Chasing Sunsets and Star Trails

The thrill of adventure infuses Susan Magnano’s stunning nature and landscape photos, taken with her trusted trio of Tamron lenses.

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By Jenn Gidman
Images by Susan Magnano

When Susan Magnano was sidelined from high school soccer due to a knee injury, she was too restless to sit on the actual sidelines. She watched a photographer taking pictures at her games and thought, “If I can't play in the game, I'd like to be able to capture it.” So she hobbled over on her crutches and asked, “How do I get to do what you do?”

By the next semester, Susan had a photo internship at the local newspaper. It was here where she had her first image printed in the paper and learned about the power of capturing a moment in time, as well as sharing it for others to experience. Photography became her passion.

Susan soon dove headfirst into every photography genre she could: weddings, portraits, set photography, food photography, and so on. But she always had an affinity for nature and travel, and so starting in college, she and a friend embarked on a camping trip each summer to a national park, a tradition they carried on for a decade. “It was a thrill to explore the parks and capture the beauty around me,” she says. She developed an extensive portfolio with these trips, and friends would ask, "How do you take beautiful photos like this?" This is what guided her into teaching.


50-400mm (55mm), F7.1, 1/800 sec., ISO 160
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Today, Susan not only makes photographs, but she also educates others on how to do the same via Photour Adventures. “Teaching is so rewarding because it allows me to not only inspire others, but it inspires me as well,” she says. "All my experiences have led me to where I am now, and I feel very blessed.” Susan travels to remarkable destinations, scouting out all the best photo opportunities and creating unique experiences for fellow passionate photographers to share.

To capture her images today, Susan uses the Tamron 17-28mm F/2.8 Di III RXD ultra-wide-angle zoom, 35-150mm F/2-2.8 Di III VXD, and 50-400mm Di III VC VXD ultra-telephoto zoom for her mirrorless camera system. “I just returned from Norway with my 17-28mm, and it was a joy,” she says. “It was a dream lens for travel: light, compact, and wide enough to allow me to capture magnificent scenery. The 50-400mm, meanwhile, has amazing reach, which came in handy on safari. Plus I love the compression on that lens, which you can see in my image of New York’s Mount Beacon fire tower, set against the gigantic moon.”


50-400mm (400mm), F6.3, 1/6 sec., ISO 160
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The lens Susan loves most, however, is the 35-150mm F2-2.8. “I originally swiped this lens from my partner,” she says. “He never really had a chance to use it, because it never left my camera. It’s so versatile and sharp, and I love the ability to shoot in the F2-F2.8 range in lower-light situations. It’s a dream lens for event photography, too.”

SUSAN’S QUICK TIPS

Chase the storm and be prepared.
Not every shot in nature should be static. There are often unpredictable elements when you’re shooting in the field, and you should be prepared to seize on those fleeting moments. The photo you see here was taken during a workshop in Sedona. Paired with the red rocks, the storm clouds that sweep in during monsoon season can make for some incredible photos.


35-150mm (35mm), F9, 30 sec., ISO 64
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This lightning image was taken the first night of my workshop. A storm was approaching as we were poised for sunset at one of the most iconic locations. We decided we were safe with the storm being far enough away and it was worth the risk if we got wet. We set up our intervalometers to ensure we captured the perfect moment and started firing away as the lightning began to strike.

Document the passage of time.
Meanwhile, in Norway I found myself exploring near this iconic mountain. I stumbled upon a rock quarry, which was being battered by rough waters. I love capturing long exposures with rocks in the foreground with crashing waves. I used an 8-second exposure to capture that energy and movement. The movement in the storm clouds turned out to be a terrific accent.


17-28mm (17mm), F7.1, 8 sec., ISO 200
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Add your own flair.
In the middle of Slovenia’s Lake Bled lies Bled Island, with its picturesque church. The landscape looks like something out of a fairy tale. On the day I took this shot, the sun was casting a beautiful glow that bathed the surrounding mountains. There weren’t many clouds that morning, and I was worried the sky would look boring. But when we got to the top of the hill where I took this photo, a few clouds had emerged, and I also realized I was in prime position for a sunburst. I shot it at F14 to achieve the starburst effect, and I also bracketed my exposure because it was such a high-dynamic-range scene.


35-150mm (35mm), F14, 1/160 sec., ISO 50
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Go from ‘capture’ to ‘create.’
I scout locations during the day and use programs like PhotoPills or Sun Surveyor to locate the North Star. This is what I’ll point my camera toward to capture the circular motion of the star trails due to the rotation of the Earth. For this photo, we were in a ghost town outside of Vegas for a very unique light-painting workshop. I typically use lots of colors and can get very complex with my light painting, but we took a natural approach using a simple low-level lighting technique.


Foreground: 17-28mm (17mm), F2.8, 30 sec., ISO 2500
Stars: 17-28mm (17mm), F2.8, 30 sec., ISO 320 (taken for 60 minutes with 1-second intervals)
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I placed a light in the far right corner, then one on the backside of the church. If I hadn’t lit up the church, it would’ve been silhouetted; I wanted to show off its charming rustic look. We did an hourlong series of star trails taken at 30-second intervals, which I then put together using StarStaX software.

Capture decisive moments.
While on an African safari, we were out on the water for sunset and an elephant emerged to get a sip of water. Suddenly, a baby elephant, which we hadn’t even seen, came out of the nearby bushes and we were all ecstatic. Having the Tamron 50-400mm gave me the range I needed for the composition I dreamed of to capture their perfect profiles in silhouette. I rarely take this lens off my camera when on safari.


50-400mm (151mm), F6.3, 1/640 sec., ISO 160
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To see more of Susan Magnano’s work, check out her website and Instagram.



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