3 Quarters Today

My Life, my photography, my passions

Project 52

#24/52: Waterfall Photography

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I’ve always wanted to photograph a waterfall and finally got my chance. I’m so happy with it! Shot this waterfall photo at Devils Den State Park in Northwestern Arkansas on my Mother/Daughter camping trip. I climbed out on the rocks, quite a feat since I’m afraid of heights, and a flat rock acted as my tripod.

Waterfall photography
ISO 100, f/20, 75mm, 1.3 sec Canon Rebel XS (click for larger image)

Only took two photos since the sun was going behind the trees and after looking at the results in the camera I was more than pleased. Being from Nebraska I don’t have much of an opportunity to practice waterfalls photography.

Editing notes: Almost none, opened in Lightroom 4, straightened a few degrees, adjusted white balance for a little more warmth, that was it!

Tips For Good Waterfall Photography

  • Set your camera on Manual or Shutter priority
  • Experiment with long exposures starting at 1/2 second and going up from there. The longer the exposure the smoother the water effect
  • Increase your aperture as high as it will go to reduce over exposure in sunny conditions (this photo was taken on a cloudy overcast day)
  • Use a neutral density filter on sunny days for really long exposures
  • Use a tripod and a shutter trigger
  • If you don’t have a tripod, or a good place to set up find a sturdy rock
  • To avoid blur if you don’t have a shutter release set the automatic timer

 

What Equipment Do You Need to Photograph a Waterfall

Photography doesn’t need to be complicated, nor does it need to cost a lot of money. The shot above was done with a very simple DSLR Canon Rebel camera sitting on a rock on shutter priority and the self programmed timer. You know the setting, set it for 2-10 seconds, run and get in the photo. It was a cloudy day so I didn’t have to worry about sun glare. The conditions were perfect, I had a perfectly placed flat rock and perfect weather.

However, conditions are not always perfect and having the right photography tools on hand can make it easier to get the photograph you envision. I’ve always wanted a Gorilla pod, one just because they look cool, but other reasons is they are so very flexible and you can wrap them around a tree limb.

I have since purchased a Neutral Density filter and this will act lessen the sun glare and bright spots and enhance the ambient colors. Works great for sunrises and sunsets to bring out color.

Manfrotto BeFree Compact Lightweight Tripod for Travel PhotographyJoby GP1-A1EN Gorillapod Flexible Tripod (Grey)Hoya 62mm HMC Neutral Density ND8 Multi-Coated GlassNeewer LCD Timer Shutter Release Remote Control for

Learn More About Waterfall Photography

Beginner’s Guide to Waterfall Photography – Digital Photography …

Beginner’s Guide to Waterfall Photography – Learn the tips, tricks, and techniques that will help you improve your waterfall photography.

Waterfall Digital Photography – Digital Photography School

Timing – pick the right time of the day to do your waterfall photography and you can definitely give yourself more options to use longer shutter speeds. Around sunrise and sunset are obvious times as light is less bright. Also overcast days are …

5 Steps to Waterfall Photography (Guest Post) | eQuipping for eMinistry

This is the final post in a series on outdoor photography for Cru staff attending IBS and national staff training in Fort Collins, Colorado. Many staff will head to Rocky Mountain National Park on their free time, hoping to find great …

#19/52: Buffalo on the Prairie

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Buffalo on the Nebraska Prairie
Buffalo on the Nebraska Prairie (SOOC)

A lone buffalo stands guard between Omaha and Lincoln Nebraska at the Lee Simmons Wildlife park. While he may not be wild, or even real, the buffalo inside the park are real. It is ironic this buffalo stands next to a fence, which to me symbolizes how barbed wire and man civilized the prairie to the point where the only buffalo can only be seen in captivity.

The above shot is straight out of camera shot, a little over exposed. When I adjusted the exposure the scene was just too contrasted for the texture of the bronze buffalo. So I turned him to black and white in Lightroom 4.  This is a reach for me as I LOVE the blue of the sky and high contrast.

I adjusted the clarity in the clouds and reduced the shadows in the grass.

Buffalo in Nebraska
Buffalo in Nebraska

What version do you like best?

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#15/52: Prom Season 2012

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Prom season kicks off early at Elmwood-Murdock high school and my daughter did what all teenage girls do before prom, searched for her dress (bought it online), had her nails done, her hair done and then have their Mom take way too many pictures.

Elmwood-Murdock does prom a little different than the bigger schools where kids rent limos which takes them to dinner and prom. The school prom committee raises money throughout their high school years and rents coach buses which picks the kids up at the school, where everyone rides together to a dinner, dance, and  then takes them to the after prom party. This years prom was held at Dave and Busters in Omaha.

Students walk out of the school on a red carpet while parents get a chance to take pictures paparazzi style. Really a lot of fun, at least from the Mom perspective. Enjoy the images of the Elmwood-Murdock 2012 Prom.

Red Carpet Walk at Prom 2012
Red Carpet Walk at Prom 2012
Glamorous Hollywood Walk at Prom 2012
Glamorous Hollywood Walk at Prom 2012
Yellow Prom Dress and corsage
My daughters yellow Prom Dress and corsage
Blue Prom Dress with Sequins
Blue Prom Dress with Sequins
Prom Dress Fashion Shoot
Prom Dress Fashion Shoot

By the way, all these images were edited in Lightroom 4 (still in the 30 day trial period) starting with the RAW files. I seriously miscalculated the exposure and almost all the images were over exposed. I am now soooo super impressed with Lightroom capabilities.

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#12/52: Flower Porn and More

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Oops, did I really say that? Flower porn? Oh, I said it again. I’m really into Flower porn (not human kind so stop there if you are and just leave), which is very close up shots of naked reproductive parts of flowers, the stamen and pistils or macro photography. I just can’t help it, I have to not only look but point my camera at those intimate detailed parts.

Tulip flower porn
Week 12: Tulip flower porn

Some of my favorite flowers to expose are Irises, check out my shots from last year.

Summer Day Lily

The secret to good macro photography is plenty of light and a fast shutter speed. With flower photography wind is your enemy and some days you may just need to bring the blooms inside. Expose for the petals to get the texture and details. Try different angles, different lighting, back-lit sun streaming through the petals. Get on the ground and shoot up against the sky. Break out of the boring and stereotypical flower photos.

Iris Garden in Nebraska
Iris’s Galore

Use an open aperture under 5.0 and focus on the itty bitty flower sexual parts, you know the ones, deep inside the flower that few people look dare peek when no one is looking.

Macro Peony
Macro Peony

Macro Photography Tools

Macro Extension Tube Ring for Canon EOS DSLR / SLR4-In-1 Lens Attachment – For iPhone 6, Telephoto/Macro/Fish Eye +CowboyStudio One Way Macro Focusing Rail Slider Macro Bellows forNeewer FC100 32 Super Bright LED Macro Ring Flash For77mm Macro Reverse Ring Adapter for Nikon AI MountUnderstanding Close-Up Photography: Creative Close Encounters with Or Without aClose-Up and Macro Photography: Art and TechniquesCloseup Shooting: A Guide to Closeup, Tabletop and Macro Photography

Flower Photography Tips

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Spring is only a couple weeks away and that means flowers will be springing up all over the place. For the camera buff the splashes of colors break the monotony of gray days and generates an eagerness to venture out and capture their long-awaited blooms.

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Spring is Here: Beautiful Flower Photography – PictureCorrect

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