“Bokeh” is a term to describe the quality of out-of-focus areas in a photograph, both in the foreground and background. Although some aspects of bokeh are subjective, everyone seems to like creamy, smooth bokeh, whereas the infamous “onion rings” are unwanted in photos and probably better left as a food.
Photography Life
I have two of the most gullible friends in the world. When I floated the questionable idea of visiting Iceland together for a week in February – using the line, I remember, “Iceland actually stays pretty warm because it’s on the ocean” – they agreed, with hardly any further persuasion needed.
Photography Life
A wonderful trip reverberates, as our group continues to stay in touch, comparing notes and pictures. After three cancellations, and two and a half years of waiting for the world to open again, just a bit, the Amazon did not disappoint.
Birds in trees! And not ones that look like the finches who attend our backyard feeder. Piranha in the water! Fingers in the boat! Don’t climb that tree, an enormous lizard awaits! Me being the city kid, unused to unvarnished wilderness and possessed of an overactive imagination, occasionally thought we were maybe in one of those movies where not everybody comes back. “Its keen sense of smell alerted the giant anaconda to the presence of tourists. The last bunch through these parts were tasty, indeed. Soundlessly, the great, slithering beast slid beneath the murky waters, assured of a meal. With all those long lenses, none of his prospective prey could run very fast at all.”
Photogs in the jungle!
My wife in a boat! Adorned with her bug bracelet!
For me, this extreme environment, suffused with radical levels of moisture and humidity, and deep dips of shadows lurking amidst intense highlights, was really an excellent field test of the Nikon Z 9, especially coupling it with the Nikkor 100-400mm f4.6/5.6 lens. The speed of the camera, the eye assist AF accuracy (a major help to me, noted wildlife photog that I am) and the lightness of the build of that lens, supremely sharp, were put to excellent use out there in the lagoons and the dense jungle. The technology is astonishing.
And, of course, I had to take out a flash now and then. Quick series below….
A quick pop of light from a raw, slightly warmed SB-5000 applied above, for the portrait of our intrepid guide, Jairo. Available jungle light progressed to a bit of a fill flash, from camera left, to a one frame demo of how flash duration will freeze your subject even as you spin the camera, hand held at 1/10th of a second to blur the natural light. The principles of light apply, even in the rainforest. Thank you to Jairo and all of the jungle guides of the beautiful La Selva Jungle Lodge where we stayed. An oasis in the middle of the dense, green beauty of the jungle, teeming with life and color.
Again, all hail our talented group! We have been staying in touch and sharing images, and the quality of the pictures are off the charts. Just lovely. Collectively we strayed far afield from our usual comfort zones, and the results were worth it. As was the amazing grace and patience of all, zooming on computers for two plus years, waiting for a go date. Worth it beyond measure, in experience, pictures and friendships.
More tk….
The post Flora, Fauna, and the Occasional Flash…Amazon Jungle Trip, Part II appeared first on Joe McNally Photography.
Lightroom presets are powerful tools that can drastically speed up your editing process. Whether you want to quickly set a baseline edit or easily replicate the signature look of your favorite film stock, presets give you a head start on your Lightroom edit. The install process, however, can be tricky, particularly if you’re not used to working with your systems folders. In this guide to installing Lightroom presets, I’ll walk you through how to install Lightroom presets, as well as discuss some of the important differences between preset types available in Lightroom.
Photography Life
One of our favorite and longest running traditions in Click Community is our forum photo contest! In last month’s contest our community shared images that embodied the theme “day in the life” and we can’t wait for you to see this collection of our favorites.
Congratulations to Anna Wańczko for her winning image (above)! Anna won a self paced course of her choice from Click Photo School!
You can win, too! Enter this month’s forum photo contest with your take on the theme “THREE” for a chance to be featured here on the Click Community Blog and win a self paced course of your choice!
But first, please enjoy this collection of some of our very favorite and inspiring images from this past month:
Do you want a chance for your work to be featured on the Click Community blog and to be eligible to win a seat in a Click Photo School self guided course?
And if you’re not yet a member of Click Community, we’d LOVE to have you come join us! As a member, you get access to photography tutorials, video demos, Q&A threads, image critiques, photo challenges and contests like this one, and so much more! Become a member today!
The post 39 Photos Capturing a Day in the Life appeared first on Click Community Blog: Helping you take better pictures one day at a time.
Click Community Blog: Helping you take better pictures one day at a time
