Outdoor Photography How To

Exposure systems in digital cameras are highly sophisticated components that can analyze light, contrast, color and all the aspects of a photo instantly. Yet with all the automation and computerization there’s still the need to understand how to get the most from all the available options, to know when to choose a particular mode or metering pattern, when you can rely on automation and when you need to step in to get the best exposure possible. This set of tips deals with the creative use of the various Exposure modes, metering patterns, bracketing features and more.

I recently received a copy of the University of New Hampshire Magazine and was immediately struck by the cover image of a rock climber dangling from a cliff over water. I not only noticed the storytelling aspects of the image but, as a photographer, that this guy hanging from his fingertips was somehow lit from some unseen light source. My first reaction: how did he do that?

It’s an annual event that never fails to please. Across most of the country, the leaves on deciduous trees do their fire dance, wither and fade, and then finally surrender to the sway of the autumn wind. It’s a great time to be a photographer, but capturing the fall color explosion at its peak can be frustratingly difficult. Right? So do what we do—take a look at this interactive leaf color predictor.

British filmmaker John Downer has been capturing amazing footage of wildlife for years, but now he and his team at John Downer Productions have upped their game with the use of realistic robotic animals fitted with built-in spy cameras. As you can see from the video below it's all pretty amazing.

In October 2014, Shutterbug reader Gerry Groeber visited the Oak Creek Canyon in Sedona, Arizona, to take photographs. Months earlier, a “devastating” fire tore through Oak Creek, but luckily much of the canyon was spared from the fire. While exploring the area he came upon this scene of a solitary tree and felt compelled to take a photo.

While Shutterbug reader Robert Dunham dreams of shooting the vast landscapes in Montana, he has found “great wonder and satisfaction in shooting macro” at his North Carolina home. He combines his two favorite pastimes, gardening and photography, by “taking a bunch of gear to the garden and splitting time between the spade and the camera.”

After years of dreaming about visiting the “wondrous” Boardman Tree Farm in Oregon, Shutterbug reader Vincent James finally made the trip last fall while visiting the Columbia River Gorge.