Chris Kayler Photography

Photographing patterns found in ice can be both rewarding and frustrating. One of the most frequent problems I encounter is reflections of the sky reducing the visibility of these patterns. Often times it will give images a soft, cool feeling that can be quite effective. However, in many situations, I wish to remove the glare and let the patterns of the ice shine through boldly. When I first began photographing ice this late fall, my first reaction was to use a polarizer to reduce the reflections. I quickly found out that a polarizer will usually have some effect, but never to the degree that I wished - there would almost always be stray reflections here and there that I simply could not eliminate. After struggling for some time, I realized that I could simply block the reflections of the sky with my body… and in doing so I had much success. All was not perfect, however. Trying to hold an awkward position for 5+ seconds while kneeling on ice was difficult at best! Enter the jacket. By draping my jacket over my entire tripod, I am able to eliminate all reflections quickly, easily, and with more strength than any polarizer ever could. Additionally, I soon plan on purchasing a 4 ft. x 4 ft. piece of black cloth to fold up and put in my backpack that will be even easier to use than my jacket. If you plan on using this technique, keep in mind that you will lose some light when placing the cloth over the tripod - so adjust your exposure accordingly. Below you will see an example of the technique.

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To order these prints or purchase stock rights please contact me. To view additional photos for sale please visit my website at www.chriskaylerphotography.com

This is the first of hopefully many articles I will write for my blog. If you find the article useful or enjoyable, please link to it or tell others about it. Thanks!

- Creative Nature Photography -

In this day and age of digital cameras and internet photography forums, the amount of talented nature photographers has seemed to grow enormously. What can a photographer do to separate himself from the crowd? It’s simple, get creative! Creating creative nature pictures will make a photographer unique, standing out in the eyes of editors who may potentially want to use their images.

Is it really that easy though? Yes and no. With the right mindset, some photographers can accomplish anything they can visualize, but for others it’s not as black and white as that. The purpose of this article is to show some of my own creative techniques so that you may try them and perhaps come up with some of your own.

- Wide Angle Perspective -

Using a wide angle lens is one of my favorite ways to portray a commonly photographed subject in a new light. The point of my wide angle lens in this technique is not to create a sweeping landscape with wildlife in it, but instead to use a wide angle lens’s perspective to create in your face images of a subject, all while providing some habitat in the background. Because of the nature of wide angle lenses, the photographer must place the lens from a couple feet to several inches away, depending on the size of the subject.

A hiding fawn can be the perfect subject for this technique. Here, I used an 18mm lens and slowly walked up to fawn placing the lens very close to provide emphasis on the foreground, while retaining an interesting background. There are several key factors one must think about using this technique. First, the subject must be very cooperative, because of the close distances required, and second, the surrounding habitat must be interesting to make a pleasing photograph.

- Extreme Close-ups -

Making abstract close-ups is an excellent way of making the ordinary into the extraordinary. A wide variety of lenses can be used for close-up photography, ranging from dedicated macro lenses, to telephoto lenses with special diopters to allow closer focusing.

In this image I took a commonly photographed subject, the double-crested cormorant, and made something completely unique out of it. Several factors must be considered when making extreme close-ups. Because of the abstract quality of this technique, the image will require bold colors, patterns, or eye contact. Additionally, as with the wide angle technique, the subject must be extremely cooperative to allow the photographer to approach within the distance required for close-ups.

- Habitat Shots -

I consider habitat shots to be photographs where the surrounding environment plays as much of a role in the photography as the subject does itself. Habitat shots are an excellent way of teaching viewers about the world that the subject lives in.

The most important aspect of a habitat shot is, of course, the habitat! One must think like a landscape photographer, paying careful attention that the surroundings are visually appealing (or not, depending on the mood the photograph is attempting to convey).

These are only some of my techniques. I hope they have gotten your creative juices flowing, and I encourage you to try your own techniques and develop your own style. That is after all, what photography is all about!

To order these print(s) or purchase stock rights please contact me. To view additional photos for sale please visit my website at www.chriskaylerphotography.com