I’ve heard it said that the process of creating a photograph isn’t complete until you’ve made a print.  I don’t know that I’m in complete agreement but I will confess that I derive tremendous satisfaction in the art of printmaking.   In a blog post I wrote last year tittled “Pixels vs. Prints” I wrote about how viewing a photograph on a monitor and in print are two wholly different experiences.  A master printmaker I am not.  I’ve only been making my own prints, on an Epson Stylus 2880 printer, for a little over a year.  But, I’ve learned some lessons in that time that I’ll share here with the hope that your own foray into the wonderful world of printing may be a bit less intimidating.

Printer Selection

There are three primary manufacturers of printers capable of producing fine art photographic prints: Epson, Canon and HP.  HP printers use a dye-based ink while Epson and Canon both use a pigment-based ink.  I don’t have the time to fully discuss the pro’s and con’s of each, but you’ll find a good basic explanation of each here.  Most photographers I know, including a few who are master printmakers, use pigment-based ink printers.  The primary point I want to discuss here is selecting printer size because yes, size does matter.

I can make prints up to 13″x19″ on my Epson 2880.  This was fine for a few months but once I got the hang of things I quickly discovered that I wanted to print bigger.  How much bigger?  I’d like to be able to print 24″ wide prints.  So, I’m now saving my pennies to buy a large format printer.

My advice to you is to give serious thought to how big you may want to print one year from now, when you’ve gotten past being overwhelmed with the whole process.  Generally speaking, most professional level printers on the market today come in one of four sizes: 13″, 17″, 24″ and 44″.  There are even bigger printers but seriously, who has enough space to park a car-sized printer in their home office?  If you’re inclined to go with a 13″ printer, it’s worth noting that there isn’t a huge difference in the physical size of a 13″ and 17″ printer.  There is, however, a significant price increase.  Jumping up to a 24″ printer requires a sizable chunk of real estate in your office.  These printers usually ship with their own stand and typically weigh in at over 150 pounds!

Some additional thoughts: Consider how large you are able to print based on the camera you use.  If your primary camera is on your iPhone it’s probably a waste of money to buy a 24″ printer.  That’s an extreme example but you get the point – don’t let your ambitions overreach your abilities.  As printer size increases so does the size of the ink cartridges they require.  Larger cartridges are expensive but they contain significantly more ink, which means that your per print costs decrease with larger printers.  Larger printers require larger media (paper) and you’ll need a place to store it all.

Paper Selection

This is the fun part.  There are dozens of media types to choose from and they’re all unique.  Matte, luster, glossy, metallic, canvas – the list goes on.  And, just because you’ve got two papers that are both matte doesn’t mean they’re going to print the same.  Oh no, one may be warmer or thicker or more or less matte than the other.

How do you choose a paper?  Order a few sample packs and start making prints.  Seriously, it’s such a subjective thing that you’ve got to make prints on a bunch of different papers before you can start to develop a taste for what you prefer.  I like matte papers, so I knew going into it that I didn’t need to experiment with anything else.  But, there are so many manufacturers making matte papers that I had to order a few sample packs and make a bunch of test prints before I found a favorite – Moab Entrada Rag Bright 190.

Here’s a few manufacturers to consider whose papers are well respected: Moab Paper, Red River Paper, Canson-Infinity, Hahnemuhle and Ilford.  Epson, Canon and HP also sell their own branded papers.

The Myth of the Perfect Monitor to Print Match

Many novice printmakers are quickly frustrated when they find that their prints don’t match the image on their computer monitor.  Your first few prints are usually darker and less saturated than intended.  This is common. Very common.  Don’t lose your cool, you probably aren’t doing anything wrong.

There are several things you can do to combat this problem.  First and foremost, you should be working on a properly calibrated monitor.  If you aren’t, I probably wouldn’t even bother buying a printer.  Next, you should always soft-proof prior to printing using the appropriate ICC profile.  Wait, what?  In very simple terms, soft-proofing allows your monitor to simulate as closely as possible what your image will look like on any given paper using a profile designed for that paper.  It isn’t perfect, but it’ll get you pretty close.  Here’s a great soft-proofing tutorial on the Luminous Landscape website and another more in-depth one on the Cambridge in Color website.  Finally, until you learn how each paper prints you’ll save yourself some headaches by making a small (8″ x 10″-ish) artist proof before making your final print.  Is your artist proof too dark?  Use a curves adjustment to lighten it up.  Not saturated enough?  Add saturation to compensate for the loss when printing.

Care and Feeding of Your New Printer

Just a few years ago a common problem with inkjet printers was clogged printhead nozzles.  Newer and better technology has mostly eliminated this problem although it does still happen from time to time.  One of the main reasons for this is lack of usage.  Luckily, there’s an easy fix: use your printer!  Make a couple 8″x10″ prints each month and you probably won’t have to worry about clogged nozzles.

Don’t leave your paper in the feeder tray or on the roll when not in use.  Dust may settle on the paper, which can fall off after you make a print, leaving small areas that are void of ink.  It’s best to store paper in a dust-proof environment, such as the package in which it was shipped.

While we’re on the topic of dust, keep your printer covered when not in use.  Most printers have custom fitted dust covers available at minimal cost.  Buy and use one.  Dust inside your printer can cause the same problems as dust on your paper and even bigger issues as it works it’s way into the sensitive internal mechanisms of your printer.

You’re going to burn through a lot of ink, especially in the first couple of months.  I keep three extra cartridges of each color on hand because I don’t want to get caught without it.  If you run out of just one color of ink, you’re done making prints until it is replaced.  I order all my ink through the good folks at Atlex, which is also a great place to buy your printer.  I bought my printer through B&H but my next one will most likely come from Atlex.  They seem to consistently offer the best prices and occasionally they’ll throw in extras (like a complete set of inks or a couple packages of paper) to sweeten the deal.

Sharpening for Print

Sharpening images for presentation, whether on the web or in print, may well be the cause of more gray hairs than anything else in photography.  It doesn’t need to be.  There are old pro’s who still insist on manually sharpening their images using the Unsharp Mask in Photoshop or the sharpening tools in Lightroom.  I’m not one of them.  I cheat.  I use Nik Sharpener Pro 3 for all my sharpening needs.  I couldn’t be happier with the results and it’s incredibly easy to use.  You simply open the image you wish to sharpen in the Nik Sharpener Pro 3 software and make a few selections.  The software does the rest and it does it beautifully.  I recommend that you download the free 30-day trial, try it out and when you’re ready to purchase, use coupon code “BEDGE” for a 15% discount.

When viewing your newly sharpened image on-screen it will likely appear over-sharpened.  Fear not, the printed image will look just fine.  This is true whether you use Nik Sharpener Pro 3 or some other software like PK Sharpener, or you manually sharpen the image.

Other Considerations

You may need to trim the edges of your beautiful new prints to create even borders all the way around the image.  The easiest way to accomplish this is to use a high quality rotary trimmer.  I use a Dahle trimmer and couldn’t be happier with its performance.  They aren’t cheap but they will make trimming your prints completely hassle free and the edges will be nice, crisp and professional looking.

Unless you’re fortunate enough to sell every print you make you’ll want a place to store them.  I use an underbed box with a lid to store the prints flat.  If you roll them and keep them in tubes they’ll be a pain in the neck to share or eventually frame.  The underbed box also does a nice job of keeping them dust free.

I hope you find these tips to be useful.  As I said, I’m not an expert and am still learning as I go but these tips should help you avoid some of the common headaches.  I invite anyone with additional thoughts, suggestions or tips to please leave a comment below.

Every year photographers around the world create millions of images.  At the end of each year many of us reflect on our adventures over the previous twelve months by curating a collection of our favorite images of the year.  For active photographers this is not an easy task.  Whittling down to 10, 12 or even 40 images from a collection of thousands is a time-consuming and often emotional endeavor.  Memories of quiet mornings in the desert, nuclear sunsets, the chill of autumn rustling through aspen leaves and a kaleidoscope of summer wildflowers come flooding back – and if you’re like me, some of these moments were even more special because they were shared with your family.

It’s always a treat for me when my favorite photography blogs start filling up with “best of the year” posts chock full of incredible imagery.  It inspires me to see photographs of locations near and far, being shared by folks whose passion for creating images is clearly evident in their work.

I can think of no better way to begin the new year here on my blog than by sharing with you links to some of my favorite photographer’s “Best of 2011″ posts.  Enjoy!

Bret Edge – Yeah, me. Here you’ll find thirteen of my favorite images from 2011.

G Dan Mitchell – I’m a huge fan of Dan’s intimate landscapes and there are many incredible images in his post. “Fallen Aspen Branch, Snow” is particularly exquisite.

Younes Bounhar – Much great stuff here but Younes’ work from Morocco is a stand-out. My favorite shows a man passing through a colorful hallway.

Russ Bishop - My favorite: Barrel Cactus in Bloom (exquisite!), although there are lots of captivating images here.

QT Luong – QT’s year in review is not to be missed. His June image, of sequoia trees behind a dogwood in bloom, is breathtaking.

Mike Cavaroc – I’m a sucker for grizzly bears and Mike’s photo of #399 nursing her cubs surrounded by colorful wildflowers is as sweet as they come.

Alan Majchrowicz – Some seriously gorgeous & diverse grand landscapes here, my favorite of which is “Sunset Alpenglow Over Russell Peak”.

Olivier Du Tre – Eleven exquisite black and white images. All are stunning but I gasped when I saw the image of a lone tree in a snowy field against a black sky. Gorgeous!

Greg Russell – I am quite fond of Greg’s desert photography. Very sensitive and portrays the desert in such a magnificent way. Check out “Dried Mud, Utah” and “Into the Canyon, Utah”.

Erik Stensland – No one has a more complete collection of dynamic images from Rocky Mountain National Park than Erik. He’s also a great friend. The third photo, of a craggy peak reflecting in an icy lake, makes me want to go backpacking NOW.

Benjamin Chase – Beautiful landscape and wildlife images in Ben’s collection, with one adorable red fox in the snow in Yellowstone NP.

Rob Tilley – Lots of diversity here with two outstanding semi-abstracts, “Agave VI” and “Rainbow Eucalyptus”, vying for top honors (IMHO).

Gary Crabbe – Anyone who knows me knows I’m a big wimp when lightning crashes in the backcountry and Gary’s “Lightning Bolt Striking the Sierra Buttes” image is both beautiful and terrifying.

Petr Hlavacek – Petr is a New Zealand based photographer whose work continues to move NZ higher on my list of “must visit” locations. His photo of the Copland River is straight out of a fairy tale.

Rick Louie – Another diverse collection of landscapes & cityscapes, with my favorite being a killer black and white image of a lonely road below a dramatic sky.

Robin Black – Robin’s photography of the Sierras is nothing if not inspiring. Her photo of Bishop Creek cascading before colorful aspens is my pick among a wonderful collection of lovely photos.

Paul Conrad – Great slideshow and the photos aren’t named, but watch for a killer bald eagle in flight and a mystical black and white of some old wooden pilings in the water.

William Neill – So many original and stunning images it’s virtually impossible to pick a favorite but “Buckeye, Foothills of the Sierra” and “Morning Mist and Pines” took my breath away.

Richard Wong – Lots of diversity in subject matter here, with some landscapes and photojournalistic imagery.  Richard’s killer photo of patterns in an agave plant is exceptional.

Ron Niebrugge – Killer photos, mostly from Alaska, and Ron opens with a ridiculous photo of Denali NP in autumn.

Jackson Frishman – Well traveled river guide whose top photos show spectacular locations you’ve likely never seen. Jackson’s photo of a Western Red Cedar is so serene.

Steve Sieren – A lovely collection of images, mostly from California’s mountains and deserts, with the BEST photo you’ll EVER see of a rattlesnake.  Never seen one I’d called “pretty” but this one is most certainly that.

Brian Rueb – Brian shares some great work from Iceland, the Pacific Northwest and more but my favorite is a mind-bending abstract of reflections in the Merced River.

Jerry Monkman – Seems most of my friends are on the west coast, but Jerry lives in New Hampshire and his photos of the New England area really make me want to visit.  In this lovely collection, my favorite is “Ferns & Tree Trunks”.

Dan Baumbach – Dan was a large format photographer for a very long time and his images are contemplative and quiet. The very first image in his list, of ghostly trees in snow, is true art.

Richard Bernabe – Eleven images, and every one of them will take your breath away. Patagonia is #1 on my list of international travel destinations so it isn’t surprising that Richard’s photo of peaks in Torre del Paines NP is my fave.

Photo Cascadia – Another inspiring slideshow loaded with many beautiful images. At 2:13 look for a stunner of what looks like the Palouse. Yowza!

Looking for an even larger collection of “Best of 2011″ blog posts?  Be sure to check out Jim Goldstein’s blog in a few days for a huge collection of links to amazing photographs.

Zion National Park may get all the press when it comes to photographing fall colors in the desert, but it isn’t the only hot spot that offers brilliant foliage and striking panoramas.  The high desert landscape around Moab isn’t lacking for colorful trees and plants, nor is it void of dramatic scenery.  What it does lack during the autumn season is tourists.  Unlike Zion, where you’re likely to compete with many others for compositions of the iconic locations, Moab is a virtual ghost town.  Sound inviting?  Read on to learn a few of my favorite locations for fall photography in Moab.

Kane Creek Road

Kane Creek Road starts out paved and turns to good, graded dirt after a couple of miles.  It is easily navigable by a 2 wheel drive passenger car when dry.  The road enters a canyon as soon it turns to dirt and views of ominously named but impressive Tombstones immediately come into view on your left at a right bend in the road.  Below on the right, lining Kane Creek, are colorful cottonwood trees that make a fantastic foreground.  You’ll also find tamarisk mixed in with the cottonwoods and the combination makes for some fantastic intimate landscapes (image above).

Farther down the road you’ll find Hunter Canyon (image at left).  Hike up the canyon and you’ll find cottonwoods and gambel oaks lining the small creek.  Look for reflected light illuminating sandstone spires above the colorful foliage.  There is no real trail in the canyon but if you follow the creek you’ll never have to worry about getting lost.

Courthouse Wash

Inside Arches NP is a lovely little canyon hike alongside a small, perennial creek supporting an abundance of cottonwood trees.  I recommend arranging for a shuttle and hiking from the bridge inside the park to Highway 191 along the creekbed.  You’ll have to cross the creek several times and you may even discover some quicksand along the way, but the colorful single leaf ash, cottonwood trees, poison ivy and gambel oak you’ll photograph will be well worth the effort.

Negro Bill Canyon

Never mind the seemingly derogatory name, this is one of the prettiest canyons in all of Moab.  A perennial creek flows below the towering walls of sandstone beautifully streaked with desert varnish.  In the canyon you’ll find cottonwood trees, abundant poison ivy (which turns vibrant shades of red and orange in autumn) and some other trees I’ve yet to identify.  I’ve heard them referred to as water birch but haven’t confirmed this.  At any rate, you’ll find some lovely little cascades, plenty of colorful foliage, relative solitude in autumn and if you’re good at blending exposures, some nice scenes of colorful foliage with the aforementioned walls of sandstone looming overhead.

The La Sal Mountains

Saving the best for last, the La Sal Mountains are filled with aspens, a few maples and an abundancy of gambel oak rivaling anything you’ll find in the Rockies.  Intimate scenes are most popular here as there is rarely snow on the peaks and they’re just not all that attractive when they aren’t snowcapped.  You’ll find massive aspen stands around Warner Lake and along the Geyser Pass Road.  Hike from Oowah Lake to Clark Lake and you’ll spend most of the trip scraping your jaw off the trail as it’s nothing short of stunning.  Plan a lot longer than you think you’ll need for the short hike because you will be stopping often to make photographs.  A wildfire in Miner’s Basin a couple of years ago left behind charred areas that are now recovering.  You’ll find colorful gambel oaks and aspens mixed in with the black landscape and the contrast is striking.

And now you know a few of my favorite spots around Moab for autumn color photography.  Thumb your nose at Zion and head to Moab this year. You won’t regret it!

Here’s a short tutorial on using the Tonal Contrast filter in Nik Software’s Color Efex Pro plug-in to add some zing to cloudy skies.  The image I’m using as an example here is a black and white (converted using Nik’s Silver Efex Pro 2, of course) but this technique works equally well on color images.  Kind of ironic that a plug-in named “Color Efex Pro” works so well on a monochrome image, huh?  Anyway, I use the Tonal Contrast filter on nearly every image I process and always when I’ve got a to-die-for sky like the one in this photo.  Used sparingly it can add great detail and texture to the puffy white clouds we photographers just loooooove to include in our photos.  And, it only takes about 20 seconds from start to finish.  Yeah, it’s that good.

The image you see above is straight out of Silver Efex Pro 2.  If I hadn’t discovered this Color Efex Pro technique I’d probably be pretty darn happy with the photo as-is.  But why settle?  The Tonal Contrast filter allows you to easily and independently adjust contrast of the highlights, midtones and shadows within an image using nothing more than simple sliders.  You can also protect highlights and shadows with another set of sliders, preventing the highlights from blowing out (pure white/no detail) or the shadows from blocking up (pure black/no detail).

The image directly above has been processed with Color Efex Pro’s Tonal Contrast filter.  The effect is borderline subtle, but if you click on each image to view them at 800 pixels wide, you’ll easily see that the “after” photo displays much more detail in the clouds.  The transition from light to dark tones is enhanced, giving the clouds more definition and dimension.  Here are the settings I used to achieve this look:

Highlight Contrast = 20
Midtone Contrast = 15
Shadow Contrast = 10
Shadows = 0 (this slider doesn’t operate numerically but I made no adjustments, hence the “0″)
Highlights = 0 (again, no numeric setting but I made no adjustments)

There are a couple things to be aware of when using the Tonal Contrast filter.  First, the base settings are 30, 30, 30 for highlight, midtone and shadow contrast with slight adjustments to the shadows and highlights sliders.  I find that these settings are usually far too aggressive for my tastes, resulting in a look reminiscent of HDR.  Some may like this, and that’s okay, but it’s not for me.  The best way for you to learn where you should start with each setting is to open an image in Color Efex Pro and start experimenting.  Second, unless you use control points in the sky the adjustments you make will affect the entire image.  I rarely use control points in the Tonal Contrast filter because I like what it does to the landscape as well as to the sky.  Again, I use a more subtle approach and the differences likely won’t jump out and slap you across the face but they do enhance the image.

There you have it.  A completely painless path to better skies using Nik Software’s Color Efex Pro plug-in.  If you don’t already own the Nik Complete Collection, which includes Color Efex Pro, Silver Efex Pro 2 and several other plug-ins I can’t live without, you can download fully functioning free trials at the Nik Store.  You’ll be instantly hooked and when your trial expires, use code “BEDGE” to receive a 15% discount on the purchase of your new plug-ins at the Nik Store.

Was this tutorial helpful? As always, I’d love to hear from you!

Recently I was contacted by a potential client who asked if I was available to photograph the interior and exterior of our beautiful new health care center, Moab Regional Hospital.  The client stated that he knew it wasn’t what I usually do and that he was working on a tight deadline.  I got the call on Monday afternoon.  He needed the images by Wednesday morning.

Now, I’m a landscape and adventure photographer.  The extent of my experience with architectural photography involves wandering around an occasional ghost town with camera in hand.  But, it sounded like an interesting project and I certainly didn’t want to turn away the business so I accepted the job.  Besides, we all need to challenge ourselves every once in a while to keep the creative juices flowing, right?

I don’t have any tilt/shift lenses for perspective control and I had a feeling I’d be shooting the interiors with a wide angle lens.  To avoid significant distortion I framed every photo with the camera dead level.  This worked quite well, although it meant that my compositions were limited.  I altered composition by taking a few steps in whatever direction was necessary to change perspective.  Not ideal, but it worked.

One of the main challenges was working within the hospital during normal business hours.  This meant I had to work around patients, doctors, nurses and other employees.  I went early in the morning when I suspected the hallways and lobbies were less likely to be packed with people.  I even had to ask people to hide behind desks a couple times!  Given the rapidly approaching deadline I didn’t have time for complicated lighting setups.  I don’t often use HDR for landscape photography but I knew it would be a lifesaver inside the building.  Every photo was shot in a 3 bracket sequence so I’d have the ability to create HDR’s if needed.  Good thing, because a few of the images would not have been possible otherwise!

For the exterior photos I visualized a scene with the Moab Rim looming above the entire hospital building below.  As soon as I arrived I knew there was no way to frame the entire building at one time.  I walked all the way around the building and found the most interesting angles of each main entrance.  I was pleasantly surprised to discover a lovely garden that is tended to by the folks in the extended care facility.  Filled with planters, ramadas, beautiful landscaping and pathways throughout it made for quite a nice photo that you wouldn’t normally associate with a hospital.

All in all, it was a very rewarding job.  It also made me think that perhaps there were some lessons to be learned from the experience.  It is important for us as artists to fuel our growth by stepping out of our comfort zone every once in a while.  Take on a project you wouldn’t normally consider.  Use all the tools at your disposal.  I’m not a regular user of HDR but I found it to be crucial to the success of this project.  It has also sparked my interest in experimenting with it on some of my landscape photos.  In this case I had a very tight deadline which forced me to make it all happen within the time allowed.  Some times it can be helpful to set imaginary deadlines for your own personal projects, if for no other reason than to move you to action when you’d rather be napping.  Take a chance some time.  You might just like the effect it has on your creativity!

Until last year I had never enjoyed the thrill of making my own photographic prints.  When I needed a print, I’d send off a file (or slide) to whatever lab I was using at the time and they’d ship the print directly to me or my client.  With only a few exceptions my image viewing experience consisted of staring at a photo on a computer monitor.

Then, I bought an Epson Stylus Photo R2880 printer and everything changed.  If that sounds like a dramatic statement – it is.  It’s also quite true.  I started making my own prints.  Whenever I wanted.  On whatever paper I wanted.  It didn’t take long and I was addicted to the smell of fresh ink on photographic paper as a new print rolled off the printer, landing ever so gently in the catch tray.  Is there a difference between viewing an image on a computer monitor and holding an actual print, that you made, in your hands?  You’d better believe it.

As an artist I like to have complete control over my work from start to finish.  While it is true that you maintain a degree of control when you do all the post-processing on your photos before sending them off to a lab, you’re really not closing the loop.  The ultimate control comes when you conclude the image making process by crafting your own print.  Today’s inkjet printers are capable of producing professional quality archival prints that rival and, in my opinion, exceed those made using more traditional methods like Cibachromes.  They’re sharper, more detailed, just as colorful and can be made using a diversity of papers.

While difficult to quantify, there is a certain pleasure and satisfaction in handling an honest to God hand-crafted print.  It is a tactile experience.  You feel the weight of the paper, the texture.  Unseen details emerge.  Perhaps you feel pride in the knowledge that the print you are holding was born of your own creativity, and that without your vision and skills it would cease to exist.  I get none of this from viewing an image on a computer monitor.

I’ve also noticed that people react differently when viewing my photographs in print.  On the computer (or iPad), they quickly flick through the images.  When I hand over my portfolio book I’ve noticed that they linger on each image.  They don’t madly flip from one page to the next.  Do people, even non-photographers, appreciate a fine art print more than they do an image on a screen?  It would seem so.

What is your experience with pixels vs. prints?

This post is a work in progress.  I will add photo guides as I learn of them.  Check back periodically for coverage of new locations.

These days I think most of us plan photo trips in pretty much the same way: we scour the internet for every little morsel of information we can find.  Sure, there are photo guidebooks and newsletters, and of course there’s my iFotoGuide apps for the iPhone and iPod Touch, but just about everything we need is just hangin’ out in cyberspace waiting to be found.  With this blog post I aim to make that process a little less time consuming.  Here I’ll list links to the best free, and only free, “how and where to photograph” guides on the ‘net.  I hope you find this information useful.  May the sweet light be with you.

Arizona

Sabino Canyon – Sam Rua via Rocky Mountain Nature Photographers Forum

Saguaro National Park – Stacy Egan via Rocky Mountain Nature Photographers Forum

White Pocket, Paria Canyon – Vermillion Cliffs Wilderness Area – Mac Danzig

California

Death Valley National Park – G. Dan Mitchell

Death Valley National Park – Mac Danzig

Colorado

Colorado Fall Colors – Darren Kilgore

Garden of the Gods – Ken Wyatt via Rocky Mountain Nature Photographers Forum

Holy Cross Wilderness – Martin Beebee via Rocky Mountain Nature Photographers Forum

Pawnee National Grassland – Rick Dunn via Rocky Mountain Nature Photographers Forum

Rocky Mountain National Park in Winter – Tom Mangan via Rocky Mountain Nature Photographers Forum

Yankee Boy Basin – Dave Rodenbaugh via Rocky Mountain Nature Photographers Forum

A Tour of Mesa Verde National Park – Joshua Hardin

Florida

Photography in the Southern Everglades – Paul Marcellini

Montana

Beartooth Mountains – Rick Dunn via Rocky Mountain Nature Photographers Forum

Utah

Arches National Park – Les Barstow via Rocky Mountain Nature Photographers Forum

Cathedral Valley/Capitol Reef National Park – Les Barstow via Rocky Mountain Nature Photographers Forum

Wyoming

Grand Teton National Park Photomap – WyoFOTO LLC

Grand Teton National Park – Mike Cavaroc

Global & USA

Open Source Photography Guides

Pick up most any coffee table book featuring landscape photography and you’ll likely be confronted with image after image of sweeping vistas and vast panoramas. Most of the images are probably photographed using a wide angle to moderate focal length lens. What you won’t see are a bunch of photos created with a telephoto lens.

Long lens landscape photography isn’t as easy nor is it as natural as using a wide angle lens to compose a landscape photograph. Our eyes don’t see at 200, 300 or even 400mm. Normal human vision is similar to the field of view of a 50mm lens. The most challenging aspect of using a telephoto lens to photograph landscapes is learning to see like a telephoto lens. Your goal is to extract small, interesting sections from a much larger landscape. As if that isn’t difficult enough to do with the naked eye, a telephoto lens will also dramatically compress the distance between foreground and background elements. Factor in the technical challenges of working with a long lens and you might be tempted to just throw in the towel. Don’t do it! Here’s why.

My most rewarding images are those I’ve made with my venerable 100-400mm lens. It isn’t the sharpest lens in the stable but it’s certainly one of my favorites, especially in autumn when intimate landscapes abound. Colorful aspens, cottonwoods and oaks…oh my! It’s worth noting that some of my most popular fine art prints are images I created using a long lens.

Another benefit of photographing the landscape through a telephoto lens is that the probability of creating a truly unique image skyrockets. Imagine this: you’re standing along the shore of Maroon Lake on an autumn weekend at sunrise along with 50 other photographers. What are the odds that all 50 of you are going to hone in on the exact same section of aspen covered hillside with your 300mm lens? I say, not at all likely.

So, now that you know why long lens landscape photography is so enticing let’s discuss a few things to help you tackle this fun and rewarding style of photography. Let’s begin with an obvious one – the lens. As mentioned, I use the Canon 100-400mm zoom lens often and with great zeal. It’s a truly amazing focal length range that allows you to reach way out there and bring home a killer image. Perhaps a more popular option is the 70-200mm lens offered by most camera manufacturers. Canon’s new 70-300mm lens has received high marks for image quality and will soon replace my aging 100-400mm lens.  Bottom line: whatever you’ve got that extends beyond 100mm will work.  (Update: I’ve since sold the 100-400mm lens and replaced it with the new 70-300mm.  Results thus far are impressive.  Watch for a full review of this lens in a few months after I’ve had plenty of time to get to know it’s good and bad sides.)

Composing a dynamic image through a telephoto lens isn’t about adding more and more elements to the photo. To the contrary, it’s about eliminating everything extraneous until you’ve distilled the composition to its simplest form. When you use a telephoto lens to compose an image you’re essentially creating an intimate landscape, albeit from a greater distance than you may be accustomed to working. The key point here – simplify!

Most of my long lens landscapes have one of two common themes: patterns and/or colors. I seek out contrasts, such as the image you see here of a lone evergreen tree nestled amongst colorful gambel oaks and aspens. The evergreen not only contrasts with the surrounding foliage, it anchors the entire scene.

In the next photo, rows of young autumnal gambel oaks reclaiming an area charred by wildfire create a semi-abstract image through the use of bold color and natural patterns. Patterns abound in nature. Some are easy to find, like those formed by the stark white trunks of arrow straight aspen trunks. Yet other patterns aren’t as easily identified but are equally thrilling to discover and photograph. And, the more you work at finding patterns in nature the easier it becomes.

The image below, of strange cloud formations over the Cottonwood Mountains in Death Valley NP, could not have been created without a long lens.  I was working roadside using my Canon 70-300mm lens to photograph the Mesquite Dunes from a distance.  The light wasn’t cooperating as it was everywhere else but on the dunes so I began to look for other opportunities.  I watched this cloud form and then stretch for miles over the mountains and decided to train my lens in that direction.  When a section of the mountains lit up with storm light I knew I’d hit the jackpot.  The lesson: long lenses allow you to simplify in ways a wide angle or moderate focal length simply can’t and they open up opportunities that wouldn’t exist with any other lens.

Often it helps to identify an area of interest with the naked eye, then mount your camera and long lens on a tripod so you can slowly and methodically scan for a composition. There may be interesting elements that are only visible when magnified through your telephoto lens. Using a tripod while doing this allows you to slowly pan through the scene and, upon finding something that catches your eye, it is easier to fine tune a composition than when hand-holding your rig.

Use of a tripod is an absolute must, even with an image stabilized lens. Longer focal lengths require smaller apertures for maximum depth of field, which means your shutter speeds will likely be too long for acceptably sharp, hand-held images. And, it is much easier to fine tune a composition when operating from a tripod as you’ve minimized movement introduced by hand-holding a long lens.

Unless you make a creative decision to use a large aperture and shallow depth of field, you’ll find that it isn’t uncommon to use apertures in the f/22 to f/32 range. As this will vary greatly based upon your composition, the best way to learn is to experiment while in the field. Start at a large aperture, say f/8, and work your way through to a small aperture in one stop increments. View the images on your computer at home to understand how each chosen aperture affected the depth of field within the image.

When photographing foliage with a long lens I always use a polarizing filter to remove unwanted glare from leaves and saturate the colors. When you use a polarizing filter on a wide angle lens it is easy to see the effect – just look for the blue sky that gets bluer as you twist the filter! On a long lens, the effect is much more subtle. I find that it helps to hone in on one leaf or a small cluster of leaves that exhibit glare and slowly turn the polarizer until the glare begins to disappear.

Overcast light or open shade are ideal lighting conditions for long lens photography. You can make successful images in any light and with any lens, but the soft, diffuse light of an overcast day makes it much easier to identify workable scenes. This soft light also eliminates harsh shadows that can ruin an otherwise fantastic image.

I’ve given you a lot to ponder and I hope I’ve inspired you to put away the wide angle lens on your next photo outing. Reach into your camera bag, pull out the big guns and have some fun with long lens landscape photography!

Today I’m excited to feature a Q&A with a tremendously talented Colorado based landscape photographer – Sarah Fischler.  I “met” Sarah on twitter (find her on twitter: @SarahFisch) and soon discovered that she is also an active member at one of my favorite web photo forums – NPN.  Be inspired by Sarah’s work on flickr, which is chock full of beautiful imagery in both color and black and white.  One of my recent favorites is “Swirling Storm, Bierstadt Lake“.  Without further ado, let’s get to know Sarah Fischler.

All photographs in this blog post are owned and copyrighted by Sarah Fischler.  They are not in the public domain and they may not be used for any purpose without first receiving approval from Sarah.

What inspired you to take up landscape photography and what inspires you now to continue making images?

I came to photography through my interest in the natural world. Although I did not have my first experience in the backcountry until my early twenties, that initial backpacking trip to Rocky Mountain National Park inspired a deep interest in wilderness and conservation for me.

A few years ago, my husband and I were both working full-time and going to graduate school full-time. In need of peace and solitude, we started going hiking a lot more. I started bringing along a little camera and when that camera died in a rainstorm about three years ago, I decided to purchase a DSLR for no real reason.  As I learned more, I soon found a great deal of fulfillment in the process of photography. By the time I finished my master’s degree, I had easily spent more time on photography than schoolwork.

Three things keep me interested in photography – the challenge, the motivation to explore new places, and the positive impact photography has had on my life.  I get bored easily and photography seems to have new challenges around every corner.  Exploring new places is also a huge draw.  Photography adds depth to these experiences for me and, although not a profession, does feel like a calling.  Finally, the phrase “million miles a minute” accurately describes the speed of my mind and being in wild places, focused on capturing images that mean something to me, has been a welcome experience since it is the only time I am able to really slow down, focus, and live in the present.

Do you feel you’ve developed a unique “style” that identifies your photography?

I have been focused on creating more consistency in my work, which is getting me closer to a “style” but I am not there yet.  I do know what I like but haven’t consistently translated that concept to a style, except for maybe some of my black and white work.  Since processing is easier to control, I think I have more of a style for processing images than for crafting a photograph in the field.  One of my goals for 2011 is to work on pursuing a more cohesive photographic style so that I can start developing a portfolio rather than a collection of images on a website.

Outdoor photography is predominantly a male-oriented activity.  What challenges, if any, have you faced and how have you overcome them?  Do you feel being a female offers any competitive advantages?

The fact that you invited me to be profiled on your blog is an example of a competitive advantage!  Aside from the novelty of being a female landscape photographer, I do not think that being a woman in and of itself brings any specific advantages.  I think one major disadvantage for female nature photographers is the challenge of getting off the beaten path.  I see a much higher percentage of female photographers at a place like Oxbow Bend than I see on backcountry trails.  For many reasons, I do think it is more challenging for women to create unique images and compelling portfolios of work because it is harder to get beyond the roadside viewpoints.

I’ve heard from women who would love to but are hesitant to spend time alone in the wilderness due to safety concerns.  As an experienced outdoorswoman, what advice would you offer them to mitigate their fears and make them comfortable enough to enjoy a wilderness photography experience?

Landscape photography encourages women to do many of the things we were warned against from a very early age.  While I am very comfortable with being in wild places and have confidence in my outdoor skills, I do have some fear of other people with regard to my personal safety, especially when I am alone and carrying expensive gear. A few years ago, I was nervous being alone at a busy viewpoint in a national park.  Now, I frequently travel alone and am comfortable in most situations, though I still do not hike by myself in mountainous areas.

Over time, I have found a good balance between prioritizing my personal safety and being able to maintain the sense of focus that is necessary for photography through a variety of approaches. When I started photographing alone, I chose open spaces (for example, Badwater in Death Valley and coastal areas).  This helped increase my confidence and comfort level in being by myself because I could see my surroundings.  I have come to genuinely enjoy photographing by myself because I have found that it allows for a more contemplative experience, often with better results.

I enjoyed backpacking before I took up photography and have found that it is a good way to balance having a companion along and solitude for photography in the same trip.  While my husband is supportive of my photography, he is not my photo assistant (as he reminds me on occasion).  Backpacking is a great compromise because it allows for an immersive experience for me and is less intrusive for my travel companions.  We can eat and hike together, I feel more comfortable because someone is nearby, and then I can spend time on my own exploring an area without the pressure of other types of travel.

Finally, I try to be discreet about my travel plans.  I never broadcast my plans through social media and I do not tell anyone other than close friends and family that I will be traveling alone.  I also take other safety precautions, none of which I want to broadcast on the internet!

I would encourage the women reading this who do not think they could be comfortable photographing on their own to try it out in familiar place on a few different occasions.  I expect that many of them will find that, over time, they will enjoy the benefits of pursuing photography on their own as long as they take a smart approach to their personal safety and build a solid set of outdoor skills.

What is it about photography as an art form that appeals to you?

Until last year, the creative and artistic aspects of photography were not much of a consideration, mostly because being in nature and exploring wild places is what appeals most to me about photography.  Now that I see photography as a form of creative expression, I have come to appreciate both the craft and the creativity.  In almost all areas of my life, I am drawn to interests that mix creativity and analytical skills.  This same mix appeals to me when considering photography– balancing some control and predictability with a lot of creative freedom.

What has been your most rewarding experience as a photographer?

Although I have spent a lot of time outdoors, I did not notice nuances and details in nature until I picked up a camera.  Noticing little things like reflections, patterns, and natural rhythms has helped me actually appreciate and connect with nature, rather than just being outside in nature.  I understand the natural world far more now than I did before I picked up a camera.  This Dorothea Lange quote really resonates with me, “The camera is an instrument that teaches people how to see without a camera.”

What one piece of photography gear could you absolutely not live without?

I did not learn how to process images until mid-2010.  As I processed that backlog of photos, I learned a lot about my equipment and it was not all good.  My first zoom lens was extremely soft on the right side and I did not know this until it was long gone.  Therefore, I have come to really appreciate high quality equipment that can help translate my concept of a scene into a photograph of high technical quality.  For a more direct answer, I love my Acratech GV2 ballhead.  An almost flawless piece of equipment!

Where do you see yourself in 5 years with regards to photography?

Considering that I was on the verge of applying to medical school and was studying health policy five years ago and am doing neither of those things today, this is an impossible question to answer!  Right now, I am most interested in pursuing excellence in the art and craft of landscape photography for the sake of excellence in and of itself.  I also want to develop a top-notch, original Colorado portfolio, build a portfolio of the American West, and take at least a few international trips (Patagonia next spring!).

If I ever choose to pursue photography as a business, the idea of selling small quantities of prints and leading workshops/tours holds some appeal for me. I teach a lot of workshops as part of my current profession and think that skill could transfer over to photography at some point.  I still have a long way to go before I could credibly teach others, but I have thought about this as a possible longer-term goal.

Sarah hand-picked the beautiful images below to share with you in this post.  Please enjoy them!

We leave for Death Valley on Friday morning.  While there I’ll have limited to no cell phone service and although a wi-fi internet connection is available at the visitor center, I’ll only use it periodically to check my email and perhaps the occasional tweet.  If I didn’t have a business to run I wouldn’t even bother doing that.  Lately I’ve been feeling too connected.  It’s too damn easy to whip out my iPhone any time, any where, and check email, see what’s happening on Facebook or twitter or even just surf the web.  I need to cut the cord for a while and this trip presents the perfect opportunity to do just that.  How ironic that I’m writing about disconnecting on my blog.

I plan to spend a lot of time outside, getting sweaty and dirty while hiking and exploring canyons and dunes and playas where big rocks are mysteriously propelled across the earth’s surface.  I plan to hang out with my family, play in the sand with my son and enjoy a few cold beers and great conversation with my wife.  I’ll read, too.  Books.  Real, paper books.  Not on a Kindle, Nook or iPad.  I’ll probably take naps.  I might write in a journal – with a pen.  On paper.  I’ll play it by ear and won’t have a schedule to stick to, other than the one enforced by the rising and setting of the sun and moon.

I’ll probably lose some followers on twitter and maybe even Facebook due to my inactivity.  I may lose a guided client because of a delayed response to email.  Charlie Sheen could implode, North Korea could invade South Korea and some volcano somewhere in the world could suddenly erupt and I won’t learn about any of it until I get back to reality in late March.  So, if I don’t thank you for the #ff mention or respond to your email in a timely manner, at least you’ll know why.  I hope you understand and I hope you’ll disconnect some time soon, too.  We all need a little more time away from the invasive reach of technology.  We all need a little more time with nature.

See you all in a couple weeks.