Category Archives: documentary

Anatomy of a photo #36: Surfer and the Bridge

Posted on July 11, 2011 by Galen Leeds Photography

I have no idea how often you can find people surfing under the Golden Gate Bridge. In fact, I hadn’t planned on photographing surfers at all on this day, only the Bridge itself by the early mor ing light, but … Continue reading →

Posted in Anatomy of a photo, California, documentary, How To, landscapes, Location, nature photography, photography, portraits, road side, SLR | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Anatomy of a photo #35: Elephant Seal and Scientists

Posted on July 10, 2011 by Galen Leeds Photography

Wide angle lenses exaggerate the distance between between two objects, while long lenses and telephoto lenses can actually compress the appearance of the physical distances between objects. Notice the size of the elephant seals head, relative to the size of … Continue reading →

Posted in Anatomy of a photo, documentary, elephant seals, How To, How to, marine life, photography, portraits, wildlife photography | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

How to photograph fireworks

Posted on July 6, 2011 by Galen Leeds Photography

It’s actually pretty easy to get the technical parts right, when taking pictures of fireworks, which means the important part is to think ahead and decide where you want to be in relation to the firework display, and what else … Continue reading →

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The Tomales Racing Sheep: Anatomy of a photo #32

Posted on July 1, 2011 by Galen Leeds Photography

I was driving through the coastal countryside of northern California one drear grey day, when I saw something that added a little color to my day. I came across the Tomales Racing Sheep during a practice session. They were running … Continue reading →

Posted in Anatomy of a photo, California, documentary, How To, nature photography, photography, road side, ruminating, SLR | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Anatomy of a photo #28: Great Blue Heron, boats and mist Part II

Posted on June 26, 2011 by Galen Leeds Photography

When photographing wildlife, the situation is constantly changing. The “wild” in wildlife is not there by accident. These animals and birds are not trained, they act and react according to their own needs and instincts. There is no studio, no … Continue reading →

Posted in Anatomy of a photo, birds, California, documentary, How To, How To, How to, landscapes, Location, road side, SLR, underwater, video | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The camera doesn’t matter, taking pictures does

Posted on June 24, 2011 by Galen Leeds Photography

Having a big expensive camera doesn’t really matter if you don’t use it. There are myriad reasons to not use a camera- too expensive, too bulky, too complicated, too noticeable, being afraid of losing or breaking it. A fancy camera … Continue reading →

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The Eureka Sand Dunes: An essay in photos

Posted on June 19, 2011 by Galen Leeds Photography

It used to be that my friends and I would head down to the Eureka Sand Dunes (found in the Death Valley National Park) every year for a few days to a week. Amazing place. Tallest sand dunes in California, … Continue reading →

Posted in birds, California, documentary, landscapes, My favorite Parks, National Park, nature photography, Photo Essay, photography, ruminating, SLR, weather, wildlife photography | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Surfing under the Golden Gate Bridge: An essay in photos

Posted on June 16, 2011 by Galen Leeds Photography

I headed over to the south side of the Golden Gate Bridge early one morning and was surprised to find many people surfing. It is a rather unique spot, as the surfers head parallel to the shore, rather than just … Continue reading →

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Bobcats: An essay in photos

Posted on June 15, 2011 by Galen Leeds Photography

Over the years I have come across many bobcats. The most meanigful encounters I have had were while kayaking. Most of my photographs of bobcats were taken in the Point Reyes National Seashore. Here are some of those images- And … Continue reading →

Posted in bobcats, documentary, kayak photography, National Park, nature photography, Photo Essay, photography, wildlife photography | Tagged , , , , , | 10 Comments

Use presets if you have them to switch between video and still shooting

Posted on May 25, 2011 by Galen Leeds Photography

For video and stills you want to use two very different shutter speeds. Often when shooting stills, it is best to have the highest shutter speed you can while maintaining the aperture and ISO that you want. Not so for … Continue reading →

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Clown Car Crabs

Posted on May 16, 2011 by Galen Leeds Photography

Came across this path swarming with crabs near Miranda, New Zealand. They sort of reminded me of clowns and their clown cars. You’ll see why…

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New Zealand’s Oystercatcher’s and Shags

Posted on May 16, 2011 by Galen Leeds Photography

Two of my favorite varieties of birds that I’ve come across in New Zealand are the Oystercatchers and the shags. This is a brief sampling of them.

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