Archive for the ‘tips’ Category
Thursday, May 27th, 2010
American Oystercatcher, Isabela, PR
You may have heard me say over and over again that in order to make the best images of wildlife you need to know your subjects, and know them well. One of the first things to learn about your subject is what is their preferred habitat.
Knowing your subjects preferred habitat is important, not only for locating them, but also in planning the kind of images you are going to make.
I enjoy animal portraits as much as everyone else, and I am known to make many “bird on a stick” images. However, my preference is for images that showcase wildlife in one of their preferred habitats. Images that include habitat tell so much more about that species, plus they can serve as a great compositional element.
Ruby Throat Hummingbird on Nest, Goose Creek SP, NC
Here are a couple of tips on including habitat with your wildlife images.
Supporting Habitat – While I like to include habitat in my images, I almost always make sure that my subject is the main focus of the image. I try to select background elements that compliment my subject, and not detract from it. I try to include habitat elements that frame my subjects and place them in an environment without detracting from the subject.
Separation – Even though you are trying to include some some of the background elements into the image in order to support your main subject, it’s important to maintain separation between your subject and the background. Use only as much Depth-of-Field as you need to keep your subject in focus and no more. There is such as thing as too much DOF.
Simplify – Avoid extraneous objects, one of the tricks I learned a long time ago that has helped me tremendously is to scan the periphery of my viewfinder just before tripping the shutter. What this allows me to do is make sure that I avoid any extraneous objects such as protruding elements, and that I don’t have any competing background elements. At first this may take some time to do consciously, but with practice you will find yourself doing this very quickly and sub-consciously.
Prothotonary Warbler, Chatham County, NC
Keep up with Juan on The Digital Photo Experience and learn about Juan's workshops at Wild Nature Tours.
Tags: habitat, Juan Pons, newsletter, Photo Tips, wildlife
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Wednesday, May 26th, 2010
Copperhead Snake, Chatham County, NC
I don’t often hear many people talk about connecting with your subject when shooting wildlife, after all how can a human connect with an animal, right?
Well, I can tell you categorically that yes you can connect with your animal subjects, but more importantly you want your viewers to connect with the subjects in your photos.
Here are a few tips on creating a connection between your photos subject and viewer:
- A Different Perspective – I review quite a few images from amateur wildlife photographers asking for feedback on their work. And I have to tell you that the biggest mistake I see people make is photographing an animal from standing height, usually looking down at the animal. This, in my opinion, is the quickest way to make an otherwise spectacular subject look rather ordinary. The reason for this is that as humans we are used to seen the world from standing height, when you create an image that provides a different perspective, a different point-of-view if you will, you are providing your viewer something different to look at.
- Eye Level – To make a connection, you need to be looking at your subject at eye level. So get down, lie on your belly if you must. I’ve been known to lie down and crawl on geese poop for hours to get down low enough to connect at eye level with my subjects. An added benefit to this, is that animals will see you as less threatening when you are at eye level to them.
- The Right Pose – Capturing your subject at the right pose is key to presenting them in as favorable way as possible. Additionally the right pose should present your subject in as a natural state as possible.
I hope these few tips help you in creating a stronger connection with your subjects.
Tags: connect, Juan Pons, newsletter, Photo Tips, wildlife
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Tuesday, May 25th, 2010
Coyotes Fighting, Yellowstone NP, WY
Nothing adds more interest to a wildlife photo than action. Whether it’s a fox pouncing on a mouse, a wolf chasing an Elk, or, as in the image above, two coyotes fighting, action provides us with a glimpse into the everyday life of the animals we are photographing. Because of this, action makes our photo viewers want to take a closer look, linger a bit longer on our images, and ultimately make a stronger connection with our images.
Capturing THE Moment is quite possibly the biggest challenge in photography. But you can stack the odds in your favor with these few quick tips.
- Know Your Subject – knowing your subject is paramount for making a great image. Study your subject, learn its behaviors, its social structure, and its diet. You can never really predict what wildlife will do at any moment, but by knowing your subjects intimately, you can increase your chances of being ready to trip that shutter at the right moment and “Capture THAT Moment”.
- Patience & Perseverance – You must be patient, and wait for the moment, never, ever prompt a wild animal to perform for you. This not only puts the animals welfare at risk, but in many cases it is also illegal. You must observe and try to capture that moment many many times before you make THE right image. You may have to sit in a blind for days to get that ONE moment, often lasting fractions of a second, and you may have to do it repeatedly to get just THE right image. Sometimes you may get lucky, but as they say, luck favors the prepared.
- No Machine Gun Action – When you think the moment is about to happen don’t just hold that shutter button down and let it rip… Chances are that if you do this, your buffer will fill up and the crucial moment will take place when your buffer is full preventing you from capturing the real peak moment. This is where knowledge of your subject and repeated observations come in handy, you will get better at predicting the moment. Then shoot in short bursts, trying not to fill the buffer if you can. Oftentimes, great shots present themselves when you least expect them. Be deliberate as to when you trip your shutter.
- Shutter Speed – Try shooting at the highest shutter speed you can. 1/1000 of a second or higher if you can help it. Don’t be afraid to increase the ISO if needed. I would prefer to get a little noise/grain in my image than get a blurry image.
- Focus – When photographing wildlife, I prefer to de-couple the AutoFocus function from my shutter button. I shoot Canon cameras and these have had this feature for as long as I can remember. This puts me in complete control as to when when the AF engages by pressing a button on the back of the camera with my right thumb. and not when I press the shutter button. What this allows me to do is focus on my subject, then recompose and be ready to trip the shutter whenever I need without fear that the camera will try to re-focus. The last thing you want the camera to do is try to refocus when you are trying to capture THAT moment, producing a blurry image, or worse yet, missing the moment completely. This takes some time to get used to, but I find it indispensable when photographing wildlife.
Keep up with Juan on The Digital Photo Experience and learn about Juan's workshops at Wild Nature Tours.
Tags: action, Juan Pons, newsletter, wildlife
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Monday, May 24th, 2010
I am going to start this week of wildlife photography tips with what I consider to be the most basic and essential tip – Be Ready!
What does this mean? Being ready means a lot of things, but for me it means the following:
- Know your equipment – Your equipment should help you get the shot, not get in the way of getting the shot. In a way the camera should be an extension of you. The only way you are going to get to know your equipment is to use it and use it often. I only had a fraction of a second to make the image of the red fox above, and I only got one shot. If I had to think about how to change the controls of my camera I would have completely missed the shot.
- Keep your gear ready – Make sure your camera is on, you have a recently formatted memory card, and the camera is set to your favorite settings. Double check these settings every so often, it is easy to bump your mode dial to an undesired mode inadvertently.
- Know your subject – In order to make the best images, you NEED to know your subjects. There simply is no substitute, make sure you read up and study your subject habits, preferred environments and favorite food. This will help you in not only finding your subjects but also making the best images you possibly can.
If you want to learn more about how I got this shot of the red fox, make sure to check out this post on DPE on why I shoot in AV mode.
Keep up with Juan on The Digital Photo Experience and learn about Juan's workshops at Wild Nature Tours.
Tags: be ready, fox, newsletter, Photo Tips, wildlife
Posted in Articles, tips, wildlife | 1 Comment »
Wednesday, May 19th, 2010
Capturing video is a bit different than capturing stills. Although some of the same rules apply there are some key differences and some key techniques you can employ to make a compelling film.
As more and more folks are entering the world of video with the new video capable DSLRs I thought I would share with you my top ten tips.
W M T
Wide Medium Tight. Think about it, you need a shot for every 7 seconds of your story, roughly. You want it to move, flow, excite. You do this by creative framing; keeping your eye and the camera moving. Not literally moving, because too much movement can get you in trouble. I mean get a wide shot, move, get a medium shot, move, and get a tight shot. You can’t get too wide or too tight. Take the viewer places. You, if you edit, will thank yourself – and so will your viewer.
SHOOT FOR SOUND
Seems odd to say, but the thing that directs my eye the most is the microphone. The mic alerts me to the action and reactions I need to capture. Powerful images are strongly married to strong sounds. Our goal is strong images, but big sound can carry weak pictures. Think of your ipod… tiny picture with big sound. If you switch those and had a big picture with bad sound, you would leave the thing at home. Remember this when you shoot.
THE WORLD IS NOT SIX FEET TALL
Nothing is ’stranger’ to me than to have an infinite number of angles to choose from and only select the one at eye level. Look around you. How does the world look from ground level or 20 feet up? Don’t lock yourself into the easy. Our job is to take people to places they can’t or don’t want to go. Move away from eye level.
SHOOT 15
If you are going to use your time and effort to shoot a subject, get enough footage to edit. A frame is great for stills and the decisive moment, but video needs time. Let moments happen. Follow the action to see emotions and subjects evolve. The only way to do this is to roll. Don’t be afraid to waste those digital ones and zeros to capture moments. Just capture at least 15 seconds each time so you have the footage to edit.
sequences (action/reaction) are key to video
sequences (action/reaction) are key to video
sequences (action/reaction) are key to video
sequences (action/reaction) are key to video
WHERE IS IT GOING TO BE?
One of my favorite video tips is to shoot where things are going to be, not where they are. It provides a moment of surprise and makes for good transitions. It also makes you pay close attention to your subject’s movement. Anticipating can be hard, but when it works, it makes your work better.
TIGHTER
I’ve said it before. I will say it again. This time I will paraphrase the great photojournalist, Robert Capra – if your work is not saying enough or speaking loudly enough, then you need to be tighter, closer.
PAN OFF PAN ON
Like the Karate Kid with ‘wax on, wax off’… I know I show my age, but panning off and on, or tilting off and on a subject is a great transition method. This will help you in edit jams and provide movement to things that do not move. If you zoom, which I am not a big fan of, do a zoom in and out for the same reason.
RACK IT
Being in focus is a must for good video but don’t be afraid to use the focus as a tool. Intentionally moving in and out of focus is a good transition and draws attention to the subject.
POSITIVE NEGATIVE
Pay attention to the movement of your subjects. Create a flow that is easy on the viewer. Be it right to left or side-to-side, keep people moving in a logical direction. Learn how to use positive action. i.e. subjects coming into frame to start story lines or segments, and the opposite with exits. There is a reason riding off into the sunset works for Hollywood. It can work for you as well.
Positive Action
Negative Action
GARBAGE IN GARBAGE OUT
Editing software has made “I will fix in post” a more than common phrase. If you do the right things in the field with white balance, framing and audio levels, then you can spend your edit time creating instead of fixing. Video creations are a process. Know your gear, keep the process simple in the field, know when you have made a mistake and correct it in the field before it becomes garbage and an editing nightmare.
Happy shooting!
You can learn more about Art and view his amazing images at his website: Art Howard Photography
Tags: Art Howard, snow, tip, video
Posted in Articles, tips, video, vision | 1 Comment »
Monday, May 17th, 2010
If you are interested in Social Media Marketing (and in expanding your business), check out Rick's new iPhone App Social Media Marketing for Photographers (iTunes link).
Today, Social Media Marketing is marketing. Now, more than ever, photographers, as well as all those involved in creative endeavors, need to market their work, locally, nationally and internationally. That’s the focus of this comprehensive app. Juan Pons, the co-creator of the Digital Photo Experience, put this app together.
The app is an audio/video recording of Rick's Keynote presentation on social media marketing. It’s like taking a private 1.5-hour lesson on this all-important subject.
Movie times:
Part 1 – 24 minutes
Part 2 – 26 minutes
Part 3 – 17 minutes
Part 4 – 12 minutes
Part 5 – 11 minutes
Total: 90 minutes.
Rick recommends that you watch the movies in order to get the most out of the app.
Rick covers social media marketing tools such as Twitter, Tweetdeck, Google Analytics, Quitter and more. Rick gets you to think about marketing your work daily, and also touches on traditional book publishing and apps.
In addition, Rick has included a few of his favorite photography techniques!
The app is packed with marketing tips illustrated with Rick's photographs that relate to the tips given, to make learning fun.
This is Rick's second app. His first app, co-developed with Dr. Dave Wilson, is Rick Sammon’s 24/7 Photo Buffet. (iTunes link).
Keep up with Rick and Juan at the Digital Photo Experience.
Tags: DPE, iPhone, learning, Photo Tips, Rick Sammon, social media
Posted in Articles, Creativity, tips | No Comments »
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