Images from the Id – The Image or The result.

In the field, I usually try to walk quietly and be as inconspicuous as possible. That’s usually a lost cause. No matter what I do the ability to sneak up on wildlife continues to be a difficult thing to do. As a rule do your best- but here are some hints to help. Learn where the wildlife is and hopefully a little more tolerant of humans. I have a location for Wood Ducks, a location for Elk, etc. Find good locations and return to them often. Wildlife activities can change with the minute, hour, day, week, season and even year. Patience is a necessity. Don’t physically approach animals it can be dangerous to both you and the animal. In most locales it is actually illegal. Don’t feed or bait the animal. I have seen many spectacular raptor shot “created” by bait with mice. This is also illegal in many areas because it creates unnatural behavior and dependence on humans. The practice can actually cause animals to starve. OK, I do break this rule a little. I have a bird feeder in my backyard. I rationalize it by the amount of activity it creates and I am sure this is a  case of benefiting the activity and the birds won’t become overly dependent. Shoot during good times of the day if you can. Midday can cause many contrast and shadow problems. Careful of shadows at all times. They’re very difficult to work with.

In the camera, you must know your camera how to make it do things you want it to do. Basic problems revolve around lighting and catching action. Through practice you need to know the highest ISO the camera can do to your satisfaction. For most cameras you are limited to about ISO 800. Learn to overexpose a dark animal on a light background or underexpose a light animal on a dark background. Practice and bracket, take shots at several exposure setting. Check your histogram for any shots the are “peg” for butted up to the far right (light) or left (dark) sides. For flying birds, shot at or faster than 1/1000 of a second. Get your aperture less than wide open for more depth of field and sharpness. Shooting in RAW will give you more flexibility in processing but try to get the best file in the camera then you will get great images from your software.

Image #1 – “ Landing”  This image won a second place at a wildlife competition. It is a perfect example of knowing where to expect to see Osprey close up.Good exposure,depth of field and motion is stopped. Taken with a Nikon D7100,1/2000 sec, f/6.7, EV, ISO 400, 0 EV, 240/345 mm

Image #2  – “Winter Doe” Shot with the new .ikon D 750. The Rocky Mountain Arsenal Wildlife Refuge can guarantee at least one species. Last week it was Mule Deer. Tomorrow it may be Bison, Bald Eagle, or ? 1/1250 sec, f/5.6, 0 EV, ISO 500, 400 mm (a full frame camera)

Images from the Id – Public Speaking, or do I Really Do This?

I have been teaching individuals in Photoshop and Lightroom and doing simple presentations to various groups and photo clubs for quite a while. Probably an off shoot of many years in a high school science classroom but this was all new. 

I had been invited to speak at a small local camera club last Monday. Topic – “Focus Stacking for the Real World”. My plan; arrive 6:30 pm, half hour before the club members. This is because the set up includes, computer, projector, two computer-projector connecting cables, tripod, camera, focusing rail,  two small studio lamps plus a lot of small parts and attachments. When presenting, I usually have a Keynote (Apple’s form of PowerPoint) presentation and a demonstration of the topic or procedure.

Have talked about focus stacking before but this is a different lesson, Be Prepared! Doing so many presentations has left me with little fear of audiences but if you panic all bets are off. Panic is the point where entropy takes over and everything falls apart. Now we all have learned in our Science classroom the entropy is that natural state of the universe where everything is going, where randomness over takes order. The only slowing of this inevitability is to add energy and work in the “organized direction. It’s a losing battle at least for a lifetime some sense can be made to our existence. Makes no difference what you do in photography, success depends upon being prepared. I the case of a presentation, I spend a lot of time going over the slide show and even more important, making sure I have done the procedure enough so it will go smoothly and if any problems come up (they always do) I can overcome them. Other examples would be. Make sure you know how to work your camera. I am not kidding. Read the camera manual. Practice the things you want to do photographically. I like to take shots of birds in flight and Raw image files. I use the manual to study the various modes of focusing and image capture and I shoot flying birds all the time. I, as I tell my students, go to a local radio control air field and shot the planes for practice. For the focus stacking, I spent about five hours over two days shooting for preparation.

The result, was a near prefect presentation. I had not realized it was advertised as part of a Meet-Up Group and about 80 people showed, standing room only. The largest group I have spoken to. Another thing nice is with a Meet-Up you get all those wonderful comments.

Image #1 – Practicing for the presentation, A focus stack of 27 images. Taken using Helicon Remote processed with Helicon Focus. 1/5  sec (tripod), f/9.0 best sharpness for the Nikor 105 mm Macro Lens, ISO 100.

Image #2  – Practicing for the presentation, A focus stack of 9 images. Taken using Helicon Remote processed with Helicon Focus. 1/8 sec (tripod), f/14.Actually not the best sharpness for the Nikor 105 mm Macro Lens, ISO 100.

Image #3 – Shot during the presentation, A focus stack of 23 images. Taken using Helicon Remote processed with Helicon Focus. 1/10  sec (tripod), f/7.1 best sharpness for the Nikor 105 mm Macro Lens, ISO 100.