Since my passion is Wildlife/Nature
photography I thought I would write about some of the people that inspire me
and that I follow and pass on some of their wisdom too. First of all I would
like to mention Michael Snedic and Mark Rayner the guys behind Trekabout
Photography Workshops.
Michael Snedic is one of Australia's
most accomplished wildlife and nature photographers. He has been photographing
across Australia for the past 16 years. He is also a highly experienced,
professional photography tutor, especially in digital photography. Michael
loves sharing his images and photographic knowledge with the public.
Mark Rayner is a fully accredited
professional photographer (AIPP), an expert in post processing, retouching and
workflow. His specialties lay in Wedding, portrait and commercial photography. He
recently received one of four 'Highly Commended' awards in the '2012 Shoot the
Architect' photography competition from the Australian Institute of Architects.
Together Michael and Mark have formed
the company Trekabout Photography Workshops. Trakabout Photography offers personalised photographic tuition,
in stunning natural locations and at affordable
prices. Brisbane photography workshops are offered by many companies.
Attention to detail and high levels of hands-on individual tuition. I have had
the pleasure to be able to join them on a few of their workshops and it has
been great both Michael and Mark are very welcoming and very happy to share
their knowledge and experience with you.
Below are
the Links to both Michael and Mark websites and their Trekabout Website.
Here are some tips done by Mark Rayner about wildlife
photography
7 Tips to help
improve your Wildlife Photography.
Some of these tips can equally be applied to people (portrait) and your pet photography.
1. Shoot from the eye level of your subject (or slightly lower). The difference is remarkable when compared to just standing and shooting down on your subject. Try the different angles next time you're out in the field and you will see what I mean.
2. Focus on the eye. Make sure you get those eyes in focus or your image will surely fail. It is just that simple. The eyes must be tack sharp and if they are you are halfway to a great shot.
3. Leading on from point 2, use single point focus. If you have your camera set to auto focus point selection you run the risk of the camera picking up the wrong spot and you'll end up with your subject blurred. By using single point focus, you chose the spot that the camera will focus on. Using this method you can then make sure your focus point is lined up on the eye.
4. Blur out your background. Shoot "wide open", i.e. use a large aperture, say, f/2.8 to f/5.6 depending on your lens of course. This will eliminate distractions in the background and allow all of your viewer's attention to be directed to your subject. Nice soft bokeh (background blur) can make or break a good photo. The added advantage to shooting with a wide open aperture is that, automatically, your shutter speed will be faster. Faster shutter speed equals less chance of a blurred image due to movement or camera shake.
5. Choose your background carefully when composing your shot. You can't always do this with moving subjects as you may just have to grab the moment, but if you do have time, study your background. Moving a small distance may mean the difference between having a stick growing out of your subject's head or not. It is easy to get carried away with the excitement of the moment but that small change of position could be the difference between a good shot and an award winner.
6. Get to know your subject. Study the way your subject, be it a King Parrot or a small dragonfly, moves and interacts with its environment. If you understand what makes your subject tick, you can often anticipate what they will do next and be prepared in advance for the shot.
7. Make sure your camera settings are ready for the shoot. Typically you will have aperture, ISO, focus point, exposure compensation, metering, shutter mode (single shot or high speed continuous) all selected and set before you lift your camera to your eye, or even begin approaching your subject. Be prepared and ready to just focus and shoot. The last thing you need is to be quickly changing settings while that Tasmanian Tiger disappears back into the forest. Here is my last shot of a Tasmanian Tiger.
Some of these tips can equally be applied to people (portrait) and your pet photography.
1. Shoot from the eye level of your subject (or slightly lower). The difference is remarkable when compared to just standing and shooting down on your subject. Try the different angles next time you're out in the field and you will see what I mean.
2. Focus on the eye. Make sure you get those eyes in focus or your image will surely fail. It is just that simple. The eyes must be tack sharp and if they are you are halfway to a great shot.
3. Leading on from point 2, use single point focus. If you have your camera set to auto focus point selection you run the risk of the camera picking up the wrong spot and you'll end up with your subject blurred. By using single point focus, you chose the spot that the camera will focus on. Using this method you can then make sure your focus point is lined up on the eye.
4. Blur out your background. Shoot "wide open", i.e. use a large aperture, say, f/2.8 to f/5.6 depending on your lens of course. This will eliminate distractions in the background and allow all of your viewer's attention to be directed to your subject. Nice soft bokeh (background blur) can make or break a good photo. The added advantage to shooting with a wide open aperture is that, automatically, your shutter speed will be faster. Faster shutter speed equals less chance of a blurred image due to movement or camera shake.
5. Choose your background carefully when composing your shot. You can't always do this with moving subjects as you may just have to grab the moment, but if you do have time, study your background. Moving a small distance may mean the difference between having a stick growing out of your subject's head or not. It is easy to get carried away with the excitement of the moment but that small change of position could be the difference between a good shot and an award winner.
6. Get to know your subject. Study the way your subject, be it a King Parrot or a small dragonfly, moves and interacts with its environment. If you understand what makes your subject tick, you can often anticipate what they will do next and be prepared in advance for the shot.
7. Make sure your camera settings are ready for the shoot. Typically you will have aperture, ISO, focus point, exposure compensation, metering, shutter mode (single shot or high speed continuous) all selected and set before you lift your camera to your eye, or even begin approaching your subject. Be prepared and ready to just focus and shoot. The last thing you need is to be quickly changing settings while that Tasmanian Tiger disappears back into the forest. Here is my last shot of a Tasmanian Tiger.
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