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| © Robert Cianflone/ Getty Images |
| Click photo to see more images. |
Why It Works
• Fundamentals: Dynamic framing and panning that counter your expectations in several ways.
• Vertical pan: We tend to pan with the camera held horizontally-for one, it's physically easier—but this shot shows that holding it vertically can work even better compositionally.
• Shutter speed: Exactly right. The horses' legs are blurred just enough to convey motion, but not enough to turn into a smear.
• Blurred crowd: By transforming the spectators into a colorful, amorphous abstract (they could be wildflowers blowing in the breeze), the image concentrates the viewer's attention on the racehorses. Also, the photographer didn't have to worry about the crowd not being within the depth of field!
• Dynamic diagonals: The streaking lines and rails concentrate the sensation of motion.
6 Ways to Shoot Nature at Home
You love photographing nature—but can't travel to iconic locations such as Yosemite, Zion, or the Smoky Mountains. Take heart: You can make great nature images in your own backyard. I took three pictures in different seasons within 10 feet of my door in a nondescript suburb of Washington, D.C. Here are six strategies.
1. Drop any thoughts of grand scenics and expansive views. Attend instead to small, telling details.
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| © Timothy Edberg Click photo to see more images. |
2. Look up and down for subjects that are isolated against sky or ground.
3. When viewing a subject horizontally, use long focal lengths for a narrow angle of view. This helps you aim into the gaps between houses, fences, and roads.
4. Narrow the depth of field for selective focus by using a wide aperture. Evidence of human presence can often be blurred until it's unrecognizable.
5. Open your mind to abstracts. If you don't insist that your image be representational—recognizably something—then worlds of pure color, pattern, and shape open up to you.
6. Macro photography can make the most of whatever subject matter you have available. The smallest flower becomes a universe of possibilities.
—Timothy Edberg
Lose Weight Fast!
Charger of the Light Brigade: Traveling photographers must pack at least two battery chargers, one for the camera and another to juice up the AA cells for electronic flash. Add an AC adapter and cords, and all this paraphernalia takes up valuable space and weighs you down. Many camera manufacturers offer travel versions of their chargers: These have no cord—the electrical plug is built in and folds away when not in use. If you can’t find one on your camera maker's website, check out Lenmar. It carries a full lineup of travel chargers, including multi-chargers (such as the SoloXP shown at right, $30, street) that service more than one type of battery.
—Jon Sienkiewicz
Problem Solver
Rail service: Avid macro shooters know that working at extremely close distances can be exasperating, both for focusing (it's easier to move the camera back and forth) and for fine positioning (tricky and time-consuming with the camera on a tripod). A focusing rail can help with the former, but what about a rail that can also allow fine lateral movement? Some close-up fans simply get two focusing rails and attach them at right angles to each other, but the Adorama Macro Focusing Rail ($160, direct; www.adorama.com) puts it together in one device. Keep in mind that a focusing rail can become obtrusive when working at very close distances, so longer macro lenses are more convenient—think 100mm or longer.
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