Outdoor Photography How To

Last week we discussed the basics of depth of field, a key concept enabling you to capture better images. Today we’ll explore the topic further, through the eyes of an experienced pro.

Some photographers dread editing images, while others enjoy sitting behind a computer enhancing their work. Whichever camp you fall into, this tutorial will speed up the process and help you achieve superior results.

The idea here was...well, there were a few ideas. First, I wanted to do photography that was bright, cheerful, colorful—and different. With times being a bit harsh and stressful for many, I was looking for something light-hearted and, frankly, far from reality. Dreamy and summer-like came to mind. 

It may not seem like it, given the horrendous winter weather that swept across the country last week, but the onset of spring is barely a month away. And the new season brings with it a variety of interesting opportunities for macro and close-up photography.

Most of our tutorials involve tips, tricks, and techniques you can use to capture more compelling images. But today we’re going to switch things up by describing what NOT to do when shooting landscape, travel, and nature images.

Lens Filters were more commonly used back when everyone shot film, perhaps because some digital photographers are imbued with the notion that “You can always fix it in Photoshop.” And that’s a shame because putting a filter on your lens is an easy way to “get it right in the camera,” rather than resorting to post-processing enhancements.

Using long exposures during the day is a great way to create unique landscape and nature photos. This technique results in an ethereal look, with soft, dreamy water and cotton-like clouds. The typical approach is using ND filters to dramatically reduce the amount of light entering the camera, but there’s a post-processing trick for getting the job done.