Geophotography Webinar Series 2013
March 5, 2013
From Shooting to Post-processing: Making the Most of your Camera's Capabilities - Ellen Bishop, Whitman College
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Duration - 1 hour. The presentation will be 40 minutes, followed by 20 minutes of discussion.
Format - Online web presentation via phone and Blackboard Collaborate web conference software with questions and answers following.
About the Author:
Ellen Morris Bishop is a geologist and award-winning photographer who teaches Geology and Environmental Studies, as well as Photography for Science and the Environment at Whitman College, and runs the Geological Society of America Photo contest and exhibit. She has worked as a photojournalist as well as a landscape/documentary photographer and shoots for many conservation organizations, including The Nature Conservancy, The Wilderness Society, Grand Canyon Trust, Oregon Wild and others. She has practiced landscape and documentary photography since the Late Holocene and specializes in the geology, ecosystems, and cultures of the American West. Her work can be viewed on her personal website or via her SmugMug account.
Webinar Overview
Several years ago, Chase Jarvis—a talented though quirky photographer who shoots for Nikon-- published a book of iPhone images titled "The Best Camera is the One You Have With You." This is especially true of geologists, whose fieldwork may involve long hikes and heavy packs. Lugging a DSLR and many lenses may not be an option. While you don't have to have Nikon's ten-pound flagship camera to capture extraordinary images, your choice of the equipment you have with you does make a difference. There are features that allow some cameras (even point and shoots) to produce images with better potential than others. Not all digital cameras are created equal. Some can shoot "RAW" files, some have larger and better sensors, others are small mirror-less Micro 4/3) that shoot astoundingly good images. And even cell phones are producing reasonable images. What equipment can you carry that will optimize your photos' quality, while minimizing the weight and bulk? What settings should you use to produce better quality images? What kind of files should you shoot to allow you "Post-Process" (digital developing) latitude to ensure they reveal all that detail that you examined? What kind of /how much post processing is acceptable? A few easy adjustments on your computer will help you improve images that had to be shot under less than desirable conditions, but not over-process them so they loose both aesthetic and scientific value. And what are some the advantages and limitations of special techniques that include HDR (high dynamic range) and hyperfocal images? The questions are: What are the most important characteristics of a good camera for Geophotography? How can I optimize the images I shoot with my camera, and finally, how can I produce the technically best image from the photos that I have shot? This talk will explore different kinds of cameras that are suitable for high-quality field photos, what settings and what types of files produce the best quality images, and which simple post-processing adjustments – available in many economical programs from iPhoto and Snapseed to Photoshop can make your images sing---and which to avoid.
Webinar Goals
- Understand which types of cameras might be most suitable for your use in the field (and why.)
- Understand which file – formats and other settings work best to achieve your desired results in field photography – and why.
- Learn several simple post-processing procedures that will improve your final results.
References and Resources
Screencast of From Shooting to Post-processing: Making the Most of your Camera's Capabilities.
Recommended on-line resources: