Jan 12
27
A Thing of the Past
Things change especially with development here in Southwest Florida. You may have some favorite things or places that you like to photograph and one day they could be gone. I learned that this week when I met up for a beach photography class. The tiki hut which illustrates this article and coincidentally last week’s suddenly disappeared. No more sunset silhouettes here…..
Be sure to photograph your favorite spots. Naples Beach Tiki Hut by Gordon Campbell www.swfloutdoorphotography.com.
So lesson learned- get out there at different times of the day maybe with a few different lenses and shooting angles and put some great photos in the bank. You never know, it could get robbed! Next week: sorting out some of those mystery items in your camera menu- Gordon.
Professional Photography from Ft. Meyers & Sanibel to Naples, Marco Island and the Everglades.
gordon@SWFLOutdoorPhotography.com
239-776-4743
copyright 2011 Gordon Campbell/Southwest Florida Outdoor Photography.
Jan 12
20
Were You In The Audience?
With a growing interest in digital photography I was privileged to be called on to do a series of seminars on the topic through the Collier library system. Were you at the Central Ave location yesterday? We had a full house of about 95 in attendance and covered everything from camera set up, composition and lighting, sunsets, online resources plus Q&A and more.
Learn sure fire photography tips to liven up your sunsets. Photo by Gordon Campbell www.swfloutdoorphotography.com.
If you’d like to put the above ideas to work on candids, nature photography, sports, pets, people and more then mark your calendar. There is room for the February 2nd presentation at the South Regional location but just a limited number of seats for the March 6th date at the Orange Blossom location. For info and to register call the library at 239-252-7542.
Whether or not you made it yesterday, let me know if I can answer a question for you or if photography instruction including outdoor excursions along our beaches and Everglades would be of interest. If you did attend, thanks for your participation, it was a great event- Gordon.
Professional Photography from Ft. Meyers & Sanibel to Naples, Marco Island and the Everglades.
gordon@SWFLOutdoorPhotography.com
239-776-4743
copyright 2011 Gordon Campbell/Southwest Florida Outdoor Photography.
Posted in Featured SWFL Images by .
Jan 12
13
Are Your Photos Colorful?
Have you ever taken what looks like a great shot only to find out at home that the colors look muted or “flat”? There are three cures, two easy and one that requires more attention. Let’s take a look-
Use warm lighting, expose carefully & understand digital processing for colorful photos. Marsh trail by Gordon Campbell www.swfloutdoorphotography.com.
- The hard part… learn to understand exposure, at least the basics. For uniform colors and lighting you can use your matrix meter, if there are lighting extremes spot metering on your subject might be better. Get familiar with your exposure value adjustment too. Review your histogram for signs of over or under exposure then recompose and shoot if necessary.
- Getting easier… your richest colors come early and late in the day under the “magic hour” when the lighting is warm and leads to great saturation so do your outdoor photography then.
- Finally, using digital processing software like Photoshop Elements or Lightroom understand simple enhancements including slight tweaks to contrast, saturation and shadow/highlight relief.
Let me know if I can help further. You can explore the archives for other helpful posts or subscribe to future articles via email right here. Gordon.
Professional Photography from Ft. Meyers & Sanibel to Naples, Marco Island and the Everglades.
gordon@SWFLOutdoorPhotography.com
239-776-4743
copyright 2011 Gordon Campbell/Southwest Florida Outdoor Photography.
I like lots of you are from up North and the novelty of looking forward to Winter is always amusing. Know the feeling? Not because we all eschew Summer here in Southwest Florida but because Winter means great bird and wildlife photography. Could use use a few tips?
Winter means wildlife photography and alligators are a prime subject. Photo by Gordon Campbell www.swfloutdoorphotography.com.
- Alligators. Despite what some would guess, they’re very photogenic. I like to take shots that depict portraits, the whole ‘gator and close ups of their textured hide. The best time? Late afternoon when warm sun keeps them basking happily along waterways everywhere, particularly in the Everglades. Always use caution around these top predators!
- Birds. At this time of year we have a mix of resident birds and temporary migratory residents. Great photography can be had, just search the beaches and concentrated inland waterways. Tip: juveniles of certain species like our eagles and gulls show mottled plumage so a field guide is a must unless you’re expert.
In all cases DSLR owners will need larger lenses including zooms of at least 300mm while Point and Shoot owners should use their optical zoom while avoiding the temptation of reaching out further with the digital zoom which distorts picture quality.
If I can take a question for you or if you’re interested in a guided trip to the Everglades, just zip me a message and I’ll respond promptly. Good luck afield, let’s hear how you do- Gordon.
Professional Photography from Ft. Meyers & Sanibel to Naples, Marco Island and the Everglades.
gordon@SWFLOutdoorPhotography.com
239-776-4743
copyright 2011 Gordon Campbell/Southwest Florida Outdoor Photography.
Posted in Featured SWFL Images by .
Dec 11
30
New Year’s Resolutions?
How about some photography resolutions? For me that includes expanding business in the areas of real estate photography services, teaching and instruction, more guided nature photography excursions and continuing to learn myself. That’s not all either! I plan to keep sharing what I encounter, know and learn right here and… I hope to meet more of you next year.
Happy New Year! What are your photography resolutions? Photo by Gordon Campbell www.swfloutdoorphotography.com.
What are your resolutions? Trying something different? Getting more acquainted with your camera gear? Hiring help where needed? All three are a step in the right direction whether you’re a shutterbug or someone who uses photography services.
So, Happy New Year! Thanks for reading and for your business. See you in 2012- Gordon.
Professional Photography from Ft. Meyers & Sanibel to Naples, Marco Island and the Everglades.
gordon@SWFLOutdoorPhotography.com
239-776-4743
copyright 2011 Gordon Campbell/Southwest Florida Outdoor Photography.
Dec 11
23
Enjoy the Holidays
Regular readers normally expect photography tips, new images and other info related to the topic here. Today I’d like to start by saying “Happy Holidays” and “thanks” for your readership and support again this year.
Happy Holidays and thanks for your readership this year- Gordon.
On the topic of Holidays and photography I thought I’d link to an article that reminds us that it’s the photographer, not the camera that takes great pictures- something I always try to emphasize here and in teaching sessions. Read it & feel good about your current gear and all the opportunities for successful picture taking.
So take lots of photos and enjoy the Holidays- Gordon.
Professional Photography from Ft. Meyers & Sanibel to Naples, Marco Island and the Everglades.
gordon@SWFLOutdoorPhotography.com
239-776-4743
copyright 2011 Gordon Campbell/Southwest Florida Outdoor Photography.
Posted in Featured SWFL Images What's New? by .
Last week we took a look at some ideas for indoor photography during the Holiday season so now here are a few ideas for outdoor shots especially at night-
Look for attractive night time scenes around town and try these techniques. Gordon Campbell www.swfloutdoorphotography.com.
1- Try out your different lenses or if using a point & shoot vary your zoom to compose both close ups and deeper scenes. Wide angle lenses will enable you to capture trees, other tall objects and broad street scenes while adding some interesting distortion to your photos. If that distortion bothers you and you’d like to avoid tall straight objects from curving inward, try to place them in the center of your frame. Street photography peaks at this time of year with all of the seasonal lighting.
2- To take advantage of all that decorative lighting, do this: fix your camera on a tripod, minimize your ISO setting, shoot in program mode or if you’re familiar with aperture priority try that to vary your depth of field. Lastly activate your shutter remotely or via the built in self timer. Easy, compose right and you’ll get nice shots. Questions?
3- Watch your focus. Your camera may struggle at night to lock on and focus accurately. The simple cure to this is to switch to manual focus, find a discernible “edge” within your subject and dialing carefully ’til the little green light inside your view finder comes on.
There is still a couple weeks left for this most interesting photography. Let me know if I can help answer a question and…Merry Christmas- Gordon.
Professional Photography from Ft. Meyers & Sanibel to Naples, Marco Island and the Everglades.
gordon@SWFLOutdoorPhotography.com
239-776-4743
copyright 2011 Gordon Campbell/Southwest Florida Outdoor Photography.
Posted in Featured SWFL Images by .
Interested in nature photography? Want to learn to get the most of your camera out in the field? Rookery Bay, famous for environmental research and education will be offering the 3rd of 3 nature photography classes beginning Tuesday at 8:30-11:30 am next week. Camera set up, composition, lighting and more will be covered in class before a guided field trip to top birding spot Tiger Tail Beach. This is the perfect class for the beginner with either a point & shoot or DSLR.
Improve your nature photos with next week's class at Rookery Bay. Alligator photo by Gordon Campbell www.swfloutdoorphotography.com.
- As a bonus there will be an optional photo editing session where students will learn to use Photo Shop Elements and similar photo editing programs to optimize their best photos.
Guess who your instructor will be? Right, yours truly and I hope to see you there. Contact Rookery Bay to register or get more details on this popular class.
Professional Photography from Ft. Meyers & Sanibel to Naples, Marco Island and the Everglades.
gordon@SWFLOutdoorPhotography.com
239-776-4743
copyright 2011 Gordon Campbell/Southwest Florida Outdoor Photography.
Posted in Featured SWFL Images by .
Now that we’re into December with the holidays right around the corner, how about some ideas for capturing the season with your camera? Now’s the time to take advantage of warm colorful artificial lighting:
Holiday table scene illuminated and photographed with candlelight. Gordon Campbell www.swfloutdoorphotography.com.
- Key in on your subject and fill the frame. Draw the eye and the mind right into the scene, the shots can be quite evocative.
- Bump your ISO setting up or at least set it on auto. Today’s digital cameras are designed to show less noise even at moderately high settings.
- You must use a rest. Soft, low light means longer exposures and that leaves room for unintended blur. Keep your photos sharp.
- For the most pleasing results use the above techniques and keep the flash off despite the soft light. Your shots will be nicely saturated with comfortable warm tones.
- If you’re very familiar with your camera’s settings, try experimenting with white balance, bracketing and other techniques that may enhance your photos.
Over the next few weeks we’ll look at more holiday photography tips, especially for outdoor scenes. In the meantime don’t overlook that table, tree or pile of gifts. Let me know if I can help- Gordon.
Professional Photography from Ft. Meyers & Sanibel to Naples, Marco Island and the Everglades.
gordon@SWFLOutdoorPhotography.com
239-776-4743
copyright 2011 Gordon Campbell/Southwest Florida Outdoor Photography.
Posted in Featured SWFL Images by .
While out conducting an instructional photography class at Tiger Tail Beach yesterday the importance of understanding your DSLR’s metering system pronounced itself as we encountered plenty of white birds under sunny morning skies. Learn when to add spot metering to your repertoire:
Learn your metering options to make the most of your exposures. Water lily by Gordon Campbell www.swfloutdoorphotography.com.
- If you typically use your camera’s matrix metering which averages the light reading on and around your subject, subjects that are brighter and more reflective than the background will over expose with a complete loss of detail.
- Here’s the cure: dig into your owners’ manual and learn to set spot metering which works particularly well with white subjects- egrets, ibises, boats, flowers, some home fronts and more. You’ll be pleasantly surprised to find nicely exposed subjects against a muted background setting up a natural looking contrast with plenty of detail.
It’s prime time for outdoor photography with plenty of attractive subjects and accommodating weather. If you’ve got questions about today’s post or an interest in photography instruction a simple email will get you on your way. Good shooting this weekend and read up on that metering- Gordon.
Professional Photography from Ft. Meyers & Sanibel to Naples, Marco Island and the Everglades.
gordon@SWFLOutdoorPhotography.com
239-776-4743
copyright 2011 Gordon Campbell/Southwest Florida Outdoor Photography.
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