The Photo I Shouldn't Have Taken

We were in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Amish country, and we wanted Amish food. Fried chicken, pressure cooked to seal in the flavor. Rich mashed potatoes. Apple pie topped with mounds of brown sugar and cinnamon. American food, but far more flavorful than anything I can cook.

Another couple accompanied us. We ordered chicken pie. Chunks of chicken, potatoes, peas and carrots smothered in a light-brown gravy, topped with a flaky crust. We feasted on bread, apple butter, mashed sweet potatoes and more. After paying the check, we went outside. Took pictures of ourselves in front of a horseless buggy decorating the grounds. That's when a real Amish buggy passed by.

We tried to capture it with the camera, but it caught us unprepared, so with jars of apple butter in tow, we got in the car. Before we could turn onto the road, someone spotted another buggy.

"Hand me the camera." Though the buggy was a city block or two away, it was in my obscured line of sight, so I took the point-and-shoot, and as discretely as I could, I snapped a photo. It didn't work, so I raised the camera, zoomed in, and took another shot.

The buggy got closer, and only then did I see the black bonnet on the driver's head.

I'd taken a picture of a woman in mourning driving down a country road in the midst of golden light.

She turned her head away as she passed the front of our waiting car, but it wasn't necessary. I'd already lowered the camera.

I take pictures. It's what I do. I love to capture scenery. Moments in time. To share them with others. I wanted a photo of the horse and buggy, not the person inside it, but I may have caused someone discomfort and pain in doing so. She'll never see this post, but she still has my apology.

Moonlighting

A trip to South Carolina. Visits to heritage preserves and waterfalls. Chapter critiques. Writing, Knitting. I've managed to keep my free time filled to the brim. But last night, when the moon reached the horizon, I stopped for a bit of photography.

You'll notice a slight blurring thanks to the fact I was holding the camera instead of using a tripod and timer. Also because the moon had yet to clear the pollution zone. Besides that, I'm pleased with the outcome. After setting the meter to spot, I set the ISO to 200, focused on the center of the moon, and snapped. It had a slight orange cast to it, so I converted it to black and white.

Tonight's moon should be closer and bigger. I'm looking forward to practicing more night shots!

A Few Photo Tips

People often compliment my pictures, and in doing so, usually tell me they can't take "that type" of photo. I tell them they can. Though my skill is far better than it was five years ago, I'm still miles away from producing professional images. I learned from others, mainly members of my hiking group, and am still attempting to glean information from photography books that usually soar over my head.

Yet I continue to receive compliments for photos I post on Facebook, and on Carolina Towns and Trails. Some organizations have sought permission to use them on their websites and brochures.

So how do I do it? I'm really good at taking advice. Below are the tips I've been given or have learned over the years.

Light

As with creation, light is the first and most important element ("Let there be light"!) You can't take a photo without it. However, too much light can ruin a photo. The pros say don't take pictures between 10:00 and 3:00 because bright sun bleaches out colors. The best light occurs around sunrise and before sunset. During that time, details are visible, and colors are at their best.

However....we rarely leave the house before 9:00 AM, so we end up taking shots in the middle of the day. If it's a bright sunny day, I use the automatic, or sport setting on my camera (which forces a faster shutter speed) to compensate.

Camera

While better cameras—and lenses—do produce better photos, we've taken several decent shots with our point-and-shoot. Some of the photos posted in the slideshow to the right, and on Carolina Towns and Trails, were taken with a 5 mp Canon Powershot. That said, learn what each auto setting does. I often use the night mode, landscape, and macro settings.

Composition

Learn and use the Rule of Thirds. The best article I've read (that I understood) is on Wikipedia:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rule_of_thirds

Below is a photo I recently took in Beaufort, NC. If you read the Wiki article, you'll notice I utilized the Rule of Thirds in my composition:

On the subject of composition, as with any art, emulate the pros until your style begins to emerge. As a member of a hiking group that contains numerous stellar photographers—most of whom consider themselves hobbyist—I'm exposed to fantastic galleries on a weekly, sometimes daily basis. I not only look at their photos, I pay attention to the advice they give, even if I don't yet understand what the heck they're talking about.

Study good photos. Notice their subjects, lighting, compositions, perspectives, lines (especially curved and diagonals), etc. Copy them.

Setup

The pros say use a tripod, a timer, and carefully set up your shot, using as much time and as many photos as it takes to get the good one.

However....While I do sometimes use a tripod and timer, my husband and I (especially "I") lack patience. If I see something I like, I whip out the camera, snap off a couple of shots, and leave. No photo blinds, no sitting for a half hour or more waiting for the perfect light to appear (or disappear) or a bird to land. That is, perhaps, why photos taken by fellow hiking group members are far better. For us, Shoot-and-Runs work.

I should mention, to minimize blurring when not using a tripod, my husband taught me press the button as I exhale, and not to jerk my finger away after the shutter clicks. Follow through.

Special photos such as the waterfall shot above use special settings. Search the web before you leave the house. Before our waterfall trip, I read Kevin Adam's instructions in his North Carolina Waterfalls book. It made a difference.

Post Processing

I don't own PhotoShop, so I can't dress up a photo after it's taken, or fix mistakes. I do tweak photos a bit after I download them though, using Microsoft Office Picture Manager. I'll rotate crooked shots, adjust contrast to eliminate gray casts muting the photo, or crop to get the shot I was aiming for (note, this can change photo size and resolution). At times, I'll have to play with color. See the waterfall shot above? Below is how it looked minutes before I posted that:

Just make sure you practice on a copy, not the original.

And that's how I take the photos you see on this blog, and on Carolina Towns and Trails. It's all trial and error, learned over the course of five years. Learned from others. Practiced until I got what I wanted. I'm confident if you're willing to put a little effort into it, you can do it as well.