Michigan Nature 101: Woodpeckers Drumming, First Signs of Spring One of the very first signs of spring in my neck-of-the-woods is the sound of woodpeckers drumming. Why Do Woodpeckers Drum? Unlike other songbirds, woodpeckers do not have a distinctive song as part of their avian vocabulary. Instead, drumming is the way the birds communicate, and woodpeckers [...]
birds, Mark S. Carlson, nature photography tips, Seasonal Photography, Spring
More camera gear is NOT the answer! Camera Equipment Review: Too Much Gear. I ran across this in a recent equipment review: “But a lens alone is nothing special, every once in awhile we see a wide aperture compact. The (camera model) goes to f/2, and the new (other camera) can manage f/1.4. The difference [...]
Bob Grzesiak, camera equipment review, camera gear, nature photography tips
Autumn sun provides for dramatic photos. Nature Photography Tips: Autumn often yields dramatic lighting situations for photography. When the sun is at it’s very lowest angle, like just after sunrise or just before sunset, a heavily clouded day can become special. The light seems to be more intense coming across the landscape beneath an otherwise [...]
autumn, light, Mark S. Carlson, nature photography tips
The more you know about your subject – the better your photos will be! Nature Photography Tips from Mark S. Carlson: By being aware, scouting and observing potential subject matter, you ‘set yourself up’ for capturing better nature photographs. One easy subject that many nature photographers have readily available is their own flower garden or local [...]
Mark S. Carlson, nature photography tips
Featured Alumni Photo of a Trout Lilly. Featured Alumni Photo: We enjoyed a beautiful sunny day in May during our DeVries Nature Conservancy Eco~Photo Excursion in Owosso, Michigan. Participants focused their camera’s and attention on the myriad of spring blooms, from ornamental trees to carpets of woodland wildflowers. Participant Cathy Jones shared some of her trophy [...]
Cathy Jones, featured alumni photo, Mark S. Carlson, nature photography tips, wildflowers
It’s not the sunset itself that is offers the best subject matter. Nature Photography Tips from Mark S. Carlson: Often times the best sunset photos are made right after sunset, especially if it’s partly cloudy. Why? Because the light can be very dramatic and with a body of water for reflection plus a few clouds reflecting [...]
Lake Stella, Mark S. Carlson, nature photography tips, sunsets, Upper Peninsula
Spring wildflowers love the bright light and full sunshine. Nature Photography Tips from Mark S. Carlson: The majority of early spring wildflowers respond and open during bright sunshine. Sometimes good photos can be captured during such lighting conditions, but for the most part, bright overcast light would be more desirable. The image of a Round-lobed Hepatica [...]
Mark S. Carlson, nature photography tips, Seasonal Photography, Spring, wildflowers
Photographing into the sun to create a star effect. Nature Photography Tips from Mark S. Carlson: Usually photographers refrain from looking towards and including the mid-day sun in their photograph. Unless they over-ride their meter’s mechanical instincts to ‘close down’ or ‘under expose’ the scene, they have good reason to avoid such situations. However, every [...]
Mark S. Carlson, nature photography tips, photographing the sun, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, winter photography
White snow and winter scenes can be tricky to photograph. Nature Photography Tips from Mark S. Carlson: When photographing winter scenes and the white snow is the dominate element in the picture, getting the proper exposure can be tricky. Often times, your automatic exposure setting will under expose or darken the snow too much to [...]
Mark S. Carlson, nature photography tips, snow, winter photography