Tharp - Expressive nature photography: design, composition, and color in outdoor imagery

The dolphin created a pressure wake above its body just before breaking the surface. The pure and calm waters of Johnstone Strait off the coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, allowed me to see down into the water to capture this special moment.

1740mm lens at 40mm, f/7.1 for 1/200 sec.

Dawn on the lagoon on Madeline Island, Wisconsin, was magical the morning when I took my workshop group there to photograph. The change in the weather had created the alto cumulus clouds that I love so much, as they often catch the color, if the horizon is clear, at dawn or sunset. The lagoon surface was so calm it provided a great reflection, so I didnt even try to fit all that sky into the picture, as it was all about the water for me in this image.

150-600mm lens at 150mm, f/14 for 1/60 sec.

To see we must forget the name of the thing we are looking at.

CLAUDE MONET

Photography is pure joy. The ability to see something special and capture it in the camera is nothing short of amazing for me, even after all the years Ive been a photographer. From the tiniest detail of a flower to the grand expanse of the Milky Way stretching overhead at night, our world is an outstanding place, providing countless opportunities to experience beauty. To be out photographing in nature is truly the best job one could have, at least according to the many who wish they were doing my job. Never mind that I received 45 mosquito bites while standing in the woods to get the perfect photograph of a moving stream of water. (I hadnt planned on stopping, so I didnt have repellant or the right clothing.) And never mind that Ive hiked three miles to get the shot, only to have the weather go bad leaving me empty-handed. To go out and be in nature is reward enough, but it can often reward you all the more with great light and great moments. Thats the proverbial carrot that keeps me pursuing my photography. When the weather, light, composition, and moment all come together into a great photograph, I realize how truly lucky I am to be there, and to be a photographer.

Foggy dawns are so wonderful. In winter months, the Laguna di Santa Rosa Watershed near my home often floods, but its not easy to predict whether rains have been substantial enough for the river to overflow its banks. You have to keep a close watch on the reports, and visit a web page that tells you flood levels, etc. Sometimes, though, your gut just tells you the Laguna is full, and you go in search of dawn reflections. And when you get there, its so foggy its a disappointment; then suddenly you can see the trees just slightly, then a bit more, and then color starts to come, and you end up with a picture that becomes a favorite! Its that simple. You just go with whats working!

70200mm lens at 116mm, f/14 for 0.3 sec.

Photography is a marriage of vision and craft. You really cant have one without the other if you want to create memorable photographs. Plenty of books get you started in understanding the basics. This book takes off where basic photography books end. It will help you refine your creative vision, while learning techniques and concepts that can also help you hone your skills. Using the advice in this book, as well as working with the exercises, will help you learn to see light better and understand how to utilize light to make your pictures more dynamic. You will learn to create visual flow in your pictures and to arrange good compositions. You will improve your ability to choose an appropriate shutter, or aperture setting for creative expression and depth in your pictures. Youll learn about the power of colors, and when to consider black and white as an alternative. In the last chapter, we go out into the night to marvel over the night skies while we photograph them, and to photograph by moonlight. By the end of the book, youll have learned useful techniques to accompany the creative insights youve gained. All of this will help you make creative images that express you and how you see the world.