Wildlife Photography_ From Snapshots to Great Shots - Laurie Excell [22]
A lot of information was covered in this chapter, but the end result of your images relies on your ability to understand light and the elements that make up your exposure, so you can make decisions based on the outcome you are hoping to achieve. With a strong grasp of ISO, aperture, and shutter speed, and their relationship to light, you will be well on your way to making great wildlife shots.
For more on exposure, check out Jeff Revell’s excellent book Exposure: From Snapshots to Great Shots (Peachpit, 2010).
Chapter Assignments
Before moving on, be sure to take the time to do the following assignments, which are meant to help you increase your understanding of light and exposure.
Understanding ISO
On an overcast day, set up your camera on a tripod and photograph the same scene at different ISO settings. Begin at the lowest ISO your camera has and continue in one-stop increments to its highest ISO. Compare the results on your computer to get an idea of what level you can increase your ISO to and still get the quality image you expect. Each camera is different, just as each photographer will have a different tolerance for noise. By knowing what your camera is capable of, you can make needed adjustments in the field to capture your subject as you see it.
Understanding Aperture
Once again set your camera on a tripod and find a scene with a foreground, middle ground, and background. Focus midway into the scene (approximately one-third of the way in), and with your camera in Aperture Priority, cycle through the available apertures on your lens. Once back in the digital darkroom, compare the images to see the effects of different aperture settings on depth of field. If you understand the basics, you can make informed decisions on which aperture best captures your subject.
Understanding Shutter Speed
Find a scene with movement, a waterfall or stream, moving cars, and so on, and set up your camera on a tripod. Once again, set your camera to Aperture Priority and cycle through the various apertures in one-stop increments. This time when you review your images, look at the motion rather than depth of field. Notice what the varying shutter speeds do to either stop motion or blur it and the different moods created by each technique.
Relationship of ISO, Aperture, and Shutter Speed
Find a scene with visual depth (foreground, middle ground, and background) as well as movement. Using a tripod, cycle through your ISO settings, apertures, and shutter speeds. Examine your EXIF data to see the effect of increasing your ISO on your aperture and shutter speed, the change in shutter speed when you adjust your aperture, and so forth.
Share your results with the book’s Flickr group!
Join the group here: flickr.com/groups/wildlifephotographyfromsnapshotstogreatshots.
4. Get to Know Your Subject
A Better Understanding of Your Subject’s Behavior Leads to Great Shots
Understanding the buttons and dials, the menus, and the nuts and bolts of your camera, as well as becoming proficient with it, is a good start. Even though you are anxious to get out in the field, if you are patient (something you need to be when it comes to wildlife photography), you’ll not only get there, but you’ll return with some excellent images. Knowing your subject is as important as knowing your equipment. To be a successful wildlife photographer, you must become a wildlife observer. It takes patience, persistence, and practice to capture more than just snapshots. Knowing your subject thoroughly helps you to anticipate interesting behavior so that you’ll be prepared with the right lens attached and the right settings dialed in, and be ready to fire when the action begins.
Poring Over the Picture
Be sure to observe the rules of safety in Yellowstone National Park by maintaining a distance of 25 yards or more from most subjects (100 yards for wolves and bears). This will normally keep you