WILDLIFE LESSON 1

Wildlife Photography Learning The “Formula For Success”

BY ROBERT LA FOLLETTE Preface

I am spoiled. Since I live on the gulf coast of central Florida I am surrounded by all kinds of wildlife literally right outside my back door. Not only does this mean I can wildlife close to home I can also hop into my car and have literally hundreds of “hot spots” to choose from to visit within a very short distance depending on the species I am interested in at that moment.

Now this doesn’t mean you don’t have the same for we live in a world that is surrounded by wildlife and it is easier to find and photograph then you may think. Over the next four weeks we will explore on how to seek out those award winning you may have seen in places like National Geographic and other publications, what equipment to use and when, what to do when you

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find it, and how to make your image the best with some secrets of processing your images in your “digital ”.

Wildlife photography can be the most richly rewarding and satisfying subject you can study but it can also be the most frustrating. It is very dynamic, challenging, unpredictable and exciting. However, for those just starting out it is very intimidating since most will walk away with less then desired results thus giving up in frustration.

Let me make this statement: It is without a doubt one of the hardest and most challenging types of photography I have ever attempt to master and even after shooting literally tens of thousands of images it is still challenging and more often then not failure is very much a part of the experience.

Now, you may have just read that statement and thought, “Wow, what I have I gotten myself into?” Well let me assure you that after the end of these next four weeks your success rate will dramatically rise for I will give you the insight to work smarter, more efficient and really start to enjoy your passion. I know of all of the types of photography I do wildlife is my favorite for it is challenging, educational and gives me the experiences Speed: 1/100s that will last a lifetime. : f/6.3 Before we begin, recently an article I wrote on ISO: 800 photographing wildlife, titled “Top 10 Tips” was Lens: 400mm published in Florida Wildlife magazine that is an excellent starting point to get you started in wildlife photography. Over the next four weeks, we will be exploring in-depth these tips, and I highly recommend you download this article and use it as our guide throughout our journey.

Download the PDF “Wildlife Photography Top 10 Tips” at

https://www.dropbox.com/s/cqy279n9h1wctdi/ WildlifePhotographyTop10Tips.pdf?dl=0

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So with out of the way, let’s start to explore the formula for success!

Lesson 1: Getting Started Before you start construction on a home or building you need a blueprint. Then you need the tools that are necessary to build that structure and wildlife photography is really no different. We need a blueprint, then assemble the tools we will need to photograph the subjects that interest us. Some of may have already started their journey while some may have not. I can speak from experience from spending countless hours researching, experimenting and spending money this task may seem overwhelming. So let’s break it down slowly and explore each area to start to build our “toolkit” to begin our journey.

PART ONE: BODY

We live in an era of photography that is explosive with the SLR or DSLR. In no point of the has it become so advanced, precise and affordable. Wildlife photography is no longer : 1/15s just reserved to the Aperture: f/8 professional with large ISO: 800 amounts of money. It is now available to anyone Lens: 300mm who wishes to pursue it whether you are a professional, amateur or a hobbyist. The confusion however comes into deciding what camera body to buy… Canon? Nikon? Sony? Then when you like a brand, there are then choices in the different models. Some cost today less then $500 but can go up to over $5,000. What the difference? What do all those numbers mean when looking at the specifications? 3 WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY LESSON 1

Just as any other type of equipment or product the more money you spend obviously the more “features” you will get. Does that mean you need to get the top of the line model? Not necessarily. But let’s look at some of the things you should look for when shopping or comparing all of your choices. Just a side note, I will make this recommendation that if you are considering a “point-n- shoot” type - don’t! They are simply not fast enough, big enough or good enough to take award- winning images. While they can do “everything” their biggest drawback is speed and accuracy and will limit what you can photograph.

So here is a list of what to look for in a camera body and what they mean to you:

MEGAPIXELS: Today, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16 and higher megapixel cameras are common, and they all can produce exceptional images that can be printed out as large as a 24”x36” poster! Just a few years ago, this conversation would have been completely different, but now, the technology is so advanced it is mute which is great for us. The more megapixels gives you the freedom to crop your images and reduce the risk of a low quality image as well as the more megapixels allows us to print very large prints. The sensors also being used in today’s Shutter Speed: 1/100s DSLR cameras are very advanced, have Aperture: f/6.3 low noise at the ISO: 800 higher ISO’s and

Lens: 400mm produce very detailed images. All of which is a win-win for the consumer.

ERGONOMICS: When you are out shooting wildlife perhaps for long periods of time the last thing you want to deal with is a camera body that is difficult to use, hold and adjust the settings. While I will not be recommending one brand or body over the other what I do recommend that you take

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a trip to your local store that sells cameras, preferably one that has numerous bodies so that you can hold them, check out how they feel in your hand, how easy they are to change setting etc. Doing this will give you a bigger advantage then buying one from a reseller online since you can see them in action first hand.

FPS (Frames Per Second): This is one specification to pay close attention to, for buying a camera that has the ability to shoot high FPS can be the difference of getting or missing the shot. Look for bodies that can shoot at least 5 FPS or higher for the more the better.

BUFFER: When shooting wildlife and shooting numerous frames in a single burst, not only is the FPS important but the buffer is also equally important. If the camera body has a large enough buffer it will allow you to shoot many more images in a single session and the camera will be able to process those images much faster since it will hold them into memory before writing them to your card. If you have a small buffer the camera will stop functioning until it writes the images to your card thus preventing you to shoot anymore. I can tell you there is nothing more frustrating waiting for the camera to catch up with you and you miss a shot!

FOCUS POINTS: This is one of the least used and most Shutter Speed: 1/50s understood features on DSLR cameras. Basically the Aperture: f/6.3 more focus points you see in the viewfinder the more

ISO: 400 choices you have to place one of those Lens: 200mm focus points where you want them. Almost all cameras when they are shipped from the factory have them set to their default which means the camera will pick a focus point for you

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usually locking on something that you don’t want resulting in a missed shot. If you change the setting so that you can select your focus point your images will improve dramatically. I cannot stress that point enough, so I’ll say it again… Select your focus point yourself! When looking at a camera that interests you see how easy or difficult it is to change those points. The easier the better for when you are in the heat of the action the last thing you want is to have difficulty changing those points, thus missing the shot.

ISO: Most of the SLR cameras manufactured today can shoot between ISO 100 to 3200 (some as low as 50, and as high as 6400!). With the advances in sensor technology today ISO noise is becoming less of a drawback for many bodies allow you to shoot at ISO 800 and much higher and produce very clean, detailed images.

FILE FORMATS: Every SLR camera today can shoot files as JPG or RAW. I shoot everything as a RAW file since they give me total control when I process my images in Photoshop. However if you shoot JPG, be sure to set your settings at the highest (like JPG LARGE FINE) since it will have the least amount of compression. As a note the difference between RAW and JPG is that the RAW file Shutter Speed: 1/250s is the unmodified, high-resolution image as it was recorded by your camera. You will need to process each Aperture: f/8 image using an image editor that can read these files ISO: 400 however the amount of control is much greater then a

Lens: 400mm JPG. On the other hand your camera processes JPG images and the output is directly affected by the settings you have on your camera. I highly recommend that you try RAW if you don’t use that format for your results will far exceed those images shot as JPG. Also keep in mind many of today’s cameras can shoot the same photo both as a RAW and JPG so you can give this a try and practice using RAW images, and still retain your JPG. Then when you get the hang of processing RAW images you will never look back!

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LCD SCREEN: This is the biggest advance in camera technology today thanks to digital. In the old days of film photographers had no idea if they got the shot, , composition etc. until they had the film processed by a lab. Today, we can instantly review our images on the back of our cameras which not only allows us to correct our mistakes, but also gives us invaluable information such as f/stop, ISO, shutter speed, exposure etc. Just like megapixels the bigger the better for the larger the screen the more detail we can see as well as zoom in on a certain area and check for focus. Plus, for those who may have less then perfect eyesight, larger screens are great.

CROP FACTOR: One term that you’re certain to come across when researching your next DSLR purchase is “Crop Factor”. This is without a doubt THE biggest question almost everyone has when buying a DSLR camera. This is a slightly complex topic and many long articles have been written explaining it, but to keep it Shutter Speed: 1/125s simple let me attempt a short explanation. Aperture: f/4 While normal film cameras take 35mm film (it is a ISO: 400 standard for the industry) there is much variety between

Lens: 60mm Macro digital camera manufacturers on sizes. The main reference point that people therefore use is the 35mm one which is considered “full frame” size.

If you compare the size of the film in a normal SLR (film is 35mm) to the image sensor in most DSLRs you’ll find that the size of the DSLRs sensor is generally smaller (unless you get what’s called a full frame DSLR). Until recently full frame cameras were largely in the realm of professional DSLRs and all lower end cameras had smaller sensors. If

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you take a photo with a smaller sensor and the same lens it will only show a smaller area of the scene.

To illustrate this here is how different cameras with different image sizes will see an image:

Black - 1.0x Full Frame

Red - 1.3x Crop Factor

Yellow - 1.5x Crop Factor

Green - 1.6x Crop Factor

Shutter Speed: 1/500s When you enlarge images to the same size from different Aperture: f/8 sensors the ones with the smaller sensors will be enlarged more - making it seem bigger. As a result when ISO: 400 you fit a lens to a camera with a smaller sensor the lens is Lens: 200mm often said to have a larger equivalent lens size.

So what does all that mean to you? Well for my money this is where “crop cameras” are greatly beneficial to the wildlife photographer. For example, my current camera has a crop factor of 1.6x. That simply means my 100mm lens now is a 160mm lens and my 400mm lens is now a 640mm lens. Wow! If you have ever priced length does matte, as well as the cost. I essentially have a 640mm lens at 1/4 the cost.

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Here is a table to compare the difference of how a crop factor changes the of your lens. The column on the left is the focal length of your lens if it put on a full frame camera:

Are their drawbacks to crop cameras? Well, for subjects such as wildlife, no. However if you also wish to do landscapes or other types of photography that you need a wider fame of view crop factor cameras can hinder Shutter Speed: 1/1600s your work since you won’t be able to capture as much of that beautiful landscape then if you had a full frame Aperture: f/6.3 camera. Crop factor cameras since they have smaller ISO: 400 sensors also will not resolve fine detail as great as a full Lens: 400mm frame camera body thus you will loose some details in your highlights and shadows, and possibly in feathers and fur.

You really have to look close to notice the difference when viewing the images on your computer however if you shot the same exact subject with both a crop factor camera and full frame camera and zoom in on the detail you will notice the difference. The positive is that for most wildlife photographers the tradeoff is minimal and like myself I opted for the extended reach for when you 9 WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY LESSON 1 are out in the field you will really appreciate it. The other bonus with crop factor cameras is that they are usually lighter in weight which your arms will appreciate at the end of a long day out shooting wildlife!

CONCLUSION: Phew! That’s a lot to digest already. However, if you use the above points to consider if you are replacing your current camera body or if you are in the market for the first time by understanding some of the more critical specifications and what they can do for you will really help you get off on the right foot. There are lots more specifications that you will see when shopping, such as pop-up flash, sensor cleaners, bracketing, noise reduction, view finder, and so on and so on. The bottom line is the more homework you do before you buy the better camera you will have that fits your budget and objective. Now let’s take a look at the single most important investment you will ever make, lenses.

PART TWO: CAMERA LENSES

I remember when I first got into photography and went shopping for a lens. I was shocked on several levels especially when it came to the price. Some of the lenses I was looking at cost more then the camera body I had just bought and on top of that I had no idea why. Well I took the hard road, and bought the inexpensive lenses only to realize later that I had wasted valuable time and money by not fully understanding the importance of a good quality lens. It was a costly lesson but one that made me realize that there is more to price when it comes to shopping for a good lens especially when it comes to wildlife.

ZOOM VS. PRIME: This is usually a personal decision we all face when shopping for our lenses. Everyone love the luxury that zoom lenses give us since with the rotation of 10 WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY LESSON 1 the lens barrel we can get much closer to our subject without moving. I love zoom lenses for just that very reason,for it allows me to frame my subject much more precisely by simply zooming in or out. Prime lenses are lenses that don’t zoom and have only one focal length. They are usually harder to frame subjects for if you are too far away you have to move closer. If you are too close you have to move back. Sometimes that is not the ideal situation depending on your subject or where you are. This is where zoom lenses have the huge advantage.

So now that we know the obvious what are the real differences between zoom and prime lenses? Zoom lenses are typically heavier since they use more glass in their construction. Prime lenses uses less glass therefore they are usually much lighter. Also, prime lenses are almost always sharper in terms of resolution then zoom lenses thanks in part that they have no moving glass inside them.

Prime lenses are also sharper when shot wide open (at the lowest aperture) then zoom lenses. Zoom lenses can be soft (less resolution) when at the shortest as well as their longest focal lengths. The final thought on the differences is that prime lenses are almost always faster to obtain and lock focus whether you are shooting a still subject or one that is moving.

However every wildlife photographer should have at their disposal a good quality as well as a good since these quality lenses today close the gap on sharpness and quality considerably. Today’s lenses 11 WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY LESSON 1 are far superior then ones produced just 10 years ago and I would have a hard time picking out what lens was used when looking at an image for they are that good now.

NAME-BRAND VS. OFF-BRAND: On occasion I have come across students when conducting workshops or have been out in the field with other wildlife photographers and they rely on off-brand lenses especially the telephoto and super telephoto varieties. While I have never personally owned any of these off- brand lenses I have used them on occasion on some of my workshops and I find their build quality questionable, very slow to obtain focus and image quality to be no where are good as my name-brand counterparts. When it comes to using a teleconverter these off-brand lenses become almost useless and their results leave a lot to be desired.

For my money purchasing one of these lenses represents poor planning. You save several thousand dollars right off the bat but if you choose to either upgrade or get out of the hobby or profession completely after a year or two the lens will sell for only a small fraction of the original purchase price. If you had purchased a quality lens at the start and needed to sell it for whatever reason you can generally get 90 percent or more of your original purchase price back if the lens is in reasonably good condition. Some photographers sell a quality telephoto lens that they have used for a year or two and actually wind up making a small profit. Those who purchased the “bargain” lens often winds up losing, sometimes several thousand dollars by selling it used.

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These differences are very noticeable, especially when you compare cheap inexpensive lenses with ones that are made by the camera manufactures. Buying lenses should be considered an investment in not only your hobby or profession but the cheaper lenses will certainly increase your frustration, thus taking out the enjoyment.

STABILIZERS: One of the more exciting technologies to be implemented in today’s lenses is the addition of image stabilization. For Canon lenses this is called “Image Stabilization”, and on Nikon it is referred to as “Vibration Reduction”. This technology is extremely useful on longer focal length lenses especially when you are above 200mm. Basically the idea here is that there is a series of gyroscopes inside the lens which help “stabilize” the image resulting in much sharper images when used at these longer focal length. The glass inside the lens “float”, and with the help of these gyroscopes, which will dampen any movement, camera shake or reduce a combination of these common problems especially when hand-holding your camera and lens. They are also stabilizing your view when looking through your viewfinder making it easier to frame your subject. Keep in mind this technology can greatly add to the cost of the lens however the cost far outweighs the especially when photographing wildlife.

SPEED: All lenses are priced by their speed. What this means that the each lens has a rating of how low in aperture it can obtain. For example a lens that is an f/2.8 costs more then one that is an f/4. This is directly related

13 WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY LESSON 1 to speed since a f/2.8 lens can focus faster in lower light then the f/4, and the lower the f/stop (aperture) the more useful the lens becomes when shooting in low light and for blurring the backgrounds when the photographer is dealing with depth of field. Also the amount of glass needed to construct a lower f/stop lens is more thus adding to it’s cost.

Another great feature of some of the more quality lenses is that they will not change their lowest f/stop when they are zoomed through their focal length. The less expensive lenses will change their lowest aperture when moving through the focal length since it takes more light to properly expose an image with longer focal lengths.

CONCLUSION: So armed with that knowledge, finding, comparing and purchasing your first or next lens should be much more easy now that you understand what to look out for. So the next question is “What lenses should I consider?” I would start to look to at lenses that fit the bill of the subjects you are interested in the most as well as your budget. Personally I have opted for the name- brand quality lenses, and the results have been outstanding. Some of the best focal lengths to look for are in the 70-200mm range, as well as lenses that cover to 200-400mm range both zooms and prime lenses. Also don’t forget a good wide angle lens for those time when creating a landscape with your subjects or sometimes also referred to as “environmental” photographs. These lenses will give you the reach to photograph wildlife that you cannot get close to as well the shorter lengths give

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you the luxury when you can as well as photograph some more of the creative types of images we will explore. However, once you begin your shopping research you may find that task a little more overwhelming in both in terms of cost as well as performance. No worries since in our next section we look at how to overcome the confusion!

PART THREE: WHERE TO GO

Today purchasing quality lenses (as well as camera bodies and accessories) can be literally a click away with the internet. The amount of outlets that sell camera gear is great and the prices are very competitive. The internet also is a great resource for information when researching and shopping for equipment which give you not only the prices and specifications but also user reviews to give you a better idea how the item you are considering will perform. There are also user groups you can join to ask for opinions discussion boards and a wealth of other resources.

Another of the best ways to see if a lens is the perfect match for you is a new outlet that is available to every photographer that I can highly recommend and that is rentals. I have personally rented lenses from various outlets to “try before I buy”, which has saved me considerable money. You can rent just about every popular lens out there today, from wide angles, specialty, and even some super telephoto lenses. If you are interested in a particular lens try renting first to see if it fits into the wildlife subjects you are interested in photographing. You can rent these lenses for up to a week sometimes even longer. This makes for a great way to get some

15 WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY LESSON 1 super telephoto lenses for the next time you are on a safari, vacation or visit your local zoo.

For instance, I rented a Canon 400mm prime lens for a weekend outing shooting shorebirds at a local beach here in Tampa Bay and I loved it so much when I returned it I placed an order for one with Adorama the next day. I have also rented other lenses I thought would be good only to find they didn’t perform as well as I had hoped which in turn saved me considerable time and frustration.

CONCLUSION: Each of these resources will ship the lens to your door and when you are done shooting with it you simply place it back in the prepaid, insured container and ship it back. It really doesn’t get any simpler then that. Some of them also will rent accessories such as converters, flash units, and even camera bodies! One last recommendation when shopping for cameras… Many camera manufactures package “kit lenses” with their body. I highly recommend passing on these kits since the lens that is included is usually a very low quality lens both in terms of build and construction. I would look for camera bodies packaged as “body only”.

PART FOUR: ACCESSORIES

Now that we got the camera body and lenses covered we need to obtain a few accessories to really help get those award-winning wildlife images. These items are often overlooked or not as much attention is paid to them however, if you have some of these at your disposal it will make a huge difference in your images.

TRIPOD: This is without a doubt the most useful and necessary accessory you will ever buy. If you buy nothing else a good study needs to be at the top of your list. There are many different makes and models of tripods which also can make for a confusing experience

16 WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY LESSON 1 when looking for a reliable tripod. Take it from someone who has bought and used many: don’t skimp! Take a look at some well-respected and well-known tripods and avoid the cheap off brands often found at electronic and some large local camera stores. These tripods are light however they are poorly made, hard to use, and fail after minimal use.

Some of the best tripods use carbon fiber which is strong, light weight and durable. However they can be costly so a good alternative is aluminum that is a little heavier but sometimes half the cost. Be sure to look at how much load the tripod can hold for if you have a camera, ballhead, and a long telephoto lens add up all that weight and make sure the tripod you select can handle the weight. Even if you don’t have a heavy lens and camera body combo plan for it in the future. If you don’t you will be replacing that tripod when you do for it will be very unstable and you run the risk of it falling over and collapsing from the weight.

I personally like the aluminum models for they are generally much more steadier then carbon fiber and they really carry the weight well. Keep in mind however if you plan on doing lots of walking or hiking for all that weight can be a pain (literally). Some wildlife photographers will have two models, one for short trips, and another, much lighter model for longer treks. Some manufactures I can fully recommend is from Manfrotto and Gitzo, for they are both made of high quality components, and both have excellent reputations.

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BALLHEAD: A good ballhead is the next accessory to take a look at. I have also had and used many different types of heads including pan & , pistol grip and true ballheads. Without a doubt a true ballhead is worth every penny for there is nothing more frustrating then when you are out photographing wildlife only to miss the shot because you are fumbling with lining up your camera and the holds you back. Really Right Stuff makes one of my favorite ballheads that are also used by many wildlife photographers. They come in different sizes and they have a large selection of additional accessories that just work well.

They also use a quick-release plate system, which is great for those times when you need to quickly dismount your camera from your tripod and shoot handheld.

EXTENSION TUBES: This very inexpensive yet very versatile accessory is perfect for those times when you want to do some very interesting and creative images. They basically can perform two functions both of which are sometimes forgotten by wildlife photographers. These hollow tubes have no glass, but move the back of the lens away from the focal plane of the camera thus getting you closer to the action.

Let’s say you find a small tree frog while photographing around a freshwater pond what do you do? Sure, your telephoto lens will do the job, but since

18 WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY LESSON 1 these frogs are small they won’t fill the frame. As you move in closer and closer sooner or later your lens will fail to focus. That is because lenses all have a minimal focusing distance and the longer the lens you are using the longer this distance can be. Maybe you find yourself sitting on a beach and photographing shorebirds and after a while they move so close to you again your lens can’t focus and your shorter lens is about 20 yards away from you. If you get up and move, you will scare away your subjects.

If you have an extension tube simply mount it in between your camera body and your lens and you now can photograph those subjects much closer since you have shortened your minimal focusing distance. This is a great way to now fill that frame with some amazing images since your lens now can focus at much more shorter distances and give you great flexibility. They also come in different heights and the more (taller) they are, the closer you can focus on your subjects. You can also “stack” the tubes to get extremely close. A word of caution however is that the more “extension” you use the more light you will need to properly expose your subject.

Extension tubes will also turn your lenses especially ones that are over 70mm into powerful macro lenses are well so if you don’t want or have a true dedicated macro lens these tubes are excellent for just such work such as butterflies, bugs and for extreme close-ups of wildlife.

Keep in mind however that when you are using an extension tube you will not be able to focus to infinity so if you find your subject moving away or switch to another subject further away from you then you will need to remove it from your camera.

TELECONVERTERS: Another great accessory to get “extra reach” without spending lots of money is teleconverters. These accessories look just like extension tubes however they have glass inside them and that glass acts as a magnifier. They are usually found in two

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flavors of 1.4X and 2X. As you can probably guess, the numbers do exactly what they say.

For instance if you have a 200mm lens, if you add a 2X converter between your camera and your lens you now have a 400mm lens. Using teleconverters come in handy those times when you need extra reach to photograph subjects that are too far for your longest lens thus giving you a better opportunity for a great image.

One thing to keep in mind however is that using teleconverters also requires more light since it has to pass through another tube as well as more glass. It has also been said that they can degrade image quality however I have used them and have found little if any degradation in image quality when viewed on my computer.

CABLE RELEASE: A simple yet useful accessory is a quality cable release. There are several varieties including tethered and wireless each being as simple as a shutter button to ones that can be programmed to take timed interval images as well as other advanced features.

Cable releases are great for those times when you need to keep you camera and lens as stable as possible when on a tripod so it is a very welcome addition to the wildlife photographers tool kit.

BUBBLE LEVEL: Many of today’s tripods have these levels built in however they do not show if your camera is level or not. One of the best tools I have in my camera bag, and one that I find invaluable is a bubble level. You’ve probably seen builders use big ones (they have a

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little bubble in them to show you when something is level).

You can also get little ones to attach to your camera that work similarly and the best ones slide right into your cameras (where you would attach your external flash). For example Adorama sells my favorite, a 2-axis Hot Shoe Bubble Level made by Bogen-Manfrotto. Simply slide this level onto your camera’s hot shoe the next time you line up your composition, and your horizons will be nice and straight.

BATTERY GRIP: If you have a camera that uses only one battery that is placed into the bottom of your camera sometimes you may wish that you could go longer before recharging your battery. Unless you have a spare you may run the risk of having to cut your outing short due to running out of power. Battery grips that attach to the bottom of your camera are a lifesaver.

The immediate benefits of adding a battery grip is that you literally double your battery capacity since you can now place two batteries into the power compartment. But you also gain several other nice features such as a secondary shutter button so if you rotate your camera into a vertical position your shutter button is still at the top making it much more natural to press. Also battery grips increase your grip area making it much easier to grip and if you plan on using telephoto lenses make it ten times more comfortable to hold. They also really balance your camera with the

21 WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY LESSON 1 longer lenses giving you a much more comfortable experience.

FLASH CARDS: Last but not least, we need to capture all those amazing wildlife photographs. In the old days, we used film which could only hold 24 or 36 exposures before we needed to change to a new roll. It was clumsy, costly and carrying all those rolls of film was tiring. Today we simply pop in a flash card and we can now take hundreds of images. The bigger the card capacity obviously the more images we can shoot. Also, the cost of flash memory has become so affordable we can sometimes go all day and not change our card once.

Do take note however on the speed of the card you are looking at purchasing for in order to fully see the benefits of today’s fast cameras we need a flash card to keep up with it. The faster the card,the faster the images can be written to it and downloaded from your camera to your computer. Don’t skimp on your card for a brand name fast card will serve you well when photographing wildlife.

CONCLUSION: Well there you have it for some great accessories to add to your bag that will greatly increase your success and enjoyment while photographing wildlife. A little planning and comparison when you are shopping will go a long way when you are out in the field and you’ll be thankful you did! We will also discover some other great accessories and tips and tricks over the next few weeks but these are the foundation that every photographer should have at their disposal.

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LESSON ONE: ASSIGNMENT

For our first assignment I want to keep it simple. Upload three of your favorite or best wildlife images that you have previously taken each one of a different species. This can be of a mammal, bird, fish, reptile, amphibian, insect etc., but you cannot upload two of the same species.

You also may go out this coming week and photograph a new series of wildlife images but again each one must be different. Subjects are completely up to you!

Please also include the following information and specifications when you photographed your subject:

Camera Lens: ______

Focal Length: ______

ISO: ______

Aperture: ______

Shutter Speed: ______

Notes: ______

Shutter Speed: 1/320s Also any other information you find will be useful such as Aperture: f/6.3 if you used a tripod, extension tubes, teleconverter, what

ISO: 400 you had hoped to achieve, if the subject was wild or in captivity etc. Lens: 400mm The more information you provide the better it will be for me to give you a great critique!

Happy !

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