Nature Photography by Allison Pluda
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When photographic classic scenes, it is often temping to simply take the shot and walk away. Sometimes we get so caught up in making sure that we get that shot that everyone else gets, that when the light is good we are satisfied with only having that key image. A classic example is Delicate Arch, in Arches National Park in Utah. The arch is like the unofficial mascot for the state of Utah. It is on the license plates of the cars, and it seems that every photographer has a picture of it. You may finish the Delicate Arch Hike, finally get a good view of the arch, mess around with some settings, maybe wait for the sunlight to hit the arch just yet, snap the photo, and be satisfied that you have added this classic scene to your own personal collection of landmarks. You may go home and compare your image with maybe some of your favorite photographers that inspired you and be proud of it!
This is all great, but I urge you to take that classic photo, and then try to take at least two additional photos with a composition you have NOT seen many times before! For a quick example, I took the typical photo of the entire Delicate Arch, as seen on top. However, after that, I made sure to test my own eye for photography and looked for some other ways to compose the shot that I havent seen as much, which allowed me to take the photo on the bottom. When all is said and done, I ended up liking the photo on the bottom much more than that classic shot of the full arch. The photo on the bottom gives you a better feel of the surroundings of the arch, the laccolith mountains in the background, and the textured backdrop and to me is more pleasing to the eye.
So next time you are at some classic spot and see what all the photographers are taking shots of, make sure you take that shot, but then afterward, turn around and look for something new, you might surprise yourself with the result!
When I was in the Tetons, I insisted that we wake up at 5am to head out to the Mormon Row barns for sunrise. My family, who I dragged out with me, moaned and groaned and didn’t understand WHY photographers had to get to these places so ridiculously early. Although I didn’t get the best light, the difference between the photograph I took that morning, and the one I took later that afternoon convinced them that getting up at 5am is definitely worth it. You may have visited the barns mid afternoon, and took this second shot and thought it was still pretty good, however you may not realize the shot and colors you COULD have gotten if you had just mustered up the strength to unzip that sleeping bag in the early morning.
I still like the second shot that I took the same day but later in the afternoon, but the mood is totally different than the morning shot. The colors are saturated, the red wood of the barn is front lit and the details really come out.The afternoon shot has a much moodier feel, and really accentuates the fact that this is an old, shadowy barn.
So next time you are in a beautiful place, and know of somewhere you really want to photograph… re-think that afternoon visit that works with your schedule for the day, wake up before dawn, make a large pot of coffee, and try to beat the sun. Not only will you probably meet some pro photographers there as well, but you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how much a difference that golden hour around sunrise will make!
Well, after working all day, my new website is finally up and running! You can use it to buy my photos, view them, or maybe get a new deck of playing cards with your favorite photo of mine ready for you next camping trip 
There are lots of things I want to update and work on for the site, but I think this is a good start for now. Make sure to head on over and let me know what you think!
Four Bull Moose, originally uploaded by Allie.P.
When camping with some fellow geologists in Medicine Bow National Forest in Wyoming, all of a sudden these four handsome guys came strolling along in front of camp. Of course, everyone yelled “Allison! Camera! Now!” At that point, whenever I see some amazing animal, I get this instinctual reaction to go grab my long 200mm lens as fast as possible. In this case, that long lens landed me this cool shot of four bull moose parading along (of course, in a about a month, they will be in mating season and probably wont like each other as much!). I start snapping photos of their antlers up close, head shots, etc., but then something in the back of my brain starts to go “wait! back up.”
Its then when I slowly turn my zoom ring away from the 200mm, and end up snapping this shot:
Moose Along Stormy Colorado Road, originally uploaded by Allie.P.
I actually almost like this second shot better. You get to see the moose in its natural habitat… you can see the trees and the surroundings. It gives it a sense of solitude, it lets you know this moose is in its natural territory, with no humans (well, except for me) around. Sometimes we get so caught up in pushing the limits and getting as close to these animals as possibly safe (*ahemyellowstonetourists*), but just remember to resist the zoom and take a step back. You might be surprised at which photo in the end you like best.
Blue Lake Reflections, originally uploaded by Allie.P.
Some days I find myself spending hours reading blogs, following photos on twitter, reading books on photography, or just browsing through some inspiring photographs. But then I lift my head up from the glow of my computer, look out the window, and see some pretty good afternoon light. It’s in that moment that I get OFF the couch, grab my camera bag, and wonder why I was online all day when I could have been out actually taking new photos.
This photo is the exact result of jumping off the couch and heading to LaBonte Lake (which is only a 10 minute bike ride away.. you would think i would do it more often, right?). It’s photos like this that give me the motivation to get off my butt and get out for sunrise. Twitter, Flickr, Facebook, and all those other wonderful resources online are great, but never forget that instead of reading about photography… you can actually DO it! Hopefully the number of twitter posts and articles read continues to be a smaller number than the number of photos taken during these busy times
Little Wildhorse Canyon Walls, originally uploaded by Allie.P.
Up until now, I would say this is my favorite campsite I’ve ever been to. While on a geology trip led by a fellow Exxon Geologist, he took to this site where he used to do research. It was a long drive into the middle of nowhere to a spot near Goblin Canyon, Utah. The night sky was amazing, and our group slept like cowboys under the stars without tents, simply enjoying the solitude. You can actually see my fellow camping friend in the lower right hand corner! The canyon had the best echo I’ve EVER heard! However, the gnats were horrible! There were thousands (would millions be exaggerating too much?) of annoying gnats that have a superpower in that they are immune to every type of bug spray known to man… i suppose it’s a small price to pay for the pretty view.
Rain Drops on Fall Color, originally uploaded by Allie.P.
I took this in Marquette, Michigan after taking a break from field work to turn around for two seconds to snap this picture out of the blue.
Sometimes its nice to stop for a section and appreciate the little details. I thought this shot would go in my pile of pictures that arent so great. Surprisingly, It ended up (i think) great! I didn’t even notice the rough texture on the bottom of the leaf when i took this.
Photography is great like that, you can take the shots that you know are going to turn out well, but its those shots you take blindly that seem to be the most unique in the end.
Fountain Droplets at Sunset, originally uploaded by Allie.P.
Sometimes in order to find interesting pictures I find i have to tell myself to stop thinking. On this photo outing to some of the gardens on Michigan State University’s campus, i kept looking for that perfect flower with the perfect light, and it wasnt until i sat down to take a break that I saw the cool water droplets I could shoot.
This is actually a large fountian in the middle of the Hoticulture Gardens, and every shot I took of this looked completely different. I made sure my shutter speed was about 1/4000 and kept shooting at different angles. The little yellow circles at the top are actually another stream of water that was reflecting the light of the sunset behind the fountain. The moral of this photo, is to always experiment! I had no idea these shots would come out so interesting until I started to experiement and move around the scene
Fireworks Sisters, originally uploaded by Allie.P.
These fireworks were part of Lansing, Michigans show on the 4th of July. Firework photography doesn’t seem like one of those “hit or miss” adventures, but rather I think that almost every single picture can turn out great… it just might not be your style.
I thought that since I did not have a tripod this 4th of July, that my firework pictures may not turn out as great as I had hoped, but actually, the slight added blur from my hand shake actually created a neat surreal effect that I like better than that ‘frozen in motion’ picture you always seem to see.
It seems like “blurry” isnt really an option for firework photography, but instead, it turns into “abstract.” So for any of you thinking you dont have the right camera or dont have good enough equipment to get those firework shots… think again, you may be surprised!
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