delete it if it is not re-named.
And Now... The Magic Happens You have probably used the Clone Stamp Tool before, so I will not go into detail here on that. You simply alt-click on a source area and then brush over the destination area with the tool. The pixels in the destination area are replaced with the source pixels. With Darken mode, however, only the pixels that are LIGHTER than the source pixels are replaced. Anything darker or exactly the same luminosity level is level alone. Halo’s are usually brighter than the surrounding pixels. So, by clicking in a nearby spot in the sky and dragging your cursor over the halo, the brighter halo is replaced but the surrounding area (in this case the sky and the red roof ) is left alone. Although difficult to see, the halo in the next picture is gone. This took me less than one minute.
Limitations Although it is a near-perfect solution, you might run into some cases where it requires a little more precision. For example, if the clouds have texture and differing brightness levels, then you might run into cases where your destination pixels adjacent to the halo are still brighter than the source pixels. When this happens, it helps to run the clone-stamp tool along the edge of the foreground area (such as the red roof in this example) and just let the edge of the brush run over the halo without bleeding much into the sky. You might need to go over it a couple of times due to the feathering of the brush. Pretty cool trick! 9
FEATURED PHOTOGRAPHER:
An Interview With Jack Brauer
http://www.mountainphotography.com Jack Brauer photographs in remote wilderness areas, usually backpacking for many miles and oftentimes bushwhacking through the woods to explore places where no trails exist. Jack has a BA in Fine Arts Printmaking from the University of Colorado in Boulder. His photos are collected by print customers in all of the lower 48 United States and a dozen countries. Beyond that, Jack founded WideRange Galleries (http://www.widerangegalleries. com) which designed, set up, and maintains my own website (and does a stellar job at it!). So, Jack is quite a multi-talented guy! This month, we’re doing the feature in interview format. ----KK: You take most of your pictures in remote, often mountainous areas that require backpacking and extensive hiking. How and when did you develop such a passion for the outdoors? JB: I guess my love of the outdoors started while growing up in San Diego, California, where much of everyday life is spent outside simply due to the pleasant climate there. But my passion for mountains started with snowboarding. I’ve loved snowboarding since I was a kid (going on annual ski road trips to Utah with my family) and one of the main reasons I wanted to go to college in Boulder, Colorado was to be closer to the mountains so I could snowboard much more often (I had no idea what else I wanted to do with my life at that point!).
But once I was there, I started going hiking and backpacking and quickly realized that there was a lot more to love about the mountains than just sliding down them. I was amazed by what fantastic paradisiacal places I could get to by trekking around with a backpack and tent. Of course I’d seen beautiful alpine photos in postcards and books and calendars, but when I actually went to places like this for the first times, it was an eye opening experience, like I had discovered the keys to paradise.
KK: What is one important piece of advice that you would offer to other photographers interested in photographing in the types of mountainous and wilderness areas that you photograph in? JB: I try to encourage people to “discover” the wilderness on their own, and by that I mean that it’s much more fulfilling to choose your own routes and destinations by studying maps and coming up with your own ideas, rather than constantly relying on guidebooks or trip reports, or even worse asking other photographers how to get to their photo locations. The spirit of exploration is a rare and precious thing in our information/internet age when so many places have been thoroughly documented and guidebooked. So I believe that when you are planning out trips it is best to consciously try to create your own experiences from scratch rather than follow in others’ footsteps, whenever possible. This approach will
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KK: Considering the extensive backpacking that you do and the need to lighten the load, what is your typical camera gear setup when going out on a trip? JB: Carrying as light of a load as possible is a huge concern while backpacking, and more and more so as I get older. I used to carry 20-25 pounds of 4x5 large format camera gear with me while backpacking, until I started realizing that I was wearing out my body and diminishing the simple joys of being out hiking. also result in a much more unique and personal collection of photos than the usual icon stuff. KK: What has been your most challenging trip to date and why? JB: One trip that stands out for being the most physically demanding was when I spent three days bushwhacking up and down Cow Creek [http:// www.mountainphotographer.com/cow-creekbushwhack/ ], a remote valley in the San Juans that I had long wanted to explore. I normally don’t mind bushwhacking, but this hike was an almost-laughable sufferfest; afterwards I felt like I had wasted three solid days just thrashing around in bushes. Also pretty much any winter camping trip is usually challenging; these tend to be more of an exercise in survival, rather than bonding with nature like in the summer. Typically, though, the treks I tend to do aren’t too terribly challenging [relatively speaking] because I prefer to plan more days out there with less hiking distance each day. That way I have plenty of time each evening/morning to wander around, take photos, and generally relax and soak in the scenery.
Nowadays my main setup is a small but high resolution mirrorless camera with two wideangle tilt/ shift lenses and a small mid-range zoom. The total weight including tripod is around 8 pounds. I wish I could also carry telephoto and/or macro lenses with me, but I have to limit myself to the basics in order to keep the weight reasonable while backpacking.
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just skimming through, perhaps pausing just long enough to click a “like” before streaming down to something else. So while you might have a lot of people glimpsing your work on these platforms, it’s not a very immersive or functional environment for actually conducting business.
In the last few years I’ve been experimenting with various smaller cameras and lenses to reduce weight to around the 3-4 pound mark, which is a very noticeable improvement while hiking. While it’s tough to forego my tilt/shift lenses, sometimes for longer and more demanding treks it’s worth sacrificing a bit of image quality for a significantly lighter load on my back. KK: You founded “WideRange Galleries” (http://www. widerangegalleries.com/) which developed and maintains my own website, as well as that of dozens of other photographers. With so many doing much of their promotion through social media, do you see less attention being paid by photographers to websites and blogging vs Facebook and Instagram? JB: When it comes to promotion, I think that Facebook and Instagram are essential these days, just considering the sheer number of eyeballs there. The problem with Facebook and Instagram is their attention-deprived stream format where people are
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A fully functional gallery website, on the other hand, provides a much more permanent, coherent, personalized, immersive, and professional platform for presenting a portfolio, and is far superior for facilitating sales and building search engine traffic. For these reasons I do think websites are here to stay, even if their prominence might be more overshadowed these days by social media networks. I consider the website to be the permanent foundation of an online business, with social media as more of a supplementary and transitory marketing tool.
The Story Behind the Picture Happiness
During my most recent visit to China, I spent several afternoons walking through villages with my local guide looking for portrait subjects. The older rural villagers can lead to some pretty compelling portraits. For this reason, my strategy was to ask my local guide to inquire where the oldest person in the community lived and then go there first. After that, we would continue to walk around looking for interesting portrait subjects with a bias towards older people. When shooting, I would almost always ask my subjects to NOT smile as they would otherwise stand straight up and down with a forced looking smile. I was photographing a villager outside his house when, out of the corner of my eye, I saw this “apparently shy” younger girl standing outside her house watching us. She was wearing a bright pink dress which she had put on to try to attract us over there. Her eyes were saying, “please take my picture”. So, I smiled at her and asked my guide to tell her that I would be right over. We walked across the street and got permission from her parents to take her picture. We spent a few minutes talking with them in their house before the session. As soon as I got my lights set up and positioned my camera to take a picture of the girl, she started laughing hysterically. She did not stop for several minutes. This was, by far, the easiest photo session I have ever done. I ended up with a priceless portrait that required absolutely no direction on my part. Point and click. I took note of the name of the village and hope to return there during my Guilin Photo Tour this May so that I can deliver a print to the family. This picture was a finalist in a couple of the big photography contests and got chosen as a Smithsonian Photo of the Day. 13
2018 PHOTOGRAPHY TOURS & WORKSHOPS http://www.kenkoskela.com/product/photo-tours-workshops/
LOFOTEN, NORWAY IN WINTER w/ KEN KOSKELA February, 2018
ONLY 2 SPOTS LEFT!!
Winter in Lofoten, Norway has to be seen to be believed. You’ll be up close with majestic fjords, snow-covered jagged mountains, icy blue water lakes, quaint fishing villages, and beautiful rocky shoreline. To top it off, the periods of low-angled sunlight can last for hours. Lofoten is also known as one of the premiere places in the world for experiencing and capturing the Northern Lights. I am limiting the group size to just 5 or 6 participants. If you haven’t experienced and photographed Lofoten during the Winter, this is your opportunity! http://www.kenkoskela.com/product/2018-lofoten-norway-winter-photo-tour/
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2018 PHOTOGRAPHY TOURS & WORKSHOPS http://www.kenkoskela.com/product/photo-tours-workshops/
KENYA PHOTO SAFARI w/ KEN KOSKELA & RENEE DOYLE Aug./Sept. 2018
SOLD OUT! POSSIBLE 2ND TOUR TO BE ADDED.
Join Ken Koskela and Renee Doyle for an incredible and unique photo safari experience for a small group of just 5-7 participants. We will be staying in 5-star luxury tents in top conservancies located outside of the Masai Mara National Reserve. We will have exclusive use of two vehicles in areas of high concentration of wildlife, allowing participants exceptional wildlife encounters. The conservancies strictly monitor the number of vehicles in the area. Participants will also have the option of reserving their own row in a vehicle. http://www.kenkoskela.com/product/2018-kenya-photo-safari-tour/
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2018 PHOTOGRAPHY TOURS & WORKSHOPS http://www.kenkoskela.com/product/photo-tours-workshops/
VENICE CARNIVAL w/ KEN KOSKELA & RENEE DOYLE February, 2018
ONLY 4 SPOTS LEFT!!
Venice is one of the most beautiful and unique cities in the world. Each year, during the Carnival festival, Venice comes alive as amazing models in ornate masks and incredible costumes descend upon the city to be admired and photographed. I am very excited to be co-leading this workshop with Renee Doyle, whose masterful Venice Carnival composites are an inspiration to many photographers, including myself. Renee and I have some great connections with many of the best models which will allow our group to have opportunities for private shoots in some locations away from the crowds. http://www.kenkoskela.com/product/2018-venice-carnival-photography-workshop/
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2017 PHOTOGRAPHY TOURS & WORKSHOPS http://www.kenkoskela.com/product/photo-tours-workshops/
CANADIAN ROCKIES w/ KEN KOSKELA & JOSH MERRILL October, 2017
The Canadian Rockies are a place of unparalleled beauty and adventure. From jagged, snow-capped peaks to turquoise glacial lakes, the Rockies offer some of the best landscape photography opportunities in the world. We will focus on the majestic Banff and Jasper National Parks and adjust our daily shooting locations to maximize our chances for good light. Additionally, we will keep our eyes open for clear skies at night with the hopes of capturing the Northern Lights and star-filled skies with the Rocky Mountains as an amazing foreground. This is not a trip to be missed! http://www.kenkoskela.com/product/2017-canadian-rockies-photo-adventure/
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2017 PHOTOGRAPHY TOURS & WORKSHOPS http://www.kenkoskela.com/product/photo-tours-workshops/
TUSCANY & CINQUE TERRE w/ JIM ZUCKERMAN & KEN KOSKELA October, 2017
2ND TOUR ADDED!!
Fortified medieval towns, golden mists in the morning, cobblestone streets, artistic stands of trees, awe inspiring cathedrals -- all of these are Tuscany plus a whole lot more. Combine the Tuscan experience with the stunning Cinque Terre Coast, where five colorful villages hug rocky cliffs above the deep blue sea and you’ve got an Italian experience that will thrill anyone who loves photographing beauty, history, culture and art. We will take advantage of the best lighting early and late in the day to offer opportunities to capture beautiful images. This is not a trip to be missed! http://www.kenkoskela.com/product/2017-tuscany-cinque-terre-jim-zuckerman-ken-koskela-tour-2/
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2017 PHOTOGRAPHY TOURS & WORKSHOPS http://www.kenkoskela.com/product/photo-tours-workshops/
GUILIN, CHINA w/ RICK SAMMON & KEN KOSKELA May, 2017
SOLD OUT! CLICK HERE TO JOIN WAIT LIST
Join Rick and I to photograph the beautiful karst mountains, Li River, cormorant fisherman at sunrise and sunset, the incredible Longji rice terraces, the XiangGongShan overlook, Cuipinghsan Hill, and many other locations. We will also meet and photograph rural villagers. http://www.kenkoskela.com/product/2017-guilin-china-photo-tour/
NEW ZEALAND w/ KEN KOSKELA & RENEE DOYLE April, 2017
New Zealand is on most photographer’s bucket lists. Join Ken and Renee to photograph this amazingly beautiful country during the best time of year... Autumn. In addition to the iconic Church of the Good Shepherd, the lone Wanaka Lake tree and Nugget Point Lighthouse, we will photograph turquoise lakes, rolling hills, hidden waterfalls and New Zealand’s beautiful mountainous regions. We will also visit and photograph the majestic Milford Sound to round out an amazing visit to the South Island of New Zealand!! http://www.kenkoskela.com/product/2017-new-zealand-photo-tour/
ONE SPOT AVAILABLE TO JOIN US LAST MINUTE! CLICK HERE TO CONTACT ME IF INTERESTED!
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Location Feature: The Canadian Rockies Guest Article by Josh Merrill
I am co-leading a Canadian Rockies Photography Tour with Josh Merrill this October. Josh is so enthusiastic about this incredible region that I asked him to put together a location feature on it. So, without further ado, here is Josh’s perspective on the amazing Canadian Rockies. (All images by Josh Merrill) --I still distinctly remember my very first visit to the Canadian Rockies. As I approached the entrance to Banff National Park, it was one of the times that my jaw literally dropped. As I got deeper into the heart of the mountains, my vocabulary was seemingly limited to just a few phrases…”Whoa”, “Wow”, and 20
“Look at that!” On that all-too-brief trip, the Canadian Rockies left an indelible mark on me, and it’s one that has kept me returning at every opportunity. I have been blessed to have had the opportunity to photograph many of the world’s most incredible landscapes, but in my mind, none of them matches the rich and diverse photographic potential of the Canadian Rockies. There are so many aspects of the Rockies that make this region special, but I would like to focus on just a few of the reasons that make the Canadian Rockies one of the best destinations in the world for photographers.
The Mountains The Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks are full of countless jagged mountains peaks that are compelling to photograph. One of the things that I love about Banff, Jasper and Yoho National Parks is that their road systems guide you through the heart of the mountains. At most times you have stunning mountains on both sides of the road. This is really advantageous for photographers, because it means that you can take advantage of lighting/weather conditions in multiple directions.
mountains in the parks, which combine to create some of the most compelling mountain landscape photographs in the world. The Night Skies
My favorite time to photograph the mountains is when they are snow-packed. When the mountains are dressed in snow, it adds contrast and interest to your images. Some of the peaks can gather incidental snow at any time of year, but I prefer October, when the snowpack begins to build up on the mountains, while the lower elevations remain accessible and un-frozen. The Lakes
Banff, Jasper, and Yoho National Parks are all home to very dark skies. These dark skies allow for some of the best night photography potential around. The jagged mountains and pine forests of the Canadian Rockies also make for some rather compelling foreground elements to include in night photographs. Additionally, the relatively high latitude of the Banff and Jasper National Parks, means that there is also potential for Aurora Borealis to light up the night sky. More and more, night photography is becoming a major part of my photography endeavors. Night photography is a really fun way of taking your portfolio and your photographer’s skillset to the next level. On our Canadian Rockies Photo Adventure,
The glacially fed lakes of the Canadian Rockies are unmatched in beauty, ease of access, and quantity. It’s the combination of these incredible lakes, in conjunction with the snow-capped mountains, which are the special sauce of the Canadian Rockies. Glacial silt (or Rock Flour) becomes suspended in the water of these lakes and refracts light, resulting in the most unbelievable blue, turquoise and emerald waters. Some of my favorites include Moraine Lake, Lake Louise, Emerald Lake, Two-Jack Lake, Vermillion Lakes, and Peyto Lake. These lakes are all bordered by some of the most picturesque 21
we will keep an eye out for potential to shoot the night sky, and given the right conditions, we will teach you our workflow for photographing starry skies, long exposure star trails, and northern lights. We’ve planned our workshop in October to take advantage of one of the most active months for Aurora activity. One of the benefits of photographing Aurora’s in October is that the lakes and rivers remain unfrozen, which allows them to be used as reflective foreground elements in your photographs. Wildlife I would be remiss if didn’t mention the world-class wildlife photography opportunities that are also present in the Canadian Rockies. I don’t generally go out with the intention of photographing wildlife, but I often come back with quality images of Grizzly Bears, Moose, Elk, and Bighorn Sheep.
If you are an intrepid photographer hoping to photograph ice, and are willing to brave the cold temperatures and gusting winds of a Canadian Rockies winter, I would recommend a January visit to take advantage of the best ice formations. As you can tell from this article, I’m rather enthusiastic about the Canadian Rockies. The Canadian Rockies have opportunities in all seasons, however, my top recommendation would be a September/ October visit to take advantage of combining snow on the mountains, with open lakes, potential for Northern Lights, and less crowded parks.
Ice The Canadian Rockies are also one of my favorite places to photograph ice in its’ many forms. From glaciers and ice caves, to frozen waterfalls and ice bubbles, the Canadian Rockies is a place where the intrepid photographer can creatively explore a world of ice in the winter. The ice bubble phenomenon occurs when decomposing organic material at a lake’s bottom forms methane bubbles, which then rise to the surface. Those bubbles become trapped in the thickening ice throughout the course of the winter, and create an amazing layering effect. This takes place on many lakes throughout the Canadian Rockies but is especially predictable at Abraham Lake, Vermillion Lakes, Lake Minnewanka, and Spray Lake. 22
I’m excited to be partnering with Ken Koskela to offer a Canadian Rockies Photo Adventure this coming October. On this trip, we will take you to our favorite locations in Banff, Yoho, and Jasper National Parks. We will share our techniques for photographing these landscapes and processing those images with you. And given the right conditions, we will share our night photography workflow with you, while creating some amazing photographs.
Quick Tip: Should I Zoom In To Focus? I had someone ask me recently if they should zoom in to the image to focus and then zoom back out to take the picture. The logic in this is simple...
such as with landscape photography, I virtually always use my camera’s Live View feature. When I am shooting hand-held, I never use Live View.
If I want to focus on these trees, then autofocus should have an easier time focusing on this...
So, what is Live View? With Live View, you can use your camera’s display screen to see what the lens is seeing. Even better yet, if your camera allows you to zoom in while using Live View, you can use it to achieve optimal focus. Here is a shot of the back of my camera while shooting the same scene using Live View.
Than this......
My Canon 5d Mark IV allows me to zoom in by a factor of 10. As you can see below, I can achieve very precise focus with this feature, whether using auto or manual focus.
The truth is that the answer is “it depends”. Not all lenses maintain focus as you zoom in and out. Those that do are called “parfocal” lenses. So, if you want to zoom in to lock your focus before zooming back out to take your shot, you will need to make sure that your lens is parfocal. Some Google research on your lens should help answer the question. Zooming in While in Live View Most higher-end digital camera’s have a feature known as “Live View”. When I shoot on a tripod,
The main drawback is that Live View eats through batteries fairly quickly, so you just need to be prepared for that, especially in cold weather. 23
MISS AN ISSUE? Click the magazine covers below to see past issues.
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March 2016 • Pushing blue into the shadows • Smoke composites • Guilin, China • Including motion in your images • Wide-angle portraits • Backing up your pictures • Big impact with small subjects
April 2016 • Complementary colors • Dealing with foggy lenses • Effective silhouette images • Gradient vignettes • Watch the windows • Shooting into the sun
May 2016 • Solid neutral density filters • Web sharpening using TK Actions • Following and breaking the rule of thirds • Packing for an outdoor photography camping trip • Pictures that make people think
June 2016 • Using a circular polarizer • Intro to luminosity masking • Oil and water pictures • Minimum shutter speeds • Coastline moving water images
July 2016 • Exposing flash and ambient light separately • Incorporating opposites into your images • Venice during Carnival • Orton effect • Including reflections in your pictures
August 2016 • Shooting the Milky Way, Stars and Northern Lights • Cathedral images • Controlling tonal contrast with a histogram • Focusing strategies for moving subjects
Click HERE to receive Inspirational Photography monthly. September 2016 • Post-processing Milky Way shots • Controlling motion in landscape images • Increasing water texture with Nik • Shooting cities at night
October 2016 • Shooting and processing star trails • Eliminating distractions • Dramatic side-lighting • Creating a texture layer in Photoshop • Inconvenience leads to better pictures.
November 2016 • How to use an ultra-wide lens • Search Engine Optimization for Images • Photoshop’s Smart Objects for 2nd Chance Adjustments • Leading Lines
December 2016 • Natural vs. Artificial Light Portraits • Blurred Water Creek Images • Layer Adjustments for Printing • Don’t Miss the Shot
January 2017 • Eliminating Camera Shake • Location Feature: Cinque Terre • How to Create Starbursts in Camera • Photoshop’s Blend If Feature
February 2017 • Making the Hands Prominent in Portraits • Hummingbird Photography - Guest Article by Jim Zuckerman • De-Mystifying Image Sharpening • Precise Camera Placement
March 2017 • On-Camera Fill Flash • Vignette and Aura Post-Processing Techniques • Exposing for Snow • Low Perspective with a Wide-Angle Lens
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