Photography Tips with Tom
Thomas Keever has been a photographer for over 30 years and has been capturing beautiful scenery at CFBG for many years as well. Here are his best tips on photographing the Garden.
- Have a plan for the images you want to capture. Take no more than 2 lenses (unless you are going on a safari somewhere!). A wide-angle in the 12-28 mm image and a telephoto 100-300 mm should be sufficient.
- On sunny days, early morning light (from sunrise to maybe (9 am or so) and evening light (5 pm to just after sunset) usually yield the best opportunities due to the warm light that occurs.
3. Once you have selected a subject, look at it from several different perspectives before you begin shooting. Hopefully, your eye and sense of composition will provide the best view from which to capture an interesting image! A wide angle lens will be very appropriate for many situations
4. If your subject happens to be a bird, animal, butterfly or some other critter, a different set of circumstances apply. It is always best to wear neutral-colored clothing (no white). Observe the subject from a distance, move slowly, until you are able to compose a shot. There may be times when you will want to lay on the ground to get the photo you want.
You should have a lens in the 200 to 300 mm range for best results and/or a macro lens for a subject that isn’t likely to move much. Always make several images of the subject, trying different aperture and shutter speed combinations. There will usually be one that you will like better than the others.
Some of Tom’s favorite photos from in the Garden!
