How to carry out a geographic magazine assignment – Part 3 – Approaching people

Esther BeatonBehind the Scenes, Landscape Photography, New South Wales, On the Beaton Track, People Photography, Photography Equipment, Photography Lighting, Photography Techniques, Professional PhotographyLeave a Comment

Even when I’m in that high vibrational state, where I feel at one with  the environment and where the art of photography seems like innate intuition, it’s not. It’s like driving a car: you can cruise on auto-pilot but that’s only because you’ve put in many miles of experience behind the wheel. Photography only comes easily after you’ve shot thousands … Read More

Photo Detective Challenge – How was this “shot” taken?

Esther BeatonBeautiful Images, Behind the Scenes, Digital Photography, Landscape Images, Landscape Photography, Photography Techniques, Professional Photography6 Comments

I only recently installed MacOS Catalina, even though it was released 7 months ago. Apple as usual, uses a stunning landscape photo of a California landmark for the wallpaper. That evening, I sat and admired it on my huge 27” Retina screen, just revelling in the crisp, fine detail of the photo. Just endless eye candy.  Then something funny happened.  … Read More

How to Turn Daylight into Night

Esther BeatonDigital Photography, New South Wales, Photography Lighting, Photography Techniques, Quick Tips, Travel PhotographyLeave a Comment

looks like it was photographed by the light of the moon

There are several reasons to shoot at nighttime. Sometimes you want to create a gloomy, scary or heavy atmosphere. Sometimes the story or subject you want to illustrate occurred at night. But what to do if you are at your location in the middle of the day with no chance to return later?  That’s what happened to me. It was … Read More

MightyGoods.com – the great bag interview

Esther BeatonPhotography Equipment, Professional Photography, Travel PhotographyLeave a Comment

Esther Beaton interviewed Mighty Goods website

I love talking about gear. What photographer doesn’t? Last month I got the chance to do a lot of “talking” about it when Mighty Goods website interviewed me. Along with 15 other outdoor photographers, of course. It’s a website devoted to bags of all sorts and they represent some great options for photographers, from lightweight to serious.  I own a … Read More

Tripods and heads for Bird Photography

Esther BeatonPhotography Equipment, Photography Techniques, Photography Workshops, Quick Tips, Wildlife PhotographyLeave a Comment

Gimbal head holding 200-500 mm zoom lens on Benbo tripod.

A tripod comes with three features: the legs, the head and the mount. Each is an important choice. Needless to say, the more solid and heavier the tripod, the more sturdily it will hold your long lens. A well-built tripod will last decades (like my magnificent and trusty Benbo as you can see by these pics). The legs should splay … Read More

The Story Behind the Green And Golden Bell Frog Image

Esther BeatonAustralian Geographic, Behind the Scenes, Conservation, Cute Animals, Ecology, Nature and Wildlife, Nikon, Photography Equipment, Photography Techniques, Professional Photography, Threatened species, Wildlife PhotographyLeave a Comment

It was the magic year of 2000. Everyone had breathed a sigh of relief that our computers and systems hadn’t gone haywire. In Sydney it was the time of the Olympics. Energy was high. Somehow the threatened Green and Golden Bell Frog became emblematic of this productive and heartfelt era. I was on assignment for Australian Geographic to do a story … Read More

Take better photos with your smartphone

Esther BeatonBehind the Scenes, Digital Photography, Environment, New South Wales, People Photography, Photography Equipment, Photography TechniquesLeave a Comment

You can take great photos with your smartphone – as long as you remember two things: The smartphone is for internet use only. The quality is not adequate for print, unless it’s postcard size or smaller. This is due the the small format, i.e., the sensor in the iPhone is smaller than your little fingernail. Others may argue that you … Read More

5 Steps to Buying a Tripod

Esther BeatonPhotography EquipmentLeave a Comment

So many of my students avoid tripods. Sure, they bring them to the workshops, but then they diligently avoid using them until I just about take a leg off and beat them with it. The reason they don’t want to use them is because they’ve brought along a tripod that is painful to use. You know the ones; they are … Read More