A Photographer's Guide to Meet Your Neighbours

Page 1

A P h o t o g r ap h e r ’ s G u i d e


hank you for your interest in shooting for Meet Your Neighbours. This paper details how the project will work, what is required from its photographers and the benefits to you for participating. Choose your NGO Each photographer must partner with one or more conservation NGOs in their region. They will provide your fee, in whatever form is agreeable to you both, and work with you to have the work seen as widely as possible within your region. They should also provide assistance to you in accessing the species they would like photographed. This photographer/NGO partnership is a core principle of MYN. You may be tempted, since you can do this work locally, to underwrite the cost of its production yourself and see what you can do to exhibit it. Or you may decide to offer your work for free to an NGO. Neither approach is acceptable for good reasons: working with an established conservation organisation not only improves the chance of effective outreach into the community but also asserts the value of cooperation between scientists and creatives. Better work is likely to

funding routes. Alternatively, may you be able

indoor galleries, why not arrange an exhibit to

strike a deal for in-kind payment that is acceptable

be held outdoors, in a public space? This could

to you both.

be done through digital projection or on weatherproof materials. By taking alternative approaches

result. Simply giving your photography to an NGO

Presenting the work

undermines its value and your work in creating

Although MYN does not intend to direct where or

it and provides no incentive to the organisation

how participating photographers should present

to work hard to have it seen. While some local

the work to their own local communities, we

NGOs may simply have no internal budget to

highly encourage novel approaches to allowing

Rights

commission photographers, they may able to

the work to be seen. So, for example, rather than

The rights to photography produced during a MYN

access sponsorship for your through their usual

solely displaying the work in museums and in other

assignment are pretty much those that go with any

to presentation, the higher the chance that more people will have an opportunity to learn and connect with their wild neighbours.


commissioned work. The “client” (in this case the

indoors but there is a better chance of getting

A. this is extra work and B., more importantly,

NGO and MYN) will have exclusive rights for

engagement with the local community if you are

out of focus edges are extremely hard to cut out

three years after the delivery of the finished files

out making these pictures in public spaces.

convincingly. It’s best to do it in-camera.

and thereafter you will have full rights and the NGO rights to continue to use the work within its own organisation in perpetuity. If it licenses pictures to third parties after that three year term, you are entitled to a 50% share of the royalties. You may, however, post your pictures on the web during the first three years and enter them in local and international competitions, with acknowledgement given to MYN and your partner organisation. MYN’s rights to your work cease after three years. Now, the practical stuff For the project to work on a creative level, technique needs to be uniform - as if the project’s entire output has been created by only one photographer. Remember, it’s the subjects who are the stars here, not the photographers! This prescriptive approach ensures maximum consistency and therefore “brand recognition”. There are three basic requirements: • That every subject is photographed in the field, on location (See Right) and NOT in an indoor studio. In the case of small animals, this may involve temporary trapping and translocation to the field studio (a tank in the case of amphibians or an enclosed set for invertebrates and small rodents), but plants can be photographed entirely in-situ. Not only is this approach more sympathetic to the subject than moving it

• That each subject should be represented on a

• That the white set is backlit. The main reason

pure white background without any shadows on

to do this is to show the translucent qualities

it. By that, we mean 255 in each channel out

of the subject and in doing so, to add depth

to each corner. Why? – because these images

and nuance to the images. Backlighting makes

are design-ready elements that can be placed

it easier to achieve the pure white background

straight onto a white page without any further

but adds a layer of complication to exposure.

work. This is especially important for building

How to manage this is explained in detail on

images

the accompanying notes and on the training

describing

biodiversity.

Why

not

shoot on a grey background then cut out and composite onto a pure white one? – because

DVD which will follow at a later date.


Other technical considerations

family name- the initials of your partner NGO-

What equipment you’ll need

MYN needs the photos shot during the commission

your county code – the date of creation- and

Actually, not very much. MYN will supply you with

to be submitted as finished 16 bit Adobe RGB

sequential

NB-SWT-

the Makrolon plastic you’ll need for backgrounds

TIFF files, accompanied by the original RAW

GB-150610-012112.tif. Keyword information that

and set building (that is, the set for invertebrates

file. Only by working with a RAW file can the

needs to be embedded includes: your name and

and the small tank, if you are shooting aquatic

correct exposure balance between subject and

partner organisation; species name – local and

subjects) and some Flyweight for duffusers.

background be achieved. The camera should

scientific; the continent, country and region; the

Although I use a portable studio flash set, you can

be 12 megapixels upwards to provide enough

habitat; whether or not the subject was controlled;

make indistinguishable pictures with two or three

data for large prints. The naming protocol is

behaviour exhibited; year, month and season.

old manual flash guns. Beyond that, all you need

as follows: The first letter of your personal and

number.

For

example:

is a means of supporting the various diffusers, backgrounds and flashes. So, what’s in the project for you? Well, yes, a fee, and after a while, licensing rights. But there is a bit more to it than that. This project is a coordinated effort to highlight, from different parts of the world, the importance of local biodiversity in people’s lives, that it’s not all about remote, uninhabited places. We can talk all we like about the value of these things to our local communities but as you know, it’s often only when outsiders take an interest that local people sit up and realise what they have. MYN provides that international platform for “the local.” And you will be part of it. Working as part of a team creates synergies that are hard to match if we all work away independently on our own projects; it is more possible to reach a critical mass, to overcome the inertia of public indifference and start using our photography to move hearts and minds


using the field studio


(The following text has been extracted from Niall Benvie’s book, Outdoor Photography Masterclass, 2010)

The field studio We’ve not managed an early start this morning

of underwater ones) against a backlit, pure white

(Above) Moorish gecko in the field

thanks to all that bed-time reading last night. Dawn

background. These near shadow-less portraits not

studio, Alicante, Spain. The smooth

has been and gone and now it’s just another grey

only describe the subject in amazing detail but also

sides of the set I photographed this

and green summer’s day with a light breeze.

reveal its translucent qualities. The pictures have a

youngster in deterred escape and

But this is not a problem: today we are going

glow absent from conventional white background

very soon the animal was placid. A

to use various field studios that allow us to work

work done in the studio and a verity borne out of

session like this can be completed in

independent of the weather – and make some

being made in the field. And without the context of

10 minutes. Nikon D3, 200mm, ISO

beautiful pictures in the process. We are going to

its environment, the subject becomes an individual

200, flash, f18

photograph the subjects in situ (with the exception

rather than simply a member of an ecosystem.


OriginS My own line of inspiration traces back to the

belief that this is possible and they too often use

(Below) Cornfield “weeds” in the field

great American portrait photographer Richard

plain backgrounds to dignify their subjects. What

studio, Scotland (composite of 10

Avedon whose 1947 portrait of a boy and tree

we are going to do today, then, should be seen as

images). Assembling a montage is

in Sicily lead him to understand the strength of

the continuity of a tradition – albeit one in another

itself a creative process, but remain

the simple white background. Susan Middleton

genre - rather than something ground-breaking and

true to the subjects by maintaining the

assisted Avedon in the mid 1980’s, and “became

radical. I love this cross-pollination of ideas and

same magnification ratio and natural

fascinated with the idea of making a portrait of a

influences. It is interesting to note how many popular

associations. Nikon D2x, 200mm, ISO

plant or animal that could evoke the same kind of

nature images feature very pale, sometimes white,

100, flash, f20

emotional response in the viewer that a fine portrait

natural backgrounds. We are simply taking the

of a person could”. She and her collaborator

next step and producing a pure, clean background

David Liittschwager’s work on endangered species

in-camera.

over the intervening years has been driven by the


Tools This is my current set up,

(albeit less conveniently) with a

(Far Left) Mountain arnica with

using

couple of old manual flash guns,

fritillary sp. butterfly in the field

Quadra system with 2 heads

synch. leads, some Perspex

studio, Austria. While field studio

(one

softbox).

(Plexiglass) and plastic envelope

work tends to be highly controlled

I use a pretty fancy set up for

stiffener. It really is as simple as

and predictable, serendipity (such

this work because I do a lot

that. In time you can add some

as when this butterfly suddenly

of it and like the control I get

relatively inexpensive clamps

appeared on set) can lift the

with the gear I use. But you

and stands to compensate for

interest of the picture.

can arrive at the same results

having only one pair of hands.

the

Elinchrom

inside

the

Ranger


Finding your models Let’s keep in sight what we’re trying to achieve: a portrait that stops the viewer in their tracks, encourages them really to look closely at the subject and perhaps even to feel awed by its beauty. We want the viewer to feel they’ve seen something new and special. The toughest part of the job is not technical: it is finding the specimens that display personality. Plants have personality? Well, they do but it is manifest in things such as their vigour, freedom from disease, and pose - resulting from the balance between their leaves, flowers and stems. Some specimens simply look better on set than others and it’s best to audition hopefuls by placing the piece of Perspex behind them first before committing to a screen test. Invertebrates, in some ways, are more inscrutable so it is a matter of working with a variety of models, each for a short time and seeing which has the best attitude on set. (Left) Harebell in the field studio, Montrose, Scotland. Take time to find the most elegant, representative specimen; it’s on its own in the frame with nowhere to hide. Nikon D2x, 55mm, ISO 100, flash, f16


Balancing the light I first started to make white background plant pictures

– this is what makes the subject glow – but clearly

in the late 1990’s but on film it was very hard

the effect will be stronger the closer the background

consistently to balance subject and background

is to the subject. If the subject is pale or delicate

exposure. Digital capture is hugely enabling in this

in the first place it is likely to become very hard to

respect. We are after a background that is 255

separate it from the background at the processing

in each channel. Not a bit grey, not pure white in

stage. The rule is really simple: for opaque or dark

the middle, dimming towards the edges but 255

subjects, keep the background close; for all others

from corner to corner. We are effectively cutting out

move it further back. If you minimise the influence

the subject in-camera meaning that the picture can

of forward spill by distancing the backdrop, it is

be laid out on a page, or as part of a composite,

possible successfully to photograph white flowers

without any further work. In practice, it is sometimes

on the white background.

hard to light a large piece of background Perspex

®

from corner to corner: in these cases, ensure that

Getting exposure just right

the background immediately around the subject

Let’s look at exposure. We want to blow out the

is 255 in each channel (set your camera to blink

background, but only just – or else we’ll find it hard

a highlight warning) then paint out the corners in

to manage forward spill. You’ll find that even a third

Adobe Lightroom with the Adjustment Brush. But it’s

of a stop can make the difference between pure

best to save yourself the extra work and get it right

white and pale grey. Don’t plug in your front fill

in the first place.

until you’ve determined the good exposure for the background. Set the flash and camera to manual

Background positioning

and make a series of test exposures, adjusting the

The distance between the subject and background is

aperture, the flash’s output or the ISO (the shutter

crucial. At the correct exposure, the backlit Perspex is 255 in each channel regardless of whether it is 10 cm behind the subject or one metre. A certain

(Left) Green veined white butterfly on cuckoo flower,

amount of light coming from behind spills forward

Norway


speed should be the fastest one your camera can synchronise with manual flash) by one third of a stop at a time. The histogram should show all the background blinking over exposed but none of the subject. There will be a distinct lack of values on the left side of the histogram, but so long as some levels have registered in the second quarter of the histogram you’ll be able to bring back the darker tones during processing. Now put on your front light. Although I use a flash head in a small softbox these days, you can fire the flash through a piece of opaque envelope stiffener for a similar quality of light. The stiffener should be closer to the subject than the flash is to it for the gentlest feathering. Check the histogram again to make sure that that no parts of the subject are over-exposed. Move the fill back and forth until you’ve struck a good

Working with invertebrates The bug set. In this position, the set is used to photograph

I like to keep the animal’s time on set to a minimum and

animals that are best seem from directly above. I can be

prepare everything (in the field!) before the creature

swung round by 90 degrees to work on animals best

is caught and transferred. If you are unfamiliar with

seen from the side.

a species, it’s best to with work with an entomologist who can tell you if its behaviour suggests it is stressed.

While plants are relatively straightforward, bugs are

If so, the session ends straight away and the creature is

less so. For them I use a curved clear or opaque set

returned to its spot. Purists may decry moving animals

suspended from a stand. I can position it to shoot a

at all but in light of the casual destruction of these and

Don’t be worried if the picture looks a bit wishy-

subject from the side (as I would a grasshopper) or from

may other sorts of wildlife on the roads, in the course of

washy: you’ve captured as many levels as possible

above (more appropriate for most beetles). The clear set

agriculture and industry and even in our own gardens, a

and made your cut-out in-camera. It will turn into

is used if the animal is too translucent to appear directly

short spell on the celestial set is rather harmless. Our side

something beautiful in Lightroom.

on the white Perspex and needs some distance from the

of the deal is to make sure that people see the pictures

background. In this case, I put a softbox behind the clear

and if not care, at least take an interest in the subject.

balance between showing translucence and front detail.

set and it becomes the background. Equally, you could point a couple of flash guns at a big reflector.


A special word about amphibians (Left) Smooth newt in the field studio,

Frogs, newts and toads are highly charismatic

discard the water after the shoot near watercourses

Alam Pedja, Estonia. Niall and

subjects, never more so than when they are in their

with amphibians. Clean the tank thoroughly after

Jaanus Järva (Right) set up the “wet”

element. But amphibians worldwide are dying of

each shoot and avoid handling the amphibians

studio in a shaded picnic hut close

chytridiomycosis, and many populations are in

with your bare hands.

to a pond full of newts in the forest.

catastrophic decline. Help to prevent its spread

So long as the subject is quite small, build a small

Set time was kept to a minimum and

by using purified water in your tank (place the

tank with Perspex®. Obviously, it is less fragile than

soon this fellow was back in the pond

bottles in the host pond to warm or cool them to the

glass and its tensile strength is greater. As a result,

trying to impress the females. Nikon

same temperature) and use new nets for dipping in

I can get away with a front pane that is only 1.5

D3, 200mm, ISO 200, flash, f20

each pond. Put up your set in the shade and don’t

mm thick.


(Right) Red Salamander Larva, South Carolina, USA.

join us! Meet Your Neighbours is currently seeking likeminded individuals, organizations and businesses who would be interested in learning more about ways that they might support this effort. For more information, please contact Niall Benvie or Clay Bolt. Niall Benvie Senior Advisor & Co-Founder PH: +44.1356.626.128 EM: niall@niallbenvie.com SM: 24 Park Road BRECHIN, Angus, DD9 7AP Scotland Clay Bolt Project Coordinator & Co-Founder

If you’re worried that flash is going to cause lots of

What is more of a problem are small specs on the

reflections, don’t. Since I am aiming to expose the

surface of the Perspex; when it is cleaned it generates

background as pure white, any that might show

a static charge that draws dust, pollen and fibres from

there will be blown out. Front lighting comes from a

the cleaning cloth. Keep a small squeegee on hand

single diffused flash above the tank; its angle ensures

too to burst the bubbles that form on the Perspex as the

there are no reflections from the Perspex in front of

water changes temperature; you’ll get rid of some of the

the animal and since you’re probably shooting at

fibres in the process. Be aware too that Perspex is very

about 1/200 second at f22, ambient light won’t

easily scratched and where these coincide with out-

show either.

of-focus parts of the animal, they will show up clearly.

®

PH: 1.864.905.8797 EM: claybolt@earthlink.net SM: 198 Jenkins Way Easley, South Carolina, 29640 USA

PRIMARY SPONSOR

ENDORSING PARTNER


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.