<< Back to Tips & Techniques

Words and Photography by Barry Hayes

Photography On The Road - Pt 1                                                                          Go to Part II

Improve Your Image

Few of us would ever consider going bush without packing a camera. Even if your particular photographic needs are nothing more than a record of your journey, how do you share those special moments if most of your photos finish up in the trash? Here are a few tips from a seasoned travel photographer on how to boost your photographic success rate

Try to imagine this magazine without photographs and you’ll see why photography is such an important element in the way information is distributed.
Words may be essential for putting a magazine together, but they don’t even come close to describing a scene or event the way a good photograph can.

You should, at the very least, aim to take photos that are good enough to share with friends or email to rellies overseas. If you aspire to even loftier goals, like seeing your work in this magazine, then there is plenty you can do to improve the quality and content of your images.

Photography is such an accepted part of living that we tend to take the image-making process for granted and simply fail to understand some of the little things that make a good photograph. The tips that follow are very basic, but if applied, they can go a long way towards improving your photography.

THE CAMERA

Fortunately, most modern cameras are capable of producing good-quality images. The tricky bit is extracting as much of that quality as you can.
A thorough understanding of your camera, whether digital or film-based, is the best place to start, so a bit of time spent with the instruction manual will give huge returns. In particular, read the bits about focusing, exposure compensation and ISO settings.

A cheap, point-and-shoot camera may produce acceptable photographs, but if you want your shots to have that ‘edge’, you need the flexibility of a camera that allows some input from the user.
A camera with interchangeable lenses or at least with a good zoom lens and a range of programs gives a lot more scope for being creative.
Cameras are like most things in life; you get what you pay for. A little extra spent on a quality camera could turn out to be a long-term investment, so buy wisely.

Improving the look of your photographs starts with getting the best technical quality out of your camera. Good-looking images that sock you in the eye are usually critically sharp with spot-on exposure.
While that may seem obvious, getting things just right isn’t always easy, and a small difference in exposure, for example, could have a dramatic effect.
Unless you are driving a high-end precision camera, there is a good chance that tolerances in things like shutter speeds or the metering system could be robbing you of that little bit of quality that makes a big difference. Most cameras will allow a bit of tweaking that can correct these variations.

If you consistently get photographs that are off the mark, you need to work out how to adjust the camera settings to correct the problem. Again, start with the instruction manual. There will be a trouble-shooting section in there somewhere.
Getting sharp images isn’t always easy, but understanding the reasons your photographs are blurry makes correcting the problem a little more straightforward.
Images that are not sharp usually result from one or more of the following: incorrect focus, subject movement or camera shake.

FOCUSING PROBLEMS You need to be super-critical about focusing on your subject. Near enough isn’t good enough. With auto-focus cameras, make sure that the little focusing frame in the viewfinder is actually on that part of your subject that you want sharp. Study up on how the focus lock on your camera works. Usually you have to place the focus frame over the bit you want to be sharp, squeeze the shutter release halfway, hold it there while you reframe your picture, then press the shutter button fully.

SUBJECT MOVEMENT

If the subject is moving, you need to use a fast-enough shutter speed to ‘freeze’ the movement. Alternatively, if your camera has different programs, select the sport/action mode.

Doing this will select the best combination of aperture and shutter speed for the scene. The more you zoom in on the subject, the faster the shutter speed should be. Keep in mind that a telephoto lens magnifies not just the image, but also any subject or camera movement during exposure.
A good rule of thumb is to use a shutter speed the same as the focal length of the lens. For example, if you are using a 200mm lens, then the minimum shutter speed should be about 1/200th of a second. But don’t try hand-holding your camera below about 1/30th of a second; even with a wide-angle lens, it just doesn’t work.

CAMERA SHAKE

If your hand is a bit shaky after a long night around the campfire, you need to eliminate as much camera shake as possible.
Nothing does this as effectively as a tripod; my camera and tripod are just about joined at the hip. I even have a special PVC tube behind the driver’s seat that holds my tripod. That way, it’s always ready and more likely to be used.
If you don’t own a tripod, try resting the camera on something solid, like a fence post or the bonnet of the car.
If you have to hand-hold your camera, try to stand relaxed, legs slightly apart and with your elbows tucked in. Gently squeeze the shutter release button; a quick stab at it is a definite no-no.

LENSES

Lenses are usually classified as normal, telephoto or wide-angle. Even a zoom lens on a cheap compact camera will generally cover wide-angle to telephoto. Both telephoto and wide-angle lenses have a place in off-road photography, but the techniques for using them are quite different.
Telephoto lenses are great for getting up close to a subject, especially when being too close could be dangerous; like with a 4WD charging over a sand dune or a tiger snake snoozing on the side of the road.
But as discussed, the magnified image is hard to capture sharply unless you can use a really fast shutter speed. A tripod will help eliminate hand shake but won’t do much for subject movement.

It’s always the ‘relative’ movement between camera and subject that determines how fast a shutter speed you need. If the camera and subject are moving in the same direction at around the same speed, you can get away with a much slower shutter speed. Try looking through the viewfinder and keep the subject framed by following it as it passes. It’s a technique called panning. The subject will appear sharp against a blurred background, but that just adds to the feeling of speed. See if you can pick the shots in this issue of the magazine that were taken using the panning technique.

WIDE-ANGLE LENSES

As you zoom back towards wide-angle, the amount of the scene you see gets wider, while elements in the picture seem to get smaller and further away from the camera. This broader view happens horizontally as well as vertically, and it takes a bit of getting used to.

You start to find that more and more foreground and sky appear in your shots as you use wider-angle lenses. However, wide-angle photography is the bread and butter of landscape photographers, because the scene opens up, and there is a real feeling of depth and drama when there is plenty of sky. You just need to learn to use the extra foreground creatively by including something that adds to the scene. It could be your 4WD or maybe a person, but something as simple as a rock or a clump of spinifex could fill the empty space perfectly and add a real sense of depth to the image.Be careful when using wide-angle lenses to photograph people. When you get close enough to fill the frame with a portrait, you will start to introduce unwanted distortion.

Features closest to the camera, such as noses, seem unusually large and unflattering. The opposite of this happens if you use a telephoto lens that is too long. The compression of distances created by telephoto lenses tends to give a flattened look to faces. Ideally, the best lens for portraits is about twice a normal lens, around 100mm on a 35mm camera.

FILM SPEED (ISO)

Whether you use a film or digital camera, the quality of your image is dependent upon the resolution of the film or sensor. Slow films have better resolving power than fast films and can produce sharper images.
Similarly, the higher the resolving power of a digital sensor, the sharper the final image will be. All things being equal, a six mega-pixel (6MP) camera will produce sharper photos than a 3MP.

Film rated at 50 ISO is usually the choice of professional photographers, but for most applications, 100 ISO is a good compromise. Go much higher than that and your images will start to look grainy and won’t handle enlarging very well.
Exactly the same applies to digital cameras. Most are designed to shoot at the equivalent ISO rating of 100. The difference is that you are stuck with whatever film you load, while you can change the digital ISO setting shot by shot with a digital camera.

However, as you increase the ISO setting, you introduce digital noise that reduces the quality of your image, just like the grainy effect of a fast film.
The trouble with film is that sometimes you need a higher ISO to be able to use a faster shutter speed, and swapping films midway through a roll is a real pain in the butt. Therein lies the wonder of digital photography. When you are trying to photograph a moving subject in poor light, you can simply up the ISO setting for that shot and put it back to 100 when you are finished. The image quality will suffer, but probably not as much as using too slow a shutter speed.

TIPS FOR IMPROVING YOUR PICTURES

1 - Understand your camera’s functions by reading the instruction manual thoroughly. If you miss that once-in-a-lifetime shot because you couldn’t remember how to make a simple setting change, you’ll be kicking yourself all the way home!
2 - Whenever possible, use a tripod to eliminate camera shake. Even a cheap, lightweight tripod can improve the quality of your photographs.
3 - To help eliminate camera shake when hand-holding a camera, use the fastest shutter speed you can, particularly if you are taking a telephoto shot.
4 - Try to make sure the horizon is level in the viewfinder when you take landscape photos.
5 - To reduce spots and scratches on your photos, keep the inside of your camera spotlessly clean by blowing out dust and film chips every time you change a film.
6 - If your photos don’t look right, try asking someone experienced what the cause could be and how to correct it. Don’t be shy - learn from past mistakes.
7 - Don’t put your camera away just because it’s raining. The colours of the bush appear much more saturated when things are wet, and a grey day can have real atmosphere.

Photography On The Road - Pt II                                                                          Go to Part I

Taking Care Of Business

In the second part of this photography tips feature, we take a look at how to take care of your equipment

WORDS AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY BARRY HAYES

Last month we examined a few things that you can do to ensure that your pictures come out as good as possible. Here, we will examine gear preparation and care.
Once you come to terms with getting the best quality from your camera, you can then work on reducing all the little factors that can drive you nuts.

I haven’t long moved into the digital world and used film for many years. My biggest frustration after returning from several months on the road and getting a bucket load of film back from the processing lab was to find scratches on some of the shots.

Murphy always travels with me, and the worst scratches were invariably on my best images. In almost every case, the culprit turned out to be dust that had found its way into the camera.

Dust is part of life on the road, and while it doesn’t mix at all with film, it can be just as disastrous on digital cameras. You need to become paranoid about keeping your cameras and lenses away from dust.

Keep your equipment in a good-quality camera bag, and only take it out when you want to use it. Never change a film on the side of the road, because that’s when a road train will inevitably thunder past.

When you want to change a film or swap lenses, get inside the cab and close the windows. Even if it’s 40ûC in the water bottle, a couple of minutes of discomfort can save hours of frustration at home.

Another important ritual is to clean out the inside of your camera with a blower brush every time you change film. Apart from shifting some of the dust, small film chips sometimes accumulate in the bowels of the camera and need to be removed.

From time to time, the sensor on your digital camera may also need cleaning, but take extreme care when that becomes necessary. Check your instruction manual on how that should be done.

FILM CARE

If you still use film, there are a couple of things you should be aware of. Film has an expiry date and will deteriorate over time. The cost of film is negligible in the overall budget of an outback trip, and you should consider buying fresh stocks just before you leave home.

Don’t leave your camera sitting in the sun on the back seat or dashboard; the heat will kill the film and won’t do the camera much good.
Any extra film (exposed included) should be stored somewhere cool. Chuck a couple of cans out of the fridge or esky, leave each roll of film in its individual canister and put the lot in a screw-top container. Stick the container in with the remaining beer, but don’t freeze either.

Make sure you let the film come to ambient temperature for a couple of hours before you take it out of its canister, otherwise condensation could form on the film. When you get home, have your film processed promptly. It’s better for the film, and you’ll want to look at your masterpieces anyway.

FILTERS

Professional photographers use filters to correct or improve a multitude of image problems. However, except for one very important use, the average person doesn’t really need to use filters.

The front bit of glass on your camera lens is very susceptible to picking up all sorts of garbage, from dust and salt spray, to finger marks and beer stains. All of which does nothing for the lens or the image it has to put on your film or sensor.

A basic filter, such as a UV or skylight, fitted over the lens is easier to clean and cheap to replace, not if, but when, it becomes damaged. You should buy one when you buy your camera.

LIGHTING BASICS

Let’s face it, you need light to make a photograph, and you need good lighting to make a good photo. Midday lighting is about as flat and uninteresting as you can get. That’s the time of day I spend travelling.

Early morning and late afternoon is the prime time to be out and about with your camera. The low angle of the sun casts shadows across the landscape that bring out the colours, details and texture of the scene. If you doubt how important that is, check out Uluru at sunset or sunrise and again at midday.

Even better is the time of day between sunset and dark. Professional photographers call it the ‘Magic Hour’. Although it rarely lasts for even an hour, some of the best landscape images are made during that brief period of twilight just after the sun has set.

THE FINAL WORD

The pleasure you get from producing a good photograph more than compensates for the extra care needed to produce it and in the end will seem like a small price to pay.
Nothing comes easily in photography, but as you gain experience and competence with your camera, your results will improve.
Just like keeping your 4WD in top condition, good image making is always a result of attention to detail. It’s the little things that count.

TIPS FOR CAMERA CARE

1 - Don’t leave your camera where it is exposed to direct sunshine or excessive heat; you could fry the film or sensitive electronic circuits. Black cameras are especially vulnerable. You should keep your camera handy, but the glovebox or dashboard is not an option
2 - If you still use film, look after your spare rolls by keeping them dry and cool, preferably in the esky or fridge. Avoid condensation by making sure they come to room temperature before you open the canister
3 - When not in use, protect your cameras and lenses from dust by keeping them in a good-quality camera bag or at least well covered with a blanket or towel
4 - Protect your lens by fitting a filter. A properly fitted filter will dramatically reduce the number of times the lens will need cleaning. Simply replace the filter when it becomes scratched
5 - Prevent flare from ruining your photos by keeping the front element of your lens or filter spotlessly clean. Try blowing away the dust first, and only when this fails use a proper lens brush to clear stubborn spots
6 - Fingerprints or spray should only be removed from lenses or filters using proper lens cleaners and tissues
7 - Never leave home without a couple of sets of spare batteries for your camera, especially if they are a bit out of the ordinary

THE 4WD AND YOUR CAMERA

1 - Cameras are sensitive to the harsh vibrations and extreme temperatures that are synonymous with outback travel. Protect your equipment by keeping it in a good-quality camera bag, or make up a foam-lined storage crate you can keep handy but away from the full sun
2 - Keep circulating dust to a minimum by ensuring the inside of your 4WD is as free from dust as practicable. Whenever you get the opportunity, wipe over the interior surfaces of your vehicle with a damp chamois. Pay particular attention to the air vents
3 - Treat your camera and film like you would treat your kids - never leave them in a locked car in the sun. The kids could die and so could your camera
4 - You probably organise your camping gear and supplies so they are easy to access, so why not have a dedicated place for the camera? If you can’t grab your camera quickly, you probably won’t bother and miss good shots
5 - A shredded tyre or a puncture may be a pain in the backside, but a couple of quick photos of such situations can add some interest, or maybe even some humour, to your travel shots. Taking a few shots will also slow you down a bit and help ease the frustration of the situation