Visions and Nature A study of nature patterns
Posted on March 31, 2012
by Kristel Schneider
During my photography workshops I always mention that to take an interesting photo requires certain skills. A very important one is to have an eye for details, color and structure. A good exercise is to look at patterns and details in nature. You can go to a forest or in my case a mountain field with lots of rocks.
I just looked at pattern and details on rocks and little stones. Before you know it you get sucked in all the nice color contrasts and then the goal is to focus on a nice frame.
Here are some examples of my study of nature patterns. All taken with a Canon 5DMII – Sigma 150 macro lens and a tripod.
Spring Flower Photography
Posted on March 25, 2012
Dog’s tooth violet
by Kristel Schneider
Thanks to a tip from Emmanuel Boitier I was lucky to find a rare spring flower called Dog’s Tooth violet ( Erythronium dens-canis). 
After my last flower session on Spring Snowflakes I wanted to take soft focus images and try different things. But the problem with this little flower is that they do not grow close together.
To get a nice color glow in my frame I used a 300mm lens, looked for a flower very close to the lens and focused on another flower far away. Sometimes the wind can help to give the image ‘ an out-of-focus’ effect.
Wild Spring Snowflake flower photography
Posted on March 18, 2012
Wild Spring Snowflake flower photography
by Kristel Schneider
Yesterday I drove to Haute-Loire ( Auvergne, France) where I met Photog
rapher Sébastien Lamadon. Together we walked up the Suc de Bresse hill to look for Wild Spring Snowflakes (Leucojum vernum). As far as we know this is the only place where they appear in the Auvergne.
We were lucky and found a big patch of very fresh flowers. You could tell they were just out, impressive. The first thing I did was to put my camera bag down and I walked around. I enjoyed the sight for a while as I was thinking what kind of technique to use and what kind of compositions. The promised overcast day did not occur so the light was a bit harsh, but there was a lot of wind on one side of the hill.
I used my Canon 300mm L F4 IS, lens and I tried out various things:
– different focus methods, with and without a tripod
– shades and against the light
– blurry background
– smooth background
Spring is a great time for photography! Join me in the field during one of my
workshops. Other images in my Flower gallery.
Click on: Sébastien to see his images.
New blog Massifs Centraux
Posted on March 12, 2012
Four Nature photographers joined together under the name : Massifs Centraux.
An initiative from Photographer Sébastien Lamadon, to promote the natural beauty from the French Massif Central .
Photographers: Cyril Coudert (Puy de Dôme), Fabrice Vincent (Haute Loire), Kristel Schneider (Puy de Dôme) , Sébastien Lamadon (Haute Loire)
all live in the French region Auvergne and share the same passion: the beauty of Nature.
Enjoy this new blog!
Image of the month February 2012
Posted on February 17, 2012
by Kristel Schneider
For me this image represents the ‘horror’ winter from February 2012. The Siberian cold
spread over Europe at the beginning of this month with temperatures like -20ºc and northern winds, which felt like – 40ºc. For almost three weeks big parts of France were in code Orange weather alert for cold. Like the Auvergne region, where I took this image.
That day the light was not that great but I decided to go out and have a look at a lake close by. The water was frozen and the wind had created some nice waves in the ice. I was looking for some nice ice details and while I was focusing on some parts of the lake, I had the feeling I was looking at a glacier in the mist. An intimate Ice Landscape in a lake.
Visit Kristels website: click on logo
Visions and Nature 