The Cleansing of American History

I was reading Nick Coleman's column in the Star Tribune today about some pieces of history from the 1862 Uprising that was intentionally not on display at Fort Snelling in St. Paul and it got me thinking. Why are we reluctant to teach our children what really happened in our expansion west?

We teach them about honesty and always telling the truth, but we are less than truthful when we explain our past. When it comes to some of the more unsavory events, we get out the scrub bucket and soapy water, and cleanse the data. In the end after it is nice and clean, we end up riding in on our white horses and save the day. Why not teach our children what REALLY happened - the good, the bad and the ugly. Heaven knows we have enough ugly in our past.

We all know that several thousand Indians died as a result of several white man's diseases. Were all those deaths unintentional? After all from a media standpoint, wouldn't it look better to report a thousand Indians died from disease rather than from gunshot wounds? The result is the same - a thousand dead Indians. It would have been nothing more than an old form of biological warfare.

And why was it when the Indians attacked our settlers, everyone was appalled - massacre! It was the white man who was invading the Indians' territory. They were just protecting their land.

The Battle of the Little Bighorn is another example. Why was it O.K. for Custer to kill Indians, but it was not O.K. for the Indians to kill him and his soldiers? He was taking their land away from them, right?

Now turn the tables. When terrorists try to invade and kill our people, it creates a national outcry, but we are doing just what the Indians were doing - protecting our land.

We did the same thing in Vietnam. The number of American casualties were routinely underestimated while the number of Viet Cong killed exaggerated. Why did we do that?

Maybe it depends on which end of the gun you are on - if you are the one catching the lead or throwing the lead.

I think we should educate our children with the facts and explanation, so they have a broader (and more accurate) picture of the past. Just my thoughts. Now back to the washing of data.

Crosscut Trail Hike

It was such a beautiful day here in Arizona's East Valley that Sue and I had to do a hike. Originally, we were going to start our hike at the First Water Trailhead, but then we decided to do the Crosscut instead. The path is very good with few rocks. Most of the surface is packed sand.

This is one of the most beautiful hikes we have done since we have been here. Very little elevation change. The crosscut intertwines with some other trails, but basically starting at the trailhead, the trail heads toward the Superstition mountains. One trail runs along a ridge and eventually intersects another trail which brings you back along a parallel ridge with a ravine in between. The foliage is higher than a man is tall, so it is almost like walking in a forest. Fantastic!

It took us 1 hour and 10 minutes to hike up one ridge and back down the other. A couple of photographs are posted to give you an idea of what the scenery is like. Sue commented that this is one hike she would like to do again.

Heiroglyphic Canyon Trail

Sue and I went on on a hike on the subject trail based off of a recommendation from one of our friends. The hike was great. Around 3 1/2 miles round-trip. The best part was at the far end.


The trail terminates into a box canyon with a stream coming out of the mountain. With all the rain we have had in the recent past, there was much water flowing.

On the rock wall next to the stream is a great collection of Hohokam petroglphics. These native people scratched these drawings into the rock around 700-800 years ago as a way to document what life was around them. We spent around 45 minutes taking photos of the rock art and scenery and just enjoying the sights and sounds of the area.

The hike takes about an hour to get back into the box canyon. As always, be sure to take water and wear hiking boots for ankle support. The trail is rocky, but the elevation does not change much.

Definately a hike I would advise taking.

Directions: From Apache Junction, AZ, go east on Hwy 60 to Kings Ranch Road. Turn left on Kings Ranch Road and proceed for 2.8 miles to Baseline. Turn right on Baseline for 0.2 miles to Mohican. Turn left on Mohican and proceed for 0.4 miles to Valleyview Road. Turn left on Valleyview Road and proceed for 1.4 miles to Cloudview Road. Turn right on Cloudview and proceed for 0.4 miles to the parking lot. You can also look for the brown and white signs showing the 2 persons hiking and the signs saying "Trailhead" and an arrow pointing in the appropriate direction.

Sedona's Red Rock Country

One day this past winter, we decided to drive up to Sedona to shoot some red rock photos. We left Gold Canyon at 7:10 in the morning so that we could get up there early as it is about an hour and a half drive. We did get up there early - too early - as the sun was on the wrong side of the mountains that I wanted to shoot. Probably poor planning on my part. If you go to shoot photos, there isn't any reason to get up there before noon.

So we drove around for awhile, stopped in Sedona to do some shopping and by that time the sun had moved around so that it was shining on the side we wanted to shoot.

We started about halfway up Oak Creek Canyon and started to work our way back down into Sedona, and then on past the town to Red Rock Crossing. We were lucky in that Sedona had gotten a light coating of snow in the higher elevations the night before, so we were greeted with white on the red rock which was a pleasant surprise as it always adds to these types of photos. The red rock with snow, the bright blue sky and the green scrub shrubbery makes for some awesome landscape photos.

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We found an overlook of Cathedral Rock at the end of Chavez Ranch Road as a great place to eat lunch and the Bell Rock Visitor Parking lot in Oak Creek Village made a great place to take some of the final photos before we decided to head back to Gold Canyon.

This was one of many trips I have made to Sedona, but I'm always in awe with each trip and always come back recharged - maybe it is the energy vortexes in that area. But that is another blog at another time as that is our focus for the next trip to Sedona.

Massacre Grounds Hike

This is the second time we went on this hike. The first time, about two weeks ago, we had a slight technical error with my camera - I forgot to put a media card in it, so we took the hike with the camera equipment, but was unable to take any pictures.

The history behind Massacre Grounds is that the Peralta Family was mining gold in the area and their burro train was moving the gold down into Mexico. All this land at the time was land of Mexico, but that was about to change. Once the Gadsen Purchase was signed, this land would then become part of the United States. They were trying to move as much gold out of here as possible before that land deal went through. Back in that valley along the trail somewhere, the Apaches attacked and killed almost all of the miners.

One account has the two surviving miners, one of which was from the Peralta family eventually making their way back to Mexico. Through a twist of fate, the Peralta miner met a Dutchman named Jacob Walz. Walz asked Peralta to take him to the mine. Peralta agreed and they started back up here.

After getting to the location of the mine, a short time later, Peralta died mysteriously. Some say Waltz killed him after getting the location of the mine - some say someone else killed Peralta. We will never know the real truth.

Fast forward in time. Jacob Waltz eventually died and the mine location, which became the legend of the Lost Dutchman Mine, has never been found. Legend has it that the entrance to the Lost Dutchman Mine lies in the shadow of Weaver's Needle. From the Massacre Grounds Trail, you can see the the tip of Weaver's Needle, so the mine could be in that area. We do not know which way the burro train was heading when they were attacked. were they coming from the direction of Weaver's Needle? The pieces of the two stories fit together and are what makes this whole story so intriguing.

To validate this story, a couple of miners found $15,000.00 worth of gold in a pile in this area back in the early 1900s. It could have been gold the Apaches dumped from one of the saddlebags. At today's gold prices of $1,000.00 per ounce, can you imagine what that $15,000.00 pile of gold is worth today?

Today, the weather was just too good to pass up. It was sunny, of course, and in the low 80s, so we decided to try it again - this time with a media card installed.

To get to the trail head, take Arizona Highway 88 east out of Apache Junction. After you go past the turnoff for the Lost Dutchman State Park, look for the First Water Trail head sign which is the next road to the right.

Turn right at the sign onto the gravel road. Now you may think this road is bad in terms of the roughness of the surface and washouts requiring one to just move along at a snail's pace in places, but it will seem like an interstate compared to the road leading back to the trail head. After turning onto the First Water Trail head Road, proceed for about a mile.

Turn right onto the only road you will see up to that point. There are some turnoffs where people park their cars to take other trails, but these are not roads. Once you make that right, the road ceases to be a road and is classified more as a trail.

I put the transmission selector in "1" and just let the pickup crawl along and at times that crawl is even too fast. Take your time getting back to the trail head and you will be rewarded with some of the most gorgeous scenery in the area. Once at the trail head, park in the parking area and proceed through the opening in the fence and onto the trail. Be sure to have drinking water with you.

As we started out on the trial, in the not-to-far distance, we saw a side of the Superstition Mountains we had not seen before. In the foreground we came face-to-face with a formidable rock spire. To the left is a high ridge of mountains and to the right the landscape gently drops off into a valley. The trail takes you up and around the left side of the rock spire and down the other side across a dry wash. From there, the trail climbs up out of the wash and turns left, following alongside another wash, which may or may not have water in it. The first time we went on the hike, it was after a rain and it had a small amount of flowing water in it.

From here the trail goes up and down along the way towards Massacre Grounds, but there isn't any great rise of fall in elevation. The trail is generally good, sandy in some spots and rocky in others until you come to the slickrock.

This gets alittle tricky getting up and over the slickrock. Sue attempted it, but decided not to go any further after she was about halfway up. She told me to go ahead and she would stay there.

I worked my way up and over the small mountain, along a ridge, down into a small valley and was starting up another rise when I met a couple on the trail coming back down.

I asked them how far it was ahead to the grounds and he said about 15 minutes to the waterfall. Then I ask them if they had seen the massacre grounds and the women told me she had read in her guidebook that the actual grounds are not marked and that they are somewhere in the valley over that next rise. Then I ask about the waterfall and she said it was about like a stream of water coming out of garden hose.

With that information, I decided to follow them back down the trail and hook back up with Sue.

Although it was somewhat disappointing that the actual grounds where the massacre happened isn't marked, the scenery and blooming wildflowers more than make up for the minor disappointment. If you have about two-hours of time and want to take a very rewarding hike, consider taking the Massacre Ground Trail hike - you won't be disappointed.

Digital Photography - Photographing Themes

Many of us fall into photographing themes of one sort or another. I love to photograph waterfalls and cascades, mountains, desert scenes, flower close-ups, lighthouses, water-powered mills, covered bridges, and sunrises and sunsets.


I find myself constantly looking for these themes wherever I go regardless of the purpose of the trip or photo shoot. Consequently, over many trips, I have built up a large stock file of these themes. Without really thinking about it, it created a good base for my stock photography.

With theme photography, you develop an eye for seeing theme topics. Along with the knack for seeing, you develop a procedure specific for photographing each type of theme. Digital photography tips one: photograph the subject of each theme the same way each time in different places.

For example, when I photograph water-powered mills, I photograph the device driving the main driveshaft whether it is an overshot wheel or vortex turbine. I also photograph the crown wheel coming off of the main driveshaft. Before I leave, I also photograph the mill race, mill pond and outside of the structure. By photographing these same subjects in each mill, I have built up a library of several different water powered mills each with photos of the aforementioned subjects. The various miscellaneous shots varying from mill to mill as I do not want to overlook the uniqueness of each mill as each one is unique in its own way.

With the photography also comes learning about each theme. The learning acquired through research, along with the photographs taken over a number of years, creates a knowledge base defining you as an expert of that theme which can result in a niche market for you. Eventually, through networking and other sources, you will be known as one of the go-to persons when someone has a photo need in one of your theme categories.

Themes can be general or more specific. For example, one of my themes is flower close-ups. One of my sub-themes within flower close-ups is orchids. Another sub-theme is wild cactus flower close-ups, so you can see you can get as specific as you want.

Themes can also be about the format of the photo. Some photographers have a theme titled panoramics. This theme is more about the format of the photo being long and narrow and not so much about the subject matter.

Still another theme category may be the format orientation of the photograph. Some photographers shoot certain themes as verticals. Some theme topics look better when shot in a horizontal format. Digital photography tips two: A flower photographed from the side at the level of the flower, including the stem of the flower, not only falls into the flower category, but also into the vertical format theme.

Some themes focus on photographs shot in black and white. Some photographers shoot only certain subjects in black and white and other subjects in color. Many of the subjects having texture look better when photographed in black and white as the lack of color focuses the eyes of the viewer on the texture of the subject without the interference of color.

Themes do not have to be of just the natural world. Some photographers shoot themes of subjects resulting from the hand of man. These themes range from architecture, to pottery, to machines in addition to many other subjects.Themes can also be of topics undesirable to look at, such as damage to the environment, air or water pollution, global warming, erosion, wrath of Nature and many others.

Some photos cross into other theme topics. A desert sunrise or sunset not only falls into the sunrises/sunsets theme, but it also fall into landscapes or into the sub-theme of deserts within the landscape theme. It is all in how specific you want to get as a photographer. The larger number of specific themes can lead to a larger opportunity for niche marketing of your photos.

As you can see, the possibilities are endless. You are bound only by how much time you have to photograph your themes and then marketing them.

If you liked this article, visit our Sunlight Digital Photography website for more tips and techniques. To further your digital photography skills, consider purchasing our digital photography ebook at our Business Writing Resources website. It is instantly downloadable, so you can start reading right away.

Great Images Through Metering

Almost all of the newer Digital Single Lens Reflex (DSLR) cameras have multiple TTL (Through The Lens) metering modes. Each manufacturer calls their metering modes by different names, but basically, they all fall into four categories: spot, center-weighted, multi-pattern and matrix metering, the last one being proprietary to Nikon.

Spot Metering - Spot metering, as the name implies, reads the light from a very small spot or portion of the overall scene. This mode reads the light reflecting from what is inside the small circle or rectangle in the middle of your viewfinder. It will not be more than 9.5% of the overall scene. With spot metering, you can pinpoint the area you want metered for reflectance light. The disadvantage is you pinpoint the spot you want metered for reflectance light.

Now wait a minute, how can pinpointing be both an advantage and disadvantage? The advantage is you are free to choose where to take your meter reading from in a scene. Just put the circle or rectangle on the area you want metered and press the shutter button half-way down to see the shutter speed and aperture settings.

The disadvantage is the TTL meter in your camera sees everything as middle tone or 18% reflectance. If the spot you pick is not middle tone, the exposure of the whole scene could be either over or under exposed. To get an accurate exposure, choose something close to middle tone, such as green grass, tan tree bark, blue sky or light brown flesh tone. Or as an alternative, take the reading and manually dial in exposure compensation to achieve middle tone settings. The spot meter can be difficult to learn, but once you have mastered it, you will find it indispensable when you want your subject, the part in the spot, exposed correctly in a high contrast situation.

Center-Weighted Metering - Center-weighted metering is the most common of all the metering systems and the one used in all point-and-shoot cameras. Center-weighted metering reads light from about 75% of the center of the scene, weights it heavier, then reads the light from the remaining 25% of the scene and weighs it normally . This information is computed by the camera coming up with the final exposure reading. Remember, the overall area metered needs to average out to middle tone. Anything other than middle tone requires you to compensate by using the exposure compensation feature in your DSLR camera.

Multi-Pattern Metering - Multi-pattern metering is also known as evaluative metering. With this method, the viewfinder is broken down into several metering segments built around the auto-focus sensors. Once you choose the auto-focus sensor, a center-weighted metering pattern is built around that selected sensor. This system is basically the same as the center-weighted metering system except the center-weighted reading is taken from the selected auto-focus sensor instead of from the center of the viewfinder.

Matrix Metering - Proprietary to Nikon, matrix metering uses multiple metering segments arranged around the auto-focus segments in the viewfinder much like the multi-pattern metering system, but it also uses a database of actual photographic situations. This system works by each segment metered individually and assigned a light level. These light levels form a contrast pattern. The contrast patterns are then filtered through the database in the DSLR finding the proper exposure compensation for a given scene. With this system, no manual exposure compensation is needed because the metering system automatically does it for you.

When To Use Each Metering System - Each metering system has its own use in specific situations. Generally, center-weighted is best to use when learning how to take photos. As you master this metering system, you can move to spot metering. Here you will pinpoint a spot in the scene and manually apply exposure compensation. Use matrix or multi-pattern metering for rapidly changing light situations or when faced with highly complex lighting.

Now would be a good time to dust off your camera manual and read up on metering modes specific to your camera. Mastering metering modes takes your imagery to a whole new and higher level.

If you liked this article, visit our Sunlight Digital Photography website for more tips and techniques. To further your digital photography skills, consider purchasing one of our digital photography ebooks. All of them are instantly downloadable, so you can start reading right away.

How To Take Better Photos Of Fido

Nothing gets an “ahhh” quicker than a cute pet photo. Unfortunately, it can also be one of the most frustrating ordeals to get that photo. Below are some tips to make pet photography more enjoyable for both you and your pet.

Consideration for your pet
Before we go further, most important thing to remember while taking pet photos is the welfare of your pet. Yes, your pet will tire of being the subject of your study and he/she will tire even quicker if they are not enjoying the photo shoot.

Strike a pose
If you have a new pet, begin to train that pet to pose for photos right from the beginning. You can condition your pet to strike the pose when you say a command word such “picture” or “camera” or anything else you choose to call it. The key is practice, practice and more practice. Practice both the posing and the actual taking the photos so your pet will get used to the camera. Whenever possible take your photos with the flash turned off. Pets quickly tire of having that bright light repeatedly flashed into their eyes.

Rewarding good photo behavior
PAfter taking your pet’s photo, be sure to reward that acceptable behavior with a treat your pet enjoys. Make the photo session an enjoyable experience for both you and your pet. Also, if your pet knows a treat will follow a photo session, he/she will be more willing the next time to do it again.

Indoors or outdoors
Whether shooting indoors or outside, use natural light whenever possible. Normally it is a softer, less direct, light resulting in photos with less harsh shadows.

If you are shooting outdoors, try to control your background or throw it out of focus if it is distracting. If your pet is not of the cage or habitat variety, you can make a simple non-distracting background from a solid color bed sheet, bath towel or craft paper. If you pet is a tree climber, you can use the blue sky as a background.

If the weather is not conducive to taking photos outside, you can always pose your pet near a window or patio door and take advantage of the soft light filtering in. If you are going to shoot in an area not normally frequented by your pet, spend a few days getting your pet used to this area before the photo session.

Selective focusing
With any of the photos, you can blur the background by zooming in with a telephoto lens. These lenses inherently have a small depth-of-field so the background will blur. A telephoto lens also gives you more room to work without having to be right in the animal’s face. Be sure to focus on your pet’s eyes. If the eyes are in focus, the picture is a successful shot.

Viewpoint

Another technique is shoot from your pet’s eye-level instead of always shooting down. If the sun is in back of your pet, you will have to turn on your flash to fill flash mode to fill in the shadow areas and balance the light on your pet’s face.

Props
Props are widely used in pet photography. Fido, with one of his favorite toys, will make a picture you will long endear for years to come. If you are not using a favorite toy, the key to using props in pet photography is to introduce the prop early, so your pet has time to become familiar and comfortable with the prop.

Controlling eye direction

You can control the eye direction of your pet in many ways. For dogs, you can train them to look a certain direction when a whistle is blown a set number of times. A flashlight can also be used and they will normally look in the direction of the light.

For cats, usually a dangling toy will work or they will respond by looking in the direction a voice came from.

Caged animals
If your animal is of the caged type such as a reptile, you can create a photography box to use as a mini studio. Line a cardboard box with a solid-color fabric or paper to avoid having to work around the wires of the cage. On the open side, place a piece of glass or acrylic. You can shoot down into the box or through the clear panel.

The best way to light this setting is with a bounced off-camera flash. The bounced light will be softer and the flash will freeze any sudden movement of the animal. If you are shooting through the clear panel, avoid flash glare by either using a polarizer filter or shoot at an angle to the clear panel so the light will bounce away from the flash and not back into the camera. Here again you could move the photography box near a window or patio door and take advantage of the natural light instead of using the flash.

Aquarium animals
For pets living in water, such as fish, you can use a flash, but it is better to use it off-camera and held over the top of the aquarium and pointed down into the water. If you have a light colored gravel on the bottom of the tank, the lighting will even out with light being reflected off of the bottom. If the bottom of the tank does not have light-colored gravel, try surrounding the outside of the tank on three sides with a light colored paper to get the light distributed as evenly as possible. If the tank happens to be near some natural light, you can try to use that also.

The key to pet photography is to make the photo session as enjoyable for both you and your pet. Part of that enjoyment is ensuring nothing you do to take the photo will harm or endanger your pet. Otherwise, all of a sudden it is no longer fun for your pet and it will be reluctant the next time to pose for pictures.

Pet photography produces some of the most-treasured photos you will ever take. Using the techniques above will assist you in capturing those treasures.

If you liked this article, visit our Sunlight Digital Photography website for more tips and techniques. To further your digital photography skills, consider purchasing one of our digital photography ebooks. All of them are instantly downloadable, so you can start reading right away.

Harvesting The Crop

In this post, we’re talking about how to make a good picture better though the use of cropping. The “harvest” is a better picture though the use of the techniques in this article.

So what is the perfect crop? The one that creates the strongest image – generally the crop that fills the frame with the subject. Remember the old advice of fill the frame? That advice is just as good today as it was in the past.

In any picture, there are many potentially better, or at the very least, different pictures. Framing as you shoot and cropping once the image is in your computer are two ways to find other, perhaps better, pictures in a scene or image.

Cropping

There are two types of cropping, in-camera and after-the-fact. Cropping in the camera involves using something as a frame around a scene. The frame can be natural or manmade. Natural framing could be overhanging tree branches, a gap between two boulders, a natural arch, etc. Manmade framing might be a doorway, arch, open window, bridge or a gap between two buildings. By framing an image, the field of view is more limited than without framing and it thereby draws the viewer’s eye right to the subject. Framing can be applied to just the sides of the scene in the viewfinder or it can also involve the top of the scene.

Framing
As I said above, usually framing is used to draw the viewer’s eye into the picture, however, it can also be used to hide a distracting element within a scene such as powerlines, waste receptacles or anything attracting attention away from the main subject.

Vertical or Horizontal?

Another consideration when framing a shot is to ask yourself if this shot is better framed vertically or horizontally. Long, tall subjects tend to look better framed vertically. You can also crop in a camera by using a zoom telephoto lens. As you increase the focal length of the lens, the angle of view gets narrower. By reducing the angle of view, you are reducing the amount of negative space around your subject and are thereby cropping the photo.


In-camera cropping
In-camera cropping is preferable to cropping after-the-fact because photos cropped in the camera gives you a full size photo to work with. For those times when cropping in the camera is not practicable, cropping after-the-fact is a viable, and sometimes the preferred, option.

After-the-fact
There are several other times when you may want to crop an image after-the-fact. You can crop in the computer to straighten a tilted horizon, or to reposition the subject in the scene using the Rule of Thirds. Several image-editing programs allow you to specify a standard print size. So you can take the image size on the screen and crop it down to a standard print size.

To crop in Photoshop, first open your image. Next, with your left mouse button, click on the marquee tool. Move your cursor to the upper left part of the open image that you want to keep.

With the left mouse button, click and drag down and to the right creating a rectangle. When you get it the size you want, release the mouse button. Now, move your cursor to the top-line menu and click on Image and then Crop.

Your image will now be the size of the rectangle you formed using the Marquee tool. The cropping tool shows up as a rectangle and you can move that rectangle over your photo to create a crop you deem the best.

What you are actually doing is cropping to eliminate nonessential or distracting elements within your image. You can also crop to a print-size photo, such as a 4” X 6” from a larger size image in your computer.

With Adobe’s Photoshop Elements software, you can crop a photo down to different photo sizes by specifying the height and width from the Crop screen. Once rectangle appears on your computer screen, use your left mouse button and move the rectangle to where you want it.  Click on the green checkmark on the bottom right corner of the image.The image is now cropped to the size you indicated and with just the part of the image inside the rectangle.

Another reason to crop is to isolate action. With action shooting, you don’t always have the time to switch lenses. So, as a result, you have extraneous elements around your actual subject. In these cases, take the image and then crop down to just the right amount of action. Lastly, you may want to crop to create a more compelling message or for artistic effect. Usually this last crop is most useful when you have a specific use for that image such as on a web site or in a newsletter.

Cropping, both in the camera before you take the picture and after-the-fact, once the image is in the computer, are tools to make good pictures great. Here is a great video on the cropping process.

If you liked this article, visit our Sunlight Digital Photography website for more tips and techniques. To further your digital photography skills, consider purchasing one of our digital photography ebooks. All of them are instantly downloadable, so you can start reading right away.

Fun At The Zoo

In this post, we focus (no pun intended) on how to shoot photos at zoos, wildlife parks, aquariums and nature sanctuaries. As in any type of animal photography, patience, persistence and creativity are the secrets.

Composition - When setting up to photograph animals in a zoo environment, there are several considerations The first one is varying your composition. Take some shots with the subject looking straight at you along with some looking left or right. To achieve this you may have to reposition your digital camera several times. This is the patience and persistence part. Use a tripod to maximize the sharpness of your photos.

The other part of composition is subject placement. Apply the rule of thirds. To use this rule, mentally create a grid by separating your viewfinder into three sections, both vertically and horizontally - like a tic-tac-toe board. The rule is to place your subject on one of the intersecting points in the grid.

Time of Day - The second consideration is time of day with early morning and late afternoon the best times to shoot. Photographing from sunrise to about 2 ½ hours after and again about 2 ½ hours before sunset to sunset, produces a soft, golden, highly directional lighting saturating the colors of the subject and background.

Another reason for shooting early or late in the day is the lack of crowds during these two times. And the final reason is the animals are most active early and late in the day. In the wild, this is when they normally hunt and eat. During the middle of the day, they are more lethargic and not as photogenic.

Illumination - Illumination of a subject occurs from three possible directions: the front called frontlighting, the back called backlighting, and the side called sidelighting. Each have their advantages.

Frontlighting minimizes shadows and thereby texture, but it will intensify color. If you are trying to accent the fur of an animal, this is not the best lighting. Use sidelighting instead.

Backlighting creates a rimlight effect. This type of lighting creates a glow around the subject giving it a halo type of look, but it also can fool the TTL in your digital camera and your subject can come out as a silhouette.

Sidelighting defines the texture of the surface of an object. It creates a 3D effect by highlighting the high points bathed in the directional light and forming small shadowy areas in those that are not with the result being texture - texture so distinct that your viewers can imagine how it feels just by looking at the photo. Of the three types of directional lighting, this best because of its texture accenting ability.

Chains, Fences and Enclosures - If you are trying to show the animals without their containment, you will want to try avoid showing the bars, barriers and wires. When this is impossible, their presence can be minimized by using a long millimeter lens and shooting at wide apertures to blur both the foreground and background.

To make a chain link fence disappear, put the front of your lens up to the fence and centered in one of the openings. Set the lens aperture to wide open and shoot. This will give you a very shallow depth-of-field thereby obliterating the wire of the fence and softening the background.

While shooting in this non-natural environment, shoot close-ups to minimize the environment. In wildlife parks, where the environment is more like it would be in the animal’s natural habitat, create an environmental portrait by including more of the animal’s surroundings. Here, you will want to use a smaller aperture to hold both the foreground and background in focus.

If you are in a wildlife park with a driving route, shoot from inside your vehicle. Use a window camera mount or a bean bag. Be sure to shut off your vehicle’s engine to minimize camera movement.

If shooting through a glass barrier, try to find a piece of clean glass and place the lens hood up against it to minimize reflections. If using a flash, use it off camera and hold it at a 45 degree angle to the camera and up against the glass.

As far as sensor speed ISO, for the outside shots, use a slow ISO such as 100 on sunny days or 200 if cloudy. For indoor aquarium shots, use ISO 400.

Summary - Shooting at the zoo is exciting. Where else can you get, in one location, a collection of animals from around the world. Take your time, plan your shots and enjoy the photography of animals. If you are marketing these photos, do not try to pass them off as shot in the wild.

If you liked this article, visit our Sunlight Digital Photography website for more tips and techniques.

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Composing For Impact

Composition controls how much impact your photos have on the people viewing them. Below are some tips and techniques you can use to maximize the impact of your photos.

Rule of Thirds –

The rule of thirds, also known as the Golden Grid, was discovered by the ancient Greek painters. The rule says to mentally divide the scene in your viewfinder into thirds both horizontally and vertically. If your main point of interest is a static spot, place it on one of the intersecting points. If your main point of interest is horizontal, then place it on one of the horizontal lines. Place vertical points of interest on the vertical lines. Using this technique by itself, will give your photos impact.

Other factors influencing impact on your photos include:

- Framing

- Depth

- Focus

- Viewpoint

- Brightness

- Color

Framing –

Framing is used to draw the viewer’s eyes into the photo – right to your subject. Once you start to look for items to use as frames, you will see them all around you. They can be natural or man-made. Tree branches and limbs, doorways, and windows are three popular ones. A mistake many make when first using framing is placing their subject too far away from the framing. When that happens, the subject appears small thereby losing the impact of the framing.

Depth –

The illusion of depth occurs when there is a noticeable distance between the foreground and background. Photos showing depth tend to draw viewers into them. When two items of the same approximate size graphically appear to be different in size, the eye interprets the small one being farther away from the larger one. Atmospheric haze contributes to the illusion by making the smaller item appear lighter in color.

Focus –

The viewer’s eye naturally goes to the object in focus. Use this phenomenon to your advantage. You can make this happen by using selective focusing. Having your subject in focus and the rest of your photo slightly out-of-focus happens when you use a small f-stop number. Using a small f-stop equates to having a very small amount of your photo in focus from the front of the scene to the back.

By focusing on your subject, you will ensure your subject is in this small plane in focus. The farther you move both ways away from the plane of focus, the more out-of-focus the items appear.

Viewpoint -

Viewpoint is the physical placement of your camera at the time the photo is taken. Before taking a picture, look for other viewpoints. Try shooting from a position higher than the subject, a position lower and finally, from a different lateral position. See how these viewpoints change the way your subject appears in the viewfinder. Digital cameras are great for this because you can take a photos from several viewpoints and instantly see the photo. Now you can keep the one(s) you like and discard the ones you don’t without having to pay for the processing and printing.

Brightness –

The brightness of a photo is the greatest contributor to the feeling of that photo. A photo having a very light tonal range, known as high-key, conveys a feeling of youth, hope, beauty, or softness. Often, you will see a beautiful young girl or flower portrayed in a high-key setting. Conversely, low-key photos imply seriousness, sobriety, age or impending danger. A photo of an impending storm will convey the feeling of danger.

Color –

In a photo, color serves two purposes. It sets the mood of the photo and enable us to distinguish the different elements in that photo.

The more color of an object contrasts with its surroundings, the more likely that object will become the subject of that photo. Location photographers use very colorful props when photographing people. It identifies them as the subject and separates them from the rest of the photo.

A uniform color of a photo overall establishes a mood also. A photo having a bluish cast will convey a feeling of coldness. A reddish color conveys a feeling of hotness, endangerment or adventurer.

Experiment with these compositional factors the next time you shoot photos. If you are visually aware of these factors, your photos will have impact.

There are many more compositional factors that will give your photos impact including position of the horizon, line, balance, contrast, shape and pattern. I chose the seven discussed in this article as they are some of the more overlooked compositional factors.

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Festival Photography

Spring signals the arrival of festivals, parades and other community events. It doesn’t matter if you are four or eighty-four; these events are fun for everyone. Below are some basic photography tips and techniques to maximize your photography at medieval festivals, civil war reenactments and Native American pow-wows.

Festival Photography Basics -

Find a great spot. This usually involves getting to the event early so you have a choice of spots. Don’t expect to get into the areas where the press photographers shoot, though. That usually requires you to have a Press Pass. If the event is being televised, try to get close to the area where the TV cameras are located. The passing bands and other parade members are the most lively when passing this area.

With the right lens, you can get great photos shooting from a sidewalk or bleachers. If you’re shooting from a sidewalk, stake your claim early. If you’re shooting from bleachers, get up a couple of rows higher than street level. Also check the location of the sun and try to position yourself so it will be at your side or back. Avoid shooting into the sun.

Deciding on which camera and accessories to use -

If you are using a compact camera, one with a Zoom lens range of 38-110 or greater should be adequate. If you are shooting SLR, carry both a 28-80mm and a 80-300mm zoom lens. Also, carry a flash. As with all flash photography, know the range of your flash and stay within it. Many photographers don’t think of using fill flash during daylight hours, but fill flash will prevent dark face areas especially if your subjects are wearing caps or hats that shade their face.

As far as sensor speed, use an ISO 200 on sunny days and ISO 400 if it is overcast. The higher ISO will give you more motion-stopping shutter speed on cloudy days, but still your photos will have great vibrant color.

Medieval Festivals -

If you like festivals, it is hard to beat a Renaissance Festival. Check out RenFestUSA to find out where the nearest one to you is located. There is something in almost every state. Most feature a medieval castle with a full royal family, knights in armor, village tradesmen and of course, court jesters.

All festival participants are in traditional costumes which are usually brightly colored and very ornate. It is easy to shoot photos of knights in shining armor jousting or craftsman practicing their medieval trade.

Civil War Reenactments -

During the summer there are many events reenacting Civil War battles. The Re-Enactment Headquarters website lists those events.

Usually included in a reenactment is an encampment where the participants and their families live in tents for several days. Horses, authentic clothing, flags, and other period paraphernalia add authenticity to the event.

You will find numerous participants willing to be photographed. They may ask for a print in return, but that is a small price to pay for the privilege of shooting. In this setting, semi-candid photos – pictures of the people interacting while “working”- are the best. Take pictures as they cook over an open campfire, discuss battle plans and don their colorful uniforms. The battle recreations usually take place in the afternoon, but get there in the morning to shoot individual pictures as they prepare for the “battle”.

Native American Events -

Pow-wows, the traditional dance and music competitions, are incredibly colorful events. Stop by this website for a nation-wide listing of events. Arrive at least an hour before the dancing and music begins to ensure you get a good seat. Try to get a few rows up in the bleachers so you can shoot down and eliminate distracting backgrounds.

These competitions tend to get very crowded so it is difficult to photograph individual participants, but it is still possible if you work at it. Use a 100-300 mm zoom lens to get those tight shots.

Before and after the actual competitions, walk around the grounds with your camera. Here you will be able to get some individual shots, but ask permission before shooting and observe the rules of courtesy.

Portions of the events may be closed to photography and those will be announced beforehand. Respect the wishes of the tribes as during these times, as these portions of the events are very sacred to them.

Asking Permission -

When photographing large groups or parades, you really don’t need permission because photography is taken for granted. However, when you photograph individuals or small groups of participants, ask permission first. If they decline, observe their wishes and move on.

Try to develop a rapport with the individuals before asking permission to photograph them. Your semi-posed shots will be much better.

Aside from the entertainment value, photographing these events gives you an opportunity to develop your people photography skills. Even if you are a shy photographer, soon you will be caught up in the moment and snapping away.

In Summary –

Use the tips and techniques presented in this article to take some great colorful festival photos. Once you see your results, you will be hooked on festival and event photography.

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Improve Your Travel Photography

It’s almost time for that winter vacation. Whether you are going snow skiing or going to just lie on a nice warm beach, travel photography is always exciting. However, many people return with disappointing photos at best. Below are some hints and tips that will improve your future vacation photos:

Researching Destinations – Before you go, spend some time at your local library or on the Internet reading all about your destination(s). See when the festivals will be. Read about its flora and fauna. Don’t over look the area’s politics, culture and history.

Shooting Themes – It is easier to see potential photos if you have a theme or self-assignment in mind. Some good topics are markets, festivals and holidays, music and dance, people at work, handicrafts, food, architecture, clothing and transportation. By focusing (no pun intended) on one or more of these topics each time you travel, you will eventually have a nice selection of those themes from all of your destinations.

Time of Day – Get up early and stay late for some great shots. From sunrise to two hours after and the same time before to sunset are optimal times to shoot. The quality of light during these times is great. The soft golden light is more pleasing to the eyes than the harsh mid-day light.

Also, because the sun is lower during the early morning and late afternoon, you have longer shadows, which add texture and depth to your photos. The texture and depth makes your two-dimensional photos look more life-like.

A Photo is Worth a Thousand Words – We have all heard this phrase. While at a destination, photograph its people, landscapes, buildings, flowers and markets. Use your telephoto, wide-angle and macro lens to tell the story of that destination. These photos say more than any writer can put into words.

Filters – Generally, you only need one - a polarizer. Use a polarizing filter to darken a blue sky, intensify colors or remove unwanted reflections. Remember, a polarizer works best with sidelighting. To remove unwanted reflections, make sure you are at an oblique angle to the reflection you are trying to remove. To keep the auto-focus feature of your camera, use a circular polarizer. 

White Balance - While many times the Auto or AWB setting works well, there will be times when you will want to manually set your white balance. If you are shooting in open shade or right before the sun comes up, you may get a bluish tint to your images.  Eliminate the blue by switching to the Shade setting. 

If you take photos lit by household lamps, use the tungsten or incandescent setting to remove the orange cast. Or depending on what you are trying to say with your photos, you may want to leave that orange cast in the photo. In that case switch to the Daylight setting. Our eyes don’t ascertain the differences in light like a digital camera sensor does, so beware of the causes of the bluish and orange cast and how to remove them.

Talk Before Shooting – When photographing people, talk to them before photographing them. Most strangers are not keen on being photographed by someone they don’t know, let alone someone they have never spoken with. Even if you have to use another individual as an interpreter, talk to your potential subject. After a conversation, they will warm up to you and you can work in some photos. Also, many of these locals are privy to a hidden location not covered in any of the guidebooks.

The Eyes Have it – When photographing people and animals, focus on the eyes. Don’t forget to use fill flash to brighten a face when in the shadows or open shade. The flash will also add highlights or small white dots to the subject’s eyes, which is a pleasing effect.

Look for the Bright Light – Your eye naturally goes to the brightest part of a photo. If you have varying light, try to place your subject in the bright light. Be cautious of staying within the seven-stop range of your sensor. This seven-stop difference is from the brightest to darkest light in your scene. You can check how many stops difference you have by spot metering on the brightest part of the scene and noting the recommended shutter speed and f-stop settings. Then, spot meter on the darkest part and note how many stops difference there were from the first spot meter reading. If it is over seven stops, your darkest part of the scene will lose it’s detail and will go black. To our eyes, it is within our 16-stop range so we can see the full range of light difference.

On The Move – When photographing people or animals work fast. They appreciate it and it will ensure you will not wear out your welcome.

Creating the Photo – Think about making the picture rather than taking the picture. Painters start with a scene and add elements as they go along. Photographers start with a scene full of elements and take out the excess to end up with a resulting photo having a single center of interest.

Break The Rules – It is important to know the rules of photography, but don’t be afraid to break them occasionally. Don’t get so locked into them that you can’t experiment.

In Closing – Travel photography is exciting. It is great to see and record images on how and where other people live, work and play. By using the above hints and tips, you will have great images of your destination to show family and friends.

If you enjoyed this article on travel photography, you'll enjoy my ebook titled How To Improve Your Travel Photography. You can purchase it from this link and instantly download it for your digital photography reading pleasure.


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Daniel Boone’s Fort Boonesborough

It is a short walk from the parking lot to the fort, but once inside, the sounds, sights and smells instantly transport me back to an earlier and much simpler time.

Upon entering the fort, I hear a sharp crack, turn and in the courtyard, I see the puff of smoke from a marksman’s black powder rifle. After paying our entrance fee, we begin walking around the inside perimeter of the fort. One of the first buildings I encounter is an interesting cabin – one of many inside the fort. After stepping inside and letting my eyes adjust to the dim light, it is easy seeing the meager re-constructed furnishings the settlers used while living here – a crude four-legged table with a small slab-wood top, a mud and stick fireplace used for warmth and cooking, and a straw-filled mattress lying on the floor to sleep on. That was it.

Walking further along the fence, we come to the company store. Today, visitors can buy crafts hand-made by the artisans, but back in the late 1700s, it was the only place settlers could purchase staple items such as flour, sugar and coffee after they had used up what they had brought with them.

At the far end of the fort are period-clothed artisans working on their crafts. In one of the cabins, a man works leather making pouches and bags.

In another cabin, a woman weaves on a loom. In still another cabin further down, a woman works pottery using a foot-powered potter’s wheel. Across the path in the courtyard, we hear and see a blacksmith hammering red-hot iron just out of his forge.

The inside of the fort reeks with authenticity. It is easy to imagine that at any moment Daniel Boone himself will step out of one of the cabins, but as I walk around the fort, the one question in my mind is how did Boone come to settle this place called Boonesborough?

The story began during the French and Indian War (1753-1764), while the 19-year old Boone worked for General Edward Braddock as a teamster/blacksmith and became acquainted with a wagoner named John Findley. Instantly, Boone became intrigued with Findley’s stories of fertile valleys teaming with abundant game west of the Appalachians in a place that would eventually become Kentucky. Findley had been here before the war as part of a trading expedition with the Indians.

Four years later during the winter of 1768-1769, Findley met with Boone convincing Boone to join him on a hunting trip to Kentucky. During this trip, Boone fell in love with this new land and vowed to return someday. Four years later, Boone and five other families would make the journey and be among the first white settlers settling here.

In 1773, Boone and a group of fifty settlers having been commissioned by Colonel Richard Henderson of the Transylvania Company, left North Carolina and began making a trail west which became known as the Wilderness Road. In the years following, thousands of settlers would follow this trail in a never-ending attempt to expand the west.

In the beginning, Boone and the settlers followed a trail used for centuries by the Indians called Warrior’s Path, and then Skagg’s Trace from the Cumberland Gap into Kentucky, but the trails were too narrow for wagons to traverse and it was Boone and company’s job to widen the trails. Once at Hazel Patch, in present Laurel County, KY, Boone left the old established trails and began clearing a new one called Boone’s Trace.

Eventually the small party stopped and built a fort on the Kentucky River near present day Lexington, KY. Fort Boonesborough, became the second English-speaking settlement in this new land.

While enroute to Boonesborough, Indians relentlessly attacked the small group of settlers and over time murdered several in the party, including torturing to death Boone’s seventeen-year old son, James. After establishing the fort in September 1775, Boone went back to Clinch Valley, Virginia, where he had left his wife and the rest of his family two years earlier on the trip out, and brought them back to Boonesborough.

Fort Boonesborough became a target for Indian attacks as soon as it was built, and continuing for the next few years, as the Indians did not like the westward expansion of the white settlers. This land was their traditional tribal hunting grounds and the Indians were determined to drive the settlers back east, however as the Indians soon found out, the settlers were determined to stay here.

Boone, and those inside the fort, fended off devastating Indian raids between 1776 and 1778. During one of the raids in July 1776, Boone’s daughters, Jemina, along with two other teenage girls, were outside the fort and captured by an Indian war party.

Boone and some of his companions went after the girls. Within two days, they caught up with the Indians, ambushed and killed two of them, and rescued Jemina and the other girls. This rescue account became the basis for James Fenimoore Cooper’s 1826 novel Last of the Mohicans.

In 1777, Boone himself was captured by the Shawnee. About a year after his capture, he learned of a plan by his capturers to attack Boonesborough. He escaped and made his way back to Boonesborough, covering the 160 miles in five days first by horse, until the horse gave out, and then finishing on foot, warning the residents of the upcoming attack and leading them to a successful resistance.

Once things settled down at Boonesborough, Boone learned his wife Rebecca, fearing he was dead, had taken the family back to North Carolina. Eventually, Boone was able to go back east, retrieve his family and all return back to Fort Boonesborough. But because of his capture, and living with the Indians, Boone never felt like he was trusted again at the fort. Eventually, this caused him to leave and settle in several different parts of Kentucky over a period of a few years.

In 1799, Boone left Kentucky because it was “getting too crowded” and he pushed farther west into the new frontier called the Louisiana Purchase, now present-day Missouri. The Spanish Government gave Boone a tract of land to encourage more settlers into the area. Boone spent the rest of his days in Missouri and died there on September 26, 1820 at the age of 86.

If you are in the area and enjoy history from this period of time, Fort Boonesborough is a must-see stop. There are other Boone historical places nearby including Boone’s Station and Boone’s Cave that add to the history of Daniel Boone and are worth exploring.


Located 25 miles southeast of Lexington, KY, today, Fort Boonesborough is a reconstructed working fort and a Kentucky State Park. As you tour the cabins, in many you will find costumed artisans working their crafts much like the settlers did back in the late 1700s. The fort is complete with cabins, blockhouses and furnishings. With their craft demonstrations, modern-day visitors get a true sense of what life was like for pioneers in Kentucky.

Admission is $7 for adults, $5 for children ages 6-12 and free for children under age 6. Tours are available 1 April to 31 October, 9AM – 5:30 PM. The hours of operation are 9 AM-5 PM everyday from April 1 through October 31. call them at 859-527-3131.

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If I Only Have A Day In Zion National Park?

Many people coming to Zion National Park ask this question. With so much to do and so little time, visitors want to maximize their experience while here. Below are some of the don’t-miss hikes if you only have a day to spend in the park:

Angel’s Landing – If you are afraid of heights or have small children, don’t attempt the last ½ mile of this hike. Angel’s Landing is one of two premier hikes in this park and the whole National Park System. This four-hour, five mile round-trip hike starts at the Grotto Trailhead and ends 1,500 feet above the canyon valley.

The trail starts out as soft sand, but quickly turns into a paved trail. As you start your ascent, the trail takes you up a series of switchbacks and through Refrigerator Canyon. With Angel’s Landing on the right and Cathedral Mountain on left, hikers get a reprieve from the otherwise constant upgrade as the path levels out and the temperature drops 10 to 30 degrees Fahrenheit.

After leaving Refrigerator Canyon, hikers start up the twenty-one short switchbacks known as Walter’s Wiggles exiting onto a flat sandy area called Scout’s Lookout. For those with a fear of heights or having small children with them, this is their final destination. Scout’s Lookout provides a great view of the Lower Zion Canyon. For those pressing on the additional ½ mile up to the summit of Angel’s Landing, the view is worth the effort involved getting to the top.

Take this last part seriously as it involves hiking along a trail that, in places, is as narrow as thirty-six inches and drops off 1200 feet on one side and 800 feet on the other. There are chains to hold onto along the way in places, but not all the way up to the top.

The Narrows – The Narrows is the other premier hike at Zion. Take the shuttle to The Temple of Sinewava and walk the paved one-mile Riverside Walk. At the end of the Riverside Walk is where the Narrows begin.

From here, hikers enter the Virgin River and wade in water ranging in depth from ankle to waist-deep. Hikers can hike upstream to Big Springs (about four hours one-way) without needing a backcountry permit. Keep in mind once in the water, you'll make about one mile per hour progress. Many hike upriver for a couple of hours (through Wall Street), turn around and hike back. Just before you get to the start of Wall Street, turn right and go up into Orderville Canyon for a ways. Then turn around, hike back out and continiue to Wall Street. This hike will give you a good experience of The Narrows.

At the very least, wear a good closed-toe hiking boot and carry a hiking stick. Many hikers will rent water shoes, neoprene socks (to keep their feet warm in the 57-degree water) and a pair of hiking sticks from one of the outfitters in Springdale, Utah. As the hike involves climbing over rocks, those with bad ankles or knees should not attempt this hike.

Emerald Pools Trail – Emerald Pools Trail begins across the street from the Zion Lodge. After crossing the footbridge over the Virgin River, turn right at the "T" in the trail. If you hike just the Lower Emerald Pool, the 1.2 mile roundtrip hike on a paved trail takes one hour. Once at the Lower Pool, hikers have the option of returning back the same path or continuing on.

For those continuing on, the trail becomes uneven and rocky working its way up to the Middle and finally the Upper Pool. Hikers can return via the same trail or take the trail on the right at the Middle Pool bringing them back to the other side of the "T" at the trailhead. Roundtrip to the Upper Pool and back takes about 2 ½ hours.

Hidden Canyon – The trailhead for this hike is the Weeping Rock Shuttle Stop. Hiking this two-mile, three-hour roundtrip trail gains 850 feet in elevation and ends at the end of a narrow canyon. This trail is not for those fearful of heights as some portions require hanging onto chains to negotiate narrow ledges of the trail. Once the maintained trail ends, the fun begins. You actually walk on the canyon floor with some of the walls only an arms-width apart and thirty feet apart in other areas. After about ten minutes on the unmaintained trail, you will see a free-standing arch on the right side. This is a great hike that has Angel’s Landing similarities, but is less demanding.

Canyon Overlook – Canyon Overlook is a fun one-hour, one-mile roundtrip hike with an elevation gain of 163 feet. If you are coming up from the South Entrance, the trailhead for this hike starts at the end of the 1.1 mile long Zion – Mt Carmel tunnel. Park in either the small parking lot on the right or the one on down the road on the left. Hikers using this rocky uneven trail are rewarded by spectacular views of both Zion and Pine Creek Canyons at the far end of the end of trail.

Weeping Rock – This trail has similarities to the lower Emerald Pools Trail. Water seeps out of the rock and falls into a stream created by the falling water. Various types of plants have taken hold in the moist rock and have created the ”Hanging Gardens”.

The paved walk has a few steep places, but they are short. If you want a short trail with scenery, this one is for you.

Pa’rus Trail – This is a fun trail. Running along the Virgin River with the great canyon walls on both sides of the trail; this trail is good both in the morning or evening.

This is the only trail where walking pets and biking are allowed on trails. Pick the trail up at the Canyon Junction shuttle stop. The trail ends at the Visitor’s Center.

Summary – Don’t attempt to do both The Narrows and Angel’s Landing in the same day. I recommend doing one or the other and then mixing in any of the other suggested hikes as time allows. Zion National Park is a true gem among the National Parks and these hikes will maximize your Zion National Park experience.

If you enjoyed this article on Zion National Park and you are a photographer, you'll enjoy my ebook titled How To Improve Your Travel Photography. You can purchase it from this link and instantly download it for your digital photography reading pleasure.


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Explorers of Light

Are we talking about physicists experimenting with a new medium for transmitting light waves? No.

Are we talking about astronomers discovering new galaxies beyond the ones we have already found? No.

We’re talking about photographers. The great painters of Greece knew what extraordinary light meant to their paintings. Today, it also means the same to photographers. Without light, there isn’t a photograph. Even the word photography comes from the Greek words photos meaning light and graphos meaning writing. So photography means writing with light.

What elements make light extraordinary? Basically three elements: color, quality and direction. These elements are all intertwined but each have their own merit and all are necessary to have great light.

Color

We express light color in degrees Kelvin. If you are out shooting in the morning, before the sun comes up, you will notice a bluish cast to the light. The bluish color comes from a high color temperature, about 12,000 degrees Kelvin.

As the sun starts to come up, the bluish color evolves to a golden yellow. The golden light is caused by the light waves having to travel great distances through the atmosphere. While traveling, the light is refracted off of water, dust, smoke and other particles in the air. All of these particles help break up the light waves to create that beautiful golden color. The color temperature now is about 3,500 degrees Kelvin. The same effect happens at sunset.

However, the light can be more of a golden orange at sunset because late in the day there are more particles in the air caused by the day’s activities on the ground. Light records a golden color if you have your white balance setting set to Daylight this setting is balanced for daylight color temperature, which is about 5,000 degrees Kelvin. Because the light is lower in degrees Kelvin than daylight, it is recorded with a yellow cast to it. The same thing happens if you shoot the Daylight setting with household lights. The Daylight setting is balanced against light occurring between about 9:00 A.M. to around 3:00 P.M., however the light during this time if day is not of the highest quality. To eliminate the yellow cast, match your white balance to the light temperature; use the incandescent setting.

Quality

The hard, harsh mid-day light is probably the worst for photographers. During this light, look for tight compositions of flowers, animals and graphic details of buildings. Try to pick subjects in the shade. Spot meter off of your subject for a correct exposure.

Now is also a good time to use your fill flash. Stay away from people and landscape shots during mid-day light. This time of day can be productive by scouting out places to shoot for the upcoming evening light or the morning light of the next day. Thin clouds act as a diffuser and will improve the quality of overhead light. The harshness will be gone and it will be a more even, shadowless light. Early misty morning light can be good light to work with if the mist isn’t too heavy. Mist softens shadows, reduces contrast and brings subtle colors to life.

Of course the light from sunrise to about 1 ½ hours after and again from 1 ½ hours before sunset to sunset are by far, the best quality of light. This low-angled directional light will accent texture and impart a warm glow to your subject.

Direction

The direction of light is the last element. It comes in three different types: sidelighting, frontlighting and backlighting. Each has their application.

Sidelighting, such as the light at sunrise and again at sunset is the best for bringing out the texture in a subject. The light skipping over the high spots and forming shadows in the low spots create texture. People relate to a subject better if they can imagine how it would feel. Texture does that for you. It visually shows them what the surface of the subject felt like when you pressed the shutter button.

With directional light a subject can be backlit, frontlit or sidelit depending on where you are in relation to your subject and the light. The effect you want on your photograph will determine which type of lighting to use.

Backlighting is great for making silhouettes from graphic shapes. Close-up shots of translucent subjects, such as leaves, come out best when backlit. The veining will be very evident.

The last type is frontlighting. This light tends to minimize texture, reduces form and flattens out a scene. If used in early morning, this light is good when shooting landscape shots.

Let’s take a scene, the Grand Tetons, and visually photograph it three times. Each scenic shot will be from the same location, the Snake River Overlook. Each time we will use a different type of directional lighting. The first photograph will be frontlit. As the sun is first coming up, it will start to bath the mountaintops in that soft golden light.

As the sun gets higher in the sky, the light works its way down the mountain. We will end up with a brightly illuminated shot having minimal texture, but nevertheless a great shot. As the sun moves across the sky, the light will become high sidelighting. Gradually, we will start to pick up some texture and the mountains will start to take on some feeling. The light skips across the high points and creates shadows in the recesses.

In the late afternoon, the sun has moved behind the Grand Tetons and they start to become graphic silhouettes. The light in the sky gradually changes from a golden yellow to a golden orange and is finally gone.

As explorers of light, we constantly look for the three intertwined elements making up extraordinary light. Look for the color. Look for the quality. Look for the direction. Join the other explorers in their quest for the perfect light.

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