Outdoor Photography How To

(Editor’s Note: Exploring Light is a monthly Shutterbug column featuring tips, tricks, and photo advice from professional photographers in Canon Explorers of Light education program. This month's column is by Bob Davis, with great tips for shooting sharp photos of wildlife and birds in flight.

We’re all familiar with the notion that the best time to shoot landscapes is early during Blue Hour or late in the day at Golden Hour. But what if you get the photography itch in the middle of a summer’s day?

If you’re a regular Shutterbug reader you know we frequently post tutorials from image-editing expert Anthony Morganti. Most of these tend to be detailed and somewhat lengthy, but the video below kicks off a new series with brief episodes on a single topic.

The first thing most of us think of when we hear the words “Zone System” is the great Ansel Adams, who developed this powerful exposure technique with Fred Archer over 80 years ago. The second thing that often comes to mind is the word “complicated.”

We can all learn from our mistakes, especially when it comes to photography. Photographer Ben Reeder has been there and done that (even when he probably shouldn’t have) and is here to share what he’s learned.

Ask any experienced landscape photographer to identify the most important tool in his bag, and the answer is likely to be, “My ND filter.” Or more accurately, “My set of ND filters.”

If you’re relatively new to Lightroom and feel overwhelmed by the wide variety of tools, this comprehensive beginners guide is just what you need. After watching the straightforward tutorial below, you’ll no longer be a novice and your photos will look better than ever.