Page 176 - South Mississippi Living - September, 2021

SPORTS & OUTDOORS
IMAGE artistry
Enjoy Nature from Behind the Lens
story and photos by John N. Felsher
Southern Mississippi offers photographers unlimited scenic views with varied habitats and diverse wildlife where anyone could take fantastic photographic images without driving far from home.
176 | September 2021
True confession, my business card says “photographer” on it and I sell hundreds of photos each year, but I’m more of a writer who shoots pictures. I may not be the best photographer in the world, but I do know what a good photo looks like.
camera you can afford. Even more important, buy the best lens you can afford. The lens does the work of focusing and capturing the image. A mediocre camera with a high-quality lens can take much better photos than an outstanding camera with a poor lens. The better the glass, the better the image.
This article won’t go into great technical
detail about f-stops, shutter speeds and such, mainly because I don’t know enough about those technical things to teach anyone else. Keeping it simple, I’m just offering a few tips on how to compose better photos. Most cameras today, even those on smart phones, come with autofocus and auto settings. Let the camera figure out the settings while you concentrate on composing the best image. That’s something no camera can do.
Most cameras come with several automatic settings for various scenarios. Except when shooting landscapes or stationary objects, I typically use the “sports” setting. This captures and freezes motion, making dynamic images.
Many smart phones can take excellent photos, but to really get into photography, buy the best
With good equipment in hand, look for interesting subjects. Fill the frame with the most important elements. For example, if shooting
a photo of a bird on a fence, use a telephoto lens or get close enough to the bird without frightening it to make the bird fill the photo instead of just a pinpoint. Keep a portion of