“Capturing Alaska”
    with Wayde Carroll






Sense of Place


 
       One of the main goals in outdoor photography is to try and relate our experience to our viewer. We want to share with them the intimate details that were so exciting to us at that moment. With various techniques we try to attract the viewer’s eye, lead it into and around our image, and keep it there. If we can accomplish this, then we have created a truly compelling image. We can achieve this through various techniques, and combinations thereof, such as the use of “s” curves, color, patterns, negative space, and unique subject matter.
   When photographing outdoors one can choose to focus on details with a long zoom lens or an up close macro lens. Many superb images are created using these lenses but most of us tend to use wide- angle lenses to capture the grandeur of the scene in its entirety. It seems like common sense to try and include as much of the incredible scene before us as we can. Often though, this leads to disappointment when, as we’re editing our photos on the computer at home, we get a diminished sense of the true experience we remember. Because we used such a wide- angle lens, all of the important elements that drew us to a scene now appear small and so much less dramatic.
   One of my favorite ways to combat this is to make sure I have an interesting foreground subject that not only highlights some of the character of the area but also serves to lead the viewer into my image. When taking a photo where all of the subject matter off in the distance the image can appear flat and uninteresting. By placing objects in the foreground my photo becomes more dimensional. By having objects that clearly define the foreground, middle ground, and background, I can draw the viewers eye deep in to my image and a real sense of place is obtained.
   Next time you’re out shooting keep this in mind and see if it helps you to create images that are more visually striking and give the viewer a better sense of what it was like to be there at that place and time!

   “Capturing Alaska”
    with Wayde Carroll






The Human Factor


 
    
  This week I wanted to bring up something obvious but often overlooked. People. Portraits of interesting characters you meet on your travels to be more precise.
   I see a lot of people who love to get out and take photos and love to talk to interesting locals who can add some flavor, laughter, and life to their travels. They might even get a great tip on where some great images might be found. But one thing a lot of photographers overlook is the wonderful photo possibilities in the people themselves. You don’t have to be photographing tribesmen in Africa to come up with compelling portraits!
   It took me a while to realize this and even when I finally did it took me even longer to get the courage to start asking permission to photograph people. I used to try and “steal” shots of people when they didn’t know it and that, typically, was unsatisfying. I usually didn’t get a decent shot at all and even if I did it usually felt sort of weird to be sneaking images. Also, if I was ever going to try and license these shots they were very limited without a signed modeling release. If a person is recognizable you need to have a release. So, if I got some good images without the subject knowing it they might be pleasing to me but useless in terms of my business.
   After taking all these factors in I finally realized that I needed to ask permission to take peoples photos. It was very uncomfortable at first and I’d take a photo or two and be done. But the more I tried it the more I realized that it brought me closer to my subject in a personal way- we were creating together. So far most people don’t mind and if someone refuses I politely say I understand and thank you anyway and move on. Even though you think you could have gotten an incredible photo it is more important to respect people’s wishes.
   I find that people open up a bit more after we’ve “worked together” and are often willing to give further insights to an area and sometimes even become your personal tour guide.
   After years of asking people for permission I am now quite comfortable and have no problem asking people to reposition themselves for a better background, lighting etc.. and my people photos have improved dramatically because of it.
   In some cases parts of a person are worthwhile subject matter and can say almost as much as the face. (See close up image of hands taken in Petersburg.)
   So, the next time you’re off on a photo excursion hoping to get great wildlife images, grand scenics, or macro shots of the tundra, don’t forget the people that were part of the journey. Many times they are one of the highlights of the trip. Bring them to life in your work. Let’s see the bus driver who took you out to Kantishna with all the great stories and humor, the elderly gentleman who still makes a living with his hands, the USFA interpreter on your ferry ride, and, of course, the fellow pouring your beer at the Alaskan Brewing Co. in Juneau!

  “Capturing Alaska”
    with Wayde Carroll






Alaska Sea Life Center


 
    
   Remember all the “decent snow” we were getting last week? Well, over the last several days we’ve had warm winds and rain and we’ve lost just about all of the snow accumulation!
   Due to the miserable conditions, I decided to concentrate on indoor photo projects and one of my favorite “indoor” locations immediately came to mind; the Alaska Sea Life Center in Seward. Just a two- hour drive south of Anchorage, this non-profit marine science facility is a wonderful place to hone your photographic skills , especially when the weather outside has nothing to offer photographically.
   The center offers up close and personal wildlife opportunities in naturalistic settings. There you can capture kittiwakes, eiders, and puffins with your 300mm lens or look for interesting underwater scenes involving Stellar sea lions, harbor seals, and a myriad of underwater sea life to capture with a wider angle lens. I’ll share a few things I’ve learned from several trips to this wonderful facility.
   Patience is the number one tool required here. Weather you are trying to capture kittiwake mid-flight or trying to capture a harbor seal swimming, with his face towards you, in just the right location, you need to be willing to stay put for a bit. You may also have to stand aside for a while to make sure you’re not hogging a prime spot for other visitors. We should always be aware of others and share the space.
   As far as gear, I usually have my 24-70mm and my 70-200mm. There aren’t too many situations where a super wide angle works well, except for an overall interior shot etc..
As always, a tripod is very useful. Also, I’ve used my flash, off- camera, to add some color to the blue cast found underwater.
 When photographing the birds, the 200mm works well and if you have a longer lens-even better! The birds are well lit by the ambient daylight so you can stay within 100 or 200 ISO. You want to make sure you are using a fast shutter speed of at least 1/500th of a second when you want to freeze motion. You can also experiment by using slower shutter speeds to get a creative blur and perhaps add a bit of fill flash to have a bit of sharpness  and a pop of color. A wide open aperture will blur the background and highlight your subject. Often I will select a focus point in my viewfinder and set the auto focus to one of the servo tracking modes. This will allow your cameras’ auto focus to track your subject as it moves around.
   When photographing some of the smaller, stationary, creatures in one of the aquariums, such as starfish, anemones etc.. I will set up a tripod so I can concentrate on composition and attain maximum depth of field via the smallest aperture the subject will allow. For some of the darker tanks I’ll push my ISO up to 400 or 8oo. One thing to keep an eye out for when shooting through glass is to look for reflections. It’s easy to get so caught up in your subject as you look at them through the glass that you completely miss the glaring reflection of the overhead lights or a display behind you. Also, if you decide to try some fill flash you want to make sure you are either shooting at an angle to the glass or you are holding the flash at an angle out of sight of your view-finder. A direct flash will bounce of the tank and add a huge bright spot to your image. Luckily, with digital photography, it’s much easier to catch this problem with a quick glance at the back of your camera.
   Also, keep an eye out for interesting light patterns coming through the water from the top surface. Some of the light patterns make interesting photos in themselves.
   When trying to capture the swift moving seals, otters, and sea lions, I use the fastest shutter speed I can and vary between panning to hold my subject in focus and render the background in a blur, and using a tripod to incorporate the over all environment in sharp detail. This later method requires patience but if you hold out you will usually find a moment when your animal slows down and models for you for a brief time.
 Lastly, I really like to incorporate people into these scenes as well. You can capture children playing in the tide pool display or get wonderful silhouettes of onlookers in front of the large viewing windows. To do this just set your camera to manual, expose properly for the underwater scene, and start shooting. The people in the foreground will be rendered as silhouettes.
 So if you find yourself itching to shoot and the weather is not cooperating, take a drive down to Seward and have fun experimenting and honing your skills at the Alaska Sea Life Center. It’s a great environment to practice many techniques  you would use in an outdoor wildlife situation. The more you practice, the better you’ll know your camera, the more likely you’ll be able to capture that once in a life time image when it suddenly appears on you next outdoor safari!

  “Capturing Alaska”
    with Wayde Carroll






Working It!


 
    
   We’ve been getting some decent snow here in Anchorage over the last few days and it looks like it’s finally going to stick. The kids have already built the sledding ramp in the front yard and I’m looking forward to getting out in it as well. I get a thrill downhill skiing and cross- country skiing but my number one winter activity is snowshoeing. I love snowshoeing because it is similar to hiking, my number one summer activity. Also, it allows me to keep my camera out, carry a tripod, and take time to actually look around. It’s great to be able to get off the trodden paths and get in between the birch and spruce, make first tracks.
   I haven’t gotten out yet this week but I was thinking back on a stock shooting outing I took last winter with my friend Curtis Smith. I wanted to get some snowshoeing photos for my stock files so we headed south, just past Turnagain Pass, on a glorious winter day last March. What I want to show here is what’s possible with a little planning in a short period of time.
   I knew I wanted to shoot in this area because I had driven by it a couple of weeks prior. I was able to convince Curtis to come out strictly as a model, which is great because instead of just grabbing photos when I saw something interesting, I had someone who was willing to be directed and repeat things over and over if necessary. But, we both have families and I was only able to steal him for about half a day.
   Because I had scouted the area I had several shots I knew I wanted to try. I sketched out several ideas and brought them along incase my creativity gene froze up in the cold! The images here were all taken within an hour (It’s about an hours’ drive from Anchorage so we didn’t have a ton of time to be in the spot!) of each other and within a half mile radius.
   The first thing I always look for is an interesting background to shoot the action in. After identifying several,I then talked to Curtis about my ideas and directed him this way and that. It’s great to have a model! When something is really working you are free to have them repeat it as many times as it takes to get several different versions or just nail the perfect one.
   In the image of Curtis stepping over the viewer I was lying in the snow and had him walk directly over me several times. Each time I had to immediately clean off my camera, snow would drop off the snowshoes into my lens- and face!
   In the image of him silhouetted against the low sun, I had him run across that ledge four or five times. He enjoyed the work out and just getting out and I was thrilled with the resulting images.
   By planning and “working” the scene I was able to get a number of saleable images in a short amount of time. I can’t wait for the next shoot!

                       Image #1 

                       sample #1 

                       sample #2 

  “Capturing Alaska”
    with Wayde Carroll






Neutral Density Filter


 
    
   This past weekend I took my two children, seven- year old Jack, and three- year old Claire, up to Hatcher Pass to play in the snow. It was a glorious day with clear blue skies and warmth from the sun that made the frigid temperature bearable. A real plus when dealing with small children!
   I loved spending time with my kids. (I’ve never heard my daughter giggle so much as when I was pulling her through the snow on a tiny sled!) But a part of me couldn’t help wishing I could grab my camera from the car and head out for a day of shooting. I kept looking around and sighing “man, what a gorgeous day!”
   Luckily I got to at least scratch the itch a little.
   Once the sun started to drop and shadows filled the valley the temperature dropped dramatically. It was time to head in to Palmer for hot chocolate!
   As we were heading out we crossed over the Little Susitna River and I was able to grab a quick glimpse and I saw a scene I just had to try and capture. The protruding boulders in the river were capped with snow and one of the mountains in the background was bathed in the warm glow of the fading sun (see image #1). So I turned the car around, parked along the side of the road, grabbed my camera bag and tripod, and jumped out to find a decent composition.
 I also knew this would be a good example for this blog on when and how to use a neutral density filter.
   A what?
   I know, most of you haven’t heard of one much less carry one around but if you’re an aspiring photographer you should. Let me explain (as if you had a choice!).
   The beautiful scene before me held one serious photographic complication. The contrast range within the image was too great to be captured in one exposure. You see, the brightness of the sunlit mountain over powered the river, which was in full shadow. If I took a proper exposure for the mountain, the river would be seriously underexposed and rendered nearly black (see sample #1). If I exposed for the river, the mountain would be completely overexposed and become a white blob with no detail (see sample #2 ). This is where the neutral density filter comes in to play.
   A neutral density filter is a filter that has a neutral gray area that can be positioned over the brighter portion of your scene to bring its’ exposure reading closer to that of your darker area. You can get these filters with a gradual transition from light to dark or with a hard edged transition and you can get them in varying degrees of filtration from one stop on up to eight stops. Many photographers carry several variations for different circumstances but if you just want to buy one to start experimenting I would get a three-stop filter with the gradual transition from clear to neutral grey. The “neutral” color assures you accurate color rendition as opposed to a colored filter. That’s a good general filter I use a lot. Also, I would invest in one of the rectangular glass or hard plexi-glass systems that allow you greater control of positioning your filter.  I use the Singh- Ray Galen Rowell series. The circular screw on filters are gradated towards the middle and allow only one placement in your scene- in the middle.
   So, back to our scene. I found the composition (s) I liked and set up my camera on the tripod. Next I mounted the filter onto my lens. The best way to make sure your filter is positioned where you want it is to set a small aperture, f16 –f32, depress your depth of field preview button, and as you’re peering through your viewfinder, slowly slide your neutral density filter down until the gradation is where you need it. Now your ready to shoot!
   If you don’t have a depth of field preview you can make test exposures and check them on your screen and make adjustments as necessary.
   You can also solve this exposure problem by taking several different exposures- on a tripod- and combining them later in your photo editing software. I would much rather do a little extra work up front that will save me time later. Especially when you’re trying several different compositions. Good luck!