Gerlach Nature Photography Seminar Schedule

The Seminar Schedule

9:00 AM INTRODUCTION

9:10 EQUIPMENT FOR THE NATURE PHOTOGRAPHER

There is a bewildering array of photographic equipment in the marketplace, so it is hard to decide what works best. We'll show you the equipment we use to shoot many thousands of images each year. We'll point out those features you must have to easily shoot outstanding nature images in the field. We'll teach you the best ways to focus, what lenses to get and how to use them, what to look for in a camera, tripod and tripod head, digital memory, blinds, camera bags, and so much more.

What You Will Learn...

What to look for in a DSLR camera system
How to use your lenses effectively to get the best quality
How lenses work
How to use teleconverters effectively
The tripods and tripod heads we find most useful
Great quick release mechanisms for tripod heads and why they are so important
How to carry equipment in the field
Photo bags that work well for field work
Blinds for bird and mammal photography
Why becoming a naturalist makes you a better nature photographer
Three great ways to get a long telephoto lens
The enormous advantage of back-button focusing

BREAK

10:20 MASTERING DIGITAL EXPOSURE

Learn how to quickly shoot superb exposures every time. We'll show you how to easily use your in-camera histogram and highlight alert to perfectly expose every image. Although the appearance of the histogram is scary at first, we explain what it really tells you, so you can easily master it. Exposure once was challenging even to professional photographers, but the exposure aids your digital camera has makes determining the best exposure easy. You'll be an exposure expert by the end of this program!

What You Will Learn...

Why exposure meters don't tell you how to get proper exposure
Why camera meters are programmed for 18% reflectance
Do all cameras make white 18% gray?
How to judge proper exposure
How digital capture measures light differently than our eyes and film
When to use Aperture and Shutter Priority Exposure Modes
How to properly expose anything-and do it fast
Why even with automation, you still need to understand the language of stops
How ISO values, shutter speeds, and f-numbers work together
Why your cameras meter is the best way to determine the exposure
When and how to use AEB (automatic exposure bracketing)
The Luminance and the RGB histogram-how to use them
How to read a histogram and understand the highlight alert
Avoiding the five most common exposure errors digital shooters make (Hint: these problems involve the LCD display, computer monitor, luminance histogram, autoexposure defects, and exposure compensation button)
Why we no longer use spot metering
The metering pattern that works best with digital capture
Three critical autoexposure problems you need to know about
High Dynamic Range photography-what it is and how to expose it

12:00-1:30 LUNCH

1:30 HOW TO SHOOT GREAT NATURE CLOSEUPS

Wildflowers, frogs, insects, mushrooms, butterflies, and dew-laden dragonflies are all small, so special close-up techniques must be used to make outstanding photographs of these tiny subjects. We'll show you how to expose, shoot sharp images, control the background, choose the best lenses, and make good use of the limited depth-of-field to easily capture exquisite closeup images. Mastering the art of fill-flash and main flash techniques is a key part of this program!

What You Will Learn...

How to shoot high quality close-ups with natural light
Critical fill-flash and main flash techniques for improving closeup images
How to use reflectors and diffusers to greatly improve the light
Three reasons why the widely used 50mm macro lens is a poor choice
Why longer focal length lenses work best
Why working distance and angle of view is critical to making quality images
How to use a zoom lens for macro
Why and how to use extension tubes
How to shoot proper close-up exposures
How to maximize your depth-of-field
Why closeup filters work well on zoom lenses
The best choices in high quality closeup filters
Using plamps to make the subject hold still
Two crucial reasons to use live view in your macro photography!

BREAK

2:30 LIGHT IS EVERYTHING

Light is the essence of photography. We'll explain how color, contrast, quantity, and direction makes or breaks your photographs. Using many images, we show you good and bad examples of light. Tactics for getting gorgeous colors in your sunsets, waterfalls, and forest scenes are all fully explained. White balance is a mystery to many, but it won't be after this program.

What You Will Learn...

Using color, contrast, and direction of light to best advantage
How to see light like digital sensors do
When contrast makes or ruins your photographs
How to use the color of light to greatly improve your images
When to use backlighting and side-lighting
How to use reflectors and diffusers to modify the qualities of light to improve your images
When to use the K white balance choice
The one filter all digital shooters need to use most of the time and how to use it
How to use balanced flash

Break

3:00 Composing Pleasing Images

Anyone can learn to compose well. We'll show you many examples of good and bad compositions and provide you with guidelines that make it easy for you to use lines, shapes, and colors to shoot much stronger compositions.

What You Will Learn...

How to make strong compositions
Why subject placement is critical
When to use vertical or horizontal compositions
How to use lines of force and points of power
Why composing hand-held is so helpful
Why filling the frame with your subject isn't composition
Two reasons why learning to compose stronger images makes wildlife photography much easier
Why there are no rules of composition
The guideline of thirds
The three key factors that produce a superb nature image
How strong compositions change as animals move about in their habitat
The difference between clinical and poetic compositions
The critical role backgrounds play in your images
How digital capture modifies some compositional ideas
Perspective VS Viewpoint - How they differ

Break

3:40 Photographing Yellowstone National Park

It's been a long day and your brain has been doing overtime. Now mentally relax while we project many digital images to show you how to photograph Yellowstone National Park. We will begin with winter - the quiet season in Yellowstone. Then we show how we photograph the front country and wilderness areas of Yellowstone during the summer. We will reveal many of our favorite strategies and best shooting locations. It's a great program you'll love seeing.