Notes To My Mother

What follows pertains getting sharp images in landscape photography not sports or action photography. These steps will apply any time you are shooting on a tripod, and from my view that applies to almost every time you are shooting a landscape. Coulter Bay, Jackson Lake                   Use a Tripod The first guideline is to use a tripod. Not just any tripod, but one that is sturdy enough to hold your camera steady in whatever conditions you plan to shoot. If you will have the legs of your tripod in moving water, or if it is windy, the sturdiness of the tripod becomes very important. Also, if you are using a long lens (powerful magnification) the need for a steady tripod increases. To test this out, put your camera with a long lens in live view and zoom in as far as you can and watch the screen. Now reach up and press the shutter release button.  Watch to see if there is movement. I was amazed at how sensitive my 400mm l...

In the northwest corner of the State of California there is a little town called Trinidad. It is a sweet little place perched on a hillside overlooking the Pacific Ocean. A short squat red and white lighthouse next to the road on the southern edge of the town looks over the boats moored far below by the pier that juts out into a protected cove. The view from here is toward the south and it is expansive. Venturing around the town to the northwest side you will find a sweet little beach with some very nice views. The easiest way to access this beach is through Trinidad Beach State Park where you can easily access a trail that winds back and forth down to the beach. As with so many sites I visit I first discovered this one on the internet where I found an exquisite image taken by Patrick Smith. It was a time delayed shot taken with the aide of a ten-stop neutral density filter and the colors and textures were wonderful. I wanted the experience of shooting a similar shot, so on my w...