Be Prepared

July 13, 2013

An unexpected fly-over by this Bald Eagle offered a unique perspective on it's prey.

It's easy when you're out on a nature photo shoot (especially if you're with other photographers) to not pay attention all the time - especially in low action settings. But that lack of attention could cause you to miss some great, unexpected shots.

The eagle in this opening shot was fishing way off in the wrong direction, when he suddenly decided that the trees behind me would make a good picnic area - causing him to literally fly right over my head. Luckily I was keeping an open eye to the sky as I was chatting and had a second body with a shorter zoom lens (set for a sky action shot) hanging by my side.

A couple quick tips to keep you ready:

Having causal conversations with your buddies? Let them know that you are still paying attention to the conversation - but that you're keeping your eyes moving around looking for an unexpected target.
Have your camera (or better yet, have a second body) set for the most sudden scenario you could encounter. This gives you a better chance when you have to react quickly. It this example, I was shooting eagles low over the dark water with a dark background but I had my second body setup for a bright sky shot.

Stay in focus,

Mark

Friday Funnies - July 5th

July 05, 2013 in Friday Funnies

Mute Swan taking a break from parenting and enjoying a little preening time.

Just Hang'n Around . . . BITE'N MY BUTZZZ!

Spend some time with your subjects and see what they do. It gives the animals time to get used to your presence and back to more natural habits.

Some animals are more tolerant than others, but generally speaking you'd be surprised by how many will accept you (if you're still and quiet) and return to normal behavior.

Stay in focus,

Mark

Key-Wording - Too Much? Or Just Enough?

June 24, 2013

First year pelican attempting a water landing

Admit it, we all hate it and are usually behind the curve playing catch-up - Key-wording. Most of us do too little of it (2013-pelican) and some of us do way too much (2013-pelican-white-water-wings-splash-action-young-juvenile-landing-summer-june-river-dam) which is what usually pegs our frustration level and actually keeps us from doing it more regularly.

Well, just like Goldilox found, is there a solution that is "just right? Here's a way to help you figure out what "just right" really is for you.

Think of Future Use

The main purpose of key-words is to find something later when you need it. At some point you'll have a particular use for a certain type of image. So let's think about what those potential "use cases" are for your type of photography and then just add the key-words you think you'll need.

For my needs, it usually revolves around a particular subject in a particular location or action. A sample use case for me would be something like this:

I need a young "xxxxxxx" that is in "xxxxxx" splashing around.

So based on the need above, my keywords should identify the type of animal, whether it's a juvy or an adult, what type of environment it's in and is there any unique action going on.

white pelican
juvenile
water
action

Now this is what works for me, your list could very well be a bit longer depending on what your needs are. If I don't have a need to know that the pelican was actually on a river - I won't keyword it.

But isn't it better to "over do" it on key-words just in case, it can't hurt, right? Well for some of us it could. If the task of extremely detailed key-wording is so overwhelming, we may tend to avoid it and put it off - resulting in a mountain of backlog and the lack of ability to find even the most basic of use cases without sending out a hunting party for your image.

You'll usually think of new needs as time goes on, just update your use cases.

Stay in focus,

Mark

Blue Skies and Strong Tail Winds

June 22, 2013

Indianapolis 2012 performance with Jane Wicker

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families of wing-walker Jane Wicker and her pilot who lost their lives in a crash today at the Dayton Air Show.

I had the privilege to watch their performance at the 2012 Indianapolis Air Show. God Bless them and their families and friends. They will be sorely missed in the tight knit air-show community.

Blue skies and strong tail winds,

Mark

Rule of Curved Thirds

May 03, 2013 in General Photography, Image Editing, Tips and Tricks

Most everyone has heard about the "rule of thirds" - but let's try something a little more flexible - how about "curving" the thirds for more creative control?

The standard Rule of Thirds divides the image into segments as seen below. The theory is to place the element of focus (head, eye, branch, horizon, etc) so that it lands on one of the intersection points. This provides very good guidance in many cases, but sometimes it just doesn't work very well.

Consider the image below. The Rule of Thirds might suggest that you place the goose's head in the upper right quadrant, also giving the goose "room" to look into.

Since I wanted a tight crop and less "river" I placed the goose right in the middle of the frame, not only breaking the rule but doing what some would consider a "rookie" mistake by placing my subject right in the center of the frame.

There was a method behind the madness though, I placed the goose along curved lines. Take a look at the illustration below, the curved red line was the point of emphasis that I was aiming for. Borrowing from the Rule of Thirds, I identified a curved shape in my subject (from the left wing, down to the breast and back up to the right wing) and allowed the curve (not a particular point of the subject) to interact with the Rule of Thirds and the intersection points. In addition, one of the traditional points of focus, the goose's eye, is NOT in the center of the frame, it actually falls along the top grid line.

Here's another example below. The natural focus of this Snow Goose would be the head and eye. Strictly following the rules would have you place the goose's head in the upper left or upper right intersections. Neither would have worked very well in this case so I used a curve running along the goose's wings and upper legs. The curve then becomes the item that intersects with the Rule of Thirds - it works for me!

The samples below give a few examples of a curved shape interacting with the grid, give it a try on some of your photos and see what you think.

Rules are good, but purposely breaking them can take the shackles off and open up your creativity. Don't restrict yourself, let your eye naturally find the curves in your subjects - use those curves as your creative element.

Got an opinion on this or have other ideas, leave me a comment or shoot me an email - I'd love to hear what you think!

Stay in focus,

Mark T

Duck Bill Do's and Don'ts

April 23, 2013 in General Photography, Tips and Tricks, Wildlife and Nature

The Little Things Make a Difference

The opening image isn't perfect from a composition standpoint (I don't like the dark line running right across this Wood Duck's head or the contrast change running through his head) but the angle and position is pretty good. Good eye and head position compliment the upright pose of the bill, turned slightly towards the camera and the gap between the beak and the body looks natural.

Discussed below are a few of the things to avoid.

This first image is a non-starter, the top of the log cuts right through the head and bill.

The second image has the bottom line of the bill "merged" with the top line of the body - doesn't appear natural and is a little disruptive.

The third image is better, there is separation between the bill and the body - but just a sliver. Again, this is a little distracting to the eye. The composition (in the opening photo) has more separation and a more upright head angle, producing the best overall image.

As your photography improves, you should begin looking for these types of details in the field - and understanding when to pull the trigger. It comes with practice and will naturally get better with the more images you take. You'll notice things like eye contact and head angle - when the background is not working for you and when various elements are pleasingly separated.

Stay in Focus,

Mark