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.

Wildlife Photography: Tip #1

This week I'll attempt to post some excerpts from a piece I sent to Matador Travel Network's Media School. My Five Tips For Shooting Wildlife.

There's a typhoon blowing around my little island so, if I don't get out to shoot some new material, I can kill the week, Monday through Friday just posting a tip a day and answering hate mail from folks who've seen all these photos 100 times before. Here's my intro and TIP #1:

If you enjoy getting up before the sun, going for long hikes and spending hours in the great outdoors, observing what nature has to offer, you might want to consider wildlife photography as a hobby or, even a way of life. Tourist attractions, architecture, landscapes, farm animals, aquariums, zoos, offer some great photographic opportunities and may present challenges, even to the best photographers, but, to me, nothing compares to the satisfaction I get out of clicking my camera’s shutter in the wild.

Tip #1. Use the Burst Mode for Wildlife in Motion.

Memory cards will fill up faster, so make sure you carry plenty. Use Continuous Auto Focus and pan the camera keeping a bead on the subject’s eye, if you can. Your camera may shoot 3-10 frames per second, but use Burst Mode sparingly; long bursts fill up memory fast and your camera will process the shots more slowly. You don’t want to miss the shot where your critter hits the perfect light or pounces on its prey because you’re waiting for your camera to recuperate.

What's An Eisa Dance?

Living in Okinawa for over half my life I sometimes forget that things I may see everyday and take for granted would be news to folks back on the other side of the world.   Eisa Dancing?

It's something that has its roots in Buddhist Culture and has to do with Ancestor Worship, old time religious ceremonies, stuff Priests and Priestesses would do at funerals.

There ain't no sense in me trying to explain all the morbid details here when you can Google or Wiki-whatever and see what the experts have to say.

This time of year I get real busy running all over the island trying to keep up with all the Festivals going on and catch as many photos as I can to share with the world. There aren't enough hours in the day for me to keep shooting, developing and posting new material, daily on my blog and website so, I get caught recycling not-so-new material, every now and then.

Well, this picture and the one on my Homepage are brand-spanking new, shot last night, just down the street from where I live.

In fact, I have to chase these gals down and get them to sign Model Releases. I don't throw anybody's photos out for public viewing without their consent, usually.

These gals are no problem. They want their photos on my website. They know, once they sign my Release Forms, they'll get a High-Gloss Print for free and maybe even a framed picture of them will adorn the walls of my bar.

There will be a crowd of anywhere from 30-50 of these characters filling-up my little karaoke bar , singing and drinking 'til the wee hours, every weekend from now until the end of Summer.

See, they're regular customers of mine and if I get any complaints about the photography it'll be from the ones who didn't get their picture taken, not those who did get captured on digital film.

During Obon, the season where all this dancing and drum-beating originated, they even bring the whole gang of twenty-some year olds inside my bar and perform, making a racket that'll split the ceiling plaster.

If you want to know more about Eisa Dancing and see a variety of photos, some that may surprise you, have a peek at Matador Network. I've got to charge my batteries, clean some lenses and get back out on the road before Summer ends.

Photography Tips for Foreign Festivals

Showing up at a Festival in a foreign country with a notepad and camera could be a recipe for disaster. If you want to leave a remote village with a great story and photos to document it these tips may be helpful:

1. RESEARCH
Months in advance I start my research. Check as many sources on and offline as you can. You will find differences and sometimes come away with more questions than answers; that's good. You want to document the truth.

2. TRANSLATOR
Even if you speak the language a translator comes in handy. The best documentation may be written in a foreign language and in many cases, just as in the spoken word, local dialects and ancient scripts may make your college language skills useless.


3. VISIT THE LOCATION
On-site visits, months in advance, if possible, are a big bonus. Study the terrain, position of the sun, find the village office, determine the dates, times and locations where events will take place. Plan ahead, look for stores, water supplies and a place to sleep.

4. MAKE FRIENDS
Starting with the village office clerk or groundskeeper, smile, let them know what your intentions are and be respectful. Tell them you want to learn and document their culture, if it's permissible. Most places I've been people go out of their way to assist me. Usually, I'm introduced to VIPs like the Village Chief, Elders, Historian, Mayor or the author of a book on the topic I'm documenting.

Don't limit yourself to just the City Office entourage, the farmer in the field, fisherman, an old couple sitting in a park, children playing and even, the town drunk, all have stories to tell about the festival.
Introduce yourself, get people used to you being around with a camera. They will be more comfortable around you the day of the big event. You may be able to get some photos where participants pose for you in perfect lighting, without them being self conscious, as they would be around a total stranger.

5. SPEND A LITTLE MONEY
Shopkeepers, markets and vendors are all great sources of infomation and more likely than not, related in some way to the folks you met in #4 above. Have a meal or two, buy some local produce, get some snacks and drinks at the little Mom and Pop Stores. Ask about local lodging if you're not planning on pitching a tent. Learn the customs. It may be appropriate to bring gifts. You won't know until you ask.

The photo above was taken in the Village Office at Shioya Bay, Ogimi in Okinawa, Japan. It is of a photo taken at a previous  UNJAMI FESTIVAL. The Festival takes place August 29th this year.

Wikipedia Dude says the festival takes place in July and the guys in the boat are priestesses. I've only made three visits to Ogimi and will attempt two more so when I'm done with my Photo Essay it will resemble a true story! 

How It's Done: Catching Jumping Fish With Your Digital Camera

Capturing fish jumping out of the water is just like capturing any wildlife in action.

It's done by watching, waiting, studying their habits and learning their patterns of behavior.

Not much different than trying to catch some rambunctious children at play. It's easier than shooting kids, for me, actually because most animals are predictable!

These guys, I learned from watching, patiently, jump in pairs a few seconds apart. So, when one jumped, I'd start zooming-in near the area he jumped from.

It wouldn't be a split second later, one of his sidekicks would jump from almost exactly the same spot.

Then, I'd fire away with my camera in the Burst Mode.

There's a few more tricks you need to know if you want to do like I do and shoot in the Manual Mode. You can stumble around in my GALLERY and find the camera specs I used shooting the fish but they won't be taken at the readings my light meter told me to use. See, the water's pretty dark. But when the fish jump and the sun hits them, the available light changes drastically.

There's an Ebook forthcoming. I can feel it. It's just on the back burner, for now.

STAND BY FOR MORE