Pierre Steenberg

Flower Photography

June 10, 2018 • Leave a Comment

As you know I am a landscape and nature (including wild life) photographer. So, when I talk about flower photography I am not talking about doing anything in a studio or using artificial light. That does not mean that I dislike studio or artificially lit flower images, they can be gorgeous. That however, is just a different kind of photography that...

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Foreground, middle ground and background

June 03, 2018 • Leave a Comment

One way to get depth in your images is to have a strong foreground, a strong middle ground and a good background. Having three distinct "grounds" help the viewer to move from one to the next thereby leading them into the image. Here is an image that demonstrate each "ground." Let's talk about composition for a minute. We have a strong rock foreg...

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Neutral Density Filters

May 27, 2018 • Leave a Comment

On a recent workshop I co-instructed with famed photographer Don Smith. I was trying out a new system for handling neutral density filters. Midway through the workshop quite a few participants asked about this system and why I was using it. I had to explain to them what I was doing and why. For you I can just show the result: I can show you the...

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Seascapes

May 20, 2018 • Leave a Comment

Seascapes can be beautiful. The ocean typically offers three different possibilities for great images. Firstly, the main compositional element can be waves or a wave. Secondly, we can focus more on the sky due to nice clouds or the sun. Lastly, there may be interesting foregrounds such as water movement, rocks, etc. The vast body of water by it sel...

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Juxtapose life and death

May 13, 2018 • Leave a Comment

Drama tends to be exciting, in life and in photography. Drama seems to ask questions, questions that make you look at an image longer because those images just beg for your attention. Let's look at this image: Yes, the image has nice color and good light. There is drama between the light part of the dune and the shadow side. The real drama is th...

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Show scale

May 06, 2018 • Leave a Comment

Crime scenes are always shot with something to give scale. I nature that is sometimes also required to allow the viewer to get a full sense of the size of something. The sand dunes of Namibia can look quite small in photographs when all you see are the dunes. It is only when you add something to provide scale that the real magnitude of these giant...

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Nap time can be cute

April 29, 2018 • Leave a Comment

Who does not adore an image of a baby sleeping? Nap time can be so cute. Animals also nap and their nap time images can also be cute. Cuteness by itself does not cut it in photography. You still need good light. Good light will always improve your images, no matter the subject you shoot. Poor light will always be less flattering. We still need to c...

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Add interest to wildlife

April 22, 2018 • Leave a Comment

Animals can make great imagery. Just like in landscape images you also require good light. The good news is that wild animals are out when the light is good. In poor light the animals typically hide in the shade. The bad news is that good light is often low light and low light requires longer shutter speeds. Longer shutter speeds and moving animals...

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Capture Mood

April 15, 2018 • Leave a Comment

Sometimes we just think of the beautiful. We see that wonderful sunset, the vibrant colors. When we are in this frame of mind we can miss any opportunities that the dreary may have to offer. At times a somber mood can make for a nice image. Mood can give an image character. On a recent trip to Namibia we found ourselves in Sossusvlei one afternoon.

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Add life to the dead

April 08, 2018 • Leave a Comment

Kolmanskop in Namibia is a fascinating place. In fact, Namibia is a fascinating country. If you would like to take a photographic workshop from me in these very places click on the workshops menu item located at the top of the site. This ghost town is situated in the desert. When I say desert I mean sand and nothing else. The place looks dead, life...

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