Mastering Nature Photography: Shooting and Selling in the Digital Age

289 Pages·2004·2.66 MB·English

by  John Kieffer

Nature Photography Title Page 10/5/04 3:44 PM Page 1
Mastering Nature Photography
Shooting
and Selling
in the Digital Age
John Kieffer
ALLWORTH
PRESS
NEW YORK
(00)FM, 1-4 MNP 9/24/04 1:28 PM Page ii
© 2004 John Kieffer
All rights reserved. Copyright under Berne Copyright Convention,
Universal Copyright Convention, and Pan-American Copyright
Convention. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in
a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means,
electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise,
without prior permission of the publisher.
08 07 06 05 04 5 4 3 2 1
Published by Allworth Press
An imprint of Allworth Communications, Inc.
10 East 23rd Street, New York, NY 10010
Cover design by Derek Bacchus
Cover photograph by John Kieffer
Page composition/typography by SR Desktop Services, Ridge, NY
ISBN: 1-58115-389-9
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Kieffer, John.
Mastering nature photography : shooting and selling in the
digital age / John Kieffer.
p. cm.
Includes index.
1. Nature photography. 2. Photography—Business methods.
I. Title.
TR721.K52 2004
778.9'3—dc22 2004018473
Printed in Canada
(00)FM, 1-4 MNP 9/24/04 1:28 PM Page iii
Contents
Acknowledgments ix
About the CD-ROM x
PART ONE: A Solid Foundation
Chapter 1 So You Want to be a Nature Photographer 3
Be a Naturalist • Be an Athletic and Adventurous
Outdoorsperson • Be a Businessperson
• What about Equipment?
Chapter 2 Good Photography: A Deliberate Approach 9
Preparation • A Common Thread in Good Photography
• Where and What to Photograph • Who’s Your Audience
Chapter 3 Elements of an Image 13
Symbols and Icons: The Star of Your Picture
• General Rules of Composition • Lighting
Chapter 4 A Day in the Life of a Nature Photographer 21
The Maroon Bells
PART TWO: Photographic Equipment
Chapter 5 Cameras 31
35mm SLR Camera Systems • 35mm SLR Lenses • Why Use
a Larger Format Camera? • Medium Format Cameras
• The View Camera • Panoramic Cameras • Digital Cameras
• General Photographic Equipment Checklist
Chapter 6 Lenses and the Creative Process 45
Focal Length, Aperture • Depth of Field • Shutter Speed
Chapter 7 Filters 51
Exposure Compensation • Filter Frames and Holders
• Ultraviolet (UV), Skylight (1A), and Haze Filters • Polarizing
Filters • Enhancing and Warming Filters • Graduated Filters
• Digital Filters • Neutral Density (ND) Filters • Wratten Gels
or Color Compensating (CC) Filters • Specialty Filters
(00)FM, 1-4 MNP 9/24/04 1:28 PM Page iv
Chapter 8 Film 55
Keeping Track of Your Film • Kinds of Film • Film Speed
• Color and Saturation • Pushing and Pulling Film
Chapter 9 Exposure and Contrast Range 59
Light Meters and Measuring Light • Successful Metering
and Exposures • Contrast Range • Sunny 16 Rule
Chapter 10 Tripods, Supports, and Cases 63
Tripod Features • Tripod Heads • Using a Tripod • Specialized
Camera Supports • Camera Cases and Photo Vests
PART THREE: Photographing Nature
Chapter 11 Planning a Successful Photo Trip 71
Resources for Finding Locations • Public Lands
• Be a Naturalist • Can Preparation Verge on Stealing?
Chapter 12 Location Scouting Basics 77
Before You Set Out • Capturing the Grand Vista
• Transportation • Trails: Exploring the Backcountry • Private
Property and Location Scouting • Basecamp: Trips as Family
Vacations • Location Scouting Checklist
Chapter 13 Photographing in Canyons, Deserts,
and Dunes 97
Photographing Canyons • Location Scouting: Canyons • Slot
Canyons • Photographing Buttes • Stock Value: Canyon
Country • Photographing Deserts • Location Scouting: Deserts
• Two Classic Desert Landscapes • Cacti and Flowers • Stock
Value: Deserts • Photographing Sand Dunes • Location
Scouting: Sand Dunes • Sand Dunes: Two Compositions
• Stock Value: Sand Dunes
Chapter 14 Photographing Mountains 113
Location Scouting: Mountains • Early Summer • Middle
Summer: The Peak Season • Late Summer • Autumn
Mountains • Winter Mountains • Stock Value: Mountains
(00)FM, 1-4 MNP 9/24/04 1:28 PM Page v
Chapter 15 Photographing Snow and Cold 123
Condensation • Cold • Exposures and Snow • Tips for Better
Winter Compositions • Stock Value: Snow
Chapter 16 Photographing Flowers, Forests, and Still-Lifes 127
Three Basic Flower Compositions • Stock Value: Flowers
• Photographing Forests • Two Forest Compositions
• Stock Value: Forests • Photographing Still-Lifes, Patterns,
and Backgrounds
Chapter 17 Photographing Water 137
Photographing Reflections, Lakes, and Calm Waters
• Two Compositions • Stock Value: Reflections and Lakes
• Photographing Seascapes and Coastlines • Location Scouting:
Coastlines • Four Ocean Compositions • Stock Value:
Seascapes and Coastlines • Photographing Streams
• Photographing Waterfalls • Stock Value: Streams
and Waterfalls
Chapter 18 Photographing the Sky 155
Photographing Clouds • Stock Value: Fog • Photographing
Moonrises and Moonsets • Stock Value: Moonrises and
Moonsets • Photographing Rainbows • Stock Value: Rainbows
• Photographing Sunrays and Sunbursts • Stock Value: Sunrays
• Photographing Sunrise and Sunset • Stock Value: Sunrises
and Sunsets
Chapter 19 Photographing Agriculture 169
Agricultural Compositions • Using Agricultural Icons
• Wheat: A Case Study • Stock Value: Agriculture
Chapter 20 Photographing City Skylines and Roads 175
Skyline Location Scouting • Filters and Lighting
• Photographing Roads • Safety • Three Road Compositions
• Stock Value: Roads
Chapter 21 Photographing Wildlife 181
Gain Your Skills Locally • Animal Portraiture • Shoot the Stars
• Visit National Parks and Refuges • Stock Value: Wildlife
(00)FM, 1-4 MNP 9/24/04 1:28 PM Page vi
Chapter 22 Photographing People 185
Pictures for Family and Friends • Basic Compositions
• Images for the Professional Photo Buyer • Models
• Wardrobe and Props • Model Releases • Photo Equipment
• Stock Value: People
PART FOUR: The Business of Selling Your Photography
Chapter 23 Photography Business Basics 195
Be Your Own Stock Photo Agency • Organize Your
Photography and Your Stock Business • Image Fulfillment:
Film and Digital • Bookkeeping • Getting Paid: Invoices
and Credit Cards • Know the End User • Theft or Copyright
Infringement • Rights: Managed and Royalty Free
Photography • Professional Organizations and Partnerships
• Be a Photographic Assistant
Chapter 24 Digital Files 211
File Size • File Formats • Resolution • Resizing a File • RGB
and CMYK Modes • Scanning Film • General Scanning
Considerations • Using CD-ROMs • Stock Photo Catalogs
• Royalty-Free Photo CD-ROMs • Recording to CD-ROM
• CD-ROM Design Considerations
Chapter 25 Marketing Approaches: Old and New 221
Logos and Identity • Printed Material • Press Releases
• The Yellow Pages • Your Web Site as a Marketing Tool
• General Considerations for Web Sites • Preliminary Decisions
• Organizing Your Web Site • Parts of Your Web Site
• Showing Your Photography • Subject List or Index
• Protecting Your Photography • E-mail • FTP, or File
Transfer Protocol
Chapter 26 The Stock Photography Industry 237
Stock Photo Agencies • Finding a Compatible Stock
Agency • Submission Guidelines • Working with Your Stock
Agency • Stock Agency Contracts
(00)FM, 1-4 MNP 9/24/04 1:28 PM Page vii
Chapter 27 Advertising and Commercial Usage 247
The Advertising Industry • Finding Ad Agencies and Graphic
Designers • Larger Companies and Corporations • Web
Designers and Multimedia Developers • Miscellaneous
Commercial Contacts • Commercial Calendars • Mailing
Lists and Direct Mail • Pricing • Calculating a Usage Fee
• Quoting a Price and Closing a Deal
Chapter 28 Calendars and Book Publishers 253
Calendars • Finding Calendar Companies and Publishers
• Usage Fees
Chapter 29 Magazines and Trade Publications 257
Trade Publications • Consumer Magazines • How Magazines
Work • Contacting Magazines • Offer More than Photography
• Pricing
Chapter 30 Photographic Prints 261
The Marketplace • Business Considerations • The Scan and
Print Making Process • Four Print Markets • Pricing
Index 273
(00)FM, 1-4 MNP 9/24/04 1:28 PM Page viii
(00)FM, 1-4 MNP 9/24/04 1:28 PM Page ix
Acknowledgments
I’d like to thank my wife, Beth, for her expertise with many
computer-related endeavors, including this CD-ROM and to my
entire family for their patience and support of my photographic
career. Finally, to the people at Allworth Press, particularly
Tad Crawford for his support of this book project; Nicole Potter’s
help with making sure things make sense and are well organized;
Monica Rodriguez for a thorough editorial review; photographer
David Weintraub for his catching photographic insight; and
Derek Bacchus for a great cover design.
About the Author
John Kieffer is a leading authority on nature photography.
A professional outdoors photographer for nearly twenty years, he
has traveled throughout the American West, regularly spent up to
eighty days per year living in a camper, and risked his life more
than once while capturing the natural landscape. In 1997, he
established Kieffer Nature Stock, one of the first stock photo agencies
to fully integrate digital media in CD-ROMs, Web sites, and image
fulfillment. He has a master’s degree in entomology and is the
author of The Photographer’s Assistant (Allworth Press). He lives in
Boulder, Colorado.
ix