We may still be a month (well, almost) away from the first day of Autumn, but you could not have told that by today's weather which was clear and cool. This allowed us, for the first time in a number of weeks, to shoot in full sun. As I have noted on a number of occasions, a high, thin overcast is my favorite lighting condition for shooting most nature subjects. Full sun, on the other hand, raises the issue of whether to shoot with the sun directly behind, or with it at some other angle. Both can yield pleasing results, so the choice is yours as you are the photographer. This week we did both. For example, an adult male Black Saddlebags dragonfly and a pair of dabbling Mallards were shot with the sun directly behind me. However, the Great Egret and Cattle Egret (a current rarity south of the canal) were shot with the sun a bit to the side. Note that the direct light approach yields well illuminated subjects, but they appear rather flat; while the not quite directly illuminated subjects have a more three dimensional look. Want to learn more? Join us on our next Saturday Photo Walk.
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| Black Saddlebags [Photo by Mike Hannisian] |
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| Great Egret [Photo by Mike Hannisian] |
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| Mallards [Photo by Mike Hannisian] |
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| Cattle Egret [Photo by Mike Hannisian] |
