Wild Art: Photos of the Parade of Lights, Black Friday and Happy Thankgiving

by John P. Meyer , Laura Seewoester

This week our Flickr community has shared some awesome seasonal pics with us of the Parade of Lights in Sundance Square, fall leaves (apparently cookies also grow on trees now), Black Friday and a Thanksgiving update from the cutest dogs in the world. We also seem to have a few newcomers to the pool this week. Welcome, and thanks for contributing! I hope everyone had a safe and happy Thanksgiving.

Tips and Tricks

Since I am taking off to a land far far away this week, I'm giving you some vacation photography tips today to consider the next time you leave town.

Lighten Your Load: Depending on how much equipment you have, chances are you don't need to lug it all with you, especially if you are flying and/or doing any kind of hiking. Unless you will be shooting a wedding or event, take out your off camera flash. The built in flash is usually sufficient for what you would need it for (in my case, pictures of us at bars at night, etc) and it's easier to not have to deal with the extra batteries or battery pack. Unless macro photos of flowers is "your thing" (and by "your thing" i mean you actually study plants or make your living off flower photos), scrap the macro lens. Many cameras have a macro setting that helps a little, or you can always throw on your zoom lens and back up to achieve a similar "macro" look to your photo. I have brought a macro with me on multiple trips and never used it.

Also, ditch the second camera body (if you have one) unless you plan on photoing while kayaking, caving, while in the front row at a GWAR show, or something that could equally destroy your camera (in which case obviously use the old camera body).

Must Brings: Even though you have lightened your load, be prepared with the basics. The best photos happen when preparation meets opportunity. Bring your telephoto and wide angle for sure. While I rarely use my telephoto in my regular shooting, I always put it to good use on vacation. Bring extra memory cards, even if you have to buy a new one, because it really sucks deleting photos while on vacation because you are out of space. A lens cloth also tends to come in handy more often than not while vacationing. Extra batteries and a charger, again to avoid the suckiness of running out of camera power while you are in a helicopter over the Hawaiin islands or in some other precarious position. You never know. Bring a polarizing filter. It is light and compact and will make those blue skies pop. I'm still undecided on whether it's worth it to pack the fish eye. More on this upon my return.

Safety: Don't put your gear in a bag that has "Canon" plastered all over it. There are plenty of backpacks and bags available that don't scream "hey look, expensive camera right here!" Also keep your camera in the bag when walking around, especially if you are in a bustling urban area. It's not uncommon in some parts of the world for people to walk up to you and take valuables off your person. If you're staying in the states, you probably don't need to worry about this as much (well, maybe in Detroit). When you are at a site and want someone to take a picture of you, find someone that already has a big SLR like you do, or at least someone that is already taking pictures. Two reasons: They already know how to use your camera and are less likely to screw the photo up and they already have a big fancy camera so they are less likely to run off with yours. This tactic has yet to fail me, and my fellow traveling photogs always take a lovely snapshot.

The photos: Don't get lazy and leave that polarizing filter in your bag. A rich blue sky can make a photo that much more awesome.

When photographing a sunrise or sunset, play around with your exposures and do a little bracketing. Often I find the best sunset photos are a little underexposed (making a silhouette out of everything in the foreground), or overexposed (which accentuates the highlights a little). The bright spot of sunlight can also mess with the internal meter, so if you take a little extra time to bracket you are more likely to get that perfect sunset/rise shot.

Let other people photograph you. It's pretty sad when you come back from some awesome trip and hardly have a photo of yourself to prove you were there. Get off the beaten track (interstates aren't typically very scenic). Stop the car (fight "velocitization.") If you see something that's visually interesting on the side of the road, pull over and have a closer look; otherwise you just might miss out on your best shot of the trip. Aim to shoot during the "magic hours" (just after sunup or just before sundown). Overcast skies can provide "magic hour" shooting conditions at any time of day. If the sky is bland and uninteresting (i.e., no clouds, hazy, too bright) frame it out of the picture. Get close to your subject. (If you're shooting a barn, then walk right on up to the barn - don't just make it an element in a picture which contains a bunch of other elements). Add interest through the use of foreground elements, Don't center the subject: it's BOR-RING! Consider using a tripod (to promote careful, thoughtful composition), but don't let the lack of a tripod stop you from shooting, even if conditions seem marginal for hand-held work. Without a tripod, brace your arm against a wall if possible or look for something to stabilize your camera with (a flat rock, the top of your car, etc.) Know your gear (how to turn off autoflash, autofocus, auto-everything - YOU decide what you want the camera to do.) Back up your files (after every shooting session). Copy them onto your laptop or burn them onto a DVD/CD. And finally, for after the trip, learn some basic image editing techniques. It'll allow you to make your best photos even better, regardless of how good your camera may be.