Wilderness Photography

These are from the first real backpacking trip my wife took with me. I have loved packing up and going deep into the woods, but now freshly married I had the opportunity to share the experience with my wife. I took her to one of, if not the, greatest spots for me personally, the Weminuche wilderness in Colorado. For this hike, we were going up to Emerald lake. The second largest natural lake in the state. Aspens are my favorite tree. Walking through them all was amazing, I just love it. The last two pics of Emerald lake just don't give the place it's due. It is so grand, so big, so worth the hike. The backdrop of the mountains almost looks fake when you are there. Can't wait to get back.

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A question to all you photography buffs...What is the learning curve like to get into a camera that will take nice pictures. I've just been using a small point and shoot and my phone. Seeing all the great pics on this forum really has got me thinking.
 
twrhnd1 said:
A question to all you photography buffs...What is the learning curve like to get into a camera that will take nice pictures. I've just been using a small point and shoot and my phone. Seeing all the great pics on this forum really has got me thinking.
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The bottom end entry level DSLRs have modes that 'teach' you as you go, so to answer your question, the learning curve is not that steep. They also have all the same auto modes as your point and shoot, but you've got faster speeds, larger image sensor, and much better glass in the lens.

That being said, I learned all I could on an advanced point and shoot that allowed full manual controls and then I made the switch! But also, you can't downplay training your eye to see what you'd like your camera to capture.
 
Thanks Condor! I will have to start researching a bit. Taking pictures quicker and being able to control the focus more has always been a wish.
 
I have a super nice DSLR i purchased a while back. Unfortunately my lack of faith, that i can ever take a good picture has kept me from using it. For shame!
 
All pics (this and previous post) have been reduced to save space.

Coast near Camden, ME

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Bretzfelder Park, Bethlehem, NH . . . a beautiful place to hike around. Not difficult at all. Great place to bring the kids!

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Mt Washington Hotel and the NH Presidential Range covered by clouds

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Assateague Island, VA home of the wild ponies. Each year the fire department goes and drives the ponies. They swim them the short distance to Chincoteague Island where the young are auctioned off to support the volunteer fire department.

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Chincoteague Island, VA

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Sand dunes on the Outer Banks (OBX), NC . . . so much for catching the awesome Sunset all by myself :(

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A different kind of Wilderness . . .

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Twrhd1, composition and a steady hand. Lack either and the most expensive camera in the world won't do much over a cell phone.

Start studying up on exposure while learning your camera settings and invest in a good tripod and IR remote for the sharpest photos possible. Realize what most you see has been through post shot editing processes in photoshop, gimp etc. In fact, your current camera or phone is probably more than fine and a photo editing software may net you some improvements in your digital photos.

Good photography equipment is an expensive proposition. I have a buddy who has single lenses valued more than all my kit combined :o
 
Exposure and settings...yup I stray away from a lot of those menu's on my camera. Research it is.
 
More great pictures guys. So many beautiful places!

twrhnd1 it's awesome seeing your Hallett ascent pics!

Regarding photography, I'm no pro and have a lot to learn. Some folks seem to like my pictures, so I'm going to share my approach. I just recently got a DSLR and haven't even taken any outdoor pics with it yet, but have done some knife pics. Everything you've seen in this thread from me and all of my knife pics in the past except for the last couple months (and even then I'm still using my iPhone a ton) have been with an iPhone and a cheap Panasonic point and shoot.

What I'm going to say way oversimplify things and there's a lot more that goes into it than just this, but hopefully it'll help someone a little bit. Use the camera that you have. Learn to use it's capabilities. If you don't have one, I'd suggest getting a point and shoot that has modes like Aperture Priority and Shutter Priority rather than just Auto. Learn what they do and how they affect the shot.

But the biggest tip, even if you're just shooting with your phone, is get software like Lightroom or even iPhoto and learn how to use it. One of the differences between an expensive DSLR and a point and shoot is the DSLR lets you shoot in RAW which gives your editing software a lot more information to play with. But even pictures that are just JPGs can be tweaked in iPhoto and Lightroom.

Composition is also important of course. When you see a photo that really grabs your eye, take a minute and think what is it that I like about the picture? Oh, I like how there's a tree in the foreground that's part of the shot that gives it depth. How much head room (the space over the person's head, or how much sky is showing) is there? How the main subject is framed - is it off to the side, etc.

Like anything, it takes time to research and learn. But it's fun and worth it.
 
Another amazing free resource is the web! Do a search for Digital Photography School. You can sign up for free weekly emails or just browse their site.
 
twrhnd1 said:
Exposure and settings...yup I stray away from a lot of those menu's on my camera. Research it is.
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It's a lot simpler than you think - it just comes down to controlling light hitting your sensor. Finding interesting shots on the other hand...

Lynda has some excellent tutorials - Foundations of Photography via Ben Long being a great resource to get through some basics. In fact all his Lynda.com material was informative to an amateur like myself and was recommended to me by a friend who feeds his family with his camera.
 
Thanks for all of the tips everyone, good stuff. I don't want to hijack this thread with my questions so let's see some more pics! I really enjoy seeing pictures of terrain that are unfamiliar to me. So many beautiful places out there!
 
Some more Rocky Mountain National Park highlights.

Trail Ridge Road is the highest continuous paved road in the US. It crosses over the continental divide as it cuts through RMNP from Estes Park to Grand Lake. At the top is the Alpine Visitor's Center where you can do some shopping and take a little hike up a trail. The trail is less than a third of a mile, but when you're at 12,000 feet, the 200+ feet of elevation gain will get you huffing and puffing.

The views from the top are spectacular and other-worldly if you're not used to the tundra.





 
Hey look, it's some more pictures.

Let me know when you're tired of my RMNP pictures.

This is Adams Falls. A nice, easy hike on the west side of the park.









Pine Beetle kill is a huge issue in Colorado. From Wikipedia: Of the 1,760,000 acres (7,100 km2) of lodgepole pine, about 70% of them have been decimated. High temperatures have allowed beetle infestations at higher elevations. According to a recent study, pine beetles have expanded their infestation by 400,000 acres (1,600 km2). The infestation is primarily concentrated in the state’s northern mountains. The infestation has been moving north and east from the Granby and Winter Park area towards Larimer County. It is estimated that beetle kill will leave behind a deforested area the size of Rhode Island.

 
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thurin said:
Hey look, it's some more pictures.

Let me know when you're tired of my RMNP pictures.
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Keep em coming. Finally getting a chance to look at these on a real monitor and not my phone. Fantastic. Now I really hope to make it out to Colorado one of these days.
 
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