P#3 Q#7: An Exercise For Improving Your Images Of Nature

Examine your photos to get great images of nature

Lewis Kemper: When you're out photographing everybody brackets their exposures and tries a little darker and a little lighter. One thing I suggest is to bracket your compositions. Think about what happens if you shift a little bit to the left or a little bit to the right, if you got a little bit lower or a little bit higher. What happens if it's a vertical or a horizontal?

When you're viewing those images instead of just buzzing by and saying oh, I like this one and that one, compare those differences and see what little subtle changes made this picture better than the next picture. Analyze your little compositional brackets to see what are the elements here that are really making this one stand out more than the next one.

I think that's a really good exercise. People tend to look through their images, pick out the good ones and ignore the ones that they don't like as much. I think you learn more from the mistakes or the ones you don't like as from the ones that you did good. Doing those comparisons and learning what the differences are so that the next time you're in that same type of situation you'll remember oh, yeah, last time when I included this strong foreground element it really helped my picture as opposed to when I was standing up higher and shooting over the foreground.

Audri Lanford: Good. I have to ask you one bonus question, which is what's the one lens that you wouldn't want to be without when you're doing nature photography? I know you mentioned you had four lenses, but if you just had one?

Lewis Kemper: If I just had one, I'd say my 100 to 400 is the lens, because even though some of these pictures that we saw here were broader landscapes, I know the trees, Old Faithful, the iceberg; all of those were taken with the 100 to 400. I think the other three were wider angle. But that would be my one lens if I had to take just one.

Audri Lanford: Well, we've talked about so much today. What would you say is the one biggest thing you want people to remember from today's interview that will make the biggest difference in their nature photography?

Lewis Kemper: Just remember that when you're taking pictures, you're really only doing two things. You're capturing light and you're placing a frame around something; so those two are the strong elements.

Capturing light, so the quality of light; and then placing that frame so you're very careful about your composition. And if you keep those two things in mind every time you're taking a picture, your pictures will get better.

Audri: So thanks so much Lewis. If people want to learn more about what you offer what's the best way for them to do that?

Lewis Kemper: The best way would be to go to my website, which is www.LewisKemper.com and there's a listing of all the classes and the lectures that I'm doing around the country. So maybe you can come see me somewhere. I also have Photoshop training DVDs that I sell there.

There's the link to the HRD software and I also have a page of articles and helpful tips and information that people can download and learn different techniques.

Audri Lanford: And I'd also like to recommend to people who are interested in Lightroom to check out your BetterPhoto.com class. That's where we met. Your class was excellent.

Lewis Kemper: Thank you.

In conclusion

Lewis Kemper has given us a lot of advice that can make a big difference in helping our listeners capture that perfect moment in nature photography and create wonderful images of nature.