The Way We See It: March 2012

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Tip #61: Telephoto, Tripod, Head and Hand

Arizona Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus) - Saguaro NP, AZ
Canon 7D + Canon 300mm f2.8IS L w/1.4x @ f4.0 and 1/100 second

The following is my technique for maximizing detail when shooting in less than ideal conditions.

Use the tripod.
Don’t attach the camera to the tripod, use the dedicated collar on your lens.
Compose and lock it down...
Rest the left hand over the tripod collar, but don’t press down.
Gently place your eye against the eyepiece.
Squeeze the shutter release.
Shoot three to five images in continuous mode.

Peccary (Tayassu tajacu) - Saguaro NP, AZCanon 7D + Canon 300mm f2.8IS L w/1.4x @ f4.0 and 1/100 second

Although the latter technique may reduce your ability to shoot it fast and recompose, it will increase stability when the light is fading and you need to get the shot.

Sunday, March 25, 2012

Tip #60: Yin & Yang at the Intersection of Gear & Art

Big & Little - Samburu National Reserve, Kenya
Canon 7D + 300mm f2.8L IS

The following has been written during the heat of the Nikon - Canon wars. The decades long battle is now reaching a feverish pitch as the two photo innovators have just introduced a pair of long anticipated image capture devices. Interestingly, the war is not waged between the manufacturers, but is a proxy war being fought by zealots and fanboys. Camera keepers and toy lovers unite... the battle is on.

Wonder Lake - Denali National Park, AK
Hasselblad xpan + Hasselblad 45mm f4.0 @ f16

The type of camera war to which I refer is a subset of the debate that began a millennium ago. It is the sport of the non-photographer techno-geek who prefers an argument about gear over creative expressions and the making of images. Ten years ago they argued about film v digital and prior to that, it was about the inferiority of small negatives when compared to the large. Before my time, I am almost certain that the argument was about black and white versus color, or the purity of chromes when when compared to negatives. Whatever the difference, near the core of this maddening discussion is something about theoretical limits and optimal image quality...

Black & White Colobus Monkey - Lake Navaisha, Kenya
Canon 40D + Canon 100-400mm f4.5L IS

Lost in the point and counter-point of the debate is the image, the making of art, and the expression of feeling. Yang, is the bulky intrusion that preoccupies the mind and sparks feelings of envy and inadequacy. Yang is the camera in your hand, it is both an obstacle and facilitator of your vision. Yin, is the unobtrusive and petite object. Yin is light, airy and whimsical. As with Yang, Yin can distract or enable your art. The generations long debate about the Yang you use can inhibit your Yin. Yes, your Yang is important, but seek a balance. While a little Yang goes a long way, we need to make equal room for the Yin, the creative imp in us all.

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Tip #59: It's About the Light

Sunrise Swan (Cygnus buccinator) - Crex Meadows, WI
Canon 5D MarkII + Canon 300mm f2.8IS L @ f3.2

Jim Brandenburg’s Chased by the Light, is the one photo-essay to have transformed the way I view nature and pursue photography. A body of work that still resonates with me in this rapidly evolving digital era, Brandenburg’s accomplishments continue to model the importance of willpower and vision. A pre-digital experiment in nature photo-journalism, the book is an seminal example of how a personal journey can produce a rich story about a time and place. Not just any photo-a-day project, the author shot a single frame of Velvia slide film per day, in his study of the transition from the Autumnal Equinox to the Winter Solstice. Most striking is his juxtaposition of imagery with prose that conveys deep thoughts of conflict, confidence and fear throughout the photographic project.

Sunrise Swan II (Cygnus buccinator) - Crex Meadows, WI
Canon 5D MarkII + Canon 300mm f2.8IS L @ f3.2

A must read, for those seeking inspiration or fresh start, Chase by the Light reminds us about the importance of perseverance, being there, and the good light.

Sunday, March 18, 2012

Tip #58: The Anthropomorphic Image

Something Stinks Around Here - Collard Peccary (javelina), Pecari tajacu
Canon 7D + Canon 300mm f2.8L IS + Canon 1.4x Converter
Saguaro NP, AZ

An·thro·po·mor·phic, adj: ascribing human characteristics to nonhuman things

It is the “cardinal sin” of the sciences, especially in zoological and botanical disciplines that require pure objectivity. The anthropomorphic biologist fails to see the adaptive nature of a behavior, lacks a clinical assessment of an interaction and allows emotion to betray the implications of the data. I can still recall the red marks on my first undergraduate thesis. Years of research produced pages of data that were written by hand and analyzed with primitive computers. My experiment was controlled, the statistics were accurate and my conclusions were sound. However, the analysis in my discussion lacked the scientific approach that stressed objectivity above everything else. I was reprimanded and forced to write and rewrite the thesis until it was devoid of humanity.

The Old Man - Savanna Elephant, Loxadonta africana
Canon 1D markII + Canon 300mm f2.8L IS + Canon 1.4x Converter
Serengeti National Park, Tanzania

Twenty-three years later, this aging biologist and educator is also a photographer. The scientific mind is the objective mind, while the high school educator is the master of anthropomorphism. Atoms want to embrace as they form chemical bonds, prey strive to avoid predation, and plants try to grow towards the light. Claiming that hydrogen is the “slut” of the atomic world to oxygen, the “player,” who does nothing but take-take-take in the pursuit of electrons, I console myself that these sins are for the greater good ... the education of the next generation.

Broken Jaw - Mantled Howler Monkey, Alouatta palliata
Canon 7D + Canon 300mm f2.8L IS
Selva Verde - Costa Rica

As in education, anthropomorphism is the wildlife photographer’s friend. It is human nature to see ourselves in nonhuman beings, as this is how we build meaning from what we observe. The technical skills of the nature photographer fulfills my scientific mind. The pursuit of the subject, the assessment of phenology and the research of behavior are my science, but my goal is to transcend the technical and find the hints of humanity in my prey. Anthropomorphic images allow the viewer to see their nature in nature, and suggest the importance of conservation. When pictures define humanity with the absence of humans, we help others to see ourselves as just another biological being. Tug at some heart strings, promote conservation and search for yourself in your subjects.

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Tip #57: Use a Lens Hood

Macro Study - Saguaro National Park, AZ
Canon 5D Mark II + Canon 100mm f2.8L IS

I’ll credit this tip to one of the most talented nature photographers and photo educators, John Shaw. Don’t buy a protective filter, buy the correct lens shade for of your lens. I do not own a single protective filter. In fact, I only own two filters ...a variable neutral density filter and a polarizer. These filters allow me to do things that the lens and camera can not do alone.

Chollo Sunset (Opuntia fulgida) - Saguaro National Park, AZ
Canon 5D Mark II + Zeiss 35mm f2.0 ZE @ f11

Lenses are designed by the manufacturer to a tight tolerance with a specific number of glass elements cemented in groups. This design is intended to optimize sharpness and contrast while minimizing distortion, aberrations, vignetting, and flare. The addition of a filter was not part of the original design and can ultimately reduce the overall image quality.

Desert Lupine (Lupinus arizonicus) - Saguaro National Park, AZ
Canon 5D Mark II + Canon 100mm f2.8L IS

As a nature photographer who shoots in damp and dusty locations, I recognize the importance of protecting my expensive optics. Yet rather than use a filter, I use a lens hood. These plastic tubes that attach to the barrel of my lenses do more to protect and enhance my images than any UV filter could dream of doing. In addition to deflecting abrasions from routine bumps and bruises, a proper lens hood blocks extraneous light and reduces flare. By controlling how the light strikes the front optical element, I am able to increase contrast and detail while preventing ghosts and hotspots from creeping onto my pictures.

Saturday, March 10, 2012

Tip #56: Same Subject Different Light

Saguaro During Sunset - Saguaro National Park, AZ
Canon 5D Mark II + Canon 17-40L @ 17mm

The pleated green trunk, patterned spines and enormous columnar body define the iconic tree for which Saguaro National Park is named. Ubiquitous across southern Arizona, the saguaro (Carnegiea gigantea) is a keystone species in this borderland region of the Sonoran Desert. Sinks for drenching rains, the pleated bodies expand as roots absorb ephemeral bursts of water. Gila woodpeckers (Melanerpes uropygialis) and gilded flickers (Colaptes chrysoides) peck at the soft flesh excavating nesting cavities that serve as a refuge to numerous birds and small mammals. Fragrant hints of ripe melon lure bats to white nocturnal blooms, while bees pollenate saguaros throughout the morning hours. Damaged flesh becomes a meal to collared peccary (Tayassu tajacu) and a source of water to any that chews the soft “meat.”

Midday Sonoran Desert - Saguaro National Park, AZ
Canon 5D Mark II + Zeiss ZE 35mm f2.0 1 @ f/11
Three shot-HDR stack processed to capture detail in both the highlight and shadow

A model for a lesson in community ecology, botanical inhabitants of the Sonoran clearly illustrate the way plants compete for limited resources while restricting the impact of invertebrate and vertebrate herbivores. Saguaros grow in the shade of old acacia and mesquite trees, while shading the growth of Opuntia, ocotillos and smaller plant species. Vestigial leaves form sharp spines that protect the tree from herbivory, however once penetrated, a wounded cactus will seal the damaged flesh with a tough tissue called a callus.

Saguaro Night - Hacienda del Desierto, AZ
Canon 5D Mark II + Canon 17-40L @ 20mm
240 second exposure @ iso 400

For this tip, I suggest that you look to photograph iconic subjects in different light, times and locations. The saguaro is synonymous with Tucson, Arizona. Like white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) and monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus), it is an over-photographed subject in nature photography. Rather than despair about what has been done in the past, seek to define the icon for yourself. Search for angle and composition that pleases eye, and don’t fear the work that precedes you. It may be a familiar subject, but if you have not done a careful study, it remains to be novel and open to your unique vision. On these occasions, it is important to state the obvious...

Light makes the photograph and the photographer captures the light.

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

On the Road...

The Flock - Lake Manyara, Tanzania
Canon 1DmkII + Canon 300mm f2.8L IS

We're on the road chasing the fleeting moments of a desert sunrise. With little time to sleep and only a laptop at my disposal, tip #56 is on vacation too. Like us, project 101 and Tip #56 will return on Sunday.
Get out of the house and chase some butter light!
Cheers from the desert, bruce and tamy

To Hunt or To Sleep - Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania
Canon 1DmkII + Canon 300mm f2.8L IS

Spooked - Serengeti, Tanzania
Canon 1DmkII + Canon 300mm f2.8L IS

Rush Hour - Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania
Canon 30D + Sigma 120-300mm f2.8 HSM

Sunday, March 4, 2012

Tip #55: Crop It!

Territorial (Trumpeter Swans: Cygnus buccinator)
Square Crop
Canon 7D + Canon 300mm f2.8IS L w/ Canon 1.4x Converter @ f5.6
Minnesota

The title says is it all...
Every camera and lens combination has the potential to enhance or constrain your vision. For example, the sensor in the typical digital SLR matches the 35mm format with its 3:2 framing ratio. In contrast, 4/3 (FT) and µ4/3 (MFT) cameras are defined by a smaller sensor with a 4:3 ratio. Prior to my transition to digital in 2003, I used medium format 645 and 6x6 cameras. I loved the large transparencies from these systems, especially the square images I produced with my classic Hasselblad.

Territorial (Trumpeter Swans: Cygnus buccinator)
Full Frame
Canon 7D + Canon 300mm f2.8IS L w/ Canon 1.4x Converter @ f5.6
Minnesota

During a recent winter shoot, I had the opportunity to capture the drama of pre-mating rituals. Here the trumpeter swans had congregated in a patch of open water and were re-establishing pair bonds. Integral to this behavior is the the tussling between competitors as they define territorial boundaries. The top post demonstrates how a square crop emphasizes the size, behavior and action, where the 3:2 ratio includes benign elements that distract. While I am not an aggressive cropper, I believe that any crop that conveys your intent is not a crappy crop ;-)