Keep the door shut

I’ve been spending time in state and national parks lately taking photos of animals. A trait of  people I’ve noticed is when they get a chance to photograph an animal they stop their car and get out quite often. Please don’t do it.

Think about it. Your vehicle is acting as a blind so why leave it. Your best shot is eye level to the animal and you are closer to that level when seated in your car than when standing. Most of the people I’ve seen don’t move more than a few feet from their vehicle and that is probably not enough to vastly improve the photo. When you get ready to leave the area closing your door scares the animal stressing it. These are a few of the problems of getting out.

Staying in your car allows you to use a beanbag or at least the window edge to brace your camera for a sharper image. Just make sure to turn off the engine. The vibration from the engine can cause blurred images. The animal quickly gets used to the vehicle so you can get a more natural pose.

So try staying in your car to get a good shot. When doing landscapes please do get out and find the best angle.

Here are a couple image I took a few days ago in Custer State Park from within my car. Hope you like them.

 

Feelings

Sorry no photography this time. This blog is about photography and disability and this posting is about the disability part.

My disability hit home last weekend when I did an art show with my own booth. I had a great friend who helped a lot. He did almost everything involved with setting up and taking down the display. Most of the work I just couldn’t do. Even with all his help I was tired when I got home both times.

The people around me were helpful. I couldn’t reach low enough to unzip the tent and couldn’t reach high enough to store the tent wall. They were nice enough to do that for me so my tent could be open.

I have developed a big fear of falling or getting down and not being able to get up. This a real concern when outside and alone. Most of the ground here in AZ is covered with sand or small rocks. I can’t get straight up so when I try getting up at an angle my feet keep skidding. Also all the plants have thorns, stickers or needles of some sort so they can’t be used as aids to standing or getting up.

Part of the problem is I am getting weak. So I need your help to motivate me to exercise. Drop me an email when you think of it and ask if I’ve been doing exercises. I hope that will get me going as I don’t seem to be able to do it alone. My big hope is exercise will help.

In my old age I have become more sensitive to comments. I know people mean well but I just get tired of some of the comments. “I was on crutches for a few weeks so I know how bad it is.” gets under my skin. Since I’ve been on crutches all my life that I can remember I didn’t know it was bad until I was told. I am more than willing to answer questions but I don’t enjoy it when the assumption is made that since I’m on crutches I must have had a bad life. I do things a little different but feel I’ve had a pretty full life. Basically what I’m saying is think before speaking to a person with a disability. Most of the people reading this know me and don’t have a problem but it could be a good topic of discussion with your friends. Don’t think I’ve become bitter, most of the time it rolls off but not always.

Thanks for letting me rant. I promise some photography next time.

Photography at bird feeder

Since spring is coming soon thought I would offer some hints on creating photographs at a bird feeder. It can be enjoyable to put out feeders just to watch the birds. You can add to the enjoyment by taking some images to see the details of the birds.

First step is to decide what types of birds are in your area and which ones you want to attract. That decision will determine what type of feed and feeder you’ll want to purchase. There is probably a birding store (or Audubon store) that can help with info on birds and feeders. Check them out.

The critical thing for photography is the position of the feeder. Decide where you want it to be to get the best light morning and evening. Position the feeder to get the good light and have a nice background and good position for you to locate your camera.

If you are going to be outside you will probably want to consider getting a blind. A blind will conceal your movements so you won’t scare the birds. I’m lucky that we don’t have many insects so I just open the window and photograph from inside thus using the house as a blind.

A nice touch is to add a perch for the birds. Pick a nice branch and locate it near and above the feeder providing a place for the birds to land before moving to the feeder. The perch is a great place to get images without the feeder showing. You can use burst mode to catch the bird as it takes off for the feeder.

Some people like images that include the feeder. If you like that then have a ball catching images as the birds eat. Also this is an area where the birds will interact (fight) with each other so stay alert for that. If you don’t want the feeder to show move so feeder is right at edge of frame and catch the birds coming in and leaving. If a little of the feeder shows that can be removed in processing.

Hummingbirds are my favorites and they are easier to catch in action. They will hover a distance away from the feeder making for good action image. You can also use a flower to conceal your feeder making it look like the hummingbird is feeding from the flower.

The main thing is to enjoy the birds and keep trying different things with your camera setup until you get the images you want. You can use flash for fill or to make black background. You can create your own artificial background by putting up large colored paper or sheet a distance behind the feeder. Good luck and enjoy. Write me if you have questions.

One note is if you are going to use a feeder either use it for a day or two or keep it up. Not nice to the birds to get them used to food  source and them remove it. You can enjoy their visits whether you are taking photos or not.

Memory Card maintanence

Your memory card no matter what type can best be maintained by getting into a couple of habits. Download after every photography session and format card in the camera.

Use a card reader to download the images from your card. It can be a standalone reader or one that is built into your computer. Just don’t connect your camera for downloading. You need to do this for speed and safety. Also this helps avoid using camera battery and avoiding possibility of hitting the cable and knocking camera off your work surface. Downloading should be done after each time you go out. If you think “I only took a few images so I don’t need to download” you may forget how many times you’ve said it and you’ll go out with little space on the card. So just get in the habit of downloading after each session.

After downloading and making sure the images were loaded on your hard drive correctly you need to put the card back in the camera and format it. Doing an “erase all” will not clean your card but just deletes the file names. It is much better to format your card so it will be cleaned and you will have maximum space to fill with your priceless photographs. Also formating in the camera optimizes the card for that camera.

One thing to avoid is putting your card in a pants pocket and then washing the pants. It has been done several times and I hear how the card survived often but still it’s not a good idea. You do want clean cards but washing is not the way to do it.

These two habits are easy to do but can save you a big headache or lost image in the long run so try them.

Butterfly

Viewfinder

When composing through the viewfinder or on the LCD you need to look at it all. Pay attention to where the main subject is located. Then look around it. Is everything you see there for a reason? If not why include it? Check the edges. Is anything just starting to creep in? Can you tell what it is and is it adding or distracting from the photo. I see many prortrait photos with too much empty space. Get in closer and fill frame with the subject.

Everything in your photograph should be part of the story the image is telling. If you want an image showing where an animal lives then it could be small in the frame. It the surroundings are bland then get in close. The sky can help determine a landscape image. Are there great clouds and boring land then emphasize the sky. If the sky is flat then minimize it and emphasize he land.

Just think about what you see and if everything in the image a plus. I know with sports and wildlife this is hard to do but with the new zoom lenses you can come close. Some cropping can be done in processing but try to get it close in camera.

Know your subject

The better you know your subject the more prepared you will be and your photographs will turn out better. I do a lot of bird photography and have learned some of their habits. In watching hummingbirds they tend to return to the same perch so you can have your camera settings done and focus on the spot. This can create a nice portrait type photo. At the feeder they tend to hover a little distance away either before or after getting their drink. Often this is far enough away that you can get a nice image without the feeder showing. The following two images show what I mean. The key is take your time and learn the habits.

 

Perched Hummingbird

 

At the feeder

 

The Wigeons are fun to photograph as they will duck under the water and shake a little and finally raise up and flap their wings. With the warning you can catch some great action. This pose made this Wigeon look very proud. Also most birds will land and take off into the wind so position yourself for the best image.

 

Proud Wigeon starting wing flap

You need to get to know the people you photograph. The better you know them the more relaxed you can make them thus getting a better image. Find out what makes them happy. Find out things they find interesting and discuss these topics.

If you are going to photograph a landscape it’s not going to move or have any habits but you still need to know about it. What about the scene caught your attention? Then determine when is the best time to photograph it. Remember it’s all about the light. Usually avoid middle of the day to take landscapes. Is the weather right for the image? Some scenes look fine cloudless while others need an overcast day. Is the light better early or late in the day? A good landscape photograph can take several visits before you can capture the image you really want.

Camera Controls

There are three controls in your car that you needed to learn well no matter what level you wanted to drive. The brake, the steering and the accelerator are required whether you are just going to the store or if you’re going out on a racetrack. You know what these do and how to use them without thinking.

It’s the same for your camera there are three adjustment controls you need to know well. The shutter speed, the aperture, and ISO are the three controls you need. This is true whether you take an occasional snap shot at a family event or if you’re shooting a wedding.

The shutter speed controls how long the shutter is open allowing light to reach the sensor. The faster speed will enable you to stop action and keep the details sharp. This can be good for wildlife and sports. A slow shutter will blur moving objects like waterfalls. There is rule of thumb that when handholding your camera the shutter speed should be 1 over the focal length of your lens. So a 100 lens should have the shutter set at 1/100 of a second or faster. With the lenses and cameras with image stabilization you can probably go two stops slower or 1/25 of a second. You would use shutter preferred mode for action shots where you want to stop the action.

A fast shutter speed was used to stop the wings.

 

A slow shutter speed was used to show the wings in action.

Aperture controls the opening size that allows light to reach the sensor. The shutter speed and aperture work together to allow the right amount of light to reach the sensor to give you the correct exposure. The aperture also controls the depth of field. The aperture size is given as f-stops. A small number like f3.5 equals large opening and shallow depth. A shallow depth of field is usually used for portraits or selective focus. A large number like f22 means small opening and large depth. A large depth of field is nice for landscapes. You would use aperture preferred mode to select depth of field when shutter speed is not critical.

Shallow depth of field. Note only lead flower is in focus.

Full depth of field. In focus front to back.

 ISO is the sensitivity of the sensor to light. A low ISO like 100 is usually better. Experiment and determine how high you can raise the ISO with acceptable noise in the image. ISO can be raised so you can get a good exposure in low light without flash. Some cameras have auto ISO so shutter and aperture can be set and the ISO will be selected to give the right exposure. Manual mode where you pick both depth and speed can be adjusted with ISO.

Practice with all three of these controls and learn what effects they have on your photographs. These three controls should become like nature to you. Just like the controls on your car you should be able to use these camera controls without thinking about them. Hope this has helped on giving you a starting point for improvement.

Goals

Several sites have posted some good goals for photographers for 2012. I’ve distilled them down to just few that are good no matter what your skill level.

1. Learn your camera. At the very least learn the function of each knob or dial on your camera. The keys are setting mode, shutter speed, aperture, ISO and white balance. Read the manual and learn manipulation of the controls.

2. Practice with your camera to learn how each of the above controls effect the photograph. Make sure you understand where your camera will focus and how to get it to focus on what you desire. Shoot some images to see what effect changing the aperture has on the image. You want to be ready for that once in a lifetime shot when it appears. You don’t want the photo of your child with great expression coming out, out of focus or with bad exposure.

3. Learn to edit your images. There are lots of free editing programs and most cameras come with a program. There are ones for purchase in a wide range of prices. Pick one and learn it. Most images can use some help by cropping, tweaking exposure and white balance, and sharpening. Just few basics can make a world of difference. Who knows you might enjoy doing the editing and will want to learn more.

4. Learn what you want to capture with your camera. If your child is in sports learn what to expect in action. You need to prepare to catch the action. If you are going after animals learn how the animal acts. For example does the bird you want return to the same branch often.

Hope these suggestions will get you active with your camera. Share with me if it helps. I’ll be writing more later about what the controls do and how to combine them for good images.

Camera bags

Did you get some photo gear for the holidays? If the quantity of your photography equipment is growing you might want to consider a carrying system. Think Tank is a company started by photographers to design carry systems. They range from belt systems enabling you to change lenses easily while covering a sporting event to large roller bags. I have used one of their airport bags for a few years and it has been very good. It holds most of my equipment and has an external pocket for my laptop so I can use the laptop during the flight. That pocket also makes it easy to remove the laptop for the security screening. The bag has lots of padding and still looks like new after much use. Think Tank also makes rain covers and many accessories for your equipment. If you log into their site from this link http://www.thinktankphoto.com/affiliates.aspx?code=AP-618 and spend more than $50 you’ll get a free gift. I highly recommend their products. I have not tried them all but from the quality of all I’ve seen so far they will be good investments. They have bags that look like messenger bags and not photo bags which is a good idea if your walking around in a city. Give their products a look and remember to link from here for the gift.

Showing photos

 

Standing their ground

I’ve been editing and sorting photos a lot the last couple of weeks. This has made me think about showing photos. A few things to keep in mind.

Decide what you want your photos to say. Is it showing a trip you took, or an animals behaviour or is it to show the quality of your photography? What ever it is only select images that fit the topic.

Filter out any sub par images. Is the exposure good? Is focus good (remember eyes are critical)? Is composition good (avoid having all bullseyes)? If you answer no to any of those questions don’t use the photo.

Keep the number of photos low. People will get tired of looking at too many photos.  You may have taken several images of the same subject. Don’t show them all. A few high quality images will have better effect than several average images.

Put them to music if you can. Remember to use royalty free music or pay for its use. Set up the show and then let it run.

Hope this has given you some ideas for your next photo showing.