Category Archives: How To

Camera settings for kayak photography

Posted on January 26, 2013 by Galen Leeds Photography

Have you ever thought to yourself “What settings should I use on my camera while I am kayaking?” This is especially important to consider with wildlife kayak photography outings, but wonder no longer, help is on the way, in the … Continue reading →

Posted in bobcats, How To, How to, kayak photography, nature photography, photography, wildlife photography | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Least Sandpiper and Marbled Godwit, an exercise in video

Posted on January 21, 2013 by Galen Leeds Photography

When I’m out photographing wildlife, especially if I come across a species that I already have really good images of, I will sometimes switch my camera over to video mode. Stills are fantastic and can be so evocative of emotion, … Continue reading →

Posted in birds, documentary, How To, How To, kayak photography, nature photography, photography, shorebirds, SLR, video | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Packing for Maine and Nova Scotia

Posted on October 25, 2012 by Galen Leeds Photography

I’m getting ready to be gone for a few weeks, part of the time with family in northern Maine, and part of the time backpacking in Nova Scotia. So not only am I taking camera and sound equipment, but I’ll … Continue reading →

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Birds in Flight: Part II

Posted on October 24, 2012 by Galen Leeds Photography

A special thanks to Donna from Garden Walk, Garden Talk for taking me to task on never having continued my Birds in Flight series, since it is a topic that I really enjoy. Flight is such an integral part of … Continue reading →

Posted in birds, How To, kayak photography, nature photography, photography, wildlife photography | Tagged , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

Focus on the eyes. Really.

Posted on October 9, 2012 by Galen Leeds Photography

I’ve written about this before, and I’ll write about it again. Ask almost any photographer, and they will tell you the same- Focus on the eyes when taking pictures. It doesn’t matter whether you are photographing people or animals, birds … Continue reading →

Posted in How To, nature photography, photography, portraits | Tagged , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Silhouettes on the water

Posted on October 2, 2012 by Galen Leeds Photography

Creating a silhouette can be a quick, yet powerful way of making a dynamic image. They cut out the extraneous details, bringing the photograph down to a simplified field of light and dark, to outlines and shapes. The fine details … Continue reading →

Posted in How To, kayak photography, nature photography, photography, portraits | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Photographing the common in preparation for the uncommon

Posted on May 18, 2012 by Galen Leeds Photography

One of the greatest aids to becoming a good photographer is to create images of what you find around you. Photograph what interests you, what you can find easily in your day to day life. We are used to seeing … Continue reading →

Posted in birds, How To, nature photography, New Zealand, Photo Essay, photography | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Photographing a skunk… sort of

Posted on May 17, 2012 by Galen Leeds Photography

I sometimes wonder what it says about me, that when I see this- I do not turn my own tail and head the other direction. Instead, if it is not already in my hand, I grab my camera and set … Continue reading →

Posted in How To, nature photography, photography, skunk, wildlife photography | Tagged , , , , , | 9 Comments

The “Why” of Photography

Posted on April 30, 2012 by Galen Leeds Photography

When I am out with my camera, creating photographs, I find one of the most important questions I can ask myself is “Why?”. Not so much “why am I taking photos?” but rather “Why am I taking this photo? Why does … Continue reading →

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The shore is not the horizon

Posted on April 29, 2012 by Galen Leeds Photography

I spend a lot of my time photographing on the water and near the water. As such there have been a few things I’ve had to learn- water reflects light, water is bad for your camera, your feet get wet … Continue reading →

Posted in How To, landscapes, nature photography, Photo Essay, photography, road side | Tagged , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Approaching wild animals, without walking towards them

Posted on April 27, 2012 by Galen Leeds Photography

The key to approaching wild animals, is to remember that they are wild. Profound isn’t it? Well, for this lesson, it boils down to this- if you walk directly towards an animal, that is an aggressive form of behavior. In … Continue reading →

Posted in How To, nature photography, photography, wildlife photography | Tagged , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Anatomy of a photo #15: Frosted Fence

Posted on April 16, 2012 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 →

Posted in How To, nature photography, photography, weather | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments