I share a tour of the Air Line Trail, present a gallery of (mostly) trail photos, and discuss camera equipment, shooting conditions, composition, some basic technical issues, macro work, editing, and advanced techniques.

1. Along the Air Line…
Nature Photography on the Air Line Trail
Stan Malcolm
Along the Air Line…
http://performance-vision.com/airline/
StanMalcolmPhoto.com
Copyright Stanley E. Malcolm, 2011

2. Eastern Connecticut photographer Stan
Malcolm focuses on the natural world. He finds
the extraordinary in objects and places we often
overlook. An entomologist by training, Stan's
photos have earned many juried awards and
been published in newspapers, textbooks, and
scientific publications.

3. My Great
Grandfather’s work
My
Grandfather’s
Photos

4.  StanMalcolmPhoto.com

5. The Air Line was once a railroad renowned for its relatively
straight course from Boston to New York - "as if by a line
drawn through the air." You can still find lumps of coal left
over from the steam era. Today the rail bed has been
converted to a Connecticut linear park and hiking trail.

6.  www.performance-vision.com/airline/
 Over 4,000 photos taken in all seasons
 Plants, Animals, Landscapes – everything
you’re likely to see on the trail

13. Brownstone, Dated 1887.
Each stone in the arch is
numbered, suggesting
that some portions were
pre-cut before on-site
assembly.

20. Around Halloween, the trail
hosts the Ghost Run,
named in honor of the
Ghost Train which ran
white coaches through the
night over 100 years ago.

22. “Electric” Sunrise – Raymond Brook Marsh, Hebron, CT

23. Foggy Morning on the Marsh – Raymond Brook Marsh, Hebron, CT

24. Winter Dawn on the Marsh – Raymond Brook Marsh, Hebron, CT

25. Beaver’s Wake – Raymond Brook Marsh, Hebron, CT

26. Great Egret – Raymond Brook Marsh, Hebron, CT

27. “Kermit” – Raymond Brook Marsh, Hebron, CT

28. Mates: Cecropia Moths – Raymond Brook Marsh, Hebron, CT

29. Pink Lady’s Slipper Orchids - Hebron, CT

30. Poke Milkweed (Asclepias exaltata) – Route 85 Trailhead, Hebron, CT

31. Bee Balm – Route 85 Trailhead, Hebron, CT

32. Sun Pillar at Dawn – Raymond Brook Marsh, Hebron, CT

33. “Arguing” Tree Swallows – Raymond Brook Marsh, Hebron, CT

34. Ornamental Iris – Route 85 Trailhead, Hebron, CT

35. Queen Anne’s Lace – Raymond Brook Marsh, Hebron, CT

36. Poke Berries - Colchester, CT

37. Poke Berries - Colchester, CT

38. Cellar Hole: Reminder of Times Past - Hebron, CT

39. Abandoned United Distillers Chimney - Hebron, CT

40. Green Heron – Cranberry Bog, East Hampton, CT

41. “Rudolph” Cedar Waxwing with Serviceberry – Raymond Brook Marsh, Hebron, CT

42. Frosted Oak Seedlings - Hebron, CT

43. Firebush - Hebron, CT

44. Japanese Maple Leaf – Route 85 Trailhead, Hebron, CT

45. Fern Fronds at Winter’s End – Raymond Brook Marsh, Hebron, CT

46. Tree Swallows Take Flight – Raymond Brook Marsh, Hebron, CT

47. Painted Turtle Lineup – Raymond Brook Marsh, Hebron, CT

48. Eastern Chipmunk – Raymond Brook Marsh, Hebron, CT

49. Spittlebugs - Hebron, CT

50. Red-shouldered Hawk Dining Out (Part 1) - Marlborough, CT

51. Red-shouldered Hawk Dining Out (Part 2) - Marlborough, CT

52. Red-shouldered Hawk Dining Out (Part 3) - Marlborough, CT

53. Luna Moth Emerges (Part 1)- Marlborough, CT

54. Luna Moth Emerges (Part 2)- Marlborough, CT

55.  “Nice picture. You must have a great camera!”

56. SX30-IS
EOS 7D
EOS 5D MkII
APS-C Sensor
Multiple Lenses
2x3 Aspect Ratio
HD Video
Small Sensor
Fixed Lens
35x Optical Zoom Full Frame Sensor
24-840mm Multiple Lenses
3x4 Aspect Ratio 2x3 Aspect Ratio
HD Video HD Video

57.  Aspect Ratios: 3x4 or 2x3
 Sensor Size:
 Megapixels: Twice as many
isn’t twice as sharp
 Optical versus Digital Zoom
 One lens versus several? Fixed versus Zoom?
 Camera Bag
 Tripod:
 Sturdy; Quick Release; Allow Low & High shots

58.  Forget built-in flash
 On-camera versus off-camera – or both
 Bounce and reflectors
 Telephoto flash
 Macro flash

59.  Time of Day
 Backlighting:
 Cloudy versus Sunny
 Wind: The Enemy!
 Patience and Persistence
 Digital Pictures are Free! Take Plenty.
 Delete the Junk!

60.  Framing: Rule of Nines

61.  Framing: Rule of Nines
 Rules are Meant to be Broken

62.  Drawing the eye…

63.  Aspect Ratios
2x3 3x4
Panorama

64.  Figure and Ground

65.  Horizons

66.  A Balancing Act:
ISO Setting
Shutter Speed
Aperture
Ambient Light

67.  ISO Setting:
 Sensitivity to light: standards set by the
International Organization for Standardization
 100 to 1000 typical; Higher on new cameras

68.  ISO Setting:
 100 = Low sensitivity; but fine grain (low “noise”)
 1000 = High sensitivity; Grrrain!
ISO 100 ISO 1000

69.  Shutter Speed:
 Low: under 1/60th
- risk blur; deep.
- Tripod
- Pan
 High: over 1/250th
- sharp; shallow.
- movement:
birds, sports, etc

70.  Aperture:
 f/16 – small aperture,
deep depth of field
(background in focus)
 f/2 – large aperture,
shallow depth of field
(background blurred)
Diagram from SpokenFor-Photography: http://blog.spokenfor.com/2009/10/photography-101-aperture-shutter-speed.html

71.  Depth of Field

72.  Macro Photography

73.  Software

74.  Cropping:

75.  Why Crop?:
 Aesthetics
 Print Aspect Ratios:
4x6 5x7 8x10 11x14 12x18

76.  Resizing: Print versus Screen versus Thumbnail

77.  Brightness
 Contrast
 Gamma = Brightness and Contrast correction
Increased Gamma
Original
Decreased Gamma

78.  “Color Temperature” and White Balance
Warm
Cool

79.  Saturation
Original

80.  Sharpening

81.  HD Video
 Time-Lapse
 3D
 Lightning
 High Dynamic
Range (HDR)
 Helicon Focus
 Panoramas
 Infrared

82. Stan@performance-vision.com 860-295-9711