Caught-Outside Photography

childhood

Mother and son laughing on the beach in Manasquan, NJ

Canon EOS 1D Mark III (review), Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS UMS (review) ISO 250, 200mm, f/9, 1/400.

Stepping away from the beach for a bit (merely 2 streets inland) there are a few car shows throughout the summer. I really like the lines on this blue Coupe. In my opinion shots like this look great when you get up nice and tight on your subject and fill the frame. The photo is nice an balanced and you can see the reflection of some of the other cars in the hubcap. If the sun was not as harsh on the car it would be even better however for a picture on the fly it’s not so bad. You can buy this print on my site Caught-Outside Photography.

Canon EOS 1D Mark III (review), EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM (review), ISO 200, f/4, 1/200sec.

I figured I should post a flower picture before spring is over. Above is a photo of Bleeding Hearts. These were taken during the morning after it had rained the night before on the side of my house. It was still slightly cloudy but there was still some sun (you know how it is after it rains). You typically want these semi cloudy conditions for outdoor flower photography. If it is too sunny, the light is too harsh and reflects wildly off of the flowers. One way to combat this is to purchase a light diffuser. If you are using this specifically for photographing flowers you don’t need a large one. These diffusers typically will also come with exteriors that can also bounce / reflect light where you need it. This comes in handy is many other areas (but that is for another post). Anyway, when shooting flowers with a macro lens it is time to bring out your tripod. Hand holding a camera will cause too much shake to get a good “tack sharp” image. Even if you think you have a steady hand you will always get a sharper image when using a tripod. When shooting Macro photography outdoors you are almost always combating the wind. Flowers are very delicate and the slightest breeze will cause the flower to move slightly. Wait for that moment for everything to become still before you take the shot.

ISO 200, f/8, 1/1000 @ 200mm. Another example of how a high frame rate can capture a subject just at the right moment. This picture was taken at Jenks last year and was featured on Localswell along with the picture from the previous post. The typical surf shot is taken at 1/1700 of a second. I feel that for an in water shot this would be essential due all the movement that occurs when you are in the water. When standing on the beach or wading in the water 1/1000 is suitable especially if your lens has IS (image stabilization). I find that this adds a slight touch of movement to the picture which gives it just the right amount of fluidity.

Caught-Outside Photography History Lesson #3

I continued to use the Rebel until I felt that I had gone beyond the capabilities of the camera. Shortly after graduating I purchased a Canon EOS 1D Mark III (review). This camera truly allowed my to take photography to the next level. The Mark III enabled me to shoot at 10 frames per second which was ideal for nature and surf photography. The photo above was shot over in Jenks with the Mark III and the Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS UMS (review). ISO 200, f/8, 1/1000 @ 200mm. You can view more surfing photos on my site Caught-Outside Photography go to “services” and then “surf sessions”. These pictures look great when printed out as a poster. Within the next year / year and a half I hope to get into in-water photography. Taking pictures inside of waves and surfers in the water is a whole new area that I can’t wait to explore.