For the past few days, I’ve been battling severe windy conditions here in Iceland. By severe I’m talking gale force to hurricane force winds. If there is anything that a photographer hates most it is wind. The skies can be blue, the clouds picturesque, the scene illuminated with golden light. But if the wind is blowing, it’s hard to stay steady enough to capture a good image. How, then, do the pros do it.
The following image was taken, believe it or not, on a freezing cold beach on Iceland’s south …

A friend, Morgan Melekos, just sent me this image he took while I was photographing a Vermont stream scene. It was around 1 degree Fahrenheit that day. Although I sometimes have to get into a stream to photograph, I don’t do so lightly. I advise my readers to always take proper precautions (see the ScotteVest column I did entitled “Don’t Take The Plunge!”: http://www.scottevest.com/company/photography.shtml).
If you are curious, the camera is a Hasselblad H4D-50 with a 28mm lens and a Hasselblad tilt-shift mechanism between the lens and camera. Clothing includes my …

Let’s admit it, we’re now in one of photography’s seasonal doldrums. Fall foliage is over, the trees are bare and snow has not hit much of the area, at least not in the mid-Atlantic, USA, region. This is the perfect time for checking out new equipment, innovative techniques, even changes in attitude toward whatever area of photography you have up to now avoided. In my sporadic “Homework” series (use the search box to find others), I’d like to add the perfect assignment for that rainy Saturday morning.
Depth of Field
Manipulating depth …

Histograms! Sounds like a medical procedure or, worse yet, mathematics.
Well, if you’re a photographer, histograms are your friends. Don’t be intimidated by them. Learn how to use a histogram and your images will dramatically improve.
What Is a Histogram?
In digital photography a histogram is an electronic display of all the pixels, light-to-dark, recorded on the sensor when you press the shutter release. It appears as a graph on the rear LCD screen in DSLR cameras and even on many point-and-shoots, such as the Canon G12.
There is really no such thing as …

In Search Of the perfect ISO for your photographic efforts? So many amateur photographers I meet are confused about what the ISO means and how to best tune it to their imaging needs. I thought I’d give a brief primer here on the topic.
Just What Is ISO?
ISO is equivalent to what we called ASA during film days. ISO is a measure of how sensitive a sensor is to light. The higher the ISO, the better its ability to record light, but the ‘grainier’ the image looks. There’s always a trade-off, …

I’m all wet. I admit it. Part of my job sometimes involves getting into water up to my waist to capture a scene. But when I notice that someone with a camera is watching me, I shudder with angst that by following my example s/he might get into trouble… which prompts this blog.
Summertime invites water images, but taking an image while standing in water is fraught with difficulty and danger. I never, ever take such shots casually. I take prudent precautions and preparations. I always weigh the risks carefully before …

I was reviewing some images this week in preparation for a presentation on my photography, when I came across this image. It sparked a memory that I’d like to share with you.

Banff National Park

I took this image at approximately an hour after sunset at the end of September in Banff National Park in Canada. (Please click on the image to enlarge it).
The other photographers I was with had packed up their gear at or shortly after sunset. Since it had just snowed and the meadow was so magically covered, I …

Don’t say I didn’t warn you!  If you’re shooting landscapes, one of the most effective means of adding interest and impact is to include a foreground element. I know we hear this a lot nowadays, but what I find is that this is usually mentioned as a given, an aside, without providing enough detail for the photographer looking to improve his or her skills. I’m hoping to add flesh to the bones here, so please bear with me.
I believe it was George Lepp who said that there is no such …

Once photographers find out that I travel to the Yukon and Arctic Circle, I’m invariably asked about photographing the Northern Lights, technically known as the Aurora borealis.
There are tons of articles and technical publications related to photographing these miraculous lights that magically appear in the far north at certain times of the year. They are caused by solar winds brushing by the earth’s magnetosphere. The most common color for the lights is green, but under certain conditions the lights can be orange, teal, purple or a combination of these.
Rather than …

Here is the second installment in what I promised would be a continuing series of photo self-assignments. As I discussed in my previous self-assignment blog (http://blog.lesterpickerphoto.com/2010/07/28/photography-homework-1/) I talked about the value of these ‘homework assignments, so I won’t go over it again here, except to say that the name of the game is practice, practice, practice.
Today I’m suggesting a seasonal assignment, one that plagues many photographers.
Shooting in the Snow
Snow is white, right? Not if you’ve ever photographed it. Snow can appear white and textured or overblown and featureless. It can …