Picture Perfect: How to photograph landscapes, fireworks By Michael Jensen Last month I talked about getting out and around the Sunriver area and photographing the local surroundings, and usually I try to take my own advice. In early June my wife, Cindy, and I took a road trip out to Fort Rock. For years I’ve had my eye on the right combination of clouds, evening light and the desert shrubs during the spring green up. The sagebrush only stays bright green for about three or four weeks, usually until about the third week in June. Well, we hit the jackpot. I knew I wanted a huge foreground, so I set up about half a mile from the ends of the crater. Fort Rock is a panorama shot pretty much anyway you look at it. I was using a big lens set
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at about 20mm on a full frame camera. I calculated that I could photograph the monument in four overlapped shots. Because of the difference of tonal values, I decided to use a bracketed five shot HDR (High Dynamic Range) approach with four stops of light between the dark and the highlight tonal values. Now, when photographing mountains and craters like this, you have to be pretty fast to get the right light as the sun is setting. I had about five minutes to get the shots I needed to make this trip worthwhile. As you can see from the image, it turned out pretty well. As long as we’re talking about shooting around the community, here’s a couple of images I shot while teaching a photography class at the Sunriver library. The pine branch was shot right outside the door of the community room. The horses were photographed at the stables. Not bad for middle of the day shots. Everyone always wants to know how to photograph fireworks on July Fourth so here’s the skinny on how to do it: 1. Use a tripod. Perhaps the most important tip is to secure your digital camera to some-
thing that will ensure it doesn’t move. This is especially important in photographing fireworks simply because you’ll be using longer shutter speeds which will not only capture the movement of the fireworks but any movement of the camera itself. The best way to keep your camera still is with a tripod. 2. Use a shutter cable release. One way to ensure your camera is completely still during fireworks shots is to invest in a remote release device. These will vary from camera to camera but most have some sort of accessory made for them. The other way of taking shots without touching your camera is to use the self-timer. This can work but you really need to be able to anticipate shots well. 3. Composition. One of the most difficult parts of photographing fireworks is working out where to aim your camera. The challenge you’ll face is that you generally need to aim your camera before the fireworks ignite – anticipation is key. Here are a few points on getting your framing right. • Scope out the location early. Planning is important with fireworks and so is getting to the location early in order to get a good, unobstructed posi-
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tion. Think about what is in the foreground and background and make sure you won’t have people’s heads bobbing up into your shots (also consider what impact you’ll have on others around you). Take note of where fireworks are being set up and what parts of the sky they are likely to be shot into. Try asking those who are setting up the display for a little information on what they are planning. Also consider what focal lengths you might want to use and choose appropriate lenses at this time (rather than in the middle of the show). • Horizons. One thing that you should always consider when lining up fireworks shots is whether your camera is level and straight in its framing. This is especially important if you’re going to be shooting with a wide focal length and will get other background elements in your shots (trees, buildings, etc.). Keeping horizons straight is important in fireworks shots. As you get your camera on your tripod make sure it’s level right from the time you set up. • Format. There are two main ways of framing shots in all types of photography, vertically (portrait) or horizontally (landscape). Both can work in fireworks photography but I personally find a vertical perspective is better –because there is a lot of vertical motion in fireworks. Horizontal shots can
work if you’re going for more of a landscape shot with a wider focal length, or if you want to capture multiple bursts of fireworks in the one shot – but I don’t tend to go there that often. • Framing. When I photograph fireworks I spend less time looking in my viewfinder and more looking at the sky directly. As a result it’s important to remember what framing you have and to watch that segment of the sky. Doing this will also help you to anticipate the right time for a shot as you’ll see the light trails of unexploded rockets shooting into the sky. • Settings. ISO: 100-200; shutter speed: 1 second; aperture: f 8-16. Try to stick with 1 second shutter speeds (in bulb/ manual mode) and manipulate intensity with aperture if your shots are too bright. The idea here is to get the streak of the missile going up in the sky and the explosion. • Overachievers: Shoot in jpeg mode and set up an intervalometer (an interval timer built into some digital cameras) so you can take one shot right after the other. I did this last year and took about 1,000 shots during the 20-minute show at Pilot Butte. I imported them into QuickTime and created a time-lapse movie. Jensen owns JensenOne, a photography, Web design and marketing business, www.jensone.com or 541-610-8683. SUNRIVER SCENE • JULY 2012