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Contents LETTER FROM KEN
WINDOW LIGHTING FOR PORTRAITS IN DARK ENVIRONMENTS Advantages and Disadvantages
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POST-PROCESSING ARTICLE OF THE MONTH Frequency Separation in Photoshop
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FEATURED PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE MONTH Carl Zanoni
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PHOTO TOURS AND WORKSHOPS
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WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY IN AFRICA: “THE MARA” Guest Article by Renee Doyle
LINKS TO PREVIOUS ISSUES OF INSPIRATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY
Cover Photo: Yangshuo, China 2
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Letter From Ken Nik Filters - Rest in Peace?
The “Nik Collection” is a package of filters for use in Photoshop. Nik was bought by Google several years back when the filters were selling for $500. When Google bought it, they dropped the price to $150. People cheered. Then, Google made it free. People cheered even louder. Except that many of us realized that this was the beginning of the end of Google support for Nik Filters. Sure enough, I was working on a post-processing article on (of all things) Nik Filters for this month’s magazine (I’ve since changed topics!) when I was alerted that the following post appeared on the Nik Collection page: “The Nik Collection is free and compatible with Mac OS X 10.7 through 10.10; Windows Vista, 7, 8; and Adobe Photoshop through CC 2015. We have no plans to update the Collection or add new features over time.” Well, that was short and sweet. So, the inevitable day has arrived when Google has dropped support for Nik. It remains to be seen whether a developer (given access to the source codes) will keep the filters compatible with future versions of Photoshop. So, it is more than just conceivable that the only way to continue to use the filters will be to work in prior versions of Photoshop, most notably CS6. In my opinion, it is pretty easy to overuse Nik Filters. I think that Nik is usually better used in moderation to make incremental modifications as opposed to drastic changes to an image. If your work flow is heavily reliant upon Nik, it might be a good idea to wean yourself off the filters a bit, using them more sparingly, at lower opacity, and sometimes in just parts of your image. And use this as an opportunity to further develop your post-processing skills. You might find that being less dependent on filters helps you develop some new skills, improves your work flow and results in a new (and possibly improved) look in your images. Ken Koskela http://www.kenkoskela.com To receive this magazine FREE each month click HERE 3
Window Lighting for Portraits in Dark Environments Advantages and Disadvantages
Portraits in China I recently co-led a Guilin, China photo tour with my good friend Rick Sammon. We had a number of opportunities to shoot indoor portraits of families in their homes. Because these homes were outside of the urban centers, the interiors were full of character, which made for some great pictures. Without exception, the buildings were dimly lit. This added to the mood of the scenes, but also created the typical challenges associated with shooting in low light. In order to light our subjects, we had three possible sources of off-camera lighting at our disposal: 1. The available natural window light. 4
2. Portable “continuous lights�, which were battery operated LED lights balanced for daylight, with the option of adding a warming filter. We had brought these along for our participants, knowing that continuous lighting is quite practical for group shoots like this. 3. Portable strobes (a.k.a. flash units) that create a burst of light, are placed off-camera, and fired using a trigger. Although there were some scattered fluorescent light bulbs in the homes, we made sure that they were turned off because of their poor positioning, poor quality of light, and mismatch of color temperature with the ambient light. Each of these three lighting sources has its own set of advantages and disadvantages. We usually ended
up using window light as our main (and often only) light source. But this was not without its trade-offs, especially in such dark environments. In this article, I’ll discuss the advantages and disadvantages of window lighting as compared to the artificial lighting alternatives. Later in the article, I’ll cover a few additional points on the portable continuous lights that we used. To frame the discussion, let’s look at window light using seven criteria: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.
Flexibility (Location and Timing) Quality Brightness Level Duration Color Temperature Visibility Ease of Use
1. Flexibility (Location and Timing) I’ll start with the obvious. Window lighting is simply the least flexible lighting source when it comes to shooting location and composition. While you can easily reposition portable lights, windows are stuck where they are. In each home, we only had between 1 and 3 places to position our subjects. We also had to angle them in a certain way, which limited our background and compositional choices. With window light, you are also sometimes limited in when you can photograph. You usually do not want direct sunlight coming through the window and creating harsh light and shadows on the subject and background. Having said that, constraints are not always bad. We enjoyed going into the scene and “working with what we had”... identifying the best locations and compositions within each home. We were also able to reposition furniture and other household items to modify the scene. 2. Quality The quality of light varies considerably by light source. The window lighting in these homes was soft, beautiful and natural looking. Although I really like artificial light, window light has a special quality to it. The “light fall off”... the way the light fades...
creates very natural looking contrast. 3. Brightness Level The brightness level of window light is somewhat fixed except that, in some cases, you can adjust shutters or curtains to let in more or less light. But there is no power adjustment dial to easily modify brightness. This means that you have less control over the balance of light between your subject and background. Additionally, there is a maximum luminosity level with window light that cannot match up to the power of most portable flashes. Consequently, I was shooting at ISO levels as high as 4,000 in some cases, which is not ideal. Some cameras handle these ISO levels somewhat well and others do not. 4. Duration The “duration” of light is the amount of time that 5
the light source is actually illuminating the scene (or part of the scene). Window light is a continuous light source. Therefore, the duration of window light is your shutter speed. This is because the light is illuminated the entire time the shutter is open. However, a strobe lights your subject with a very fast burst of light that helps freeze the motion of anything being lit by the flash, even if your shutter speed on its own is not fast enough to freeze the motion. This is a real advantage in dark environments. For example, in the picture in the column to the right, the man was playing a stringed instrument (I have no idea what this instrument is called). A burst of flash would freeze the motion of his fingers and hands, even if my shutter speed was set at 1/15th. Although I would still need to be concerned about shutter speed for the ambient-lit background, I could probably get by with 1/15th here if I was using a strobe. However, with window light, I needed to adjust my shutter speed to be fast enough to freeze the motion. In short, this means using a higher ISO... often much higher. 5. Color Temperature Many of you already know that light has different temperatures. If you mix light sources with different color temperatures within an image, you will likely notice that some of your picture appears warm (orange) or cool (blue) relative to the rest of the image. Most artificial light sources are set to match “daylight” temperature. So, they often get pretty close to matching the ambient light under many circumstances in which you will be shooting. However, there is usually at least a slight color temperature mismatch whereby the flash lighting doesn’t really blend in perfectly with the ambient light. This is usually not desirable. Window lighting gets around this issue by having a single light source in the scene. Both subject and background are lit by the same source. There is only one color temperature. Unless, of course, you leave the lights on in the room. 6
6. Visibility With continuous light sources, such as window light, you can easily see what the light looks like on your subject prior to shooting. You do not have to use a modeling lamp or have any question on how the light will fall on your subject. With strobes, you typically look at the picture and adjust after a test shot. 7. Ease of Use From a technical standpoint, window light simplifies the shooting process considerably. You are not messing with flashes and triggers. In China, I think this also helped put our subjects more at ease as they were not surrounded by flashing lights and umbrella modifiers. My Own Preferences Portable strobes are still my go-to source for por-
trait lighting. Almost all of my outdoor shots are created using off-camera flash and will continue to be. For indoor shooting, my choice of light source depends on the scene. In China, we had amazing settings in rural homes with beautiful, moody light coming in. For me, this is not a shooting scenario that comes along every day. So, in this case, I preferred to work within the constraints of window light in order to capture the scene as I saw it and take advantage of the high quality of light that was available. Thoughts on Portable Continuous Lighting In China, we did supplement some of the available lighting with portable continuous lights. Prior to the trip, I had not used continuous LED lighting. In fact, we brought these lights along partly because it offered a good solution for many of our customers. Here are some quick thoughts on my experience with portable continuous lights:
1. The quality of light has been an issue of discussion for some time. Although you can get better quality light with strobes (in my opinion), my understanding is that these portable lights have made progress in creating relatively decent quality light. 2. The power (output) of the continuous lights is limited when compared to strobes. This was not really an issue for our indoor shoots. But, for shooting outdoors in brighter light, this lack of power becomes a real constraint, especially if you want to use modifiers. 3. As the name implies, there is no blast of flash to freeze motion. 4. Because the continuous lights stay on, they do run through batteries fairly quickly. Overall, my experience is that these lights were helpful and practical for “topping off� some of the existing light in the scene and offering more flexibility on the direction of light. However, as with flash, you need to be very careful about color temperature mismatch between the artificial and ambient light.
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Frequency Separation in Photoshop Post-Processing Article of the Month
I was first introduced to “frequency separation” through a video on Youtube posted by Photoshop master Aaron Nace (you may know Aaron as “Phlearn”). I remember watching the video and thinking “wow... very cool... I NEED to learn this”. And, that’s about where I left it until I noticed that frequency separation was included in Tony Kuyper’s latest action panel, TK Actions V5. In the past couple of weeks, I’ve been working with frequency separation a bit and find it to be extremely useful for certain applications. What is Frequency Separation? Frequency separation is a processing technique in Photoshop whereby you separate the texture of an image from its’ color and tones. Now, why would you want to do this? It is so that you can make changes 8
to each separately. For example, you can clone over the color and tones of someone’s skin while leaving the skin texture in place. Sound pretty high tech? It is! This technique is often used in fashion touch-up. Re-touchers clone over blotchy areas of the skin while leaving the skin texture untouched. The subject then appears to have consistent skin tones. Now, I know that some of you might be shocked and disappointed to learn that your favorite fashion model is actually Photoshopped... hard to believe but, yes, it’s true. How Frequency Separation Works Frequency separation is accomplished by having two different versions of your image, each on a different layer. On one, you blur the picture so that the
texture disappears and you are left with blurry color and tones. On the second layer, Photoshop calculates all of the missing information from the blurry layer as compared to all other layers combined. This missing information is the texture. You then get this texture layer to function similar to a high pass sharpening layer where the textured edges come through by your choice of blending mode.
This layer reflects how your image looks with all the current layers in place. Then duplicate that stamp visible layer (Image-Duplicate Layer) one more time so that you have a second copy of it. Your layer stack will now consist of your original layers as they were plus 2 new layers on top.
Confused? That’s okay... we all are... and not just about frequency separation! Read on and it should become more clear! I’ll use the cover portrait which I shot during my recent China photo tour to demonstrate a very basic use of frequency separation. If you look at the middle of the subject’s nose, you will notice that the ridge is reflecting some light, creating a bright spot down the nose. Let’s use frequency separation to address the brightness while keeping the skin texture as it is.
2. Rename the bottom of the two new layers to “color” and the top layer to “texture”.
At this point, you might ask, “can’t you just use the Burn Tool?” Not really. Photoshop’s Burn Tool tends to turn bright areas gray. And a normal CloneStamp won’t work either, as you will lose the ridge of the nose. Setting Up Your Layers To get started, here is how to set up the layers in Photoshop. This is fairly technical and, no, I did not figure this one out myself. Someone much smarter than I did. 1. To start with, you need two new layers of your image as it appears on your screen. Depending on your current top layer, there are two possible scenarios here: a) IF your top layer is a PIXEL layer (not an adjustment layer) at 100% opacity, then you can just duplicate that layer TWICE using Layer-Duplicate Layer (or shortcut keys Cmd-J on a Mac or Ctrl-J on a PC). OR, b) IF your top layer is an ADJUSTMENT layer OR a pixel layer at LESS THAN 100% opacity, then click on the top layer in your layer stack to make it active and hit “Cmd-Opt-Shift-e” on Mac (“Ctrl-Alt-Shift-e” on PC). This will create a single layer on the top called a “stamp visible” layer.
3. Next, click on the color layer and go to Filter-Blur-Gaussian Blur.
In most cases, you will want a radius of between 5 and 15 pixels. The idea is to blur the image until you see the texture disappear. For this image, 9
I used 8 pixels. You can just try 10 pixels if you want a good average number to use. Hit OK.
pull-down to “color”, which is the blurred layer. Switch Blending to “Subtract” and then enter 2 for Scale and 128 for Offset. Hit OK. 6. You will now be back on the texture layer in your layer stack. Change the blending mode of that layer to “Linear Light”.
4. Now, this gets tricky. First click on the texture layer to make it the active layer. Go to Image-Apply Image:
Your texture layer now looks like this.
7. Next, put these two layers into a group. You can select both layers to make them active and choose Layers - Group (Cmd-G on Mac or Ctrl-G on PC). This will put the layers in a new folder, which you can rename “frequency separation”.
5. Set up the box as follows. Change the “Layer”
Now that you’ve gone through this, I should probably mention that there are actions available to create these layers. Or, you can create your own action 10
if you know how to do that. Tony Kuyper’s TK Actions Panel V5 has a Frequency Separation button. Making the Frequency Separation Modifications
passes over the targeted areas. Also, it is a good idea to do additional Alt-clicks on different source points as you clone. Here are the results:
You will be happy to know that the hard work is over. As mentioned, what I’d like to do here is to get rid of some of the bright spots on the nose, but keep the skin texture in place.
I could do more work on this, but after a minute or so of cloning and stamping, you can see that the bright area has been fixed and the skin texture has remained in place. I’ll be cloning on the color layer from an adjacent area of the nose (on either side of the bright area) and stamping over the bright line. Because the texture layer is being left untouched, we won’t lose skin texture.
Feel free to say something like “wowwww.... “ or “cooooool” right now, as this is indeed quite a cool trick. Hats off to Adobe for creating such powerful software and to the person that originally figured this technique out.
After clicking on the color layer to make it active, select the Clone-Stamp Tool.
What About Copying Texture Instead?
I set the hardness of the Clone-Stamp tool to 0% and dropped the Flow to around 30%. I then set the Sample pull-down to “Current Layer”. This is important because I only want to clone and stamp the blurred layer here, not all layers.
Now, I simply use the clone-stamp tool as I normally would. I alt-click (to set the source pixels) on an area of the nose next to the bright area and start brushing over the bright areas. Because I have set the Flow at a relatively low amount, I will do a few
You can also use the same technique to clone texture while keeping the color and tone intact. Although this might sound like the solution to all of your problems, there are some practical limitations in cloning texture that means you won’t always get the results you are after. Smaller areas with finer detail are much easier to address than large areas with coarse edges, especially if those coarse edges result in shadows within the textured area. To try it, simply use the Clone-Stamp tool on the texture layer rather than the color layer.
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FEATURED PHOTOGRAPHER: http://www.CarlZanoniPhoto.com
Carl Zanoni
I am an avid amateur nature photographer. My career as a physicist was intimately involved with light and optics. The fusion of art and technology enhances my fascination with digital nature photography. For me, nature photography is challenging and lots of fun. Photography provides me with the opportunity not only to experience remarkable places and magical moments but also to explore the new and the familiar in fresh ways. I share these experiences through my digital images & prints. My website is CarlZanoniPhoto.com. The RECENT gallery contains images taken on a particular photo trip. I began nature photography about nine years ago. For the first six years my sole focus was wildlife. About three years ago I became intrigued with both grand and intimate landscapes. Abstracts and macro are also
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areas of interest. I have been fortunate to have attended workshops led by top-notch professionals including Marc Adamus, Alex Noriega, Guy Tal, Mark Metternich, Erin Babnik, Ryan Dyer, Ted Gore, and Chris Dodds. I learned and continue to learn about capture and post processing from this group. A few years ago I hit a road block with post processing landscape images. Ken Koskela, who I met on an Adamus workshop, came to my rescue with some very helpful suggestions. I strive to create images with intrinsic beauty, simplicity, mystery, and action that evoke a strong reaction in the viewer. My hope is for an image to draw the viewer into repeated viewings with each engagement inspiring new insights into the image.
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2017 PHOTOGRAPHY TOURS & WORKSHOPS http://www.kenkoskela.com/product/photo-tours-workshops/
CANADIAN ROCKIES w/ RICK SAMMON, KEN KOSKELA & JOSH MERRILL October, 2017
RICK SAMMON NOW JOINING AS CO-INSTRUCTOR!
The Canadian Rockies are a place of unparalleled beauty and adventure. From jagged, snow-capped peaks to turquoise glacial lakes, the Rockies offer some of the best landscape photography opportunities in the world. We will focus on the majestic Banff and Jasper National Parks and adjust our daily shooting locations to maximize our chances for good light. Additionally, we will keep our eyes open for clear skies at night with the hopes of capturing the Northern Lights and star-filled skies with the Rocky Mountains as an amazing foreground. This is not a trip to be missed! http://www.kenkoskela.com/product/2017-canadian-rockies-photo-adventure/
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2018 PHOTOGRAPHY TOURS & WORKSHOPS http://www.kenkoskela.com/product/photo-tours-workshops/
GUILIN, CHINA w/ RICK SAMMON & KEN KOSKELA May, 2018
PRICING BEING FINALIZED BY MID-JUNE
Guilin, China is a photographer’s paradise. Join Rick Sammon and Ken Koskela to photograph the beautiful and unique karst mountains, the winding Li River, cormorant fisherman at sunrise and sunset, the incredible Longji rice terraces, the XiangGongShan overlook, Cuipinghsan Hill, and many other locations. We will also drop into several rural villages in search of portrait opportunities. We will be visiting some of the same villages where I have gotten several of my best portraits. http://www.kenkoskela.com/product/2018-guilin-china-photography-tour/
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2018 PHOTOGRAPHY TOURS & WORKSHOPS http://www.kenkoskela.com/product/photo-tours-workshops/
KENYA PHOTO SAFARI w/ KEN KOSKELA & RENEE DOYLE Aug./Sept. 2018
SOLD OUT! CONTACT ME RE: POSSIBLE 2ND TOUR
Join Ken Koskela and Renee Doyle for an incredible and unique photo safari experience for a small group of just 5-7 participants. We will be staying in 5-star luxury tents in top conservancies located outside of the Masai Mara National Reserve. We will have exclusive use of two vehicles in areas of high concentration of wildlife, allowing participants exceptional wildlife encounters. The conservancies strictly monitor the number of vehicles in the area. Participants will also have the option of reserving their own row in a vehicle. http://www.kenkoskela.com/product/2018-kenya-photo-safari-tour/
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2017 PHOTOGRAPHY TOURS & WORKSHOPS http://www.kenkoskela.com/product/photo-tours-workshops/
TUSCANY & CINQUE TERRE w/ JIM ZUCKERMAN & KEN KOSKELA October, 2017
2ND TOUR ADDED!!
Fortified medieval towns, golden mists in the morning, cobblestone streets, artistic stands of trees, awe inspiring cathedrals -- all of these are Tuscany plus a whole lot more. Combine the Tuscan experience with the stunning Cinque Terre Coast, where five colorful villages hug rocky cliffs above the deep blue sea and you’ve got an Italian experience that will thrill anyone who loves photographing beauty, history, culture and art. We will take advantage of the best lighting early and late in the day to offer opportunities to capture beautiful images. This is not a trip to be missed! http://www.kenkoskela.com/product/2017-tuscany-cinque-terre-jim-zuckerman-ken-koskela-tour-2/
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2018 PHOTOGRAPHY TOURS & WORKSHOPS http://www.kenkoskela.com/product/photo-tours-workshops/
LOFOTEN, NORWAY IN WINTER w/ KEN KOSKELA February, 2018
1ST TOUR SOLD OUT - 2ND TOUR ADDED!!
Winter in Lofoten, Norway has to be seen to be believed. You’ll be up close with majestic fjords, snow-covered jagged mountains, icy blue water lakes, quaint fishing villages, and beautiful rocky shoreline. To top it off, the periods of low-angled sunlight can last for hours. Lofoten is also known as one of the premiere places in the world for experiencing and capturing the Northern Lights. I am limiting the group size to just 5 or 6 participants. If you haven’t experienced and photographed Lofoten during the Winter, this is your opportunity! http://www.kenkoskela.com/product/2018-lofoten-norway-winter-photo-tour-2/
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2018 PHOTOGRAPHY TOURS & WORKSHOPS http://www.kenkoskela.com/product/photo-tours-workshops/
VENICE CARNIVAL w/ KEN KOSKELA & RENEE DOYLE February, 2018
ONLY 1 SPOT AVAILABLE!
Venice is one of the most beautiful and unique cities in the world. Each year, during the Carnival festival, Venice comes alive as amazing models in ornate masks and incredible costumes descend upon the city to be admired and photographed. I am very excited to be co-leading this workshop with Renee Doyle, whose masterful Venice Carnival composites are an inspiration to many photographers, including myself. Renee and I have some great connections with many of the best models which will allow our group to have opportunities for private shoots in some locations away from the crowds. http://www.kenkoskela.com/product/2018-venice-carnival-photography-workshop/
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Wildlife Photography in Africa: “The Mara” Guest Article by Renee Doyle
Renee Doyle and I are co-leading several photography tours and workshops in 2017 and 2018. One that I am particularly excited about is an August/September 2018 sold-out Kenya workshop, focusing on wildlife in the incredible Mara Conservancy. (Renee and I are ready to add a 2nd tour immediately before the first tour. If you are interested, please let me know as soon as possible, as the safari camp and lodge we use is first-rate and books up LONG in advance.) Renee is quite experienced at photographing wildlife in Africa. I asked her if she would put together a short article on “the Mara” (her favorite place in the world) and also offer a few tips on addressing some of the challenges of photographing African wildlife. -----
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The Mara Conservancy of Kenya I have been fortunate enough to photograph in Africa many times over the past 10 years. Of all the places on the continent, Kenya and, specifically, the Mara Conservancy ranks highest in my opinion. It is a place that continually offers an abundance of wildlife photography opportunities and has created many lasting memories for me. The people are beautiful, the animals are mesmerizing, and the landscape is stunning. “The Mara” is truly my favourite place in the world. Why? Imagine sitting around a campfire at night after a day out on the plains, staring up at the incredible stars, listening to the wildlife surrounding you, and reflecting on the amazing sights seen during the day. The camps that we will stay in next year offer luxury tents with fully insect-proof netting, running cold
we strive to achieve. The trick is to be prepared for opportunities that come along and understand ahead of time the best ways to capture a magical image. When you capture an animal in action, it can take your image from being lovely to spectacular.
water and hot safari showers. Solar power is provided 24 hours to your tent and the comfortable verandah chairs offer a perfect place to sit and relax while admiring the views over the game-filled plains. Beyond that, the food is outstanding, the service friendly and faultless and all guides are silver rated. Every time I leave I am already planning my return trip.
Understanding the behaviour of the animals will help you be prepared for that special moment. For example, a lion will usually yawn after waking up and will lick its lips just prior to yawning. A bird usually flies off into the breeze. Cats usually groom after a meal. Keep your eyes open for these behaviours and be ready for that moment, which can often happen in the blink of an eye. Know Your Dials When shooting wildlife, it is extremely important to know your camera gear well. Wildlife often requires split-second decisions. Being able to change ISO, focal points or exposure without lifting your eye from the viewfinder can make the difference between capturing and missing an amazing image. Sharpness is Paramount Photography often requires trade-offs. At times, to gain the extra shutter speed you require alongside your chosen aperture, you may have to go outside of your comfort zone by increasing your ISO or sacrificing some of your depth of field.
Photographing African Wildlife
Fortunately, the cameras of today handle noise much better than in the past. Also there are many excellent Noise Reduction programs on the market
Photographically, it is important to make the most of your trip while there. Here is a summary of some of the lessons I’ve learned and apply when photographing wildlife in Africa: Understand Your Subject and Be Ready It is very easy to get caught up in the moment of seeing any wildlife in their natural habitat and start madly clicking away – I have been guilty of that on many occasions. But to come away with images that make your heart stop and speak to others is what 21
It is also important to remember that the longer the lens, the more susceptible you are to camera movement. With long lenses, even the slightest motion can cause blur. Mounting your camera on bean bags for support and resting your non-shooting hand on top of the lens to steady it assists greatly in avoiding any camera movement. Portrait and environmental shots
to deal with this issue as well, but if your images are not sharp then there is no bringing them back to life.
We all love to get up close with the big lenses to capture a portrait that is strong and speaks of the animal’s personality. However, be sure to include environmental scenes as well. An animal in it’s en-
The rule of thumb and good starting point for any wildlife photography involving animals in motion is to have a shutter speed that is double the focal length. I.e. – if I have a focal length of 400mm then optimally I would like my shutter speed to be 1/800. Keep in mind though that the faster the animal is moving, the faster the required shutter speed. If the animal is more stationary, then I may opt to lower my shutter speed to be the reciprocal of my focal length. A general guide to suitable shutter speeds for a camera well supported (e.g. on a bean bag) with a telephoto lens are: • • • • •
portrait: from 1/60 to 1/320 walking animal: from 1/400 to 1/800 running animal: from 1/1000 to 1/1250 flying birds: from 1/1600 to 1/2500 fast flying birds: from 1/2500 to 1/3200
vironment can be a powerful story telling image as well – such as a lion stalking it’s prey, a Cheetah surveying the terrain from on top of a termite mound, or simply the large herd of wildebeest as they graze over the vast open plains of the Mara. All of these animals give a sense of place when photographed in their environment. Additionally, shoot vertical as well. Shooting in portrait mode for long necked animals, such as Giraffe or Zebra, or even a landscape shot with interesting clouds can result in a much stronger image when shot in portrait mode. Focus on the Eye Although this may be obvious, it is vital to always focus on the closest eye of your subject. It is the eyes of the animal that gives life to your subject and therefore draw the viewers’ attention. Whilst making sure that the eye is always in focus, it’s also important to still maintain a strong compo-
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sition. It’s also a good idea to set up back button focus on your camera if you have it. This way you can focus on your subject, recompose for a pleasing composition and patiently wait until something happens and simply press the shutter button. Separation and Room For Movement If you are composing using the “Rule of Thirds”, leave room for the animal to walk / look into the frame. Try to avoid having trees, branches, bushes, other animals merge with the main subject of your image. If possible, avoid distracting backgrounds. Especially when shooting moving wildlife, it is easy to forget about ensuring separation of elements in your image and making sure your horizon is straight. Photograph in the Golden Hours Good light can evoke great emotion in a photograph. The wonderful golden, soft light provided by a rising or setting sun can lead to a beautiful mood in an image. Use it to your advantage by having it sidelight your subject or try using it to backlight a the animal(s) for a strong evocative silhouette.
The Importance of Patience Patience with wildlife is above all the key. Don’t just take a few snaps and rush off to see the next beautiful animal. Wild animals are going to do what they are going to do and do not perform on cue. Sit with an animal for a while and learn and understand it’s behaviour. This will be a key factor in you obtaining ‘that’ special moment. It’s far more rewarding to have captured a handful of strong, storytelling images rather than a large collection of snapshots. Take a Moment Remember to take your eye away from the lens from time to time to simply enjoy the abundance of beauty surrounding you. For many, Africa is a once in a lifetime experience – so make memories as well as beautiful pictures. Ken and I hope you can join us in Kenya in 2018!
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MISS AN ISSUE? - Click below on past issues.
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March 2016 • Pushing blue into the shadows • Smoke composites • Guilin, China • Including motion in your images • Wide-angle portraits • Backing up your pictures • Big impact with small subjects
April 2016 • Complementary colors • Dealing with foggy lenses • Effective silhouette images • Gradient vignettes • Watch the windows • Shooting into the sun
May 2016 • Solid neutral density filters • Web sharpening using TK Actions • Following and breaking the rule of thirds • Packing for an outdoor photography camping trip • Pictures that make people think
June 2016 • Using a circular polarizer • Intro to luminosity masking • Oil and water pictures • Minimum shutter speeds • Coastline moving water images
July 2016 • Exposing flash and ambient light separately • Incorporating opposites into your images • Venice during Carnival • Orton effect • Including reflections in your pictures
August 2016 • Shooting the Milky Way, Stars and Northern Lights • Cathedral images • Controlling tonal contrast with a histogram • Focusing strategies for moving subjects
September 2016 • Post-processing Milky Way shots • Controlling motion in landscape images • Increasing water texture with Nik • Shooting cities at night
October 2016 • Shooting and processing star trails • Eliminating distractions • Dramatic side-lighting • Creating a texture layer in Photoshop • Inconvenience leads to better pictures.
Click HERE to receive Inspirational Photography monthly. November 2016 • How to use an ultra-wide lens • Search Engine Optimization for Images • Photoshop’s Smart Objects for 2nd Chance Adjustments • Leading Lines
December 2016 • Natural vs. Artificial Light Portraits • Blurred Water Creek Images • Layer Adjustments for Printing • Don’t Miss the Shot
January 2017 • Eliminating Camera Shake • Location Feature: Cinque Terre • How to Create Starbursts in Camera • Photoshop’s Blend If Feature
February 2017 • Making the Hands Prominent in Portraits • Hummingbird Photography - Guest Article by Jim Zuckerman • De-Mystifying Image Sharpening • Precise Camera Placement
March 2017 • On-Camera Fill Flash • Vignette and Aura Post-Processing Techniques • Exposing for Snow • Low Perspective with a Wide-Angle Lens
April 2017 • Identifying Foregrounds in Nature • How to Eliminate a Halo • Location Feature: Canadian Rockies • Interview with Jack Brauer • Should I Zoom In To focus?
May 2017 • Edge selections in Photoshop • Camera Setup: Important Menu Items • Seeking Out Great Subjects
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