Staff and volunteers at Koreshan State Park are showing park visitors how to get great photos of their park experiences, even with a simple smartphone camera.
Volunteer Pamela Jones-Morton is a certified Florida Master Naturalist who hosts regular photography workshops at the park. She started hosting the workshops to share her knowledge and teach others how to capture the moments that make state parks special. We asked Jones-Morton to share some of her tricks for getting great cellphone photos of wildlife, landscapes and historic structures.
“The ability to have a camera in your pocket has changed photography,” Jones-Morton said “Today we can secure images that used to require ‘gear’ that we carried in bags for some distances. Now we are free of that and the joy of photography is totally embraced. We can look around more, take in the scenes, and in that perfect moment use the cell-phone to capture that perfect shot.”
Jones-Morton has suggestions that every one can use to improve their photography technique:
- Use the light bar or ISO to adjust the exposure. This will help with detail, contrast and washout areas, or areas in the photo that are much too bright. If you aren't sure how to access this setting, check your phone's manual.
- Try varying the height of the cellphone camera. Don’t always shoot at your eye level, and make sure to experiment with different angles.
- Know your cellphone camera settings and practice using them. This allows you to move fast when you need to quickly grab a shot.
- Vary between vertical (portrait) and horizontal (landscape) cellphone positioning. The decision is related to the subject of the photo. For example, hold the phone horizontally if you are capturing an image of a beach or forest.
- Keep your lens clean! It’s easy for a phone lens to be covered by lint or fingerprints. A bit of dirt can obscure small subjects like butterflies and birds, and make it harder for your camera to focus.
Jones-Morton finds that these simple strategies can help create images that capture the beauty of Florida’s landscapes and wildlife.
“State parks are a great place to practice photography skills,” Jones-Morton said. “Taking photos in nature is relaxing, and it gives you the opportunity to find things that aren’t available outside of parks.”
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This article was published in the Real Florida ℠ Connection, the Florida State Parks e-newsletter. Sign-up to get updates and stories from your state parks the first week of every month.
