Friday, August 6, 2010
Fabiola Forns
Bird Photography Off The Beaten Path
Written by Fabiola Forns
Bird photography is my passion and has been for many years now. There is nothing like finding a bird you’ve wanted and then capturing an image of it, the way you had dreamed. Creating beautiful bird pictures can be very rewarding. However, sometimes we want even more by pushing the envelope a bit and creating something unusual.
Once you learn the basic rules for creating a successful bird image, it’s natural to try to get off the beaten path. I like to create an image that follows the rules and defies them at the same time. My personal challenge is to be creative in a manner that still appeals to the majority of the viewers.
I have a few images that I would like to share with you, as well as my thought process that led to them.
Color Wash #1
I had used the color wash technique with flowers, and this was my first try with birds.
Color wash refers to placing a solid object between you and your subject, in a way that only the color of the out of focus object remains, partially covering your subject, but showing the latter as if it was covered with a veil.
The egret image above was captured from the ground, using a beach rock as my veil.
I used f/8, 1/400 and ISO 500. The image below shows me making the composition with the rock. Minimal processing was applied, with no contrast added to keep the veiled effect.
Color Wash #2
Again, using the vegetation very close to the camera can provide for a very painterly look, almost diffusing the entire subject. This look does not need a lot of contrast, basically just darkening the pupil slightly, if you must. Image captured at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm
High Key
Working against the light can be handled two ways: 1-Exposing for ambient and using flash to put detail in the subject that is in the shade in relation to the sun, or 2-The high key approach, exposing for the subject.
This technique blows the background to white, creating a very sophisticated look. High key may be an acquired taste, not preferred by everyone. This image is cropped from a horizontal 21 megapixel file, again with minimum processing.
Creating Stars
Another way to work against the light is to go for a silhouette. When the sun is getting low on the horizon, you place the subject in the light trail, using a very small aperture, like f/22, that will create a starburst in some lenses. I worked in Aperture value, experimenting with different compensation. The one I liked the best, this one, was + 0.3 EV.
I though the bleeding of the stars into the silhouette was interesting. I applied minimal processing, and I was able to frame in camera, with no need to crop.
Chaotic Blurs
Whenever there is a feeding frenzy, natural or provoked, using Shutter priority can lead to a dynamic image. This was captured at 1/40 of a second and processed creatively, eliminating a couple of distracting elements on the right margin and using some Nik color filters to substitute for the poor available light.That Out-Of-Focus Moon
Our eyes are able to focus on our subject and the moon at the same time. Unfortunately, depth of field is not as perfect in our modern lenses. In a case like this, if I wanted to duplicate what my eyes saw, capturing two images with different focal points and merging them into one image would be my approach. Placing the subject in the upper corner and looking out of the picture will give the main role to the Moon, my subject of choice in this image.
Flash as main light.
Well, almost. Technically, our background should be all black, but after sunset, we can create very dramatic flight effects with the help of flash, keeping in mind that when it’s darker, a bit of flash goes a long way. The exposure of your subject comes all from the flash; ambient has nothing to do with it. You expose the ambient for the sky, flash for the subject.
Setting the flash for ETTL should help you obtain the right amount of flash.Going for the Rim Light
Last, but not least, capturing and exposing for the rim light can lead to an attractive picture. This time, the subject would be almost a silhouette, with the rim providing the tracing of the bird’s shape. In this case, the backlit bill provides interest.It’s fun to get off the beaten path. I find that unusual approaches energize me. They force me to get out of the unconscious rut of continually reusing the same methods for making my images. I hope this article motivates you to try something a little bit unconventional, even if it is just for fun. Hopefully it will help you open your mind to new possibilities and contribute to your growth as a photographer.
Raymond Barlow
Flash?? Yes or No? by Raymond Barlow
How about never?
Looking back after 5 years of birds and wildlife photography I can remember only one time where I tried to flash for light. Costa Rica Humming birds, and I will never forget how frustrated i was with the images. Keeping in mind, I had no practice, and no training, so really we could not have expected much.
I have seen images where photographers used flash, wondering if they may have looked better without any flash. A flash seems like a band aid to poor light. Naturally, we always cannot find the optimal light, and the right situation for a clean shot of our subjects.
So picking the right time, right place, right subject, right background / environment becomes even more challenging! Realistically, it takes years of hard study, and practice to master these sort of opportunities, and this is the fun of nature photography.
Each day presents a new and interesting situation. Experience and a drive to succeed, or do your best with take you to a higher level. The concept "I will fix it in photo shop" is nothing but bunk. These are only my suggestions and opinions, but I feel photographers can always improve their skills, and that goes for everyone holding a camera.
As a workshop host, one of the most difficult things to deal with is a closed mind. people are sometimes un-willing to learn, or accept different techniques... the funniest line I hear... " I have been doing this for xx years" and nobody is going to tell me! (pathetic)
I am learning all the time, every time I go into the field with a guest, it is a fantastic experience. I learn the most from the best listeners. People who seem to be the finest at this sport are the ones who are open, and with good ears. Every species, time frame, set of colours, weather conditions present a new photographic equation. Knowing where to go, and what time, in a particular light is the key to ridding ones dependency of the band aid flash.
Set new goals, and try harder!! For sure this is not for everyone so the most important advice is to find a way to have fun!
Added footnote:
One last comment, my opinions here are nothing more than that, several of my friends use flash for bird photography and they get fantastic results. Fabiola Forns proves this in her article previous to this one. We all have our own vision of nature photography,
mine is different than most.
NIOM is providing different viewpoints so photographer can make their own decisions, and take the opportunity to learn from others.
Have a look at my new book!!
click here
Looking back after 5 years of birds and wildlife photography I can remember only one time where I tried to flash for light. Costa Rica Humming birds, and I will never forget how frustrated i was with the images. Keeping in mind, I had no practice, and no training, so really we could not have expected much.
I have seen images where photographers used flash, wondering if they may have looked better without any flash. A flash seems like a band aid to poor light. Naturally, we always cannot find the optimal light, and the right situation for a clean shot of our subjects.
So picking the right time, right place, right subject, right background / environment becomes even more challenging! Realistically, it takes years of hard study, and practice to master these sort of opportunities, and this is the fun of nature photography.
Each day presents a new and interesting situation. Experience and a drive to succeed, or do your best with take you to a higher level. The concept "I will fix it in photo shop" is nothing but bunk. These are only my suggestions and opinions, but I feel photographers can always improve their skills, and that goes for everyone holding a camera.
As a workshop host, one of the most difficult things to deal with is a closed mind. people are sometimes un-willing to learn, or accept different techniques... the funniest line I hear... " I have been doing this for xx years" and nobody is going to tell me! (pathetic)I am learning all the time, every time I go into the field with a guest, it is a fantastic experience. I learn the most from the best listeners. People who seem to be the finest at this sport are the ones who are open, and with good ears. Every species, time frame, set of colours, weather conditions present a new photographic equation. Knowing where to go, and what time, in a particular light is the key to ridding ones dependency of the band aid flash.
Set new goals, and try harder!! For sure this is not for everyone so the most important advice is to find a way to have fun!
Added footnote:One last comment, my opinions here are nothing more than that, several of my friends use flash for bird photography and they get fantastic results. Fabiola Forns proves this in her article previous to this one. We all have our own vision of nature photography,
mine is different than most.
NIOM is providing different viewpoints so photographer can make their own decisions, and take the opportunity to learn from others.
Have a look at my new book!!
click here
Celebrities Without Makeup
Here is a few more thanks to ZX81 who sent them to me by email. Click for biggery.
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