Above image by Linda Stager
You gotta love Facebook and Instagram for the endless supply of picture-perfect photos of the vast Pennsylvania Wilds. Opening my phone or laptop every morning provides a daily diet of beautiful pictures from all over the Pennsylvania Wilds. Some images come from the pros, while most others come from amateur photographers like you and me.
Following more than a dozen Facebook groups scattered across the PA Wilds, it would certainly appear to me that sunrise and sunset are the most popular times of day to grab a great shot, but is there really a “best” time of day? Do you need to invest in expensive cameras and accessories? Is your trusty cell phone’s camera sufficient?
Almost like trying to catch lightning in a bottle, nailing the perfect shot is often challenging. So, we went to Coudersport’s Curt Weinhold and Wellsboro’s Linda Stager, two of the PA Wilds’ foremost photo pros for some timely advice.
Curt is a juried pro-level PA Wilds Artisan whose works are sold at the Coudersport Artisan Center downtown. He has been capturing the awesome beauty of the Wilds through his camera’s lens for years, especially in the Dark Skies landscape of the Pennsylvania Wilds region at Cherry Springs State Park.
Curt said photographers need to focus on the pure basics of outdoor photography, “They need to concentrate on the subject and eliminate extraneous surroundings. The eye-brain component often eliminates foregrounds and backgrounds and doesn’t notice good vs. bad lighting,” said Curt. “This is easily overcome with practice and learning from mistakes!”
Wellsboro resident Linda Stager is an award-winning photographer, book author, blogger and outdoor writer. She also is a juried pro-level PA Wilds Artisan and a member of the Professional Photographers of America and the Grand Canyon Photography Club.
“To get the ‘perfect shot’, take your time, don’t rush,” Linda cautions, “I find that I have to slow down and look around to truly see what a scene can offer me. It’s easy to run up to a beautiful spot and snap a photo,” Linda said, “We end up with a ‘snapshot’ when we do that. But to slow down and truly look around allows us to see better.”
What are the biggest mistakes many photographers make in trying to get the best outdoor shot?
“We all make mistakes as photographers, whether we are new or experienced,” explained Linda, “Folks often think that the best camera equipment makes the photo. I will admit it can help make taking a photo easier, but it’s not the equipment that ‘sees’ the photo, it’s your emotion that stops you in your tracks to take a photo, whether you are using the best equipment or your trusty old camera and lens. I have a favorite old camera that I refuse to give up on; I know that camera like the back of my hand and I often pick that one up because I like how its sensor interprets what I see.”
As with any shoot, outdoor photography requires packing the right equipment in your camera bag, such as the right lenses, especially a wide-angle lens for those panoramic landscapes. You’ll also want to bring a telephoto lens so you can get tight up-close shots of wildlife from a safe distance.
Yeah, that’s a lot of gear, but with technology improving the quality of today’s cell phone cameras, are they a serious substitute for traditional photo gear?
Curt says there is no doubt about it, cell phone camera technology continues to make incredible strides.
“I have seen very nice cell phone pictures, especially from the later iPhones. They are small and can be with you always, unlike a full-sized DSLR camera,” said Curt, “However, that camera can be fitted with an extremely wide-angle lens for near/far landscapes or with a long telephoto for distant animals. Sensitivity to light, shutter speed and depth of focus may be adjusted for the subject.”
“I do use my cell phone,” said Linda, “It depends on how light I want to travel most of the time. And what I intend to take photos of. I can’t take a closeup photo of an eagle or an elk and maintain proper distance from the wildlife with a cell phone, so I always use a long telephoto lens in those situations,” said Linda. “But if I am hiking, I may not want to carry my traditional camera and lens because of weight. My cell phone will work just fine then.”
She says under some conditions, she ends up with a better photo without a lot of processing at all. “And that’s my kind of photo, easy, straight out of the camera, little work after the fact. We have a saying that the best camera to use is the one that you have with you!”
Above images by Curt Weinhold
The term “the golden hour” is familiar to photo professionals. It is the hour when the sun begins to set and, as it sets, a scatter-shot of sunlight sinking toward the horizon permeates the sky creating a magical glow. This is the time of day which brings out amateurs and professionals alike.
But, is there a best time of day to shoot? It depends. Linda’s motto for the style of photography she uses in her business is “living on the edge of light” so she rarely takes photos in “white light.”
“I have an obvious preference for when I take photos,” explained Linda. “My business name is PA Suncatcher-Linda Stager, and that name says most of what I do. I catch the sun, but I don’t shoot photos exclusively in sunlight, I’m a night stalker too.”
Above images by Linda Stager
Curt shoots a lot of his photos in the night sky at Cherry Springs and said there isn’t a “best time” of the day to shoot.
“Most of the time a grand viewpoint will have more impact on a sunny day. In this case, be aware to keep the sun at your back. Contrarily, a heavily forested scene will be best photographed on an overcast day. ‘Contrast’ is the watchword here,” Curt said, “However if Bigfoot comes across your path and you get a photo, no one will care if the lighting is poor.”
One photo contest currently underway runs through July 2024 to September 2024. The contest is sponsored by the Pennsylvania Great Outdoors Visitors Bureau, which consists of Cameron, Elk, and Forest Counties.
Finalists’ photos for the contest period will be posted online with the four entries receiving the most votes winning the following cash prizes: 1st Place $100, 2nd Place $75, 3rd Place $50, and 4th Place $25.
To enter complete the entry form and upload your photos at VisitPAGO.com/contest. The only requirements are that the photos meet the Good Ole Summertime photo contest theme and must be taken in either Cameron, Elk, or Forest Counties.
Good luck!
Author: Ed Byers
A retired radio and TV newscaster, newspaper writer and corporate communications/media relations manager, Ed Byers is past President of the Associated Press Radio-TV Broadcasters Association and The Press Club of Cleveland. He is a former Forest County resident and current seasonal resident in the nearby Allegheny National Forest.