Photography tips

Thank you to Meiring Borcherds for these tips

Three Tips On Telephoto Photography One of the most exciting aspects of photography is working with Telephoto and Super Telephoto lenses. While out of the price range for most to buy, this lens family is easily accessible through lens rental services online or through local camera stores. Telephoto and super telephoto lenses enable photographers to explore a variety of subjects in new ways. Such lenses are often used in wildlife photography, but they can be used for a variety of subjects. Here are 3 tips and ideas for great telephoto photography: 1. Use A Tripod For Sharp Photos

By and large the vast majority of subjects photographed with telephoto and super telephoto lenses need to be tack sharp. Due to the narrow field of view and magnification of telephoto lenses ever so slight movements has an impact on image sharpness. The first thing you can do to ensure that you’ll capture sharper images is to use a tripod and a tripod head that can support the weight of your equipment. While this is not the only step that you can take to ensure sharper images it is an essential first step. 2. Tightly Frame Your Subject

The most obvious use of a telephoto lens is to magnify a subject so as to close the distance between you and what you’re photographing. This is of extremely value if you’re photographing insects, mammals and/or birds. But you can also use your telephoto lens to give you a creative edge. This can be done by getting extremely close to your subject in some instances. This is particularly useful in highlighting details that would otherwise be lost with shorter focal length lenses. 3. Think Macro Photography

If you’re not into getting close with the bugs and the fungi then an alternate way to shoot macro photography is to use a telephoto lens. Extension tubes in combination with super telephoto lenses shorten the closest focusing distance of a lens. Working with a larger lens will not give you every vantage point that a smaller lens can provide, but it will enable you to obtain other unique perspectives all while saving you from getting your hands dirty.

Bonus Tip:

If your camera has a Mirror Lock-up function this in addition to the use of a shutter release will remove much of the mechanical vibration your camera itself can create. The mirror in the camera box of your DSLR allows you to see from the viewfinder out your lens. When you trigger the shutter the mirror will flip up out of the way so that light coming through your lens hits the sensor or film in your camera body. Mirror Lock-up will prompt you to trigger the shutter twice, first to move the mirror into a ready position and second to open the shutter. After the first trigger of the shutter you should wait 2-5 seconds for the internal mechanics of your camera and resulting vibration of your camera to settle to the point of being still before you trigger the shutter a second and final time.

Now get out into the Euclid Creek Watershed and get creative. Remember to enter our 2011 Photo Contest at http://friendsofeuclidcreek.nhlink.net/photocontest.htm to win some great prizes and build on your photography skills.