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    • Image of the Day – Lioness in a tree

    Female lion lying in a yellow acacia tree, Serengeti National Park, Tanzania.

    This image of a lioness hanging out in a tree was taken in Serengeti National Park two years ago during one of my photo safaris.  While they are not the best tree climber (too big), lions do occasionally climb to get away from the bugs.  This female was kind enough to pose for use for over an hour before climbing down and leaving.  The image was captured using a Canon 1D mark 2, 20-70mm lens (set to 34mm), at 200 ISO.  After getting the closeup shots, I wanted to go fro the animalscape that included the beautiful habitat.  The picture was taken from a vehicle and the camera was supported by a beanbag.

    Written on April 15th, 2011 , Africa, Image of the Day, Tanzania
    Exploring limits

    African elephant photographed at pre-dawn with an ISO setting of 12800, Tarangire National Park, Tanzania.

    I admit it.  I am an ISO snob.  Most nature photographers are, especially if they started with film.  19 years ago I got my start in wildlife photography with a Nikon camera and a few rolls of film.  As an aspiring nature photographer, I read everything I could find on the subject and one piece of advice stood out above all others.  Real nature photographers use low ISO film.  Of course, I wanted to be a real nature photographer (even if my pictures were mostly blurry black blobs, it was the thought that counts), so I used low ISO film.  This was a time when Fuji Velvia had just hit the market and at 50 ISO, Velvia certainly qualified as slow speed film.  After a few years, I switch to Kodak 100VS, another saturated film that provided the lightning speed of 100 ISO.  For years I was happy shooting at 100 ISO.  On rare occasions I pushed the film to 200 ISO.  I even admit to once pushing it to 400 ISO, but I was dehydrated that day and not responsible for my actions.  The idea of using high ISO settings went against my very core as a nature photographer.  I either got a noise free image, or I didn’t get the shot.  It was that simple.

    Then things began to change.  In 2003 I purchased my first digital camera.  No, I didn’t rush out and immediately start using high ISOs, though I think I might have accidentally taken a picture at 800 ISO once.  The shift was gradual.  With film my default ISO setting was 50 or 100, so that is where I started with digital.  After a year or two, I learned that most digital cameras are optimized for 200 ISO, which contains less noise then the lower settings.  OK, no more low ISO settings.  From then on I started shooting fast on a regular basis.  Like 200 ISO fast.

    The erosion of my photographic principles continued over the next few years as newer and better cameras were created.  Noise reduction was one of the key advantages of these new cameras, but it just felt wrong to use those settings.  Then it happened.  I purchased a Canon 1D mark 4.  This camera was making headlines in the photographic world for the low noise at high ISO setting and the temptation was almost too much to ignore.  One morning on safari in Tarangire National Park, I decided to push the camera and see what I could do.  The morning was heavily overcast and dark.  When we came across a small herd of elephants, I decided to put the camera to the test.  The light was so low I could hardly even see the elephants, much less photograph them.  With nothing to loose, I changes the ISO setting to a heart stopping 12,800 and began to take pictures.  Fortunately the camera did not explode in my hands.  Above is one of the resulting images.  I don’t know about you, but I’m impressed.  Does the image contain noise?  Of course it does.  Is the noise a distraction?  Not even close.  Not only is this an acceptable photograph, but shooting with such a high ISO opens a world of opportunities that were not previously possible.

    As photographers we often fall into the trap of doing the same thing we have always done.  Taking risks is how we get better.  It is how we push the boundaries of our craft and create new photographic opportunities.  It took me 18 years to explore the limits of high ISO.  Don’t wait that long.  Find your limits and take a step past them.  You might like the results.

    Written on March 31st, 2011 , Africa, Photography Information, Tanzania
    image of the day – white-bellied go-away bird

    White-bellied go-away bird perched on a branch, Serengeti National Park, Tanzania.

    The White-Bellied Go-Away Bird is a difficult species to photograph.  During my repeated attempts the bird lived up to its name.  Whenever I approached, it decided to go away.  Seriously, it is a beautiful bird with a delicate crest on the top of its head and I was fortunate enough to come across a tolerant individual just as the sun was dropping below the horizon.

    The image was created using a Canon 1D mark 2, 500mm IS lens with a 1.4 teleconverter, at 640 ISO.  The bird was photographed from a vehicle and the lens was supported on a beanbag.

    Written on March 28th, 2011 , Africa, Image of the Day, Tanzania
    Image of the Day – Pied Kingfisher

    Pied Kingfisher perched on a log, Lake Manyara, Tanzania.

    Does your life follow a certain pattern?  Do you get up in the morning, go through the same routine, leave for work at a predictable time?  If someone was looking for you, would they have a good chance of knowing where to look?  Like humans, wildlife often repeats patterns.  The more you know about these patterns, the better your chances of capturing the image you are after.  Lets take Kingfishers as an example.  Kingfishers are one of the the most difficult birds to photograph.  They are extremely cautious and usually respond to the unknown by flying away.  Chasing after a Kingfisher is bound to end in disappointment rather then a success.  The world is full of images of Kingfishers flying away.  Our goal is to capture something better.

    So, how did I capture the Pied Kingfisher in the image above?  I watched from a distance and found the Kingfisher’s favorite perch.  It was a lone stick next to the water.  Ever few minutes, the bird would fly over and perch as it looked for fish.  After seeing two landings, I set myself up for the next pass.  Staying in the vehicle (this was in Africa where lions are a reality), I focused my lens on the empty stick, leaving enough room for the Kingfisher at the top.  In less the 10 minutes, the bird returned and the image was complete.

    Can you thing of a time when preplanning helped you get the image you were after?  If so, please share your story in the comments section.

    The Pied Kingfisher image was created at Lake Manyara National Park, Tanzania.  The image was created using a Canon 1D mark 2, 500mm IS lens with a 2x teleconverter attached, at 800 ISO.  The image was taken from a vehicle with the lens supported using a beanbag.

    Written on March 21st, 2011 , Africa, Image of the Day, Tanzania
    Image of the Day – Elephant Trio

    Three young African elephants walking together, Serengeti National Park, Tanzania.

    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

    Closeup of the face of a Burchell's zebra, Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania.

    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

    Cheetah lying in the grass while yawning, Serengeti National Park, Tanzania.

    (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

    Male hippopotamus fighting in the water, Serengeti National Park, Tanzania.

    (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

    Juvenile giraffe leaning against its mother, Serengeti National Park, Tanzania.

    (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
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    Through the lens with Chris Gamel

    Musings of a photographic educator.