Category: Photo tips & instruction

No picking the wildflowers

On April 13th I went to Glen Helen Nature Preserve with one of the many photo groups I belong to.  The goal, wildflowers.

As always when hiking or really just leaving the roadway I took the handheld GPS with me.  This serves several purposes:  Help me find the vehicle if I were to get lost or come back a different trail, and it helps me to know exactly (well close enough) as to where I took the photo.

Notice below I brought up the screen on the GPS showing the exact time.  This will help if so if the camera’s clock is off I have a photo of the time that it should read (so I can shift the capture time).

Now remember I said this was APRIL 13, 2019….   Notice what date it says…. yeah neither did I until I got home. This was a software issue with this model of Garmin GPS, it required an update and me to manually change the date in the tracklogs so I could use the data. Continue reading “No picking the wildflowers”

What kind of camera do I need (or other gear)

I often hear people make comments about how expensive my camera gear is.  They are actually right and wrong, if I were to add up the cost of all the photography gear I have bought over the years it would be a fortune.  But if you buy smart, you won’t have to break the bank and can get some good gear.

Click below to continue reading Continue reading “What kind of camera do I need (or other gear)”

The sun comes up how early? and you want to see it….?

Those who know me know one thing…. I am NOT a morning person.  I mean I can be if work makes me be there at 8:00, and I’m getting better too, I now have to be at work at 8:45 and I used to only take 11-8 shifts.

That being said I got it in my head that I was going to get a sunrise photo.  Now just to find the perfect location.  I am not one for scouting out my locations; I’d rather just slam on the brakes and park the van and take what I can find. This does not usually work with things that you cannot see at the time of setup….. like a sunrise.

Continue reading “The sun comes up how early? and you want to see it….?”

Ohhh thats a nice photo, where was that….

When you like to take photos when you travel, or maybe you even like to just go for a drive and photograph old buildings and barns and such; you need to know where things were.

April 2016 I took a 4,000 mile road trip to the Grand Canyon and back, stopping along the way at many roadside places along the “Mother Road”, Historic Route 66.  I’m not sure if the Grand Canyon was the vacation, or if the Route was….

Summer 2017 was a cruise to the Bahamas, January 2018 another cruise to Jamaica, and Summer 2019 another massive road trip… This time to the Rockies, Yellowstone, and Mount Rushmore and all points in-between.

Needless to say, I shoot a lot of photos in places I would not remember where.  This is where having your photos Geotagged comes in handy. Continue reading “Ohhh thats a nice photo, where was that….”

Editing photos vs the original shot

So, I see many people who take photos offering their original files.  WHY!!!???

There is no reason you should just hand anybody or post your unedited photos straight from the SD card.  Properly editing your photos can take that “eh” photo to a “wall-worthy” photo.

Do I take great photos? Yes, but there is so much more that can be done to the photo, no matter how good I was at composing the photo, no matter how I do my settings in the camera – they all need editing. Continue reading “Editing photos vs the original shot”