Ria's Digital Nature Photography

This article seemed appropriate to read before we go to a park with birds! https://www.popphoto.com/how-to/2008/12/10-tips-dynamic-waterfowl-photos/ It covers 10 basic tips to get better pictures of waterfowl. 1 - Go out Often. The best times are in the late fall through early summer. 2 - Go out about an hour before the prime times to let the birds get used to seeing you. They are usually most active from sunrise to mid morning and mid afternoon through sunset. 3 - Pay attention to the light. A slight change can either enhance or take away from your photo. 4 - Pay attention to the way the birds move. If you watch you will be able to anticipate their movements. 5 - Calm days are best for waterfowl photography. 6 - Backlight can give you great silhouettes. Look for ripples or texture to make the shot more interesting. 7 - Fast shutter speeds are your friend. 8 - Get your exposure correctly. Some dark birds may require some exposure compensation. 9 - Predict your focus and ha...

Ria McCarthy Blog https://www.laurentbaheux.com/en/-/galleries/expositions Laurent Baheux is a French photographer who specializes in black and white nature photography. This really intrigued me looking at his photographs because there is something about black and white that makes animals look so peaceful. I thought the photos were all really cool and it was fun to browse through them.

Ria McCarthy share 2 and Critique I took this picture with the following settings: Aperture: f/5.6 Shutter Speed: 1/4000 ISO: 500 55ml I took this picture with the following settings: Aperture: f/8.0 Shutter Speed: 1/1250 ISO: 800 55mm

Why Photography? https://time.com/4839246/photographers-passion/ Oscar Graubner- photo of Margaret Bourke-White taking a photo from the top of the Chrysler Building This article is mainly about photojournalism but I think a lot of the content can be applied to nature photography as well. The article talks about how photography tells a story. It can move people and illicit emotions. People take pictures to capture memories and to show others their vision. The article also talks about how photos capture the truth and they don't blur or fade over time as memories do.  Many photographers put themselves in dangerous situations in order to get the shot. They climb to the top of the Chrysler building or spend hours in the cold to get a shot of a wolf in the snow and so much more. They put themselves through that discomfort and fear so they can move people and tell a story and create something beautiful.  

Simple Landscape Photography Tips https://www.photographytalk.com/simple-landscape-photography-tips This article talks about a few simple things you can do to make landscape photography more interesting. The first one is to try an aerial view. It would be more expensive because you would have to have a means to be in the air. Fast shutter speeds are necessary to keep the landscape from blurring by. You also need a polarizer. The second is to try the stars. Stars are difficult to shoot but it takes practice to get good at it so go for it. The third is to move away from eye level shots. Climb high or lay down. See the world in a way that you don't see it every day. The fourth is that the golden hour is never overrated. It creates dramatic shots that you have to practice shooting to be efficient enough to get the shot you want!

10 Tips for Great Sunflower Photography https://learnandsupport.getolympus.com/learn-center/photography-tips/macro/10-tips-for-great-sunflower-photography This article is sponsored by olympus so it is a little bit of an advertising ploy, but I do think it has some good advice. I played around with some sunflower photos after I read it. I don't know how well it actually worked but I think that has more to do with my abilities than the advice I was attempting to follow!  Basically it runs through ways to make your sunflower photos more interesting. It begins with telling you to have the right gear (advertising) and to get outside. It also suggests taking pictures from different angles. The back side, for example.  The article also suggests using filters or editing to turn the photos black and white.  Anyways, I had fun playing with it.  Photos by Ria McCarthy