The Way We See It

Friday, November 11, 2011

Tip #12: Shoot it Low

Baru Beach - Dominical, Costa Rica
Canon 5D MarkII + 50mm f1.4 @ f11 + Variable Neutral Density Filter
Shot from my Belly using "Live View" to frame the image

While life at 5 foot 9 inches might be typical for the average American male, it's not the only point of view. My nature photo tip of the day... "be the ant." Spread your your tripod legs, take out that center column, and get real low.

Tip #12: Change your perspective, get on your belly, and shoot from the ground.

A cautionary message to you wannabe beach photog's... immersion in your photography takes on a whole new meaning when you're shooting near the ocean!

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Tip #11: Shoot RAW!

White-faced capuchin - Hacienda Baru, Costa Rica
Canon 7D + 300 f2.8L IS @ f2.8

Shoot RAW images, but don’t rely on RAW to save you from a poorly exposed or poorly composed image. RAW files allow for more aggressive changes in post-process, but they will not save you from your poor technique.

The image that accompanies today's tip was made under very challenging conditions. This white-faced capuchin (Cebus capucinus) was moving hurriedly through the canopy. Unlike the more deliberate locomotion of the larger mantled howler (Alouatta palliata), these petite capuchins jump nervously from branch to branch. Your best chance at photographing a capuchin occurs whenever these gregarious monkeys congregate around a fruiting tree. The subject pictured here stopped and hesitated prior to making its leap. While I would have rather captured it in mid air, I fear that the contrast range between canopy and sky would have made for an image of a flying blob. Here, the raw file provided me with the flexibility to preserve the detail between the monkey's dark hair and pale face. Had I shot a jpeg file rather than RAW, it is likely that the highlights would have lacked detail and the shadows would have been dark and muddy.

Tip #11: Shoot RAW images, but never depend on a raw processing to save your from poor technique.

Monday, November 7, 2011

Tip #10: Get out of the Car

Tropical Doe (Odocoileus virginianus) - Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica
Canon 7D + 300 f2.8IS L

Tip #10: Get out of your car and take a walk

The car point of view is now ubiquitous with "wildlife photography." So common are these images on the web, I make every effort to avoid the classic "from the car shot." Images taken from a vehicle lack intimacy, are poorly composed, and exhibit a top-down perspective.

Think before you take another image of that roadside elk! Get out of your car, take a hike in the woods and learn how to approach your subject. Many miss amazing photographic opportunities because so few are willing to carry their gear. Images from a trail evoke the emotion of the moment and offer your viewer the feeling of "being there."

Saturday, November 5, 2011

Tip #9: Practice

At the Rookery
Shot from a Canoe on the St. Croix River
Canon 7D + 300 f2.8L IS @f2.8

Strive to become a better photographer...

My deliberate focus on the art of photography began after a research excursion to the Pribilof Islands, AK. I was a data grunt; a field ecologist gathering data about seabird species reproducing on two island colonies in the middle of the Bering Sea. My three years of research became a pivotal moment in my life, and laid the foundation for the work I do today. My responsibilities varied, but my interests leaned towards the documentation of behavior. I carried a staff camera wherever I went as well as my own Pentax point and shoot body. This was 1987, digital was a thing of dreams, and autofocus was in its infancy. The field kit included an old NIkon F2 whose meter had long died and a 300mm f4.5 lens. While I had a teenage interest in photography, I left all that behind to focus on my studies in biology. After returning from Alaska I hurriedly processed my Kodachrome and black and white negatives. To my disappointment, the images were nothing short of crap. From that point on, I vowed to re-learn the art and science behind photography. I spent thousands of hours studying images, exposure theory, and optics. While I know little about the physics behind the construction of a lens or the translation of light to bits and bytes, I now intuitively understand the essence of image making.

In 1988 I returned to the islands with a Contax SLR and two lenses. Far from proficient with a camera, that summer of research began my deliberate practice in photography that continues today. I am a compulsive shooter. While I rarely produce images that make me proud, I’m on a daily quest to fulfill a vision and translate my perspective about the nature of life for others to see.

Chicken
Canon 5D Mark II w/ Zeiss 35mm f2.0 ZE @f8

Tip #9: Practice your Craft!

Practice your focusing technique by shooting a familiar subject. Practice your exposure by shooting in challenging light. Practice changing lenses and memory cards quickly. You never know when you’ll be at the right place at the right time. Practice will make these mental stressors automatic.

Thursday, November 3, 2011

Tip #8: Fill the Frame

Don't Touch - Porcupine - Pine Barrens, WI
Canon 1D MarkII + 300mm f2.8L @ f4

Want to make your images more compelling? Here's a tip... move in, change your lens, or crop it tight. The way you get there matters less than the overall effect. If you've got the pixels to burn, the focal length to narrow your perspective or the skill to make an approach... do it!

Tip #8: Fill the Frame with your Subject!

Bison Bison - Yellowstone, NP
Canon 7D + 300mm f2.8L @ f4
Cropped Vertically to Tighten the Composition

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Tip #7: Don't Forget Your Memory

Tug - Samburu National Park, Kenya
Canon 40D + Canon 100-400L IS @ f5.6

Tip #7 is a no brainer, but even the brainiest of us will forget to do it.
Always bring extra memory cards and stuff them in your pockets not in the car or camera bag! It sucks to be in the heat of a shoot, working a changing scene or miles from your cards, when that camera stops working and says "FULL."
Been there, done that, don't want to do it again... ;-)

Surrounded - Moro Rock, Sequoia NP
Nikon D2h + Tamron 180 f2.8 Macro

Landing Gear - Crex Meadows Wildlife Management Area, WI
Canon 7D + Canon 300 f2.8L IS + 1.4x @ f4.0

Saturday, October 29, 2011

Tip #6: Tripod = Creativity

After Sunset - Crex Meadows, WI
Canon 5D Mark II + Zeiss ZE 35mm f2.0 / 30 Second Exposure

Can a piece of gear really inspire the inner creative? While equipment will never replace an idea or vision, it can be the facilitator. If I were to rank the value of each item in my “bag,” my tripod would always be number one. In fact, during a recent camping/photo excursion I managed to leave my three-legged companion in the woods. The mere thought of losing this friend set off a chain of events that included a bit of panic. Fortunately for me, I was able to retrace my steps and find this pillar of stability waiting for a comfortable shoulder to escort it back to civilization.

After Sunset #2 - Crex Meadows, WI
Canon 5D Mark II + Zeiss ZE 35mm f2.0 / 30 Second Exposure

A tripod will enhance the image-making experience, promote creativity, and slow time. The mere act of setting the legs and leveling the horizon diffuses the immediacy in the moment. Constrained by the limitations of a bulky yet stable platform, the burden of the "sticks" will suppress the impulse to shoot. Here, the emphasis is on fewer refined compositions that capture the essence of a moment. A tool for the creative, the tripod is a friend to those who embrace a thoughtful and deliberate approach to photography.

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Tip #5: Go for the Shallow Depth of Field

Matled Howler Feeding on Canopy Leaves
Canon 7D + 300mm f2.8 @ f2.8

Cameras are great, but lenses are better. While ambient light reflected off the subject is capable of producing an image through a glassless aperture (see pinhole cameras), it is the lens between the subject and photographer that focuses light onto the image sensor. We photographers will often speak about the character of a lens. Difficult to put into words, we use terms like "micro-contrast," "color palette," and "depth." As someone who values the experience of image making above all else, I have a confession to make... I am obsessed with quality glass. There is something seductive about a brilliant lens that can focus light with a clarity that has to be experienced in order to be understood.

Red-eyed Tree Frog on Heliconia
Canon 5D markII + 180 f3.5 Macro @ f3.5.

So Tip #5 is about using this quality glass that we attach to our image making devices. Shoot the Lens at its Maximum Aperture. The maximum, or widest, aperture is the smallest number on the aperture ring or dial. Often listed as f/1.4, f/2.8 or f/4, these maximum apertures focus the reflected light with a shallow depth of field. While the ultimate sharpness of your lens may be compromised by its maximum aperture, the softly blurred fore and background will increase the perception of image clarity. Simply put, the maximum aperture isolates your subject and makes the image "POP!"

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Tip #4: Be There

Migrating Pair - Crex Meadows WMA, WI
Canon 7D + 300 f2.8 + 1.4x Converter

The heading says it all... Be There!

Grab your camera and whatever lens you have and be the photographer. Do your research, find an event, a festival, or migration. Make the great images happen by placing yourself in the right place at the right time.

At the Landing Strip - Crex Meadows WMA, WI
Canon 7D + 300 f2.8

Every October Sandhill Cranes migrate to the Crex Meadows Wildlife Management Area. With over 30,000 acres of wetland, brush prairie and forest habitat this is an oasis for spring and fall migrants. While the photography is seldom easy, this refuge is a little known hotspot for birders and wildlife watchers. Being There is about making opportunities, chasing the butter-light and welcoming serendipity.

Sunset Flock - Crex Meadows WMA, WI
Canon 7D + 300 f2.8

Sunday, October 23, 2011

Tip #3: Out of Focus

Summer Flowers - Yellowstone National Park
Canon 5D Mark II + 300 f2.8 @ f2.8

Tip #3: Purposefully defocus your image and shoot at your widest aperture. In doing so, color, tone, and form become your subject.

Lilly Pads - William Obrien State Park, MN
Canon 7D + 300 f2.8 @ f2.8

While I am fairly certain that this will not be my most popular photo tip, I am compelled to toss it out and see if it sticks. In a world of DSLRs where high resolution and "micro-contrast" are king, we suffer a vision deficit. The never-ending search for the sharpest lens and most pixels now lead us astray. Take a break from the perfection compulsion. Search for the good light, rich tones, and pattern... translate these things into your personal vision.

Snow Storm - Tamarack Nature Center, MN
Canon 20D + 400 f5.6 @ f5.6