Back In The Water ...

It’s been a year since I launched the BDPHOTOGRAPHS YouTube channel, with the goal of sharing the experience of photography, providing photo tips, and including filmmaking in my book of work. A year ago we kicked off with an adrenaline-packed shark photography adventure, and in this episode we return to the water to look at the fundamentals of underwater photography. We’ll meet giant mantas, big sharks, friendly turtles, and a variety of photogenic sea life. We’ll check out shallow sandbars, deep shipwrecks, and learn about the different gear needed to make it all happen — see below for some recommended items. Almost all of the footage is original and behind the scenes of real dive trips I have taken so I hope you’ll enjoy spending some time in the water with me. Once again, thanks for watching, and please subscribe! 

We go back into the water to photograph giant mantas, big sharks, friendly turtles, and haunting shipwrecks. In this video we'll learn the basics of underwat...


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Some links to underwater photo gear are below. It’s best to talk to a professional who has experience in the water with camera gear, not just a sales rep who knows the equipment.

Waterproof case for iPhone

ProShot Case for iPhone XR & iPhone 11 https://amzn.to/2KqEulz

ProShot Case for iPhone X & XS https://amzn.to/2VqRr57

ProShot Case for iPhone 8 Plus, 7 Plus, and 6 Plus https://amzn.to/2RWFLVM

Action Camera

Paralenz https://adorama.rfvk.net/odWjO

GoPro Hero 8 Black Edition https://adorama.rfvk.net/xdPA1

Compact Consumer Camera

SeaLife https://adorama.rfvk.net/OAJ6W

Pro Gear

Professional level gear is almost exclusively camera specific — housings are designed with controls aligned to the buttons and switches of individual camera models. Nauticam, Aquatica, Ikelite, and SeaCam are well-known manufacturers that offer custom underwater housings for popular DSLR and mirrorless cameras. They also offer strobes and related accessories. Once you invest in pro quality camera gear, I highly recommend insuring your gear — and make sure your policy includes an underwater rider; standard policies usually don’t cover taking your camera into the ocean!


If you’re interested in photography and supporting small business, check out Adorama

Polar Bears!

They appear in Coca Cola ads every year as the holiday season approaches. They are a symbol of the arctic and a poster child for climate change campaigns. They are magnificent animals, formidable predators, and incredibly well-equipped to survive in the most unforgiving latitudes of the planet. Join me in this video blog to photograph the undisputed king of the north: the polar bear.


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If you’re interested in photography gear and supporting small business, check out Adorama

Haunting Imagery for Halloween (and All Year Long)

There are definitely subtle nods to urban exploration (urbex — or more accurately, rural exploration i.e. rurex) in my portfolio. The use of abandoned homesteads, shipwrecks, and railroads makes for great mood and compelling subjects. The center image of an abandoned mountain railway, taken in Taiwan, is one of my most popular. 

Urbex.jpg

Abandoned and macabre places have long been a source of fascination to me, especially as someone who grew up a fan of horror thrillers from Hitchcock, Stephen King, and just about anything from the ‘80s. In the latest behind-the-scenes video I’m going to share some images not typically showcased in my portfolio — images that are grittier and outside my normal color palette.

We’ll photograph inside an abandoned theater, visit a creepy graveyard, and check out Stephen King’s house.

We’ll also discover the best lens for photographing abandoned places and learn the importance of applying contrast to grayscale images. As always the video is short, densely packed with content, and relatively non-technical. Enjoy!

Explore different ways to make haunting images in this episode. We'll visit an abandoned theater, forgotten railroads, creepy cemeteries, and even photograph Stephen King's house. We'll take long exposures in near darkness, apply creative techniques, and just have a wickedly good time.

The Amazing Milky Way

If you watched “The Amazing Milky Way” we travel together to the California desert to photograph the Milky Way in the late night hours. My videos are focused on the “experience” of photography and deliberately are not technical … so if you find yourself here it’s probably because I promised in the video to give you more details about gear and technique. I’ll offer one caveat before I make your head spin: astrophotography is its own beast, and there is an entire community of enthusiasts — some might say fanatics — with strong opinions. There’s no way to cover everything and every exception to the rule in a single blog post so I’ll offer the basics and some advice: there is a ton of information out there about photographing the night sky. Read, watch, practice, and discover what works best for you. Better yet, join me on an upcoming photoshoot. Ok, here we go:

GEAR

The Milky Way is big — very big — and you’ll need a wide frame of view to capture it. Most astrophotographers prefer a full frame DSLR/mirrorless camera body over a crop-sensor both for the superior low light performance and the wider field of view. The Sony A7RIII is arguably the champion in this area, followed by the Nikon D850 and Canon 5D Mark IV. The hardcore will have their cameras  modified for astrophotography, though doing so instantly voids the manufacturer warranty and necessitates the use of an additional filter for daytime shooting. If you’re just starting out I don’t recommend having your camera astro-modified — it seems to be something people do with a second (usually older) camera. 

Wide angle primes are the favorites for milky way photographers because they are sharper and faster than most zoom lenses. The Sigma 14mm F1.8 is a standout in my opinion, though I have had very fine results using a more standard EF 24-70mm F2.8L. I have tried using a slower F4 lens and find that it just doesn’t perform well enough for astrophotography — you’ll need to shoot wide open and it still doesn’t compete with faster glass. The beauty of an F1.4 lens is that you can stop down to 2.0 for a sharper and plenty-wide aperture. Astrophotography is one of those niche art forms so you’ll need to decide whether your more general lenses will suffice for the occasional astro shot, or if you need a specialty lens for nighttime shooting. Either way, I recommend something with a wide end near 16mm and F2.8 or faster. 

Tripods seem to be the place where photographers get cheap and I’ve heard more than one cautionary tale about skimping on quality. I understand the desire to pour most of your hard-earned dollars into good glass, but if that investment is not resting on something firm and dependable, you could end up spending much more than you want to. I have never been disappointed by the Gitzo Systematic system, and am also quite happy with the more affordable Sirui EN 2204.


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Two different techniques. The left is a single shot image — I hitched a ride on my friends dinghy to get out to this lighthouse and had fifteen minutes to shoot. The right image is a time blend, where the foreground was shot during blue hour and the…

Two different techniques. The left is a single shot image — I hitched a ride on my friends dinghy to get out to this lighthouse and had fifteen minutes to shoot. The right image is a time blend, where the foreground was shot during blue hour and the night sky several hours later. Both were shot with a 24-70mm lens at 24mm.

TECHNIQUES

Single Shot: The simplest and easiest method in which the sky and foreground are captured in a single exposure. This is how most people start in astrophotography and is the one to use if conditions change rapidly (e.g. partly cloudy night with changing visibility) or if you are in a hurry.

Panorama/Vertorama: just like the daytime use of this technique, several overlapping shots are taken to capture a broader scene, and then the exposures are stitched together in post-processing. This is a good alternative to the single shot if a) your lens isn’t wide enough to capture the scene, or b) you want a higher-resolution image.

This image is a 7-shot panorama of vertical (portrait-oriented) images. I used a medium-wide 28mm prime lens.

This image is a 7-shot panorama of vertical (portrait-oriented) images. I used a medium-wide 28mm prime lens.


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There are several methods of multi-shot astrophotography but they’re all meant to accomplish the same goal: to increase the signal to noise ratio in the shots. Because night photography is shot in low light, we typically need to raise the ISO (i.e. sensor sensitivity) which results in greater image noise. To compensate for the greater noise, astrophotographers use different techniques:

Stacking: The same shot is taken multiple times in immediate succession. The images are “stacked” in a post-processing software application like Starry Landscape Stacker. Because noise is slightly different in each exposure, the software uses statistics to retain the consistent pixels (signal) while discarding a lot of the noise. Stacking is my preferred method of image-making, but it requires advance planning and significant work in post.

Tracking: The camera is mounted on a tracker (sometimes called a “star tracker”) which is a device that moves in counter-rotation to the earth’s natural spin. This permits longer exposures (where a longer shutter means a lower ISO) without the appearance of star trails*. Some photographers combine tracking with stacking. Unless the image is of the sky only, tracking necessarily requires blending with separate shot(s) (in which the tracker is turned off) for the foreground. Once again, this technique requires a lot of work in post.

Time Blending: In this method the foreground is photographed while there is still some available natural light, such as during blue hour. This permits a lower ISO shot to be blended with sky images shot later in the night. The classic time blend requires leaving the tripod — unmoved — in the exact same spot for both shots. A more liberal version of this would be to return to the same spot for the later shot. Purists will consider this a composite image — not necessarily a bad thing, but something that could be disqualifying for photo contests or publication.

Compositing: Just as the name implies, a foreground and sky — which may be from different locations at different times — are combined into a single image in post. I am not opposed to compositing as a technique to achieve a realistic outcome, but I don’t care for impossible shots. Humor the rest of us and make it seem real. When a photographer was published in National Geographic with obvious fakes, the astrophotography community went ballistic. I’ve seen too many ridiculous images of the Milky Way arching over Manhattan (light pollution makes this impossible) — made even more absurd by the fact that the camera is looking up Broadway (i.e. facing north, where the Milky Way would never be). To me these types of images belong next to posters of unicorns and dragons at the mall fantasy shop.


I use Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom to process all my images. Try them for free using this link.


My preferred technique: this image is stacked, 6 shots for the sky, and a single image (with flash) for the foreground. In some instances I also stack the foreground, especially when using natural light only.

My preferred technique: this image is stacked, 6 shots for the sky, and a single image (with flash) for the foreground. In some instances I also stack the foreground, especially when using natural light only.

SETTINGS

This is the question I get more than any other: what were your settings? Usually the answer is “I don’t remember but it was something around …” Settings really depend on the specific shot and the light in a particular scene. The rule of 500 is a good guideline: divide the focal length of the lens into 500 for the maximum shooting time to avoid star trails*. For example, with a 24mm lens: 500/24 = 20.83, so you wouldn’t want to shoot for more than 20 seconds. Use this as a boundary more than prescription — I find that pulling back from that limit is a good idea if you want the shot viewed in any decent resolution.  A typical setting for my astrophotography is Aperture 2.0-2.8, Shutter 15-20 seconds, and ISO 5000-6400.

*Star trails: in a long exposure, the rotation of the earth relative to those stars makes them appear as streaks or lines rather than dots.

Introducing the BDPhotographs YouTube Channel

BDPhotographs is now live on YouTube! If you enjoy the content here, I’d encourage you to subscribe, like, and share, tell your neighbors, all that jazz… The channel will add a video dimension to the photography techniques and tips that I use in my images (without being long-winded and technical, I promise!) Often there are interesting stories behind the images — challenges, surprises, successes, and failures. Videos will also take viewers behind-the-scenes to see where, when, and how images are captured. I can’t think of a better way to kick off this new channel than to take viewers underwater with me to get up close and personal with my favorite animals — sharks! See a great hammerhead shark bite (and spit out) my camera in distaste. Come for the sharks, stay for the photos, and subscribe for the next video. Thank you!

10 Reasons Why You Should Book an Ecotour

For many people an African safari is the ultimate ecotour. Not all safaris are the same so it’s important to do some research about the types of animal encounters you can expect in different places.

For many people an African safari is the ultimate ecotour. Not all safaris are the same so it’s important to do some research about the types of animal encounters you can expect in different places.

Ecotourism is a broad category of tourism that focuses on natural environments and typically supports conservation efforts. If you think that sounds fairly dull or too academic, think again. Often ecotours seek sightings of specific wildlife, and sometimes they require travel to the most remote places on the planet. Some may mean roughing it in the bush, while others pamper you with Michelin-starred cuisine and luxurious accommodations. Some ecotours are open to large groups — cruises to Antarctica, for example — while others are exclusive to just a few people. Ecotours can be inexpensive day trips or very pricey and lengthy excursions — or anything in between. Whether it’s an African safari or a visit to the polar regions, one thing is for sure: ecotours are some of the most thrilling and memorable trips you’ll ever take. Here are 10 reasons to book one:

1) Animals roam free. It’s the opposite of visiting a zoo: you get to go in a secure place while observing animals in their natural habitat. On most African safaris, a few guests will be driven in open vehicles to different locations where animals could be. A tracker and ranger work together to locate the animals — they could be in many different places at any time — and part of the fun is finding them. Other ecotours may have you enter a “blind” which is a shed or similar structure that has been built into the natural environment to allow observation with minimal disturbance to the animals. Underwater dive trips typically put divers or snorkelers in open water with wildlife, or in some instances in a cage to safely observe sharks. On many trips, proximity to the animals is astonishingly close and photo opportunities are plentiful.

2) Avoid the crowds and selfie sticks. If you’ve been to Paris or New York in the last ten years you know there’s almost no such thing as low season. Tourists are everywhere, museum queues are endless, attractions are over-crowded, and Instagram is saturated with the same selfie a million times over. Ecotourism usually limits the human impact on a place by restricting the number of people who can visit. Sometimes this is achieved by a lottery, by limited spots, or by prohibitive cost.  

For scuba divers ecotours are the most common type of trip. There are many options: day trips, week-long dive packages at resorts, and live-aboard boats (which are essentially dive cruises). Live-aboards have the advantage of being able to reach rem…

For scuba divers ecotours are the most common type of trip. There are many options: day trips, week-long dive packages at resorts, and live-aboard boats (which are essentially dive cruises). Live-aboards have the advantage of being able to reach remote dive destinations.

3) It helps to keep animals alive. There’s a controversial cliche in the economics of ecotourism: “if it pays it stays” — the concept that wildlife is worth more alive than dead, and used to promote tourism over hunting or exploitation of animals. This has worked wonders in parts of the developing world where communities have shifted from an unsustainable extraction economy to a renewable one based on ecotourism (e.g. manta ray tourism in parts of southeast Asia). The problem with this of course, is that while many people will pay high sums to see “popular” animals such as lions and polar bears, almost no one will take a tour to see the endangered Greater Sage Grouse which is severely threatened by habitat loss. Will anyone really infuse cash into saving an ugly but important insect on a different continent? Unlikely. Nonetheless, every dollar supporting ecotourism helps the industry to grow while boosting the economic value of the animals and their environment. The hope is that as an environment becomes more valuable, all species within that environment will be protected and preserved. 

4) You can meet interesting people. Ecotours are a great way to meet other people who share your passions for nature, travel, photography, or other interests. I speak from experience having met some incredible people from all over the world on various trips. Sometimes you can meet people in faraway places and discover you actually live near one another. 

Seeing big animals often requires travel to remote areas. The brown bears of the Alaskan peninsula are some of the largest the world.

Seeing big animals often requires travel to remote areas. The brown bears of the Alaskan peninsula are some of the largest the world.

5) Disconnect and go off the grid. Ecotours sometimes require travel to very remote places. Some of these locations are beyond reach of cellular service or wifi — think remote mountainous regions, or excursions at sea. This is a great excuse to unplug and go offline. You’ll find the break from daily news, email, and social media refreshing. 

6) You’ll have rare visibility into natural animal behavior very different from the myths and drama on television. While on safari I was surprised to learn that African lions, whom we think of as majestic predators, scavenge as often as they hunt; and that hyenas, whom we think of as scoundrels, actually hunt more often than they scavenge. Seeing animals in the wild often shatters the myths that popular culture has created around their personas. One word of warning: nature is not always pretty, especially when an animal is hunting its prey. Natural predations are sanitized on television to appear much quicker and cleaner than they actually are. In real life, a kill can be a lengthy and bloody affair. 

Nature can sometimes be difficult to watch. In South Africa’s False Bay, early morning ecotours observe natural predations by great white sharks on seals.

Nature can sometimes be difficult to watch. In South Africa’s False Bay, early morning ecotours observe natural predations by great white sharks on seals.

Birdwatching takes on a whole new meaning in the rainforest, with many beautiful and charismatic species

7) Immersion in nature. Ecotours may take you to some of the last unspoiled areas on earth. Whether you are visiting the backcountry of Alaska or a local nature reserve, you will see places that are a little bit closer to prehistoric times without the encroachment of human civilization. There was a time when animals roamed the earth in abundance. Ecotours show you glimpses of that world. 

8) Unique photo opportunities. Imagine yourself in places with the opportunity to capture photographs most people dream about. For nature photographers, ecotours provide access to capture images most people will only see on television or in magazines. 

9) Memories for a lifetime. I cannot overstate how special it is to witness nature. You will never forget the first time you see your favorite animal in the wild. You’ll remember the sights, sounds, and smells, and possibly be surprised just how big — or small — that animal really is. 

Ecotours need not be formally organized or expensive. A visit to a local wildlife refuge or nature preserve can provide excellent wildlife viewing opportunities. Talk to a ranger or local biologist for tips on when and where to visit. In New Mexico’…

Ecotours need not be formally organized or expensive. A visit to a local wildlife refuge or nature preserve can provide excellent wildlife viewing opportunities. Talk to a ranger or local biologist for tips on when and where to visit. In New Mexico’s Bosque del Apache Wildlife Refuge, winter is prime season to observe sandhill cranes and many other birds.

10) You become part of the conservation movement. I’m not suggesting that every visitor to an ecotour is automatically an activist, however, by participating in ecotourism you are voting with your dollars in support of conservation. By sharing your photographs and stories with others, you become an advocate — without necessarily being political — for animals and nature.

The short summer in “downeast” Maine is an opportunity for Atlantic Puffins to raise their chicks. Ecotours to Machias Seal Island — which is disputed land between the US and Canada — run daily from June into August.

The short summer in “downeast” Maine is an opportunity for Atlantic Puffins to raise their chicks. Ecotours to Machias Seal Island — which is disputed land between the US and Canada — run daily from June into August.

A few more considerations, now that you’re convinced … 

  • Remember that most ecotours are seasonal, though some run year-round. Many major ecotours require advance planning, sometimes a year or more ahead of the trip date. A week in the Serengeti or Galapagos almost certainly will be booked a year or more in advance. Most ecotours take a deposit to hold your spot and require payment in full before the trip date. Look closely at the cancellation policies and determine whether you can commit. Trip insurance is a must — consider it a protection of your investment. 

  • Be wary of and avoid unnatural entertainment disguised as ecotourism. The most common example is the “conservation petting zoo” that allows you to pet or hold potentially dangerous animals such as tigers, lions, or wolves that have been habituated and sometimes drugged to permit interaction with people. Often these attractions will have baby animals as their big sellers (who wouldn’t love to cuddle a tiger cub or a wolf pup?) I won’t go into all the dark places these operations dwell but I can assure you the hidden side to these businesses is not pretty. 

  • Before your trip, consider visiting a local zoo to practice your wildlife photography skills. Better to find out your shutter speed is too slow before your big trip. I recommend sticking to zoos that are AZA Accredited. It’s not a perfect guarantee, but it does help to steer you toward operations that value animal welfare and ethical practices.

  • Know that while some ecotours can be very expensive, there are opportunities for most budgets. If a two week safari is not feasible right now, a half-day whale-watching trip could be an option. Camping is an affordable way to visit many national parks and has the added advantage of being much closer to the attractions than many lodges and hotels.  

Silky Smooth Water Effect

Prerequisites:

Understanding the exposure triangle

Experience in ‘Manual’ mode

You can see it in fine art photographs everywhere: a smooth, dreamy quality to a body of water. Unlike the harsh and crunchy appearance of most smartphone snapshots, the water in these fine art images takes on a fantasy-like artistic look. How do photographers get that magical silky effect? It’s actually quite simple: with a medium to long exposure, we can blur the movement of the water into a velvety texture. Today we’ll look at how exactly to “soften” moving water: the gear needed to pull off the shot, just how “long” the exposure needs to be in different situations, and some side effects and pitfalls to avoid in the process. 

The East River in New York City is tidal and always moving, even on the calmest day. Softening the water requires a long exposure of 15 seconds or more. Notice the blurring effect the long exposure has on the moving clouds. Canon 5D III | EF 24-70 f…

The East River in New York City is tidal and always moving, even on the calmest day. Softening the water requires a long exposure of 15 seconds or more. Notice the blurring effect the long exposure has on the moving clouds. Canon 5D III | EF 24-70 f/2.8L II | Aperture f/16 | Shutter 60” | ISO 100

GEAR

The technique to soften water is in controlling the shutter speed and the most important item aside from your camera and lens is a sturdy tripod. You may also want to bring a polarizer and a neutral density filter, especially for daytime shots. A remote shutter trigger is a convenient tool and a back-saving device when your camera is positioned low to the ground. Finally, a rain cover for your camera is good idea when shooting by water — especially near waterfalls or breaking waves. 

HOW LONG IS “LONG”? 

Sure, we know the trick to softening water is in a slow shutter speed and long exposure but what exactly do we mean by “long”? That answer really depends on a number of variables, but as a rule of thumb, any shutter speed that is too slow for a hand-held in-focus shot can be considered a long exposure. I can see some of you rolling your eyes — “just give me a number!” — so for the sake of simplicity let’s say 1/15 of a second up to 1 second is a medium length exposure, and anything over 1 second is “long”. 


“That’s quite a range” (another eye roll) — it sure is, and there’s a certain amount of experimentation needed to arrive at the optimal shutter speed for a given shot. It’s also the case that two exposures of the same scene can look quite different even at the same shutter speed.

TECHNIQUE

A good tripod is essential to pulling this off, so ensure your camera is mounted and stable before you begin. Put your camera in manual mode and set the aperture to a narrow f-stop such as f/16 or f/22. Set your ISO to its lowest native setting (100 for most Canon cameras; 64, 100, or 160 for different Nikon bodies). Evaluate how fast the water is moving relative to the camera and dial in a shutter speed of a few seconds to start. Look at your exposure meter — if the scene is underexposed, you can open the aperture a bit wider or increase the ISO. If the scene is overexposed, shorten the shutter time a bit. In bright daytime scenes it may be necessary to use a neutral density filter in order to achieve the desired shutter speed. Adjust the shutter speed until the water is softened to taste. Take several exposures and choose the best one.

The “crunchy” water look is typical of smartphones and cameras in Automatic mode. The camera is shooting with a fast shutter speed in order to ensure a sharp image — which is the right thing to do in most situations. It doesn’t know we want an artis…

The “crunchy” water look is typical of smartphones and cameras in Automatic mode. The camera is shooting with a fast shutter speed in order to ensure a sharp image — which is the right thing to do in most situations. It doesn’t know we want an artistic effect in the water. Sony QX100 with iPhone | Aperture f/4 | Shutter 1/640 | ISO 160

The key to softening water is to understand how quickly the water is moving relative to your point of view. When the relative movement is fast, you don’t need as long of an exposure because you capture more movement (and thus blur) in a given amount of time. When the water movement is slow, a longer shutter speed is required to smooth out the texture. Be careful to consider the relative movement of the water, not the objective speed. For example, a moderately flowing stream might be visually quite rapid if you position the camera low and close to the water. In other words, the water moves across the frame quickly. On the other hand, a lake in the background of the image could be churning in the wind, but because of it’s distance, the water is not moving much at all relative to your point of view. This would require a lengthier exposure. 

Fibrous streaks are a variation of softened water. In this image the camera is positioned on the bank low and just inches from the gushing stream. A modest shutter speed of 1/5 of a second is all it takes to achieve the silky tendrils in the image. …

Fibrous streaks are a variation of softened water. In this image the camera is positioned on the bank low and just inches from the gushing stream. A modest shutter speed of 1/5 of a second is all it takes to achieve the silky tendrils in the image. A CPL filter (aka circular polarizer) will help to reduce the reflective glare on wet rocks. Canon 5DSR | EF 24-70 f/2.8L II | Aperture f/22 | Shutter 1/5” | ISO 100 | B&W Circular Polarizer

Sometimes we prefer a more fibrous look to the water, especially in rapids and waterfalls. The recipe for this effect is still in the shutter speed, but in this case longer is not necessarily better. You want to blur the water just enough to soften the crunchy look at you would achieve with a fast shutter speed. A medium shutter speed — somewhere between 1/15 and 1 second will usually produce this effect. 

Less is more: a long exposure will turn the stream into a milky mess and potentially blow out the highlights. This image was shot with a 1 second exposure — not especially long — and has already exceeded the ideal shutter speed. The mill is well exp…

Less is more: a long exposure will turn the stream into a milky mess and potentially blow out the highlights. This image was shot with a 1 second exposure — not especially long — and has already exceeded the ideal shutter speed. The mill is well exposed but the water is too frothy and some of the trees in the background show motion blur. Sony A7RII | 24-70mm f/4 | Aperture f/22 | Shutter 1” | ISO 100

SIDE EFFECTS

Long exposures can sometimes result in odd or undesirable effects in images. Remember that a long exposure will create motion blur — this is how we soften water — and that blur will affect any moving object in the image. On a windy day bushes and trees will sway, along with flags, traffic lights, boats, and even skyscrapers! Moving cars will appear as streaks of white and red when their lights are on. And clouds will lose their shape and become foggy strokes of whitish gray (sometimes this adds to the dreamy effect we achieve in softened water). There is a relatively easy way to control these unwanted effects, but it requires some work in post processing. First take the photo at the desired shutter speed to properly soften the water. Then, take a second photo with a much faster shutter speed (you will have to increase your ISO and/or widen your aperture) to ensure there is no unwanted blur in the trees / boats / moving items. Combine the two images in post processing. 

Remember that softening water is an artistic technique that deliberately stretches the shutter speed. Have fun experimenting and soon you’ll enjoy the pleasing and professional looking images you create.

The Shot: Railroad Village

The Shot: Railroad Village
Location: Taiwan
Techniques: Hand-held shooting, shutter speed, weather
Recommended knowledge: Understand the exposure triangle. Manual mode: setting your camera’s aperture, shutter speed, and ISO. 

 

The final shot. The historic town of Shifen is about a 40-minute drive from Taipei

The final shot. The historic town of Shifen is about a 40-minute drive from Taipei

If you bring your camera with you in your travels - whether it’s an overseas vacation or a day trip to a local park - it’s likely that you’ll be without your tripod for at least some of the time. Sometimes it’s not feasible to carry a tripod, especially in a place where it’s simply not permitted to do so (museums, churches, etc.). Or maybe you’ll opt to leave the tripod at home and lighten your load. Street photographers work almost exclusively without tripods, as do many photojournalists and some portrait photographers. Even if you’re a landscape photographer with unshakeable allegiance to the three-legged stabilizer, hand-held shooting is an important skill to learn for those unplanned moments when a tripod isn’t set up or available. 

FORM

The two most important technical considerations in hand-held photography are form and camera settings. In general, you’ll want to hold the camera with two hands and keep your elbows tucked in. The idea is to keep the camera stabilized with your body, effectively weighing it down. You’ve probably seen photographers hold the camera in one extended hand, using the display screen to focus, as they rattle off a bunch of shots. This is about looking cool while taking pictures but does nothing to improve the photo, and for most people will lead to poor results. If you are a portrait photographer using flash and fast shutter speed you could use this technique to look slick, and possibly to put your subjects at ease with a more easy-going posture, but for environmental shots using natural light I’d recommend going old-school: use two hands, look through the view finder, and hold a tight (but relaxed), stable stance. You won’t look as cool taking the photo, but you’ll get the better shot.  

HAND-HELD RULE

You might know the rule of thumb to use a minimum shutter speed of 1 over the focal length. For example, if you’re shooting with a 50mm lens (on a full frame camera such as a Canon 5DSR), a shutter speed of 1/50 is the slowest recommended speed for a reasonably sharp photograph. (If you’re using a crop frame camera you need to first factor in how the crop factor affects focal length. For example a Canon 7D Mark II or a Canon Rebel T7i both have a crop factor of 1.6 which effectively magnifies the image by that amount. So a 50mm lens becomes 80mm - i.e. 50 x 1.6 = 80. In this case the minimum shutter speed is 1/80. Ok, no more math, I promise!) Let’s look at an example and see how this works in practice. We’ll assume that we do not want any creative blur and would like the photo sharp throughout. 

Our location is the former mining town of Shifen, Taiwan. A slow moving train passes right through the center of the village, as it has for nearly 100 years, but these days it is carrying tourists, not coal. We’re using a Canon EF 24-70mm lens, which is my primary workhorse lens for travel photography.  We’ll use a focal length of 70mm for an image of the train passing through the colorful main street - it’s safest to keep some distance from the tracks and zoom in. Notably, this lens does not have built-in image stabilization, so it’s a good test of the hand-held rule. Based on the focal length of 70mm, our shutter speed is 1/80 (the nearest increment to 1/70), and it produces a decent image. If we zoom in however, many parts of the image are soft, and the moving train is outright blurry. No amount of post-process sharpening will make this image usable in any reasonably large size. The best we can do is process this image for low resolution use, such as Instagram (or a photography blog!)

Our first attempt might be Insta-ready but it won’t cut it for a larger size image. The train simply is not sharp (our desired look), nor does it have much motion blur (an alternative look). It's neither here nor there. (Aperture: f/8.0, Shutter: 1/…

Our first attempt might be Insta-ready but it won’t cut it for a larger size image. The train simply is not sharp (our desired look), nor does it have much motion blur (an alternative look). It's neither here nor there. (Aperture: f/8.0, Shutter: 1/80, ISO: 320)

Luckily, we’re going to get another crack at it, because the train that just passed through town is going back in the opposite direction shortly. This time we are going to increase the shutter speed to 1/320. The shorter exposure requires us to let in more light, but we don’t want to widen the aperture because this will create too shallow a depth of field. Instead, we’ll meter the scene and take a few test shots with a higher ISO while waiting for the train to return. And here’s what’s key: 1) if you have time, take a few test shots to get the exposure right before the scene unfolds. 2) Don’t force a low ISO shot at the expense of sharpness. It’s true that higher ISO introduces more noise, but today’s cameras produce clean images at higher ISO and there’s always the possibility to reduce noise in post-processing. In this instance a low ISO 100 shot requires either too slow a shutter speed or too wide an aperture for this scene… so we’ll go with ISO 1000, f/8 and shutter 1/320.  

PHOTOGRAPHY IN THE RAIN

We’ve got some other challenges too. It is raining and we need to keep our lens dry. You should always keep a UV filter on to protect the lens when shooting hand-held except in very specific situations. A lens hood is very effective in all but the heaviest rain. If you’ve got a weather sealed camera and lens, light rain or snow won’t be a problem, but it’s still a good idea to keep your gear dry. Buy a lens coat and if you don’t have one, improvise: a plastic bag will help in a pinch. 

Now let’s look at the result. Much sharper! You can easily read the numbers on the train.

This is a crop of the train magnified to 200%. (Aperture: f/8.0, Shutter: 1/320, ISO: 1000) Minor noise-reduction was applied using Topaz DeNoise.

This is a crop of the train magnified to 200%. (Aperture: f/8.0, Shutter: 1/320, ISO: 1000) Minor noise-reduction was applied using Topaz DeNoise.

It turns out the hand-held rule is a guideline, not a prescription. There are many factors which would require you to keep a faster shutter speed than 1 over the focal length. Let’s review some of them:

  • Camera Shake Part I: Note whether your lens includes image stabilization. If it does not, increase your minimum shutter speed.

  • Camera Shake Part II: Consider your technical ability. Are you experienced shooting hand-held and have you practiced the skill recently? Bump up your shutter speed if you’re rusty, and feel no shame about it.

  • Situational Awareness: Evaluate the shooting situation. Are you calmly waiting for a moment, or did you just run to catch an unfolding scene, and your heart is pounding from the exercise and adrenaline? Can you pull off a stable hand-held shot? In high energy situations, crowded places, or bad weather this is unlikely, and you should raise your minimum shutter speed to compensate.

  • Moving Subjects: Visualize the scene. Are you freezing moving subjects, or capturing a still life scene? Even slow moving subjects require a shutter speed greater than the hand-held minimum. Faster subjects need even faster shutter speeds. And remember that stationary subjects are not always still (i.e. trees on a windy day.)

An example of a blown shot. I hand-held a Canon 1DX Mark II with a 600mm lens for this shot (mistake number one - hand-held shots with very long lenses are very difficult to pull off), and thought if I used a shutter speed of 1/1600 that should be p…

An example of a blown shot. I hand-held a Canon 1DX Mark II with a 600mm lens for this shot (mistake number one - hand-held shots with very long lenses are very difficult to pull off), and thought if I used a shutter speed of 1/1600 that should be plenty fast since the hand-held rule would call for only 1/600 right? Not even close. The eagle’s eyes are not sharp - which makes this shot unusable, except to demonstrate an unusable shot 😀 To get this right, the ideal shutter speed would have been 1/3200. On a tripod and gimbal, with image stabilization, steady hands, and good panning technique, 1/2500 might work. Maybe.

I have missed plenty of opportunities to capture portfolio shots because I underestimated the shutter speed needed for a sharp image. Like any photographic skill, hand-held photography takes practice and is a combination of art and science. Most importantly, go out there and have fun while you learn.

The Shot: The Blizzard Taxi

The Shot: The Blizzard Taxi
Techniques: Panning
Skill Level: Intermediate
Location: New York City
Recommended knowledge: Setting your camera’s aperture, shutter speed, and ISO. Changing the autofocus mode and setting autofocus point. Enabling hi-speed or burst mode.

Focal length: 50mm, Aperture: F/2.8, Shutter: 1/40, ISO: 200

Focal length: 50mm, Aperture: F/2.8, Shutter: 1/40, ISO: 200

Even in depths of winter New York City just does not stop going. With this shot we’ll capture the action of New York in a snowstorm. The obvious subject is a moving taxi, but equally compelling is the falling snow and blustery weather. Shooting this image relies on the panning technique and using shutter speed as an artistic tool. We’ll frame color against a neutral background and washout the canvas with a vignette to further draw the eye to the main part of the image. 

SHUTTER SPEED
If you have a strong understanding of shutter speed feel free to skip this section. If this is new to you or you’d like a refresher, let’s review: the shutter speed of the camera controls how long the shutter is open to allow light to travel in to the camera’s sensor. The longer the shutter speed, the more light enters the frame. If the shutter speed is too fast, not enough light enters and the photo is underexposed; too slow, and the photo will be overexposed. When you photograph a stationary scene, shutter speed affects only the exposure and does not impact the appearance of the subject. 

Shutter speed can also be used to control the appearance of motion in an image. A fast shutter speed will “freeze” motion and appear as a crisp moment in time. With a slow shutter speed, motion will appear more fluid and blurry. In a very long exposure, motion may appear as a trail, or may disappear completely from the frame. All of these shutter speeds have applications in photography depending on the desired effect. In this image, the goal is to capture motion with a moderate blur. If we were to hold the camera stationary (or use a tripod) using a medium shutter speed, the passing taxicab would appear blurry against a sharp background as the camera captures a short distance of motion. However, in this image, using the panning technique we will reverse the effect by capturing the taxicab sharply and blurring our background. This is a popular look in auto racing and sports photography. It’s also common in nature photography, especially for birds in flight. As a bonus, the shutter speed will also blur and illustrate the movement of the falling snow.

PANNING 
Panning is not difficult, but it takes practice and requires an understanding of shutter speed to give the desired results. To illustrate what we will accomplish with panning, let’s use a simple example. Hold a pen or pencil at eye level, about 8-12 inches diagonally in front your right ear. Look straight ahead and take note of what is in the background (it could be a wall in your home). Now continue to look straight at the background ahead and move the pen across from right to left so that it stops 8-12 inches diagonally in front of your left ear. The entire motion should take 1 to 2 seconds. Notice that the pen appears blurry and the background remains sharp. This is what a medium shutter speed would capture when the camera is stationary - for example a camera on a tripod as a taxi cab passes from right to left.  (If you find that the pen was sharp and the background was blurry you’ve unknowingly used the panning technique. Let’s try it officially now.)

The traditional use of shutter speed to create motion blur. In this image, the camera is stationary on a tripod, keeping our background still while blurring moving subjects. In panning, the opposite effect is achieved. I used a tilt-shift lens in th…

The traditional use of shutter speed to create motion blur. In this image, the camera is stationary on a tripod, keeping our background still while blurring moving subjects. In panning, the opposite effect is achieved. I used a tilt-shift lens in this shot, but any lens can achieve motion blur at the right shutter speed.
Focal length: 24mm, Aperture: F/14, Shutter: 1/15, ISO: 100

Now we are going to reverse the effect. Hold the pen at a diagonal 8-12 inches from your right ear at eye level. This time, turn your head to the right so that you are looking directly at the pen. Move the pen from right to left, just as before but this time follow the pen by turning your head at the same speed so that you are always looking straight at the pen as it moves. Notice the pen remains in focus as the background appears blurry throughout the movement. We apply this effect to our photo by moving our eyes (camera) with the the subject (taxi). 

Panning works most effectively when a subject is moving perpendicular to your frame of reference (i.e. side to side). What is the optimal shutter speed to achieve this effect? The answer really depends on two things: the focal length and the speed of the subject. Both of these factors affect how quickly motion appears in frame. To keep it simple, lets assume a focal length of 35mm on a full frame camera. A shutter speed between 1/30 and 1/125 generally works for passing cars, bikes, etc. In this photo the taxi is driving relatively slowly (as one should in a blizzard!); I used a Canon EF 24-70 f/2.8L II lens with a focal length of 50mm and shutter speed 1/40. As a bonus, the taxi is driving upwind and in the opposite direction of the falling snow. This adds an enhanced sense of movement to the image.

The easiest way to practice panning is to stand on a sidewalk and photograph passing cars. If your camera supports burst mode or hi-speed shooting you should enable this setting. Select Shutter Priority or Manual mode and start with a shutter speed of 1/60. Hold your camera at eye level and tuck your elbows in against your sides. (You can also use a tripod and panning head, but I suggest learning to do this hand-held). As a car approaches from the side, turn your entire torso toward the car, focus, and begin turning your core as the car passes. Practice turning your body at a speed so that the car remains in the same part of the frame throughout. Do this a few times before taking any shots. When you are ready, pan and hold down your shutter button to take multiple shots as a car passes. Be sure to press your shutter button before the subject is directly in front of you - you'll miss the shot if you wait until the subject is in front of you to begin shooting. The goal is to have the car in focus and the background blurry. If both appear relatively sharp, your shutter speed is too fast. If both are blurry your shutter speed may be too slow. If the car’s position in the frame is inconsistent, you need to fine tune the speed at which you're  turning. Panning is a complex technique that will take practice, so don’t be discouraged if it takes a while. One final note of caution: always pick a safe place from which to attempt this technique. Do not stand in the street and always be aware of your surroundings! 

Want to learn more about motion blur? Check out these 10 Great Tips to Capture Unique Motion Blur Photos.

FOCUS
On my Canon 5D Mark III you have three options: One Shot, AI Focus, and AI Servo. Comparable Nikon models have similar modes. If you are panning against a busy background, using Servo mode will be effective if you lock focus on the moving vehicle properly. I often use One Shot mode and have no problem. The key is to not enable all focus points. Doing so could cause the camera to lock focus on another moving object and not your preferred subject. Limit the autofocus to no more than a few points surrounding the center of the frame.

Limit your autofocus to the points in the center of the frame. Enabling more focus points could confuse the camera's autofocus and lock onto the wrong subject, especially in an action scene. (Image courtesy: Canon USA)

Limit your autofocus to the points in the center of the frame. Enabling more focus points could confuse the camera's autofocus and lock onto the wrong subject, especially in an action scene. (Image courtesy: Canon USA)

COMPOSITION
Whenever you capture motion, the framing of the subject should help to accentuate the movement. In practical terms, you should leave room in front of and behind the subject to imply movement, sometimes with visible cues like a wake or a dust cloud. (Think of cartoons and how they suggest movement). Generally you should leave more room in front of the subject than behind to imply forward movement. 

POST-PROCESSING
In post-processing I applied two effects to achieve the final look. First, I applied a polarization filter (using Nik Collection Polarization) to make the yellows and blues pop. Second, I added a vignette to draw the eye to the center of the frame. Vignettes can be created in a number of ways and normally they darken the corners of the image, however in this instance I used a curves adjustment layer in Photoshop to lighten the corners and reduce contrast. I limited the effect to the perimeter of the image, creating a fade into the whiteout of the snow storm. 

OTHER SUBJECTS
Panning can be used to capture motion on almost any moving subject but requires certain qualities in the movement:

  1. The subject should be moving perpendicular to you - i.e left-right or right-left

  2. The subject should be moving continuously and smoothly

Practice and have fun! Try the panning technique in these situations:

  • A cyclist at the park

  • A seagull at the beach

  • A motorcycle or car on the street

  • A runner in a race

  • A waverunner or water-skier at a lake

Panning technique in Taipei, Taiwan. Scooters are so popular in this city, they are often seen driving in “swarms” or parked by the dozens.  Focal length: 70mm, Aperture: F/2.8, Shutter: 1/200, ISO: 250

Panning technique in Taipei, Taiwan. Scooters are so popular in this city, they are often seen driving in “swarms” or parked by the dozens.
Focal length: 70mm, Aperture: F/2.8, Shutter: 1/200, ISO: 250

The Shot: Rock Trails

The Shot: Rock Trails
Location: Death Valley, California
Skill Level: Intermediate
Techniques: Scouting and preparation, wide-angle photography
Recommended knowledge: Setting your camera’s aperture, shutter speed, and ISO. Changing the autofocus point. 

 

Quite often the majority of the work required to make an image occurs before the camera ever snaps a shot. In this post we’ll take a bouncy ride out to one of the more remote spots on the continent to catch the short but beautiful moment before sunset known as “golden hour”. 

OUR DESTINATION
Racetrack Playa in Death Valley National Park is a unique location famous for its mysterious “moving” rocks. Along the scaly texture of a dry lakebed, rocks dot the surface with tell-tale and seemingly impossible trails in their wake (more on how this phenomenon occurs later). I had seen photos of this location, mostly taken in mid-daylight hours, and decided to attempt a golden hour shot. 

TRAVEL
The most difficult part of capturing an image like this is actually getting there. Death Valley National Park is remote (four hours drive from Los Angeles and two from Las Vegas), and Racetrack Playa is relatively deep in a secluded part of the park. For seven months of the year the average temperature high is greater than 90°F (32°C) making it one of the most inhospitable locations to visit in the United States. From the visitor’s center in the park, it is an 83 mile drive including 27 miles on a rough single-lane dirt road. That may not seem like much, but the rugged washboard prevents travel speeds more than about 15-20 miles per hour. In all, the dirt road portion of the drive it is about one and a half hours of non-stop bouncing and rattling. Be sure to have your gear stowed in protective padding (and book an appointment with your chiropractor). I’d definitely advise against attempting this drive in a car unless it has sufficient clearance, solid 4-wheel drive (not the same as all-wheel drive), high tolerance for off-road abuse, and a good spare tire. Many visitors rent Jeeps fitted for off-road use.  

The route from the Furnace Creek Visitor’s Center. West of Grapevine Peak the drive switches from paved to dirt roads. Expect to be on the dirt roads for about 1.5 hours at speeds no greater than 20mph. (courtesy: Google Maps)

The route from the Furnace Creek Visitor’s Center. West of Grapevine Peak the drive switches from paved to dirt roads. Expect to be on the dirt roads for about 1.5 hours at speeds no greater than 20mph. (courtesy: Google Maps)

SCOUTING
Once at the playa, and after a good stretch of the arms and legs, I ventured out onto the playa itself. Common sense (and park rules) prohibits driving onto the playa - there is ample parking at the end of the dirt road. Sadly, much of the playa was defaced in 2016 by joyriding morons. Instead of rock trails, visitors were left with criss-crossing ugly black tire marks. It could take years before there is enough rainfall to wash away the damage. Locals told me this is not the first such incident and that the park may admit future visitors to the playa by permit only, or not at all. This is why we can’t have nice things.

For a golden hour shot, it’s important to arrive well in advance of sunset to find the right composition, read the light, and set up your gear. You should also research the direction of the sunset to help decide whether you want a back-lit, front-lit, or side-lit shot. Suncalc.net is a free resource for determining the direction of sunrise and sunset. Popular smartphone apps include The Photographer’s Ephemeris and Photopills (more on how to use these apps in a different blog post). Early arrival at the site will also allow you to take some time to explore and simply enjoy the experience - something that will be more difficult when you’re focused on photography during the fleeting moments of golden hour. Part of the fun here is searching the area and choosing your favorite rock and composition. With a short while before golden hour, it’s time to set up the tripod and take some test shots.


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TECHNIQUE
Wide Angle shots: For a dramatic close-up of the subject, choose a wide angle lens and set up low and very close to the rock. I used a Canon EF 16-35mm f/4 lens on my Canon 5D Mark III for this image. Wide angle lenses exaggerate and distort the size of anything near the lens, while diminishing the scale of more distant objects. 

Focus stacking: In this type of shot, even with a narrow aperture (f/22) there may not be enough depth of field to achieve sharp focus of the foreground and background in a single exposure. To compensate for the limited depth of field, photographers sometimes use a focus stacking technique (combining multiple exposures each with a different focal point - e.g. one that focuses on the foreground, a second on the middle ground, and a third on the background. More on that in a different post). We’ll keep things simple, and in my case I did so out of necessity. Because I arrived later than expected, there wouldn’t be much time before the sun dipped below the mountains to the west, and the golden light would disappear. 

Narrow aperture: If you are going to achieve focus in one exposure, make sure to dial back the aperture to f/16 or narrower, focused on the foreground subject. If you are too close to the rock, you’ll need to focus stack in order to achieve sharpness throughout. Because you’ll be using a relatively narrow aperture in diminishing light, you’ll need to compensate with shutter speed and/or ISO for a proper exposure. (Need to brush up on exposure and how aperture, shutter speed and ISO work?) Remember that a longer shutter speed will cause moving objects (e.g. moving clouds, blowing sand) to appear blurry or as streaks. This can be a very pleasing effect, but if it’s not what you desire, and you prefer to keep moving clouds sharp you’ll need to limit shutter speed and compensate by raising the ISO. 

Focus: For a single shot, keep the autofocus point on the foreground subject. If the camera is on a steady tripod, turn off image-stabilization (vibration reduction) on the lens if possible. Only keep it enabled if conditions are very windy.

Exposure: use your histogram to ensure highlights are not blown out, especially the sunlight on the mountains. Use bracketing or HDR if desired (if you are not shooting in the direction of the sun this should not be required.)

Positioning: Keep your camera height below or on the same horizontal plane as your subject to achieve a dramatic effect. Most rocks are not more than one foot in height, so you’ll need to be low. A tripod is needed for this type of shot due to the low light and potential slow shutter speed. It’s also hard on the knees and back to get down that low - let the tripod do the crouching and use a remote to trigger the shutter. 


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Perspective and lighting make all the difference. In this shot the camera is on a tripod roughly three feet in elevation and the golden light has disappeared behind the mountains. The rock looks small and the light is flat. For the portfolio shot, t…

Perspective and lighting make all the difference. In this shot the camera is on a tripod roughly three feet in elevation and the golden light has disappeared behind the mountains. The rock looks small and the light is flat. For the portfolio shot, the camera was less than a foot off the ground and the sunlight was almost horizontal from the west, giving us a golden light quality and long shadows.

FINAL THOUGHTS
Use your judgment about what can be achieved in the time that you have and remember that it’s better to take more pictures than you need. Golden “hour” is variable in length depending on where you are (latitude) and the time of year - but the blue hour following sunset (or preceding sunrise) can be just as magical - so don’t pack up too early. At the playa remember to seek out more than one rock and alternate compositions! When you return to your hotel or campsite, after the long bouncy ride, put your feet up, have your favorite beverage, and review your photos - I like to rate my favorite ones in camera or in Adobe Lightroom. Then sleep on it and pick your finalists afterward. 

Some additional considerations: Racetrack Playa is a special place and worth the trek. Before visiting this location, consider weather conditions (especially if there is rain or flash flooding in the forecast, or in the heat of the summer months), research driving options, pack enough water (then double that amount), bring warm clothing in winter, and tell someone where you’re going and when you’ll be back. Bring a flashlight (or two), batteries, and GPS. Travel with a companion (the human kind). As in most desert locations, dust and sand can be a problem and won’t play nicely with electronics. If shooting with a DSLR or mirrorless camera, choose your lens and mount it to the camera body before you pack your gear, then leave your gear packed until you arrive.

SUMMARY

  • Plan the shot with directions, time of day, and logistics

  • Research the time and direction of sunset

  • Check the weather forecast

  • Bring a friend and tell someone where you’re going and when you expect to return

  • Pack the essentials including water, sunscreen, proper attire, flashlight, extra batteries and a first aid kit

  • Arrive early and walk around for a while until you find a composition you like

  • Get close to your subject and on the same horizontal plane

  • Dial back (stop-down) your aperture to ensure a greater depth of field (i.e. keep everything in focus)

Feeling accomplished during blue hour. Unlike our wide-angle close-up, the rocks don’t look very big when photographed from this perspective.

Feeling accomplished during blue hour. Unlike our wide-angle close-up, the rocks don’t look very big when photographed from this perspective.

MYSTERY
I almost forgot - what about the mysterious moving rocks themselves? People have theorized that gale-force winds move them, while the less-scientifically inclined envisioned ghosts or aliens. Until recently, we did not have a definitive answer. This video explains the mystery. Enjoy!


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