Africa « Through the lens with Chris Gamel

Image of the Day – Elephant Trio

Anytime an elephant herd approaches you know there are going to be a ton of photographic opportunities. On just such an occasion, these three young elephants walked pasted our vehicle acting as if we weren’t there. It is a great feeling when an animal is so comfortable with your presence that they just go about their business. Of course, the fact that we were surrounded by the entire herd might have had something to do with it.

The image was captured in the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania using a Canon 1D mark 2, 500mm IS lens with a 1.4 teleconverter, at 200 ISO. The image was shot from a vehicle with a beanbag used to support the camera. The low angle was created by photographing out of the side window rather then the roof opening.

Written on March 7th, 2011 , Africa, Image of the Day, Tanzania

When in doubt, get closer

Everyone takes a picture of the zebra. Few photographers think to take a picture of just its eye. When in doubt, get closer.

This image was captured using a Canon 1D mark 2, 500mm IS lens with a 1.4 teleconverter, at 400 ISO. The image was shot from a vehicle and a beanbag was used to stabilize the camera.

Written on March 4th, 2011 , Africa, Composition, Tanzania

Image of the Day – Timing

(click on the image to see larger version)

Cats sleep almost 20 hours a day. This makes it challenging to get a picture of them doing much of anything. Capturing a cheetah in mid-yawn is cause for excitement, even if it signaled his plan to go right back to sleep.

This cheetah was photographed in the Serengeti during a recent African photo safari. The image was captured using a Canon 1D mark 4, 500mm IS lens, at 200 ISO. The image was shot from a vehicle and the camera and lens were supported using a beanbag.

Written on February 28th, 2011 , Africa, Animal Behavior, Image of the Day, Tanzania

Image of the Day – Hippo Fight

(click on the image to see larger version)

I wanted to touch base with everyone and let you know that I haven’t forgotten about the blog. The combination of high school class trips, end of the grade term, and visiting relatives, hasn’t given me much opportunity to get any blog posts up. I expect for things to be back to normal next week. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy the above image of two male hippos settling their differences.

The image was captured using a Canon 1D mark 2, 500mm IS lens, at 400 ISO. The image was shot from a cliff overlooking the Mara River in the northern Serengeti, Tanzania. There were almost a hundred hippos in the section of the river we were watching and I was constantly scanning the pods in an attempt to predict fights before they started. By handholding the lens (a very heavy lens), I was able to react fast enough to capture the action before it ended (usually only a few seconds after it began). Wildlife photography at its finest.

Written on February 25th, 2011 , Africa, Animal Behavior, Image of the Day, Tanzania

Technique Tuesday – Quality of Light

(click on the image to see larger version)

Writing with light. That is what photography means. Light is the key to photography. In the right light, every subject is beautiful, while the wrong light can ruin even the most remarkable image. Light is constantly changing and these changes impact the photographs we create. Over the next few weeks, we will take a look at the different aspects of light.

Lets begin with the quality of light. Light can be described as being either hard or soft, depending on its directionality. Hard light is highly directional, lighting up one side of the subject while throwing the opposite side into shadow. While it can come from any direction, hard light creates a high contrast situation in which the subject is partly lit and partly shadowed.

Photographically speaking, the challenge of hard light is contrast. Imagine walking outside at noon on a sunny day. The brightness difference between the areas in the sun and the shade is dramatic. Hard light creates bright highlights and dark shadows and the camera is limited in its ability to record these differences. As a result, we are forced to compromise, prioritizing the elements of the scene.

Despite its limitations, hard light can help create stunning images. The golden light surrounding sunrise and sunset is called the magic hour for a reason. It is dramatic and has impact. A key photographic expression is, “light reveals, shadow defines.” The combination of light and shadow work together to give a two dimensional photograph a sense of depth, helping to give the illusion of three dimensions.

Soft light, on the other hand, surrounds the subject, coming from multiple directions at once. Again, imagine walking outside at noon, but this time the day is overcast. The light comes from everywhere, rather then a single direction. Shadows are less distinct, if not absent. While the directionality of light is lost, soft light has its own beauty. The even distribution of light helps to bring out the smaller details of the scene, working especially well for both macro and portrait photography.

The image of the two giraffe above was captured in the northern Serengeti about an hour before sunset. The golden color of the light was enhanced by smoke in the air from a controlled burn in the area. The image was captured using a Canon 1Ds mark 3, 120-300mm Sigma lens with a 1.4 teleconverter (set to 420mm), at 400 ISO. The photograph was taken from a vehicle and a beanbag was used to support the camera.

Written on February 15th, 2011 , Africa, Photography Information, Tanzania, Technique Tuesday

Image of the Day – Elephant Curiosity

Young elephant with his trunk raised in the middle of the herd, Serengeti National Park, Tanzania.

(click on the image to see larger version)

Humans are rare in the Northern Serengeti, and it is entirely possible that we were the first humans this young elephant ever encountered. While his herd continued to feed, this little guy stopped what he was doing and took an interest in us. Unlike humans, which rely primarily on sight, elephants often use their other senses to support what their eye tell them (there is a reason their ears and trunks are so large). By raising his trunk high in the air, this young elephant was trying to get a better idea about who and what we were. Once his curiosity was satisfied, he rejoined the herd and continue on his way.

In the end, I am not sure if he was comforted in the knowledge that we did not pose a threat, or is he decided we were boring.

The image was created using a Canon 1Ds mark 3, 120-300mm Sigma lens with a 1.4 teleconverter (set to 310mm), at 400 ISO. The image was taken from a vehicle and the lens was supported using a beanbag.

Written on February 14th, 2011 , Africa, Image of the Day, Tanzania

Understanding Animal Behavior – Hyaena Hunt

(click on the image to see larger version)

Previously, we discussed a typical lion hunt and how these large cats use ambush techniques and group hunting tactics to increase their chances of catching their prey. Of course, lions are not the only large predator found on the savanna, nor are they the only group hunters. Spotted hyaenas are regularly sighted in grasslands and have proven to be extremely efficient hunters despite the misconception that they are scavengers. Unlike lions, hyaenas are dogs and have evolved a much different approach to hunting.

Spotted Hyaenas are pack hunters, but they do not ambush their prey. Hunting mostly at night, hyaena are outstanding long distance runners. The quick trot commonly seen in dogs is used to run prey to the point of exhaustion. As night falls, a pack of hyaenas will spread out and openly approach a herd of antelope. The antelope respond, moving in the opposite direction. This process repeats over and over as the hyaenas evaluate their prey. Over time, individual antelope begin to stand out. The small, the old, and the injured all have a difficult time keeping up with the herd. As the night progresses, the hyaenas target these weaker individuals and ignore the rest of the herd. The hyaenas continue their advance, forcing the antelope to constantly be on the move. As the hours pass by, the antelope, weak to begin with, can’t maintain the pace and falls to the ground. It is at this point that the hyaenas move in for the kill.

Photographic Tips – Unlike the cats, hyaenas and other dogs tend to be involved in prolonged hunts which offer numerous photographic opportunities. Finding a hyaena pack at sunset can provide the opportunity to watch them begin to work the herd. Since most of the time is spent in a slow chase, panning and frozen motion shots can be an effective way to document the action. It can also be effective to record images that include both hyaenas and their prey. Telephoto lenses help to compress distances and will give the appearance that the predator and prey are closer together then they really are. Unfortunately, the biggest challenge to photographing these nocturnal hunters is the absence of light.

The above image shows a spotted hyaena considering its chances of catching an alert Thomson’s gazelle. The use of a telephoto lens helped to compress the distance, making the antelope appear to be much closer to the hyaena, thereby emphasizing the relationship. The image was created using a Canon 1D mark 2, 500mm IS lens, at 200 ISO. The image was shot from a vehicle and the lens was supported using a beanbag.

Written on February 3rd, 2011 , Africa, Animal Behavior, Photography Information, Tanzania

Image of the Day – Lion Pride

(click on the image to see larger version)

We came across this pride of lions at the end of my daughter’s first day in Africa. Needless to say, it was a good day. The image was created using a Canon 1Ds mark 3, 24-70mm lens, at 800 ISO. The camera was hand held and I was shooting from a vehicle.

Written on January 17th, 2011 , Africa, Image of the Day, Tanzania

Understanding Animal Behavior – lion hunt

(click on the image to see large version)

All animals need three things to survive: food, water, and shelter. How they get these things can differ in dramatic ways. Take lions for instance. Not only are lions carnivores, but they are the top predators of the savanna. In a face to face confrontation, few animals can hold their own, much less beat a lion. Yet finding food is not easy for lions. Lions have been around for a long time and most of the animals they prey upon have evolved methods of escape that stack the odds against the lion. A single lion only succeeds in about 15% of its hunts while a pride is successful about 30% of the time.

So how exactly do lions increase their chances at a successful hunt? Like most cats, lions are not good distance runners. They can move quickly, they can not maintain the speed needed to outrace most of their prey. As a result, lions have had to come up with something else. Their solution is cooperative hunting, with the members of the pride working together to bring down prey. In most instances, a hunt begins with 2-3 lions walking in the open towards a herd of zebra (or other prey). In all likelihood, the zebra see them coming and respond in the obvious way. They take off in the other direction. Unfortunately, they are heading into a trap.

The lions in the open are decoys, moving forward with the sole purpose of generating a response. The real threat are the lions hiding along the zebras’ escape route. As zebras pass through this hidden gauntlet they run the risk of becoming dinner. Once an animal is targeted, the entire pride helps to bring it down. Cooperative hunting improves their success rate and lets the pride target larger prey then would normally be possible.

Photographic Tips – How do we use our knowledge of lion hunting to capture better images? In this case, the lesson to remember is that you probably don’t see all of the lions. During a hunt it is easy to focus on the decoys (that is their job after all), but that is rarely where the action happens. Watch for the ambush and be ready to change your focus quickly as the action shifts. Also, don’t waste too much time focussing on the males. Females are the real hunters of the pride.

The lioness pictured above was photographed feeding on a dead wildebeest in Serengeti National Park during one of my African wildlife photo safaris. Unfortunately, we didn’t see the hunt, only the aftermath. The image was created using a Canon 1D mark 2, 500mm IS lens, at 200 ISO. The lens was supported on a beanbag while shooting from a vehicle.

Written on January 13th, 2011 , Africa, Animal Behavior, Tanzania

Technique Tuesday: Elements of Composition – Horizontal vs Vertical

(click on the image to see larger version)

Cameras are designed to shoot in the horizontal format (imagine a rectangle with the longest sides along the top and bottom). The position of the buttons, the ease of holding the camera, and the very idea that the camera has a right side up encourage us to stay horizontal. The horizontal format does a great job of encompassing the scene and drawing our eye from one side of the image to the other. It is ideally suited for wide subjects.

Unfortunately, not all subjects are suited to the horizontal format. As photographers, one of our main objectives is to reduce visual clutter. Incorrect use of the horizontal format forces us to include areas that have nothing to do with the subject, thereby increasing the distractions in the image.

By turning the camera sideways, we produce a shift in the visual dynamics of the scene. While the horizontal format emphasizes width, the vertical format emphasizes height. The physical height of the subject becomes obvious as our eye moves up and down through the frame.

Each subject is unique and must be evaluated to determine which format will make the most successful image. As a starting point, ask yourself, “Is taller or wider?” If the subject is wider then it is tall (a hippo for example), shoot horizontal. If the subject is taller then it is wide (the giraffe seen above), the image will likely be improved by turning the camera on its side and going vertical.

This Masai giraffe above was photographed in the northern part of the Serengeti National Park. Several controlled burns were being conducted in the area, creating a smoky haze that did a great job of diffusing the light. The image was created using a Canon 1D mark 2, 500mm IS lens, at 200 ISO. The image was taken from a vehicle and a beanbag was used to provide camera support.

Written on January 11th, 2011 , Africa, Composition, Photography Information, Tanzania, Technique Tuesday, Understanding Photography Series

<< Older Entries

Newer Entries >>

Through the lens with Chris Gamel is proudly powered by WordPress and the Theme Adventure by Eric Schwarz
Entries (RSS) and Comments (RSS).