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The Reptile © Ken Deitcher |
Once again, our readers have come
through by entering this contest in droves! There were over 1000
excellent entries that were very difficult to narrow down, and the quality of many of these was outstanding. In this
story, and in the accompanying gallery, we’ve chosen a number of
images that are sure to inspire you. Congratulations to
those whose photos were chosen to illustrate this "Double Exposure Challenge."
Even if you don’t have the opportunity to travel to the Serengeti
Plains or the Galapagos Islands, there's still an abundance of animal
subjects nearby. Zoos, National Parks, aquariums and wildlife reserves
all offer terrific photo ops. Many of us want to shoot better pictures
of our pets. Local woods and fields have small mammals and birds, and
even your own backyard may have squirrels and butterflies at your
disposal. Entire books have been devoted to photographing animals, so
this article offers an brief—but hopefully helpful—overview of the
topic.
It’s All Happening At The Zoo
The local zoo offers a wealth of photo opportunities—you’ll have access
to a broad spectrum of animal, bird and reptile species, all within
walking distance of one another. It’s a good idea to bring a telephoto
lens to capture portraits or tight shots of animals, as well as a
“normal” or wide-angle lens, which will enable you to encompass the
environment in which the animal is captive. If you have a chance to do
some scouting around the zoo before taking pictures, take the
opportunity to observe the animals you want to photograph. Find out
when they’re likely to be active or in a particular part of their
enclosure, and then come back at that time with your camera. Shooting
at the zoo is like photographing wildlife anywhere—patience is key.
Watch them through the lens, and be ready for those brief moments when
they’re active or in close proximity to your camera.
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Say What? © Oskar Neuhold |
To capture portraits of animals, you’ll want to use a telephoto lens in
the 300mm–500mm range, or a lens with a teleconverter. This will allow
you to shoot pleasing portraits and to eliminate distracting elements.
And by using a wide-open aperture such as f/2.8, you’ll be able to
effectively blur the background. As with portraits of people, close-ups
of animals are most pleasing in soft lighting. Try to shoot on overcast
days or when the animal is in open shade. The low light of early
morning or late afternoon emphasizes an animal’s contours and the
texture of its fur or feathers (animals tend to be more active during
these times also). Whether or not you’re shooting with a long lens, try
to choose camera angles that exclude moats, railings, or other
unattractive surroundings.
Zoos don’t generally have restrictions on photography, but because
they’re often so crowded, you might opt for a monopod instead of a
tripod to steady your camera. Another consideration is exposure,
which can be tricky when shooting subjects like polar bears or black
bears. Consider the tonal quality of your subject, and take a meter
reading from a neutral object in the scene or a gray card.
Look No Further Than Your Own Backyard
An entire realm of close-up photo opportunities exists in your garden.
Foliage and flowers attract insects, and are great subjects for macro
photography. If you don’t have a true macro lens, you can use the
close-up setting on your
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Nala © Brian Heller |
camera. It’s a good idea to shoot insects in
bright sun early or late in the day, when the sun is at a low angle.
Butterflies are fleeting and challenging to capture. Other insects,
like Praying Mantises, are a little more approachable, and you should
have no problem getting close to them with a macro lens. Some flowers
will attract hummingbirds, plants may attract dragonflies, and
squirrels might enjoy burying nuts in your yard. If you set up your
camera gear whenever you happen to see some of these critters in your
backyard, and are quick on your feet, the results are worthwhile.
Our Furry Friends
Many of us share our home with pets, so it’s not uncommon for a family
portrait to include a dog or cat. Nonetheless, pets make wonderful, but
challenging, photographic subjects. As with people, they all have their
own unique personalities. To improve your skills when shooting pictures
of that special member of your household, here are a few tips to keep
in mind:
Position yourself on the pet’s level. This is a good idea for several
reasons—you’ll get a better perspective if you’re at the animal’s eye
level when photographing it, and you won’t appear so ominous if you
appear to be smaller in size (particularly if you’re photographing
someone else’s pet). With small dogs and cats, this often means getting
down on the floor. Being on his/her level is the best way to capture an
animal’s expressions, and your images will reveal something about what
its world is like. Conversely, if you want to show how small a pet is
in a human environment, shoot down on your subject from a standing
position.
Get
close or use a moderate telephoto lens for portraits. As with
people, you can capture a more pleasing portrait with a longer lens.
First of all, your subject’s face will appear more natural
proportionally. Using a telephoto will also allow you to work from a
distance, which makes it more comfortable for any subject, be they man
or beast. So use a moderate telephoto or a zoom lens that can be set to
approximately 80 to100mm. If you’re working with a point-and-shoot
camera with a fixed-focal-length lens, simply move in closer to your
subject. To capture the pet in its environment, use a wide-angle lens
or simply step back. Sometimes you’ll discover that a beautiful animal
just happens to be in the midst of an attractive place, such as a horse
against a colorful background, or a dog with its owners, who are hiking
through
a sculptured red-rock area. This is when you’ll want to compose an
image of the natural surroundings, including the animal as part of the
scene.
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Bengy & Pablo © Tom Epperson |
Be prepared to work quickly. As with children, pets have a very brief
attention span. When you plan a photo session with your dog or cat,
work in brief increments of time—say a half-hour or less. Make it fun
by including toys, treats, or other distractions that may give your pet
something to do. Learn to read the signals your animal subject is
sending you while you’re photographing it. If he/she runs away from the
camera or shows other signs of getting tired of being photographed,
stop. Don’t expect to get the perfect shot the first time you try.
Always reward the animal with a treat, and resume the photo session at
a later date.
Avoid red (or green) eye. A little fill-flash will add catchlights to
your subjects’ eyes, but we’ve all experienced red-eye when
photographing people indoors with on-camera flash. This same phenomenon
is often rendered as blue- or green-eye when shooting a dog or cat. You
can avoid this by setting your compact camera on red-eye reduction, or
setting your digital camera for a higher ISO reading (such as 800–1600)
to shoot in ambient light conditions, and avoid using flash. If you’re
shooting with an SLR that has a flash with bounce capabilities, tilt it
upward to bounce light off the ceiling for more natural illumination.
Photograph animals and people together. One advantage of photographing a
pet with its owner is that the person can hold the animal. A cat can
lie on someone’s lap, while a large dog can sit next to a person, who
can also be seated on the floor. Shoot portraits as well as behavioral
pictures, and don’t forget to shoot some images that reflect your pet’s
relationship with different members of the family—they will bring back
fond memories in the future. For more candid shots, you can take
pictures of a family member giving a dog a bath, or playing fetch
outside.
And finally, make sure your pet is well groomed before the photo
session. A clean, well-groomed and brushed subject will look best when
photographed. However, you should avoid bathing and photographing your
subject on the same day. Examine the corners of your dog’s eyes and
gently remove any “tear matter.”
Parks and Wilderness Areas
National Parks like Yellowstone in Wyoming offers numerous
opportunities for wildlife photography. Since most wild creatures are
wary of people, it’s a good idea to develop quick reflexes, as well as
planning and patience. Many parks have displays and brochures about
their wildlife that offer good tips for photographers. Before you leave
home, study books and Internet sites pertaining to your destination so
that you have an idea of what you’re looking for. Park rangers can also
give you a lot of information on where to find animals and how
approachable they are.
To see more of our readers' Animal Images, Click Here
If you have
the opportunity to go on a photo safari to Africa or another exotic
locale, you will be rewarded with numerous opportunities to photograph
wild animals. Guides can help you immeasurably, but you should read
about the animals before taking your trip. Take lots of high-capacity
memory cards or filmyoull probably wind up shooting a lot more than you
plan to. If you have an extra camera body, bring it on your trip as a
backup. Take a variety of lenses along; telephoto lenses are a must,
but you should also bring a wide-angle lens along for shooting scenics
and your family on safari.
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| Bengal Tiger © Mary Ellen Kolsky |
Its
important to keep a safe distance from wild animals and to respect
their territory. However, some wildlife (especially in popular parks)
will accept your presence if you dont appear too threatening. A long
telephoto lens is an important tool when trying to keep your distance,
while still allowing you to get some great wildlife images, but you
must also keep your movements to a minimum. When you move, do it slowly
and carefully; nothing frightens an animal more than abrupt actions.
Ideally, you should set your camera gear up in a spot that offers good
visibility of your subject, a safe distance from danger, and some
natural cover. Good wildlife photographers develop expertise in
predicting animal behavior.
If an animal is moving, you can
freeze the action by using a fast shutter speed (1/500th or faster). If
you want to accentuate motion, you might want to experiment with a
panning technique, in which you use a fairly slow shutter speed (1/30th
or slower) and follow your subject through the lens while clicking the
shutter.
Take our next Double Exposure Challenge! The topic for
December 1 is "Green." Look for details in the Call for Entries in this
issue.
Let us know if you found this article useful, and tell us what kinds of articles you'd like to see in upcoming issues. Send your comments and ideas to the editor.
© Copyright 2010 by PHOTOWORKSHOP.COM
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Last Updated: Feb 4th, 2010 - 13:02:03
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