Table Of Content

Text copyright © 2013 by Art Wolfe, Inc., Martha Hill, and Tim Grey Photographs copyright © 2013 by Art Wolfe, Inc. Text copyright © 1993 Martha Hill Photographs copyright © 1993 by Art Wolfe All rights reserved. Published in the United States by Amphoto Books, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc., New York. www.crownpublishing.com www.amphotobooks.com AMPHOTO BOOKS and the Amphoto Books logo are trademarks of Random House, Inc. Originally published in different form by Three Rivers Press, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc., New York, in 1993. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Wolfe, Art. The new art of photographing nature: an updated guide to composing stunning images of animals, nature, and landscapes / by Art Wolfe and Martha Hill; with Tim Grey. Includes bibliographical references and index. 1. Nature photography. I. Hill, Martha, 1946- II. Grey, Tim. III. Title. TR721.W6565 2013 779’.3—dc23 2012016487 eISBN: 978-0-7704-3375-8 Trade Paperback ISBN 978-0-7704-3315-4 Cover design by Jenny Kraemer Cover photographs by Art Wolfe v3.1 Acknowledgments The idea for this book was conceived many years ago, while I was still picture editor at Audubon magazine. To the many fine photographers I worked with over the years, I would like to express my gratitude. Theirs was a dedication born out of love and concern for their subjects, which, more often than not, meant sacrificing creature and material comforts in pursuit of their craft. Because of, or in spite of, these qualities, they came up with the outstanding images with which we could work. In any project such as this book, certain key people play a more active role, albeit behind the scenes. To these colleagues and friends, I would like to give special thanks: to Guy Tudor, bird artist and naturalist, and to my late father, Oscar Mertz, an innovative art professor, for their careful vetting of the artistic concepts contained in the manuscript. Thanks also to Jo Gershman, Harriet Huber, and Jessica Cook, whose insights and support were much appreciated. To my coauthor, Art Wolfe, I want to express my deep appreciation for his beautiful imagery. And to Deirdre Skillman, his right hand, my eternal gratitude for keeping us on track and on time with unflagging enthusiasm. And finally, to my husband, Kevin Schafer, whose criticism and advice were invaluable. This book belongs, in part, to him. —Martha Hill, 2012 I would like to thank my staff, without whom this book would be an impossibility: senior editor Deirdre Skillman for shepherding this project through with the help of photo assistant Amanda Harryman, workshop coordinator Libby Pfeiffer, web and tech expert Bruce Decker, personal assistant Christine Eckhoff, and field assistants past and present, John Greengo, Gavriel Jecan, and Jay Goodrich. Special thanks go to Martha Hill for agreeing to go another round in the pursuit of superior nature photography education—her old-school work ethic and sensibilities are refreshing. My thanks also to Tim Grey for coming on board and enriching the project with his technical expertise, to editor Julie Mazur for taking on the project in the first place, and to agent Peter Beren for getting The New Art of Photographing Nature into the right hands. —Art Wolfe, 2012 Contents Cover Title Page Copyright ACKNOWLEDGMENTS PREFACE INTRODUCTION 1 Isolating the Subject Using Lenses Eliminating Clutter Removing Distractions in Post-Processing 2 Composing the Picture Format: Horizontal or Vertical? Framing: Cropping Framing: Where to Place the Subject Symmetry vs. Asymmetry Subject in Center The Golden Mean Using Live View 3 Defining Your Perspective Scale: How Large Should the Subject Be? Understanding Sensor Size and Focal Length Getting Close with a Telephoto Lens Getting Close with a Wide-angle Lens Compressing Spatial Relationships: Telephoto Lenses Expanding Spatial Relationships: Wide-angle Lenses Changing Camera Angle to Improve Composition 4 The Power of Color Choosing an In-Camera Color Space Primary Colors Portfolio of Complementary Colors Portfolio of Related or Harmonious Colors Portfolio of Pastel Colors Uniformity of Color The Power of No Color Converting Color Images into Black and White 5 The Elements of Design The Power of Line Horizon Placement and How It Affects Depth Placing the Horizon Off Center No Horizon: Aerial Perspective Receding Lines and Shapes Using Line to Create Depth Using Diagonals to Create Dynamic Visual Interest A Portfolio of Lines Patterns Texture Composite Panoramas Making Composite Panoramas 6 Reading the Light Quality of Light: Time of Day Understanding Color Temperature Direct Sun vs. Overcast Light Overcast Light Direction of Light Frontlighting Sidelighting Backlighting Reflected Light Spotlighting Low-Contrast vs. High-Contrast Lighting Finding the 18 Percent Gray Expose to the Right 7 Creative Options Using Shutter Speed to Isolate the Subject Shutter Speed: Still Camera with Moving Subject Shutter Speed: Panning Camera with Moving Subject Shutter Speed: Stopping the Action Understanding ISO Using Slow Shutter Speeds to Capture Unusual Events Depth of Field: Stopping Down to Improve Composition Depth of Field: Opening Up to Improve Composition Avoiding Heat Buildup Graduated Neutral Density (ND) Filters High Dynamic Range (HDR) Imaging Polarizing Filters Using Filters in Digital Photography Adding Controlled Lighting: Flash and Fill-Flash 8 In the Field with Art Wolfe What’s in My Camera Bag Animals: Human Interest Animals: Getting Close Capturing the Decisive Moment Making the Most of Atmospheric Conditions Working the Image Tripod or No Tripod? Adding Location Information to Your Photos 9 An Editor’s View Telling a Story Visually Photography’s New World 10 Tim’s Top Tips for Digital Photographers Shoot RAW vs. JPEG Expose to the Right Use the Lowest ISO Possible Work in 16-Bit Depth Take Control of Your Black-and-White Images Edit in a Nondestructive Way Back Up, Back Up, Back Up RESOURCES ABOUT THE AUTHORS INDEX SECOND BEACH, OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARK, WASHINGTON