Polarizing Decisions
Dear Bubbles, When should I be using a polarizer? GSM Sheographers Dear GSM (Great Smoky Mountains) Sheographers: Whenever you want to photograph polar bears at the North Pole…”polar eyes.” Get it? Okay, okay, I can hear you groaning from here.…
Falling for Fall
Dear Bubbles: I’m headed to the Northeast for the first time this October. Do you have any tips for photographing fall colors? ~Michelle Dear Michelle, Why, of course I do! While the aspens, maples, and oaks gracing Arizona’s high country…
Not So Black and White
Dear Bubbles, If I want to make a black and white photograph, is it better to shoot it in black and white or to shoot a color photograph then convert it to black and white in post-processing? Thanks! ~Living in…
Seeing the Light
Dear Bubbles, How do you see contrast? ~Muhammad Dear Muhammad, Verrrrrry carrrrrrrefully! The very word “photography” derives from the Greek words “phos” (light) and “graphis” (paint) which together means “to paint with light.” Without light, a photograph does not exist.…
Adjusting for the Blues
Dear Bubbles: Do you go out to photograph if you’re down or depressed? Does it change your perspective? ~G Dear G: I’m grateful for all the questions submitted to Dear Bubbles, but I’m especially thankful to you for bringing up…
Getting In Your Head
Dear Bubbles, What goes through your head when you make a photograph? Adam Dear Adam, Why, this has to be the scariest question we’ve ever had on Dear Bubbles! To help answer your question, I started paying closer attention to…
All About ME (Multiple Exposures)
Dear Bubbles, How do you do multiple exposures? ~Barbara Dear Barbara, I remember learning about multiple exposures almost 20 years ago. I stood at my kitchen table anxiously unwrapping the package containing my latest roll of film. I had expected…
Going on a Sandimental Journey
Dear Bubbles: Any trouble keeping sand from ruining expensive equipment? Paul Dear Paul: On the third afternoon of my recent Death Valley Sheography workshop this past January, a massive windstorm rolled through the basin. Clouds of sand swirled in every…
Once a Beginner, Stay a Beginner
Dear Bubbles: You’ve been at this photography thing for a while. What advice would you give to beginners? ~Just Started, But Excited! Dear Just Started, But Excited! Congratulations on your new start! Welcome to the wonderful world of photography, where…
Bring It All
Dear Bubbles: What lens should I bring to [insert any location]? ~Every photographer at one point in their life Dear Every photographer at one point in their life, Easy! You should absolutely bring the lens that most closely resembles the…
The Power of Possibilities
Dear Bubbles, You’ve been writing this column for two years now. What one question do you wish someone would had asked but hasn’t yet? ~A Curious Cat Dear A Curious Cat: Has it really been two years already?! Thanks for…
Entering the Third Dimension
Dear Bubbles: Even though I’ve been in classes of all sorts, and I’ve been taught the things, I’m still not getting the great depth in my images that I see in yours. I know about foreground, midground, and background, but…
Shedding Light on Dark Frames
Dear Bubbles: Something weird is going on with my camera. Sometimes, but not always, after I shoot an exposure, I get a message on my screen saying my camera is “processing.” What is being processed? And why does it take…
Protecting Your Lens
Dear Bubbles, Do I really need to buy a UV filter? If so, should I keep it on my lens all the time? When using other my filters, too? Thanks, ~Marie Dear Marie, Marie, dahling, listen: you don’t have to…
Mind Your Monkey Mind
Dear Bubbles: When you go on a shoot, how do you quiet the chatter in your head? I get out there and sometimes it feels like a monkey jumped into my brain. Sometimes I can’t get it to shut up,…
Better Shot Than Mine
Dear Bubbles: I have angst when I am taking a picture. I am always afraid other photographers see things I don’t or they have discovered a better spot than me. When I went to Grand Teton National Park, I wanted…
Realistic Expectations
Dear Bubbles: Congratulations on your recent photography exhibit. I noticed powerlines on the ridgeline in one of the photographs (the one with the rainbow from the Green River). I hope you won’t be offended by me asking, but why didn’t…
On Breaking the Rules
Dear Bubbles: I keep hearing once I know the rules, I should break them. I don’t get this. How do I know which rules to break and when to break them? I just want to make a good picture! Help!…
Stand in Front of More Interesting Stuff
Dear Bubbles: I’ve attended a number of your presentations over the last few months. All have been insightful. The concepts, especially ones pertaining to creativity, have been intriguing and helpful. I’ve been following the idea, “If you want to be…
What’s SUP? Paddling with a Camera
Dear Bubbles: Do you stand-up paddleboard with your camera? How does that work? How do you protect it? Aren’t you afraid of falling in with it? ~A Nosy Nellie Dear A Nosy Nellie: I sure do! Traveling on rivers and…
Bracketing: When One isn’t Enough
Dear Bubbles: Do you bracket your exposures? Should I be bracketing? ~Confused Dear Confused: The answer to both questions—as with most questions related to photography—is, it depends. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines “bracket” as “to take photographs of at more than…
Picture Your Picture
Dear Bubbles: I think that much of my issues is that I don’t shoot enough. Since it’s not my job right now and there’s a lot of life interference, I think that I spend a lot of time re-learning…
Keep it in the Field
Dear Bubbles, I assume you take thousands of images. How do you decide which ones to keep and which ones to delete? ~Ed Dear Ed: You know how I like data, so I ran some numbers. In 2020, I…
Getting it White
Dear Bubbles: I tried to photograph snow for the first time last week but all my pictures came back too dark. I was able to lighten them in Lightroom, but I’m wondering if something is wrong with my camera? Do…
