Tote-n-Float Pacific Northwest Adventures

Cameras: You do not need an expensive camera to take quality photos. All of the photos on this website were taken with compact cameras of one make or another, and some of my photos have placed in state-wide photo contests. Modern digital cameras are technological marvels and they are cheap. Get one. Any camera will do to get started. Here are some additional points that helped me take better photos:

Speed. Photo opportunities often come at inconvenient times. If you are not ready to "point and shoot," then you're likely to miss the photo you're after.

Accidents. Nature photography takes place in the great outdoors, where there is plenty of risk for dropping your camera in a creek or smashing it on a rock. Accidents are much less painful if your camera only cost a few hundred dollars. Whereas, dropping a $1,500 camera into the drink is another kind of pain!

Weight and bulk. Forest photography is an activity associated with hiking, and that usually means you're carrying a back-pack. A compact digital will fit nicely on your belt, whereas their bigger SLR digital brothers are awkward to carry (especially if you use trekking poles).

Composition: Great photography is largely about composition and light. Develope an eye for composing good photos and you're well on your way to being a great photographer. You learn composition by taking photos, thousands and thousands of photos, and comparing your work with the what others have produced. With digital cameras the processing is free, because you're only using pixels.

Photo Processing Programs: A cheap compact camera, and an even cheaper photo processing programming (e.g. Adobe Elements) will turn your $200 dollar camera into a $2,000 camera. If you can't afford a photoshop program, don't worry, because you can get them for free on-line. Here are some excellent choices: