Category: Tips

Marg’s Tip for March

2-march-hints-for-nature-and-wildlife-tips-huntington-beach-8-d2745Nature and Wildlife Photography Tips

Before heading out, do your homework.  Be as educated as possible, before you ever make a photograph, though you never can be totally prepared.

What Gear to Pack

A good bag is worth its weight in gold.  All the planning in the world isn’t worth much unless you can comfortably carry your essential tools with you. Find a camera bag that can carry the gear you need easily and is especially comfortable on your body.. Bags range greatly in price and quality, but you usually get what you pay for.  For added piece of mind, you might consider a bag that is semi-waterproof or water-resistant.  A rain cover is also a useful addition.

Shoes

A good pair of hiking shoes or boots is one of the most important pieces of gear for any Nature or Wildlife photographer.  Grit, Dust, mud, Insects, rocks and creepy crawlies – you need a pair of shoes or boots that can handle all these elements.  If your feet become uncomfortable, it won’t be long before you start thinking about cutting your trip short.

Prepare a Checklist

It’s always a good idea to have a mental checklist before beginning.  Ask yourself the following questions:
  • Are any Special Permits or Permission Required?   Some National or State parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries require special permits for access to certain areas, especially those deemed as back country environments.
  • Where Will I Leave my Vehicle?  If you park your vehicle in an unauthorised area, you will be stuck with a sizable fine or worse, return to your vehicle to find it had been towed.
  • Are There any Time Restrictions of any Kind? Most natural areas and parks have hours of operation just like a business.  You might arrive expecting to shoot a great sunrise, only to find out the location you chose isn’t accessible until after daybreak.    Also remember that wild creatures and critters are usually most active in the early morning or late evening.
  • What are the Expected Weather Conditions?   This is a biggie.  Know what to expect as far as the weather is concerned.  Check the forecast the day of departure and keep tabs on it throughout the day if possible.  NEVER chance endangering yourself or your equipment by venturing out unprepared for bad weather.
  • What are the Times for Sunrise and Sunset?      Make sure the places are accessible during those times and be aware of the schedule so that you can allow enough time to reach your location and set up your gear before it’s go time.
  • Are There Any Commonly Photographed Animals, Landmarks or Structures?     Research what is usually photographed around the area you plan to visit.  Find a park ranger or staff member and ask about lesser known spots that are less travelled by tourists.  Knowing what’s popular will save you time and help to avoid shooting a scene the same way it has been done, time and time again.  Look for ways to be creative and set your work apart.
Here are a few basic tips that can help you after you reach your destination.

Shoot Raw

Raw files are basically unprocessed, one might say uncooked, straight from your camera’s image sensor.  They contain a mass amount of pixel information. When compared to JPEG, they take up a lot more memory card space.  However the added information allows more latitude for adjustments in post processing.

Use the Lowest Practical ISO

The ISO number of photography film and image sensors relates to their sensitivity to light.  The higher the ISO number the less light is required to make an image, however this can increase the noise.  There are times when a fast shutter speed is often needed to capture the quick movement of wildlife and increased noise is far less noticeable than a blurred image.

AF Can be Your Best Friend or Your Worst Enemy

A great tool when photographing most wildlife and keeping a moving subject in focus.  Place your selected focus area over the subject and half press the shutter button to engage AF.  Focus will be tracked for as long as you follow your subject while maintaining pressure on the shutter button.  Read your camera manual for detailed information.

Don’t Forget the Tripod

“I really think I would need my tripod” are words that usually begin a sad story about how a potentially great shot is missed.  It’s better to have access to one and not need it, than to need it and not have one available.
Learn so you can prepare. Prepare so you can photograph.
Photograph so you can Grow.
Photographing wildlife can be difficult but it can also yield huge artistic, personal and even spiritual rewards.  So go out and have fun doing what you do, but don’t forget to put the camera down every now and then to enjoy the world around you.
Nature never goes out of style.
Marg Jackman

Hyperfocal Distance?

Hyperfocal distance is one of those nerdy terms that provokes tiresome forum discussions, but a basic grasp is useful if you’re going to push the limits of depth of field. A sensible working definition is that’s the distance at which you need to focus for things at infinity to be acceptably sharp – for a particular focal length and aperture. There are lots of variables here, not least what your eye considers acceptably sharp. In practice, because no one has time to fiddle with tables and calculators, the working method is to focus roughly a third of the way into the scene and stop right down. This gives you a starting point, but the devil is in the fine detail so that taking a shot and then examining it at high magnification on the camera’s screen is the only way to be sure that you have the front to back sharpness you want.

Marg Jackman

Catching a Wave

The best time to capture a wave is when it’s drawing back.  As the wave comes in it envelops any rocks and sometimes it completely washes over them.  Taking a shot at this point makes it look overwhelmed with that white froth you get from the crest of the wave.
By waiting until the water is starting to draw back out you have clearly defined movement from the water and the rocks become visible.
Marg Jackman

Marg’s Tip for February

Five Tried and True Landscape Photography Tips Used by the Pros.

february-2017-hints-5-tried-and-true-tips-used-by-pros-for-landscape

Have you ever found yourself wondering how do the professionals (Pros) consistently turn out amazing photographs day after day, year after year and what are their secrets.

1.  Experimentation

Experimenting is one of the best ways to shake yourself up out of the doldrums and even pros use it to get their creative juices flowing.  Try something totally out of your comfort zone,  If you are already a master of the golden hours, try shooting a nightscape or even a long exposure in the middle of the day.  Experimenting keeps you on the learning path and when you learn, you grow as a photographer.

2.  Making it on your own

Many places on your photography list have already been captured hundreds of times.  What else can you do?  Is there another foreground element you can add or take away?  One of the things that make pros work stand out from the rest, is their perspective and ability to make a place seem like you are seeing it for the first time.  Can you get a different angle, add or detract an element or shoot it differently. (eg. with light trails or multiple exposures?)

3.  Tell a Story

Being able to evoke the emotions of your audience should always be a goal.  Keep in mind that the purpose of your photographic story is to interest, instruct or amuse your audience.  Decide how you want the image to affect them, and then how to achieve that goal.  Is it going to be realistic or abstract, black or white or infrared?

4.  Less Can Be More

In landscape photograph, being more selective with the views you present, tells a more effective story, so pros understand the power of good composition.  One of the rules of good composition is that your image should contain just enough details.  You do not have the luxury of physically moving things around, so you must arrange the elements of an image by changing your position. You can then find the most flattering views and one that tells a different story.
Choosing the important elements to highlight, helps you to decide what to include and what to leave out.  Make your subject dominate by accentuating it with one or few related elements, remembering to declutter as much as you can.  As a general rule, if the element  doesn’t  enhance the subject, it may be detracting from it.

5.  Know Your Post-Processing

Ideally you want to get the shot right in camera.  Pros know the importance of post-processing. That is the main reason they shoot in RAW, to capture all the uncompressed image data, which leads to higher quality images in the end.  Digital photography has made it easier to post-process, but it also makes it easier to go overboard easily.  So determine your vision for the final image, and learn to execute it properly, so you produce an image that represents you.

Conclusion

Staying consistent means staying creative or constantly challenging yourself to try something different or learn something new.  There is nothing more amazing than producing a piece that someone can identify as yours, even before they confirm you did.

Straighten Things Out

If you prefer to get your perspective as straight as possible in-camera but you don’t have a tilt-shift lens, there is a solution.  You have just taken a shot of a building, possibly with a 20mm lens, and are standing close to it and looking up.
If possible, step back and switch to a longer lens. You’ll be able to keep your camera level and avoid converging verticals – though your subject will be smaller in the frame.
Marg Jackman

Merry Christmas!

Did Santa bring you a new camera for Christmas? If you’re new to photography then this article on camera basics that Fraser Campbell shared with us will help you get started.

If you want to learn even more about your new camera why not try it out at our Shoot In which we’re holding as part of the meeting on January 6th. Don’t forget to bring your manual.

Henry’s Kanata

stu-and-gregThanks to Alexandra Leask and Greg Pilsworth from Henry’s Kanata for their interesting presentation at our December meeting and for answering all our questions during the break.

Alexandra discussed the following:

  • Sandisk SD cards come with an offer for a free trial version of their file recovery  software
  • SD cards and what all the numbers mean. You can get your own copy of her handout by clicking here.
  • The Canon CS100 1 TB external drive can be used without a computer to back up images from memory cards. It has WiFi so can connect directly to computers and  smart TVs.
  • Smart phone photography as “the camera you carry” – better than the one you leave at home
  • XQD memory cards which are a new standard for fast reliable storage supported by the Nikon D500. A replacement for CF the old card standard
  • sensor sizes based on the image in this article

Alexandra pointed out that all the staff at Henry’s are avid photographers and that they welcome questions. Specifics (hours and location) of Henry’s Kanata store are here. The Henry’s web site is here.

You can email Alexandra here and Greg here.

 

 

Marg’s Tip for December

Contemplative Photography

contemplative-photography-1

Henri Cartier-Bresson said: For me the camera is a sketch book, an instrument of intuition and spontaneity.
In order to”give a meaning” to the world, one has to feel oneself involved in what one frames through the viewfinder – Must always take photography with the greatest respect for the subject and oneself.

Preparing for your Journey: Simplify.

Heavy tripods, huge lenses and expensive cameras are not necessary for Contemplative Photography – an open heart, unfettered mind and infinite patient are.
Equipping the Mind:  Probably more important than what you carry on your back, is what you carry in your heart.  There are two approaches.  You “shoot” your subject, you “take” photographs.  We use telephoto lenses to get close to a subject without their knowledge. It is photography as voyeur, as hunter.  The other way is to engage in a dialogue that respects your subject.  A Contemplative Photographer understands that photograph is a two way street and waits for the landscape to invite them in.  The four B’s.  Be still, be present, be patient and be persistent.

The Contemplative Eye:

  • Sees beauty in the commonplace
  • Looks for the subtle language of pattern and texture
  • Seeks out the metaphoric capabilities of the landscape
  • Is unhurried and patient
  • Looks beneath the subject qualities to reveal the hidden layers of meaning
  • Revels in the interplay of light and shadow.

Contemplative Thought Flow:

Approaching:    As you sit in the landscape, try to engage with what is in front of you.  Journal your thoughts and be patient.
Engaging:      What in the landscape draws your attention? Does it require you to move closer and step back?  Use you viewfinder to try out different compositions.
Reflecting:      Play back your photograph.  Do any of them illustrate the feelings you have for the landscape?  Sometimes you need to return again and again before you capture the essence of the place.
The outer landscape becomes a metaphor for the unknown inner landscape.
The essential tasks of every Contemplative Photographer is to seek out and resonate with those metaphors., which include, shadows,play of light on subjects, contrasts of texture, colour, man-made elements, architectural features, weather effects, trees, especially unusual ones,plants and flowers and water-still and moving.

Changing your Lenses:

Traditional photography puts an emphasis on technique and subject matter.  Contemplative Photography emphasises the individuals interpretation of the landscape through the lenses of our heart.
THE OLD LENS THE NEW LENS
Images are taken Image received
Concern for control Openness to Surprise
Photography as aggression Photography as an act of respect
The camera as a weapon ( point and shoot) The camera as translator
Subject as object Subject as co-creator
An attitude of judgement An attitude of wonder
Photography is “detached” Photography forms an interconnection
After you have created your photograph, there is always the issue of what to do with it.  It all comes down to what you hope to convey in the photograph and you might not know till long after it is made, after you have had time to sit with the image and reflect on the meaning to you.  This is the Contemplative part of the process and it takes time.

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This hint is condensed from A Field Guide for the Contemplative Photographer by Patricia Turner.

Gift of Lights

Camera Club member Kathy Brown pointed out Gift of Lights  as good chance to get some interesting Christmas light pictures.

Quoting from their website:

Gift of Lights is a family-friendly 2 kilometre drive-thru holiday light display featuring a 100+ foot light tunnel at the exit, and over 30 full light static & animated displays!

It’s on from Friday, November 25th, 2016 to Sunday, January 1st, 2017 7 days a week: from 5:00 PM until 10:00 PM at Wesley Clover Parks Campground, 411 Corkstown Road.

If you go and take pictures,  please share them with the club.

Thanks for sharing this with us Kathy.

[Added later]

Kathy did some checking with the organizers and it’s not possible to get out of your car to take pictures so this might not be a great opportunity.