How to Get Started with Bird Photography

by Timothy Martinez Jr.

There’s no animal on Earth that offers such a range of colors, actions and behaviors
as birds, which is why they are the most dynamic photography subjects. Not only
are birds readily available in locations around the world, but they also give you the
chance to practice photography as well as capture some great images. If the idea of
photographing birds seems overwhelming, here are some tips to help ease you in.

Learn About Your Subject

I am a photographer who’s still learning the advanced techniques, but my
knowledge of birds gives me an extra insight into the subject. Understanding
behaviors, species and personalities will better help you capture the essence of
a specific bird and give you perfectly natural shots. If you’re interested in bird
photography, I recommend connecting with a local birding group or wildlife
organizations to learn more about the species in your area.

 Photo by DeusXFlorida

Get Appropriate Equipment

To create some of the highest quality pictures with extreme close-ups, you’ll
need pretty powerful equipment. If you’re just starting out and want the simplest
equipment possible while still getting the best shots, consider getting a DSLR and
a telephoto lens that’s at least 300mm with a 1.4X converter. This is a good starting
lens because it allows you to get very close. If you want more detail with smaller
birds, you’ll probably want to opt for something along the lines of 600mm.

Practice with Birds in Your Yard

Once you have the right equipment and some knowledge of birds, practice is the
best way to learn more. Start out by photographing birds at your backyard feeder or
a backyard birdhouse. This will give you the chance to try out different techniques
to see what works and what doesn’t. It also gives you the opportunity to practice
without feeling pressured by going somewhere far to photograph exotic birds.

Get as Close as Possible

When you’re photographing birds, you should try to get as close as you can both
physically and in the image. Of course, you don’t want to disturb the bird so it flies
away, but images that prominently feature the birds are much more dynamic and
stronger.

Photo by deanbkrafft

Take a Lot of Pictures

Movement is perhaps your biggest enemy when photographing birds. Birds are
living creatures that move unpredictably at lightning speed. They won’t stay in one
place for very long, so you want to take as many pictures as you can because there
won’t be very many keepers. Sometimes it takes dozens of shots before you get a
good image, but don’t get discouraged.

Think About the Composition of the Image

One of the basic tenets of photography is to avoid putting the subject in the middle
of the frame. Instead, consider other objects in the frame, such as the background,
trees or branches. These things could take the focus away from your subject. You
should also allow space for movement. For example, if you’re taking a picture of a
bird that’s about to fly, give the bird some space for its direction of travel.

Have Fun and Experiment

Most important is to have fun, be bold and try new things. It might take a lot of
practice, but you’ll have a collection of fantastic bird photos in no time.

Timothy Martinez Jr. is a freelance writer and intermediate photographer who writes
about bird feeders for the official blog of Backyard Chirper.

Are Your Photos Really Safe? A Guide on How to Preserve Your Precious Memories

When I first decided to take on this project, I had no idea where to begin, what it should be about, or how people would receive it. But if I've learned anything as a business owner and blogger it's that you can learn to do anything, and once you get started the way will be shown. I know this sounds a little crazy, but I've found it to be true time and time again.

So what exactly is this project that I'm referring to? It's a gift to my readers in the form of a free eBook that addresses a problem that many people don't realize they face. To be honest, I wasn't even sure if the title "Are Your Photos Really Safe? A Guide on How to Preserve Your Precious Memories" would even grab someone's attention enough to make them want to download the eBook.

The irony is that unless you read the eBook, you don't even realize why you need to read it in the first place. This is why I decided to write a post telling you a little bit about it, giving you an excerpt, and making it extremely easy for you to download.

This eBook addresses an issue that is very important to me and one that I witness on a daily basis: that people just don't realize that their photos aren't safe from damage and destruction. Furthermore, if they do they probably don't have a good solution for preserving them.

If you aren't convinced that your photos are vulnerable, if you think they are safe on social networks and on your computer, then I ask that you please read the eBook to learn why this isn't so.

Another thought that you may have is that you don't take very many pictures and you don't consider yourself a photographer, so why should you care? Here's the bottom line: if you cherish your photos as a way to document your life and the lives of your family and friends, capture a moment in time, depict a beautiful scene, or document history then this eBook is for you.

Here is an excerpt:

If you had to guess, how many memories would you say you’ve captured by
taking photographs: hundreds, thousands, maybe more? Have you preserved
them well enough that they will be around for future generations or even
next year?

With the rise of social networks and advancements in technology, few
people realize that their photos are not safe from damage or destruction.
Unfortunately, this can lead to devastating consequences when precious
memories are damaged or permanently lost.

If you want to protect your photos and preserve your memories, then this
guide is for you.

In this guide I will validate your concerns about how safe your photos really
are, while also introducing issues that you may not have considered. I will
then layout simple, step by step solutions that, once implemented, will give
you the peace of mind of knowing that you have preserved your photo
memories.

To have this eBook delivered to your email Inbox, fill out this form:

Lighting 101- A Refreshing Perspective from a Teacher of Photography

by Wayne Upchurch

The workshop has been underway for about 20 minutes.

“Let's start by closing your eyes”, I say.

Yes, you read that right. Lemme back up a bit, first, for you.

When I hear questions about learning to light for photography being met with answers about buying this or that system of lights or a whole host of “professional” studio lights, without really addressing what That particular photographer is wanting to accomplish...I just shake my head and sigh.

            

 I don't have anything against high quality professional photo gear at all. I have used the makeshift gear And the pro stuff, and I completely acknowledge the superiority of really well designed, sturdy, adaptive, modular, dependable, and color-accurate lights. So this isn't a rant about how expensive stuff is, or about Professional Photographers; this is advocacy for learning to see the quality...the character...of light, First. Much like the way man has always advanced his understanding, by Observation. And Cameras are Great as Note-takers of direct observation.

*Taken by Denise, a participant in Wayne's Lighting workshop.

My “No Sigh Zone”

             

With this in mind, I have begun to offer a short class in learning to See Light. My first class of six students rang my bell on Saturday at noon, prepared with a camera for a walkabout shoot. I had suggested they also leave, at the door, their preconceptions about what photographic lighting was all about, and adopt an open attitude to play with light, directly. To that end, I also asked each of them to bring one item of their choosing that one would not normally associate with photographic lighting. That got them thinking.

We talked for a moment about how most of us actually know more about light and lighting than we think we do; I say that's especially true of newer photographers. Every day, in our homes, offices -even autos!- we adjust lighting to suit our purposes. We open/close/shutter/shade windows and doors, turn lamps off/on, to raise and lower the level of light. Even more importantly, regarding lighting for photography, we tune these light sources to affect mood as well as level, making the room great for reading fine print, or for a romantic dinner for two. Then, when we first decide to use lights to create a photograph, we seem to have Lost the awareness and skills, maybe thinking that the “magic” of photography really is in the camera and in the lighting gear, in an instruction video, etc., instead of in our own minds and hearts?

*This photo was taken by Maria during the Lighting workshop.

 

“Close your eyes...and Breathe”

             

So, how do we put the horse sense before the shopping cart?

            

After a round of introductions, including why each of them wanted to learn to light, we came to the part about closing their eyes. To get some of that awareness back into play, I started with what is called a “closed eye” process, or guided imagery “journey”. I believe it's a useful way to tap back into our mind's eye, and remember access to our experience with light.  I also believe that puts the power and responsibility, both, in the hands of the photographer, instead of in the hands of formal “how to” sources.

             

Then we went shooting. An hour (give or take a few minutes) walking the streets of downtown Wendell brought Plenty of opportunities to notice, find, photograph light in a variety of characteristics, although Not concentrating at all on the great subjects we would normally choose to photograph. We were concentrating on photographing the light. Light, itself, was the subject, not a tool or an afterthought. Think it's easy? Try it. You will Have to get out of your Thinking about it, and just Look for it, React to it. Catch It!

*This photo was taken by Sam, a participant in the Lighting workshop.

What Counts?

             

Fortunately, this past weekend, Wendell was host to an international food and music festival, so we had those pesky photo subjects, but we also had Food, which some of us partook of, bringing it back to the house to follow up and look at the pictures.

            

 When I first knew the day's weather would be overcast, I was a little concerned that there would not be the Variety of lighting characteristics to make the walkabout as effective as it might be. So the day was discovery for me, too. As one participant, Frank Jeffreys, remarked while we looked at the pictures in my studio, on a fair day the light source (sun) is “Waaay over there.... “. But this day's omnipresent soft light was Everywhere, Comfortable, even Manageable, when influenced by the objects modifying and reflecting it. So, without taking any lights along, participants were discovering how light works by first, Finding it, then getting into the dance with it, a bit, seducing its portrait, capturing its character.

Another participant, Priscilla Speed, noticed that what she was seeing in all our resulting pictures reminded her of when she took a group of small children out with inexpensive cameras. “What I'm seeing here is what They got, without any instructions”.

I love it when a natural, curious, spontaneity comes together!

“But.. what is it a picture OF?”

A couple of comments spoke to the notion that viewers of our photos from that day may well ask why we took these pictures. One answer might be another question, “When you set aside what you expect a 'Good Picture' to look like, “what do you see in these pictures?” What do we miss by deciding what a good picture is before we even engage the one in front of us? Maybe we could bring that same kind of openness not only to photographing, but also to looking at other people's art, too. “what is it a picture of?” is a good question, yet maybe one that only the viewer can really answer, whether the answer is something we want to find, or not.

Here are some samples from the walkabout.

*“I like the gradient on this - how the light washes across the frame.  Reminds me of how a lake looks right after the sun has risen just enough to burn off the morning mist " -Dave Brainard

 *"I like the way the row of incandescent lights fall to the rear of the photo while the lights from the chandelier punch through the reflections in the plate glass window." -Dave Brainard

 *This was a pivotal moment, when I could suddenly see a whole story in an arrangement of elements, in a Picture. -Frank Jeffreys (paraphrase)

In these photographs, the specific assignment was to simply get a picture of light. Why? What would be possible in Your photographs of any subject if you were also consciously creating the light that is consistent with your purpose?

Wayne's Bio:

For years, as a “professional oggler” (a newspaper staff photographer for the Wilmington, NC Star-News Newspapers), I simultaneously explored photography as craft/process/medium in its own right. The photojournalism work –credentials and mindset– got me into (and out of) places I would certainly never have had access to on my own. I was also practicing the discipline of getting a picture where there didn’t appear to be one and getting it Finished in a timely manner, to professional standards. I also learned to create imminently readable images despite poor reproduction in a small size. Though it took me several years to get this, the value of making photos that illustrated something already IN the story was suddenly Not Enough, and I began to make assignment pictures to add dimensions to the writing, or better Yet, to raise questions so that the reader would go to the story for more answers.

 
Having gained more than I had dreamt of, when starting out, I left to pursue my own personal photography, mounting exhibits around Wilmington, up until the mid-90's. I also worked with commercial photographer friends doing studio product photography, and making headshots for actors.

Later, I also helmed two Public Radio “spacemusic” programs, and acted in a Wilmington, NC drama company.

I put the cameras away for a few years, to finish shedding the habit of self-limiting my identity as just “Photographer”, and have now returned to making pictures because I love to.

Sharing photos on Flickr, participating locally in meetups and outings, and creating experiential workshops in photography has renewed a passion for making new images and for sharing the process with others. For some time, I’ve found myself writing detailed comments on other people’s photos, sharing links to whatever I found interesting or useful, as well as writing thoughts and pet ideas about photography, in general.

Hey. . .
Isn’t that what blogging is all about? waynewarp.com

*© All photos are copyrighted and may not be used or distributed in any way. 

Laugh, Learn, and Become Totally Consumed in the Pioneer Woman's Photography

Posted by Lauren

You may be surprised to learn that this post will focus on another photography blog and not PhotoStasher. It's really not that farfetched though, if you consider that one of the purposes of this blog is to review other photography resources that I believe you will benefit from and enjoy.

There was no way I could keep the Pioneer Woman Photography Blog away from you anyway. It just has too much useful and entertaining information. All photography blogs have different things to offer readers, and this one is no exception.

 This is the homepage of the Pioneer Woman Photography Blog

The blog was started by Ree Drummond to document her life as a city girl who moved to the country and is now living on a ranch with her husband, whom she calls Marlboro Man, and her four children. Ree posts photos that she takes, often peaceful photos of the ranch, and even has a section of high resolution photos that you can download, print, or use for anything you please.

 One of Ree's High Res download photos entitled "Beauties"

My favorite section is "Assignments" where she posts photography assignments such as "Bugs" and "Black and White" and asks readers to photograph them for a chance to win valuable prizes like cameras and gift cards.

The Pioneer Woman's "Bugs" Assignment

Ree has Photoshop tutorials where she gives tutorial on layers, layer masks, and other topics. She also shares her photos before and after editing.

The thing I love most about Ree, is her ability to take something that could be very straightforward and cut and dry, and turn it into an entertaining and often hilarious post. She has a real knack for disguising learning with fun.

I only mentioned some of the content featured on the Pioneer Woman Photography Blog. To see this and all Ree has to offer you can go to http://thepioneerwoman.com/photography/. If you are interested in Cooking, Home & Garden, and Homeschooling, Ree blogs about those as well.

Stay tuned for an article written by a teacher of photography later this week. I believe he will be writing about lighting. It should be a good one! 

What do you think about Ree's take on blogging about photography? Please leave your comments below.

A Unique Perspective: Through the Lens of Erica Harmon

by Erica Harmon

The reason for it all

I always had an interest in photography, but just could never give myself the push to do it. When my son was born almost two years ago, my sister let me borrow her DSLR camera. I just wanted to capture every moment in Andrew's life! A few months later I had saved enough money to buy my first camera. I jumped right in taking pictures for my family and close friends. Within months, my business started to grow and I knew that this is what I wanted to do with my life. Above is my son Andrew and the reason for it all. I am constantly trying to come up with new ideas to make cute portraits to hang on my wall. In this photo, I had been wanting to do something fun with him and this is what I came up with.

Two things sent from heaven

In this portrait there are two things sent from heaven. One, Hailey and her absolute beauty. And two, Zozobugbaby. Zozobugbaby is a fabulous children clothing designer based out of Salem, Oregon who contacted me earlier in the year to see if I would be interested in taking pictures of their clothing. Of course, I said YES! I have a few beautiful girls that get to model their stuff, and Hailey is one of them. I love EVERYTHING about this photo and when you get these two together in a photo it is pure awesomeness! With these shoots I get to play around and get really creative so they tend to be some of my favorite shoots. I am so very grateful to the owner of Zozo (Julie) for believing in me and giving me a boost of confidence when I need it the most.

Oh baby

Let me just say that I LOVE newbies! Everything from their smell down to each wrinkle. Beckham was a very anticipated baby and I couldn't wait to get to shoot his newborn portraits. I will say that newborns are the toughest thing I have done, but when you get that shot it is the most rewarding thing ever! This is one area I try to strive to be perfect in and I still learn new things every day.

Impromptu greatness

I am always wanting to be behind my camera. So one day when I had a free afternoon, I asked my friend Jessica if I could borrow her kids for a little impromptu fun. As we spoke on the phone, ideas were flowing and within a couple of hours we started shooting. These girls are some of the cutest, sweetest kids ever! They always have such great personalities and know exactly what to do. I usually cringe at the idea of doing something like this, as I tend to be a planner. But I will say that it was alot of fun and you never know what you can come up with when you do things last minute!

What do you think about Erica's take on photography? Please leave your comments below.

Erica Harmon is a professional photographer who lives in Texas. To learn more about her and her business, please visit: http://www.ericamaephotography.com

Living Life: The Journey of One Photographer

By Jodi Skantz

The loss of someone very near and dear to me, the birth of my now three year old daughter, and the best birthday present ever (a Nikon D 3000 camera), unleashed a passion in me I didn't know I had.

My new passion was capturing people living life and seeing those moments frozen in time. Excited about my new camera, I took pictures of everyone and everything. Before I knew it people were asking me to photograph their precious memories.

I didn't have experience and lacked confidence, but I took on the challenge. The first non-relative person I photographed was a beautiful four year old little girl named Maddie. I was nervous, excited, and honored. The shoot went great and I learned so much in just one day.

Jodi's first photo as a professional.

One thing that I discovered that day was my absolute favorite prop, an old tire swing. Although I am obsessed with props and use just about anything as a prop from chairs, birdcages, an old tractor, old furniture, to frames, the tire swing is and probably always will be my favorite. It hangs in an old oak tree in the yard. I love the reaction and the emotion I get from people on the swing. I have never seen such genuine smiles and addictive laughter as that swing creates. It brings out the best in children, and it brings out the kids in seniors and adults. I use this swing for almost all sessions. I absolutely love it.

Jodi's daughter. A great depiction of the props she uses.

Many more shoots followed and the learning experiences keep on coming. I am self-taught and have learned everything the hard way. I am a work in progress and I feel like I will never know all I need to know. So much changes in photography everyday, but the one thing that will always stay the same is the passion and the drive I have for it.

Jodi's mother with her grandchildren.

If you love photography, the best advice I can give to you is to let your passion shine through and don't give up. Just let loose and don't be afraid to try new things If you have an idea then just go for it. Not every shot will be perfect and neither will every session, but your love and passion will always shine through if you let it.

My photography style is simple. I love to set scenes, but I am not real big on poses. I call my business Living Life Creations because capturing people living their life is an honor to me. It is what I want reflected in my photos.

What are your thoughts about Jodi's story? Is your style similar or different from hers? Please leave your comments below.

To learn more about Jodi and see her work please visit: http://www.livinglifecreations.com

Photography Tips and Inspiration from an Award-Winning Photographer: A Blog Review

by Lauren

Have you ever wanted to get inside the mind of an award-winning photographer? You know, understand what they're thinking, their thought processes, and get insight into their trials and successes? That's what Harold Davis' blog Photoblog 2.0 does and more.

I'm constantly looking for experts, photographers, and blogs to observe and analyze. In particular, I like to see how people approach their blogs by how they are structured and topics they discuss. I recently came across Harold Davis' blog and decided to review it for you. I hope that it becomes another resource where you can be inspired by and learn from a fellow photographer.

First Impressions

I'm a firm believer that first impressions are very important when it comes to most things in life, especially websites. When I go to a website for the first time, I'm judging whether or not I think the website, and therefore the person or company behind the website, is professional and deserves to be taken seriously.

This was precisely my conclusion when I first landed on Photoblog 2.0. Specifically, the words "clean" and "streamlined" came to mind. My second observation was the organization of each section of the blog. You can easily see the most recent post, sign up for Harold's newsletter, read other posts, and see Harold Davis' books.

The creative title and photo at the beginning of each post makes you want to read more.

What About the Content?

  

Davis posts articles quite frequently, on an almost daily basis. Given the length of his articles, frequent posting is a good strategy. The articles appear to be between 200 and 400 words and typically are written around a photo that is presented at the beginning of the article.

Harold Davis takes quite an interesting approach to constructing his articles. The photo at the beginning of each article is often the topic of the post. He reveals how he took the photo, photography tips, and how to shoot that particular type of photo. Davis also sets up the scene of where the photograph was taken and the story behind it. This is extremely effective in grabbing the reader's interest and helping them understand the circumstances surrounding the photo.

Some articles also introduce his most recent books giving a basic overview of what to expect, why he wrote the book, and how you will benefit from reading it. I have to say his post about his most recent book, Photographing Flowers, made me want to pick up a copy.

My Conclusions About Photoblog 2.0

Photoblog 2.0 is a great blog to read if you are interested in photography. The best way to become better at anything is to learn from others by getting their unique perspective, and that's just what this blog provides.

The only thing left to be desired on Photoblog 2.0 is a section designed specifically around photo tips. Don't get me wrong, Harold Davis gives plenty of advice and techniques within each blog post, and I'm sure this is how he purposely designed the blog. It's definitely a unique, refreshing, and entertaining way to deliver tips. A how-to/tips section is just something I personally would like to see.

Also, you can learn tons of Davis' tips in his many books including: Photographing Flowers, Creative Lighting, and Creative Black and White, to name a few. 

Photoblog 2.0 is an outstanding blog that I recommend to anyone interested in improving their photography skills or learning from an expert. I hope you will check it out.

What do you think about Photoblog 2.0? Do you find it useful? Interesting? Please leave your comments below.

About Harold Davis

According to Photoblog 2.0, "Harold Davis is an award-winning photographer whose work has been widely published and collected." To learn more please visit: About Harold Davis

5 Simple Ways to Preserve Your Precious Memories

Posted by Lauren

Do you know that you need to preserve your photos but aren't sure how? Have you ever thought about learning how but don't know where to start or don't feel that you have the time? This article will outline five simple ways to make sure that your precious memories are preserved and never forgotten.

Your photos are the only windows back into the past for future generations. They are the only way to capture moments in time so that you can remember and re-live the past. Photos are the best way to to preserve memories that would otherwise be lost.

By yorkd

 It would be devastating to lose this precious memory.

While you may understand the importance of preserving your memories through photos, you're probably wondering: what are the easiest and most effective ways to do it? What follows are five straightforward methods for preserving your memories:

1. Print Your Photos. Printing your photos is absolutely essential to preserving your memories. It ensures that you have a hard copy rather than just a digital copy. While digital is a great way to store photos, you cannot be sure that digital photos will always be where you stored them. Printing at least one copy of every photo that you store digitally gives you insurance in case digital files are lost. Most importantly, photo prints are much higher quality than digital photos. This is especially true when you have them printed professionally.

2. Store One Copy That You Don't Touch. When printing photos, it is important to order an extra 4x6 of each photo that you store in a place that is cool, dark, and has low humidity. Minimize exposure to light and store them in an acid and lignin free box. Only open this box to store more photos and do not ever remove these photos from the box.

3. Save Photos to a Jump Drive. This is pretty straightforward. Make sure to save photos to a jump drive in addition to your computer. The more locations that you've stored digital copies of your photos the better.

4. Get Photos Off of Your Camera ASAP. Have a time that you sit down and transfer photos from your camera to your computer. You may want to schedule a time weekly, biweekly, or monthly. Having a scheduled time to do this ensures that you don't forget.

5. Upload Photos to Multiple Storage Sites. If you use social networks such as Facebook, Flickr, or Google+ to store your photos, make sure you upload them to more than one. This makes sure that you don't entrust your precious memories to a social network which may no longer exist one day. You may think this is impossible, but you just never know where technology is headed.

There you have it, my five simple ways to preserve your memories. I hope you found them useful and you benefit from them.

What are your thought on preserving photos? Do you have any other suggestions in addition to the five I've mentioned? Please leave your comments below.