Writing a garden blog requires more than just a knowledge of gardening and the ability to communicate, it also requires some skill as a photographer if you want to be successful. Luckily there are lots of resources available to teach basic picture taking skills. I am lucky enough to have good equipment and especially lucky to have a very talented daughter who is a professional photographer and always happy to give me advice. (Her website is Jessica Peterson Photography). The one piece of equipment I am lacking is a good tripod. I have never really felt the need for one until this year. I'm more of a walk around and shoot photographer. But recently our weather has been so gloomy that it is almost impossible for me to get an in-focus picture. I typically go out early in the morning and walk through the garden snapping shots of whatever catches my fancy. I download them all and then every morning go through them and pick out one to edit and write about. The choice lately as been dismal because most of them are somewhat blurry like this one looking into the vegetable garden. On my list of things to-do this week, buy a tripod because it doesn't look like June gloom is going to let up anytime soon!
Monday, June 14, 2010
Tripod Weather
Writing a garden blog requires more than just a knowledge of gardening and the ability to communicate, it also requires some skill as a photographer if you want to be successful. Luckily there are lots of resources available to teach basic picture taking skills. I am lucky enough to have good equipment and especially lucky to have a very talented daughter who is a professional photographer and always happy to give me advice. (Her website is Jessica Peterson Photography). The one piece of equipment I am lacking is a good tripod. I have never really felt the need for one until this year. I'm more of a walk around and shoot photographer. But recently our weather has been so gloomy that it is almost impossible for me to get an in-focus picture. I typically go out early in the morning and walk through the garden snapping shots of whatever catches my fancy. I download them all and then every morning go through them and pick out one to edit and write about. The choice lately as been dismal because most of them are somewhat blurry like this one looking into the vegetable garden. On my list of things to-do this week, buy a tripod because it doesn't look like June gloom is going to let up anytime soon!
Damn June Gloom. It's definitely cutting into our eating breakfast on the patio time. I fear it won't start easing until the 4th of July.
ReplyDeleteTripods are so helpful for a lot of reasons. You can probably find a light weight one easily! Happy shopping.
ReplyDeleteI also heard to brace one arm against something before shooting to balance your self, don't breathe when you shoot, etc. I can't bother with a tripod. Don't you have a digital that beeps when it is in focus before you shoot ? Mine does that. I like your pictures anyway, good luck, take care ! Gina
ReplyDeleteYou ought to check with your daughter, and see what she thinks, specifically about that photo.
ReplyDeleteIt depends if you're using automatic or manual settings.
I wonder if the tall white flowers are really in-focus. It can be a problem when using autofocus for a scene which has a lot of depth, like that one. The camera might have focused on the metal artifact in right foreground, leaving everything else out of focus.
If you really want the depth, you need a very small aperture, and therefore a long time exposure, and therefore a tripod. Point-and-shoot might not understand that.
But I'd settle for just getting those white flowers sharp.
Between May Gray, and June Gloom, we do have lighting challenges in the garden in spring and early summer. On the other hand, I wouldn't trade living near the coast for the world. I often find I should be using a tripod, but sometimes I'm just too lazy to drag it around with me. Although mine is quite large and heavy. A small lightweight tripod would probably get more use.
ReplyDeleteAs always, such lovely photos. And, I'm amazed you've gotten by without a tripod!
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ReplyDeleteHi Sheila, June gloom mad eme laugh, I have had enough rain already!
ReplyDeleteYour garden looks gorgeous!
I do photos with and without a tripod... I thought a tripod would seem cumbersome but actually enjoy getting everything framed with ease, and if the wind is blowing you get another chance without refocusing:-)
Bella
A tripod does make a difference in poor light especially. I have one, nothing fancy, but I almost never use it, being a grab-the-camera-and-go kind of photographer. When I do bother to drag it out, it does help.
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