Outdoor Photography: A few tips!

What takes an outdoor photo from an ordinary snapshot to a stunning work of art?

"For nature photography it's dramatic light that turns an ordinary subject into the extraordinary," said Don Paulson of Seabeck, who's been exploring nature and making photographs for more than 30 years. In nature photography the three most important things are "lighting, lighting, location.' Getting a truly great photo that can win a photo contest usually means going to the next level of effort. Once you have scouted out great location, unless you are extraordinarily lucky, you will have to wait for the right light."

A hiker in front of Comet Falls, Mount Rainier National Park: First Prize - People in the Wild, 2004 Northwest Exposure Contest, By Dave Schiefelbein

Dave Schiefelbein's outdoor photography is guided by his long-term fascination and attraction to wild places. His stunning photos have graced the pages of Sunset and Backpacker magazines. Schiefelbein says a key skill is the ability to capture wilderness not only in its glorious splendor, but also in its quiet moments and subtle details.

Good light can help bring out those details. "The best times to take outdoor landscape photos are early morning or late in the day," said Schiefelbein of Seattle. "The sun is at a lower angle in the sky, the light is lovely, and the shadows are not as harsh as when the sun is overhead." Schiefelbein often rises at 4:30a.m. on camping trips hoping for good morning light, though he notes that time of day is not necessarily a hard and fast rule. "Quite often, breaking light in changing weather is equally dramatic."

Don Paulson agrees. "Some of my favorite photographs have been taken in inclement weather of some sort. When the storm clouds part just before the sun sets spotlighting a mountain peak with pink alpine glow – that's when you are going to get a great photo. When the rainforest is shrouded in fog and mist – that's the time to be there with your camera. Sometimes, it takes bad weather to make great photos."

Alan Bauer of Fall City specializes in capturing the natural history of the Pacific Northwest on camera, and encourages amateur nature photographers to improve their photography with a sense of purpose. "One of the greatest values of photographic art is using it as a tool of communication to better educate people about the beauty surrounding us," says Bauer. "Many hikers enjoy photography to recall and communicate what they felt and experienced on their trip."

Here are more tips from the experts on taking better outdoor photographs:

• The frame game: Know what your subject is, be it a mountain, animal, flower or person. Its placement in your frame should be deliberate. Try setting the main subject off center, with something of secondary interest opposite the main subject.
• Get a little closer: Experiment with letting your subject nearly fill the frame. Details are often more interesting than a wide view.
• Watch your borders: Check the edges of your picture before you click to make sure something is not cut off or distracting. A picture should start and end gracefully.
• Work with the light: It should flatter your subject. Take advantage of interesting light in the morning and evening. Overcast skies help bring out contrast in forests, waterfalls.
• Watch out for distractions: When taking a picture of a loved one outdoors, make sure a tree isn't sticking out of his or her head in the background.
• Don't forget that you can take a vertical shot. It's natural to take horizontal pictures because that's the way we see things. But a lot of times, your best viewpoint is vertical.
• Invest in a good tripod: This results in sharper pictures. Taller and heavier is better, if you can tolerate carrying it on hiking trips. In a pinch you can steady your camera with your backpack, or use your body by leaning against a tree or propping yourself on your elbows. A tripod is helpful for crisp shots of moving water, to blur the motion of the water while keeping everything else in the frame sharp.
• Bend at the knees: Don't just stand there and push buttons. Crouch down to get a different angle of that bird on a limb. Try to see the subject for several different angles to see what works best.
• Respect your subject: Don't endanger your subject or cause a distraction among wildlife. Remember, a camera doesn't give you a license to disturb nature.
• Take your time: Study the composition. Every detail should be important, or it may not belong in your photo.
• Learn to be quick on the click. Some subjects (particularly small, furry ones) may not wait for you. Practice taking quick photos so that you can pull this off when the situation demands it.
• Practice all of these tips and techniques in your own yard or city park to sharpen you skills---it will show in the quality of your trail photographs, guaranteed.

Happy Clicking!

Tomorrow: Great tips for the MOST dreaded kind of all: Flash Photography