Tips from outdoors photographers

By Carol Hanner, Rocky Mountain News

Published April 14, 2008 at 6 p.m.

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Photo by Joy Stein

Try a different perspective by lying down, or shooting a plant from underneath instead of from the top, which was done for this macro photo.

Photo by Bruce Hucko

Tukanikavista Arch, on BLM land near Moab, Utah.

Photo by Steven G. Smith / Special To The Rocky

A camera near a tent on a family trip to the Big Horn Mountains nailed this shot.

Photo by Bruce Hucko

Fire Roof ruin, a former Anasazi dwelling in southeastern Utah.

Photo by Leslie Davis

Watch for humor. It's out there!

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Not that you need an excuse to visit Moab in the spring.

But here's a good one for those who have discovered the ecstasy of nature - and the agony of trying to capture it with your camera, only to end up with a photograph that doesn't do justice to the stunning landscape or soaring eagle you remember.

The fifth annual Moab Outdoor Photography Symposium is coming up May 1-4, and it's a pleasant blend of outdoor workshops and indoor seminars and presentations. Expert photographers inspire with their work and their words. And the seminar topics offer guidance and tips for novices as well as more technically savvy shooters.

My husband, who is the real photographer in the family, learned a great deal last May, digging into a Photoshop class and soaking up advice on lenses and filters.

I'm a much more casual photographer, but I relished the tips on composition and simple practical advice. (Like, um, don't leave your camera bag unzipped while you shoot, and never leave a tripod sitting on a windy cliff while you scope out another angle.)

The symposium also allows for lots of feedback on your own work, which you can show in the participants' exhibit and/or present digitally to your fellow seminar members.

These are a few of the tips we picked up from the 2007 symposium:

Carol Hanner is day content editor at the Rocky. Reach her at hannerc@RockyMountainNews.com.

FROM DAVID H. DAVIS

photographer and author (www.dhdavis.com):

* Choose your scene, your time of day, your light. You don't have to shoot whatever pops up in front of you when you happen to be outdoors. Think creatively. For example, if you want to get fabulous shots of Mesa Verde, ask for permission to shoot during the orientation tour for interns, when the crowds are out of your way.

* Showing some of your past work to gatekeepers of outdoor venues might persuade them to give you the access you want.

FROM FREELANCE PHOTOGRAPHER LESLIE DAVIS(lesliedavis.net):

* Avoid items merging together, such as a pole in the background coming out of someone's head.

* Carry a piece of black cloth to put behind flowers. It can bring out the colors and shapes.

* Put "washes" in front of flowers. Zoom out from the front flowers, focus on the back flowers, and you get the softer edges on the front.

* If you like the composition, don't throw out the photo. You may be able to adjust the contrast or use Photoshop on your computer to improve it.

* Make sure you set your ISO back to 100 after each shoot so you don't have it on a higher number and miss a quick-reaction opportunity because you have the wrong ISO setting.

* Watch for humor. It's out there, such as a sign she shot pointing to "Gun Club" and "Cemetery."

* Look down at the ground. You can catch some very cool images.

* An image stabilizer lens can increase your range of options.

* To do a panorama, do one shot, then check the exposure. Change to manual so each shot to be stitched together will be the same.

* Get down to eye level for kids and animals.

* Get distractions out of the photo.

* Look for diagonals. They create a composition that's naturally pleasing to the eye.

* Create a point of interest in your photo.

* Having a person in a photo creates a sense of scale and highlights the grandness of a landscape.

* Make sure your horizons are level. Use a bubble level. It's worth every penny, especially at night or dusk when you can't see the horizon.

FROM JOY STEIN, on macro photography, shooting flora and fauna up close (joystein.com):

* Try a different perspective by lying down, or shooting a plant from underneath instead of from the top. She once shot one plant 30 days in a row, with every conceivable angle, light and time. "Be patient with the process. It's about being out in that place and connecting with that thing."

PHOTOGRAPHING THE NIGHT SKY

Here are some essentials, according to Dan Norris, whose Ancient Images company publishes photos on greeting cards. He also sells stock photography that has appeared in many magazines and an instructional video called Night Photography (ancientimagescards.com)

* A sense of adventure.

* A single-lens-reflex camera with a bulb setting.

* A good tripod.

* A cable release, mechanical or electrical, for opening the shutter without touching the camera.

* A strong headlight. It helps you see your camera controls and do light painting by shining it on rocks or other natural features.

* A powerful flashlight. You can use this for light painting if there is no moon to cast shadows. A flashlight can also help you examine areas that will be in the edges of your frame, so you can make sure there are no tree branches or intrusions you don't want in the photo.

* A wide-angle lens. Use this for a long exposure and to get more night-sky "streaks" of light in your photo than you can with a telephoto lens.

* Appropriate clothing. It gets really cold standing outside at night for hours at a time.

And here are a few tips from Norris for night-sky photography:

* Use a large aperture. F4 or larger is preferable.

* If the moon is out, long exposures will look like daytime photos. But you can do cool silhouettes and spires.

* For star trails, use exposures of 5 minutes to 10 hours. You'll get more star trails aiming east or west of the North Star.

* For star points or constellations, use exposures of 6 seconds to 40 seconds. For constellations near the North Star, you may want exposures up to 31/2 minutes.

* Should you use film or digital? Film makes stars appear brighter, and star trails will show better on prints. With digital cameras, exposures longer than 30 minutes sometimes produce a lot of "noise" in your photo unless the outdoor temperature is very low. But digital offers immediate gratification because you can see your photo out in the field, giving you a chance to correct or improve. Light painting or moonlit landscapes do just as well with film or digital.

* Determining the best length for exposure is a trial-and-error process. Consider using digital for the trials, then use film when you're happy with the digital results.

Shooting ruins and remote sites off the usual trails, from Bruce Hucko, symposium director, freelance photographer, author, art educator and radio producer (brucehuckophoto.com):

* Carry two lenses and a variety of filters. Graduated neutral-density filters reduce the difference in brightness between the sky and the ground or the ground and a ruin ceiling, allowing greater detail to show in both areas.

* Use gold or silver reflectors to light ruins or other features.

* Visit with National Park Service or Bureau of Land Management officials to learn site visitation etiquette and get tips on reaching lesser-known sites.

* Look for compositions that play off the interaction of geometry and the natural beauty of the site.

* Don't be too hasty. In your eagerness to reach the site you have in mind, don't miss something great along the journey.

* Be respectful of archaeological sites. Don't move or take objects. Their location could have significance for archaeologists.

Moab Outdoor Photography Symposium

* What: Fifth annual symposium

* When: May 1-4

* Cost: $125 for the seminar, $50 per workshop class, limited to 12 people each. Some are already full.

* Where: Moab Art and Recreation Center, 111 E. 100 North, Moab, Utah

* Info: Bruce Hucko, photographer and symposium director, 435-259-

4176; moabphotosym.com/index.htm

WHAT'S ON TAP THIS YEAR

* Keynote speaker: David Hiser, a research associate at Digital Arts Aspen, who has photographed for National Geographic, Smithsonian and Geo, will discuss 40 years of photographing the Canyonlands in Utah.

* The Siren Song of Digital - New work and strategies. Tom Till, the author of more than 30 books, including the best-selling Utah: The Light Fantastic, discusses his outdoor digital photography work in Utah, Oregon, Arizona, Norway, Qatar, Fiji and New Zealand.

* From Arches to the Antarctic - Building a story. Jeff Foott discusses using a series of images to tell a story. He has made over 40 films for National Geographic, Discovery Channel, Nova, BBC and more. His film on Patagonia for the Living Edens Series was an Emmy finalist in cinematography.

* Color My World - the art, craft and vision of hand-coloring. ViviAnn Rose, who has works in galleries and museums in the U.S. and Europe, discusses using 1930s oil painting techniques with contemporary photography.

* Discovering the Desert from the Sky - A photographic odyssey. Adriel Heisey, an aerial photographer and pilot in western Colorado, shares his unique photography from his custom- built ultralight airplane.

BEST BET

Don't miss the rock art hike with Rory Tyler, whether you're into photography or just along with a spouse or friend for the symposium. Tyler is a cowboy poet, musician, hiker and raconteur who knows all the best legends of Moab. He has 35 articles on area hikes at moabhappenings.com, and he can be reached at 435-260-8496.

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