5 PHOTOGRAPHS

From Fie ld to Finished

Sarah Marino & Ron Coscorrosa
About Nature Photo Guides
Sarah Marino & Ron Coscorrosa
We are landscape photographers based in
Colorado and we write photography ebooks
through our business, Nature Photo Guides.
After tiring of the stress and routine of
traditional jobs, we took a nearly three-
year break to pursue travel, photography,
and a life with more freedom and flexibility.
During this time, we traveled extensively
throughout the United States, spent more
than two months in Iceland, and authored
three well-reviewed ebooks.
We are now back on the road again, this
time working from an Airstream trailer
and traveling across North America for
the foreseeable future. Please visit
NaturePhotoGuides.com to learn more
about us, view our photography portfolios,
follow along on our travels, or learn more
about our ebooks.
Our Photography Ebooks
If you enjoy this ebook, you might be
interested in our other titles:
• Forever Light: The Landscape
Photographer’s Guide to Iceland
• Beyond the Grand Landscape: A Guide to
Photographing Nature’s Smaller Scenes
• Desert Paradise: The Landscape
Photographer’s Guide to Death Valley
National Park
• Iceland: Black + White
Connect with Us
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Blogs: Photography Blog · Travel Blog
Email: info@naturephotoguides.com
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5 Photographs:
From Field to Finished
We are happy to share this
complimentary ebook as a small token
of thanks to our newsletter subscribers
and blog readers.

After receiving positive feedback about

the image studies included in our Beyond
the Grand Landscape ebook, we decided
to pull together five more examples to
share with our readers.

In this ebook, we walk through all of

our steps, from arriving at a location
to processing the final photograph and
cover our full workflow including creative
notes, technical approach, and the steps
we use to finish our photographs.

We hope you enjoy these five

photographs and the accompanying
essays. And, thank you for your continued
support of our photography.

Sarah & Ron

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Stjornarfoss Waterfall by Sarah Marino
Place Southern Iceland
Subject A small waterfall with swirling
bubbles at the base
Time of Day Midday on an overcast day
Season Autumn
Technical Info Canon 6D, Canon 24-105mm lens @
24mm, f/16, 25 sec, ISO 50. Circular
polarizer to deepen colors and
remove glare plus a 4-stop neutral
density filter for a longer exposure
(which could work under certain conditions, but not when
I visited). The blue-green plunge pool is really deep,
making it treacherous to wade in for a close perspective.
Some nice cascades are a bit down the river but using
them as a foreground means that the waterfall looks tiny
when trying to include both.
After trying all these options and almost giving up, I noticed
some small bubbles forming a swirl off to the right of
the falls. After experimenting with the bubbles, I finally
found something to work with. Feeling more motivated, I

Lessons Using frames as a compositional

approach, using a polarizer, and
using longer exposures

Creative Notes
This two-tiered waterfall, small by Icelandic standards,
looks incredibly charming from the road. The surroundings
are impressive up close as well, with the green moss,
undulating volcanic rocks, and deep blue pool at the base.
As you get closer, however, the compositional options
seem to melt away. A taller second tier disappears from
closer vantage points leaving bright sky above the falls

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Stjornarfoss Waterfall, continued
worked to find a more dynamic composition than just the
bubbles and waterfall, deciding to use the curved wall
on the right as a frame. I knew I could darken the back
left wall later to create a vignette on both the left and
right sides, completing the visual effect of a frame. I also
placed the shore and waterfall on a diagonal to add some
visual interest to the composition.
Field Notes
After I settled on this composition, I focused for the scene
(using the edge of the wall as my focus point, about 5 feet
away from my camera) and set my attention on the swirls.
I experimented with different shutter speeds, liking 25
to 30 seconds the best. I used a four-stop solid neutral
density filter to allow me to lengthen my exposure in the
middle of the day. Because the swirls in each exposure
turned out differently, I wanted to be able to choose from
a variety of options after I got back home so I took about
20 exposures in the field. The exposure I selected for
processing had the best water motion, with the two main
swirls separated by some leading lines of bubbles.
I also used a polarizer which significantly enhanced this
scene. I took this photo on a rainy day, so the polarizer
removed glare from the rocks and plants, helping to
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saturate and deepen the colors. The polarizer also helped
the swirls and blue-green water show up better since
there was some glare on the water as well.
Processing Notes
Overall, my approach to processing this photo included
adding contrast and darkening the overall mood to make
the scene feel more mysterious. Starting in Lightroom, I
processed the same file twice, first to get almost everything
right for a base file, with a second file for adding contrast
and definition to the water. For both, I fine-tuned the
white balance, removed chromatic aberration, rotated
the file a bit, and fine-tuned the color of the greens. For
the water exposure, I pulled back some of the highlights in
the waterfall and used the clarity slider to add definition.
I brought both files into Photoshop and using a black mask
on the file for the water, hand-painted white onto the
areas where I wanted the water changes to show through.
At this point, I started making local adjustments, like
brightening the swirls, darkening the rocks to emphasize
the frame and a more mysterious mood, and I cloned
out some foam on the left-most rocks. I added an Orton
effect layer at a low opacity to add a bit of colorful glow.
Waving Cholla by Ron Coscorrosa
When I am at a location, I often try to identify what is
Place Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument
unique about it and what separates it from other locations.
Subject Cholla cactus, Organ Pipe cactus, While the Sonoran Desert is large, the section with Organ
and other Sonoran Desert flora Pipe cactus in the United States is actually quite small. I
wanted to capture these unique cactus in a photograph.
Time of Day Sunset

Season Winter Compositionally, what attracted me to this scene were

the repeating “waving” shapes of the cholla (“choy-ya”)
Technical Info Canon 6D, Canon 70-200mm f/4 lens
@ 70mm, f/20, 0.3 sec, ISO 400, no cactus in the foreground and the background. Repetition
filters is a key compositional concept. This repetition is further
enhanced by the two cholla being at counter points along
Lessons Use of backlighting, controlling flare,
subject isolation, repeating patterns
and counterpoints in a composition

Creative Notes
The Sonoran Desert is a beautiful mess. While many think
of deserts as barren wastelands, the Sonoran Desert is
anything but: there is abundant plant and animal life
that thrive in this environment that is less hospitable
to humans. Still, this beautiful mess is a challenge to
compose. Finding order, even just a little bit, amidst
the chaos requires time, exploration, the willingness to
experiment, the tolerance to fail, and the perseverance
to try again.

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Waving Cholla, continued
a diagonal (the lower left and the upper right). The cherry
on top is the backlit organ pipe at the end of the diagonal
next to a neighboring organ pipe to its left.
This photograph was taken just before sunset on a clear
day, where the low angled sun created warm glowing
backlight on the cholla and organ pipe. The hillside in
the background was in shade allowing the backlit subjects
to stand out even more. This is an example of how clear
skies can be fantastic for photography. There really is
no bad light, there are just different opportunities. As
a photographer it is your job to maximize the light you
are given, instead of complain about the light you aren’t
getting (though we can all be guilty of that at times).
Field Notes
I wanted both chollas in focus. At 70mm, this meant
having to choose a small aperture of f/20. No aperture
would have been small enough for me to get the back hill
in focus as well, but creatively, I didn’t want it in focus
anyway. I verified the focus and depth of field in the LCD
after taking a few sample photographs. There was some
slight wind so I increased the ISO to 400 to reduce the
shutter speed and freeze the foreground plants.
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Backlit scenes like this can be tricky to photograph. In this
case, a large red lens flare in the upper right corner was
distracting (lens flare can be used creatively for positive
effect, but I didn’t want it for this photograph). To address
this, I zoomed out a little more than I wanted for the final
composition and placed my hand in front of the lens to
shade it, physically blocking and thus eliminating the lens
flare. This meant my photograph had my big ugly hand in
the upper right, but I just cropped it out to my original
desired composition.
Processing Notes
Part of the attraction of backlit scenes is showing the
contrast - leaving the shaded and dark areas dark, and
the backlit areas bright. Too much detail in the shadows
can detract from the glowing backlit subjects. With this
in mind, I kept the shadows dark and the highlights light.
Starting in Lightroom, I selected a color balance, did a
small amount of highlight recovery for the brightest spots,
cropped out the flare discussed above, and removed
chromatic aberration. In Photoshop, I added contrast using
a mid-tones luminosity mask and some slight saturation
for the yellows on the cholla.
Winter Pastels by Sarah Marino
photograph for this kind of result. Add in the pastel colors
Place Denver Botanic Gardens
and I was in small scene photography heaven!
Subject Sedum “Angelina” Plant
For the composition, I focused on the flowing nature of
Time of Day Midday with a reflector for shade
the plants, choosing a section with the individual pieces
Season Winter that were pointing in the same direction so the pattern
repeated across the frame. I removed a few bits of debris
Technical Info Canon 6D, Canon 100mm L-series
and a few small rocks; otherwise this scene is completely
macro lens @ 100mm, f/16, 0.5 sec,
ISO 100, no filters as I found it. I also checked the edges of my frame, making
sure that the individual plants entering and exiting the
Lessons Using simple technical approaches, frame were arranged in a pleasing manner.
looking for small scenes, and
revisiting locations over seasons

Creative Notes
This plant has always attracted my attention at the
Denver Botanic Gardens, as it changes colors throughout
the year. In spring, it is bright green. Fall brings oranges
and winter brings these pastels. While I like all of these
variations, everything finally came together - unexpectedly
- in winter. When the plants are growing in the spring,
summer, and fall, they are tall and lanky, making them
hard to photograph and get everything in focus. When
visiting in the winter, a recent snowstorm had compressed
and flattened the plants, making them much easier to

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Winter Pastels, continued
Field Notes
I posted this photo in an article about seeking out small
scenes, noting that this is a single exposure. I received a
mini-lecture from another photographer about how I would
need to focus-stack* this image to get everything in focus.
While that approach might result in a TINY improvement
in file quality for photos like this, the extra time spent
in the field to get the files for focus stacking and then
assembling them later would not be worth it for me.
With careful technique that includes using live view and
depth of field preview for verifying focus, some patience,
and a careful review of the resulting file while in the field,
I find that it is pretty easy to get mostly flat subjects like
this in focus with a single file or possibly two files for a
wayward part of a plant (like something sticking out a bit
too high or too low). While more complex scenes might
require a different approach, I would rather use simple
techniques when I can and get a files that are more than
good enough, as in this example.
With this “simple is often best” approach in mind, I set
up my tripod and very carefully focused, testing out
different apertures and focus points using live view until
I got everything in sharp focus (on my high-quality lens,
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I can even go up to f/29 or f/32 in some cases and still
get sharp files). After getting the composition and focus
down, I used a reflector to shade this section of plants,
fine-tuning the exposure settings as I went.
It is also worth noting that looking slightly foolish in public
is often a necessary condition when photographing small
scenes like this. It looks sort of strange to be kneeling on
the ground in an awkward position near a field of dead
irises in the middle of winter, taking quite some time to
photograph what looks like yet another dead plant.
Processing Notes
The processing for this photo is quite simple. I made some
basic adjustments in Lightroom, like fine-tuning the white
balance (choosing cooler colors), removing chromatic
aberration, and adding a slight vignette. In Photoshop,
I used a levels adjustment to add some overall contrast
(mostly brightening the photo by bringing in the white
point), used a mid-tones luminosity mask to add a bit
more targeted contrast, and used an Orton effect layer at
a low opacity to add a bit of colorful glow. I also cleaned
up some additional debris that I missed in the field.
* Multiple exposures focused at different points for later blending in software
Salt Circles
by Ron Coscorrosa

Place Death Valley National Park

Subject Evaporated salt pools surrounded

by mud, radiating clouds

Time of Day Late afternoon

Season Winter

Technical Info Canon 5D Mark II, Canon 14mm

f/2.8 lens @ 14mm, f/8, 1/125
sec, ISO 100, no filters

Lessons Beauty of afternoon light, benefits

of exploration, using abstract
shapes as a compositional tool

Creative Notes
This particular basin in Death Valley has a variety of
salt and mud that changes seasonally due a mix of
salty spring water, rain, and evaporation. This mixture
creates interesting salt patterns and reflections that
change continually. I was attracted to this particular
spot because of the discrete and circular salt formations.
Many spots in the playa are either all mud or all salt,

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Salt Circles, continued
this location had both. Also, circular shapes as obvious as of the salt circles (as opposed to a literal reflection, like
these are often hard to find in nature, much harder than clouds reflecting in water). Here, this means clouds that
lines and triangles. mirror the shape of the path described above, which
allows the eye to continue from the ground into the sky
I first found the composition and then next waited for and clouds above. The clouds are also white just like the
some complimentary clouds to form. Compositionally, the salt circles. After about 45 minutes of waiting I finally had
circles form a stepping stone-like path from the lower the clouds I was hoping for.
left corner to the
upper right. The Photographers of grand scenic landscapes are often told to
salt circle in the photograph in the golden hours around sunrise and sunset.
lower right, and However, this is not necessarily the best time for certain
the salt circle just scenes. In this case, colorful sunset clouds would not have
above the lower been as effective, because part of the attractiveness of
left corner also this scene is how the clouds and salt circles are mirrored,
“point” to this and that includes their shape and white color.
path, giving hints
to the viewer’s
eye. Leading lines
Field Notes
While Death Valley National Park has a few icons, like
(or paths) like this
Zabriskie Point or Badwater Basin, there are many more
help provide depth
locations like this that require hiking and exploration to
for wide-angle
find. Further, the ephemeral nature of the salt patterns
scenes such as this.
means that the conditions are constantly changing, so
spots that were good one year will not necessarily be good
For the clouds and
another year. Exploration is mandatory to find good subject
sky, I wanted an
matter, with such exploration often being rewarded with
abstract reflection

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Salt Circles, continued
fantastic finds like these salt circles.
While scouting for salt formations, we brought our GPS
to mark good spots so that we could easily locate them
later when the conditions were best. With no obvious
geographical landmarks a mile or two into a flat salt playa,
a GPS is a necessity to find interesting spots on a return
visit (and to easily find your car after sunset).
This photograph was taken at 14mm with a 14mm prime
lens to include the sweeping sky and foreground. The
foreground salt circles were about three feet or so away
from the camera. This, along with the 14mm focal length,
enabled me to use a fairly large aperture (f/8) and still
have everything of interest in the photograph in focus.
Usually, I’m less concerned with photographing at the
sharpest aperture for this lens and would use f/11 or f/13
just to be safe (as the lens is still plenty sharp at those
apertures). With longer focal lengths such as 16mm or
longer, I am more apt to photograph at f/14 or f/16 to
maximize my depth-of-field for wide-angle scenes like
this. And, I always verify sharpness in the field, using
live view and depth of field preview before making an
exposure and by carefully reviewing files on the LCD
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afterward. While a full explanation is beyond the scope
of this ebook, learning to focus at the hyperfocal distance
for a given lens and composition is also an important skill
for wide-angle landscape photography. Once the basic
concept is mastered, apps and charts available to help a
photographer select the focus point for a given situation.
Processing Notes
I started processing this photo using Lightroom, setting
the white balance, removing chromatic aberration, and
removing some of the perspective distortion caused by
the wide-angle lens. For simple fixes, Lightroom is often
easier to use for cropping, chromatic aberration fixes,
and perspective distortion so I almost always make those
adjustments before moving to Photoshop.
In Photoshop, I focused on adding contrast to the salt
circles. I started with a levels adjustment, primarily to
set the white point for the full image. Then, I moved on
to make localized adjustments, further brightening the
salt circles and the slightly darkening the brown mud to
accentuate the separation of the salt and mud. I also
made some additional minor contrast adjustments in the
sky and added a bit of saturation, primarily in the blues.
White Sands Sunset by Sarah Marino
Place White Sands National Monument
Subject Hardened ribs in the depressions
between the dunes, a colorful
sunset, and a sunstar
Time of Day Right at sunset
Season Monsoon season (August)
Technical Info Canon 5D Mark II, 16-35mm f/2.8
lens @ 16mm, f/18, 1/4 sec and 1
sec (2 exposures), ISO 100, circular
polarizer for cloud definition
I searched out compositional elements that would highlight
the simplicity and elegance of the dunes. In exploring,
I found this areas of hardened sand filling some of the
interdunal depressions, creating perfect natural leading
lines and repeating triangles throughout the composition.
After finding an extensive set of these hardened ribs,
I moved around to find the best arrangement of lines
(being careful not to disturb them for future visitors). I
photographed this spot throughout the sunset, preferring
this version with the colorful clouds and sunstar because
the sunstar provides a strong focal point in the background.

Lessons Leading lines, creating sunstars, and

changing aesthetic preferences

Creative Notes
On this trip to White Sands, we visited in August with the
hope of catching some wild summer weather and lucked
out with a wonderful mix of clouds. Although the weather
was very hot, we hiked to our backcountry campsite
barefoot, with the cool white sand underfoot. During the
middle of the day under direct light, the white dunes look
like bright snow. At the edges of the day, they are highly
reflective and take on the colors of the sky.

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White Sands Sunset, continued
Field Notes
I selected a small aperture to ensure that both the
foreground and background are in focus. Since I was close
to my foreground, I focused at the hyperfocal distance
of about 4 feet (a value that can be easily calculated
using an app or chart once you understand the concept).
Here, the sunstar, the result of a point of light entering
the lens, presented no technical challenges. Since the
clouds partially blocked the sun, lens flare was not an
issue (if it had been, I could have shaded my lens with my
hand or taken an exposure using my finger to block the
flare, blending in the flare-free areas later). Using a small
aperture like f/18 helps produce a nicer, more defined
sunstar on some lenses like this one (otherwise, f/14 or
f/16 would have worked for this scene). I also bracketed
for exposure, creating a file for a base exposure plus an
underexposed file for the bright spot near the sun.
Processing Notes
When I first processed this photo, I strongly enhanced the
colors, especially the blues in the shadows, golds where
the light hit the ribs, and the sky. At the time, I was trying
to fit in with the dominant aesthetic emerging in landscape
photography: high drama and bold colors. Over time, this
processing started to look more and more garish.
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In the time since I originally processed this photograph, I
have become more comfortable with my preferences for
softer, simpler, and more elegant photographs. I recently
reprocessed this photograph to fit better with this current
direction for my photography. While I emphasized the
colors in processing this time around, I kept them natural
to the scene and grounded in reality. The softer rendition
appeals much more to my current visual preferences.
In Lightroom, I processed two RAW files with the same
white balance, fixed some chromatic aberration, and
pulled back some of the highlights to facilitate a simple
exposure blend (95% from the base file, 5% from a second
file for the brightest highlights around the sun). I brought
both photos into Photoshop, starting with an exposure
blend for the brightest parts of the sky (I created a
luminosity mask to select the brightest parts of the sky
for the base exposure and then used that same mask over
the darker exposure, allowing a small part of the darker
exposure to cover up the blown-out highlights in the base
file). After the exposure blend, I used levels and curves
to adjust tones and contrast throughout the image and
slightly warmed up the area around the sunstar. I also
slightly dodged (or brightened) the spots of golden light
on the ribs and burned (darkened) the shadows.
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