In the photo above, the reflection doubles the impact of the tree shapes and
the dramatic sky.
In this photo, the
moon was rising
just after the sun
had set, an ideal
time for capturing
images in soft light.
Zooming in on this bluebird helped to
accentuate the contrast between the
rough bark and the bird’s round shape
and soft plumage.
WINTER/SPRING 2019 • VOLUME 41
The various textures and colors
of the grasses, water, tree line,
and clouds all contribute to the
overall effect of this image.
Look for reflections in our many bodies of
water, in the marshes, the ocean, the lagoons, and
the river. Most of us are drawn to photographs in
which the subject is perfectly mirrored in a body
of water. On a calm day, the reflections of trees,
bridges, and birds in our marshes and lagoons are
particularly enticing, especially if the light is just
right (top left).
Look for special light. Light is everything to
a photographer. We most often seek soft light,
especially just before and after sunrise and sunset,
or when it is cloudy or foggy. We are blessed here
with ever-changing skies and light, so it is possible
to take the same photo during different times of
the day, week, month and year, and end up with
dramatically different images (middle left).
Look for small details, and focus your lens on
close-up shots, especially of the beautiful birds
on Kiawah. Birds can be seen nearly everywhere
on Kiawah: in lagoons, marshes, and rivers…on
our beaches and golf courses … on deck railings,
piers, shrubs, trees and rooftops. Often, they are
stationary (for at least a few moments) and can
be photographed while stalking their prey, resting
on a branch, or standing in the surf. Try to focus
on the eye of the bird and look for an angle that
gives you the best possible background for your
bird image. If you have a telephoto lens or can
zoom in with your phone camera, use those
options when photographing birds. Even the
smaller birds around our homes make compelling
subjects, like this sweet bluebird, shot with a
telephoto lens from our back deck (bottom left).
Look for shapes and textures. Often, it
is not the dramatic scene, the perfect light,
or the incredible close-up that commands a
photographer’s attention, but, instead, it is the
shapes and textures of trees, grasses, rocks, sand,
shells, and other features of the natural landscape
to which we are drawn. Some of the most exciting
images showcase layers of different textures and
colors (bottom right).
On Kiawah, the possibilities for capturing
beautiful photographs are endless. Doing so
does not require sophisticated equipment or
specialized technical knowledge; it really is about
just getting outside with your camera, practicing
“the art of observation,” stretching your creative
boundaries, and knowing a few “tricks of the
trade!” NK
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