Take that SLR or point-and-shoot (or even the cellphone) and bring back a stunning portrait of nature for contest
The National Park Foundation — along with a variety of other agencies — is sponsoring the “Share the Experience” photo contest through December.
The annual contest is the largest national park and public land photo contest for amateur photographers, and provides an opportunity for amateur photographers to submit pictures taken at any federal lands site for the chance of having their image selected for use on the America the Beautiful Federal Recreation Lands Pass. Cash prizes and vouchers for hotel stays are also among the prizes.
According to a spokesman for the National Park Foundation, about 3,000 entries have been submitted online at sharetheexperience.org since the contest opened this spring. The site lists the official rules, submission guidelines and includes a gallery.
Photos must be taken in 2011 or 2012 on the lands or within the facilities of the National Park Service, U.S. Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service or U.S. Forest Service.
Here are tips from Journal photographer Roberto Rosales for snapping captivating outdoor shots:
MAXIMIZE YOUR DEPTH OF FIELD: While there may be times that you want to get a little more creative and experiment with narrow depth of fields, the normal approach is to ensure that as much of your scene is in focus as possible. The simplest way to do this is to choose a small aperture setting (a large number), as the smaller your aperture, the greater the depth of field in your shots.
LOOK FOR A FOCAL POINT: All shots need some sort of focal point to them, and landscapes are no different. In fact, landscape photographs without them end up looking rather empty and will leave your viewers’ eye wandering through the image with nowhere to rest (and they’ll generally move on quickly).
THINK FOREGROUNDS: One element that can set apart your landscape shots is to think carefully about the foreground of your shots and by placing points of interest in them. When you do this, you give those viewing the shot a way into the image as well as creating a sense of depth in your shot.
CONSIDER THE SKY: Most landscapes will either have a dominant foreground or sky. Unless you have one or the other, your shot can end up being fairly boring.
If you have a bland, boring sky, don’t let it dominate your shot and place the horizon in the upper third of your shot (however, you’ll want to make sure your foreground is interesting). If the sky is filled with drama and interesting cloud formations and colors, let it shine by placing the horizon lower.
CAPTURE MOVEMENT: When most people think about landscapes they think of calm, serene and passive environments. However, landscapes are rarely completely still, and to convey this movement in an image will add drama, mood and create a point of interest. Examples: wind in trees, waves on a beach, water flowing over a waterfall, birds flying over head, moving clouds.
WORK WITH THE WEATHER: A scene can change dramatically depending upon the weather at any given moment. As a result, choosing the right time to shoot is of real importance.
Many beginner photographers see a sunny day and think that it’s the best time to go out with their camera. An overcast day that is threatening to rain might present you with a much better opportunity to create an image with real mood and ominous overtones. Look for storms, wind, mist, dramatic clouds, sun shining through dark skies, rainbows, sunsets and sunrises.
WORK THE GOLDEN HOURS: Dawn and dusk are often called the “golden hours.” The light is not only imparts beautiful color, but the angle of the light also creates interesting patterns, dimensions and textures.
CHANGE YOUR POINT OF VIEW: You drive up to the scenic lookout, get out of the car, grab your camera, raise the camera to your eye and take your shot before getting back in the car to go to the next scenic lookout. Take a little more time with your shots. Use a different point of view by finding a different spot to shoot from than the scenic lookout (wander down paths, look for new angles, etc.). Or it could mean getting down onto the ground to shoot from down low or finding a higher-up vantage point to shoot from.
Explore the environment and experiment with different viewpoints, and you could find something unique.