In my photography workshops and one-on-one training I frequently have people ask me if the workshops are suitable for novices.  They go on to explain that they think they have a good eye but are a bit baffled by their camera, especially when it comes to exposure.  They just put their camera’s exposure mode dial on the little green rectangle (the fully automated mode) and shoot away. In other words, the camera makes all the decisions regarding exposure – ISO, f/stop and shutter speed.  But the camera’s built in light meter is often fooled and the exposure is off.

Getting the correct exposure is one of the most essential first steps in getting a great photograph.  I see a lot of photographs that have compelling compositions but are poorly exposed and the potential impact is lost.  So for those individuals who are interested in taking a photography workshop but aren’t at least passingly familiar with the operation of their camera with regards to exposure, I have a number of posts dealing with the topic that I refer them to.  I thought I’d pull them all together in a single post to make them easier to find.

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Originally uploaded by Ralph Nordstrom

This was Lake Sabrina last weekend believe it or not. Yep, where’s the lake?

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Originally uploaded by Ralph Nordstrom

Here is one of the photos I took today along the South Fork of Bishop Creek. South Lake was still snowed in but down the canyon spring was marching up. You can view the rest of the photos I took today on Flickr.

The Eastern Sierra photography workshop is in two weeks and there are still a few spaces left.  The dates are June 5-10.  Well be covering the Sierra from Lone Pine to Lee Vining.  If you’re interested, it’s not too late.  Send me a message on Facebook or leave a comment on the blog.  Here’s a link for more information.

2010 Eastern Sierra Photography Workshop

There’s something I’ve been puzzling about for a long time.  So I finally decided to check it out and share the results with you.  I wanted to know the relationship between the camera’s built-in light meter and the histogram.  OK, sounds geeky so what exactly am I talking about and why do I care?

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Originally uploaded by Ralph Nordstrom

I thought I knew where I wanted this image to go but it had a mind of its own – beyond realism, beyond believability even, into pure emotion.

I just upgraded my Spot 1 to Spot 2. I haven’t tried it out yet but I’ve been using the Spot 1 for about a year every time I go out shooting.

In case you don’t know what Spot is, it’s a GPS reciever and communication satelite transmitter. The GPS tracks your location and the transmitter sends signals to the nearest communication satelite which is then downloaded to a ground station. From there a message is sent to the email addresses and cell phones you specify.

There are 4 kinds of messages on the Spot 2 – checking in, custom, help and SOS. I’m using the custom message to rub it in to my family that I’m out shooting and they’re not.

I just finished configuring the new device and am ready to give it a spin. But here’s a link with a review that gets me excited about what to expect.

http://hardcoreoutdoor.com/2009/11/18/new-and-improved-spot-satellite-messenger–spot-2.aspx

I can’t wait.

Haze is an integral part of landscape photography.  Distant mountains are not as clear as close up objects.  They lack contrast, are often lighter and may even appear blue or even purple (purple mountain majesty).  It’s interesting that in the history of Western art, painters didn’t incorporate atmosphere into their paintings with landscapes until the Renaissance.

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Most of us aren’t in the habit of purchasing art.  And for some of us the thought may be just a bit intimidating, especially when the work of art is, oh, shall we say “expensive.”  How do you now you’re investing your money wisely?

I can’t speak for other art media such as paintings, sculpture, etc.  But I can offer three suggestions when purchasing fine art photography.  Here are some things you should expect from a fine art photograph.

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