Tips and Techniques

The tips and techniques section of my website encompasses much more than just tips for capturing photographs. It is much broader and covers many facets of the entire outdoor photography experience. Rather than just talk about composition and techniques to improve photos I also cover topics about tips for helping in trip preparation and ways to enhance the travel experience.

Whether you are traveling by asphalt or air I have a few tips and techniques I have picked up from my own personal photographic ventures. I have tips for security when traveling, advice in the field when shooting, and tidbits of information on a specific destination or place…like where testy property owners and farmers with shotguns reside.

I don’t intend to imply that all farmers are unfriendly and like to wave shotguns at strangers. No offense taken, I hope. I got to make the acquaintance of a few in my younger days when vacationing in rural South Dakota and most were decent friendly folk, except maybe this one ole codger I met. Well, 9 out of 10 isn’t bad!

I tend to be pretty much a purist when it comes to my photography. So, my tips and techniques will revolve around this stance. I compose within the lens without any further manipulation after the fact. Generally, but not always that includes cropping. I am not opposed to the use of filters. In fact the polarizer is a frequent tool I use to take out reflections or add some blue to the sky, but use of the polarizer tends to be an exception of anything I might call manipulation.

Most other photo tools including filters are used by me to render the scene on film as I saw it with my eye. Traditional film and even today’s digital sensors just don’t have the latitude to capture all the highlights from shadow to sunlight.

In other words, what you see in my pictures is what was there as best I could represent it. No eagles where they didn’t exist, no imitation rainbows, or green sunsets. I don’t add, and I don’t take away from the composition. What I am saying is that my “Tips and Techniques” section won’t include discussions of Photoshop or other photo editing programs, unless it is to comment on the negative aspects of them with respect to pure photography.

No offense to Photoshop fans. Photoshop has its place in the photo world and it isn’t going away. There are distinct advantages to using it in the publishing world and elsewhere and many folks love to work with it and have become very proficient in it.

It is just a personal preference of mine to partake of photography without digital manipulation being involved. I have heard the arguments about what “shameless” things go on behind the closed doors of the darkroom even within the silver halide era. Just as I might manipulate a photo with filters and use other photographic tools to render the scene on film as I saw it, I expect the darkroom to do nothing less or more. Some might call me old fashioned, I prefer to call myself a traditionalist. Therefore, I will adhere to discussions of tips and techniques other than those entailing digital photo manipulation techniques.

authored by Lon Britton