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the photographers

A photography lesson in Three Bridges Park

August 25, 2020  |  Topics: Articles

By Eddee Daniel

Scheduling any outdoor activity months in advance is always a gamble; the weather might ruin things. But that day we won the lottery! It was a beautiful summer day with magnificent clouds. My first piece of advice to the group: Take advantage of the clouds; they are a gift!

The Hank Aaron State Trail runs through Three Bridges Park
The Hank Aaron State Trail runs through Three Bridges Park

I was asked by the Natural Resources Foundation to lead a hike with the theme, “Urban Nature Photography.” I chose one of my favorite places in Milwaukee: Three Bridges Park. Not only does Three Bridges Park offer plenty in the way of flora and natural scenery, but because it’s located in the Menomonee Valley it also offers marvelous juxtapositions of natural scenery with its industrial and urban surroundings.

Palermo's Pizza factory and 35th Street Viaduct framed by Three Bridges Park
Palermo’s Pizza factory and 35th Street Viaduct framed by Three Bridges Park

Eight photography and nature lovers participated. (I was also grateful to be joined by Jeff Veglahn and Laura, one of his summer interns. Jeff is the Land Steward for the Menomonee Valley Branch of the Urban Ecology Center, which is located next to Three Bridges Park.) There were a wide variety of cameras, including some which doubled as cell phones. I don’t know how many photos the group took; they certainly seemed to be taking plenty the whole two hours of the hike. I took quite a few myself (mostly before and after) but instead of simply showing them in the typical photo essay, I thought I’d present them in an abridged version of what I shared with the group in the hope of improving their photographic skills.

LESSON #1: Choose a subject thoughtfully

This most fundamental of decisions is not necessarily as simple as it sounds. If you’re not completely clear what your specific subject is, your picture is not likely to be as clear as it could be either. As an example, compare the following three images. We began our photographic hike at the west end of Three Bridges Park, where the Valley Passage tunnel and bridge are located. I selected these three from the dozen or so shots I took from essentially the same spot, in front of an enormous patch of brown-eyed Susans.

Brown-eyed Susans
The subject could be an individual flower, or it could try to capture the enormity of the patch.
From another angle the subject becomes the flowers in relationship to the Valley Passage and mural behind them.
From yet another angle, and with the introduction of a person on a bike, the “subject” begins to be a story of some complexity: the Hank Aaron State Trail and the enjoyment people get out of riding on it in the midst of a natural setting made richer with public art, all of which is circumscribed by the city surrounding it.

LESSON #2: Experiment with different points of view

Looking down, looking up, getting close, standing back, head-on, and at an oblique angle are all just examples of the innumerable ways to achieve an effective perspective on your subject.

Three Bridges Park
A distant view encompassing a broad swath of scenery
wasp and bee on swamp milkweed
An extreme close up of insects on a swamp milkweed blossom
An aerial, or bird's-eye, view of the park, in this case facilitated by the 35th Street Viaduct
An aerial, or bird’s-eye, view of the park, in this case facilitated by the 35th Street Viaduct
nodding onion
A worm’s-eye view from the ground up, something that is made easier with a cellphone camera!
Confronting your subject(s), Laura and Jeff, straight on
A profile or side view
A profile or side view. Photo by Jean Kacanek, a hike participant.

LESSON #3: Take advantage of your equipment

This depends upon what kinds of equipment you have available to you. A wide-angle lens provides a very different view and photographic experience than a telephoto lens, for example. The latest cellphone technology offers remarkable opportunities for creative control.

A wide-angle lens enables you to include things close to you and far away in the same frame. Watch out for distortion though, especially around the edges.
two kayaks on the Menomonee River
A telephoto lens allows you to bring a distant subject closer. A potential drawback is the flattening of the depth typical of this type of lens.
partridge pea blossoms
Some cellphone cameras allow you to take panoramic photos by moving the phone from side to side (panning) during the exposure. This is a 180° view. It is vital to have a very steady hand and to choose a scene that will not appear too distorted by the panning. This is especially useful for large landscapes, but as you can see here, it also can work for more intimate subjects like this wide patch of partridge pea blossoms.

LESSON #4: Consider the “human element”

People are inherently interesting and including a person in a scene, no matter how large or small, can significantly improve it. In the first two images that follow the people are arguably “the subject,” while in the next two images they are merely elements in the larger composition. Try to imagine those scenes without the cyclists and I think you’ll agree that they would be less effective or interesting.

Hike participants shooting from a hilltop in Three Bridges Park
Hike participants shooting from a hilltop in Three Bridges Park
Hike participants LaDonna and Larry on a hilltop in Three Bridges Park
Hike participants LaDonna and Larry posing on a hilltop in Three Bridges Park
Three cyclists on the Hank Aaron State Trail in Three Bridges Park
Three cyclists on the Hank Aaron State Trail in Three Bridges Park
A cyclist on the Hank Aaron State Trail in Three Bridges Park
A cyclist on the Hank Aaron State Trail in Three Bridges Park
Don’t be afraid to ask people to cooperate for you. Most people are willing to be photographed if approached politely. The hike participants dutifully posed for this shot of them in action.

LESSON #5: “If your pictures aren’t good enough, you’re not close enough”

This is a fairly well-known quote by legendary Magnum photographer Robert Capa. The intent of his comment is not to get you to use a telephoto lens but to physically get close to your subjects or to immerse yourself in your subject.

culvers root blossoms
This shot of a patch of culvers root blossoms I took not with a telephoto but with a wide-angle lens. I was literally in the midst of the flowers.

Finally, I’ll give the last spots to the participants who submitted work to me. At the conclusion of the hike I suggested that each participant select a few of their favorite images from the hike and email them to me so that I could include them in a blog post. These are the two who did so. You’ve seen one of Jean’s already. Here is another and two from her husband, Harold.

Photo by Jean Kacanek
Photo by Harold Kacanek
Photo by Harold Kacanek

Note: Urban Nature Photography was one of the many outings offered this year by the Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin. To learn more about their offerings check out the 2020 Field Trip Guidebook on their website.

The Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin, the Urban Ecology Center, and Friends of Hank Aaron State Trail are all project partners of A Wealth of Nature.

All images by Eddee Daniel, except as noted. Eddee is the Project Director of A Wealth of Nature, a board member of Preserve Our Parks and Friends of Hank Aaron State Trail, and a former teacher of photography. His personal website is eddeedaniel.com and you can see more of his photos of Three Bridges Park in his Flickr album.