Phototips Page

Phototips
Back and Side Lighting Techniques

Bracketing Shots

Calibrate Your Monitor

Close-Up Techniques

Creating Special Effects With Water

Fill-Flash Techniques
Hyperfocal Distance Chart and Instructions

Light and Shadow: Creating Interest & Emotion

Light Meters: In-Camera Meters

Light Meters: Hand-Held Meters

Exposing Snow and Other Bright Subjects

Photographing Flowers

Photoshop: Cropping an Image

Photoshop: Making a Digital Composite

Photoshop: Preparing PhotoCD Images for Web Publication

Preconceptualized Images

Shooting Sunrises and Sunsets

Spot Metering Techniques

Take Better Wedding Photos

© 2000 Ed Morris. All Rights Reserved.

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 Photo Destinations

Back and Side Lighting Techniques

This image illustrates the use of backlighting to create an a more exciting image. Proper
exposure for side and backlighting is not that difficult to determine. If you start with the
Sunny 16 Rule, which states that an average subject in direct sun light is properly exposed at a lens setting of f/16 and a shutter speed of 1/ISO,
open up one extra stop for sidelit subjects and two stops for backlit subjects. For example, if you are using 100 ISO film, the proper exposure for an
average subject in direct sunlight would be f/16 at 1/125 (the closest setting to 100). For a subject lit from the side, shoot at f/16 and 1/60, and for a
subject lit from the back, at f/16 and 1/30.
When using your camera's meter, you have to make some decisions about how you want the final image to look. Are you going to include any
portion of the light source (the sky) in your image? Do you want to emphasize the colors of the sky, or do you want to capture the glow of the light
on your subject? Your final goal determines how you adjust your exposure. If you simply want your subject to be a silhouette and your goal is to
capture the colors of the light in the sky, then meter the sky (not the sun), and it will be reproduced as a midtone and darker areas of the image will
be rendered as silhouettes.
For the picture above, and the one at right, I had different goals. I wanted to capture the halo of light around the cholla, and the golden glow of the
backlighted grass growing between the dark volcanic rocks above. For these images, it was
necessary to adjust exposure to retain detail in the subject, while not overexposing the
highlights.
There are several ways to meter either of these pictures and obtain the final results you see,
depending on the type of meters you have available to you. A hand-held incident meter,
pointed toward the camera, from the subject position, should provide correct exposure. With a
center-weighted meter, you will have to find either an area of the subject, or a nearby midtone
object in the same light, and meter. If you can't find a mid-tone object, use a gray card or
meter on the palm of your hand and open up one stop. With an in-camera spot meter, find a
midtone and meter on it. What about matrix metering? With today's multi-segmented
metering systems, they will often handle sidelit pictures, and in some cases, backlit pictures.
It's important to know how your meter interprets scenes like these, and this can only be
learned by trial and error. With any of the metering techniques discussed here, it's wise to bracket liberally.

For more information, click on these related photo tips:

In-Camera Meters

Hand-held Meters

Spot Metering

Shooting Sunrises and Sunsets

© 2000 Ed Morris. All Rights Reserved.

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 Bracketing Exposures

Bracketing Exposures
#1,Correctly Exposed
#2,Overexposed
#3,Underexposed

If you shoot color print film, bracketing is probably not necessary. But if you shoot slide film, it has such a narrow tolerance for exposure errors,
that it is a good idea to take several shots of your composition at the exposure recommended by your meter, and then take several more images at
higher and lower exposure settings--"bracketing" your primary exposure to be safe.
For example, the recommended exposure for the photo of the barn above (#1) was f/16 and 1/60th of a second. To bracket, you would also take a
second shot at f/16 and 1/125th of a second (#2), and a third shot at f/16 and 1/30th of a second (#3). Why not leave the shutter speed at 1/60th and
reshoot at f/8 and f/22? You could, but in outdoor photography, you usually want to maintain depth of field, and decreasing the f/ stop will affect
depth of field. You also stand a good chance of moving the focusing ring as you change f/stops, and could end up with an out-of-focus picture.
With today's sophisticated in-camera systems, you will have a higher percentage of pictures that are on the mark at the recommended exposure, as
in the three examples above. And sometimes it seems a waste of film and money to bracket. But there are three good reasons to bracket anyway.
First is for insurance. If this is the shot of a lifetime, why take a chance on a poorly exposed image? Second, your camera's meter will get fooled
now and then. No meter, no matter how expensive the camera, can handle every lighting situation. Third, technically correct exposure does not
always produce the best image. Sometimes one of the bracketed shots is a better shot from a creative point-of-view, especially when bracketing at
1/3 or 1/2 stops instead of full stops. When you compare your slides on the light table, you may find that you prefer a slide that is not at the
"recommended" exposure.
For more precise bracketing, you can use the exposure compensation control on your camera, if it has one, to bracket in 1/3 or 1/2 stops. Some
cameras also have optional multi-function backs that allow bracketing in smaller increments, and some cameras even come with on-board
bracketing options that allow you to select a specific bracketing program.
Bracketing is a good practice that increases your chances of having a good shot when using slide film. It is not unusual for one of your bracketed
shots to actually be a better image than the recommended exposure.

© 2000 Ed Morris. All Rights Reserved.

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 Calibrate Monitor

Optimize Your Monitor for Web Viewing

Images you view on this web site and other photo sites should normally be sharp, contrasty, and display a full range of colors, without blown out
highlights and murky shadow areas. If images don't sparkle, your monitor may need tweaking. This page will help you optimize your brightness
and contrast settings to get the most of of the images displayed on the web.

Adjust Brightness and Contrast

When your monitor is properly adjusted, you will see 11 distinct zones in the image below, from pure black to pure white. If you do not see all 11
zones, use your monitors contrast and brightness controls to make any necessary adjustments.

Set White Point

The grayscale below presents 24 shades of gray from pure white to solid black. The pure white block at the far left should merge with the pure
white bar along the top, while the second block of very light gray should display a bit darker than pure white. The solid black block at the far right
should merge with the solid black bar along the bottom, while the block just to the left should display a bit lighter than solid black.

In the 2x2 table below, are four colors. One should be absolute black. Nothing on your monitor should be darker than the black square. Look at the
black border around your monitor. It should be as black as this square. Next check the white square. Nothing should be lighter than it. The gray
boxes and the white box should have no tints of other colors in them. No pink or blue!

Examine the graph below. Under the 0% column, there should be NO color, just plain bright white. If it is gray or dingy or has a color cast, adjust
your monitor until that area is plain white. Under the 100% column, the colors should be recognizable should be recognizable process colors with a
full rich representation. If they appear washed out, your monitor is probably set too bright.
The best way to set this is to adjust your gamma curve up or down until the 10% shade difference between the 90% bars and the 100% bars can just
be seen. If you adjust it too dark, you will not be able to see a difference between 90% and 100%. As you lighten them up, just at the moment you
start to see the difference between the 90% bars and the 100% bards, STOP. The cyan bar will always appear correct first, but keep going until you
start to see the 90% tint in the magenta and black bars as well. The yellow bar may never come in correctly, but don't worry about it. The magenta
and black bars are the most important. Once your white point is set and your tint bars look correct, you should be ready to view the images on this
and other sites, with the assurance you are seeing them as the photographer intended them to be seen.

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 Calibrate Monitor

Refer to your monitor's instructions for adjusting contrast, brightness, and setting gamma values. Most any monitor should have brightness and
contrast controls, either adjustable wheels or buttons that allow up or down increments to be made. Gamma is probably set by selecting a color
temperature value. If your monitor permits this, start with a white point value of 6500K (degrees Kelvin).

Thanks to Spyros Agrianitis of Athens, Greece, for permission to use his monitor calibration graphics and text. Visit his superb
photography site at www.geocities.com/SouthBeach/5638/

© 2000 Ed Morris. All Rights Reserved.

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 Macro Photography

Close-Up Techniques
There are three ways to get close-up shots. Of course, you can always simply zoom in with
your telephoto lens and isolate the subject. But if you need to get really close, you'll need to
use something more, for example, (1) add extension between your camera and lens, (2), add
another lens to the lens on your camera, or (3), use a combination of both. I use method 3 in
its simplest form. But first, lets take a quick look at each of the first two methods.
Method #1: Any lens you own will focus closer if you can add space between it and your
camera. You can do this several ways.
Macro lenses have built-in extension that will let you take close-ups up to lifesize (1:1 or 1x)
without any extra accessories. These lenses are more expensive that normal lenses, though,
and unless you plan to do a lot of close-up photography, you can do just as well with other
means.
Bellows are excellent and can be used with many lenses, but are very expensive and not very easy to use. You also lose a lot of functionality
because a bellows seldom preserves any of your camera's auto functions such as diaphragms, autofocus, or, in some cases, certain exposure modes.
They are also awkward to use in the field.
Extension tubes are cheaper, more practical, and usually retain most functions of your camera body. Add a 25mm extension tube to a 50mm
macro lens and you can take lifesize pictures (you'll need to add 50mm of extension to a normal 50mm lens. Thanks to David Jacobson for pointing
this out). There are formulas to determine how much extension you need for other lenses for different magnifications. Check the resources
recommended at the end of this article.
Another way to get extension is to use a teleconverter. Teleconverters come in different sizes, the most common being 1.4x, and 2x. They are
more expensive than tubes because they have optics, but they are more versatile. Besides being useful for close-up work, a 1.4x converter turns a
200mm telephoto lens into a 280mm lens, and a 2x converter makes it a 400mm lens. The price you pay is a loss of lens speed, a full stop for a 1.4x
and two stops for a 2x. So an f/4 200mm lens becomes a f/5.6 280mm lens with a 1.4x converter attached.
However, I find this a simple way to get some extension without carrying a lot of extra junk in my camera pack, and I use it just as often for
increasing the focal length of my telephoto lenses for those distant landscapes. If you purchase a teleconverter, buy one matched for your telephoto
if possible, or a high quality one from a good lens manufacturer.
Method #2: Adding lenses to your existing lens. Many pros and advanced amateurs use a reversing ring to attach a lens backwards to the camera
body. This increases magnification by changing the optical path. A variation is to use the reversing ring to add another shorter lens to the first lens.
I haven't tried either of these methods, but they are commonly used and produce excellent results.
Another technique is to add close-up lenses or attachments . These supplementary lenses are fairly cheap and are measured in diopters and can be
stacked on the end of your regular lens for close-up work. They are seldom recommended because the results are usually poor.
There is an exception, however. You can use Nikon's telephoto close-up attachments on any manufacturers lenses, and the quality is excellent.
These close-up lenses are two-element, corrected optical filters designed for telephoto lenses. There is no light loss with these filters. The 3T (1.5
diopter) and 4T (3.0 diopter) are threaded for 52mm, and the 5T and 6T (1.5 and 3.0 diopters) fit 62mm threads. Put a 4T on a 200mm lens, for
example, and you can go from 1.2x to 1.7x.
Method #3: You can combine one or more of the techniques above to meet your close-up photography needs. My technique for close-up
photography is simple and low-tech. I use one of the Nikon close-up attachments with or without a teleconverter. I use a 3T with a 35-105mm AF
lens and the 6T with a 75-300mm AF lens. I don't have to carry a lot of charts or remember to compensate for light loss. The camera takes care of
most of the technical details. I can concentrate on the picture. I start with the close-up lens because full functionality of the camera is retained.
Autofocus and multi-segmented metering are available. The daisy at left, for example, was taken with a Nikon
3T close-up attachment on a 35-105mm AF Nikkor mounted on a N90. The film was Velvia.
If I need more magnification, then I add a 1.4x teleconverter. I lose autofocus and matrix metering with the
teleconverter, which is not a problem if I'm shooting a flower, but is a problem if I'm chasing a butterfly from
bloom to bloom. Bugs don't hang around one place long enough for critical focusing or metering.

If you want to delve into this subject in more detail, or want to learn how to calculate reproduction ratios
and other useful things, I'd recommend Close-Up Photography, the KODAK Workshop Series, or The
Nature Photographer's Complete Guide to Professional Field Techniques by John Shaw.

© 2000 Ed Morris. All Rights Reserved.

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 Photographing Water

Creating Special Effects with Flowing Water

Photographing moving water is a lot of fun because many different effects can be achieved depending on the shutter speed
selected. Set exposure using a fast shutter speed, and the water will be frozen in time. Spray and foam will be rendered in
sharp detail. Use a slow shutter speed, and the water takes on a moody, ethereal quality. The right exposure depends on the
effect you are looking for. In this picture, I wanted the water to appear moving, and I like the tranquil mood the blurred water
evokes.
Wide angles lenses are probably more useful for shooting waterfalls, although a telephoto may sometimes be useful. Generally though, you'll
probably use 35, 28, and 24mm lenses most often. Later on, you'll learn that slow shutter speeds are essential for creating the sense of water in
motion. This means that you MUST use a tripod when shooting waterfalls. A solid tripod and shutter release will make the difference between
success and failure in your waterfall pictures.
Shutter speeds of 1/4 second to one or two seconds will create an effect similar to what you see here. The slower the exposure, the more blurred the
water. Adjust exposure to try several different shutter speeds to see which you like best.
Some care should be taken when setting exposure. In this photograph here, there is enough medium toned subject that a center weighted or
multi-segmented meter should give a good reading. But if white water predominates in your picture, then the same precautions as for snow or other
bright subjects should be taken.

© 2000 Ed Morris. All Rights Reserved.

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 Photo Destinations

Fill-flash in Nature Photography

There are many cameras on the market today with flash systems capable of producing balanced fill-flash
photographs in ambient light. Using fill-flash can produce professional looking results. There are many uses for
fill-flash in the field. Since outdoor light is often harsh and contrasty, fill-flash can keep shadows from going
black, especially with transparency film. It can also bring out the brillance of foreground subjects such as
flowers, animals, or even people that might otherwise blend in with the background under ambient lighting
conditions.
Cameras with Automatic Fill-flash
If you are fortunate enough to have a camera system that provides automatic balanced fill-flash, then you only
have to attach your flash to your unit and fire away. There are some accessories that are handy for nature
photography such as off-camera flash synch cords and flash brackets that are designed for close-up nature work.
If you plan to do a lot of close up work of flowers and insects, these are worthwhile investments.

Cameras Without Automatic Fill-flash

You can still use fill-flash if you don't have a camera with a built-in program for it. An older camera with TTL
flash metering can be fooled into balancing flash with ambient light. If you have a dedicated unit, connect it to
your camera, then, in the manual exposure mode, set your exposure for the ambient light. Then reset the ISO to
a higher setting. The camera, thinking you have a faster film, will direct the flash to put out less light. The flash will be more closely balanced with
the ambient light. A one stop increase in speed will reduce flash exposure by one stop. A two stop increase will reduce it by two stops. Resetting
the ISO somewhere between one and two stops higher will give the best results for nature photography.
Let's take an example: You want to use fill-flash to fill in the shadows of some foreground flowers in an outdoor landscape. Your ambient light
setting is 1/125 at f/16. You are shooting with ISO 100 film. Connect your flash and increase the ISO setting to 200, 320, or 400. The higher the
setting, the more subtle the effect. 320 will probably be the best setting. And remember to reset the ISO to your original setting (100 in this
example) before adjusting the ambient light exposure! Also make sure that your shutter speed is within the synch range for your camera. Older
cameras usually synch up to 1/60 or 1/125 of a second; some as high as 1/250th of a second.
Really Old (But Great) Cameras With Automatic Flash
Another method I have read about, but haven't tried, may work with a camera without a
dedicated flash or TTL, if you have an auto flash unit with two auto programs. Many
inexpensive non-dedicated flash units have a flash sensor that automatically controls the
amount of flash. To use these units, you set the ISO of your film on the flash unit, and then
select one of the auto programs. Two are frequently offered, such as f/4 and f/8. Here's how
you do it: Set your camera lens to f/8 (or the f/stop that matches the higher of your flash's auto
programs) and set the shutter speed for the proper ambient light exposure. Make sure you are
within your flash unit's synch range. Then select the f/4 program on your unit. Since the unit
now thinks you are shooting at a larger aperture, it will put out less light. You should get
about a two stop reduction for a subtly balanced image. Experiment with this, though, before
you blow a lifetime shot.

© 2000 Ed Morris. All Rights Reserved.

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 Hyperfocal Distance

Hyperfocal Distance

How to Get Sharp Pictures from Foreground to Background

Hyperfocal Chart in Feet
f/stop|LENS 24mm 35mm 50mm 80mm

f/8 9.6 20.4 41.7 106.7

f/11 7.0 14.8 30.3 77.6
f/16 4.8 10.2 20.8 53.3
f/22 3.5 7.4 15.2 38.8
f/32 2.4 5.1 10.4 26.7

Distances in the chart above are in feet. For convenience, round to the nearest foot on your lens distance scale. For example, the hyperfocal distance
for a 24mm lens at f/16 is 4.8 feet, which you can round to 5 feet. Note: If the hyperfocal distance is more than 30 feet, you probably won't find a
setting on your lens. Click here if you need a chart in meters.

Focusing for the hyperfocal distance is a technique to provide the greatest depth of field (DOF) in your image. This is important in scenic or
landscape photography because most viewers expect to see a sharp image from foreground to background . With manual wide angle and normal
lenses, the hyperfocal distance can be set using the scales on the lens. Unfortunately, hyperfocal reference marks have all but disappeared from
modern lenses. A table may have been included with the lens instructions, but unless you photocopy it in reduced size, such charts are very
inconvenient to use.
When you focus your lens at the hyperfocal distance, everything from 1/2 the hyperfocal distance to infinity will be reasonably sharp. For example,
a 24mm lens set to f/16, and focused at its hyperfocal distance of 5 feet will photograph objects from 2.5 feet to infinity in sharp detail. Don't be
misled by the blurred image you see in the viewfinder. Don't change the focus. Trust me! If you have a depth of field preview button on your
camera, push it and you will see that your image is actually in focus. The image will be very dark until your eyes adjust. It helps to have a hat or
cup your hand around the viewfinder to keep out distracting light.
You can use the chart with zoom lenses within the range of the table above. For example, if you are using a 35-135mm autofocus zoom, you can
use the chart above to find the hyperfocal distances at the 35mm, 50mm, and 80mm zoom settings on your lens. In the true telephoto ranges, DOF
is reduced to mere inches, so the charts become meaningless. In practice, this means you generally make sure that you focus on the most important
feature of your subject as elements a few inches in front or behind the subject will not be sharp. In a headshot, for example, focus on the eyes.
Depending on the focal length, even the subject's ears may be soft at higher telephoto ranges. In outdoor photography, a lot of telephoto shooting is
done at infinity, so DOF isn't a problem.
Photo magazines are a source of hyperfocal carts, or you may buy charts in pocket-size versions from Steve Traudt, Gallery 412, 412 Main Street,
Grand Junction, CO 81501. Steve has many other useful photo products available as well. Call for current prices at (970)245-6700. Another source
you can contact through the web is Bob McCabe's FotoSharp Pocket Photo Guides at 17650 1st Avenue South, #1, Seattle, WA 98148, telephone
(800)361-1840. A wallet size card sells for $4.00. The 35mm card covers 16mm through 300mm lenses.

© 2000 Ed Morris. All Rights Reserved.

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 Photo Destinations

Using Light and Shadow to Create Interest and Emotion

The image at right illustrates the use of light and shadow

to lead the eye to the center of interest and to create a
bold, graphic image that will elicit an emotional response
from the viewer. The eye follows the line of the flowers,
lightened with balanced fill-flash, to the gold capped peak
in the center of the valley, which is rendered a deep black.
While it would have been possible to photograph this
scene so that detail in the foreground beyond the flowers
could be seen, doing so, I think, would have been
distracting and weakened the image.
In
the

image at left, the foreground is in shadows, although detail can be seen. The eye is drawn to
the brighter peak behind. After shooting this picture, I began concentrating on another image
in another direction. Sometime later, I happened to look back, and the view had completely
changed as the sun slipped lower in the sky and clouds played with the light falling upon the scene. Now the foreground was completely
illuminated, and the background peak was cloaked in shadow.
Luck plays an important part in getting good pictures. It pays to look behind you. Besides catching someone sneaking up on you, you might be
missing a great shot.
I remember once several years ago photographing a sunrise after a night of rain. After
shooting a roll of film, I turned around and saw the most vibrant rainbow I've ever seen
arching from horizon to horizon behind me. By the time I reloaded and got turned around, it
was fading fast.
Light in nature is a constantly changing kaleidoscope. There is often little time to study an
image--it will be gone in a few moments. Scouting an area in advance, checking the weather,
and experience will often put you in the right place and the right time to capture a magic
moment in time. The difference between a postcard shot and an artistic image that will excite
others is often a combination of talent, skill, and luck.

© 2000 Ed Morris. All Rights Reserved.

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 In-Camera Meters

In-Camera Meters

Center Weight Meters

The most common kind of in-camera meter is the centered-weighted meter. Sensors in the camera measure the light reflected from the
subject. The readings are weighted, so that, depending on the make and model of your camera, 60% to 80% of the reading comes from
the center circle or target, and the remaining 20% or 40% from the rest of the viewfinder. By placing the center circle or target over a
medium-toned subject, an accurate reading can be obtained. Experience in judging medium toned subjects and how much to emphasize in the
center circle is important to obtaining consistently good exposures. If you are shooting in an auto exposure mode, be sure and lock in your exposure
if you need to recompose, and the subject you metered from will no longer be in the center circle.
Spot Meters
Cameras equipped with more than one metering mode may include a spot meter, which is similar to the center-weighted meter, except
the circle or target is much smaller. This allows you to isolate a single element of the subject and measure reflected light from that spot.
Again, experience is helpful here as spot metering usually requires some adjustment from the recommended exposure to get a properly
exposed image.
Multi-Segmented Meters
More advanced cameras have meters that are divided into several segments, with different weighting assigned to the segments. In
addition, the camera's processor compares the pattern of reflected light readings to similar patterns in its memory to determine the best
exposure. Modern multi-segmented meters in the top cameras are very accurate. Generally, the more segments, the more accurate the
exposure calculations.
Click here to learn about hand-held meters

© 2000 Ed Morris. All Rights Reserved.

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 Incident Meters

Incident Meters

The meter built into your camera can only measure reflected light from the subject. While meters in today's cameras are quite good, there are times
when you may need to measure the light falling on your subject. For this, you will need an incident light meter. There are no cameras with built-in
incident meters, so if you are serious about photography, at some point you will think about purchasing a hand-held meter.
When would you need an incident light meter? A hand-held meter may save the day in high contrast situations, or when you are trying to
photograph a scene with no medium toned objects, or other tricky light situations. Since the incident meter measures the light falling on the subject,
the reflectance of the subject doesn't matter.
Using an incident light meter is fairly easy. Simply point your meter toward your camera, making sure you are in the same light
that is falling on your subject. You don't have to actually hold the meter in front of your subject as long as you are in the same
light. Make sure that you have correctly programmed your meter with the ISO of your film and that the white dome is covering the
sensor. A hand-held meter doesn't know what kind of lens you are using or what filters or attachments you have on your camera.
You have to make adjustments from the incident light reading for light loss due to filters or other accessories.
Hand held meters offer several modes for evaluating light. These include an ambient light mode with readings in f/stop and time
(shutter speed), ambient mode in EV values, and some offer corded or cordless flash readings. The ambient mode in f/stop and
shutter speed is most likely what you will use for outdoor photography. Measure the light as described above. You'll get a reading
like F/11 at 1/60. Most meters also show fractional readings in 1/10 stops, usually by means of an analog bar scale. Pay attention
to this as you may get a reading showing f/11 at 1/60 plus 9/10ths. Well, that's about the same as f/8 at 1/60. A simple way to visualize the
fractional scale is in thirds, and bracket around the main reading in 1/3, 1/2, or 2/3 stops depending on your camera. For example, for a reading of
f/11 at 1/60th, plus 6/10ths, the proper exposure would be f/11, 1/60, and +2/3rds of compensation.
Be careful when using variable focal length zoom lenses if you are setting exposure manually with a hand-held meter. Your lens may lose a stop or
more of light when zooming out to telephoto lengths, requiring a compensating adjustment to your exposure. It's probably best to stick with your
in-camera meter when using zooms or extra filters and attachments unless you are a very methodical and meticulous worker. It's real easy to screw
up with a hand-held meter under such conditions. If you must, always bracket by an extra stop or more just to be safe.
When the incident dome is not covering the light sensor, a hand-held meter becomes a reflected light meter just like the one in your camera. You
point the sensor toward your subject to measure the light. Your camera's meter will probably do a better job of measuring reflected light because
you have more control over what elements of the subject your meter sees. Keep as much medium toned stuff in the meter's target as you can.
Having a hand-held meter is also handy for checking your camera's meter. Your camera's built-in meter aimed at an 18% gray card should provide
the same reading as an incident meter pointed back at your camera from the subject location.
A word of caution, however. When metering an outdoor scene with a hand-held meter and your camera's meter, you may come up with different
readings. This does not mean there's anything wrong with either meter. This can occur because one meter isn't set to the correct ISO, or as
discussed above, you have variable f/stop lenses, filters or other attachments that reduce the light reaching your camera's meter, or your camera's
meter is averaging very contrasty light. Check everything twice, and if you still get different readings, bracket so that you overlap both sets of
readings.
If you plan to buy a meter, look for one that uses an AA battery and can be operated with one hand. Most meters today have an LCD display that is
very simple to read and use with one hand. More expensive meters can measure both ambient light and flash. Minolta, Gossen, and Sekonic all
make excellent meters. Be prepared for sticker shock, though. A good meter can cost as much as a camera body. The Polaris meter is a very good
meter that does most of what the big boys do for less money.
Click Here to Learn about In-Camera Meters

© 2000 Ed Morris. All Rights Reserved.

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 Photographing Snow

Metering Snow and Other Bright Subjects

Because light meters are programmed to think everything is medium toned, most cameras will underexpose snow and other bright subjects, turning
them gray if you simply meter the scene and use the recommended exposure. So you have to manually compensate and add more exposure.
This seems contrary to common sense as it seems more natural to stop down or decrease exposure for bright subjects. Just remember, though, that
in a manner of speaking, your meter thinks snow is gray, so if you want white snow, add more light, not less. On a sunny or partly sunny day, two
stops will usually give you bright, white snow, although detail may be lacking. To preserve some detail in the snow, try increasing exposure by a
stop and a half or a stop and two thirds. Bracket your shots.

If you have a camera with multi-segmented metering, for example, Nikon's matrix metering, a scene such as the one below has enough dark and
medium toned subject matter that the scene will be correctly exposed by the camera's meter. However, if the entire scene is bright, even
mult-segmented meters may underexpose the scene, so the spot metering method is more reliable. If you don't have a spot
meter, fill the viewfinder with snow from the brightest part of the scene and open up one to two stops from your camera's
center-weighted meter reading. On dull, gray days, the snow is gray, so one stop may be more than enough.

Other methods of determining proper exposure for snow include incident light reading with a hand held meter or metering on
a medium toned object if you can find one. A gray card comes in handy in a situation like this. Make sure you exclude as much snow as possible
from the center-weight target in your viewfinder; in fact, try to exclude as much snow from the frame as you can, as any bright subject can
influence the reading, causing underexposure.
If this will be your first season shooting in the snow, it is a good idea to keep notes on your exposures, so when you get your slides back, you can
evaluate which exposures gave you the best results.

© 2000 Ed Morris. All Rights Reserved.

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 Photographing Flowers

Photographing Flowers
Taking pictures of flowers takes a lot of patience. Since depth of field will be reduced to fractions of an inch if you
use close-up attachments, you will have to think very carefully about what part of the flower you want to be in
focus. Often, only an edge will be sharp, even with your lens stopped down to its smallest aperture. This means
exposures for a shot like this are typically very slow, anywhere from 1/30th of a second to several seconds.
With long exposures, wind becomes a problem. Any movement will result in a blurred image. Some nature
photographers carry sticks and plastic ties to hold the stem steady. Others use blinds to block the wind. And the
really dedicated just wait for the wind to stop, or they come back another day.
Early morning is a good time to shoot flowers. The wind often dies down and the light will be at its best. Avoid shooting flowers in direct, harsh
sunlight. You will be disappointed in the results. Although flowers look good to our eyes in bright light, on film, there's just too much contrast and
the colors burn out. An overcast day will will produce flowers with lovely, saturated colors.
It's also important to photograph flowers at their peak. It's a real disappointment when you loup your prize-winning flower shot on the light box and
find the leaves have been chewed up by insects or a petal is missing or starting to turn brown. In the excitment of shooting we may not notice these
imperfections, but they will be painfully evident when you get your prints or slides back.
Close-up photography is a complex, highly technical subject, usually referring to photographs that are lifesize or larger (1:1, or 1x or larger). But
for our purposes, we just want to isolate details in our scenic shots and zoom in on them. Mostly we will be taking portraits of flowers and other
details at one-fourth or one-half lifesize (1/4x, 1/2x), which you can do with most modern zooms.
To make the photograph of a peach blossom above, I used a 200mm telephoto lens. I placed a 1.4X teleconverter between the lens and camera body
and added a Nikon 3T close-up attachment to the lens.
Peach blossom © 1994 Ed Morris
Click here for more about close-up techniques.

© 2000 Ed Morris. All Rights Reserved.

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 Photo Destinations

Cropping Images in Photoshop

Often a poor image can be improved by cropping. Although I try to frame an image when I take it to include only those elements
that contribute to the composition, it's not unual to get back a disappointing image. Most should go directly from the light table to
the trash. But sometimes there may be something about the image that makes me hesitate. In the picture at left, I liked the burst of
sunlight at the base of the cactus. As you can see below, the original slide was a failure. But by cropping, I got a simple graphic
image that I like.
There are several ways to crop in Photoshop. The simplest is to use the rectangular marquee on the tool bar. Click on the marquee
icon, which is the top left icon on the tool bar (see top arrow, below right) to activate it. If the marquee is a circle, hold the
control key down while clicking on the tool bar to toggle back to the rectangle.
Then use the marquee to select the area of the image you want to crop by placing
the cursor, which now appears as a crosshair, in one corner of your selected area and dragging to the
opposite corner. If you don't like the crop, click outside the marquee. It will disappear and you can
start over. The marquee appears as a rectangle of running dots. When you like the selection, click on
the edit menu, then click on crop.
A more precise way to crop in Photoshop is to double click on the crop icon, which is the fourth icon
down, left side of the tool bar (see second arrow), which will bring up a dialogue box that allows you
to set the width and height of the cropped image in a half dozen different units, including pixels,
inches, or centimeters. Anchor the cursor, which now looks like the crop icon, and drag the the cursor
until you like the crop. Just click outside the box to start over. When you like the crop, click inside
the box (a scissors icon will appear) and you are done. If you have moved up to Photoshop 4.0 or 5.0,
the tools should be essentially similar.

Click here for Photoshop tips on improving color and contrast

© 2000 Ed Morris. All Rights Reserved.

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 Make a Digital Composite

Make a Digital Composite

This image, made in Photoshop, is called a digital collage. I made it using several pictures I shot at the 1996
Olympic Games in Atlanta. The pictures were scanned to a Kodak Photo CD at the time of processing.
Parts of five different photographs were merged to make this digital collage. Each of the chosen images was
individually cropped and adjusted for color, contrast, and sharpness.
To start the collage, I created a background layer using the gradient tool with green as the foreground color and
white as the background color. Then I selected and copied elements from each of the five photographs I
prepared earlier by using the color range command to pick out the subject I wanted. Using the paste layer
command, I then added each copied subject, adjusting opacity to blend it in with the other layers. When I was
satisfied with the collage, I then flattened the layers so the image could be saved as a JPEG file.
A detailed explanation of each step is beyond the scope of this page, but you can find many excellent books on
Photoshop at your local bookstore. There are a number of official Adobe products as well as third party
references. Most come with a CD ROM with lessons to help you master this tremendous program.
Unfortunately, Photoshop is such a robust program, most of these books run over a thousand pages and cost
between $35 and $60. Most seem to be geared toward the MAC version of Photoshop, but this isn't really a
problem if you are a Windows user as the interfaces are virtually the same. The book I use most is Inside Adobe
Photoshop 3 by Gary David Bouton and Barbara Bouton, published by New Riders Publishing, but there are
others equally good. There are updated versions for Photoshop 4.0, 5.0, and 6.0.

Olympic symbols are the property of the International Olympic Committee(IOC). The Atlanta torch is the property of the Atlanta Committee for
the Olympic Games, Inc. (ACOG).

© 2000 Ed Morris. All Rights Reserved.

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 Preparing Photo CD Images for Web Publication

How to Prepare Photo CD Images for Web Publication

Most of us don't own the high quality scanners needed to reproduce photographs on the web. Fortunately, the Kodak Photo CD offers a reasonably
priced alternative that will produce excellent results. When Kodak marketed the Photo CD, however, it assumed the images would be displayed on
a consumer television set. If you simply acquire a Photo CD image into your image editor and convert it to a JPEG and upload it to your website,
you will be disappointed with the results. This happens because a computer monitor has a different gamma that a TV set. Don't ask me what gamma
is, just take my word for it. Compare the two images below. Image A lacks contrast, the colors are dull, and it does not look sharp. Image A is a
straight file conversion from Photo CD to JPEG with no adjustment except cropping.
Image B, on the other hand, has been adjusted for brightness, contrast, and
sharpness.
The rest of this page offers suggestions on how you can improve your
images for display on the web. The suggestions that follow are just
that--suggestions. This is non-technical discussion of the steps I usually
follow to prepare images for the web. I learned by trial-and-error, with some
help from books. If you want the theory and orthodox, technical
explanations, check out one of the many Photoshop books available in your
local bookstore.
Calibrate Your Monitor!
Before you start anything, make sure you have your monitor calibrated.
Follow the instructions in Photoshop or your imaging program to calibrate
your monitor. If you have buttons or wheels to adjust brightness and
contrast on your monitor, make sure they are where they are supposed to be.
It's easy for them to get accidentally moved. I use a pencil to make reference
marks so I can tell if they've been moved.
The procedures given here refer to Photoshop 3.0.5. But they should be just
as useful for Photoshop 4.0 or 5.0, and you should be able to apply the principles to other image editors. It helps if you have your slide available on
a light table as you work, but it's not essential. After all, it's what you like that counts. Generally, I'm only trying to recapture the contrast,
brightness and sharpness of the original slide, but if I end up with an image that's a little better, I'll use it anyway. Different solutions may be
required if you are trying to salvage a poorly exposed slide, correct color, or relocate the Great Wall of China to your backyard.
Step 1: Cropping
Once you've acquired your image from your Photo CD, the first step is to crop the black border that may have been scanned in. You may also want
to crop to improve the composition. In the Crop tool dialogue box, set the desired image size and set resolution at 72. For web publication, keep
your image small. No one will wait around to see your masterpiece if it takes ten minutes to load. I try to keep web images no larger than a 4 x 6
inch print or smaller.
Step 2: Adjust Brightness
Once you are satisfied with your cropped image, save a copy for backup. If you screw up, you won't have to reload from the CD and recrop. Then,
from the Photoshop menu, click on Image, then Adjust, then Levels. Since I'm basically lazy, I usually click on the Auto button and see if I like
the results. Often, this is all the adjustment that is necessary. If I don't like the results, I cancel and return to Image, Adjust, and then I select
Curves.
Now things get a little more complicated. The technique I find that most often results in an image that is true to the original is to find the deepest,
blackest shadow area of the image. This will be a pure black on the original slide. In Image A, at far left above, the foreground and silhouette of the
tree should be deep black. As you can see, they are not.

In the bottom right-hand corner of the Curves dialogue box are three eyedroppers, black, grey, and white. To set the black point in your
image, click on the black point eyedropper (the one to the left), position it over the spot on your image you want to be pure black, and click.
Photoshop makes this point pure black and shifts all the other point values higher. You should have noticed an immediate improvement in your
picture. Notice the difference in Image B, above.
If your image does not have a point that can be set as pure black, experiment with the white point or mid point eyedroppers. I use the white point
eyedropper if I have an image with strong highlights, such as an image with bright snow.
Image C is an unadjusted Photo CD file converted to a JPEG. In Photoshop, the Auto Levels command was
unsatisfactory. Using the Curves white point eyedropper, I clicked on a white jacket button. This restored the
brightness as you can see in Image D (Contrast and sharpness have also been improved as discussed below).
Note: The Levels Dialogue box also has the eyedropper function.
Although I could have clicked on the grey background in Image C with the mid point eyedropper, I generally
avoid using the mid point eyedropper as color tends to be affected if you are not careful. If you don't like the
results when using the eyedropper, hold the Alt button and click Cancel. This will Reset the image without
exiting the curves dialogue box.
If you are satisfied with your image after finishing the steps above, click OK and exit. Go to Step 4.
Step 3: Adjusting Contrast
You may want to tweak the contrast a little more. The Curves dialogue box contains a graph. A diagonal line should be running
from the bottom left hand corner to the upper right hand corner, passing through the exact center of the graph and the bottom left
quadrant and upper right quadrant (Figure 1, right). This diagonal line represents the current values in your image.

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 Preparing Photo CD Images for Web Publication

For outdoor photography, you usually want to increase contrast slightly to a little add more snap to your image. This is done by
turning the straight diagonal line into a slight S-curve (Figure 2, below, left). First, click on the intersection of the middle vertical
and horizontal lines (exact center). This anchors the midrange values. Now place the cursor over the exact
intersection of the upper right hand quadrant. The input and output values below the graph should be the same. Now carefully
slide the cursor up the vertical line a few points or so and click. You should have noticed a slight lightening of the image. Now,
place the cursor over the intersection of the lower left quadrant, and keeping the input value the same, move the cursor down a
few points. The image will darken. I seldom increase or decrease values more than eight or ten points, usually less. When you like
the effect you see, click OK to exit the Curves diaglogue box. Compare Image A to Image B. Image B seems to jump off the
screen. Note: If you do not notice a difference in these images, the ambient lighting in your environment may be glaring on the screen or
your monitor's contrast and brightness controls are not properly set.
You can play around with these settings until you get the amount of contrast in the image that you like. You can use the cursor to slide the points
back to their original settings if you want to experiment. You can use the Reset button (Alt + Cancel) to start over, but you'll have to reset your
black or white point again.
Step 4: Sharpen Your Image
There is one more step before you image is ready for the web. You need to sharpen it. This is necessary no matter how sharp your original slide is.
To sharpen your image, click on Filter, then Sharpen, then Unsharp Mask. I know it doesn't sound right, but it works. A dialogue box will open
with a portion of the image visible. You can move the image around to suit. I find these settings work well for most of my images: Amount=70%,
Radius=1.5 pixels, and Threshold=0. Notice how much sharper images B and D seem compared to their unadjusted originals. The perception of
sharpness comes from the improved contrast and brightness as well as the Unsharp Mask effects. Feel free to experiment. You'll know if you've
overdone it!
Printing
If you print your image on your color printer, or even if you send it to a service bureau, you may be suprised to find the printed image doesn't look
like the image on your screen. Preparing an image for printing involves different considerations than preparing an image for web display on a color
monitor. Inks are much more limited in their ability to display colors, and you should refer to a reference book or discuss your printing needs with
your service bureau.
Comments?
A technical explanation of the steps above is beyond the scope of this page and my expertise, but you can find many excellent books on Photoshop
or your favorite imaging program at your local bookstore. If you have comments on this article, discovered an error, or have suggestions of your
own you'd like to share with others, send your comments via e-mail.

© 2000 Ed Morris. All Rights Reserved.

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 Photo Destinations

Preconceptualized Images

As outdoor photographers, a good number of the pictures we take are of subjects we encounter by
happenstance. While we may return with some good, satisfying images, we may also find ourselves
tossing a lot of our pictures into the trashcan.
As we grow in our hobby, we gain experience and confidence in our picture taking ability. We begin
to imagine pictures we'd like to make and to search out these images. Consequently, we find we don't
throw away quite as many pictures as we used to.
Writing in Galen Rowell's Vision: The Art of Adventure Photography (1993, Mountain Light
Press), Rowell proposes a four level scale of images:
Snapped images
Basically record shots of what you have just seen. With today's cameras and films, most
anyone can take a technically good photograph.
Previsualized images
This level is reached when as a photographer you learn to anticpate what the image will look
like on film, and you use that knowledge to make a better picture than a snapshot.
Preconceptualized images
When I visualized how the dead tree would look in the light of a setting sun and returned on a
better day to make that image, I was preconceptualizing an image I had not yet seen.
Created images
For Rowell, truly inspired images are visualized as they will look on film before they are even
discovered in nature.
I carry a point and shoot and snap a lot of pictures as I travel. I use these snapshots as an artist would
a sketchpad--as a source of ideas for pictures I want to make. Sometimes I go back and shoot a picture I have planned out in advance; sometimes a
snapshot will lead to concept for a picture, but I may make it in a completely different location if I find a location where are the right elements
come together.
With experience, skill, and talent, I think inspired pictures can be made even when by chance we happen upon a once-in-a-lifetime convergence of
subject and light. This imagewas made a few minutes after the first, when the sun had dropped below the horizon. Like the first image, I
preconceptualized this image a few days earlier as I scouted around that old dead tree for the
first time. My planning included getting the first shot, then repositioning myself for the
second shot. If I had just stumbled upon this location at sunset, I would have taken this picture
by habit. I would have missed the first shot completely.
In the beginning, we find satisfaction in find a few well composed and technically proficient
pictures when our prints or slides come back from the processor. As we master the technical
aspects of photography, the rewards come when a picture comes back and it looks exactly as
we thought it would on film.
Whether you agree with Galen Rowell's scale, or even his approach to photography, the point
is I think photography becomes much more fun and rewarding when we acquire the skills and
experience to use camera and film to share our thoughts and feelings with others.

© 2000 Ed Morris. All Rights Reserved.

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 Photographing Sunrises & Sunsets

Shooting Sunrises and Sunsets

So many sunrise and sunset pictures are little more than graphic cliches. But we all keep taking them because they're fun and relatively easy. It's not
that hard to turn an ordinary sunrise or sunset picture into a beautiful or even stunning image.
Take the old cliche, a palm tree silhouetted against a setting tropical sun. No matter how many times we see it, we want to sail off into that sunset.
An interesting foreground against the warm, golden tones of a sunrise or sunset in a visually interesting composition will almost always result in a
pleasing image that stirs memories and emotions for most people. Scout out the area ahead of time. Then get ready before dawn or sunset.
I usually spot meter on an area of the sky that is fairly close to the sun or brightest area of the sky. The arrow in the picture
(left) shows about where I spotmetered for this image. Don't include the sun if it's visible when you meter. If your camera
doesn't have a spot meter, I've used a telephoto lens with a center weighted meter as a spot meter with good results. Then
bracket at least two stops or more on either side of the recommended exposure. Film is cheap, so bracket even more if you feel
like it.
If you haven't tried shooting sunrises or sunsets before, you'll be impressed with the results and the effects that more or less exposure can have on
the final image. Experiment. There is no "right" exposure. You will be making exposures of several seconds in most cases, so don't even think
about doing this without a tripod and remote release or shutter release cable.

© 2000 Ed Morris. All Rights Reserved.

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 Photo Destinations

Spot vs. Matrix Metering

These two images were shot from the same spot. The image on the left was shot with a telephoto lens; the image on the right with a wide-angle
lens. The image on the left was spot metered, and the image on the right was metered using matrix or multi-segmented metering. Although the
color and detail of the image on the right is poorly reproduced, on the light table it is an interesting view of the highway winding along a river bed
towards the fading sunlight.
I prefer the image on the left, though, as a more powerful, graphic image of what I not only saw, but felt at the moment. Here, choice of lens and
metering method create two very different images.
Apart from the obvious effect of wide-angle versus telephoto, the key to this shot was switching off the matrix metering and using spot metering.
Because multi-segmented meters are designed to measure all areas of the scene and then set exposure for the best overall effect, the image at right
is more evenly exposed, with lower contrast, but there is good detail throughout the image, from the highlights to the shadows, even though it's not
readily apparent on your screen.
To create the more graphic image, I spot metered on the sky, in an area that I felt should be rendered as a
midtone.See arrow in the image at right. If your camera does not have a spot meter mode, it may have a special
program mode for silhouettes that will allow you to make more striking pictures of sunsets and sunrises. You
can also use a center-weighted meter with a telephoto lens as a spot meter.
There are other uses for spot metering. Check out these phototips:

In-Camera Meters

Shooting Sunrises and Sunsets

Metering Snow and Other Bright Subjects

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 Elmphoto Outdoor Photography Technical Data

Take Better Wedding Photos

You've got a decent camera and enjoy taking pictures. Then it happens. A relative or close friend asks you to
photograph their wedding. Your stomach knots up. Do you do it? What if you screw up and the pictures don't
come out?
The first rule to follow when someone pops the question to YOU is to recommend a professional wedding
photographer! Seriously, photographing a wedding entails awesome responsibility, and pros shoot two or three
hundred weddings a year. They are good at what they do and that's how they make their living.
Relatives or friends on a tight budget may not be able to afford a pro, or they
want you to take the wedding pictures because you are special to them. In
any event, if you find you can't get out of it, don't panic. You can take great
wedding pictures even if you've never shot a wedding before!
As an outdoor and nature photographer,I find shooting a wedding now and
then a change of pace. It provides an opportunity to learn new skills and to
create images that will be treasured for many years to come.
My experience as an outdoor photographer shows in my wedding pictures. I
look for outdoor locations for both formal and informal wedding portraits.
Columns, arches, doorways, and brickwalls are just a few of the architectural
details that can create a memorable wedding portrait that is also artistically creative. Just as I do for a landscape,
I try to scout the location beforehand and find good spots for outdoor portraits. I shot Sharon and Jake, above
left, framed in doorway of a beautiful old church in Harrisonburg, Virginia. Jennifer and Rodney's portrait was
taken at the reception in the courtyard of a Mexican restaurant in Houston, Texas.
Before the ceremony, I talk with the bride or couple and find out what they want. It's their wedding, after all. I
check out the lighting in the church, determine where to do the group shots after the ceremony, and draw up a
list of standard wedding pictures. I find out what the rules are for shooting during the ceremony. Most churches
will allow a shot of the bride walking down the aisle and one of the couple marching out at the end of the ceremony. Even if photography is
allowed during the ceremony, I don't do it. It's rude, distracting to others, and disrespectful. You can get better pictures recreating the ceremony
afterwards. Ministers are glad to cooperate, and you can reshoot the exchange of vows and rings, candle
lighting, and the kissing of the bride.
The image at left is a recreation of a candle lighting ceremony at Sharon and
Jake's wedding. This shot is a traditional view, but is a much better shot than
if I had tried to capture it during the ceremony. The picture at right could
not have been created during the ceremony. This nice shot captures the
intimacy and emotion of the candle lighting ceremony in a way the
traditional shot cannot.
In addition to the recreations of the cermony, I usually do group shots in the
church. Depending on what the bride and groom want, groups will include
the couple, the couple with the bridal party, the couple with brides parents,
then groom's parents, and perhaps both sets together.
As the photographer, it's also your job to make sure everyone, but especially
the bride, have hair neat, dresses straight, and jackets buttoned up. Before
shooting, look each person over, looking for any flaws that may show up in
the picture. Watch where hands are placed. Take several shots of each set
up. Its cheaper than duplicates, and you should get at least one with
everyone's eyes open. Finally, don't forget a record shot of the exterior of the church or wedding venue for the
album. Click on NEXT below for tips on equipment and film.

[Next]

© 2000 Ed Morris. All Rights Reserved.

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Elmphoto Outdoor Photography Home Page

The purpose of this web page is to share information about outdoor photo techniques and scenic locations.
Visit monthly for new phototips, images, and locations

Every effort is made to present accurate information. Please report errors via e-mail
Updated: December 29, 2000
This website is best viewed with a true color (24 bit or higher) video display adaptor at 1024 x 768 pixels on a 15 inch or larger monitor. If you are
using a larger monitor at low resolution, images may be seriously degraded at 640 x 480 or 800 X 600. For larger monitors, it is recommended you
switch your video card resolution to 1024 x 768.

Photographs displayed on this website are first scanned to a Kodak Master Photo CD, then adjusted in Adobe Photoshop 3.0.5 for digital display. All
Photographs © Ed Morris and may not be reproduced or used in any manner without permission.

Click here for your free Fastcounter

© 2000 Ed Morris. All Rights Reserved.

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Elmphoto Outdoor Photography Home Page

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 Elmphoto Outdoor Photography Gallery

Exposing for Snow

Rocky Knob, Blue Ridge Parkway, Virginia

Next Page: How to Expose for Snow

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 Elmphoto Outdoor Photography Portfolio

Portfolios

Portfolio 1: Landscapes: Eastern U.S.

Portfolio 2: Landscapes: Western U.S.

Portfolio 3: Scenics

Portfolio 4: Barns, Mills & Lighthouses

Portfolio 5: Nature
Portfolio 6: Railroading

Portfolio 7: Limited Edition Prints

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 Elmphoto Outdoor Photography Technical Data

Exposing for Snow

Black Walnut, Rocky Knob, Blue Ridge Parkway, VA

© Ed Morris
Nikon N90, 35-105mm AF Nikkor, Velvia

This month's gallery image and the shot at right were taken late on a sunny
February day after a winter's snow. Getting the proper exposure for snow and
other highly reflective subjects can be a challenge because light meters are
designed to see a subject as medium toned and set the exposure accordingly.
This means that the photographer must assess the degree to which the subject
actually varies from medium toned and make adjustments to the exposure. With
today's cameras, this is easier than it sounds.
For the exposure of the black walnut tree above, I first metered the scene with
the Nikon N90's matrix (multi-segmented) meter, which reported an exposure of
1/125 second at f/8. I then metered the scene with a hand-held incident meter,
which confirmed an exposure of 1/125 at f/8. Does this mean that
multi-segmented meters such as Nikon's matrix metering can accurately
determine exposure for snow and other bright scenes? The answer is a cautious
"yes". In this case, the image has a good balance of bright, medium and dark
tones, and the matrix meter did a good job of figuring out the exposure. If the
scene had been predominately bright, as in a sunlit field of snow with perhaps one tiny tree off in the distance, the image may have been
under-exposed. Metering directly on the snow in the image above indicated an exposure of 1/500 for f/8. If I had used that exposure, I would have
underexposed the shot.

Next Page: More on Snow Exposure

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 Photo Destinations

Exposing for Snow

If you have a camera with multi-segmented metering, you can probably rely on it to properly expose most subjects, even those that are overly bright
or dark. It's easy to verify exposure if conditions are a little tricky, though, to ensure you don't end up with gray snow when you get your slides or
prints back.
Your camera probably also allows you to choose center-weighted metering. Confirm your first reading, in multi-segmented mode, by switching to
center-weighted mode, then fill the frame with a medium toned subject--a tree, a gray rock, a patch of grass, or whatever is handy. If the new
reading is the same or very close to the first reading, then your camera has properly evaluated exposure. You can do the same test with a spot-meter
if you have one. Just spot meter on a medium toned object, and if the exposure is the same as your multi-segmented reading, then go ahead and
shoot. Bracket exposures to be safe
If you are using a point-and-shoot, and your P&S has exosure lock, fill the frame with a medium toned subject, lock in the exposure, and then
recompose the shot. If you P&S doesn't have exosure lock, try using flash to improve the exposure.
Today's cameras with multi-segmented metering will do a much better job of metering tricky subjects. But you shouldn't rely totally on the meter in
your camera. It's important to understand what the meter is actually doing and balance that against your experience. And if the shot is important, try
to verify the exposure with one of the techniques above, or take a hand-held incident reading if possible.

Next Page: More Tips on Snow Exposure

© 2000 Ed Morris. All Rights Reserved.

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 Photo Links

Photo Links
Here are a few web sites that offer high quality images, information, or resources. These sites should not be visited if you are in a hurry.
Plan to linger and enjoy the offerings. Set your video card to True Color (24-bit, 16.7 million colors). If your card is limited to 256 colors,
and you are serious about online photography, consider upgrading your video adaptor card.
Papa Ed & Nickolus Model Railroad Home Page

My companion site features technical tips on creating great model railroad photographs. If you enjoy model trains and photography, check it out for
tips on camera, lenses, film, and techniques. A gallery of examples is included, along with some other features of interest to model railroaders. My
model railroad pictures have been published in Model Railroader, Finescale Railroader, and the Walthers 1999 Big Trains Model Railroad
Reference Book.
Jeffrey Nutkowitz's Optiques Classic Photographic Imagery

Stunning landscapes from Death Valley, the Sonoran desert, and other western photo destinations. This site features a lot of helpful links, including
the Leaf-Peep Tip Line for fall foliage hot spots.
Grant Collier Photography

Nature and landscapes from throughout the western United States by professional photographer Grant Collier, a Colorado based pro with a website
packed with stunning photographs.
Steve & Carole Sheldon Photography

Enjoy this well designed website with outstanding content, a large portion consisting of nature and outdoor subjects--flowers, sunsets, deserts, and
fog images are just a few of the categories on this excellent site.
Ryan A. Desjardin Photography

Ryan's attractive site features outdoor and scenic, flower, animal and insect, and people and places photography, with a very comprehensive set of
links. Ryan's site is also connected to the Ring of Photography, so you can surf from his site to other great photography sites across the web.
Steve Hoffman's Nature and Scenic Photography

Visit this site for some outstanding scans of beautiful nature and scenic photographs, including macro work of insects and flowers. Technical
information and photo tips are provided in this very helpful site.
TLC Photography

T.L. Cooper's website dedicated to the fascinating art of photography. This well designed website features a gallery of Cooper's work, a list of
current and past top ten photo websites updated bimonthly, a traveler's database, and free software for the photographer which can be downloaded
from his website.
Bob McCabe's FotoSharp Photo Pocket Guides,

FotoSharp has many useful wallet and pocket sized photo guides for the outdoor photographer at reasonable prices. Wallet size guides are available
at $4.00 each for Hyperfocal Distance, Telephoto Depth of Field, Macro/Close Up Depth of Field, Motion Blurring/Stopping Card, Flash Card,
Multiple Exposure Card, the Zone System, and others.
Crockett's Photo Gallery

Scenic and nature photographs of the eastern shores of Maryland and Virginia. A creative and unique site that takes a multimedia approach to
presenting photographic images on the web, Les Crockett offers a highly recommended "Quickvu" feature to cut through the animated gifs and
banners.
PHOAKS: Resources for rec.photo.

An incredible cornucopia of links to virtually everything photographic. Lots of FAQ's, links to manufacturers, sources of used equipment, technical
help, photo web sites of every kind, and much, much, more.
PhotoSecrets- Travel Guides for Travel Photography, Lots of travel photography links and an all-color guidebook to photography
in San Francisco and Northern California.

© 2000 Ed Morris. All Rights Reserved.

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