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Capturing Adventure

The Art of Capturing Adventure

Images by Russ Fortson

When your day job is focused on sending astronauts into space, it is easy to have a view of the world that is wide open. That is the expanded perspective of award-winning photographer Russ Fortson who spends his days at NASA and his free time documenting the places he is fortunate to visit.

Armed with his Pentax K100D camera and his Tamron AF18-250mm F/3.5-6.3 Di-II LD Aspherical (IF) Macro, he and his family have set out on summertime adventures that span the globe. His unique images have their own stories to tell, but even in his fervor to capture a specific scene, he is conscious that his family has their own agenda - fun! And, waiting for Dad to set up a shot is not an option, so his camera equipment must be versatile and offer a variety of options.

“The Tamron 18-250mm lens is the perfect family vacation lens,” says Fortson. “I don’t want to inconvenience anyone. With its all-in-one zoom, I can get the shots I want, and my family doesn’t have to wait on me to change lenses.”

Washington, DC is a great family destination. In his image of DC at Night, Fortson set the aperture at f/8 to get a little more depth of field and used the aperture priority mode. His focal length was 155mm @ 1.6 sec. He used his spot meter to meter off of the Capitol and set the ISO to AUTO which captured the glowing light from the windows of the dome at ISO800.

“Spot metering helps to set the correct exposure on the point of interest. The Capitol was the main focus of the photo,” he says.

Most photographers will insist on using a tripod, especially for dark shots that require a longer shutter speed. Fortson does not travel with a tripod, because of his need to “keep up” with his family. He suggests even night time shots can be sharp with a little ingenuity.

“I can still get low light shots by handholding and looking for stationary objects on which to brace my camera. A stop light pole on a traffic island allowed me to shoot the night time shot of the U.S. Capitol.”

His Lima Cathedral image was also taken with very little natural light. He compensated using ISO800 and a wide open aperture of f/3.5 @ 1/40 sec.

“The symmetry of the shot was important to me.” He stabilized the camera and lens on a chair and shot the scene at a focal length of 18mm.

“In dimly lit cathedrals, flashes aren’t typically allowed, and I feel they would change the look of the scene as I see it anyway. Here, look for the back of a chair or pew for bracing. Another trick is to shoot at a wider focal length, as the camera shake will be less pronounced. Boost your ISO to increase shutter speed which reduces the effect of camera shake.”

He also advises shooting a burst of 3-4 shots. “Typically, the second or third shot will be the sharpest.”

Perhaps the most difficult shots to craft happen in tourist spots that draw hundreds, if not thousands of people.

“Sometimes indoor attractions are packed and it’s really hard to get good shots.” Fortson suggests changing perspectives and looking for different angles.

“For my aquarium shot in the glass tunnel, I stood against the wall which took the crowd out of one half of my picture. By taking the shot from the side of the crowd, the railing created a “trail” from the edge of the picture towards the center of the shot, helping to draw the viewer’s attention into the photo.”

One rule that he usually holds fast to for capturing images on the run is to set the camera to Aperture Priority.

“Aperture Priority mode is handy. Changing the aperture probably has the greatest effect on the final look of the shot by changing the depth of field. Using the semi-automatic modes helped me take the aquarium photo quickly.”

The all-in-one zoom’s focal length was set to 18mm with an aperture of f/8 @ 1/13 sec., with ISO 800.

The crowds can also be displaced by simply bringing the lens down and shooting upward. This was the technique he used for Pioneer Farms.

“I wanted to capture a timeless shot,” says Fortson.

To the viewer, it appears to be an abandoned cabin set among the beauty of hundreds of wildflowers. It is actually a working farm and a well-visited destination. By getting down low in the field, he eliminated the telephone poles and cars parked beside them. To create a shallower depth of field, he used an aperture of f/10 @ 1/500 sec, focal length of 93mm and ISO200.

His photo of the Peruvian Mother and Child was taken at the base of Machu Picchu. This magnificent “Lost City of the Incas” is visited by more than 400,000 people annually. Though crowds can be overpowering, Fortson focused on a different image during his trip to Peru.

“Kids are alike everywhere,” he says. He was drawn to the young child humming along as her mother carried her across the market.

“I held up my camera and smiled.”

The woman and the resulting image is a colorful display of rich blues, reds and pinks as well as the distinctive smiles on the subjects. The cloudy day created a dark pall over the market. ISO800 helped to brighten the image, though he admits ISO400 would probably have worked just as well. He used a focal length of 43mm @ 1/100 sec.

Family vacations offer a great haven for the avid photographer. Fortson’s biggest tip is to consider different angles for a shot.

“At Disney World, look for the moon rising over the Mission Space exhibit. At the museum, shoot the popular statue from behind to capture all the other tourists shooting from the front.”

Also, make sure your camera gear and lens travel well and are versatile. Tamron creates the best in lenses that bring the world’s most spectacular scenes in focus.