The Dog Days

There’s always something to photograph, and there’s always light to photograph in! With digital technology there are so many different ways to consider playing with a camera in the great Adirondack outdoors (or anywhere). This is my first blog – and I haven’t been one to keep up with a diary, but I do enjoy passing along my experiences with a camera, as well as my great appreciation of the wonders of the the Adirondacks.

I most likely won’t write a lot each time, but I will try to keep in touch at least once a week with any special natural events going on, plus post pictures I’ve taken recently, as well as ones I may have taken some time ago. I plan to pass along thoughts on being in the wilderness, as well as photo tips and techniques, and look forward to comments and questions from folks. I’d enjoy this being interactive, rather than just about what I’m up to.

So, let’s start with ‘Hazy, Hot, and Humid’!! While it’s pretty warm out there for taking a hike, there are still some great conditions in this weather for getting photos. My general rule of thumb for photographing that I know I’ll repeat from time to time is: When the light is soft, work the detail in and around the woods and waters – and when it’s bright and sunny, work the open landscapes. So, this softer, hazy light is great for working with mushroom detail or other photos in the woods, as well as taking longer exposures of streams and waterfalls for a nice soft silky effect to the flowing water.

It’s also a good time to photograph the sun at sunrise or sunset as it becomes a red ball of fire before settling into – or rising from the horizon. Something to remember though, is that while our eye sees the bright red color, the light is often considerably brighter than the range of light the camera can capture – and it is important to bracket your exposures, shooting additional underexposures, until you have captured the color with the camera.

When the brightness of the sun is soft enough, as in the photo above, all the color tones will be able to be captured in a single image file. Happy shooting!