How to Take Photographs Through Glass and Perspex

By Danielle Lancaster

Photography through glass and Perspex can be tricky. There is a myriad of situations where we could be faced trying to grab that image through glass or Perspex:  a car, plane or coach window, through plate glass at a zoo or aquarium, along a street, through a display case and the list goes on.

Glass and Perspex reflect light and reflections are a bane to photographers. Why? Because what our brain tells us we see we don’t really see. We need to develop a photographer’s eye as the camera does not lie. We need to tune those reflections back in to our brain and really see them before we can deal with them.

Another problem often faced when photographing through these substrates is some cameras have difficulty focusing on the subject; instead the camera tries to focus on the reflection.

We also often see loss in image sharpness due to uneven glass and the images may look ‘muddy’ simply because the windows were dirty. Its one reason when I go up in a helicopter or plane my first question is ‘can I have the doors off or open?’

So here’s a few quick tips to help you face the challenges of photographing through glass:

When the sun is behind you, reflections are at a minimum.

Shoot at an oblique 45 degree angle to the glass.

Use a circular polarising filter. Remember they can accentuate the stress marks in the Perspex and spots on the glass.

Don’t use flash. If you have to, diffuse it, if possible bounce it and move the flash head to an angle so the reflected light from the flash bounces off the glass at an angle. You don’t want it coming straight back into the camera lens. A fast lens will often eliminate the need for flash.

Hold the camera as close to the glass as possible without touching it. A rubber lens hood is perfect for cutting out unwanted light.

When shooting through glass from within a moving object like a helicopter or coach use a fast shutter speed. Try pre focusing or continuous focusing. Use a mid range aperture to lengthen your depth of field which may assist with any focusing difficulties.

If hand holding and your lens has vibration reduction (VR), or image stabilisation (IR), use it!

It’s better, especially when doing photography from within a moving vehicle to wear dark clothing to minimise your own reflection.

  Image taken at Australia Zoo by Anita Bromley

 One of our favourite places is Underwater World on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland.
Image supplied by Underwater World.

 Another from Underwater World
Image by Danielle Lancaster

 

Bluedog Photography Heads to Injune and Carnarvon Gorge - Day 1

Our first day on the road has been a big one! We left the mountain with the Bluedog truck not quiet packed to capacity a little before 5.30am. This was an hour after we had scheduled, and for that we can thank Miss Augustine and maybe a bottle or two of fine red while packing last night - am still wondering what clothes I may have packed.

The run down the highway was uneventful except for Therese and I rating the tradies on their way to work - she’s a tough one on that! Then it was up the range to Toowoomba and beyond onto the long open roads and westward bound into the wide open spaces.

It’s been a day of new discoveries and new photography adventures for my travelling companions. Jake and Therese ventured into the water Steve Parish style photographing a water lily now extinct in its natural habitat at Chinaman’s Lagoon in Miles.

“This was sick. I would never have done this if Danielle had not ‘pushed’ me to do it. If I went there I would normally put my big lens on and just shoot from the bank and by going in I could try different angles and get a better shot,” said Jake.

Jake saw his first eagle in the wild, we photographed grass trees on a sandy remote track north of Roma, spotted camels and no doubt Therese and I have educated our junior travelling companion in many topics of interest outside of photography.

We are now settled on a 30,000 acre property north west of Injune at the foot of the magnificent Central Queensland Sandstone Belt. Our abode for the night is the “Tin Hilton’ (the shearer’s quarters) Mt Moffett looms high behind us, the dingoes are howling and the stars are twinkling so we are set for some star trails later tonight. Check you all tomorrow!

Please note: all images are being shot in RAW and jpeg but we are not editing on the road so only unedited jpegs are being loaded.

Jake  goes "Steve Parish' style to capture a rare water lily.

Therese does not hesitate and hits the cool water to photograph the rare lilies.
(If Therese had not done this we may have had to push Jake!)

The Bluedog vehicle along the Graften Terrace Track north of Roma in Queensland.

Image Stabilisation – in lens or in camera – is it worth it?

Image stabilisation (IS) is not a new technology, however due to marketing a lot of confusion has been generated to the benefits of IS in both lenses and those digital cameras which feature IS in-camera.

To firstly understand what IS does and why you may need a lens/camera with the IS feature it is important to understand what actually causes blurred images.

1. Camera Shake
   Camera shake is caused by pressing the shutter release button and moving the camera during the exposure. Every time we press the shutter we cause some amount of movement. This may be ever so slight and depending on how steady you are, blurriness can go unnoticed.
   
   There are other factors that contribute to each person’s level of ‘steadiness’ such as age, medication, sleep deprivation, sugar levels etc. Even if you have ‘sniper-steady’ hands there are shutter speeds you will not be able to hand hold without causing blur.
   
   The likelihood of camera shake increases as the focal length used increases. As focal length increases, the slight movement of the camera get magnified and therefore the chance of blurred images increases. (See previous blog ‘Reciprocal of Focal Length Rule of Thumb’.
2. Subject Movement
   Caused when your subject moves during the exposure, that is: while the shutter is open and the camera is recording the scene.

Also called Anti-Shake, Vibration Reduction, IS may be optical (in lens) or image sensor based (in-camera) and counters the effect of camera shake ONLY. It makes no difference to your exposure settings. The technology, and in jumps the physics of photography, ‘moves either a lens element (optical image stabilization or O.I.S. or simply IS) or the image sensor (CCD Shift) to compensate for camera shake. In doing so, it eliminates, or reduces the likelihood of obtaining blurred images due to camera shake. It helps to ‘steady’ the image projected back in camera by the use of a ‘floating’ optical element. Canon IS stabilised lenses have as a IS suffix after their name, Nikon uses the VR "Vibration Reduction" suffix on their image stabilised Nikkor lenses.

So let’s return to the original question: Image Stabilisation – in lens or in camera – is it worth it?

Once again there are positives and negatives to both options and even to having IS at all. It basically gets down to the environment you are shooting in and your subject.

One could try and argue that all you have to do to counter balance low shutter speeds and camera shake is to increase the ISO, however in all but the higher end professional bodies shooting at high ISO ratings produces noise. Fine if all you wish to produce is 6”x4” prints or web based images but high ISO also produces a decrease in image quality. Even for the keen enthusiast this combination quickly becomes unacceptable.

Take this example: You are using a 60mm lens, the reciprocal of focal length rule of thumb says we need to use a shutter speed of 1/60^th or faster to eliminate camera shake. But the light is low, you don’t want to increase your ISO for the reasons outlined above and you are either using your maximum aperture or require a certain depth of field at the aperture you have chosen, and you need to use a slower shutter speed such as 1/15^th to gain a correctly exposed image. If a tripod is not an option then you cannot hand hold the camera without there being blur from camera shake. Using IS allows us to take our exposure 2-3 stops below that required so now with this scenario we are able to hand hold without worrying about camera shake. If the light drops another 2 stops and say we require a shutter speed of ¼ the IS will not eliminate it totally but it will reduce it.

There are a few situations this becomes advantageous:
Adventure Traveller/Photographer:  No one can argue - 2 stops from IS is 2 stops worth of advantage and carrying a tripod, no matter how light they are now being produced, can be cumbersome especially if you are trekking, kayaking, biking etc.

Those that need to use long focal length lenses: Such as nature, wildlife and sports photographers who need to use long focal length lenses and hand hold these 2 stops are invaluable.

In-low situations where the subject may be moving: and this includes breathing where you either don’t want to use flash or flash is not an option. This is particularly of assistance to portrait and wedding photographers.

Image stabilised lenses and cameras are heavier. Yes, some may be only 100 grams but when carrying all your gear e very gram adds up in the pack or on the back.

IS also means a new set of components or moving parts. This is now another thing that can breakdown and need repair. If it’s the lens that contains IS then the lens needs to be sent away, if it’s the camera then you need to be aware you may lose the body for 1-2 weeks (or more).  If I had the choice I know which one I would prefer to be without.

It is also reported IS lenses do not last as long although there is no concrete evidence we can find on this. For most photographers lenses are a longer-term investment than camera bodies – they will spend more money on good glass. If IS lenses do in fact have a shorter life span I feel many will not notice it due to the time between the purchase  and the ‘breakdown’.

IS lenses are more expensive than those that don’t have it. There has to be something added on for R&D. If you are a landscape photographer who uses a tripod it is useless, in fact you need to have it turned off! If you are shooting outdoors in bright sunny conditions or in a studio under controlled lighting it also would be of little benefit as the shutter speed being used would be appropriate for the focal length of the lens being used.

With in-camera IS, users have the advantage of having IS available with almost any lens they wish to use – sometimes a big bonus.

In fact, we could say in some cases IS is almost a virtual tripod.

Both in-camera and lens IS have their advantages and disadvantages. For general interest shooters there is an obvious benefit with in-body IS. Individually we all have to make an informed judgement for ourselves. Will the leaders of the photography pack, Canon and Nikon be introducing in-body IS in their higher end SLR digital in the future?  Only time will tell.

 Thanks to Michelle Waller for kindly allowing us to use these two images taken during a Bluedog Beginner Photography Workshop.

The above image was taken with the lens Image Stabilisation on and camera mounted on tripod.
The only difference in the image below is IS was turned off.

 

Photography by Michelle Waller

Tips for photographing Christmas Lights

Yes it’s that time of year – the trees are going up and presents are being wrapped.

Here’s a few tips for capturing great photographs of Christmas lights:

Do a drive-by and scouting mission first then depending on what you were after consider photographing it later in the evening. Early evening (6.30-8.00pm) tend to be chocker block with people to the point where the lights may be obscured, especially any garden lights.

Setting wise, use a wide aperture (small number) to allow maximum light into your camera. Team this with a shutter speed high enough to be able to hand hold your camera, around the 1/60th-1/100th for most people. While a tripod will get you lovely crisp images at night it can be a weapon of mass destruction at a crowded house. If the light levels are too low to get your shutter speed up remember that you can always lift that ISO to make the sensor more light sensitive.

Make sure you apply plenty of mosquito repellent - they are out in force at that time of night.

All those pretty lights can mean the opportunity to play around a little as well. Bokeh photos are a source of delight for most photographers and Christmas lights make perfect bokeh. Ok, so what is bokeh you ask? It is little points of light that are out of focus, often in the background of photos, where there is a really shallow depth of field. Large apertures (small number) will often produce this effect but there are ways to get even more creative bokeh intentionally. This requires a little bit of prep usually best done at home. Trying to cut card in your car is not always successful, I know, I’ve tried.

Cut a piece of card the same size circle as the end of your lens eg:57mm diameter and cut or punch a shape into the middle of the card. I’ve done Christmas trees, Santas, stars etc. Then carefully tape the piece of card over the end of the lens so that no extra light can sneak around the edges. With the lens on manual focus and the aperture as large as you can get it start snapping. The effect will be lots of little lights totally out of focus but in the shape of your cutout. Very satisfying and very impressive for a fairly simple process.

Remember that while you hope to get good shots, these displays are really all about people getting into the Christmas spirit so be sure to be considerate of others while you get your shots and keep a sense of Christmas cheer.

Ho, ho, ho and happy Christmas shooting to all.

Image by Anita Bromley

Mr Google Lends a Hand for Photographers

Last night at the Brisbane Camera Group (BCG) meet up I learnt a handy tool for photographers on Google Earth: the sun timer slider. 

This tool allows you to view the sun and sunlight falling across a landscape. 

Find your place you wish to be for the example here we have chosen Burleigh Heads National Park on the Gold Coast, a terrific place for both sunrise and sunset photography. 

The seventh icon across the top is the sun timer slide. This is what it looks like.

 

When you activate this the slider appears in the top left of your view. 

Move the slider to the day and time you wish to view and it shows the movement of the sun across the landscape so you can identify if it will be in shadow, bright sunlight etc at that time of course depending on weather conditions.

You can also activate it by click View > Sun and to hide either click the icon or View > Sun again. 
To display an animation of sunlight across the landscape, click the ‘time slider play button’. 

What a great tool especially when venturing into mountainous terrain and with Google continuing to upgrade this service our areas to view in detail will only get better and better. 

Thanks Mr Google, whatever did we do before you came along? And thanks Bernard for sharing this with us last night.

Burleigh Heads on the 17th November 2009  at 6.14am
The darker areas show what is still in shadow

Tips for Flower Photography

As the blood red hippeastrums that line our drive wilt and the white agapanthus flowers slowly open, I am reminded that spring is drawing to a close here in the southern hemisphere.

Here’s a couple of photography tips for capturing those later spring blooms:

• The ideal lighting for photographing flowers is soft, diffused light. Look at your bloom at different times of the day to see how the light changes it. Walk around your subject to see how it looks with light coming from different directions.
  
  
• Experiment with back lighting and try to highlight the transparency of the petal/s.
  
  
• Use flash very carefully. It can lend some stunning effects, especially at night, however be careful it can also kill the mood.
  
  
• Look for colour, contrast, texture, line, shape, pattern, framing, balance when composing your flower image.
  
  
• Make your flower image come alive. Fortunately for us here in Australia most of our flowers, especially wildflowers are filled with nectar thus attracting a range of animals from fruit bats to possums, bees to vibrant butterflies and honey eaters and parrots. Wait until something adds life to the flower - for example, a bee lands, or a spider crawls into it or a bird pays a visit. It takes patience, but it pays off if!
  
  
  
  
  
• Blur the background to get unattractive backgrounds out of view and to emphasise the subject.
  
  
• Know your seasons. No use getting disappointed, you are working with Mother Nature and she has her own timetable – get a copy!
  
  
• Use a spray water bottle to provide water droplets sparingly. While you may wish to depict a rainy day or a dewy morning the effect could either be splendid or look too artificial.

There are many different ways you can experiment when photographing flowers!

Enjoy your time with nature and always remember to take the time to smell the roses.

 All images by and (c) Danielle & Nick Lancaster

Halloween Photography Tips

It’s Halloween Time! Dust off the costumes and get the trick-or-treats ready. There’s loads of prospective opportunities for eerie and dramatic images.

However, did you also know that Halloween photos are some of the most challenging to get right? There’s low light, loads of movement, tricky lighting situations, contrasting brightness and darkness and maybe hyper kids. Here’s a few tips to get the best images of this night of spooks, spirits, gremlins and monsters.

Ask yourself before you click: What is the main subject, how can I simplify it, and how can I capture the spirit (of the character or scene that is)?  This means:

Get in close: You may have heard us say this before – ‘cut the crap’. Eliminate distracting backgrounds.
Try using a wide aperture: blurs backgrounds and isolates your subject.

Use dramatic Lighting: Shoot in low or dim light. Use your flash sparingly if at all and if you do use it, diffuse it and make sure there are no reflective surfaces behind your subject.

Flash is a harsh light and can kill any eerie effect you may be attempting to portray. Try using other light sources like candles, coloured LED lights and torches.

Try lighting your subject from below and using back lighting.

Have fun with glow sticks, torches, coloured LED lights, even turning your camera upside down so the flash fires from below if you don’t have an external flash.

Change the colour of your light: tinted lighting adds to the spooky feel. Particularly good colours to create eerie feeling as are red, orange, green and blue. Try using cellophane (you may need to over expose), coloured LED lights, glow sticks

Play with multiple exposures: fun, fun and fun!

Get on down: If photographing children get down to their level. Tip: try lying on the ground and having the child lean over you for a very dramatic image angle.

Play with White Balance:

For Jack O' Lanterns: A tricky lighting scenario! You want to be able to capture the candles glow inside the pumpkin and the see the outside form and texture as well. Flash will kill it so turn it off!

Place more than one candle inside the pumpkin to avoid it being too faint or even a flash light. Be careful your pumpkin does not start smoking! If you do want to use more candles you may need to cut a hole near the top at the back to act like a chimney. Try taking some images in the very last of the days light.

If you are making your own jack-o-lantern then consider that the more light they can emit out will make them appear more eerie so it’s best to maximise the size of the holes to let out as much candle light as you can (start searching for a big pumpkin!).

Angle of View: Try moving from eye level shots and create dramatically creepy images by changing your angle of view. Try shooting off centre, at extreme angles; close to the ground, above your subject – just make sure you angle is obvious. Tip: With most costumes the shoes are the part people mostly don’t match so often it’s best not to have them in the image at all – sometimes though they are great subjects. Just remember to check them out before you click.

Create a story: Take your viewer on a journey – this works great for kids making their costume, getting dressed and then heading out on their adventure (and for us big kids too). Don’t forget the candid shots too.

Use movement: Ah ghostly images with movement now that’s a shot! Use a slow shutter speed and low ISO. Yes you’ll need to experiment a bit but that’s half the fun. Try having you subject still for 2/3rds of your exposure time and then moving in the last 1/3^rd of the exposure.

Noise or no noise? Now we are talking ISO noise here. Generally you will not want noise in your images so keep that ISO low.

Don’t forget: Extra batteries, lockable cable release, tripod and plenty of memory cards!

Have fun!

Did you know? Halloween has its origins from an ancient Celtic festival known as the Samhain and more or less means ‘summer’s end’. Today, it’s a night festival of spooks and spirits, fantasy, bright and or bizarre costumes celebrated by all ages across the globe.

Focusing for Motor Sport Photography

Since we are heading out tomorrow for a Bluedog Photography ‘Fast Shutters Fast Cars’ session we thought we’d look at focusing in motorsport photography.

Most of the time we use the autofocus operation, and once again there is a ‘but’ to this and that's when we are doing panning. On autofocus we choose continuous and usually keep the focus sensor in the middle of the frame.

While continuous focus will chew through your battery power, the real advantage of it is it helps minimise shutter lag - the time your camera takes to confirm focus before the shutter is released.

15 Tips for Landscape Photography

1. Create Depth: Position subjects so you have a foreground,
midground and background and all are in sharp focus!

2. Choose a small aperture anything from f/11 to f/32 or smaller and watch your shutter speed – when it falls below what you can hand hold at, use a tripod.

3. Use a wide angle lens – gives a greater angle of view, the depth of field will always be greater with any given aperture than with a telephoto lens.

4. Choose either aperture priority or manual mode.

5. Don’t forget composition! Are there lines you can use to lead the viewers eye into and around your image; look for frames, contrast, colour, what about that rule of thirds?

6. Keep your horizon level – yes another you have heard before but do it!

7.Shoot both vertically and horizontally.

8. Look for a different view point – what’s it like close to the ground or from higher up?

9. Use a low ISO.

10. Learn what your hyperfocal distance is and how to use it.

11. Try not to shoot into the sun and if you really have to use a lens hood or something to reduce or avoid flare.

12. Don’t delete on the shoot – wait till you get home and see it on your computer – you may be pleasantly surprised!

13. Every day is a good day! Look at what’s around.

14. Clouds should be included and are often very dramatic as the rain is going!

15. Study the work of others and learn.

BLUEDOG’S TOP TIP:
At full moon the sky in the opposite direction to where the moon is rising or setting will often be more exaggerated in the hues of pinks and purples!

Special Places for Photographers to Explore - Fraser Island

The largest sand island in the world, a remarkable and changing landscape with diversity in flora and fauna, Fraser Island, is a photographers delight to visit. Little wonder it has been World-heritage-listed!

Sweeping sandy beaches, pristine rainforests, arid sand blows, rusting shipwrecks, clear lakes and tidal pools are just some of the attractions to entice photographers onto this isle located
just off Queensland’s remarkable Fraser Coast.

Here are some of our favourite places to visit:

1. The jetty at Kingfisher Bay Resort at sunset
As the sun dips across the Great Sandy Strait this and baths the sky in either pastels of pinks and blues or rewards you with a stunning vibrant sunset there is an array of topics to photograph. Fisherman luring the last catch for the day, the wooden jetty jutting into the ocean, yachts bobbing just offshore and people enjoying the last of the day at the ambient lit jetty thatched roofed hut.

2. Pile Valley – the only place on earth where rainforest grows on sand! This wilderness area boasts towering Kauri trees, pretty ferns, a range of wildlife that call it home and don’t miss the creek itself!

3. The Wallum - Take a drive, eco tour or walk through the open heath lands where the wildflowers bursting into bloom provide a startling contrast to the ancient Yidney Scrub and wallum. While an island of sand may not at first conjure up thoughts of wildflowers, Fraser Island in bloom is truly a sight not to be missed. Best time to visit for wildflowers is in May.

4. Rainbow Gorge - A short walk off Seventy Five Mile Beach through a cypress forest are the amazing colour sands and sand formations of Rainbow Gorge. Almost an eerie lunar like landscape, the winds of millions of years have carves some wonderful patterns to capture creatively! There are many other sand blows on the island well worth exploring.

5. Cathedral Beach and the Maheno -The most famous of the wrecks on Fraser, the rusting hull of the Maheno lies onshore about 10kms from happy Valley. Washed up in 1935 during a cyclone the once well-known trans-Tasman liner was on route to a Japanese wrecking yard. Not far from the wreck is The Cathedrals - coloured sand cliffs again sculptured by the wind and rain.

And not to be missed is Fraser’s wildlife! From slithering carpet snakes to the huge mariners of the deep - humpback whales – Fraser’s is a nature lover’s haven. One our favourites is the whales which migrate each year from late July to early November – don’t forget a longer lens.
Top Tip:
Don’t have a 4Wd to explore Fraser Island? Then head on out on a Kingfisher Bay personalised Ranger-Guided Eco Tour. You can design your own or let you guide show you around. We’ve done one and they are really great. Find out more by visiting Kingfisher Bay Eco Tours

Pile Valley; Reeds;the Maheno; Kingfisher Bay Jetty

A Bous Photography Experience

I've just spent two days on a farm stay called Bonus Downs, 46km south of Mitchell in western Queensland.

This amazing historical property is owned by Lyle and Madonna Connolly who bought the 33,000 acre station in 1990.
It was once owned by Sir Samuel McCaughley, a pioneering settler who acquired the property in 1908 when it spanned a massive 300,000 acres. Sir Samuel quickly built the place up - within five years there was 130,000 merino sheep lining up at the 42 stand shed which employed 100 men.


When Madonna and Lyle moved to the property with their two young children, a woman had not lived in the homestead for more than 30 years.


To say it was derelict is an understatement but with the couple's fire, passion, determination and a lot of hard work the property has been restored to its former glory.

For those looking for an outback experience to keep the shutter finger occupied this could be it. While a spectacular outback sunset eluded me due to heavy dark clouds threatening rain, there was loads of memorabilia, rustic artefacts, a shearing shed with fleeces, farm activities and animals (including two ever so cute blue cattle dog pups which I admit I am a sucker for) glorious gardens and an ancient Ooline forest dating more than 1.6 million years. Thanks Madonna, Lyle and Grant - I hope to one day come back again soon.
For more info on Bonus Downs visit www.bonusdowns.webls.net





Images: Top to Bottom
One of those cute pups, Cattle during cattle work in the yards, A bunch of keys done with unlocking, Grant breaks in a horse

It’s Autumn!

One of the most colourful seasons of the year, autumn has many photographers stopping in their tracks to capture it’s beauty.

How is the best way to photograph that vibrancy and beauty in a meaningful way? A way that shows the emotion, the colour yet add your own personal touch.

Here’s a few tips for your autumn photography:

Choosing Your Subject

It’s not all leaves! Yet those leaves do draw our attention, don’t forget autumn also means other things: birds are migrating, if autumn rains have fallen fungi are sprouting, other plants such as cactus and autumn perennials are flowering and what about that fog wafting through the valleys, around the tress and along the creeks early in the morning?

Back to the leaves, which always rank high on our list of ‘must get’ shots. What a palette of colours Mother Nature provides us with and this is where we have to have a little think as each day of autumn presents another array of changing tones. If you’re out early in the season there will still be a lot of green, later the deciduous trees will be almost or completely stark and around their trunks the ground will be carpeted thick with leaves ranging from reds to bronzes, oranges and yellows – a wonderful contrasting yet colourful sight.

Know where to find deciduous plants. Grape vines are deciduous so vineyards can provide us with great subject choices.Try botanical gardens which often have specimen plants from across the globe. Remember not all tree species change their colour at the same time.

Position, Position, Position

Look for the best angle – sometimes this is pretty obvious straight away but look around and take images from not just head-on and eye level. Ask yourself what is the best view point? Is it better from a worms eye view, lower to the ground or higher up? Try lying on the ground – look up, along it or gain more height. There’s nothing actually wrong with carrying a step ladder around in the back of the car, climbing a tree or using the roof rack on your car. Don’t limit your choices. Always remember safety first!

Composition

Yep, there’s that word again! We are capturing a tiny slice of our huge world and presenting it in a 2D rectanglar image. Be creative, know the rules, use them and of course know when and how to break them.

Aim for balance, use contrast supplied by nature wisely, bring elements close to the lens, get in close, isolate your subject, try some with angles and look for the tiny details as well as the overall scene.

When to Shoot

We all know the mornings are getting cooler and its much nicer to snuggle in bed but......
Photographers love the ‘Magic Hour’ though here in Australia it’s not really an hour. It’s a tiny slice of time before and just after the sun breaks the horizon on its way up and down each day. This is when we get the golden light where the sun emits a warmer or orange tone and is a softer and more diffused light source.

Check out the grass, now being burned by the falling overnight temperatures – look at its contrast and texture in this light. And what about those leaves? They will glow and shadows can be dramatic and moody. Then there’s that fog drifting through the valleys, along the creeks and around the mountain ridges only available early in the morning.

Just because the clouds gather don’t put the camera away and reach for a book on the couch instead. Overcast days give us lovely even lighting providing an added hand from nature for richer colours and contrast.

How to Shoot

Our rule of thumb is to choose the lowest ISO you can depending on your cameras capabilities. But most cameras can comfortably shoot up to 400 ISOO without too much noise.

Shutter speed you may not think should matter when you are photographing leaves or a tree, however if there is the slightest breeze that leaf/leaves may be blurred if your shutter speed is too slow. Keep an eye on it and if it falls too slow go to 1/250th of a second or higher to freeze that action.

Why not try using the wind to your advantage and painting a picture? Put your camera on a tripod, set a slow shutter speed, use a cable release, or remote or the cameras self timer and expose for a ¼ second or longer depending on the wind. Add to this zooming your lens in and out for an abstract effect. Who said photography was not art?

Trees can be so big! So if you are wanting that whole tree/s sharp you’ll need to use a small aperture and focus to gain maximum benefit of your focusing thirds. If you have a depth of field preview button use it!

Over and under exposing: overexposing can bring out the subtle tones while underexposing gives deeper and richer colours.

Use a polarising filter to enhance those rich colours by increasing the saturation and the wonderful blue skies we have in autumn will be captured beautifully by the polariser decreasing the haze.

Unless you can really capture something unique try not shooting directly into the sun as this will often produce lens flare and decrease saturation. When you do shoot into the sun, make sure you use a lens hood and if you don’t have one use something else: a hand, cap, notebook or anything to shield the lens.

Change the white balance and warm up those shots – we love cloudy or shade and play with your custom settings.

Don’t delete on the shoot. Wait till you get home and have a look at the images on the computer screen. You’ll often see something you may like and could have overlooked while out shooting.

It’s not all over when you finish your shoot. Back up immediately when you get home and then process your images. If you have shot in RAW you need to post process but don’t overdo it.

Have fun – get on out there and capture this wonderful season!
The birds are singing, the trees are turning and it’s time for us
to get those shutters clicking!

(c) 2009
Written by Danielle Lancaster - Bluedog Photography