Use a macro lens with a short minimum focus distance (< 12 inches) Set shutter speed to synch with flash (1/200s or 1/250s) If you and the subject are both indoors, use external flash (not pop up) Use the in-built bounce card or attach a diffuser Place your lens on the glass – straight on, not at an angle Take a picture and check the histogram. If the subject is too bright, increase the f-stop. If the subject is too…
Wildlife parks and zoos are an excellent place to observe animal behaviors and master your camera functions. I often get asked about photographing at wildlife parks, and specifically how to take pictures through a fence or glass. This article I wrote provides the answers and will prepare you for success. Published worldwide in the Photographic Society of America (PSA) Journal, June 2021. View and Download Article
Consider these elements when culling thru your images to select those to process. 4-Legged Mammals Eyes are tack sharp Catch light in eyes The whites of the eyes are showing Shot is at eye level or below with the animal (not above eye level) No blown-out white highlights on the animal, unless it’s rim light Ears up and facing in the same direction the animal is looking For frontal straight-on shots, the nose is sharp in addition to tack sharp…
Use at least 300 mm lens focal length. Use Aperture Priority or Manual Exposure Mode. Set the aperture to f/4 – f/6.3 and shutter speed to 1/500s. Set ISO to 800. Use Auto Focus and the Continuous or AI Servo setting. Set Auto Focus Area Mode to Single or Spot. Find a shaded area of the fence. Place the lens as close to the fence as possible. Place the focus point on the animal’s eyes or face. Sample photos through…
Besides the incredible photos you capture, photo workshops are an excellent way to increase your photography skills in a short period of time. This article answers three commonly asked questions about attending a photo workshop: what should you bring, what camera settings should you be familiar with and what should you practice before attending. What Should You Bring to a Photo Workshop? DSLR camera or equivalent. There are sophisticated all-in-one cameras with super zoom capabilities that will work perfectly fine too.…
We don’t always have the opportunity to include the entire body of the subject in the photo. It’s perfectly acceptable to crop the photo. Simply avoid cropping the subject at a joint, as illustrated in the photos below.
Getting a good exposure in snowy conditions can be a little tricky. Does the snow look gray in your photos? This tip explains why this happens and what to do about it. Camera meters are designed to give exposure readings perceptually in the middle between white and black, a middle- tone value. When your scene is mostly snow, the camera meter gives a reading that brings the tonality back to neutral gray, which causes the image to be underexposed. In…
Depth of Field is how much of a given photograph is in sharp focus from the foreground of what’s in your frame to the background. Only what your focus point is on (shown as a square or dot when you look through the view finder) will be razor sharp. Other elements in front of (closer to you) and behind (further away from you) will be somewhat sharp. A “shallow” depth of field means a limited part of the photo is…
Is there a fence in your way? No problem! Use these camera settings to make the fence disappear in your photograph. Use the longest focal length of your telephoto lens. If you are able to put the lens within an inch or two from the fence, a 100mm focal length will work. The farther away you are from the fence, the longer the focal length you will need to make the fence disappear. Generally, if you are a few feet…
Check the settings each time you use your camera. Use this 10-step checklist to be ready when a wildlife photo opportunity presents itself. Set Exposure Mode: Choose Aperture Priority (A or AV) to control depth of field. Choose Shutter Priority (S or TV) to blur/freeze movement. Choose Manual to control both. Set Aperture f-stop (In Aperture Priority or Manual): f/4 – f/7 will soften or blur the background and enable faster shutter speeds. Set Shutter Speed (In Shutter Priority or…