Wildlife Photography: Tip #2

Tip #2. Be Aware of Lighting Conditions.

Probably every photographer with a digital camera, who’s been around awhile, has made the mistake of forgetting to check the ISO setting on their camera at least once. After doing a low light or night shoot, we’ve all been caught the next morning wondering why we have shutter speeds in the thousands when the light isn’t so bright outside. Then a little light comes on in our heads. We want to shoot at ISO 100 but, the night before, had set the camera to ISO 800, or higher!

Before I leave home, I check ISO settings, batteries, SD cards and lenses. I look at the sky, wherever I am and can tell you if it’s an ISO 100, 200, 400 or worse day out there, wherever I am. I also, make it a point to preset my aperture and shutter speed before stepping out the door. With wildlife, you want to be able to quick-draw your camera and shoot in a split second. Wildlife won’t pose for you; you have to be ready for them, always. A lot of my favorite wildlife shots were taken before I got to my shooting destination or after leaving it to head home.


This spider was at the edge of the jungle in the path I was taking to do some bird shooting at a beach. Photo taken with Panasonic DMC-FZ50 29AUG2007 9:23AM f/10 1/1000 ISO 100 Focal Length 89mm.

Ten Tips for Buying a Camera Tripod

One of the most important investments you can make in buying accessories for a camera is a good, sturdy tripod.

Here are the top ten things you’ll want to know before investing in one:

1. Cost: Everyone wants to get the best deal they can but, a cheap tripod will not enhance your photography. The little $10.00 aluminum ones are good for nothing, unless you plan on taking all your photos while it’s set up on your coffee table. For a point and shoot camera you may get by spending under $50.00. If you have a DSLR, plan on spending at least $100.00. There’s always the used option for saving as long as you know what to look for.

2. Folded height: For travel, you want to know how small you can make your assistant. Will it fit in a suitcase, backpack or a carrying case that you can wear comfortably on your shoulder? Make sure it’s not so large that you can’t carry it on a plane.

3. See how much it weighs; you’ll more than likely be wearing it a lot in your travels. The best tripods made are wooden but, they are extremely heavy. Aluminum, titanium and carbon fiber have made modern tripods much lighter. Just make sure whichever you buy, it is sturdy.

4. Maximum Height: This is as important as minimum height. With your camera mounted on it, make sure you can elevate the tripod to eye level. If not, you’ll be doing a lot of bending over.

5. Maximum Weight: This is the maximum weight the tripod was designed to support. If you have 10 lbs of camera and lenses to mount on a tripod designed for a maximum weight of 8 lbs, it will bend or break. At a minimum, it will be moving while you’re trying to shoot.

6. Quick Release: This is a feature that allows you to keep part of the hardware screwed to the bottom of the camera and easily press a lever to install or remove it from the tripod. It’s a good idea to buy extra quick release shoes to mount on all your cameras, if you have more than one.

7. Ball Head: Some tripods come with this feature built-in, others you have to invest in buying them separately. The ball head allows you to Pan the camera (Follow a moving subject) smoothly without creating more noise in your photos from camera shake.

8. Center Post: The pole that can be raised or lowered on the tripod. It should be reversible so you can get lower to the ground for flower and macro shots. When it’s upright, look for a hole or hardware to attach weight to at the base of the center pole. Sometimes, when it’s windy, even the weight of a camera bag will help steady a tripod from swaying in the breeze.

9. Look at the tripod’s feet to see how much room you need to set it up and check for rubber boots to prevent scratching floors or sliding on smooth surfaces. Some tripods have retractable metal spikes for steadying the camera when you’re on ice, soil or uneven terrain.

10. See how the leg sections and center pole are locked into position. There are knobs to turn, hand cranks or clamps you squeeze to raise or lower your tripod and secure it in position. Make sure you check them all out and find which style works best for you and your camera.

What will a sturdy tripod do for you?

If you’ve learned the basics of exposure, composition and focus, you will see a dramatic improvement in the quality of your photography. Use your camera timer after you’ve composed or a cable release to prevent shutter shake and the noise reduction in your photography will have your friends thinking you’ve been using a film camera.

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Cheers,
Mike