Scott's Photography Tips

Reverse Lens Macro

admin — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 18:55:23 +0000

Reverse lens macro refers to turning your camera lens in the opposite direction against the camera body, creating a cheap but limited macro lens. I recently purchased a macro reverse ring on amazon for my Canon 7D and 50mm 1.8 lens. The macro reverse ring is made to attach to the front of the lens where you would usually attach a filter.

Key Points to Remember with Reverse Lens Macro –

1. The Macro Reverse Ring comes in different sizes depending on the size filter your lens takes. (The Canon 50mm 1.8 = 52mm)
2. There will be no auto focus when the lens is attached in reverse. The only way you can focus is by moving the camera body closer or further away from the subject.
3. You can not adjust he aperture when the lens is attached in reverse.

Overall reverse lens macro is a cheap but limited way to get into Macro Photography.

Simple Adobe Photoshop Tip – White Background with Brush Tool

admin — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 17:14:50 +0000

You do not have to be a pro to take advantage of Adobe Photoshop.You can often make simple adjustments resulting in dramatic changes. In this example we started with a photograph of a baby captured on a couch with a white blanket. This photo lends itself perfectly to eliminating the background which results in a solid white background. The only tool that is needed is the Brush Tool. With the white color selected, simply brush out the entire background. Zoom in and out adjusting the brush size as needed. The end photo has the appearance of being taken in a studio with a white background. Not bad for a photo captured with only a Canon 430ex II flash attached to a Canon 7D.

Before –

After using the Brush Tool in Adobe Photoshop-

Canon 7D and 400mm 5.6L Picture Video

admin — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 00:03:31 +0000

Below you will find a video I created by compiling a number of my favorite wildlife photographs captured with a Canon EOS 7D and Canon 400mm 5.6L. The Canon 7D and 400mm 5.6L is an amazing combo. It is great for hiking and capturing various forms of wildlife. The Canon 400mm 5.6L is not a heavy lens allowing me to hike all day with no problem.

Canon 7D and Canon 400mm 5.6L Lens Wildlife Photographs -

Canon 430EX II Bounce Flash

admin — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 17:05:18 +0000

An external flash gives you the ability to bounce the flash, reducing the harsh light created when aiming the flash directly at your subject. In this video you will see how the Canon 430ex II external flash allows you to bounce the flash in many different directions.

Canon 430EX II Bouncing Flash -

Deleting Pictures from your Canon 7D

admin — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 05:04:05 +0000

There are several ways you can delete pictures from your Canon 7D. This video tutorial outlines the simple process of deleting images off your 7D’s memory card.

Deleting pictures from your Canon 7D-

Burrowing Owl Video with Canon 7D

admin — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 05:54:53 +0000

This Burrowing Owl video includes video and photographs captured with my Canon 7D and Canon 400mm 5.6L lens.

Burrowing Owl Video -

Burrowing Owl Pictures Winter 2011

admin — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 02:40:43 +0000

It has been months since I have had time to photograph the local wildlife, but this weekend I found time to visit the burrowing owls which our back for the winter months. I was still unsuccessful in capturing a decent in-flight photo but walked away with several keepers.

Burrowing Owl Photographs – Canon 7D / Canon 400mm 5.6L / Canon 430EX II Flash / Back Button Focus

Burrowing Owl Facing Backwards -

Burrowing Owl Near RR Tracks -

Burrowing Owl on Wire Fence

Burrowing Owl Ground Level -

Burrowing Owl Side -

Burrowing Owl on Ground -

Burrowing Owl on Fence Post-

Tamrac 5588 Expedition 8x Camera Bag Review

admin — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 23:20:30 +0000

Let me start off by saying that the Tamrac 5588 Expedition 8x is an extremely large camera backpack. In fact, it is Tamrac’s largest camera pack. There is enough storage to fit a ton of camera gear. You will find storage in the main compartment, front flap, computer pocket and the two wing accessory pockets. Accessories can also be attached to the side.

I am impressed by the Tamrac 5588 Expedition 8x build quality. It’s is built to last!

TAMRAC 5588 EXPEDITION 8X Picture Review –

Tamrac 5588 Expedition 8x Open – There is a ton of room in the main compartment with endless arrangement options. You will also find more storage in the front flap.

TAMRAC 5588 EXPEDITION 8X Front – The front of the bag includes two wing pockets and tripod storage.

TAMRAC 5588 EXPEDITION 8X Front with wing pockets open

TAMRAC 5588 EXPEDITION 8X Side View – Accessories can be added to the side of the Tamrac 5588 for even more storage.

TAMRAC 5588 EXPEDITION 8X Top with Laptop storage area opened.

TAMRAC 5588 EXPEDITION 8X Back – The back of the Tamrac 5588 has plenty of padding for those long hikes.

TAMRAC 5588 Expedition 8X Front close up

TAMRAC 5588 EXPEDITION 8X Main Compartment – That is a Canon 400mm 5.6L lens inside the Tamrac 5588 to help you judge the size of this bag.

TAMRAC 5588 EXPEDITION 8X front flap

TAMRAC 5588 EXPEDITION 8X main zipper close up

One of the main challenges you are going to face with the Tamrac 5588 Expedition 8X is finding enough gear to fill the backpack, but it will be fun to try.

Sunset Photography

admin — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 17:31:52 +0000

It’s hard to beat a great sunset picture. It is no secret that sunset pictures are beautiful and can be very powerful images. If you have every tried to capture the sun setting you know that there is more to it than just snapping the picture. Photographing sunsets can be challenging. The light is constantly changing and your time is limited.

Sunset Photography Tips –

Sunset Photography Tip #1 - Plan!

When photographing a sunset it is important that you plan out all your actions in advance. The shot you are attempting to capture might only last several seconds, and if everything is not lined up perfectly you very well might miss the shot. Also, make sure you are setup before the sun begins to set. The light changes every second, and it is crucial that you are already setup.

Sunset Photography Tip #2 – Continue to shoot after the sun goes down

When the sun drops below the horizon it is not time to pack it up. The light continues to change and can yield some amazing photographs.

Sunset Photography Tip #3 – Use a tripod

A tripod allows you to frame your shot before the sunset, ensuring that you are ready when the light is right. A tripod also allows you to shoot at a longer exposure and not worry about camera shake.

Sunset Photography Tip #4- Play with the exposure

As mentioned above, the light is constantly changing as the sun sets; therefore, you will need to adjust your exposure to the changing light. It is important to know your camera’s shortcuts to adjusting the exposure. This allows you to limit your time adjusting the settings and spend more time snapping photos.

Sunset Photography Tip #5 - Clouds

As the sun sets the clouds that were once white can suddenly start to glow beautiful reds and oranges making for a beautiful sunset photograph.

Sunset Photography Tip #6 – Post processing

If you are not using a filter on your lens often times you can end up with beautiful sunset images, but the foreground is too dark to show any real detail. This loss of detail can be adjusted in post processing to help bring some of the details back. Sunset photography post processing.

Backyard Hummingbird with Back Button Focus

admin — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 17:15:45 +0000

I spent a few minutes outside this morning capturing hummingbird photos. I setup with my tripod and gimbal head and located the hummingbird in the tree. Due to the shade the tree was casting on the bird, I used a Canon Speedlite 430EX II external flash to add fill light. Using back button focus allowed me to focus on the hummingbird on the branch and then sit back and press the shutter each time I saw movement. I was not worried about the camera focusing on the background, which was a common problem when the focus button was the same as the shutter release.

Canon 7D / Canon 400mm 5.6L / Canon Speedlite 430EX II / Back Button Focus

HDR Photos Created Using Photomatix

admin — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 18:34:15 +0000

Photomatix is software that is designed to create HDR photographs. The following photos were created using Photomatrix which combines a number of photographs taken at different exposures and generates one HDR image. When creating your final HDR photo you have the ability to adjust the shot to meet your desired outcome. You will notice that some HDR images look realistic while others look like a painting rather than a photograph.

HDR pictures created in Photomatix -

Expect the Unexpected

admin — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 00:33:01 +0000

It is important to keep an open mind when you’re on a photo shoot. There are often unexpected opportunities which can result in great photographs if you are prepared. On numerous occasions I went out to photograph a specific animal and ended up spending most of my time on a different subject. As with other things in life, we can get so caught up in the finish line or end product that we often miss what is right in front of us. If you go out and only focus on one thing you can end up with tunnel vision and miss other fantastic photo opportunities.

A while back I went out to photograph the local Wood Ducks and ended up capturing a Cormorant on a successful fishing trip. In the past I tried to capture the Cormorant in action with little success. However, this time ended up being successful when my intent was really Wood Ducks.

I also recently went to photograph the local Red Tail Hawks and ended up spending most of my time photographing a dragonfly on a line of barbed wire. On another trip where I was photographing Burrowing Owls, I came a across a 3 legged coyote. You never know what you are going to come across, and it is important to be ready!

Rusty Goldendoodle Pictures

admin — Sat, 30 Jul 2011 22:12:56 +0000

We rarely let Rusty our Goldendoodle (part Golden Retriever, part Poodle) bring his tennis ball inside, but when we do he enjoys every minute of it. I decided to grab my camera today and snap a few photos while he played with his tennis ball.

Goldendoodle Pictures – Canon 7D / Tamron 17-50mm 2.8 / Canon 430EX II Speedlite

Goldendoodle eying tennis ball -

Goldendoodle black and white picture -

Goldendoodle laying with ball -

Goldendoodle eying tennis ball (Part 2)

Fill Flash Explained

admin — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 22:43:10 +0000

Fill flash refers to using the flash as secondary light source. Photographers often use fill flash outdoors to reduce shadows or brighten up a subject/object. Fill flash is also used when subjects are lit from behind, causing shadows on the subject. When using a flash at night, the flash is the main source of light. But when using fill flash, there is main source of light other than the flash, often the sun or bright lights.

As you can see from the picture below, the fill flash reduced the shadows on the barbed wire and added a small amount of light to the dragonfly. The sun was directly at my back and was the primary light source, but the fill flash added just enough light to enhance the photograph.

Fill flash with Canon 7D and Canon Speedlite 430EX II -

No fill flash -

When using a fill flash you often reduce the flash’s power. A camera’s flash can be adjusted either in the camera’s menu or directly on an external flash. On my Canon 7D and Speed 430Ex II you can adjust the flash exposure compensation in 1/3 stop increments. It is important to reduce the flash’s power because the flash in not the main source of light, and you do not want to overpower the shot with light from your flash.

Wildlife photographers also use fill flash to improve the lighting on their subject. Shadows are often in the wildlife’s eyes, but a fill flash can make the eyes pop and help improve the subject’s details. Distance to the subject becomes a problem when photographing wildlife. The wildlife is often outside of the flash’s range, but there is a solution. There is a product called a Better Beamer which attaches to your external flash and improves the range

Mpix Sale – 50% off 8×10 Prints

admin — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 22:15:20 +0000

Mpix is currently running 8×10 prints at 50% off. I have printed using Mpix.com in the past, and have been very happy with the results!

Date – July 25 (Sale runs through July 27)

Promo Code- Summerphotos

Sale Prices – (E-surface prints – $.99) (Metallic and True B&W prints – $1.24)

Visit- Mpix