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Jim Richardson's Photo Tips
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Adventure:
“Use Perspective to Set the Scene”
Nothing says adventure like getting up high and looking down on the world, of going where few others go. Getting up high gives you a magical way to set a scene and lay out the landscape in grand fashion. Once you reach your lofty perch, there are a couple of tricks that can help convey the majesty and great distances. Add layers of depth and provide perspective by placing something in the foreground (the girls climbing and the tree, in this case). Also, be mindful of your lens selection. A telephoto from this vantage point would make the image look flat and lifeless. In this photo, I used a wide angle lens to make the nearby objects contrast with the hazy background. The layers of intertwined islands and water—one after another—add even more depth.
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Travel:
“Great Light Takes Patience"
It's a simple fact—great light makes great pictures. But how do you get that perfect light? Often by waiting for that moment when several light sources balance out. Getting photos of castles and monuments lit up at night is a good example and requires one essential bit of knowledge—don't shoot them at night. Instead, photograph them at dusk, just as the light is fading and sky is turning to a rich blue. None of us know when that moment will come so arrive "too" early and stay "too" late. Keep taking pictures as the sky dims from dusk to night to capture the transformation of light. That worked when I was at Caernarfon Castle in Wales. The sky in the early pictures was too light and the castle was barely lit at all. The later pictures showed a brilliantly lit castle, but a pitch black sky. In between, there were images like this one where everything balanced out just so. (The other trick at Caernarfon Castle in Wales is to be there on the evening when high tide coincides with sundown. It's magical.)
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Weather:
"Get Close, Get Closer"
Weather pictures don't always have to be grand scenes of driving rain or breathtakingly beautiful blue skies. Consider getting in close to capture weather's effects. And when you think you are close enough, get even closer. I caught this first frost of Autumn out on the prairie, down by a stream where the coldest air had just barely coated the leaf with sugar-crystal ice. Looking through my macro lens from inches away, I could see my body heat melting the ice before my eyes as I rushed to get the picture. To really make this type of picture work, focus on one part of the scene as I did here. Seek out the smallest bits and pieces to make good compositions out of what nature has given you. Oftentimes you work just as hard—or harder—when you are inches away from your subject than if you are photographing the Grand Canyon.
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Science:
"Any Light Source Can Be Interesting"
Scientists experiment and you should too. Nothing is as refreshing as a picture with a sense of playfulness so play around and have some fun. And remember, you don't need "professional" lighting gear. Instead, try flashlights, candles or desk lamps to light your subject. You can even use mirrors to reflect sunlight when you need it. In this picture, I was trying to show how a genetically modified plant reacted to ultraviolet light. I lit the background to make silhouettes (this can make almost any ordinary object look interesting), then put a spotlight on parts of the plant. The reflection on the scientist's glasses was a lucky accident I didn't expect, but emphasized to get this picture. Try those "crazy" experiments, and you might be amazed by the great pictures that result.
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Space:
"Bring Space Down to Earth"
It's worth remembering that when the subject is space, our sun is also a star. We live, in some ways, in "space." So any old sunset is a potential stellar event. By themselves, sunset pictures are almost always colorful, but they can also tend to be a bit tedious because we see so many of them. I recommend adding other elements like landscape to add context and visual interest. In this example, I shot from a very low angle and focused on the prairie grass in the foreground, letting my long telephoto lens turn the sun into a great ball of fiery colors.
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Wildlife and Nature:
"Combine Many Elements"
Many things come together in a successful picture. Some can be found, some come to us by blind luck, and others take real patience. Good pictures combine many elements. Such was the case when I was on the island of Westray in the Orkneys of Scotland. I knew there was a lovely lighthouse overlooking the cliffs teeming with shorebirds. But until I got there I didn't know I would be lucky enough to find a small bit of rock jutting out that would let me look over the scene as if I were suspended over the water. Then I settled in to be patient, waiting for just the right bird to sweep up in front of me, only a few feet away, to complete the scene. Photographers often "build" scenes this way, never satisfied until every last element has been put in place. In truth, all the elements were there. I just had to put them together.
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People and Cultures:
"Look in Your Back Yard"
I think there is something we look for in all travel photos—the universal, common human links that bridge time and distance. For this reason, it is important to remember that great photo moments don't just happen in far off lands. Consider a photo outing in your own back yard. This photo touches me because I grew up on a farm with the occasional litter of puppies. As a result, this scene went straight to my heart when I saw the boy walking towards me and I knew I would forever hate myself if I didn't catch that moment then and there. Two puppies, two worried mothers, one boy: the stuff of life. Coming to my aid was my motor drive camera. Motor drives do more than just capture sequences of events. They let the photographer shoot one moment with the confidence of knowing they'll be ready for the next moment that may be better yet.
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Festivals and Celebrations:
"Use Symbols to Communicate the Bigger Picture"
County fairs, wherever they happen, are almost always delightful. They are also kaleidoscopic, chaotic and photographically overwhelming. When that's the case, I go looking for symbols that can stand for the bigger picture. This fair in Wales was vast, frenzied and fascinating but more than I could capture photographically. But I found my symbols when I entered the poultry tent. Although I had missed the judging of the eggs, the results were plain to see in the brilliant ribbons that would bring pride to the farmers for years to come. As a photographer, my job here was simple: crop the picture down to the pattern of eggs, accented by the ribbons. The occasional picture of a repeating pattern can bring great pacing to a set of pictures. They stand out from the crowd because they are a fresh look at things.
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