Backyard Adventures
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/1380896
NATURE PHOTOGRAPHY Scott Walden remembers the joy of picking up pictures developed from film at the local Photomat as a child, and says that fascination never left him. The science teacher started with simple equipment, but in the last few years, he began to share his work on social media, which turned into taking annual calendar orders featuring the beauty of southern Indiana. To get started, he said a photographer probably wants to think about what kind of photography they're interest- ed in doing. If all you have is a phone, scenic landscape photos are a great start, because the phones capture them well. Even with a low end DSLR digital camera, a person can photograph landscapes well with the standard lens that's included in your basic fresh-out-of-the-box camera package. He tells beginners to take a lot of photos to start and practice thinking about basic framing. He tells them to not just click the button, and to not put the focus in the direct center of the shot. "I never put the sun in the center of the sunset pic- tures. That's what ever yone does. A professional photog- rapher I follow says foreground, foreground, foreground. So tr y to grab a bird, a tree or something in the fore- ground. There's snapshots and there's photos. Photos take more thought. The thought turns it into something." One benefit of nature photography is it's accessible to people of almost all physical abilities — Walden drives to most of his photography, and with the right lens, he can sit at his car, so he doesn't have to take long walks. "I tell people, just start exploring. When you see a new road, take it. I do that a lot, go out on the backroads. Usually I get surprised," he said. His top three places to start nature-focused photogra- phy are Cane Ridge, by the Duke Energy power plant, especially in bird migration season; Patoka River National Wildlife Refuge in the trails outside Oakland City; and Bluegrass Fish and Wildlife Area, a reclaimed coal mine area beloved by fishermen that has especially spectacular sunrises and sunsets. "I always see something new and different. I get excit- ed about new birds," he said. "A lot of people have just no idea what we have here." When a person wants to work with animals, however, he recommends getting a good zoom lens, and those can be pricey. The other equipment a person needs? Patience. "People ask, 'how do you get the birds to sit like that?' No. I sit like that," he said. "I go to where I think they're going to be. Then I sit with the engine off. It can be a few minutes or a half hour. I once waited 35 minutes for an owl to land and sit still. Owls will watch you. I waited him out, and he gave me a great picture." He said that if you're going to be in the nature, also be sure to respect it, pick up any trash you have, to keep the areas scenic for all photographers. "This has turned into my happy place. It's ver y relax- ing, and gets you away from people. You're not dealing with hustle and bustle. I tr y to do it as much as I can." Southern Indiana offers a PHOTOGRAPHERS' paradise "When you see a new road, take it." — Scott Walden People from large cities may call the midwest a "flyover zone," but if they did fly over it, like drone photographer Jeremy Church, they would know from green springs to winter won- derlands, southern Indiana's flyover is breathtaking — as is its wildlife, flora, and people. Local photographers like Church, wildlife photographer Scott Walden and portrait photog- rapher Terri Adams are continually finding new ways to visually represent the beauty of the region. With cell phone cameras quickly advancing there are more ways than ever for amateurs to take interesting shots that showcase local beauty. Story by JANICE BARNIAK Photography by SCOTT WALDEN, TERRI ADAMS and JEREMY CHURCH (in order of appearance) CONTINUED ON PAGE 9 >