Reptiles occur in most places in the world and include Lizards, Crocodiles and Snakes.

This is one area of wildlife photography that knowledge of the species is very important.

Many are potentially dangerous and some are downright lethal. You do not get much chance of survival if you get bitten by a Black Mamba and crocodiles have a jaw strength that is awesome (Think of an elephant stamping on its jaws to visualise the power).

So know the species you are trying to photograph. Know its behaviour intimately and know for absolute certainty which species it is.

Snakes and crocodiles can sometimes look inert but they can move with extreme speed when they want to so if you are after potentially dangerous reptiles, extreme caution is required.

If shooting in the wild or open habitat a telephoto or zoom lens will allow you to get close-up shots without risking your safety. Telephoto lenses are good for getting head shots and views into the mouth of a crocodile or snake.

Please do not try and copy the professionals. I have worked with herpetologists and film crews and I can tell you they either have very long, very expensive lenses so they do not have to get close or they use ‘tricks of the trade’. They also have a herpetologist present to take care of all the handling.

There are some exceptions but in a lot of cases, especially snakes, they are taken from captivity and put in their natural surroundings just to take the shot.

Other tricks include ‘cooling specimens’ by refrigeration to make them more placid.

Clearly photographing these species in their natural setting is preferable but good close up shots can be obtained in zoos, reptile houses and also if someone has them as a pet.

At a zoo or reptile house you might well find your subjects behind glass. In this case you should shoot as close to the glass as possible and at an angle of 45 degrees or less to minimize or avoid reflections.

Find out when “feeding time” is and if you can be present to take photos.

I am often asked where to go to get really great travel photos. Wildlife Encounters was set up with the primary aim of taking wildlife and nature shots but my equal passion for photography leads me to take a lot of shots of the places I visit. Because there are so many shots to take the travel galleries on the website are becoming more than the nature and wildlife ones.

My followers have indicated that this does not disappoint them as it gives them a chance to see images of places they are not likely to see.

Others ask the question “where can I go to take good travel shots?”

This is a difficult question to answer.

I think the answer starts with what my followers say as I described above. It leads to my definition of a travel photo. To me it is a photo of a place where people would like to visit and usually this is when on holiday.

This is where the answer gets difficult. Everyone has a different idea of what is an awesome and desirable place to visit.

You may live in an attractive area in which case you do not have to travel anywhere to take a travel photo.

It also depends on what you enjoy yourself.

That is where I start. I imagine the sort of scene I would like to see. This may be mountains, colourful nature scenes historic villages or whatever.

I then get on the internet and do some quite extensive research to see what sort of places fit my criteria. Cost is then a major factor. I work within a budget which does give some limitations but you learn to live within these. I may not be able to afford a trip to the Rockies in America but the Sierras in Spain are also spectacular.

Also the time of year has to be taken into account. If you take travel photos for commercial use then look at any travel magazine and you will find the photos always have blue skies or billowy white clouds. If you are only taking them for personal satisfaction then off season can be a good time to visit when there are less crowds of people and you can relax more. It is also a lot cheaper off season – often a quarter of the normal price.

I have not, therefore, given a direct answer to the question because I could make a list which would be pages long. There are so many incredible places and sights to see in the world. With internet it is easy to find where they are.

The only advice I would give is wherever you go take the time to scout around – often you will find the best scenes away from the main tourist areas. You also see the ‘real’ country. There is a huge difference, for instance, between the tourist hotspots on the Costas in Spain and the real Spain in the more rural areas inland.

If you want to see some of the great places I have visited then check out the galleries on the website there are plenty of photos that you can see.

Wildlife Encounters Website;

I still remember the days when the only camera you were likely to possess was a box Brownie and colour was well beyond the reach of all but the very rich or top professional.

Once you had taken the photo there was little you could do about it. There was no post processing and you prayed that when the film returned, having been processed, all the shots had come out and not just a dark blurry mess.

Colour then took over and black and white was all but forgotten and considered the poor relation.

These days black and white is making a comeback. Now, however, in the age of digital there is much more scope to black and white. You can see whether the shot is successful as soon as you take it. You can then use post processing to enhance and correct the image.

These are a few tips to produce better black and white photos:

1. Take the photo in colour in the normal way and then convert it as part of post processing. This gives you more scope for variation. Black and white can have variations such as spot colour or sepia tones and taking the shot in colour keeps all these options open to you.
2. When taking the shot think black and white. The composition may need to be different. The colours will not be there to give impact and eye appeal. Instead pay more attention to shape and form. Make sure whatever the object of focus is that it stands out from the background and with a strong colour variation. You will not have the luxury of colour to make it stand out.
3.  Using contrast can bring focus to your main subject which can make it stand out differently in the picture.
4. Stress and observe patterns instead of colours. Textures also become more important
5. Use as low an ISO as you can to avoid noise.
6. Consider using flash fill or extra lighting if possible to make sure you bring out all the shadows and highlights you can.

Working without colour can add an extra challenge to your photography but it can also enhance your skills.

If you can take a good black and white photo then you are likely to take a better colour one.

I was looking at a Google +1 post from Trey Ratcliffe (a great hdr photographer). He was outlining how far he would go with post processing. For example enhancing highlights and shadows, healing out distracting objects are acceptable but complete replacement of the sky was going too far. He did, however, end by indicating that the limits of what was acceptable are getting more blurred as each update to Photoshop opens up new possibilities.

When photography first started there was little that the photographer could do but take a snapshot of the scene he was looking at or had composed.

With the age of digital photography and post processing software, such as Photoshop, the possibilities become endless.

Virtually all photographers post process to some extent even if it is just a minor tweak or so. When you enter the world of hdr then a lot of post processing is necessary.

So what has this got to do with the subject of ‘photography or art’?

I think it has got everything to do with it.

The question revolves around whether you are trying to produce a lifelike image as near to what the eye sees as possible. Post processing in this case can be used to adjust tones and colours to compensate for settings that the camera has not recorded accurately.  But that is where it ends. For a traditional photographer anything more is totally unacceptable and is not true photography.

Or, the alternative, are you trying to produce an image that is pleasing to the eye and that the viewer will enjoy. A work of art that conveys a message but is not aimed at being a lifelike representation. In this case there are no limits to extent of post processing.

With this alternative is the camera, and the software to process it, any different to a brush or pencil?

The photographers eye and mind are similar to a painter’s it is just that he uses different tools. An artist chooses what he wants to include in his painting and also has complete control over the colours and style. Now so does the photographer.

Although the painter and photographer can both select the distance from the scene or subject and the angle of view, the painter doesn’t necessarily have to remain in a specific place or position to create a painting. He or she can return to the studio and paint, according to his or her vision of the scene/subject and light, or be completely interpretative and only use the reality he or she saw as a catalyst for creativity. Now the photographer can do the same.

So my conclusion is this.

There is no right or wrong to either alternative. Both are forms of art.

Art is something that stimulates the human emotions through the senses. It conveys a message, mood, or symbolism for the viewer to interpret in his own way.

Both can do that.

The big issue is that if your image is an accurate representation then you can call it a photograph of xxxxxxx.

If it is not an accurate representation then that is fine but you should state that this is the case.

In other words whatever image or art form you produce should be accurately represented.

It is a bit like buying food – the label should accurately state what it is.

First a safety warning.

Never stare at the sun as it can cause permanent damage to the eyes.

Your camera can suffer severe damage if it is pointed directly at the sun.

Some ideas and tips

Timing is critical. Check the timing of the sunrise/sunset before you go out (easily found from the web). Check the site you wish to take the photograph from before the day.

Bear in mind where the sun will rise/set and choose a position to give you a good composition.

Try to include an object in your photo.

The color of the sunrise/set will give a great photo but will be improved even more by including an object in the foreground (Silhouettes can be effective). This can give your photo more meaning and maybe tell a story.

Arrive in plenty of time to get in position and set your camera up (a tripod is essential as just as the sun comes up or goes down the light may be low so a slow shutter speed will be needed)

Check the weather. Light clouds or haze can increase the dramatic look and while sunlight through the clouds can give some rich colors in the photo. Mid level streaks of clouds are good and often give a deep reddish color.

It is worth trying setting the camera on a manual setting and focusing the camera on infinity to lock the focus, hence avoiding a blurry photo.

Another idea is to set the exposure to underexpose the background and use flash to provide the correct exposure for foreground detail.

Under-exposure can give rich and dramatic colors of the sun. Long exposure is best to be used when the sun sets and light is low, particularly at a beach, to give smooth, misty surface depending on the amount of waves.

Friendly people who do not mind their photo being taken ( in fact for the most part encourage it) sunny skies for 300 days of the year with intense blue skies and deep blue waters of the Mediterranean and a rich culture  make for a great source of photographic opportunities.

The scenery is magic and varied from the mountains of the Pyrenees and the Sierras to wetlands and steppes.

Lots of country tracks to explore with many a surprise waiting in the rural ‘real Spain’.

A varied flora and fauna with a range of habitats and migratory birds from Africa give great nature and wildlife scenes.

Within many cities, towns and villages there resides yet more opportunities to capture a culture rich in history that stretches from the ancient 800,000 year old Atapuerca near Burgos, through the rise and fall of the Celts, Phoenicians, Romans and the Spanish Civil War, to the struggle through the last decades of an absolutely unique people energised to modernise their way out of the dark days of Franco’s despotism.

With the fascinating photographic opportunities waiting in the cities, people, history, culture, climate, landscapes and nature of Spain, your camera will be snapping away constantly.

In the summer many places are crowded with tourists. Spring and autumn are great times to visit when the tourist areas are very quiet. Even in winter the climate is quite temperate and often there is nobody around except the locals.

So really one could say what more do you want? The Spanish would sum it up by saying that they rarely holiday abroad because their own country has everything anyway.

So whatever theme of photography you prefer there is something in Spain to interest you.

We do not want blurry photos do we?

I think the worst thing for a photographer is to take some wonderful shots that you will probably never get again and then return home to find that they are out of focus and blurry.

Photoshop can deal with many problems but out of focus it cannot.

It helps to get pin sharp photos if you have some really good equipment but the worst problem is camera shake.

Obviously when you are taking a still shot then using a tripod should solve the problem.

If you are shooting a moving object or are forced to use hand held because of your situation then keeping the camera as steady as possible is vital.

Your position

Instead of your elbows waving around keep them tightly into your body’s side to provide more stability.

If there is something handy that you can use as a prop then stand, or rest the camera, against it (Trees, tables, chairs or anything steady)

Your body position can help. Stand with your legs apart one in front of the other. This increases the whole stability of your body. (In martial arts or holding a heavy calibre rifle has the same position for stability) 

Use the viewfinder and not the LCD display. This will keep the camera close to your face and act as support.

Another idea is a makeshift, portable, home made tripod. Attach a piece of string to the camera (the tripod mount can be useful here) and make a loop on the other end.  The idea is to put your foot through the loop and with the string tight it holds the camera steady. Clearly you need to adjust the length of string to suit your height.

Alternatively a monopod is even better.

This is not an exhaustive list but just a few reminders. The main thing is as a reminder of just how important keeping the camera still is to prevent any disappointing moments when you get home.

The south of France is an interesting place to visit. There are a wide variety of scenes and places to explore. The architecture is particularly colourful and there are plenty of forests and mountains to be at one with nature.

Its main attraction is the Cote d’Azur, a seaside playground for the rich with plenty of boats some very expensive and very large. Towns like St Tropez are famous for this.

This presents a wide variety of photo opportunities. It also presents a challenge, photographically. For over 300 days of the year there are blue skies and brilliant sunshine. When the sky is blue the clear sea is also very very blue and casts a blue reflection over all the whites and any other colour.

The other challenge and what this article is about is to get a composition that is not just a snapshot that you would find in the family album. OK so taking some of these shots is fine and provide you with a photo journal to look back on in years to come and remember where you have been and what it was like.

But a good photographer should be looking for something more than that.

So looking at a scene differently means looking and composing from different angles and positions. Putting it simply, that is.

Do you need any special equipment for this? A good tripod that will go down low, even to floor level or something like a GorillaPod™, is very useful. A homemade bean bag may well serve the purpose just as well.

There is the first point. Getting down low to shoot from a different angle can really open up possibilities (Kneepads are also useful for this).

The second is simply down to legwork. Move around and look at your object of focus from different angles. If you can this also means up and down. We have covered down, although you may also be able to get a lower vantage point to look up.

If you can climb up higher then try that as well.

Also keep an eye on water like puddles and ponds they may give you an interesting reflection.

Look for where the sun is, for a good lighting position, and where the shadows are to add another interesting feature to your shot.

It all means being creative. Think out of the box and use your imagination. Your photos will then come alive and you will progress from being a ‘snapshotter’ to a photographer.

The subject of colour can become very complex with lots of mathematics and physics involved.

That is way beyond the scope of this article.

With Photoshop™, or other post processing software, colours can be changed subtly or dramatically depending on what you want the final image to look like.

When you first start the tendency is to change all of the colours using hue/saturation and vibrancy. You then progress to selectively changing the colour of just one object or part of the scene at a time.

So what are we trying to achieve. Leaving aside the more surreal and abstract productions we are trying to reproduce a vision which is eye catching and appealing.

This is where colour is so important. It is rare that you can ever achieve absolute perfection because each person perceives colour differently. Some prefer blue, some red and so on. You may also want to change the colour balance to affect the mood conveyed. A warm looking cosy scene compared to a cold sharp one.

Experimentation and looking at other photographers work will help to achieve what you desire.

There is one important consideration, however, that applies to all photos.

Lets start with a bit of theory:

When you look at an object or scene what you see is the light reflecting from that object.

Colour vision is a process by which either you, or a camera, are able to recognize that object based on the different wavelengths of light reflected by that object.

The eye sends the information it receives to the brain which which in turn processes those sensations into a subjective perception of color. With a digital camera it processes the information the sensor has received but unlike the human brain it records it just as it has seen it with no subjective adjustment.

Color constancy is a process that allows the brain to recognize a familiar object as being a consistent color regardless of the amount of light reflecting from it at a given moment.

The intensity of light, how bright it is and what type of light, affects the final image with a camera but the brain makes adjustments for this.

Put simply if you have a white boat on a bright blue sea the blueness will be reflected onto the boat making it look blue. The camera will interpret this literally but the eye still perceives it as a white boat and has therefore made an adjustment. It preserves the appearance of an object under a wide range of light sources

A camera also has a more limited ability to capture different tones than the eye. This is where HDR photography tries to compensate for this. Through the fusing of a number of different exposures it it is trying to capture the same tones and colours as the human eye. This is why a good photorealistic (as opposed to a cartoony style) hdr photograph appears to bring the scene to life.

Now a practical example:

Here is the normal exposure straight from the camera. Notice the ‘flatness’ of the image and very blue. The shadows look dark because the camera is pointing virtually straight into the sun and the camera is trying to compensate for the brightness.

Normal exposure

Now an hdr version. This has brought out the detail and compensated for the dark shadows but is still very blue. You cannot blame the camera or the hdr software because it was a very blue scene and everything was reflecting blue.

hdr version

Now a colour compensated version. This is more like the eye is expecting and is more visually comfortable. The eye does not have to compensate so much and appreciates that.

color corrected

I hope, by now, that you will realise the importance of post processing and getting the colours as appealing as you can.

Happy photographing.

Steve

I have seen quite a lot of discussion recently on what is the difference between an amateur and professional photographer.

I thought I would put my spin on it.

In simple terms you could say that a professional is someone who earns money from their photography.

Technically that is correct but there is more to it than that.

So I suppose it should be expanded to what makes a good professional photographer?

That is where the debate really starts.

I certainly agree with the thought that consistency is important and many professionals produce high quality work with the same style every time. For wedding, portrait and other photographers who deal directly with clients that is essential. They need to know what they are getting and need reliability.

However that is not the whole story.

There are many other professional, such as myself,  who work entirely freelance and do not deal directly with clients.

What they consider to be good work may not appeal to other professionals. In particular I love to experiment so I use a wide variation of styles and compositions. Some may consider my work erratic, some love it for its adventurism. With me you never know what is going to come out next. I use different styles depending on what I wish to convey in terms of mood and how I wish the image to be visualised.

This means sometimes it will be a traditionalist photo using a conventional style, sometimes I will use a more cartoony hdr style.

Because the style is erratic then so is the feedback. When I publish a photo some think it horrific some think it awesome. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and for me that variation of comment means I am pushing the boundaries. I do not think it means I am not a professional nor that my work is not good because I try to be different.

What I will not do if I do not like another professionals work is to get on my high horse, be arrogant and give aggresive critique. Even if you have been in the business for many years that does not mean you are right and others are wrong you are just different.

So what is the answer to the question With such a huge amount of competition out there the answer is simple. If people buy your photos and they would not if they did not like them and if you have a customer and you give them what they want and they are satisfied with that (and come back for more, hopefully) then you are a professional.

Website of Wildlife Encounters

This is just a few tips on HDR processing with some cautionary notes as well.
I do not go into detail as this could result in a very large manual.
The fun part and a good way to learn is to experiment and see what results you get.

• A bracket of 3 shots (+1 to -1) is usually sufficient but in extreme condition 5 or 7 shots may be better. There is no harm in taking more than necessary to be on the safe side.
• Things to avoid – dense trees, flowers, people’s skin and if the sky is too blue you may get a pronounced halo.
• Buildings and landscapes are good and animals are worth a try if they will stay still long enough.
• You can use hand held but a tripod is much better to get a sharper shot.
• Keep the ISO as low as possible
• I find Photomatix the best for processing. When you have imported all your shots use tonemapping default. The adjustments that will make the biggest difference are ‘Black Point’, ‘Luminosity’ and ‘Lighting’.
• With most shots it is impossible to get the whole image correct. Get the important bits right and the rest can be tweaked in Photoshop. The sky is often the most difficult part.
• When processed in Photomatix bring all your original shots and the tonemapped one into Photoshop as layers. Bridge and Lightroom will do this for you automatically
• Make sure the tonemapped is the top layer.
• Use masking to tweak the areas that are not quite right.
• Duplicate the tonemapped layer and then use Topaz Adjust or Photoshop to enhance it.
• Make sure the original tonemapped version is the top layer and then mask in the enhance version for the areas you want.
• Always adjust the opacity of the brush, when masking in, is kept low at say 25% and then repeat over to build up until it is right. Better to start low and build gradually.
• Finally use Photoshop to make final adjustments and clean up dust spots and also to denoise. Topaz denoise is easier to use for this and more accurate.
These are just a few ideas. Certainly the way I learn is to keep trying different settings and adjustments and see what happens. Sometimes they work, sometimes not but that is all part of the learning process.
Have fun.

Whenever you are composing a photo it is always a good idea to see what lines there are in the shot, or maybe, could be included with a little repositioning.
Lines can give greater impact and also are great for leading the viewer’s eye through the composition to the object in focus.
There are different types of line to look for.
On a horizontal plane an image can be split into 3 horizontal bands and each band can have a different saturation and contrast. For instance you might have a high contrast, high saturation for the front band and this reduces as you progress through the bands to give a feeling of distance to the furthest band. This effect can also be achieved with more pronounced lines such as the sleepers on a railway track which start wide and end up narrow, again giving perspective.
Exactly the same effect can be achieved using vertical lines such as telegraph or fence poles.
Diagonal lines are very powerful. They can serve as ‘lead throughs’ and give a much greater feeling of depth to an image. As well as structural lines they can also be lines of color and they do not have to be straight. Sometimes jagged lines can be even more interesting.
Lines can be very powerful in directing the viewer’s attention but make sure they lead to the most important object and make sure they do lead off the edge of the image where you will lose the viewer’s eye.

An example of horizontal banding

Colour
Although there is less colour in winter than all the other seasons there is still colour around, albeit maybe more subtle.
For instance Ice will take on the colour of its surroundings, reflecting sunsets and blue sky.
Many winter landscapes can sometimes be more effective in black and white so do not be afraid to try this. It may be better to take the shot in colour and then convert to black and white in post production, just in case colour turns out to be better.

Settings
Assuming you have enough light keep your shutter speed as low as you can. This will help avoid ‘blowing’ the whites.
Snow can often be misinterpreted by a camera and it chooses the wrong white balance. Set it manually and try a few shots until the tones and color come out right.

Patterns
Patterns in snow and ice, frost on a window pane, shadows and reflections and silhouettes of for instance trees are all around in winter.
Lighting
If shooting a very bright snowy scene try using your flash. It sounds silly but it can bring out the darker areas of the snow and give a better balance to your shot.
Choose the right time of day to get a good light – the golden hours are always popular.

Forest scene in winter in France