Photography in the Garden
                                           (19 March 2015)

I recently attended a Photo Access introductory DSLR photography course at the Manuka Arts Centre, and if you are more of a visual, hands-on kind of learner and the mere thought of navigating a technical manual turns you inside out, then face to face teaching is a great option.

The following are some of the basics to be mindful of when embarking on your plant, landscape, and wildlife journey using a DSLR camera:

  • Firstly, start out by keeping it simple, gradually building on your knowledge, and not getting overwhelmed by the technical component of photography. 
  • When taking an image, consider the desired outcome: what effect do you want to create? What do you want to focus on? How do you achieve this?
  • ISO (determines how sensitive the camera’s sensor is to light): generally, use a lower ISO in a given situation as a high ISO adds grain to the image, but the payoff is it allows for low light photography.
  • Aperture (depth of field): the bigger the f/stop number, the less light let in. A higher number gives clarity and depth and is used when taking photos of landscapes for instance.  A lower f/stop number lets in more light, which is well-suited to portraiture and close-ups as it focuses on your subject and blurs the background.
  • Shutter speed: affects amount of light taken in and is measured in seconds. A slower shutter speed is useful when taking photos in low light or to slow down moving objects such as waterfalls. A fast shutter speed will freeze movement, great for sports and action shots.
  • Focal length: determines how much you can see and is expressed numerically. A basic DSLR lens is usually 18-55mm. The lower the number, the more you can capture. That is, having your lens adjusted to 18mm lends itself to landscape shots and 55mm to close-ups.
  • Subjective exposure (exposure compensation): to help bring out colours as you see them. The auto setting is grey so it is therefore invaluable to know how to adjust it. DSLR cameras have an option enabling you to view subjective compensation via a useful graph on the viewing screen, which is particularly useful when there is a high level of reflective glare and the image is difficult to see.
  • Diopter adjustment: allows you to adjust viewing screen to your eyesight capabilities. It is usually located near the viewfinder.
  • VR (vibration reduction) setting: Gives a bit of leeway with camera shake. Ensure you turn this function off when using a tripod however, as your camera overcompensates and actually increases camera shake! 

General tips, including when taking photos of plants, landscapes and wildlife:
  • Lens suitable for landscape photography is around 16-35mm.
  • Lens suitable for close up shots of subjects such as plants, bugs and wildlife is a Macro-style lens of 1:5 or less. True macro photography requires minimum 1:1 lens or more, making small things appear huge, and minute details ‘pop’.
  • Adopt the rule of thirds when taking images to improve composition (there’s lots of information available online).
  • Lastly, and as they say most importantly, practice, as there is no substitute for experience. 

For more information about PhotoAccess and available courses: www.photoaccess.org.au
Photos one and two demonstrate how Depth of Focus increases the further away you are from the subject. I focused on the tree in the foreground in both images, but stepped back for the second one, consequently making the tree in the background appear closer.

Photo three is of a landscape image I took at National Arboretum Canberra, where the focus is on the horizon. Aim for a focal length of around 16-5mm (generally written on top of lens).
Photo four is of a macro-style image of a Hibbertia scandens flower, where the focus is on the flower with a shallow depth of field, creating a blurred background. A true macro image is 1:1 minimum, but a lens which allows you to take 1:5 images or less is adequate for most close-up applications.