How Should Photographers Portray Bears?

Photographers and filmmakers can be the only connection some people have with nature. The way we see and document wildlife, on social media or otherwise, has at least some effect on how potential viewers will portray them. Bears are often seen as cute and cuddly, but can this make them seem less dangerous than they really are? There is no denying bears are playful, just like any animal can be. There’s nothing wrong with seeing them as they are, but you’ve got to have the common sense to realize and respect their power.

Many people visiting Yellowstone seem to have zero fear of bears. Do they have any idea what would happen if a grizzly bear, or even a black bear, decided to charge them? That would be quite the shot to get on your iPad, but ultimately it would not end well. There has already been one instance this season of a man following a grizzly bear into the woods with his iPad. By some miracle, he wasn’t mauled, but he was ticketed by a ranger.

I watched several photographers scurry down a hill to get a closer shot of a mother grizzly bear with three cubs in May. If you’re nearing the retirement age, I don’t think you and your twenty pounds of camera gear are going to make it back up that hill when mama bear decides to charge. In fact, I watched someone slip and fall just trying to make it back up the hill, after the bears were gone.

It’s nearly impossible to make a bear cub look like anything but the cutest thing in the world. A one month old cub probably couldn’t maul anybody, but its mother certainly can.

I think common sense should ensure people have the ability to see something as cute, yet still know it can be dangerous as well. That’s a healthy appreciation and respect of the animal. Common sense is lacking in today’s world, so what can you do? These animals aren’t domesticated. They are wild, dangerous, and struggling to survive. If you get in their way, they can quickly render you no longer a threat.

Making a bear appear scary and threatening isn’t hard. They’re huge animals, and when they’re next to something you can relate to, you can see just how big they really are. The bear below is the same mother of the three cubs above, but it’s not so “cute” anymore huh?

What do you think? How would you prefer to see bears portrayed? Leave a comment below or on Facebook!

April 25, 2016April 25, 2016

Adobe Photoshop Lightroom CC Landscape Tutorial – Norris Geyser Basin

Welcome and thanks for checking out my latest tutorial! I haven’t put one together since using Apple’s now discontinued Aperture program, so obviously I’ve since switched to Adobe Lightroom.

These are arranged in writing format as opposed to video, so you can see the images at a larger size, and not need to pause the video to study the adjustments. You’ll be able to see the progress through the editing steps, and easily refer to previous adjustments for a before and after.

This image was taken on a winter trip to Norris Geyser Basin in Yellowstone National Park in January 2016.

I used a Canon 6D with a Canon 17-40 ƒ/4L lens. This is a RAW image file, so minor adjustments do not affect the quality.

Settings: ISO 100 – ƒ/10 – 1/200s – 17mm

The first image is the untouched RAW file. Looking at the histogram, you can see the highlights in the sky are not clipping, and the blacks in the lower areas are not either. The full dynamic range is there to work with. I typically shoot with auto white balance, and it does a pretty good job. Most adjustments to white balance are done for a visual impact.

I use the white balance selector tool to pick a neutral area of gray to set the white balance. When photographing thermal features, I often choose a gray area somewhere in the steam. Doing that here gives me a slightly warmer image, which helps bring out the oranges in the water. You can also pick a point anywhere throughout the clouds. Picking a point in the darker areas of the clouds will make the image dramatically warmer, while picking a point closer to the brightest areas can give a more natural result.

Because the sky has a much brighter range of tones than the foreground, I use a graduated filter to adjust only this area first. I set the line just touching the tops of the trees, and angle it to almost match the tree line. I only use a short gradation, instead of expanding it to fade from top to bottom. I lower the exposure a half stop, as a physical graduated neutral density filter might do. I increase the contrast slightly, then lower highlights so they aren’t clipping. I add just a touch of clarity to give the clouds a bit more definition.

Next, I add another graduated filter, this time covering the bottom half of the image. I align it below the trees, covering everything below where the snow starts. I increase whites and highlights to brighten the snow, and lower blacks so all tonal ranges are represented. I slightly clip the blacks (lower left) so I know I’ve got a true black point.

Using the brush tool and the shadows preset, I increase the shadows in the trees. I find this is a great slider to use to brighten up dark areas of trees.

I‘ve already balanced out the contrast of the image areas using the two graduated filters, but I add just a little bit more global contrast to the overall image with a tone curve. I only go +10 with lights and -10 with darks, making the middle tones pop just a little more, without clipping anything on either end.

This image already has a natural orange/red color, where the heat of the thermal features melts the snow and allows colorful bacteria to grow. I increase the saturation of red, orange, and yellow slightly to bring this out more. I also added +5 to the luminance of these same colors in the same adjust box.

Sharpening can be done before you export the image depending on where it’s going. I add just a little more to the amount and detail. I adjust masking so there’s not as much sharpening going on in the solid areas of snow. If there was noise here, that mask would reduce the noise in the large solid colored areas that don’t need sharpening.

The lens correction tool corrects the vignetting and distortion caused by the lens. Upright adjustment should fix the leveling of the image. Sometimes this works, sometimes it doesn’t.

The camera calibration tool helps match the image you see on your computer screen to the image profile you set on your camera. Lens correction and camera calibration are set to automatically apply when I import images.

Now that I’ve made other adjustments, I went back and checked the graduated filter in the sky again. I angled it a little more to not affect the steam cloud on the left, and lowered the exposure and blacks again to darken the clouds.

I use a brush with the dodge (lighten) preset to brighten up the steam cloud on the left, reversing the darkening from the graduated filter in this area.

Finally, I make another adjustment to the white balance, getting a slightly warmer settings. Just a little bit of warm color now shows up where the sun hits the clouds, but the darkest areas remain a natural blue/gray.

If you have any questions or suggestions, please let me know in the comments.

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January 18, 2013March 23, 2015

Principles of Design – Unity

Unity is what brings an image together as one piece. A good photograph that is unified is one where everything appears to belong. No elements are added that shouldn’t be there and don’t help with the overall composition.

This image below is unified by not only the bright colors throughout the image, but also the fall leaves that cover the entire frame.

This image of a pile of leaves is unified by the similar shape of the leaves.

This final, multiple exposure image is unified by color and texture. The entire image consists of these similar elements and therefore looks “unified”.

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December 31, 2012August 21, 2014

Lowepro Photo Hatchback AW 22L Review

After getting the Lowepro Photo Hatchback 22L for Christmas, I took it on a couple of hiking trips and decided to write up a review. I use the pack for day hiking since I can carry most of the camera gear I need along with any other little things I may want on the hike. During the summer, I may try carrying just a light sleeping bag and hammock in the pack for overnight trips.

The straps are padded well and plenty comfortable for a full day hike. The waist strap could benefit from padding, but it is still helpful if the pack is on the heavy side.

The overall quality of the pack is excellent. I wouldn’t hesitate to place it on the ground to take a break.

Lowepro seems to be a great brand, with many other quality camera products.

One thing I love about the pack is how smooth the zippers are. They will never get stuck and can be zipped with one hand.

The front of the pack has a padded compartment to fit an iPad or Macbook Air.

Both sides of the pack have stretchy compartments to hold a decent sized water bottle. You may be able to put a water bladder in the iPad compartment as well.

Inside the top compartment, I carry my ND filter pouch as well as a jacket or two.

This pack is a “hatchback” because the camera is accessed on the backside of the pack. This keeps the camera safe from theft as well as placing it down on the ground. It also offers more protection in the rain.

Inside the camera compartment, there is plenty of room for my Canon 7D and the two lenses I use most (18-55 IS and 70-300 IS USM). I use the one divider down the middle so everything will fit no matter which lens is on the camera. I also keep two batteries, some screw on filters, tripod mounts, caps, etc. in this compartment.

Inside the lid for the camera compartment is a stretchy holder for a memory card or two. This is an odd feature because one flap goes over the other so you have to separate them to put the card inside. It seems like there could be an easier compartment to use than this.

Also inside the top compartment is a keychain holder, useful for ensuring your keys don’t fall out on a hiking trip. This is actually inside another zippered pouch in the top.

The entire camera tray is removable and the pack can be opened up to become a full day pack without the dividers.

The tray includes an AW cover for a little protection and handles on the sides. There is also an AW cover that covers the entire pack to protect from the rain.

The Lowepro Photo Hatchback AW 22L is currently around $108 on Amazon. You can purchase it through the link and I will get a little commission at no cost to you!

November 11, 2012March 23, 2015

Principle of Design – Balance

The Principles of Design in Photography - Balance

Balance is a design principle relating to the visual weight in the frame. An empty image with just a single subject on one side of the frame would be heavy towards one side. This image of a bird on an empty background shows that well.

This image of a fishing pier and its reflection on the lake show an image perfectly balanced over a one of the thirds in the frame. Placing areas of interest over a line or cross section that is one-third in to the frame is an excellent compositional rule.

While it can’t be said whether a balanced or unbalanced image is good or bad compositionally, balance should be used purposefully to achieve what you are trying to do.

Be sure to browse around some my images on the site that are for sale and find balanced or unbalanced compositions!

October 8, 2012August 21, 2014

Basics of Exposing with a Grad ND Filter

In simple terms, a neutral density (ND) filter cuts down on the light hitting your sensor. A full ND reduces exposure over the entire frame while a graduated (grad) ND reduces exposure over some of the scene. This post will go over how to set your exposure when using a grad ND filter.

If you haven’t already, check out the first post on Using Graduated ND Filters.

In this soft-step grad ND, the transition between light and dark is spread out over a large area. There are also hard stop filters that have a quick transition from dark to light. Soft steps work well when there are things covering the horizon such as trees or mountains. A hard stop filter works when there is a clear horizon, like over the open ocean.

Choosing between an ND2, ND4, and ND8 filter depends on the dynamic range of the scene. In a cloudy scene where the sky isn’t much brighter than the foreground, you may only need a 1 stop reduction from an ND2 filter. On a bright, sunny day where the sky is much brighter than the foreground, you will need an ND8 to bring out details in the foreground shadows.

Of course this is just a quick, casual way of picking the right filter strength. If you’re more technical, you can meter in both the sky and the foreground and determine the number of stops between the two. Using center-weighted average metering mode works better than evaluative mode to accomplish this.

October 3, 2012August 21, 2014

ND Filters

One of the newest additions to my ever-growing bag of gear is a set of Neutral Density (ND) filters. The graduated (grad) ND filters are used to darken bright areas of the scene, evening out the exposure. Full ND filters allow you to darken the entire frame to get a longer exposure when there is bright light.

The sensors in today’s digital cameras (and film as well) have a dynamic range that is nowhere near what we see with the human eye. This image shows the difference between a scene with and without the grad ND. The filter used is an ND8, or three stops of exposure reduction. The ND4 and ND2 can reduce the exposure by 2 and 1 stop, respectively.

Notice how the lower parts of the image has a similar exposure, while the scene gradually darkens towards the top where it’s covered by the ND filter. This scene doesn’t show the true power of the filter because it was already evenly lit. The best use is when the sky is bright, but you still want detail in a dark foreground.

This image darkens the background and allows for a bright, flowery foreground. Without the filter to darken the sky, there would be almost no detail in the clouds and even the mountains would be much brighter. The placement of the filter here actually lowered the exposure slightly all the way down the to near the flowers.

The full ND can be used under bright light when you want a multi-second exposure, but can’t stop down the aperture or lower the ISO. The ND2, ND4, and ND8 darken the entire exposure by 1,2, and 3 stops, respectively. Below is an example of using the filter during bright, sunny conditions.

Here is an affiliate link to the filters I purchased. Goja Complete ND Filter Set on Amazon.

While they aren’t of the highest quality, they are still good for learning. In the future I plan to purchase a set of Singh-Ray filters.

Check out how to expose using your grad ND filter.

August 16, 2012April 1, 2016

The Principles of Design in Photography

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The principles of design take the Elements of Art and organize them in a single piece of art. While these apply to any media in art, I will be using them specifically for photography.

1. Balance

Balance is arranging the elements in a piece so that there is an equality from one side to the other. A symmetrical image has perfect balance. Balance can also be achieved by asymmetry or radial arrangement. Below are an example of both poor and good balance.

2. Harmony

The dictionary definition of harmony is “a consistent, orderly, or pleasing arrangement of parts;congruity”. This happens in art by using similar elements through out a piece that bring it together in a “pleasing” way. Harmony can be considered simplicity.

I chose this image to represent a good harmony. The orange and yellow leaves are all around the frame, bringing it together in a simple way. The white water is also simple and creates a “harmony”. This is one of the most difficult principles to grasp.

3. Pattern/Rhythm

Pattern or rhythm is simply repeating an element in such a manner. This will cause the viewer’s eye to move around to each element.

4. Unity

Unity is taking the parts of a piece of art and unifying them in to something better as a whole. Composition is a great way to do this. This image could be separated in to each part as its own piece, but together they become a unified composition.

5. Contrast

Contrast is easy. It is similar to adding contrast to an image overall, but this is done by using the elements. You can create contrast in an image by using complementary colors or differences in light and dark.

6. Proportion

Proportion is using the size of an object to give it more or less importance. Finding an image that uses this purposefully was difficult. In this image, the size of the sky was dramatically greater than the ground, giving it importance.

The above image was done through composition. This next image gives importance by lens distortion and placement. The rocks in the lower part of the frame appear huge, giving them more importance.

7. Variety

Variety is exactly what it sounds like, having variety in your elements! The image on the left has variety by combining a sunset sky, the bridge, and the middle ground of the trees. The image on the right has variety in each of the shells. By differing the kinds of shells, I’ve created variety that still maintains unity in that they are all shells.

8. Movement

Movement is one of the simpler principles to learn; I actually used it a lot when discussing the Elements of Art. The goal of creating movement is to lead the viewer’s eye all around the photo and land on the focal point. The image below does a great job of that using line and tone.

In the future, each principle will be explored further with its own blog post. The more detailed posts will go further in to how these principles can be used for photography! Be sure to subscribe with your email to receive updates! If you haven’t checked out The Elements of Art, you’ll want to do that as well!

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April 23, 2012March 23, 2015

The Elements of Art – Shape

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The fourth element of art is shape. Shape is a two dimensional area formed by the other elements of art.

The photo below is an excellent example of the element of line creating circle shapes. Notice how the way the shapes are arranged across the image helps to lead the eye far back into space.

Continue reading “The Elements of Art – Shape”

March 22, 2012April 21, 2016

The Elements of Art – Color

Last time we discussed the element of line and how it is used to better your photography. This article will cover the element of color.

Color is another way of adding interest and contrast to a photograph. The primary colors of red, blue, and yellow can be mixed together to create secondary and tertiary colors, eventually creating the “color wheel.”

Continue reading “The Elements of Art – Color”

March 10, 2012March 23, 2015

The Elements of Art – Line

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The next element of art that can be used to improve your photography is line. Line is created by shapes, edges of shapes, differences in tone, or anything that makes your eye follow a path.

Line is VERY important to getting your viewer to look at your images the way YOU want them to. Lines naturally lead viewer’s eyes around. There are actual lines such as a rail, a road, or a tree. Implied lines are things like edges of a building, the line of a model’s body, or elements that are in a line but not really connected.

Continue reading “The Elements of Art – Line”

March 8, 2012April 22, 2016

The Elements of Art – Texture

The first of the seven elements of art that I will go over is texture. Texture, like the other elements is used to give interest and draw the attention of your viewer’s eye.

Continue reading “The Elements of Art – Texture”