Rainforest Photography: Five Tips for Great Rainforest Photos

dennis — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 09:12:52 +0000

Great rainforest photography is like all nature photography. You get the best results when you concentrate on nature and light, not on technology. Yes, you need a decent camera, and you must know how to use it. But results in rainforest photography are not about the price tag on your camera. If you have a tripod, and a camera that allows you to adjust the aperture and shutter speed, you are set to go.

I make my living from nature photography, including a lot of rainforest photos, and I have never relied on the latest equipment for my work. Great rainforest photography is simply about finding an eye-catching subject, in good light, and having a creative eye for composition.

Note: The following tips are for photos of rainforest scenes, not for close-up photos of leaves, fungus etc.

Rainforest Photography Tip #1: Choose a subject. As they say in the classics, “It’s a jungle out there.” In the rainforest, you are confronted with foliage, branches, roots, rocks, vines…in your face and all around you. A really good rainforest photo requires structure, to make some visual sense of all that clutter. Look for something that is immediately eye-catching – a big tree that dominates the trees around it; a root system that leads the eye; a waterfall or stream; in short, something that you can build a composition around.

Rainforest Photography Tip #2: Use the best natural light. The mistake almost everybody makes at first is to take their rainforest photos on a bright sunny day when they are in the mood for a walk. Wrong! In full sunlight, the rainforest becomes a patchwork of light and shade that is impossible to expose properly. What you need is a cloudy day, when the light is much more even. Misty weather adds even more atmosphere to the rainforest, and can add a mysterious character to your rainforest photo.

Do not use a flash. The flash illuminates the scene with flat, white light, eliminating the gentle play of natural light and shade that gives the rainforest its character. Always use the natural light.

Rainforest Photography Tip #3: Carry a tripod. Taking your rainforest photo under a heavy tree canopy, on a cloudy day (see rainforest photography tip #2), means the level of light will be very low. You may be shooting at shutter speeds as slow as one or two seconds. You will always need your tripod, and it is best to avoid windy days so that the scene is as still as possible.

Rainforest Photography Tip #4: Use a wide-angle lens (or a zoom lens, zoomed back to its widest angle). The wide angle lens has several advantages for rainforest photography. Firstly, it exaggerates the sense of perspective in a photo, creating a sense of three dimensional depth. Viewers of your photo will feel like they are looking not just at a rainforest, but into it. Secondly, the wide-angle lens has a naturally wide depth of field. With so much detail all around you, it is important that you can keep both the foreground and the background in focus.

Rainforest Photography Tip #5: Stay on the path. There are some practical reasons for staying on the path when bushwalking. You minimize the possibility of getting lost, injured, or fined by some over-officious park ranger. The people who run the national parks are not stupid. They know what you want to see, and design their trails accordingly. Sticking to the path will not rob you of any great photo opportunities.

In terms of rainforest photography, you are able to create some distance between you and the foliage around you. It is much easier to photograph a tree when you don’t have the branch of another tree in your face. By staying on the path, you can get a clear view of your subject, without interference. You can even use the path as part of the composition in your rainforest photo. It is an excellent way of inviting the viewer to join you on your walk in the rainforest.

So there you have my five rainforest photography tips. Notice they concentrate on light and creativity, not on fancy techniques or equipment. You can make great improvements in all your nature photography this way, regardless of what type of camera you have.

Japanese Paintings: Adding Elegance in Your Home

dennis — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 03:19:10 +0000

Japan is known for its extraordinary customs and traditions. In everything the Japanese people do, there are rituals that look so elegant. Even the art of painting in Japan has its very own distinctive style. Influenced by the Chinese, you will see that Japanese paintings will give elegance and grace to any room. Even if the paintings aren’t really that realistic, the colors used and the details look so exquisite.

In the past, Japanese houses, especially houses of noblemen were adorned with paintings. You will see that the masterpieces of Japanese paintings are very popular nowadays that some can even reach millions of dollars in its price tag.

The great thing about Japanese paintings is that it creates a certain grace to any room you put it in. It is very elegant to look at and the colors are fantastically well balanced that it provides harmony to the room that it is hanged on.

Although some paintings in Japan are now influenced by Western style painting, it is still very distinctive and majority of the style comes from Japan and other eastern influences.

If you want to add a certain elegance in your living room or in your office, Japanese paintings are the way to go. With it, you will be able to entertain your guests and also introduce the eastern culture.

Because Japanese paintings are very rich in color and uses a distinct style, you will be able to see that the natural colors are so well-blended that it will have great effect on any lighting situations.

Japanese paintings use warm colors and mix it with vibrant ones.

Also, the great thing about Japanese paintings is that the lines are also very balanced accordingly that it will provide a great effect to the environment. Whether it is a nature painting or portrait that you want, you can be sure that Japanese paintings will be able to awe and capture its audience.

Japanese paintings are so well made that it has captured the hearts of many people. By taking one look at a Japanese painting, you will see that it will create a sense of space and aesthetic beauty to any room you place it in.

Popular types of Japanese paintings have subjects, such as landscapes, famous Japanese places, spectacular scenery, and everyday activities of Japanese people in the past as well as beautiful geishas or women.

Japanese paintings will provide you with a sense of harmony and space. Just the sheer beauty of Japanese paintings is enough to capture your heart and will definitely make you want to own one.

These are the things that you have to remember about Japanese paintings. If you really want an authentic Japanese painting, you will want to try visiting Japan. Here, you will see that there are a lot of paintings to choose from made by real professional Japanese artists. However, there are also some Japanese artists who make their work in the United States. Some can even make it in Japan and is available for sale online.

Whichever you choose and whatever your taste is, you can be sure that Japanese paintings will have the right painting for you. With a Japanese painting hanging in your living room, you can be sure that it will not only awe your guests in astonishment of the sheer beauty of the painting, but also provide harmony and elegance to the room you place it in.

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Rainforest Photography: Five Tips for Great Rainforest Photos

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