Tag: camera

Know Thy Camera: Why Valuable Seconds Count in Wildlife Photography

Posted on by James

The difference between the greatest wildlife photographers and those just getting started isn’t actually that much, when it comes to actual time taken to snap a shot.
In terms of the number of seconds between spotting an opportunity, lifting one’s eye to the viewfinder, dialling in your settings an pushing the shutter button, the complete rookie might take just a few seconds longer – ten at the most – but the difference in image quality is – for the most part – utterly remarkable.

So how do the pros make those few seconds count so drastically in their favour?

The main thing to remember is that you’re dealing with wildlife. “Wild” being the operative word. With no control over an animal’s movements, when a moment passes it’s likely gone forever.
There are therefore two main factors at play here:

  1. Anticipation

  2. Dialling in your settings. Quickly.

Let’s talk about the first one briefly.

As obvious as it may sound, understanding wildlife behaviour is of primary importance in wildlife photography, for the simple reason that predicting what is likely to. happen next cand and often will set you up to both be in the right position for a shot and to have everything ready on your camera, from lens choice to settings.
Realising that a lion yawning in the soft evening light means that he will likely yawn again soon and then get moving will inform you as to what shutter speed, aperture and ISO you should be using.
Being new in the game however means you will be relying heavily on your safari guide for this information, so make sure you are asking questions and looking for prompts as to what is probably going to happen next, and you can switch to part2: Dialling in Your Settings.

Although some sort of base level ISO and shutter speed will be adequate for at least capturing a memory of a scene (which modern cameras can often do a decent job with on Auto mode), the more control you are taking when it comes to settings selection the better, as you will necessarily be able to increase image quality and start to look for the photos you want to capture in terms of your own interpretation of a scene.

Believe me, the few seconds it takes to bring your camera down, look for the button you want to be pressing, pressing it, scrolling through the menu for the desired setting then bringing the camera up again to eye level, composing the shot and then snapping it, will more often than not result in the scene you originally saw or envisioned having already changed, and you will find yourself behind the 8-ball.

This is where the pros have the upper-hand; they have spent so much time adjusting settings at speed, in the field, without removing their eye from the view-finder, that a 2-second tweak with the thumb and forefinger dials can completely change what mode and settings they’re shooting on, and have them fully prepared to nail the shot.
As with so many things in life that demand mastery, the muscle memory is what sets them apart here.

Don’t get disheartened though.

The good news in the early days of anyone’s wildlife photography journey is that although the learning curve is steep at first, but you can attain a decent level quickly:

Once you hit the plateau stage, it takes hours in the field and thousands of photos. to start seeing real change, but that initial period of increasing competence can very much be fast-tracked by just knowing your camera.

You shouldn’t have to be fiddling around trying to work out how to change the shutter speed when the leopard is about to launch up the tree. It should just happen.
Sun suddenly disappeared behind some dark clouds? Low light? Raise your ISO immediately! One push of a button, quick scroll, done.

Looking at the menu above, things might seem complicated, but trust me; a few basic concepts and you’re set.
Yes you will have to take time to come to terms with what’s what, but knowing how to change settings is what’s going to make the difference.

When in a photographic situation, a good guide might tell you something like “Make sure your aperture is wide open and your ISO is at about 1600. That should get you a decent shutter speed”. It’s then up to you to get those settings set up. As a sighting unfolds, he or she might be issuing updates on the fly; “Ok the sun’s gone down.. I’d double your ISO now. Use a beanbag to keep the camera steady. Make sure your shutter speed is at least 1/320”. Or something like that.

You don’t even have to be too comfortable with what all the terms mean or how they relate to each other; as long as you can respond to a verbal instruction from your guide, you’ll at least be able to get the shot.

Sitting for half an hour before you come on safari to make sure you know what each button on the camera does, how to access menus and which dials to spin for what result will go a long way towards relieving frustration when actually out in the field, believe us!

For those interested in private photographic tutelage on safari through a specialist photographic guide, get in touch with us through info@iconicafrica.com.

We know where the best photographic lodges are to be found, so if you are looking for any photographic advice pre-, during- or even post-safari, don’t hesitate to reach out.

How to Get the Shot in Wildlife Photography

Posted on by James

Wildlife photography is frustrating at the best of times. You might be looking away when an animal suddenly moves, the weather might not be playing ball, or a fly might be buzzing around your head and annoying you as your eye eches from looking through the view finder, waiting for that opportune moment to push the shutter button.
But the frustration is what results in the reward. When you nail the shot, you get a sense of elation akin to completing your first marathon or your favourite sports team winning!

Anticipation is a crucial element in wildlife photography, involving predicting and preparing for an animal’s next move or behaviour.. This skill requires understanding animal behaviour patterns, observing subtle cues, and setting your camera to be ready for those fleeting moments. By anticipating what an animal might do, you can be in the right place at the right time to capture that shot you dreamed of!

We understand that for first-time safari-goers, a familiarity with the animals might be lacking; this is why it is so important to bring your guide into the loop. Telling him or her about exactly what type of shot you have envisioned will go a long way towards helping them anticipate your needs, as well as the animals’ behaviour.

 

The more time you spend observing animals in their natural habitat, the better you’ll become at anticipating what they’ll do next.

We thought we’d run through a couple of images and describe what happened, and how we positioned – or at least got ready for – the shot.

Lion Crossing Water, Duba Plains, Botswana.

Duba Plains is right up north in the Okavango Delta, and as such has quite a bit of water year-round. The lions there are adapted to criss-crossing the various channels, particularly in the months of the annual inundation. They know the shallowest crossing points well, and fortunately these often coincide with the best vehicle crossing spots.
In this sighting, another lioness (the one in the photo’s sister), had killed a large warthog the day before, and the photographed individual was responding to her roars, as they were looking to reunite.
Knowing the direction the lioness would (most likely) take, we crossed a small channel and waited for her on the opposite side of the shallow section. Zooming out slightly to allow for her reflection, our hearts were in our mouths as she approached.
Fortunately, she crossed exactly where we had anticipated, and the above shot was the result.
Falling Impala, Londolozi Game Reserve, South Africa
A female leopard had killed and hoisted a young impala, and led her two cubs back to it early one morning. A large part of a young leopard’s learning is in pretending to kill an animal its mother has already brought down, and when one of the cubs began roughly moving the impala carcass in the fork of the tree, we anticipated her dropping it and it falling to the ground>
Justy like in the lion photo, we zoomed out slightly to allow some space for the impala to fall into if it happened, and as the kill began to slip,, we were ready with our fingers on shutter buttons and high frame rates set.
The second cub below was unprepared for the kill almost dropping straight onto it!

Leopard Cubs Playing, Londolozi Game Reserve, South Africa

This was actually from the same sighting as the falling impala above, but from when the mother was leading her cubs to the kill.
Having seen how boisterous the young leopards were being, we had our ISOs cranked up high on our cameras to make sure we were getting high enough shutter speeds in the low light conditions (the sun was still low and the leopards were moving through shade).
Mother leopards will often prefer to lead their cubs through thicker vegetation so that they remain concealed; any gaps or roads to be crossed become like gold to a photographer in a sighting like that, as you have a brief few moments without vegetation in the way.
In this instance, with our camera settings already dialled in, we anticipated the spot where the mother leopard would reach the road with her cubs and waited there.
We were lucky as the continual games of pounce-and-chase from the young leoaprds reached a creescendo just as they got to the road, and the above photo was the result.

Hyena Dragging Impala, Londolozi Game Reserve, South Africa

During the rut, impala males will lock horns, sometimes fighting to the death, and their battles are often to the complete exclusion of any kind of self-preservation. Lowered awareness and a complete focus on the fight at hand makes them vulnerable, and this female hyena had brought down this rutting male impala, devouring half of it with a clan-mate.

After eating her fill, she picked up the remains and started to drag them down the road. We know there was a den not too far away, and we presumed she was going to take the meat back to her growing cubs.
It was still early morning and the light was not good, so we decided to roll the dice and capture a shot that emphasised the movement of the hyena. With low ISOs and slow shutter speeds ready, we parked next to the road ahead of where the hyena was dragging at pace, and as she passed us we panned with her, shooting continuously, and the above shot is the result. The slight blur in the background implies a sense of urgency in the hyena’s movement and tells a far better story than a simple freeze-frame.

If wildlife hobby is your passion or something you’d like to get into, feel free to get hold of us through info@iconicafrica.com with any questions you might have.

If you have any requests for subjects of future photographic posts, let us know!

Low Light Photography

Posted on by James

This is probably one of the trickiest areas of wildlife photography to get right.
Photography is all about light, and the less there is, the harder it is to take a sharp photograph. After sunset or before sunrise, cloudy days, or even shooting with a spotlight; all present their challenges, some of which can be overcome and others not so much. But with a couple of trips and tricks, you should be able to get some very memorable photos even when conditions are poor.

1. Know Your Equipment

A good workman never blames his tools, so they say, but the simple reality here is that some camera equipment is significantly better than others. Certain lenses let in more light, some bodies can cope with almost complete darkness, and having this more advanced (but unfortunately more expensive) equipment will go a long way towards getting better photos when the light is poor.
The two things to look for are lens that has a wide aperture (f2.8 or below) and a camera body with high ISO capability (ISO is a measure of the camera’s sensitivity to light). If you have those two you can probably keep snapping away for awhile when the sun has gone down.

If on the other hand you don’t have the advanced gear that the serious amateurs or professional photographers will make use of, it is important to recognise when you are barking up the wrong tree. You will probably hear a very slow shutter speed coming into play (your ranger will identify it for you), resulting in blurry photos.

Simply put your camera down, forget about taking photos, and enjoy watching whatever’s in front of you.

2. Try Something Different

Low light can be an excellent time to experiment.
If a leopard isn’t bathed in golden light but is instead moving slowly along  on a cold grey morning, it’s time to think outside the box.
Your camera will detect that there isn’t enough light around and use a slow shutter speed to compensate, but you can use this to your advantage.

By panning along with your subject, be it elephant, lion or leopard, and using a slow shutter speed, the background should blur out a bit whilst the animal (hopefully) stays sharp. This panning effect implies motion, and is a very effective way of conveying story, which is ultimately what wildlife photography is all about.

Understand Metering and Exposure

You are smarter than your camera. At least hopefully. Whilst you can clearly see that the world in front of you is veiled in darkness and the leopard illuminated in the spotlight is the only thing to concentrate on, and clearly the subject of your desired photo, your camera doesn’t know better. It will just see the darkness and try to compensate for it. It will open the shutter for longer to let more light in, thus massively overexposing the leopard and probably blurring it as well.

In a case like this, you need to tell the camera to keep things dark. You do this by adjusting the exposure. Have a read of a previous post of ours here to understand the concept a bit better.

Knowing how your camera reacts to different levels of light is crucial. The more advanced your photography becomes, the more control you will likely take away from it and put into your own hands (ie. you will be deciding all the settings for yourself).

 

Know What Your Subject Is

Is it the scene or is it the animal?

Do you want to accentuate the clouds or do you want detail in the wildlife?

A lot of the time in wildlife photography, you have to compromise. Make sacrifices. It’s like a relationship. Know what you have to give up on one side to gain something on the other.
Take a look at the photograph below, of wildebeest in the Maasai Mara.
Had the shot been exposed for the wildebeest, the dramatic colours in the evening sky would have been lost (the shutter would have necessarily been slower). Instead, the sky’s colours were prioritised and the wildebeest and lone tree were left as mere silhouettes. Which in turn tells its own story.
It would be very difficult (without the use of a flash or spotlight) to capture detail in both the sky and the wildebeest.

Ultimately, understanding exactly what shot you’re after, what settings you need to capture it, and what the limits of your equipment actually are, all combine to define how you can photograph in low light. But it’s certainly not a case of putting your camera away when the light fades.
Quite the contrary.

Feel free to drop any questions down below about all things wildlife photography related.