How Do You Take Such Great Photos?

Haceta Head Lighthouse I admit, with a subject like that this post will seem a bit egotistical.  But if you know me, you know my ego is fairly mundane and sedated.  Then what’s with the self appreciative post?

It’s actually a question I get a couple times a week from various sources, especially after a I post a new batch of photos on Facebook or the like.  It’s taken me years and years to finally get to the point where I allow myself to realize I do have talent and I do take great photos (well, I POST great photos and take some bad ones as well).  It’s that realization that has me starting down a path where I will make photography a growing part of my financial income stream.  It starts with the realization that, yes, I am good at it and with hard work, I can make part of my living from it.

Soaring Spirit It’s also important for me to help others and in this case, it comes from answering questions when people see the large camera and think me a professional, which I kinda am and one day will be more. 

With that in mind, I want to invite anyone who sees a particular picture of mine and wonders how it was taken to please ask!  This is the way I learn most; taking something I like and breaking it down to reproduce it.  Granted, you can never truly reproduce natural lighting situations or the motion of waves or the wisp of clouds at a particular moment, but you can understand how those elements came together and attempt to mimic them. 

And sometimes, it’s sheer luck.  Take a look at the photo at left, the second one.  What do you see?  A lot of people see a bird of some kind in the cloud.  I never even saw this formation when I was taking the photo, probably because I was too focused (har har) on the technical aspects of the shot.  Stupa and Mt. Everest But when I got home and saw it on the screen…..whoa.  It stopped me in my tracks.  I was focused on the Dark Tower in the lower left and the other sandstone formations while Kim and I hiked through the Devil’s Garden in Arches National Park in Utah.  Luck, or fate, was on my side and turned a normalish photo into something I really cherish.

Lastly, the right equipment helps.  I currently use a Canon EOS 5D with the optional BG-E4 Battery Grip. I enjoy the battery grip for two reasons; (1) holding two batteries lets me shoot about 1000 images before worrying about a chance and (2) the grip helps balance things out especially when holding the camera in portrait mode. Lastly, I’ve recently converted to using just one lens for most travel. Macaws, Peru It’s big, heavy and expensive, but it is an impressive lens that gives great images time and time again. It’s a Canon EF 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6L IS USM Lens and not only is it a mouthful, it’s heavy. And it’s a bit slow, meaning the lowest aperture is 5.6 when zoomed, so it takes some play with ISO to get low light shots. Thankfully the 5D does good work at the higher ISOs not showing too much grain. And now with the new Canon EOS 5D Mark II 21.1MP out on the market, those ISOs can be pushed even further, as high as 25,600!! Plus it has a sensor cleaning element, full HD video, and on and on and on. It’s officially on my Christmas list if you’re feeling generous. 🙂 While at home, I also use a Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM Ultra Wide Angle Zoom Lens but not so much these days. While this equipment is expensive and not for everyone, it is one big key to me bringing back great photos from trip after trip.

Irish Coast Ok, the location and subject matter help, but having great equipment and knowing how to use it after years of practice goes a long way too. In another post this week I’ll suggest my favorite travel camera setup for those with more of a budget in mind, including a great point and shoot when you don’t want to lug around an SLR at all. In the mean time, please post a comment here or send me an email asking how I took any picture you see on this site or Hidden Creek Photography. I’m more than happy to help people learn to take better photos.