Wide Angle to Telephoto Case Study - Waimea Canyon

April 14, 2022

Recently I wrote an article for Click Magazine and Sigma about Why I love my Sigma 150-600mm Contemporary Lens for Landscape Photography. Shortly after writing this article, my family flew off to Kauai for spring break. When thinking of photographing the scenery of Kauai, I suspect a wide angle lens comes to mind for capturing the spectacular mountains and coasts of this garden island. And while a wider focal length was a great choice for many scenes, I frequently grabbed a longer focal length to tell the stories that caught my eye.

Carrying a range of focal lengths from 14mm to 600mm allowed me to photograph a variety of unique images that tell a more complete story of the beauty I saw than if I was limited to wider angle lenses.

Today I want to share a small collection of images from my last morning on the island. While my family slept in, I awoke at 4:30 a.m., grabbed my gear and necessary coffee and headed out on an hour and 20 minute drive from my hotel to the famed Kalalau Lookout, arriving shortly before sunrise. My first attempt visiting this view was met with rain and fog and I hoped the early morning would allow me to get a glimpse of the NaPali Coastline. We’ll save these images for another day.

After experiencing the beauty of the Kalalau Lookout, I headed back down the road to Waimea Canyon where the clouds were minimal and the sun was already shining brightly. I pulled into the empty parking lot and walked out to the platform where I enjoyed the view by myself for awhile.

Looking out over the canyon, I was wowed by the vastness and the way the sun streamed into all the pockets, highlighted the many layers and led my eye to the river below. This was not my first time visiting Waimea but the beauty still amazed me!

I took a moment to grab my widest angle lens, the Sigma 14mm f/1.8 to photograph the vast and grand beauty of the canyon.

Grand view of Waimea Canyon with the Sigma 14mm f/1.8 lens

While I love the wide view the 14mm provided, with the many layers from foreground to sky, I could see so many smaller stories within the canyon. Additionally, with the sun as bright as it was, I did not want to include it in all of my images.

I grabbed my Sigma 24-105mm f/4 to get in a little closer. In this first one, shot at 82mm, I zoomed in on this area of the canyon where the light was streaming down and illuminating the ridge below.

And then I zoomed in more at 105mm to capture the way the light was streaming into the canyon below!

And then I moved on and grabbed the Sigma 150-600mm to get in a little closer and isolate some light and layers in the canyon.

310 mm to focus in on the layers of ridges from foreground to background

150mm focusing in on the light streaming into this pocket of the canyon

150mm giving a close up view of the river flowing through the canyon

440mm gets in close to the details of this ridge as the light hits the edges of the rock

Having a range of focal lengths in my bag with the Sigma 14mm, Sigma 24-105mm, and Sigma 150-600mm lenses allowed me to explore the canyon with my eyes and to isolate various peaks, ridges and light play that grabbed my attention. The longer focal lengths were the perfect tool to zoom in on the highlights, excluding other areas that might have distracted from the story I wanted to tell.

Next time you’re out, consider bringing a variety of lenses to photograph both the grand and intimate stories of the landscape!

Kristen Ryan is an award winning and published landscape photographer and educator residing in the Midwest suburbs of Chicago. All images are available for purchase in the Fine Art Store or by request. Kristen leads ladies landscape photography retreats in the Tetons, Glacier NP, Hilton Head, Chicago, and the Canadian Rockies, offers private mentoring . New online educational materials are coming soon!

Technical & Creative in Photography

March 25, 2022

It is pretty common to hear photographers chat about the technical vs creative aspects of photography. And sometimes you may hear someone say they are either a ‘technical photographer’ or more of a ‘creative photographer.’ Some say they are quite technical and don’t feel they are especially creative. Others feel they are creative but don’t concern themselves as much with the technical aspects.

I can understand where both sides are coming from and certainly can’t argue with anyone else’s personal approach. From my perspective, I see the technical and creative as forming a strong partnership in photography, as well as in many other arts or endeavors in life.

A little background…before I was a mom, (and a photographer) I was a freelance harpist. I spent several days a week performing for the afternoon tea at the Drake Hotel in Chicago and playing for weddings, cocktail hours and other events. It took a long time to develop my skills and a portfolio of music that allowed me to perform with confidence. I spent hours and hours on my technique and practicing each piece countless times before it was added to my repertoire.

When my twins were born 11 years ago and I had 4 kids age 5 and under, my time to play the harp at home and to gig outside the home became all but nonexistent. This was the point I finally took the step to start learning photography in a serious way.

Over the years, as photography took over my creative and professional life, I have played the harp on occasion but not regularly like I did when I was freelancing. At Christmas time this past year, I made time to sit down and play. In many ways, my fingers took to the strings like they always have but there are songs that I used to know well that are no longer ‘in my fingers’ at all. Other pieces I can play but not with the same expression and musicality that I once did.

So one night I lay in bed thinking about the parallels between playing the harp, or any other musical instrument, and photography and how the technical aspects are intertwined with the creative. The way that practice, understanding and mastery of technical skills creates a fluidity that makes way for creative expression.

I recall many hours practicing exercises on the harp simply to master finger positioning and agility. I learned music theory and counted out loud, with and without playing notes, and practiced individual lines and measures of pieces over and over again to the point my husband would request I play the full songs when he was around! These many hours of diligent practice and repetition are what allowed me to add expression into the songs that I learned. I could relax and feel the music as I played rather than focusing on the specific notes, rhythm and finger technique.

As an athlete, I see this in sports as well. Perhaps the parallel isn’t quite as obvious in sports as another artistic endeavor. But take basketball for example. One may watch basketball and simply see speed, strength, and technical skill of a player being able to nail that 3 point shot or gently put the ball up for a lay up after deftly moving past several defenders. But the ability to read the court takes creative strategy and quick thinking. The moves you see require repetitive practicing of ball handling skills to avoid looking at the ball, building up strength and agility in both the dominant and non-dominant hand, not to mention the soft touch on the lay up.

When it comes to photography, I also believe a solid mastery of the technicals opens us up to focus on our creative expression. If we are uncertain of what settings we should choose or where a button is on our camera menu, we can get bogged down in figuring this out while the light disappears in front of us. Sometimes a creative vision may not involve a lot of technical knowledge. But if the vision involves capturing the movement of water with a slow shutter speed and you have no idea how to use a neutral density filter, the process could be quite frustrating and unsuccessful. If you want details in the shadows of a high dynamic range scene but you fumble about trying to expose properly for both the shadows and highlights, you could find that the pieces just don’t come together when you get back to your computer.

Practicing and understanding the technical aspects may be more fun for some than others but I believe the time and effort rewards you with expanded creativity. If you are one who avoids the technicals, I would encourage you to reconsider putting the time in to learn them. When the technical becomes second nature, the mind is freed to focus on expression and vision. Being a ‘technical’ photographer does have to mean you aren’t also a ‘creative’ one. It just might open you up to increased creativity and flow.

Night Photography Part 3: Light Trails

July 3, 2020

Before heading out for night photography, it is great to be prepared, so check out Part 1: Preparation if you missed it! This week’s tips are all about capturing light trails, a creative and dynamic way to capture the night and movement of lights. So here are some tips for capturing quality images of light movement in your night photography.

1) Find a Moving Subject with Lights - This is pretty obvious of course but light trails require moving lights through your frame. So look for a spot where you can capture the movement of cars, buses, a train, or any other moving light. The movement must be consistent, not stop and go!

2) Aperture - Choose a mid range aperture that allows you to achieve the desired depth of field somewhere between f/5.6 and f/11. This range is generally sharp and in the sweet spot for most lenses. Depending on your scene you may need to close down more for greater depth of field or you may need more light. In some cases you may want to close down to f/16 in order to create starbursts of street lamps or other lights in the scene.

3) Shutter Speed - A shutter speed of 10-20 seconds is usually the sweet spot that I find for most light trails. However, you may have to adjust this if the trails are blowing out or if the moving vehicle is moving particularly slow.

Captured from the foot bridge near Lincoln Park in Chicago during blue hour.

4) Histogram & Highlight Warning - Pay attention to your histogram and highlight warnings after you shoot to ensure you are capturing the detail in the dynamic range. This is particularly important in the highlights since those will be the focus of your scene.

5) Timing - Timing can be everything when it comes to light trails. Starting your exposure when the lights come into the frame and will move through it is critical to the success of light trail images. Set up your frame and base exposure and be ready to click the shutter when the movement begins. For example, if you are near a stoplight, wait for the light to turn green before you start your exposure. If you are shooting over a highway, wait until there is enough traffic to fill the frame with trails. Shooting in Chicago one time, I found that buses created interesting light trails, so I waited until I saw a bus coming along before starting the exposure.

The high light trails here are created by waiting for the bus to come along before starting my exposure. Captured on Michigan Avenue in Chicago.

6) Lighting - It might seem you need to wait until dark to shoot light trails but it doesn’t have to be completely dark. Lights will start coming on as sunset approaches. Blue hour can be a great time to shoot light trails with the warm lights contrasting with the deep blue sky.

7) Location - Pick a location where the light trails can be the main focus of the frame, or a strong supporting element, depending on your goal. Think about how the lines of the trails will lead through the frame to create a pleasing or intriguing scan path for the viewer.

8) Be Safe - Make sure to position yourself safely when shooting. If you are near traffic, be sure you are not risking your safety for the shot.

A bus turns the corner along Michigan Avenue in Chicago

Hope these tips help you have fun, be creative and find success shooting light trails!

Want to shoot light trails with a group of ladies in Chicago? Check out my Magic in Chicago Ladies Retreat and sign up for the Ladies Retreat newsletter for all the newest information.

Kristen Ryan is an award winning and published landscape and fine art photographer and educator residing in the Midwest suburbs of Chicago. All images are available for purchase in the Fine Art Store or by request. Kristen leads ladies landscape photography retreats in the Tetons, Chicago, and the Canadian Rockies, offers private mentoring and teaches an online landscape photography workshop, The World Around You. The next run of The World Around You begins August 17!

4 Tips for Capturing Mother's Nature's Atmosphere Part 2

March 25, 2020

A couple weeks ago I posted an article encouraging you to get out and capture Mother Nature’s Atmosphere in the fog, snow, rain and frigid temperatures. I believe that dramatic and inclement weather can create incredible opportunities for some of the most unique and compelling nature images. These moments happen amongst stormy skies and when the weather clears just enough to let light through. I also believe that even in what appears to be a dreary day, there is beauty to be found if we open our minds and think creatively to see the extraordinary in the ordinary.

So today I have 4 tips for capturing Mother Nature’s Atmosphere:

1) Let go of Expectations -

Head out with an open mind and without expectation for what you will capture. As a general rule, I try to do this whenever I go out to shoot but I think it is especially important when the weather is behaving unpredictably. Sometimes we can have a particular kind of beauty or image in our heads and that can blind us from seeing a different kind of beauty right in front of us.

The image below is captured at the iconic Oxbow Bend on a winter’s morning in 2016. Beyond these trees is typically where you would see Mt. Moran but on this morning, you would not know the Tetons were there. Instead of driving past, I captured the beauty of the mist and snow among the trees. While I hoped for a different view that morning, I made the most of what WAS in front of me and I really love the winter magic in this image.

2) Consider Different Focal Lengths & Perspectives - As landscape photographers, we are often drawn to the grand view and wide angle scenery. Sometimes the beauty will be in the expansive scene. But often we can find it in smaller segments of the landscape.

An overcast evening with low lying clouds at Emerald Lake in Yoho National Park created a beautiful atmosphere surrounding the Emerald Lake Lodge & its iconic restaurant view. Across the lake I was drawn to the way the low clouds mixed in the tr… — An overcast evening with low lying clouds at Emerald Lake in Yoho National Park created a beautiful atmosphere surrounding the Emerald Lake Lodge & its iconic restaurant view. Across the lake I was drawn to the way the low clouds mixed in the trees and reflected in the still waters of Emerald Lake. While I captured the wider view and loved it, I also used my telephoto lens to capture a smaller and more detailed scene. This is one of my favorite recently edited images.

One of the days of the September 2019 Magic in the Tetons retreat was extremely overcast and rainy. While we enjoyed a little extra sleep and a nice breakfast in town together, we also were determined to find some beauty in the day. The sky above wa… — One of the days of the September 2019 Magic in the Tetons retreat was extremely overcast and rainy. While we enjoyed a little extra sleep and a nice breakfast in town together, we also were determined to find some beauty in the day. The sky above was pretty dreary but the low clouds were beautiful as they floated through the evergreen trees. I grabbed my Sigma 150-600 to capture the atmosphere on the side of the mountainside. As much as I love my Teton views, this is one of my favorite images from the retreat. And I love how it shows the beauty we found even in some of the dreariest conditions.

3) Be Patient - Sometimes Mother Nature’s dramatic weather is spectacular in an obvious way, such as when a storm is brewing and the ominous clouds are passing over the mountains or ocean in the distance and you can comfortably capture the incredible drama. Other times, she brings consistent rain or overcast clouds. There are days the cloud cover or rain simply does not let up, but holding patience for a partial clearing, or even a single moment of light, can lead to incredible images. In those brief periods of light between the dreary skies, or waiting out the downpours, we can find amazing beauty. Sometimes even a lackluster sunset can become colorful a short while after the sun goes below the horizon.

While in Turks & Caicos, my husband and I rode our bikes 3 miles to the edge of South Caicos for sunrise one morning. While we were there, we got caught in a downpour and we ran off to an abandoned building for shelter. Instead of leaving, we wa… — While in Turks & Caicos, my husband and I rode our bikes 3 miles to the edge of South Caicos for sunrise one morning. While we were there, we got caught in a downpour and we ran off to an abandoned building for shelter. Instead of leaving, we waited out the rain as I was hopeful that the clearing of the clouds would create some beautiful light. Not only did we get a bit of clearing, but we also got a beautiful rainbow, and actually a hint of a double rainbow too!

On this evening of the Magic in the Tetons retreat, we arrived a little before sunset to rather cloudy skies. I found the intense blue clouds and yellow fall foliage to be a stunning contrast. Sunset itself was quite lackluster but we held on for aw… — On this evening of the Magic in the Tetons retreat, we arrived a little before sunset to rather cloudy skies. I found the intense blue clouds and yellow fall foliage to be a stunning contrast. Sunset itself was quite lackluster but we held on for awhile just waiting well past when the sun went below the horizon. Our patience paid off as about 20 minutes after ‘sunset’, this incredible pink appeared in the sky, enhanced by the long exposures we were shooting.

4) Get Out There!

Even when the forecast is questionable, get out there anyway! Yes, sometimes you may get skunked but quite often you’ll find unexpected beauty or the weather will break at just the perfect moment. There have been so many times I have gone out in rain, freezing rain, or overcast clouds wondering if the shoot would be a bust and come home with images I love. In some cases Mother Nature surprised me by bringing a well timed clearing or beautiful colors in the clouds. Other times I found beauty in unexpected ways.

On this day in Banff National Park, the clouds covered the mountains and the sky was dreary and overcast, but a brief window of light came along at the perfect time over Bow Lake. In the drive from Lake Louise to Bow Lake, the clouds left little hop… — On this day in Banff National Park, the clouds covered the mountains and the sky was dreary and overcast, but a brief window of light came along at the perfect time over Bow Lake. In the drive from Lake Louise to Bow Lake, the clouds left little hope of finding this beauty, but there it was. Worth the effort!

As my friends and I drove 20 minutes from Dana Point, CA to Crystal Cove, the rain came down on us. We knew our efforts may be in vain, but we were only there for one more night and we wanted to make an effort. This was also an outing to see this pl… — As my friends and I drove 20 minutes from Dana Point, CA to Crystal Cove, the rain came down on us. We knew our efforts may be in vain, but we were only there for one more night and we wanted to make an effort. This was also an outing to see this place that was so special to my friend, Brynn Schmidt. As we parked, the rain was beginning to let up and we could see the makings of incredible light. We practically sprinted to the beach and could barely set up our tripods fast enough. I don’t think we even spoke to each other for 30 minutes and we raced to capture the beauty in front of us. When we left our hotel earlier that afternoon, this sunset would never have been what we predicted. Go out anyway! It won’t pay off every time, but sometimes it will.

Lose your expectations, open your mind, practice patience and perseverance! Capture the beauty of Mother Nature’s atmosphere!

While at the moment, many places are off limit to us as we ‘social distance’ and ‘shelter in place’, I look forward to when I am able to travel again, both locally and across the world. In the meantime, I am traveling virtually through my image catalog and finding many images yet to be edited. I’m storing away my ideas and inspiration for the day I can travel again and hope you do too! In the meantime, reach out to me if you' have any topics you’d like to read about as we shelter in our homes. Stay healthy!

My online landscape photography workshop, The World Around You, is now open for registration! Sign up at Click Photo School.

6 Ideas for Creativity while Quarantined

March 18, 2020

Today’s blog post was meant to be some tips for getting the shot while embracing Mother Nature’s atmosphere as a follow up to last week’s post. But with the dramatic changes that have happened in the world since last week due to Covid-19, I’m postponing those tips to next week.

All of a sudden we find our schools and businesses closed and we’re all holed up in our houses. For some that may mean a lot of solitary time if you live alone or perhaps now your time will be more limited with the kids home and trying to juggle the new homeschool situation with your work & daily tasks. Regardless, it is a little daunting to feel the world shift on a dime. It is so unsettling and uncertain. Being home with the kids is not something I find difficult but the threat of loss & illness involved here strikes at the core of my anxiety.

If you live in the middle of nature or close to areas you can escape for a nature fix and still maintain your ‘social distance’, you are certainly fortunate. Right now, the Chicago suburbs are still pretty brown and blah. Travel was my avenue for photographic inspiration and that’s pretty much gone at the moment. That may be the same for many of you.

With the threat of serious illness for yourself or someone you care about, nature photography can seem insignificant in some ways, right? And maybe life right now does not leave extra time for this creative outlet. There are certainly other priorities unless photography is providing for your family. But if it’s not, it is still important to take care of our hearts, minds and bodies. Photography fills me up and in many ways it is a meditation for my whole body. We need our passions to channel our minds away from spiraling to negative places and to help us focus in on the beauty that still exists in this world. Photography helps us remind us of the beautiful moments & documents the way we see the world. This is important even at a time like this, and perhaps especially at a time like this..

As a couple of trips I looked forward to this month got cancelled, I am grateful for my recent travels and have been thinking of the ways I can fill up my need to photograph, create, learn, grow, and share with my friends who share this passion. If I’m honest, I know my ideas far exceed the time I will have even if this quarantine goes on far longer than currently set (& it seems it will) While these ideas aren’t all that different from my cooped up in winter ideas shared in early January, I feel they warrant reinforcing. Sometimes repetition is helpful and motivating. I know it helps me to have ideas of things I want to try or accomplish in these trying times.

1 ) Keep your camera out on the counter in an ‘easy to grab’ spot! - If you also have young kids, perhaps you want to keep your camera close for grabbing those family moments. But another idea is to keep your camera and telephoto lens close at hand to try some bird/wildlife photography in your yard. Our kitchen window overlooks a pond (surrounded by the neighborhood homes) and I have noticed that the birds are starting to fly around and land on the trees close to our house. After I missed a red cardinal the other day while I went to grab my camera, I decided to keep my camera with my Sigma 150-600 lens in the corner of the counter to grab quickly!

One of my nature captures with my Sigma 150-600mm lens

2) Work on a Printing Project - I recommend this often and honestly should do it more myself. Why not work on a series of images to print and hang on your wall or create a photo book. Bring all that beauty you have worked so hard on into your home during this challenging time.

3) Create a video/slideshow of your images and/or video clips from past vacations -This is something I want to do more of and so rarely can find the time to do it. Maybe this will be the time to get to this project! If you make one, share it with me and inspire me please :)

4) Explore a new indoor genre - Try some macro or still life photography. Explore video in additional to still photos.

5) Find an online class that interests you - That time you thought you didn’t have, perhaps you have it now. Even with landscape, there is so much you can learn and try in your local area to nail techniques for when those travel opportunities come again. If you don’t want spend money on a new class, pull out some old class materials and reread them. Surely you’ll find some tips that you missed the first time around.

6) Fine Tune your Post Processing - Post processing options are endless and building your creativity in editing can be just what you need to take your images to the next level. There are so many classes and free tutorials out there to learn about the many tools of Lightroom, Photoshop, Luminar, etc. Experiment and play, ask your friends or a mentor for their feedback. Dig into that backlog of travel images that you likely wouldn’t get to if you could still be out shooting! Lose yourself in the beauty on your screen.

First and foremost, take care of yourself & your family. The camera will always be there and if you need to put it down for awhile, there is nothing wrong with that!

My online landscape photography workshop, The World Around You, is now open for registration! Sign up at Click Photo School. This will likely be the only run of 2020 as my fall is filled with retreats.

One Way to Handle a Photography Rut

January 29, 2020

In my last post, I offered 7 Tips for Finding Inspiration. Winter is often one of those times that inspiration feels lacking or photographers say they are feeling in a rut. What do you do when nothing you try is inspiring your creativity or motivating you to click the shutter? Sometimes I think the best thing to do when inspiration is lacking is actually to simply put the camera down. Not only put the camera down, but do it without the guilt. While it can sometimes be effective to “push through” and keep trying, sometimes taking a break is the best remedy for lack of inspiration. I don’t think we should feel like we need to be taking pictures if our hearts are not in it. Especially because when you think about it, we only have a limited about of time to spend editing our images and a limited about of wall space in our homes. Quality over quantity my friends.

Putting energy into other valuable activities can actually be just what we need for our inspiration to organically come back. Here are a few ways we can make the most of our time away from the camera:

Some simple beauty on a foggy winter’s day in the midwest

1 - Tackle that To-Do List - Sometimes the crazy activities of life, the mountain of chores piling up, or literally the clutter around your house can zap all our creative energy. Rather than fight through the negative energy to try to find your inspiration, spend time wading through the tasks that are weighing down on your mind and life. Once you’ve tackled some of those tasks, you may find a weight lifted and inspiration flowing.

2 - Spend Quality time with friends & family - Plan some adventures with your family, or set aside time for a cup of coffee or lunch with a friend. Curl up with a special person to watch a movie. Enjoy time with the important people in your life without the camera.

3 - Enjoy another creative hobby or activity you love - It’s no secret that photography can take a lot of our time. I know when I became so involved with photography, some of my other hobbies and activities got put aside. Rather than fight the camera, go back to some of those activities that have been neglected. So sit down at the piano, bake some cookies, knit that blanket, etc.

4 - Engage in Self Care - Sometimes we lose inspiration because we are feeling stress in our lives. Rather than beat ourselves up about lacking photographic inspiration, take that energy and do something that makes you feel good. Go for a run or hike, get a massage, curl up with a book or get some extra sleep. Fill yourself up!

5 - Process old images - If you want to keep working on your photography but aren’t feeling inspired to shoot, work on your processing and spend time digging into your backlog (if you have one like me!) This is a great time to learn new creative processing tools too. Maybe add a printing project in with the processing. As mentioned in another posts, this is a great way to find inspiration again!

So instead of feeling pressure to create or guilt because you aren’t creating, put your energy into something more productive and rejuvenating. The inspiration will come back!

Trees in the Clouds Kristen Ryan Photography-001.jpg

7 Tips for Finding Inspiration

January 17, 2020

As we begin a new year and new decade, what are you doing to find inspiration? Sometimes it can be hard to stay inspired in our craft day after day. Some people thrive on having a very focused project. Others like to shoot as inspiration comes to them. This can also vary with our stage of life or stage of photography too. I used to thrive on having a project and a “due date” in my first few years of learning. Now I prefer to shoot when I feel the inspiration and try not to feel pressure to create on any kind of timeline.

Whether you are feeling motivated or looking for inspiration, here are 7 tips for finding inspiration in the new year!

1) Go for an early morning walk. Morning walks have been somewhat thrust on me by my walk-loving golden retriever. However, I find that the routine of our 2 mile walk after the kids are off to school is more than just a good active and mind clearing way to start the day. Much of the year, our walk occurs within a couple hours after sunrise and as we walk, I am always noticing the way the light shines through the neighborhood. There is nothing unusually beautiful about our neighborhood, but just noticing the way it lights up the dew drops on the grasses or filters through the trees leaves my mind feeling inspired as I frame images in my mind. On a couple of occasions, I even grabbed my camera when we got home and went in search of the same beauty slightly closer to home. I wonder what you’d find in your neighborhood in the morning light.

The bokeh I envisioned among the grasses day after day while walking the dog in the morning light!

2) Take a field trip to a local park, arboretum, forest preserve, or city! Make an effort to plan a day or even a couple hours visiting a local area of beauty. Maybe you bring your camera or maybe you just leave it at home and spend the time observing with your mind. Sometimes when you go without your camera, your eyes will see even more opportunities to come back to at a later date. Occasionally, when we have our cameras, we can get stuck on the first opportunity we see and miss the other beauty we might have explored. Go alone for quiet thoughtfulness or grab a friend and make it a social outing! Do you have a place you haven’t visited lately?

One of my favorite local spots to visit when I need a creative fix!

3) Listen to inspiring music. The best photographs make us feel emotion. The best music does the same thing. For me, listening to certain music brings specific types visions to my mind and others take me back to past memories or stages of my life. Instrumental music will often bring visions of nature for me; such as waterfalls or rustling trees, etc. Listening to music that makes me FEEL something deep inside inspires me to want to capture images that also make me FEEL emotion. What kind of music inspires you?

4. Get out at night, sunrise or sunset! Getting outside to witness nature during sunrise or sunset when the light is dynamic and colors are golden is sure to help revive your inspiration. The quiet of sunrise always revives and calms my mind as well. Getting out to shoot at night, when everything looks different is a great way to find inspiration. Night is more unexpected and we can create some interesting images that have a stronger impact that the same scene might during the day. Our cameras often capture colors and scenes at night that we miss with the naked eye. Where is a place that you have never explored with your camera at night?

Chicago has a magic that comes alive at night!

5. Explore a different genre. Maybe the landscape is drab and dreary in the winter and is leaving you uninspired. Look for some details that are enhanced by beautiful light or atmospheric fog. Grab some flowers and experiment with macro photography inside or try food photography. Try some self portraits and experiment with light and composition. Sometimes just picking up the camera can yield inspiration. Is there a genre that intrigues you in which you might explore some more?

Macro flowers Kristen Ryan Photography-001.jpg

6. Learn or practice a new technique. Get those Neutral Density filters and tackle long exposures or try some panning on the water or trees. Spend some time learning new creative post processing techniques while you are uninspired to shoot. Post processing is one of my favorite things to do on the dreary winter days. In fact, sometimes I’m thankful for those dreary days because otherwise I might never get my editing done! What technique has been on your to-do list to master?

Merge of a long exposure for the clouds and quick shutter to freeze the foliage!

7. Plan a trip and/or Explore a new place. If nothing else works to inspire my creativity, traveling or exploring a new place always does. Certainly it is most desirable to travel somewhere exotic or extraordinarily beautiful but even less extraordinary places that are new to you can awake your mind to the beauty of the world. Even a day or weekend away in a new place can inspire creativity. And if you come back home to feel uninspired again, at least you have some images to experiment with in post processing!

Milky Way over the Barn Kristen Ryan Photography-001.jpg

Capturing Winter's Beauty Part 3

December 24, 2019

Have you been out capturing winter’s beauty yet this year? The last couple weeks I shared some tips on preparing your gear and some settings to think about when capturing snowy landscapes. This week I’m offering 5 more tips to consider for capturing winter’s beauty in a variety of creative ways.

Mount Moran peeks out of the clouds on a cold winter’s morning at sunrise.

Embrace Simplicity - Winter images do not need to be complex. You don’t need an expansive scene to capture winter’s beauty. Simple scenes can be just as compelling. A single subject amongst the snowy landscape or falling snow can tell a beautiful story to a viewer.

A lone tree stands among the snowy landscape in Grand Teton National Park

2. Emphasize Atmosphere - Embrace the atmosphere of the falling snow or steam rising from water on a winter’s day. This may be done by capturing the wider scene or by using a longer lens to isolate a smaller subject amongst the snow or simply the softness of light and fog mixing over a pond or river. Include winter’s details like hoarfrost or ice detail in the frame to help tell the story. Get close to these details to add depth and story.

Frosty formations cover the ice of Bow Lake in Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada

The snow comes down along the Snake River. Jackson Hole, Wyoming

3. Abstract - Winter tones can create stunning abstract images. In contrast to the greens of spring and summer, and the golden autumn tones, winter tones of blue, brown and white have a calming and peaceful quality. Slow down the shutter speed and experiment with panning or zoom blur.

4. Focus on Details - Winter temperatures and precipitation bring beautiful ice formations, hoarfrost and snowflakes. When the sun is out, these are often combined with beautiful sparkles. Focus on these details in a wider scene or use macro lens or telephoto to isolate them.

5. Add a Pop of Color - The winter landscape can be monotone with lots of white, blue, and brown. Adding in a pop of color from the landscape, such as sunset colors in the sky, a red barn, yellow sign, or a person with colorful clothing can be just the thing to grab a viewer’s attention and add impact to the scene.

Sunset glow adds a pop of color to the cool snowy mountain scene of the Tetons.

Hope these tips help give you creative ideas for capturing the winter beauty near you and in your travels!

7 Tips for Shooting on Clear Days

November 15, 2019

In my last blog post, I shared tips for those overcast days when so many clouds come in that the sky becomes gray and blah. But what do you do when the sky is clear and there is not a cloud in sight? The sun is shining and it is a beautiful day but there are no clouds to add interest to the scenery in front of you. All is not lost. There are many approaches you can take to capture beauty on those bluebird sky days! Here are a few tips to take with you.

1) Minimize the sky ~ Make the land the story of your image by composing with the horizon higher in the frame. Use a longer lens and focus on a smaller segment of the scene rather than a wider angle. Get low and look for foreground interest to add depth to the frame.

2) Look for Reflections ~ Reflections captures can be a dynamic and interesting scene all on their own by creating layers in the foreground. Sunny days really bring out the colors and clarity of a reflection. Clear skies can allow mountain reflections to stand out. There is beauty in the simplicity.

3) Capture a Starburst ~ When the sun is in the scene, take advantage of those clear skies by closing down your aperture and adding a sunburst to the frame. See this blog post for 7 Tips for a Great Sunburst..

4) Focus on Color & Texture ~ Brilliant sunshine enhances the colors and textures of the scenery around us. The blue sky reflecting in water will bring out the beautiful blues of glacial waters. Colorful trees, foliage and flowers are enhanced by the sunlight. Textures of rocks, trees, and mountains are highlighted as well. Look for these features in the landscape. Capture the gorgeous blue of the sky in contrast with the colors or focus in on the details and eliminate the sky from the frame completely.

5) Play with Abstract Shooting ~ Grab your 6 stop Neutral Density filter and capture some abstract shots of trees or water. See this article for tips on Seascape Panning. Look for vertical panning tips to be shared on the blog soon!

6) Explore the Forest ~ Walking through the forest, our focus is on the trees, lines and details of the land. Look for the light shining down through the trees or capture a sunburst coming through.

7) Stay out for the Stars ~ While the clear blue skies of the day may not be as intriguing as a sky filled with dramatic clouds, a clear night sky is filled with magic. Don’t pack up with the sun, stay out and capture the incredible starry night! Head over here for 9 Tips for Astrophotography Part 1, and then scroll up the blog for Part 2.

Next time Mother Nature offers full sun and clear nights, I hope you find these tips helpful!!

5 Tips for Shooting in Overcast Weather

October 31, 2019

It’s no secret that I love clouds, as most landscape photographers do. Clouds make a sky far more interesting than a clear blue sky. They create mood and atmosphere. But sometimes the clouds are so thick that the sky becomes gray and overcast, which is not any more interesting than a clear blue sky. What do you do in those situations? I suppose if you are home, you can just sit that one out and spend your day editing or engaging in life outside of photography. But when it happens during a long awaited trip to a dream destination, you want to make the best of it. So here are a few ideas of how to embrace that overcast light.

1) Seek Out Waterfalls or Other Moving Water ~ Overcast light is the perfect time to shoot waterfalls, rivers, or streams. Grab your 6 stop Neutral Density Filter and play with shutter speed and long exposures . The soft, overcast light helps to shrink the dynamic range and eliminates the dappled light and harsh shadows that come with bright sunlight. Bonus in the autumn, overcast light lets you bring out the fall colors without the harsh highlights.

WaterFall Glen Kristen Ryan Photography.jpg

2) Experiment with Slow Shutter and Panning ~ Experimenting with tree panning is a perfect activity for an overcast day. Panning can be done in any light, but in softer light, it will be easier to get a slower shutter speed and avoid bright highlights that come in full sun.

3) Fill the Frame ~ Look for some beautiful details in the foreground and fill your frame with them. For example, maybe a mix of fall colors in the foliage or fog floating through the trees. I often use a longer focal length for this kind of shooting.

Trees & Fog Kristen Ryan Photography.jpg

4) Minimize the Sky in the Frame ~ If the sky is not adding interest to the scene, make the foreground the majority of the frame. Place the horizon or tops of trees, mountains or hills near the upper line of the Rule of Thirds or even higher. Typically in these situations I will use a mid focal length or longer focal length rather than my wide angle.

5) Underexpose the Sky ~ Sometimes the sky is a pure gray or white blanket over the scene, but other times you might be able to see some texture in the clouds. If you see texture, you can work with it in post processing. By underexposing, you capture more sky detail and can edit to create some moody atmosphere.

Cape Flattery Kristen Ryan Photography-001.jpg

So next time the clouds got you down, remember these tips and get creative. There is always some beauty to be found!

8 Tips for Landscape Photography on Family Vacations

June 6, 2019

If school isn’t out where you live, then it is likely starting to wrap up! Summer is finally here and this is a popular time for family vacations. Long, carefree days and so many options for travel in weather that encourages outdoor activities.

One question I am often asked is how I am able to capture landscapes when traveling with my family. So I thought I’d share some of my thoughts and tips as summer vacation preparation is upon us!

1. Have Realistic Expectations! A family vacation is just that, a ‘family vacation’ not a ‘photography vacation’. On a photography trip, we can chase the light to our heart’s content and make that the number one priority. On a FAMILY vacation, our loved ones and our family experience is the top priority. If you have a love for landscape photography like I do, I do not think it is unrealistic to take a little time for yourself to shoot and fulfill the creative need, just like a runner is filled up by a daily run. And if you are traveling somewhere beautiful, you will want to capture some of those scenes. But you won’t get every sunrise, sunset and top photographic location. I come home with images I love, and many in good light, but I do not explore in the way I would on a photography trip. Going into the trip with unrealistic ideas just creates disappointment and that is not what you want for your experience with the people you love.

2. Ask Locals for Tips and/or Research Top Photo Ops - Before you go, research your destination’s top photographic spots! If you are visiting for a short time, you will want to know the hot spots ahead of time. Choose the ones that are reasonable to get to for sunrise or some that would be fun for the family to explore. In addition to Google, ask some locals for tips. This may be local photographers or even hotel or restaurant employees.

3. Get Up For Sunrise - This is one of my top tips! Sunrise is one of the most beautiful and peaceful times of day. Even when I visit a very populated location, sunrise not only has some of the best light of the day, but it also is a time I can experience the beauty of nature with the fewest other people around, often completely by myself. My family also likes to sleep in so I am able to sneak out for an hour or two in the morning before they are ready for the day. I get my landscape fix and start the day in a positive way without my photography taking away from family time.

4. Scout locations While Exploring during the Daytime - As you and your family explore, consider if any of the locations would be great spots to come back to for sunrise or sunset (if opportunity allows). Always look for spectacular views, interesting lines, foreground and framing elements.

5. Include Your People in the Frame - Landscapes are not always void of people and quite often including a human element in the frame can enhance the strength and impact of your image. The human element can create a great sense of scale and a stronger story. Including your own loved ones in your images adds more meaning and sense of experience for you as well.

6. Keep Your Camera With You Often - When it is convenient and makes sense, keep your camera with a versatile lens (24-70, or 24-105 would be my top picks) around your neck during your exploring so you can capture those special moments or gorgeous views as you come upon them. Unless you are shooting long exposures or in low light, a tripod isn’t necessary to capture gorgeous images and memories.

7. Get in the Frame - This tip is not necessarily landscape related, though could be. Adding yourself into the landscape is also a great way to add impact to your images. But take the opportunity to set your camera on a tripod and capture yourself with your family. You’ll never regret doing it, but you very well may regret it if you don’t.

8. Let it Go & Enjoy! - Sometimes it is just best to put the camera down and enjoy your family and the experience. The creative process can take a lot of energy at times, and sometimes it is just best to let it go and give all that energy to just enjoying your loved ones. It is just an image after all. The people in your life are worth so much more.

BONUS TIP #9: Plan a trip FOR your photography! Sign up for a workshop or retreat or plan a trip for yourself where you can go and make chasing the light and top locations your number one priority. Gifting yourself this opportunity is truly invaluable. And when you know you will get this dedicated creative time, it is easier to miss out on opportunities when you travel with non-photographers.

Where will you be traveling this summer? I’d love to hear about it in the comments :)

Kristen Ryan is a landscape and fine art photographer residing in the Midwest suburbs of Chicago. All images can be purchased in the Fine Art Store. Kristen leads ladies landscape photography retreats in the Tetons, Chicago, and the Canadian Rockies, offers private mentoring and teaches an online landscape photography workshop twice a year.

Sunrise on the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii

4 Ingredients to Impactful Landscape Photography

May 14, 2019

I often reflect on why I spend a lot of my time with landscape photography, both shooting and processing as well as educating others. The reasons why are a topic all their own. But all the time I spend shooting, studying, practicing, educating and encouraging others has made me reflect on what it is that creates stunning landscape photographs. I think about how to take my photographs to that next level and of new ways to teach and encourage others in my retreats and online workshop.

In my mind, it comes down to 4 ingredients. There are exceptions to every rule, of course, but there are 4 ingredients that must come together to create exceptional landscape and nature imagery. Several of which we can control, and one in which we cannot, at least for the most part.

1. CRAFT

The first ingredient in creating amazing landscape images is knowing your craft. And when I say craft, I am referring to the technical settings and techniques involved in mastering your camera and in shooting landscape photography more specifically. It is important to put in the time to learn the basics of photography, including the exposure triangle, white balance, focus and metering modes. Learn how to use filters such as polarizers, graduated neutral density filters and regular neutral density filters. Honing your craft including learning to read your histogram and how to bracket images to capture the entire dynamic range of the scene. Develop an understanding of depth of field and learn to use a tripod and intervalometer with ease. Learn the rule of thirds and other composition elements that will add depth and strength to your frame. Take a class on post processing or study on your own how to use the tools of these programs. This is all about learning the techniques and tools you may need to capture a well exposed and focused image and edit it in Lightroom or Photoshop.

2. VISION

The second ingredient in creating amazing landscape images is vision. Learning the tools and techniques is just half the equation. Beyond understanding the technicals, we have to learn to see in our minds what we want to create with these techniques. The two go hand in hand, as the stronger understanding of the technicals and the more we hone our craft, the stronger and more creative our vision grows. Vision helps us find that unique perspective or puts an artistic polish on the image through post processing. Craft is the skill while vision allows us to express ourselves with that skill. The more we practice the various techniques, in shooting and processing, the more creative possibilities open up to us. We learn to see what we might not have seen before. For me, this vision comes from framing images in my mind as I drive or hike, and from reflecting on past clicks of the shutter that fall short of impressing me. Just like our craft, our vision grows from practice and is integral to creating unique and impactful landscape images.

My vision here called for an 8 minute exposure. Mt. Rundle in Banff National Park. Alberta, Canada

3. OPPORTUNITY

To practice and develop both craft and vision, there must be opportunity. Sometimes these opportunities may fall in your lap and other times you must create opportunities. You have to sacrifice sleep or time with family to get out when the light is good or to travel to a place which inspires you. This can be easier said than done. Unless photography is your full-time job, you may have another job that restricts your time or perhaps you take care of kids full time and getting out or away requires finding childcare. If you live close to incredible scenery, you may have many great opportunities close by. If you don’t, you may have to work a little harder.

The opportunity factor can be a little complicated because in many ways you have control. You can decide (to an extent) where you live but if you are married, you have only some control. You can decide to get up early for sunrise, but you may have kids who have to get to school and your spouse is already off to work, such as my situation. You may love photography but your career is another profession and it demands a lot of your time. You may dream of traveling off to Norway, New Zealand, Bora Bora or Patagonia, and maybe you could, but your 3 young and adoring kids are at home needing care. You may want to go shooting at night in the city or in the middle of nowhere to find dark skies, but venturing out alone as a woman feels scary or unsafe.

It can be challenging to combat the things that work against you, and in some cases you COULD make more opportunities but then other aspects of life may suffer. I feel this often as I long to live near the mountains and to travel to those places like Norway and New Zealand. However, my life is outside Chicago, where my husband’s job supports myself and my 4 kids in a way for which I am so grateful. I steal my opportunities to shoot at sunrise when we travel as a family, though I don’t explore in the same way I would as a photographer. I am finding ways to travel as a landscape photographer but going too far or being gone too long is not something I am comfortable with right now. My creative heart is pulled in one direction but my mama heart is pulled in another. I may not be ‘less’ of a photographer for lacking some of these opportunities, but it means some of the images I dream of are for another day, another season of life perhaps.

The trouble with having (and to some extent choosing) limited opportunities leads me to the fourth ingredient over which we have little to no control….

4. LUCK

The fourth ingredient is luck. And when I say luck I am referring to the luck of Mother Nature. We have absolutely no control over the weather! Where we sometimes, but not always, have a little control is that we can make an effort to go out to shoot when we see an optimistic forecast. You can head out for sunset when the forecast is for partly cloudy or head out to shoot the Milky Way during the New Moon and a clear forecast. But you cannot control when that beautiful puffy cloud filled sky in the afternoon suddenly decides to become clear with no sunset color whatsoever. If you head out to shoot those stars and the clouds come earlier than expected, you cannot just blow them away. If you plan a trip to the mountains in the autumn when it is usually peak color and peak comes the next week, there is nothing you can do about it. You can get up every morning of a vacation, but if you get a week of clear skies, your sunrise will look mostly the same. Only a landscape photographer gets sad to see a weekly forecast of full sun after full sun! There is nothing you can do to change the weather when Mother Nature foils your plans.

When Sunset is Stormy in the Tetons. Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming

There are two things you can do, however. The first is to look for the beauty that IS in front of you, because if you are open to the idea that there is always SOMETHING beautiful to photograph, you can usually find it. It may not be what you were hoping for, but if your mind is open to creativity and possiblities, you might just find it. Maybe the photographs won’t be as epic as what you hoped for, or maybe they will be, just in a different way. If all fails, the other option is to try again another day. Create another opportunity. It may take some time but keep trying, and you will find the jaw dropping sunrises, the star filled skies and the rainbows through the clouds.

So hone your craft, let your vision and creativity run wild often, create and seize the opportunities you get! You may find Mother Nature rewards you with what you hope for, or perhaps something else entirely. And when you get drenching rain while your photographer peer gets a gorgeous rainbow, congratulate them on a beautiful capture, knowing yours is out there for another day :)

And lastly, get out for the experience of being in nature. In the end, isn’t that what draws us out there as much as the images? It does for me anyway.

Happy shooting my friends!

Seascape Panning

March 4, 2019

One of my favorite techniques to play with at the beach is horizontal panning. It is really simple and can create a beautiful dreamy effect of the water, sand, and sky in any combination.

You will want to use a shutter speed between about 2 seconds up to around 1/30 of a second or so. To do this, you’ll need to set your ISO quite low and close down your aperture significantly. If during the day, you may need a Neutral Density Filter to block some light. A 6 stop or 3 stop filter would be best in this situation. A 10 stop filter will be more than you need and prevent you from being able to see through the viewfinder when the filter is on.

You can use a tripod or shoot handheld. A tripod may keep you steadier horizontally but handheld works too so definitely don’t hesitate to try this without a tripod. In either case, you’ll want to frame your shot and focus on your scene and then after you press the shutter, or AS you press the shutter with the faster shutter speeds, just pan the camera to the right. When I shoot handheld I hold my arms close to my body and just turn my body to keep steady. If shooting around 1/30 of a second, you’ll need to move quicker to get the effect. With a second or two you can go slower as you have more time.

Sometimes it helps to start moving and then press the shutter, or you can also try putting your camera on continuous mode and as you twist your body press the shutter and let it take several shots as you move left to right.

The fun thing is that you get a slightly different effect each time. You may get a bunch you don’t like along with one or two that you really love. The painterly effect is subjective so choose the ones that YOU love!

Have questions, feel free to reach out!

Looking for a 6 stop filter to help you reduce the shutter speed? My favorite Neutral Density filters are from Breakthrough Photography! * I always have a 6 stop in my bag for capturing this effect and others!

Kristen Ryan is a fine art landscape photographer from the suburbs of Chicago. You can purchase prints in the Fine Art store or contact her for custom orders. She teaches an online landscape photography workshop, “The World Around You” and hosts in person ladies’ landscape photography retreats.

7 Reasons I Don't Shoot EVERYDAY!

December 12, 2018

If you find it stressful to shoot everyday or are feeling guilty for not shooting more often, allow me to let you off the hook. Don’t get me wrong, there are many great reasons and benefits to shooting everyday. And when I began my photography journey 8 years ago, I did shoot everyday and continued to do so for at least 2 years if not 3, or even 4. While I never completed an official ‘365’ I guarantee I did a couple. I shot everyday out of love for learning and because I felt inspired to shoot everyday. Because I was constantly shooting and evaluating my images, my learning was fast and furious and I have many memories & images to show for it. I would never discourage you from shooting everyday if you are inspired to do so, but if you are at a point in your photography that you aren’t feeling that constant inspiration, I believe it is ok and sometimes beneficial not to pick up the camera. So allow me to give you a few reasons to ease your guilt!

Amazing Sunset during the 2018 Magic in the Tetons Retreat

Before we begin though, I think it is important to recognize that there are 2 situations in which we pick up our camera to shoot. The first is when a moment speaks to us so strongly that we instinctively reach for our camera. We may be inspired to capture some amazing light, a touching or memorable moment among our loved ones, a sudden sighting of wildlife out our window, or an epic sunset, etc. For this reason, my camera is kept close by in the center of my house. It is at the ready for these moments!

The second situation is more planned, set up, or manipulated. This may be heading out for a sunrise landscape session, setting up a macro, self portrait, or still life shoot, or grabbing the camera and kids with the purpose of a photo session in a particular setting or activity. When I was first learning, I took this approach often but these days, it is harder for me to find a good window of time, or when there is, the energy to capitalize on it.

So here are a few reasons that support “not shooting everyday”

1) Avoiding Burnout - Anything you do at a high intensity for a long time can lead to burnout. This is especially true if you begin feeling less than inspired or self motivated to keep up this intensity. If you are constantly pushing yourself to keep doing something even if you aren’t feeling like it, burn out is more likely. Allowing yourself to take a break when you aren’t inspired allows you to recharge and let the creativity come naturally.

2) It gives you the freedom to shoot a lot in particular inspiring situations (such as on a vacation) and indulge in spending time with those images without adding more images to your cue or backlog. This is a big one for me personally. When we travel, I come home with hundreds (sometimes thousands!) of images of both family and landscapes and these are some of my most treasured images. I want time to work through those images and I know that shooting more on the heels of this travel will just add to my unedited archives.

Long Exposure during a gorgeous sunset on the island of Kauai

My husband and youngest son in the waves in Kauai

3) Post Processing Boost! Not only does the time allow me to go through those unedited archives and keep me from adding more to my to-do list, but it gives me time to expand and fine tune my post processing tools and vision. Editing is a very important part of this art and an additional way we put our own voice into our images. Gifting ourselves the time to spend on this aspect of our art and not rushing ourselves along is so important to growing our imagery. This time editing also allows me to reflect on what I might do differently in the field next time.

Sunset glow at Emerald Lake in Yoho National Park

4) It means I pick up the camera when I am truly inspired, which I believe will lead to images I love rather than images I took because I needed a ‘shot for the day’. Now…don’t get me wrong, there is definitely value in pushing yourself to be creative and get that daily shot. But at this point in my photography, I know what will speak to me and what won’t. And with that extensive backlog I mention earlier, if a shot doesn’t impress me, it won’t move into the editing cue. So I choose not to add more clutter to my EHDs unless I know it is worth it. Quality over quantity.

5) Taking that daily shot off your to-do list can free you up to getting something else done. I know when other life is weighing me down, sometimes I need to tackle other tasks so that my brain can be less cluttered and distracted, opening up my mind to creativity.

A little abstract panning in the Tetons during the Magic in the Tetons retreat

6) Observe and Experience life without the camera up to your eye. Taking the opportunity to simply see the beauty and moments in life can help rejuvenate your inspiration. Taking away the pressure to capture every moment can allow you to recharge and inspire your creative eye. Other activities can spark ideas for photographic ideas. Or perhaps some time reading about creative techniques will bring ideas for something new to try!

7) Breaks are good for the mind, body and soul. Even in things we love, breaks are good, allowing us to feel a continued passion and creativity. And I believe even when we are learning new things, giving space in our practice can allow the sub conscious to digest what we are learning. While repetition and practice are valuable no doubt, so is physical and mental rest. As a former freelance harpist, I will always remember coming back from a two week vacation to my gig playing the harp for the afternoon tea at the Drake Hotel in Chicago. I wondered how it would feel to play after two weeks away, fearing I’d be rusty. And I distinctly remember being surprised by the way my fingers felt so light and fluid over the strings, more so than before my break. Additionally, in our practices of art, music, sports, etc., quality practice can be more important than quantity.

An 8 minute exposure created star trails over Mt. Rundle in Banff National Park

So if you are inspired to shoot everyday, by all means, continue on! But if you have days you aren’t feeling it, I offer you these reasons to give yourself permission to let the camera sit until the next time you feel inspired. I guarantee the inspiration will come if you give it the space to return!

Check out my online workshop, mentoring, or ladies’ landscape photography retreats for educational opportunities.

9 Tips for Creative Long Exposures

November 28, 2018

One of my very favorite things to do when shooting nature and landscapes is to experiment with long exposures Anytime I have the opportunity to get a creative exposure of clouds or water, I try to take it.

60 seconds in Grand Teton National Park - using a 10 stop filter.

Here are some tips to help you find success when experimenting with long exposures:

1) A tripod is your best friend. I know, I know, they are cumbersome and a pain to carry but are necessary so that you can keep your frame stable throughout the long exposure. Make sure your tripod is steady and secure.

2) Invest in good Neutral Density Filters. I recommend a 6 stop and/or 10 stop ND filter. In brighter light and to get 30 second or longer exposures, you will often need a 10 stop filter. In lower light and/or an exposure of just a couple seconds, a 6 stop filter may be sufficient. For even longer exposures in daylight you can use a 15 stop filter as well. There are many companies that make Neutral Density Filters in various price ranges.

4 seconds at Natural Bridge in Yoho National Park - using a 6 stop filter.

3) Compose your frame and focus for the desired depth of field BEFORE putting the filter in front of the lens. Once you put a 10 stop filter on, you can't see through to focus and compose.

4) Set the new exposure BEFORE putting the filter on the lens. Find your proper exposure without the filter on. Then you can use a Long Exposure Calculator App to find the new shutter speed after you put on the filter. Usually you will need to max out your ISO and aperture unless you are shooting in really low light. For example, say I set my ISO to 100 and aperture to f/22 and my base shutter speed is 1/80. If I enter into the app a 1/80 shutter speed and tell it I am using a 10 stop filter, the app will then tell me that a 13 second shutter speed will give me the same exposure with the filter on. So then I will change my shutter speed to 13 seconds before I put on the filter. The less I touch my camera after putting on the filter, the better.

4 minute exposure using a 15 stop ND filter in Grand Teton National Park.

5) Use a Shutter release remote. These are critical if you are using a shutter speed slower than 30 seconds as you must then turn to bulb mode. But even out of bulb mode, using a shutter release is one more way to eliminate the chances of bumping your frame and increasing sharp focus. If you don’t have a shutter release you can also use your camera’s timer delay.

6) Cover your eyepiece viewfinder to prevent light from coming into the frame as this creates undesirable light leaks. My Nikon D810 and D850 have a little door that covers the eyepiece. But otherwise, I would cover it with a black/dark cloth or anything else that will keep the light out.

7) Check your histogram. Sometimes finding the right exposure with the filter can be a bit of trial and error. Don’t rely on the app or the LCD screen. Make sure the histogram is toward the right without climbing the right wall. If you need to bump exposure, lower that shutter speed, OR if your shutter speed is where you want it for creative effect, raise your ISO or open up your aperture.

2 minutes with a 10 stop filter at Lake Louise in Alberta, Canada

8) Consider the creative effect and mood of the image you want to create! When choosing your shutter speed length, think about your creative vision. For really streaked clouds, you may need a 60 second exposure or even a few minutes. If clouds are moving fast, 15-30 seconds may create the look you desire. With water, you may want to create a really smooth effect with 20-60 seconds or perhaps you want to leave more texture in the water with a 1 second exposure or a fraction of a second.

9) Lastly, look at the other areas of your frame. Do you have unwanted blur in other areas of your frame…such as trees, grasses or other foliage? If so, capture the exact composed frame with a faster speed so you can composite the two images later in post processing.

3 minute exposure for the sky combined with a fast shutter for the foreground grasses. Shot in the prairie of Illinois.

It's a little addicting, so don't say I didn't warn you! Are you looking for filters for long exposure photography? Check out Breakthrough Photography filters!* They are the filters I always have in my bag!

Check out my online workshop, mentoring, or ladies’ landscape photography retreats for educational opportunities.

*Affiliate Link