Just Shoot the Them in the Eye -- You Can Move the Body Later

Don't Worry I Haven't Joined a Gang or Swat Team

 

 

This is a Photo Tip that will show you how to bring home the best bird photos.

Put the Camera on Center Focus

 

 

The exception to this rule would be, a whole flock of birds, filling the frame.

There, maybe, area focus would work best.

When you spot a single bird, perched or, in flight, go for the eyeball.

This lone, Buzzard Eagle was in a tree overlooking the shores of Kouri Jima.

It appears, the bird is in the lower left of the frame.

 But, that isn't how the shot was composed.

If you can see the crosshairs of my unprocessed RAW file, the bird was at dead center.

Wild birds don't exactly pose for you so, you have to concentrate on their eyes.

Sometimes, they look to the right.

Other times, it's to the left.

It doesn't matter to me.  All I wait for, is a chance for the shadows and light to be right.

Then, I shoot them in the eye.

Move the body later, to conform with the Rule of Thirds.



For More Tricks of the Trade See: Photo Tips





Chasing Cherry the Blossoms (桜) in Okinawa, Japan (Photo Essay)

Getting the best photos of Cherry Blossoms can be tricky, sometimes.

The Sakura (桜) flowers are not in full bloom yet, up on Okinawa's Mt. Yaedake.

That's where the expression "Chasing Cherry Blossoms" comes in handy.

Way before the crowds of travelers and tourists start filling up the mountain roads, it's possible to sit on the highway right under a cherry tree and

 compose a photo where your favorite blossom is isolated in the scene.

Use the Rule of Thirds or, just put the bright red flower buds dead center in the frame.

When you chase the Cherry Blossoms early in the season you just have to find the prettiest tree.

Then position yourself  anywhere you like to compose the photo.

The center of this picture has the island of Ie Shima peeking through some branches.

Shades of green in the background of this shot give those Sakura Blossoms a chance to stand out.

Selective focus on one particular Sakura (桜) blossom is one of my favorite ways to display these pretty flowers. The rest of them are just a blur.

It will be almost impossible to shoot a photo like this when the hills are crowded with tour buses and everyone else is out chasing the cherry blossoms with their cameras.

What I'll do, if enough people are interested, is go back up there when Cherry Blossom Season is in full swing.  And get some photos to show you how wild it gets up in the mountains when:

ALL OF JAPAN GETS CHERRY BLOSSOM FEVER !

RELATED SAKURA (桜) POSTS:

SAKURA SEASON IS COMING ANY DAY NOW

 PHOTO ESSAY: CHERRY BLOSSOM FESTIVAL

FLOWER: SAKURA (桜) OKINAWA, JAPAN

PHOTOGRAPHY TIP: THE RULE OF THIRDS

WHEN COMPOSING A PHOTO ONE OF THE BASICS TO PRACTICE IS THE RULE OF THIRDS.

The rule was developed by the Masters, way before cameras were even invented.  All kinds of studies and theories have been done and conclusions drawn by brain scientists as to how our eyes are drawn to the thirds of a picture.

Others say the Rule of Thirds creates energy and exciting tension and that’s why it was developed (Thank you, Mr. Wikipedia have a baloney sandwich on my tab, sometime).

I wish the Masters were here today.

They’d probably tell all the knuckleheads analyzing and theorizing to go do something important like, “ Go pick up all the plastic water bottles and bags ruining the scenery on the beach and quit trying to pick our dead brains."

They would tell us the reason for developing the Rule of Thirds was something as simple as:

" IT MAKES YOUR PICTURES LOOK GREAT" !

If your camera has a display that places a Tick-Tack-Toe symbol over the scene while composing, that’s a big plus.  Just try and line the scene so that the subject is in one of the thirds of the photo.  When you have a scene with horizontal lines, like a beach, ocean and sky, try to compose along the lines going across your scene.  If the subject is vertical, use those lines.

One of my cameras doesn’t have the Tick-Tack-Toe feature so, I have to estimate.  It takes a little practice but, isn’t that difficult. 

The Statue of Liberty I posted here was taken with my camera without a Rule of Thirds display.  I just took another shot of it on my monitor, where I could show you the imaginary lines I use to take the picture. 

Why did I choose to place the subject in the left third of the picture rather than the right?
  
Energy, tension, excitement, I guess. 

Next, I’m going to grab a baloney sandwich and head to the beach, see if anybody’s down there picking up trash. 

The Masters are watching over me. I hope they're watching you, too.

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND !