Photography

SHOOT: Shutter Speed explained simply

July 28, 2018 By Tonya 2 Comments

I hope you haven’t been shying away from learning about shutter speed, because it is by far the easiest concept to grasp in the three-legged exposure triangle. Shutter speed affects exposure and subject motion. Aperture and ISO are the primary settings I adjust to control exposure. I only tweak shutter speed when I want to control subject motion. So in my mind the gist of shutter speed is really as simple as knowing whether you want to stop motion in your images, or if you want to blur motion. That’s it! Seriously.

SHOOT: 3 things you should know about ISO

June 10, 2018 By Tonya 2 Comments

Thanks so much for your positive feedback on the first post in my Brave Manual Mode series! I’m happy to see so many of you creating images with your subject in focus, just the way you want it. Let’s build on your momentum by adding another element of the exposure triangle to your photography toolshed – ISO.

My grapevine is already full of tiny grapes! This is going to be a good harvest year!

SHOOT: how to use leading lines for better garden photos

May 18, 2018 By Tonya 4 Comments

When you’re new to garden photography, there’s nothing you want more than to capture stunning images. Applying a few simple composition basics can help you do just that! As gardeners, we mainly shoot in natural settings without access to backdrops, lighting gear, umbrellas and other props common in many photography genres. No problem! Learn how to use what is already in your scene to compose a great shot. If there are rocks, fences, a row of trees or a path near your subject, use it to spice up your photo. Here’s how…..

SHOOT: aperture and depth of field explained for garden photographers

April 27, 2018 By Tonya 9 Comments

I started shooting in manual mode on November 16th 2017. It’s a milestone I remember well because I was so afraid to get off auto mode! Auto mode was a safe space that allowed me to take decent pictures with very little knowledge. Turning the dial to ‘M’ meant coming face to face with all the things I did not know about photography. But since I took that leap, I have not looked back. Shooting in manual mode is such a rush! Learning the basics, shooting every day and creating good photos is an incredible feeling. But of all the concepts that stumped me at the beginning, aperture and depth of field (DOF) were the hardest for me to grasp. So that’s where I want to start in this Brave Manual Mode series and hope that I can help you switch to manual mode faster than I did.

SHOOT: Tips on using framing to quickly improve your garden photos

April 6, 2018 By Tonya Leave a Comment

There are a few simple techniques you can use to improve your garden photos, and framing is one of them. Framing refers to using elements within the scene to create a ‘frame’ around your subject. The point of framing is to draw the viewer’s eye into the photo and directly toward your subject. It’s really easy, you’ll see.