Michael Bandy's Blog

Action and Tranquility

2009-11-13T19:03:00.000-08:00

The ocean is a very busy thing. It is constantly ebbing and flowing. Swells, waves, currents, tides. It is always moving and always changing. But even with all of that action, most of us view the ocean with not just a sense of awe, but also of peace and tranquility. I know that watching a sunrise or sunset on the beach, with the steady sound of the surf crashing onto the sand or rocks, is one of my favorite things. Even without a camera. For photographers, the ocean has plenty of amazing elements to make a photograph.

It has flowing water, that with a long exposure can begin to look like fog or mist....

And with the right clouds and light, you get dramatic sunsets and sunrises.

Even after the sun goes down you can do long exposures combined with light painting to get some very cool, almost otherworldly effect.....

...Or you can see the actual waves as they break over rocks in the foreground or roll onto the beach.

And as in the above photos, make sure you use a good tripod and a graduated or split neutral density filter. If you don't have filters you can use a technique called HDR (high dynamic range), or you can take two shots, one for the foreground (rocks, beach, etc.), and one for the sky and then blend them in Photoshop. If you cannot do either and you have a great sunset, expose for the sky and let the foreground fall into shadow. You will have a dramatic silhouette.

Always look for leading lines and interesting compositions. I always try to shoot with my widest lens possible to start but often need to get in closer with another lens.

As in all landscape photography, try different things. Vary it up and you will hopefully come home with a handful of great shots that are different from each other.

Damn Bee's

2009-05-22T19:03:00.000-07:00

I have found myself shooting Bee pictures lately. One thing about Bee's is that they never hover in place. They dance all over the flowers they are gathering pollen from, flying from one flower to another, never stopping. To catch one flying, rather than perched on a flower petal is quite a difficult and time consuming venture. I have only been able to pull off a few great shots doing this... But those shots that come out always make me smile.

I would love to tell you there is a time honored and proven technique to capture these shots but unfortunately I have tried many techniques with a similar level of success. My main technique is to pick a spot where a Bee keeps coming back to and set my exposure to aperture priority at about f/7.1 or so. I then change the ISO to where I need to in order to achieve at least 1/500th of a second. Although ideally 1/1000th of a second is better. I set my camera mode to burst and as soon as the Bee approaches the spot I am pre-focused on I take as many pictures as possible while the Bee is near. Like I said the results are varied and it is not easy to pull off a great shot but when you do it is worth it. The other detail is to make sure that you are using a fast macro lens or a lens with macro capability. If the lens has VR or IS or any kind of vibration reduction or image stabilization make sure it is turned off. If your camera has IS built into it (such as a digital point & shoot or a Sony DSLr) make sure that is set to off. It will not benefit you when focusing that closely and in many cases will delay the shutter. I use a Nikkor 105mm AF-S VR lens and it is great. I would prefer a 150mm specifically for the working distance it gives me when working with insects but until my means catch up to my wants it remains on my Amazon wishlist. Using this techinque I have been able to achieve some excellent "Bee in Flight" shots.

So.. If you have a desire to get some great Bee shots just keep trying. Change it up. Try Auto Focus, Manual Focus and different camera modes. Keep trying because eventually you will get the results you were looking for. Not often but when it happens it is definitely smile worthy.

My other home- Wyoming

2008-10-04T15:56:00.000-07:00

I have been thinking lately of Wyoming. My Mom, Step-Dad, Cousin Wendy and little Cousin Katie live there which means I am lucky enough to visit about once a year. I wish I had the time and resources to go more often. It is amazing there. I feel so at home. So peaceful. Yellowstone and the Tetons are exceptionally beautiful and wonderfully photogenic places to visit. Yellowstone has these vast sweeping vistas that are so amazing to see.

The Tetons have these amazing scenic vistas with water, sky and powerful mountains that never get old and always amaze!

If anyone ever has the opportunity to visit such places, take all the time you can. They are some of the only remaining "untouched" environments left in the country and the experience will stay with you forever. And photographer or not, it is nearly impossible to take a bad picture in these stunningly photogenic places.

The City at Night

2008-10-02T22:08:00.001-07:00

I am fortunate to live in the city of Los Angeles. Living here means there are so many great places to shoot. One of my favorites is Downtown Los Angeles.

The city is alive with so much to see. Cars and busses become streams of light and the freeway becomes another world with long exposures.

Architecture can range from ultra modern to classic to futuristic. Neighborhoods can change in the blink of an eye. There is always something to see and always a new adventure to embark on.

If you live here take some time to explore downtown. If you don't live close to downtown any city can be photogenic. Just wait for the sun to set and keep those shutters open. Don't forget to use a tripod to keep your photos steady.