'Point and shoot' outdoor photography will save those special moments forever

If a camera is not part of your outdoor gear, it should be. In the years before "point and shoot" cameras, casual outdoor photography was kind of a hassle. Cameras were heavy and bulky. It's different today.The marketplace is filled with excellent "point and shoot" cameras which will give good results over the wide range of conditions an outdoor photographer encounters. For several years, I carried two. One for color prints and one for slides. Each fit into a shirt pocket with the straps around my necks and all of my outdoors shirts had two pockets in front.For the past couple of years, I've only been carrying one camera. That is a digital point and shoot with a zoom lens. It is even smaller and more compact than my film cameras and can handle about 90 percent of my outdoor photography needs.Capturing good photos in the outdoors is not difficult. Rule number one is to be familiar with your camera's operations. This will require some time and some practice. Digital cameras are great for this because you do not have to the expense of processing the film to determine your success. The pictures can be reviewed right on your camera or on your computer if you prefer, then they can be erased.Your camera's function should be so familiar you do not have to stop in the field and try to figure out how to execute the fill flash or how to operate the zoom.Most of the time when photographing subjects outdoors you will be dealing with sunlight. That can be good or bad. It's usually bad if your subject is facing away from the sun and towards you. The camera will "read" the bright light and underexpose the subject. Even a fill flash may not remedy this situation.If possible subjects should be facing into the sun or at an angle to it.This poses another possible problem. If the subject is wearing a cap, and most outdoorsmen do, the shadow from the cap's brim will shield the face. There are two solutions here. One is to ask the subject to tip back his cap so the shadow doesn't cover his face. The other is to use the fill flash.Both have limitations. Tipping the cap back will cause the subject to squint and perhaps look like his eyes are shut. A fill flash is best in most situations involving sunlight this bright. However, there's a limit to the effect of your fill flash and you will have to determine this with practice. The fill flash may not have any effect if the subject is 10 feet away from the camera. It all depends on how powerful your flash is and on most point and shoots, the flash is pretty weak. It's a real shortcoming on these cameras as I see it. So, move in close.A lot of us wear dark glasses in the outdoors. A subject wearing dark glasses makes a poor photo. Ask them to remove those dark glasses before you shoot.A lot of outdoor photographs involve a subject holding a fish they just caught or with game they have just bagged. Here are some tips to make better pictures.It always amazes me how few people know how to hold a fish for a photograph. For fish without sharp teeth like largemouth bass, hold them between the thumb and forefinger by the lower lip on the side closest to your body. Turn the fish sidewise to the camera so its full profile will be exhibited. If you have to support it with your other hand, do so with your hand behind the anal fin.You want as little of your hand and fingers in the photograph as possible.Most fish look very good displayed in this manner in a mostly vertical position. Larger fish can be held at a 45-degree angle across the subject's body with the lower hand giving support behind the anal fin. Toothy fish such as northern pike or walleyes, can be held by inserting your fingers carefully behind the gill plate.The fish should be held high with one hand, if possible and try to get the fish higher than eye level of the subject. The subject's other hand should hold his fishing rod and reel which will round out the photograph.Ask the subject to look at the fish for one photo and at the camera for another. Then you can chose the best later.When shooting hunters with game, the same principles apply, especially with small game or upland birds, ducks and geese. When it comes to big game, there's nothing that ruins a good photograph more than a bloody tongue hanging out of the animal's mouth. Take some time to tuck the tongue back in and clean the blood off the animal before taking the photograph.With a little work ahead of time, and carefully following these suggestions the highlights of your outdoor year can be recorded in photographs which you and your family will treasure for years to come.
Thanks to Larry Myhre at http://www.siouxcityjournal.com/

********************
http://www.ct-graphics.com/seasons/christmas-ornament-2504.html
http://www.ct-graphics.com/people/mystery-spot-2505.html

********************


Art lovers who liked this also liked:
mothers art
mothers canvas prints
mothers framed prints
mothers acrylic prints
mothers metal prints
mothers prints
mothers posters
mothers greeting cards
mothers photos

whitetail art
whitetail canvas prints
whitetail framed prints
whitetail acrylic prints
whitetail metal prints
whitetail prints
whitetail posters
whitetail greeting cards
whitetail photos

mother and child art
mother and child canvas prints
mother and child framed prints
mother and child acrylic prints
mother and child prints
mother and child posters
mother and child greeting cards
mother and child photos