PhotoNaturalist

3 Tools To Help Prepare You For the Annular Eclipse This Weekend

Steve Berardi — Wed, 16 May 2012 02:55:09 +0000

This Sunday, May 20th, there will be an annular solar eclipse, visible from parts of Asia and the western United States. I wrote a detailed post about the eclipse last month, which includes some great links to maps, but I forgot to list some tools to help you scout out a location to photograph this rare event. So, if you’re a procrastinator like me and still haven’t planned out your shot, here are some helpful tools:

#1 – Photographer’s Ephemeris

The Photographer’s Ephemeris is an essential tool for any landscape photographer, because it helps show you where the Sun and moon will rise or set, and overlays that on top of a Google map. If you’d like to try and photograph the eclipse as part of a landscape, then this software can help show you where the Sun and moon will be in relation to a particular landscape feature (such as a mountain or lake). There’s a free desktop version, and an inexpensive iPhone/iPad/Android version as well.

#2 – Stellarium

Stellarium is a free tool for visualizing the positions of stars and planets for a specific time and location. So, you can use this software to see what the eclipse will look like at a specific time and see how high in the sky the Sun/moon will be.

#3 – Weather Underground

In order to photograph the eclipse, you’ll need some clear skies, so it’s important to rely on some good weather forecasts. I’ve been using Weather Underground for a few years now, and they seem to be pretty reliable. They also have a great tool that shows cloud cover on top of a Google map.

What did I miss?

Is there another tool that you’ve been using to help prepare for the annular eclipse this weekend? If so, please tell us about it by leaving a comment below! Thanks

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About the Author: Steve Berardi is a naturalist, photographer, software engineer, and founder of PhotoNaturalist. You can usually find him hiking in the beautiful mountains and deserts of southern California.

How To Reduce Noise In Your Close-Up Photos (using Photoshop)

Steve Berardi — Wed, 09 May 2012 04:03:40 +0000

Photo by Steve Berardi

In close-up photography, you often use fast shutter speeds to help battle the wind or freeze the action of your subject (such as a butterfly feeding on a flower).

To get these faster shutter speeds without sacrificing your desired depth of field, your only option is to use higher ISOs (making your camera’s sensor more sensitive).

Unfortunately, at these higher ISOs, sometimes you get some really ugly noise in the background.

Well, there just happens to be a great way to reduce this noise in Photoshop. Here’s how:

1. Duplicate your primary photo layer by selecting the layer in the Layers window, and then going to the “Layer” menu at the top of the screen and select “Duplicate Layer” (you can rename the duplicate layer if you want, but otherwise just hit “OK” after that).

2. Add a layer mask to the duplicate layer by clicking the “Add Layer Mask” button in the Layers window:

3. Draw an outline around your subject with the lasso tool. You want to get close, but not too close, because then you’ll lose sharpness on the edges of your subject. Here’s an example of how close you should get:

4. Fill your selection with black by going to the Edit menu and selecting “Fill…” and then under the “use” drop-down list select “Color…” and choose pure black (red=0, green=0, blue=0). Now, with this part of the layer mask filled in with black, any changes you make to the layer will only show up on the background of your subject.

5. Clear your selection by going to the “Select” menu and clicking “Deselect”

6. Blur the edges of your layer mask by going to the “Filter” menu and selecting “Blur” and finally “Gaussian Blur” — usually a radius of around 40 pixels works well.

7. Select the raster part of your layer in the Layers window:

8. Apply a median filter by going to the “Filter” menu and then under the “Noise” menu, select “Median” — usually a radius between 10 and 20 pixels works well.

That’s it, you’re done!

If you notice a thick layer of noise around your subject, then you can try blurring your layer mask some more, outline your subject with the lasso more closely, or go in with a paintbrush tool and paint white just outside the edges of your subject (make sure you select the layer mask before you start painting!).

Also, note that this method only works well for close-up photos where you have an out-of-focus background. And, it works best when the background is mostly one color.

Do you have another method for removing noise?

If you’ve discovered another method for removing noise in the background of close-up photos, please tell us about it by leaving a comment below. Or better yet, contact me about writing a guest post about your method Thanks!

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Biggest Full Moon of the Year Occurs This Saturday

Steve Berardi — Wed, 02 May 2012 03:20:51 +0000

Photo by Gregory H. Revera (used under the CC-Attr-SA license)

The biggest full moon of the year will occur this Saturday, May 5th at 11:35 PM EDT. The moon will appear extra large on Saturday, because that’s when it makes its closest approach to Earth (also known as perigee).

With a larger moon in the sky, it’ll be a great opportunity to get some good photographs. The moon will also be about 16% brighter than normal, so you’ll be able to use faster shutter speeds which will help make the photo sharper.

Here are some great articles from around the web to help prepare you for photographing the “super moon” this weekend:

Moon Photography Made Simple

How To Photograph Landscapes With the Moon

Good luck! And, feel free to share any moon photography tips with us by leaving a comment below

If you’d like to be reminded of astronomical events like this in the future, then please sign up for our free weekly newsletter!

Something That Should Be In Every Camera Bag

Steve Berardi — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 04:15:21 +0000

In previous posts, I’ve talked about helpful accessories for your camera and tripod. But, I always seem to forget one item that almost always gets mentioned in the comments:

A garbage bag.

How could a garbage bag possibly help you with photography? Well, primarily the garbage bag is good for protecting your gear in case it starts raining.

Your camera bag may claim to be “waterproof” (note that water “proof” is different from water “resistant”), or maybe it has a built-in rain cover. But, those rain covers aren’t always big enough to cover your tripod too, so the garbage bag comes in handy when you’re carrying a tripod.

If you get a white garbage bag, then you can also use it as a light diffuser to help balance the light on your subject. It’ll diffuse the light more strongly than the shower curtain I’ve talked about before, but it may help you get that light you’re looking for in an image.

What about you? Have you been carrying around a garbage bag in your camera bag, and found another use for it? If so, please tell us about it by leaving a comment below. Thanks

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Three Reasons to Avoid Relying on the Crop Tool

Steve Berardi — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 04:16:15 +0000

Photo by Steve Berardi

In this age of digital photo editing, it’s tempting to get lazy when you’re taking a photo out in the field and just say to yourself, “well, if I don’t like how I framed this, I could always crop it later.” But, there are a few disadvantages to relying on that crop tool too much:

#1 – Sharpness

When you minimize cropping, you maximize the area of your subject in the frame. That means you’re dedicating as many pixels as possible to your subject. And, the more pixels you dedicate to your subject, the sharper it will be.

You’ve probably noticed this when you try to photograph something really far away (like a flying bird), and since it’s so far away it only takes up a tiny amount of the frame. And, then when you crop it, it looks really unsharp.

#2 – Print sizes

When you crop your photos, you obviously take out a lot of the pixels, so this also reduces the maximum print size. This may not be a big deal for all types of photographs (such as close-ups, where you don’t always want super large prints). But, it’s extremely important for landscape images (which are normally printed in large sizes).

#3 – Depth of field

In close-up photography, you often want to isolate your subject against an out-of-focus background. This helps draw the viewer’s eye to your subject.

If you avoid relying on the crop tool in post processing, then this forces you to get closer to your subject in order to fill the frame with your intended composition. And, remember that as you move your camera closer to your subject, depth of field decreases (giving you a more out of focus background).

It’s okay to rely on cropping sometimes

I do think there are some situations where it’s perfectly fine to rely on the crop tool, especially when you can’t even fill the frame with your subject anyway (which is often the case with any kind of wildlife photography). But, when possible, get your composition correct in the field. Take the time to really think about how you want that final image to look.

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Get Ready For the Upcoming Annular Eclipse on May 20th

Steve Berardi — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 03:45:44 +0000

Annular Eclipse / Photo by Abel Lopez (used under the CC-Attr 2.0 license)

Next month, on May 20th, there will be an annular solar eclipse, visible from parts of Asia, and the western United States.

An annular solar eclipse is not a “total” eclipse, so the moon will not completely block the Sun. Instead, the Sun will look like a very bright ring (also known as an “annulus”), like in the photo on the right (which was taken during the annular solar eclipse of October 3rd, 2005).

So, why am I telling you this over a month ahead of time?

Well, in the past, I’ve generally found out about these types of astronomical events at the very last minute. They’re usually reported on the big news sites just a few days before they actually happen. And, that’s a problem for us photographers because we need some time to prepare

Wouldn’t it be nice if you had more than a couple of days to think about a cool composition for an eclipse or think through a time-lapse film of a meteor shower?

So, I’ve decided to keep better track of events like this, and it’s one of the things I’ll be including in our new weekly newsletters that go out every Thursday night. Each week, I’ll include a list of upcoming astronomical events, so you can plan ahead for creating some epic images. The list will include everything from full moons to meteor showers, to any type of eclipse.

For more info on the annular solar eclipse on May 20th, check out these helpful websites:

Wikipedia page for the eclipse (great overview)
Google map of solar eclipse path (from NASA)
Great analysis of potential cloud cover for different areas
Another helpful map from NASA
Even more great maps
Great post on the eclipse from The Online Photographer

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Join Our New Weekly Newsletter For More Great Photography Tips!

Steve Berardi — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 03:22:37 +0000

Today I’m excited to announce the new PhotoNaturalist Weekly Newsletter. This is a free email newsletter that will contain a list of great photography tips, sent out every Thursday night.

Every week, I read a ton of photography blogs, and come across many great tips and tutorials that I share on our Facebook and Twitter pages, so I think this email newsletter will be a great way to send out a summary of the links I share each week.

Here’s what the newsletter will include:

Summary of the weekly PhotoNaturalist post
Links to great tips and tutorials from other blogs
Upcoming astronomical events (such as lunar eclipses, full moons, etc)
Any great deals on camera gear that are going on that week
Reviews of helpful ebooks I’ve been reading

If you’re already signed up for the free email updates to PhotoNaturalist, you’ll still get those whenever a new post is published. This new list is just something extra if you’d like to receive even more great tips and ebook recommendations

To join this new list, please signup with the form below or visit our signup page.

We don’t share email addresses with anyone, and we hate spam, so you won’t get any from us!

I’m looking forward to sending the first newsletter next week, so watch for it!

Comments or Suggestions?

If there’s something else you’d like to see in these weekly newsletters, please let us know by leaving a comment below or contacting us. Thanks!

Why You Shouldn’t Carry Too Much Gear

Steve Berardi — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 04:02:39 +0000

Photo by Martin Taylor

A few weeks ago I had a horrible accident: I cracked the LCD screen cover on the back of my Canon 5D Mk II.

I was carrying two cameras at the time, and wanted to change lenses on my other camera, so I put the 5D on my tripod, and began switching lenses on my other camera. Then, about ten seconds later, my tripod fell backwards (with the 5D still on it), and there just happened to be a big rock where the 5D landed

I sat there staring at my 5D on the ground for about five minutes, terrified of the damage I’d see when I picked up the camera.

Luckily, it was just the LCD screen cover that got cracked (and not the actual LCD screen), so I was able to fix it for about $20 of parts and 15 minutes of my time (thanks to a great tutorial I found).

Of course, the first lesson I learned from this accident was to make sure your tripod is secure before letting go

But, then I thought more about why this accident happened. I realized it was a result of carrying too much gear, because when you have a lot of gear to juggle around, it makes you more prone to mishandling it, or dropping it. This accident made me think about all the times in the past where I’ve come so close to banging my camera against a rock or having a camera slide off my camera bag.

I’ve always been worried about limiting the amount of camera gear I carry on hikes, because it might mean missing out on a great photo opportunity. But, for the safety of my gear, I’ve decided to start carrying less.

And, after carrying a lot less gear around for the last couple of weeks, I’ve noticed another great benefit: carrying less gear forces you to learn more about the gear you DO decide to bring.

For example, last weekend I just walked around with one camera and my macro lens. So, instead of walking around and “looking for anything interesting to photograph,” carrying just the macro lens forced me to think just about photographing close-ups.

Instead of walking around with all your gear (giving you freedom to photograph just about anything), sometimes it’s helpful to limit your options to force you to focus on creating a particular type of image.

What about you?

Have you had a similar accident as a result of carrying too much gear? Or, have you found a way to carry a lot of gear, but still balance it all? Please tell us about your experience by leaving a comment below

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How GPS Can Help Your Photography

Steve Berardi — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 04:00:07 +0000

I just recently started hiking with a handheld GPS device to log my hikes and so I could have elevation data wherever I go. But, I’ve also started using it as a tool for photography. Here are a few ways it’s helped me:

#1 – Keep track of good spots for landscape images

This probably happens to you a lot: you’ll be hiking on a trail and come to this amazing vista or perfect rock formation and you realize it would make a great landscape image if the weather or lighting conditions were just a tad bit different. Maybe you just want some of that nice sunset light shining on a mountain peak, or maybe you want a nice puffy cloud to hover over a particular rock.

Well, a GPS device can help you keep track of these spots, simply by adding waypoints. Then, once you get home later, you can write some notes about that particular spot (e.g. “come back in April when there’s more flowers in bloom” or “come back at sunset in winter, when the sun will be at the right angle to shine on this mountain peak”).

#2 – Keep track of burrows

Many animals live in underground burrows (especially in the desert), and are only active for a short time each day (usually around sunrise and sunset). So, one of the best ways to get a photo of them is to sit in a blind near their burrow and wait for them to pop out in the morning. And, with a GPS device, it’s really easy to keep track of these burrows you find while hiking, by adding waypoints.

If you end up sitting in a blind near a burrow, please be careful not to disturb the animal. You don’t want to scare them and force them to abandon the burrow, which could put their life in danger. Please be respectful of wildlife!

#3 – Geotagging your photos

Geotagging your photos can help you remember where you shot a particular photo. And, a GPS device can help you do this if your camera’s clock is set accurately (another great reason to always keep your camera’s clock updated). There’s lots of software out there that can then synchronize your photos with the GPS device: it’ll look at the time a photo was taken, and then look at your GPS log to see where you were at that time.

I’ll talk more about geotagging in a future post here on PhotoNaturalist, so make sure you’re signed up for free updates

Do NOT rely on GPS as your primary navigation tool

As a safety reminder, please do not rely on a GPS device as your primary navigation tool. I think it’s okay to do that with your car GPS, but when you’re out hiking in the wilderness, too many things can go wrong (e.g. the batteries run out, or the device falls from your backpack somehow and you lose it). Always carry a printed map too, and be aware of your route beforehand.

What did I miss?

If you’ve found another great way to use a GPS device to help your photography, please tell us about it by leaving a comment below, thanks!

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A Fun Way To Improve Your Wildflower Photography

Vic Berardi — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 02:26:01 +0000

Photo by Vic Berardi

As spring approaches and the dreary overcast days of winter are still upon us, we anxiously await going out in the field for some wildflower photography. But, while you’re waiting for those flowers to pop up, you can still do something to help you prepare for those wildflower photos.

Over the winter, I picked up several excellent flower photography books and a few showed some techniques for indoor photography. So, I thought, why not give this a try and see if I can apply what I learned to outdoor wildflower photography. I didn’t have any studio lighting, so I decided to experiment with what I already had.

In the photo above, you can see my setup: Canon 60D with a Canon 100mm f2.8 macro lens, a trigger release, a Gitzo GT2530 tripod with a Kirk BH-3 ballhead, and on the left is a chair with a colorful fabric draped over it to provide a background for the Phalaenopsis orchid in front of it. These orchids, which are native to much of southeast Asia, can be purchased at many garden centers, even some grocery stores. They provide a perfect subject for experimenting with new techniques.

There are also many other potted flowers you can try and many cut flowers make excellent subjects too. Cut flowers won’t last as long as a potted flower, but they’re also less expensive and available in a larger variety.

Back to my setup above, the only lighting here was provided through the kitchen windows. The sky outside was thinly overcast with glowing bright white light from the mid-afternoon sun. Snow was on the ground too, so overall there was an extremely bright and ideal diffused sunlight. Plus, it helped that the walls in my kitchen are also white and reflected this light over the entire room.

Another important element here is to have some choices in background. I went to a fabric store and bought several square samples of various colors and patterns. It’s important to know about the Color Wheel when selecting contrasting colors for your flower photography.

After some experimentation, here is the photo I created and converted directly from the RAW image with minor adjustments (levels adjustment and slight sharpening.) The camera settings were ISO 400, f/8 at 0.3 seconds.

Photo by Vic Berardi

Although this image is acceptable as is, I went further and applied the Orton Effect to it to bring out the colors more and give it that dreamy look. Here is the same photo with the Orton Effect applied:

Photo by Vic Berardi

Keep in mind, you (as the photographer) have to make the decision on what post processing to utilize and what message you want to send in your photos. More on the Orton Effect can be found from a quick Google search.

The single most important element is the aperture (f-stop) you use. The aperture is what you have to experiment with here and also the distance you have to work with the background. A limited space and overall size of the background have to be considered. As you can see from the setup image above, I had limited space. This is important because of the depth of field: you don’t want the background to overpower your image. It should enhance or complement it only. If your camera has a depth of field preview button, you can use it to see how the background looks at a particular aperture.

If the background becomes an issue, you have two choices that will alleviate the problem.

The first is to take very close shots that eliminate the background altogether. For this you’ll either need a true macro lens or use extension tubes. Cropping is also an option if it doesn’t jeopardize the overall quality of the photo.

Below is an example of a tight closeup of a tulip where the background isn’t a factor. Other than an overhead kitchen light, the only other lighting came from the setting sun as it came through the kitchen window. This sunlight coming at the flower at a right angle really made the bottom of the flower glow. The same camera/tripod setup mentioned above was used. Settings were ISO 100, f/32 at 13 seconds.

Photo by Vic Berardi

The second option you have is to use a black background. In the photo below, of a Sun Lily, I used a piece of black velvet, with the only light coming from an overhead incandescent kitchen light and diffused sunlight coming from the right side of the photo. Settings were the same as the previous photo; ISO 100, f/32 at 13 seconds.

Photo by Vic Berardi

As you can see, no artificial lighting other than an overhead kitchen light was used in these photos. Use of a flash unit may help with fill-light where contrast is an issue and also to achieve other effects. More on the use of flash will be covered in a future post

Perhaps the most rewarding thing about trying this technique is how much you’ll learn. Doing this indoors on a chilly late winter day with a pot of coffee nearby and no outside elements to contend with, offer a relaxed approach to learning more about lighting, depth of field, background and composition. Experimenting with these elements will make you a better wildflower photographer in the long run!

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About the Author: Vic Berardi is a raptor lover that lives in the Midwest. He is the founder of the Illinois Beach State Park Hawk Watch and every weekend of the year you’ll find him searching for hawks and photographing them. Several of his photographs have been published in a leading raptor journal and in articles he has written. During the year he gives presentations teaching others about hawks and hawk migration. Vic also photographs dragonflies and wild flowers and is always respectful of nature and its creatures.