Category Archives: Anatomy of a photo

Anatomy of a photo #22: Bobcat stalking the shores of Tomales Bay

Posted on June 21, 2011 by Galen Leeds Photography

This image was in a recent photo essay that I posted, and due to its popularity, I am going to write a little about what went into capturing this image. First of all this photo was taken from my kayak. … Continue reading →

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Anatomy of a photo #20: Portrait of a sheep

Posted on June 19, 2011 by Galen Leeds Photography

I was originally taking pictures of the sheep that are blurred out in the background, when this wooly lawn mower came munching by. I quickly changed my focus, realizing that this nearby sheep would also make a nice image, especially … Continue reading →

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Anatomy of a photo #19: Spider on a bedewed web

Posted on June 18, 2011 by Galen Leeds Photography

  I took this image early one morning (I feel like I start so many of these “Anatomy of a photos” with those same words) while I was out chasing that early light. The grass was still wet, and so … Continue reading →

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Anatomy of a photo #18: Boat and fog

Posted on June 17, 2011 by Galen Leeds Photography

Early morning light is some of the best, but living out here on the edge of a continent, we sometimes have what we call “fog.” I’ve found that there are times when “fog” can create a late or second “magic … Continue reading →

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Anatomy of a photo #17: Horizontal and vertical landscapes I

Posted on June 16, 2011 by Galen Leeds Photography

This one is a double photo. The lesson is simple. Sometimes it can be good to rotate your camera 90 degrees, because it can give the image a very different feel. Also, when doing landscapes, especially of valleys and such … Continue reading →

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Anatomy of a photo #16: Morning lily pads

Posted on June 15, 2011 by Galen Leeds Photography

I made this image in my early days of digital photography, before I knew all the ins and outs of modern cameras. It didn’t really matter though, as many things such as exposure, compensating for bright light, focus, composition- all … Continue reading →

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Anatomy of a photo #15: Frosted fence

Posted on June 14, 2011 by Galen Leeds Photography

This early morning picture of a frosted fence illustrates the affect that aperture can have on a photograph. The closer you focus to where you are standing, the shallower your depth of field will be. For this photo I had … Continue reading →

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Anatomy of a photo #14: Three Willits in pickleweed

Posted on June 13, 2011 by Galen Leeds Photography

As I look through my photographs of animal images, I notice more and more that there are two main lighting conditions that most of my favorite portraits were taken in- early/late low angle sun, or else while the subject was … Continue reading →

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Anatomy of a photo #13: Sunlit waves

Posted on June 12, 2011 by Galen Leeds Photography

This image highlights the importance of being willing to head out for pictures no matter what the weather… or even because of bad weather. I took this picture during a break in a storm at a nearby beach. The day … Continue reading →

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Anatomy of a photo #12: Lava tube II: Scale

Posted on June 11, 2011 by Galen Leeds Photography

This lava tube was a great contrast to Valentine’s, both in scale, and what I had to do to take a picture that made sense. If you look at yesterday’s post you will notice from visual clues such as the … Continue reading →

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Anatomy of a photo #11: Lava tube I: Temperature

Posted on June 11, 2011 by Galen Leeds Photography

I took this picture for a micro travel piece that I knew I would be writing. This is one of several lava tubes that you can explore in Lava Beds National Monument near the border of Oregon and California (eastern side). … Continue reading →

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Anatomy of a photo #10: Freezing the flow of water in an image: Gull and crab claw

Posted on June 10, 2011 by Galen Leeds Photography

This post relates to the importance of shutter speed. A fast shutter speed can freeze action, making something like water appear solid- almost like crystal or an ice sculpture. The picture above for example was taken with a shutterspeed of … Continue reading →

Posted in Anatomy of a photo, birds, How To, kayak photography, marine life, nature photography, photography, portraits, SLR, wildlife photography | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments