Pro Techniques

In many ways, Florida seems like a thoroughly modern state. New developments and towering skyscrapers dot the urban contemporary landscape. Tourism display racks contain dozens of the latest amusement and attraction brochures. Each year, millions of visitors descend upon Florida to experience the beaches, theme parks, major cities, and golf courses.

However, away from the...

A full 15 years have passed since the first commercially viable autofocus SLR was introduced (the Maxxum 7000) and the technology has been improved significantly since then. Even so, some photographers consider AF suitable only for snapshooting.

I don’t have to light up rooms or freeze fast action very often—travel photography doesn’t usually call for that, and, besides, I really prefer to shoot in natural light. Fortunately, most of the time I can, but there are instances when a flash will make the difference in a picture by narrowing the scene’s contrast range, making it possible for the camera’s sensor to capture the details in shadow and highlight areas. Often flash is the only way for me to make a picture, as I don’t have the luxury of coming back when the light is better.

Most people find the bones of animals fascinating. Nature photographers are usually drawn to them like a magnet, and when they are in a particularly beautiful environment, they make captivating subjects. Too often, though, bones are scattered in an unattractive way or they are laying in dirt or underbrush that isn’t especially appealing. In that case, it’s a simple matter of arranging the various elements so they are more pleasing.

Natural History
When Steve Gottlieb took this picture in 1985 he’d been practicing law for 10 years. Photography was his hobby, and his hometown, Washington, D.C., was his favorite subject.

“My look is all about capturing a natural quality in the person I’m portraying,” Bil Zelman observes. “I find that strobe is very distracting for people.” That doesn’t mean that Zelman entirely shuns strobe. On the contrary, he’ll use it, but more often than not chooses available light to imbue the shot with the quality he’s after. As we’ll...