essential*

*pro secrets for UNLEASHING your creativity

IAN PLANT

y mission is to educate, inspire, and entertain others in the art and craft of
photography. So I make my books practical, informative, fun to readand
packed with plenty of delicious eye candy.

This eBook introduces you to many important concepts in photography. These ideas are covered in
greater depth on my blog and in other books and video tutorials for sale on my website; to delve
deeper into how to improve your photography, visit me at www.ianplant.com.
Enjoy this free bookyou'll be taking better photos in no time!

Ian Plant
*Author of Chasing the Light and Visual Flow: Mastering the Art of Composition

All rights reserved. This book, and all of the photographs and written text contained therein, are protected by U.S. and international copyright laws. No part
of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the prior written permission of the author.

essential
1. Constituting or being part of the essence of something; inherent.
2. Something fundamental.
3. Something necessary or indispensable.
Marrakech, Morocco. Canon 70D, 50mm, ISO 400, f/8, 1/15 second.

Learn to take the photos youve always dreamed of making!

love photography!I bet you do as wellbut for a long

time my photographs just didnt seem to match the depth of
my passion. I struggled, desperately searching for a way to

reach my full potential as an artist.

And then I came to a profound realization: great photography
doesnt come from gear or Photoshop. Rather, it comes from
showing people something they havent seen before. It was with
this insight that my career really took off. Now, I travel the world
creating the photos Ive always wanted to make, and I regularly
sell my work to top photo magazines including Popular
Photography and Outdoor Photographer. And you can too!
What follows are creative lessons and techniques that I consider
to be essential to my success. These techniques really amount to
one thing: teaching you how to see the world with fresh eyes. If
you can do that, youll grab the attention of viewers, and never let
go! Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, USA. Canon 5DIII, 362mm, ISO
500, f/4, 1/500 second.

essential*

rt is the act of uncovering the hidden essence, stripping away all artifice,
baring truth to the world. Only when the non-essential has been removed
can the artist reveal the secret side of things, and truly express what the

heart sees but the eyes do not. Only the essential can survive. Grand Teton National
Park, USA. Canon 5DII, 190mm, ISO 100, f/13, 1/500 second.

*trade sleep for light

unrise and sunset light can create stunning color, contrast, and shadowsso

get up early and stay out late. Make sure youre out there even if conditions

look bleak; the unexpected light shows are often the best. Sleep is overrated!

Los Glaciares National Park, Argentina. Canon 5DII, 82mm, ISO 100, f/16, 1/125 second.

*wait for the

decisive moment

ait for the moment when

your subject does some-

thing interesting;

stretching its head, yawning, bitingor as is the case with this sea
turtle, surfacing for air. Becoming a
master of the moment will greatly
improve your photos. Ideally, the
moment will tell a story about your
subject. It may take some waiting, but
when the right moment comes, youll
be glad you were patient. Gladden Spit
and Silk Cayes Marine Reserve, Belize.
Canon Powershot S100 with Fisheye Fix
Underwater Housing and Fix UWL-28
Fisheye Wet Mount Conversion Lens, ISO
200, f/4, 1/320 second.

*lead the eye

othing demands attention more

than leading elements. Leading
lines in particular can be very

powerful, but leading elements can include

other shapes, or even a progression of objects
from foreground to background. Leading
elements encourage the viewer to explore the
composition, creating a high level of visual
engagement. For the image to the right, I
used a strong leading lineformed by the
reflection of the sky in the water within a
flooded slot canyonto direct the viewers
eye from foreground to background. Glen
Canyon National Recreation Area, USA. Canon
5DIII, 14mm, ISO 100, f/11, 2.5 seconds.

*essential equipment

ear can never replace artistic vision. Nonetheless, having the right tools for the job is vitally important. I
find the following accessories to be essential to my work:

vibrations when trigger-

amount of light coming

used to balance the expo-

faces such as water, wet

ing the shutter.

in through the lens,

sure for scenes where the

rocks, foliage, and other

allowing for slower

sky is considerably

shiny objects, and also

shutter speeds. ND

brighter than the fore-

increase the saturation of

A sturdy yet light-

filters can be used when

ground, such as at

their colors.

weight tripod, to

trying to achieve a silky

sunrise or sunset. By

keep the camera

smooth look to flowing

placing the dark section

steady during long expo-

water, or when experi-

of the GND filter over

sures. Carbon fiber

menting with other long

the sky and the clear

tripods are more expen-

exposure effects. ND

section over the fore-

sive but weigh less than

filters come in a range of

ground, the exposure is

metal tripods, while

strengths, allowing for

balanced, and the camera

offering comparable

completely customized

can record sufficient

rigidity and stability.

exposure times.

detail in both areas.

A remote electronic shutter

release to prevent

Neutral density
(ND) filters
reduce the

Graduated
neutral density
(GND) filters are

Polarizing filters

remove unwanted

glare from sur-

A person who is gifted sees the essential

point and leaves the rest as surplus.
Thomas Carlyle

I opted for a simple presentation herejust the

lioness and a colorful blur of sunrise-lit grasses
(created by using a wide-open aperture with a
telephoto lens). Etosha National Park, Namibia.
Canon 5DIII, 386mm, ISO 250, f/4.5, 1/320 second.

*add mood
with atmospherics

se fog and mist to add mystery to your photos. Here, mist diffuses the harsh light of
midday, and reveals a lost world briefly

emerging from the clouds. Canaima National Park,

Venezuela. Canon 70D, 35mm, ISO 100, f/10, 1/100 second.

*make a statement
with reflections

eflections are a great way to add some extra style to your photos. Still water usually works
best, although rippled or moving water can create abstract reflections. Reflection images
often work well with a 50/50 split between the subject and its reflection; sometimes, how-

ever, other variations make more sense. Consider photographing only the reflection itself and add a
hint of mystery. For this image of elephants crossing in front of a water hole at sunset, I chose a dark
exposure, obscuring the elephants, focusing the composition on the sunset sky and the elephants'
reflections. Etosha National Park, Namibia. Canon 7D, 117mm, ISO 100, f/3.5, 1/320 second.

*shoot the edge of light

hotography is an exercise in finding the

razors edge. Photographic power is found
at the verge, such as at the boundary

between light and shadow, or when the sun peeks

out over the shoulder of a distant mountain. Drama
is found at the brink of a storm, where rain, wind,
and clouds collide with all the intensity and fury that
nature can muster. Color is found at the break of
dawn, or in the last faint glimmers of twilight quietly
defying the black of night. Mystery abounds where a
shaft of light penetrates the gloomy interior of an
ancient city, revealing a brooding figure in the deep
shadows of forgotten time. So above all, learn to find
the borderlines of lightand immerse yourself in the
spaces in between. Fes, Morocco. Canon 70D, 44mm,
ISO 400, f/8, 1/8 second.

*get polarized

polarizer filter is your secret

weapon when photographing

water, wet surfaces, and reflec-

tions. Most waterfall scenes benefit from

polarization, as it removes unwanted glare
and reflections from the scene. Some scenes
with colorful reflections, howeversuch as
the one to the rightbenefit from creative
polarization. Avoiding full polarization
(which would have removed the reflections),
I instead spun the filter until I found a setting
which brought out the best colors in this
image. Zion National Park, USA. Canon 5DII,
14mm, polarizer filter, ISO 200, f/16, 8 seconds.

*work the light

ometimes youll be stuck with bad

lightbut a good photographer finds a

way to make it work. Even though this

jaguar was resting in deep shade beneath a canopy of sunlit leaves, I balanced the exposure by
using fill flash to illuminate the cat, turning bad
light into a successful photo! Pantanal, Brazil.
Canon 5DIII, 560mm, ISO 1000, f/5.6, 1/250 second.

You dont take a photograph,

you make it.
Ansel Adams

I used a neutral density filter to lengthen the exposure, blurring the motion of the fast-moving
clouds and painting sunrise colors across the entire sky. Torres del Paine National Park, Chile.
Canon 5DII, 24mm, polarizer filter, 3-stop neutral density filter, ISO 100, f/11, 30 seconds.

*shoot twilight

he colors of twilight can be otherworldly.

Twilight photography means shooting on the

edge of light, requiring long exposures. Moving

elements (such as clouds and water) blur during long

exposures and a colorful, soft light bathes the landscape.
Jkulsrln, Iceland. Canon 5DIII, 16mm, polarizer filter, 1stop graduated neutral density filter, ISO 400, f/8, 82 seconds.

focus on the eyes

heres a popular expression that goes

like this: the eyes are the window to

the soul. For people and wildlife

images, the eyes are often the most important

part of the picturethe eyes tell the story.
Above all, make sure the eyes are in focus.
Beyond that, pay close attention to what the
eyes are doing and the direction they are
pointing. For the image to the right, eye contact gives the viewer a sense of being there,
right in front of the bear. One cant help but
feel like they are being stalked when confronted with such hungry eyes! Lake Clark
National Park, USA. Canon 5DII, 400mm, ISO
1600, f/5.6, 1/400 second.

A good photograph is
knowing where to stand.
Ansel Adams

Finding the right place to stand was critical

to the success of this composition, as I
needed a dynamic spacing of the
dead trees to make the shot
work. Namib-Naukluft
National Park,
Namibia. Canon
5DIII, 134mm,
ISO 100, f/18,
0.5 seconds.

*tell a story

he best photographs tell a

story about their subjectsuch as a well-

earned nap after a hard day of

monkey business. Tambopata
National Reserve, Peru. Canon 5DIII,
700mm, ISO 800, f/5.6, 1/200 second.

*embrace spontaneity

hile leading a photo tour in

Namibia, I was looking for some-

thing creative to shoot with a

group of clients. While demonstrating a potential composition including this unusual boulder
lit by the light of the setting sun, I noticed the
shadows formed by my clients who were
watching. I was struck by a moment of inspiration, and within minutes I had everyone pose
with me in front of the rock, creating a
shadow puppet effect. We all took turns taking photos and posing for each other. This
moment of creative spontaneity was an important and fun lesson for all of us! Spitzkoppe
Mountains, Namibia. Canon 5DIII, 16mm, ISO
100, f/13, 1/100 second.

It is only with the heart that one can see rightly;

what is essential is invisible to the eye.
Antoine de Saint-Exupery

I used the foreground rocks to lead the

eye towards the massive sea arch in the
background. Isle of Lewis, Scotland.
Canon 5DIII, 17mm, polarizer filter,
ISO 100, f/11, 30 seconds.

*change your perspective

ont just always shoot from eye level.

Sometimes, getting higher or lower can

change your point of viewfor the better.

For this portrait of an African wild dog, I used a

ground-level camera position and a long lens for a
bold perspective. Nxai Pan National Park, Botswana.
Canon 70D, 506mm, ISO 400, f/6.3, 1/1000 second.

*get creative
with clouds

ay close attention to what is going on

in the sky, and make sure it relates to
what is going on in your foreground.

Clouds have shapes and colors, and they

should be used creatively to complement
other shapes and colors in your composition.
Here, I included the radiating pattern of
clouds lit by the setting sun. I waited for an
outgoing wave to create a leading element in
the foreground. Olympic National Park, USA.
Canon 5DIII, 16mm, 2-stop graduated neutral
density filter, ISO 100, f/9, 0.5 seconds.

*shoot backlight

lthough some
photographers live
by the maxim

shoot with the sun at your

back, Im often looking to do
the exact opposite.
Backlighting creates striking
and graphic images which
attract attention from viewers. Etosha National Park,
Namibia. Canon 5DIII, 307mm,
ISO 400, f/5.6, 1/640 second.

*get creative with

bad weather

oo often, photographers pack it up when the nasty stuff

heads their way. Tough it out! Although bad weather

can wreak havoc on human bodies and equipment if

you are not adequately prepared, it can also mean photo magic.
For this image of two polar bears fighting, heavy blowing snow
creates an ethereal mood. Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, USA.
Canon 70D, 560mm, ISO 1250, f/5.6, 1/800 second.

*get creative with shapes

ur world has an infinite variety of cool and interesting shapesuse them to your advantage! Look for
swirls, circles, triangles, curves, and other simple,

powerful shapes to create boldly graphic and visually engaging imagessuch as this curve created by the interaction of
shadow and light on a sand dune. Death Valley National Park,
USA. Canon 5DII, 50mm, ISO 50, f/11, 1/15 second.

*include the sun

hen including a bright source

point of light such as the sun, it
is possible to create an attrac-

tive and eye catching star burst effect. This

is most easily accomplished using a wideangle lens and a small aperture. Typically, a
small aperture such as f/11, f/16, or f/22 is
necessary to produce an attractive burst; the
smaller the aperture the better the effect,
although you may want to avoid extreme
apertures such as f/22 because of diffraction,
which reduces overall image sharpness.
Partially block the sun with something (such
as a tree trunk or a distant mountain) for best
results. Kofa National Wildlife Refuge, USA.
Canon 5DII, 14mm, ISO 100, f/14, 1/10 second.

*get creative with

exposure

ont always go for an exposure that shows your subject the way your eyes see it. For this

image of a yacare caiman, brightly lit from behind by the midday sun, I intentionally
underexposed the photo to reveal only the rimlit outline of the animal, adding a dash of

creative mystery to the photo. Pantanal, Brazil. Canon 5DIII, 376mm, ISO 100, f/9, 1/400 second.

*shooting through
has its rewards

ont always try to get a clean shot. Use screens (translucent obstructions
between your lens and your subject) to add color and mystery. I photo-

graphed this mountain gorilla through a screen of leaves. By shooting wide

open with a telephoto lens, the leaves were rendered as out-of-focus blurs of color.

Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda. Canon 70D, 109mm, ISO 200, f/2.8, 1/500 second.

Photography takes an instant out of

time, altering life by holding it still.
Dorothea Lange

The magic of the moment is absolutely critical to

photography. Serengeti National Park, Tanzania.
Canon 70D, 560mm, ISO 320, f/8, 1/400 second.

*go with the flow

with long exposures

ong exposures can help you capture

a new perspective on reality, and

show the world in an unexpected

way. Moving elements gradually lose distinctness and form, becoming abstract and
artistic blurs and brush strokes. Neutral density filters can help lengthen your exposure
times; using smaller apertures and low ISOs
can help as well. During this thirty second
night exposure, fast moving clouds (backlit
by the full moon) streaked across the image
frame, creating a dynamic radiating pattern
of lines. Lights from a nearby campground
illuminated the trees, creating color contrast
and adding a spooky mood. Quiver Tree Forest, Namibia. Canon 5DIII, 14mm, ISO 800,
f/5.6, 30 seconds.

*provide context

nstead of trying to zoom in tight on the flying snowy owl, I decided to take
in more of the scene. By including the curving shape of the background
cloud and the surrounding blue sky, I ended up with a more interesting

composition. Quebec, Canada. Canon 1DIII, 400mm, ISO 800, f/5.6, 1/2500 second.

*use visual anchors

isual anchors are bold, eye-catching

elements which help simplify an
otherwise busy composition by

attracting the viewers attention. The visual

anchor provides an obvious reference point,
and a place for the viewer to start their visual
journey. Other elements of the scene may
attract the eye, but the visual anchor will
always command attention. The effect is a composition which captivates the viewer, making
it hard to tear their eyes away. For this image,
I anchored my composition with the interesting rock formation in the foreground. Joshua
Tree National Park, USA. Canon 5DII, 14mm,
ISO 400, f/14, 30 seconds.

Which of my photographs is my favorite?

The one Im going to take tomorrow.
Imogen Cunningham

I selected an exposure that was long enough to blur the

motion of pedestrians, but short enough to sharply render
the old woman in the lower left corner. Marrakech,
Morocco. Canon 70D, 16mm, ISO 800, f/6.3, 1/6 second.

*get low, get close,

get in your face!

f you really want to wow viewers, get

low and close to interesting foreground

elements. For the shot to the right, I got

very close to the foreground ferns with a

wide angle lens. I wanted to exaggerate their
relative size and importance, making them
more prominent in the composition. I used a
polarizer filter to remove glare from the wet
leaves, thereby enhancing color saturation.
Then I waited for the overcast skies to part
just a little bit, letting in a hint of soft, filtered
light which improved overall contrast and
color in the scene. Olympic National Park,
USA. Canon 5DIII, 16mm, polarizer filter, ISO
400, f/16, 1 second.

raming is an effective tool for creating depth in a photograph, simplifying a composition, and focusing
attention on important elements of the scene. Exam-

ples of commonly used frames include trees, natural arches,

and old barn windows. Arches National Park, USA. Canon 5DII,
17mm, 10-stop neutral density filter, ISO 200, f/18, 30 seconds.

*frame for emphasis

*add a human element

person in the landscape can introduce a sense of scale to an image, becoming an obvious and eye-

catching reference point. People can also add to the composition, as their posture, line of sight, and
direction of movement can all be used creativelyin ways that static landscape features sometimes

cannot. Last but not least, a person can help tell the story of a place. So next time you are impatiently waiting for
some tourist to walk out of your shot, consider instead some creative ways to use the human presence to your
advantage. Jkulsrln, Iceand. Canon 5DIII, 16mm lens, ISO 100, f/13, 0.6 seconds.

If your pictures arent good enough,

you arent close enough.
Robert Capa

My strategy was simple here: get low, close, and wide! Namib-Naukluft
National Park, Namibia. Canon 5DIII, 14mm, ISO 100, f/16, 1/10 second.

*balance your exposure

ometimes, the range of light and dark in a given scene will

exceed the dynamic range of your camera sensor. A two- or three-

stop graduated neutral density filter can come in handy when

shooting sunrise or sunset, helping to balance bright skies with

relatively dark foregrounds. Los Glaciares National Park, Argentina. Canon
5DIII, 28mm, 2-stop graduated neutral density filter, ISO 100, f/9, 0.8 seconds.

*shoot silhouette
for drama

trong backlighting of water droplets during the middle of the day resulted in a scene with excessive con-

trast. I let the charging brown bear go into silhouette, retaining detail only in the fringe of its fur and the
backlit water drops, resulting in a graphic, simplified, and mysterious presentation. Lake Clark National

Park and Preserve, USA. Canon 5DII, 400mm, ISO 800, f/5.6, 1/2500 second.

*get creative with

shadows

hadows add detail and texture to an

image, and can be used to provide
three dimensional relief. But they do

so much more than that. Shadows can also be

used in creativeand sometimes even
funways. Without the shape formed by the
shadowed dune crest, this image wouldnt
have worked. The interplay of shadow and
light reveals an energetic, zigzagging shape
which brings the composition to life. NamibNaukluft National Park, Namibia. Canon 5DIII,
560mm, ISO 800, f/11, 1/250 second.

*shoot the night sky

igital cameras are perfect tools for capturing the beauty of the night sky. For this image of a
glacier-capped mountain lit by the moon, I did a 30 second exposure with a wide angle
lens to capture the stars as pinpoints of light. Longer exposures (using your cameras

bulb setting) will reveal the stars as streaks across the image frame, caused by the rotation of the
Earth. A sturdy tripod is absolutely necessary for long night exposures! Cotopaxi National Park,
Ecuador. Canon 5DIII, 15mm, ISO 400, f/2.8, 30 seconds.

xclude extraneous elements that confuse your

composition. Boil each subject down to its

essence. If something doesnt add to an

image, exclude it. For this photo, I zoomed in

on the most important elementsthe
caimans eye and its reflection. Osa
Peninsula, Costa Rica. Canon
5DIII, 560mm, ISO 1600,
f/5.6, 1/200 second.

*keep it simple

*light up the
world with flash

lash is a vital, although often ignored,

photography accessory. Flash has
multiple uses: it can be used at low

power to add an attractive catch light to a

wildlife subjects eyes, it can provide fill light

for a subject in shadow, or it can be used at

night and during twilight to create surreal
images (such as the one to the right). Start
experimenting with flash, and look for interesting ways to incorporate flash into your
work flowit can open up many bold creative opportunities. Blackwater National
Wildlife Refuge, USA. Canon 20D, 500mm, flash,
ISO 400, f/5.6, 1/4 second.

*revel in the
storm

love photographing stormy weather. Storms

always seem to bring drama and mood to my

photographs. So when menacing clouds head

your way, shout at the tempestand revel in the

magnificent glory of storm light! Los Glaciares
National Park, Argentina. Canon 5DIII, 70mm, ISO
100, f/8, 1/320 second.

*turn obstacles
into opportunities
Mt. Rainier National Park, USA. Canon 5DII,
37mm, ISO 100, f/16, 0.4 seconds.

ature throws a lot of obstacles in our

flare framing the lone tree in the meadow. By

way: nasty weather, hordes of biting

remaining open to the possibilities, and by cre-

insects, and bad light are just a few

atively turning an obstacle into an opportunity,

that immediately spring to mind. Good photog-

I was able to come up with an uncommon per-

raphers, however, doesnt let such hurdles stand

spective and to present my subject in an inter-

in their way. Instead, they look for ways to turn

esting way. So the next time an obstacle is

obstacles into artistic opportunities. For this

thrown in your path, think critically about how

image, I was getting nasty lens flare from the

you might turn it to your advantage. You may

setting sun just outside the image frame. My

not always be able to come up with something

solution? Use the flare creatively. Selecting a

that works, but sometimes you may surprise

small aperture, I created a radiating burst of

even yourself with the results!

*express
your passion
with color

ixing opposite colors

(known as complemen-

tary colors) can be used

to bold artistic effect, such as the mix of

cool and warm tones in this photo.
Kolmanskop, Namibia. Canon 5III, 16mm,
ISO 100, f/11, 1 second.

*practice, practice,
practice

amous street photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson once said your first 10,000 photographs
are your worst. Get behind the lens as much as possible, and always be willing to try new
things! Serengeti National Park, Tanzania. Canon 70D, 560mm, ISO 320, f/5.6, 1/500 second.

The whole point of taking pictures is so that

you dont have to explain things with words.
Elliott Erwitt

Every successful photo tells a story. What stories do your

photos tell? Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda. Canon
70D, 200mm, ISO 200, f/3.2, 1/400 second.

*get off the

beaten path

ou dont need to trek deep into the wild

to make great images (although there is
certainly nothing wrong with doing

so)you just need the courage to try something

different. Dont merely follow in the tripod holes
of the photographers who have come before you.
Strive to develop a style which is your very own,
and never be afraid to try new places and subjects. Dare to dream big, and big things will come
to you. Los Glaciares National Park, Argentina.
Canon 5DIII, 24mm, ISO 400, f/6.3, 1/640 second.

about the author

orld-renowned professional
photographer, writer, and

adventurer Ian Plant is a fre-

quent contributor to and blogger for Outdoor

Photographer Magazine, a Contributing Editor

to Popular Photography Magazine, a monthly
columnist for Landscape Photography
Magazine, and a Tamron Image Master. His
personal photographic project, Dreamscapes,
moves beyond the literal to transform subjects into something unexpected through the
photographic process, bridging the line
between the real and surreal. Ian travels the
world, seeking out the hidden spaces in
between the familiar, in his never-ending
quest to inspire, entertain, and educate others
in the art of photography. See more of his
work at www.ianplant.com.

reamscape
dian plant photographys
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create

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