Robinson R22 helicopter

While aerial photography has been accomplished with everything from hot air balloons to space shuttles for most of us we are a little limited in the resources we have available. I have used helicopters, fixed wing aircraft and ultralights for my work and I’ll cover these in a little more detail in my personal order of preference.

Helicopters:

Aerial photography from helicopters is likely the easiest platform to work from under most circumstances. When used specifically for photography most pilots will allow the removal of a door leaving a large workable shooting area available. This can be very advantages as you can literally pan the camera to keep the subject within the frame while still travelling in a straight forward direction. Helicopters also have very impressive turning characteristics so you will find that there is far less lost time as you circle back to shoot from a different altitude or angle.

There are a few downsides to shooting from helicopters however. Firstly is the big expense, easily $500 per hour or so for a Robinson R22 to $1,500 or more for a large jet. It’s very impressive how much you can shoot in a few hours but the credit card can take a big hit after you land. Do you need a jet helicopter for most uses? I have used both the smaller Robinsons and large jet helicopters and have had very good results with both. Some will argue that the bigger helicopters are a little safer but I’ll leave that up to the experts. Jet helicopters are significantly faster so if you are travelling large distances they can have an advantage. Secondly, vibrations can be an issue depending on a number of factors. My experience has been that a good pilot can often hit a “sweet spot” where the helicopter settles into a somewhat smooth forward motion. This generally is not while you hover, forward movement plays a part.

Helicopter photography from a technical standpoint can be both a challenge and an exhilarating experience. If you can’t remove the doors wear dark clothing and make sure to have a lens shade installed. Most of the windows are Plexiglas and tend to have scratches so you will probably want to shoot fairly wide open to limit the depth of field. Window tint might also be a problem although this can generally be cleaned up in Photoshop or some other editor. I recommend shooting RAW for this reason. Whatever you do, do not place any part of your body or camera against the sides of the helicopter as the vibration will transfer over to the camera and cause unsharp images. Life is easier without doors but be aware of the turbulence if you lean out a little too far. The buffeting can be quite strong. All gear and other equipment needs to be securely fastened to your body or a harness, you don’t want to think about what might happen if you drop a lens or camera out the door! I go as far as taping the lens hood to the lens as a safety precaution as I’m sure the tail rotors  would make quick work of a lost lens shade, possibly with bad consequences. If at all possible use a few different cameras so you can keep changing lenses and memory cards down to a minimum.

I try to keep my shutter speeds around 1/1000 or faster if at all possible but have had reasonable success around 1/500. If this means increasing the ISO as the light fades I do this in preference to having somewhat blurred images. This should allow for an aperture of about f5.6 in most circumstances although as the light fades you might be looking at f2.8 or so, a good reason to have fast lenses.

Ultralight

Ultralight:

I first did aerial photography from an ultralight in Costa Rica a few years back. I must admit I really didn’t know what to expect as all my previous aerial photography had been done from helicopters up to that point. I expected a large amount of vibration and bad wind buffeting but was in for a shock. Ultralights are actually an amazing aerial photography platform under the right conditions which is when you tend to fly them anyway. They do get tossed around a little bit but generally the vibrations are not as bad as helicopters. While they aren’t as maneuverable as helicopters they are better than fixed wing aircraft. Possibly the only downsides are, they are somewhat slow and you have to feel comfortable in them as they are very bare bones and seat of the pants!

Cessna 172 Skyhawk

Fixed wing aircraft:

Likely the bulk of aerial photography is done with fixed wing aircraft. While not as maneuverable as helicopters they are still very competent shooting platforms under the right conditions. Try to get an airplane with a high wing like the Cessna 172 Skyhawk to get the best view. The low winged aircraft really limit the view below! Even with high wings the wing strut will probably be in the way, it’s just not generally located in a good position for photography. I’m sure some people fly with the doors off but in general you will be flying either shooting through a small opening window or through the glass. Either way, positioning of the aircraft is very critical to line up the image so a good pilot preferably with experience working with photographers is a must. What’s the biggest advantage of a fixed wing platform? Cost! Likely 1/4 or less of what the helicopter will cost.

Getting organized:

Flying in circles looking for photographs could be very exciting and entertaining until you land and find out how much money you spent without really accomplishing anything. Do your research beforehand and get a good idea about what you want to photograph and how you will accomplish it. What side of the aircraft will you be shooting from? What altitude or different altitudes are required? When will the light be the best? Often you will find that one flight will not produce all of the required images due to some of these decisions and a second or third flight might be required.

Once you have done your homework it’s time to find your aircraft. What’s your budget is likely the biggest decision here as well as what type of aircraft are available? Hire a good pilot, preferably one that has experience working with photographers! Pilots do vary and some are better at others when it comes to understanding the requirements of aerial photography. Go over a flight plan and stick with it. The most important part of the shoot is the pilot calls the shots and has the final say in what will be done. They know the regulations, safety issues and the bottom line; they are responsible for you, the aircraft and the people on the ground!

Happy shooting!

Seljalandsfoss is a stunning waterfall on the south coast

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Their late May Icelandic departure Southern Contrasts – Glaciers, Volcanoes & Waterfalls offers:

Southern Iceland: 10 Outrageously Cool Photographic Locations

• Solheimajokull Glacier – Images of a surreal icy landscape
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• Black Sands of Vik – Focus on a remarkable ocean location
• Skaftafell National Park – Contrasting unearthly landscapes
• Hengill Volcano – Close ups of bizarre, bubbling geothermal activity
• Hvannadalshnúkur – Shoot Iceland’s mightiest glacial mountain
• Thingvellir National Park – Expose lush mossy lava formations
• Geysir – Capture powerful watery eruptions
• Glacial Lagoon Jökulsárlon – View surreal floating Icebergs
• Seljalandsfoss – Frame an impressive free falling cascade…

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Southern Contrasts – Glaciers, Volcanoes & Waterfalls

This early season photographic holiday combines some of Iceland’s classic and iconic sights with many off the beaten track locations. Although the 1st May is the official first day of summer in Iceland, the mountains and highlands will still have a covering of snow making this the perfect time for those spectacular and unusual shots with a wintery back-drop.This end of May departure is just three weeks from the summer solstice with the sun disappearing for around three hours only; almost twenty four hours of brightness and plenty of magical ambient light will ensure sunrises and sunsets that go on and on affording maximum time behind the lens to capture some memorable images. Outside of Reykjavik the hotel accommodations have been chosen for their spectacular situations, comfort and modern amenities. Partners of photographers will be welcomed. Photography tutor Martin Sammtleben will work throughout enabling participants to return home with a unique Iceland portfolio and Lightroom tutorials from beginner to advanced will be offered allowing participants to learn how to develop their images to a high standard.

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Megan and Michael Whittaker, May 2010

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Glacial iceberg lagoons including the Jökulsárlon

At a later date possibly even years later I’ll dive into the archive and reevaluate what’s there. This might be because of a stock photo request or perhaps a magazine or blog story. Often it’s purely because I want to see what I shot on a particular trip and get excited about the excursion again. This revisiting of my work is an important learning tool as well and; it’s good rainy day work!

Trees and Birds, Baye, France

In no particular order here are some of the reasons I revisit older photography in my archives:

• View photographs with a different eye – I find when the excitement of the shoot is over it’s far easier to objectively look through photographs.
• Think out of the box – Some images make great black and white photos or duotones, others might work well as collages or backgrounds. Unless you were thinking of these possibilities while shooting you won’t find them without looking for them.
• Learn from past photography shoots – If I have a photography job coming up it’s important to view my previous similar work and see how I could have done a better job. Many questions can be answered; What shutter speed is the minimum for photographing from a helicopter? How slow a shutter speed can I get away with when shooting live music? How far can I push the ISO and still get usable images for my clients? Did I miss some potential views or angles?
• Embrace new technology – If shooting RAW images the processors have got much better in the past few years. This is especially true with noise reduction in high ISO photographs. Some images that I wasn’t sure about technically now have great potential (This is the primary reason I don’t discard large numbers of images in the editing process).
• Catalog properly – I try to catalog images well when I first return from a shoot but typically only the basics get done. At a later date additional captioning and keywording can be done. (Don’t underestimate the importance of this job, as your image collection grows you must be able to find your photos!),
• Apply newer technology to the catalog – Many of my older images can benefit from applying GPS coordinates in the cataloging process. With applications like Google Earth and Photo Mechanic this is now achievable in a very efficient manner.
• Look at all the photos – You would think that I would do this regularly but I really don’t have the time. Some weekends I will shoot 2,000 or more images and the realty of the matter is that I pull out perhaps 20 that catch my eye early on. There are more good images in the folder; I just need to spend the time looking for them.
• And lastly, enjoy the work that you do – It really makes no sense to shoot lots of photographs and not take the time to enjoy them. I’m very guilty of this! Make prints or computer wallpapers, share with your friends online, put photographs on your blog and most importantly, remember why you enjoy photography.

Macro Photography Equipment is available in the following range:

* dedicated macro lenses

* extension tubes or bellows units

* reversing rings

* close up lenses and

* macro zooms (that are pushing the limit of what we are talking about)

Dedicated macro lenses are the best way to go if you are serious at all about doing this sort of work. It won’t have to end up being pricey, I purchased a excellent 50mm Sigma Macro lens used for all of $120 (brand new about $270) and it is tack sharp and produces amazing images. My main macro lens is a Sigma 150mm Macro and cost a whopping $700, the best money I have ever spent. This presents you an idea about the cost range available and the sky’s the limit with a few highly specialized Nikon macro lenses in the $1,900 range. Why the difference in focal lengths? I’ll get to that soon in another article that I’m working on! If you are serious about macro photography buying a lens specifically designed for the purpose is the best way to go. The lens designs are generally optimized for close focusing and the lenses are also generally flat field (focus in a flat plane) producing crisper corners on flat objects such as pieces of timber or slabs of rock. Flat field may be a term that many have not heard of and I’ll elaborate in the future on this as well.

Extension tubes or bellows units are pieces of gear that put space between the camera body and the lens thus allowing the lens to focus closer. They can work well with certain lenses, for example, if you have a 50mm prime lens this may be a good option to get into macro work at an reasonable cost.

Extension tubes often come in sets of 3 of different lengths (high quality tubes tend to be sold individually) that can be used singly or combined to get the close focusing distance required. Bellows units work on the same principle but are expandable like a “bellows” allowing a good deal of flexibility. The real drawback is the expense and they are bulky and heavy as well. I expect most individuals use bellows units for studio work only as they aren’t terribly practical in the field. One area where extension tubes really shine is definitely for helping to make long focal length camera lenses similar to a 600mmfocus closer, great for photographing skittish dragonflies and various other critters.

Sigma 50mm Macro Lens

Close up lenses are clear “filters” that twist onto the front of your lens allowing the lens to focus closer. Level of quality varies from mediocre to very acceptable dependent on the quality of the filters. This is likely the least expensive way to start shooting macro but does have its downsides. A huge factor that has to be looked at is the quality of the camera lens you will be using. Inexpensive zoom lenses will most likely produce less than stellar results while high quality prime lenses can produce excellent results but none of these will produce tack sharp results like the dedicated macro lenses. The major advantage? As these are just fancy filters they are very light, no extra tubes or additional lenses to carry.

For an excellent photography tutorial I recommend the The 123 Digital Imaging Suite, a FREE sample is available.

You don’t hear much about reversing rings anymore and I expect that’s because most individuals are using zoom lenses that likely wouldn’t work very well. Reversing rings enable you to install a lens “backwards” on your camera body. When used with high quality primary lenses the outcome can be spectacular and if you reverse a wide angle lens often you can achieve a high magnifications on the order of 2 times or more. For people interested in high magnification shooting this is frequently the way to go, in particular if you happen to be on a budget.

What about the macro zoom lens which you already own? Many of the brand new lenses that arrive as part of a kit are described as macro zooms and although they do focus a little closer than normal they are not really true macro lenses. My experience has been that almost all of them are extremely suspect in terms of sharpness mainly because these kinds of lenses are not designed for this sort of job application. Of course in a pinch they will function but to get in truly in close proximity to your subject one of the above options would be best.

What are you presently using? Are you pleased with the results?

Our previous feature artist post contained images by Lynn Wiles, her impressionist photographic images. These impressionist images have a painterly look created by using a slow shutter speed and are worth a look.

This series contains images of water using both slow shutter speeds and high shutter speeds. The results are beautiful abstract images of colour, texture and motion.

Lynn Wiles - Night Pool

Whether fresh or salt water, I am fascinated by the way the seasons, light, wind, color and motion create ever-changing patterns in water. Using in-camera techniques, I focus on these patterns of abstraction. For moving water with reflections, I tend to use a fast shutter speed to freeze the movement. Sometimes I allow a wave to form by staying still while using a slow shutter speed and other times I will move the camera to capture the impression of the scene.

Lynn Wiles water photography gallery

Lynn Wiles - At the Shore

Lynn Wiles - Trees in the River

Lynn Wiles - Ice Crystals

Lynn Wiles - Floating on the Pond

Artists Bio:

I live in Somerville, MA and started exhibiting in the 70’s. My early works were hand painted black and white images processed in my darkroom. In 2001, I went digital and since then, I primarily shoot in color. The technologies have changed but I still find myself interested in the same subjects, nature, architecture, still lifes and abstractions.

Most of my photographs remove details from context so as to present them anew. I enjoy walking and photographing, watching the cycles of the seasons, pausing to capture patterns or creating abstractions. By looking closely at detail and the underlying structure I find beauty in the ordinary.

Please visit my daily photo blog lynnwiles.wordpress.com and view selected works on www.redbubble.com/people/LynnWiles.

I first discovered Lynn’s work about one year ago and was impressed both with her imagery as well as her dedication to posting images to her blog on a daily basis. Believe me, this is not an easy accomplishment!

Much of Lynn Wiles work borders on abstract with rich colours and painterly qualities. The images speak for themselves.

Trunks in Grass - Lynn Wiles

I originally wanted to capture the feeling of walking in the woods, by using a slow shutter speed and moving my camera in line with the trees. Since then I have used this in-camera technique in other environments. Each type of scene seems to need a different shutter speed and type of camera movement to create the impression most suited to the subject. The objective is to create painterly images that convey the feelings of nature in abstraction.

Lynn Wiles impressionist photography gallery

Sunlight and Pines - Lynn Wiles

Tall Grass - Lynn Wiles

Entering the Woods - Lynn Wiles

Spring Sumac - Lynn Wiles

Artists Bio:

I live in Somerville, MA and started exhibiting in the 70’s. My early works were hand painted black and white images processed in my darkroom. In 2001, I went digital and since then, I primarily shoot in color. The technologies have changed but I still find myself interested in the same subjects, nature, architecture, still lifes and abstractions.

Most of my photographs remove details from context so as to present them anew. I enjoy walking and photographing, watching the cycles of the seasons, pausing to capture patterns or creating abstractions. By looking closely at detail and the underlying structure I find beauty in the ordinary.

Please visit my daily photo blog lynnwiles.wordpress.com and view selected works on www.redbubble.com/people/LynnWiles.

Reflections in the harbour, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

When we want to photograph reflections there are a number of photography tips and techniques that make the shooting a little easier and the resulting photography really stand out.

Any of your lenses will work just fine for photographing reflections but I often lean towards the longer focal lengths. This tends to isolate the reflection more, creating a subject out of the reflection rather than the reflection just being part of the image. Is the reflection the subject of the photograph or a reflection of the subject? This will determine the appropriate technique to be used. The key here is to experiment, move around and view the subject from different angles. You may get a few weird stares as you wander around looking at the ground but the resulting photographs are well worth the effort.

What do you focus on when you are photographing reflections? When using wide angle lenses at normal focus distances much of the image tends to be sharp, just one of the results of the wide angles unless you are very close to the subject.  With longer focal length telephoto lenses you get very different results. Often I shoot with the telephoto lenses close to wide open, perhaps in the f2.8 to f5.6 range. With the resulting limited depth of field when using longer focal length lenses I can either focus on the reflected object, in this case the maple trees below, or the surface where the reflection is located, the stream in the following photograph. As you can see the result is quite different.

Maple trees - the image is focused on the leaves and trunk of the trees. Lens: 150mm, ISO: 200, Aperture: 5.6, Shutter: 1/125

Maple trees - the image is focused on the surface of the water. Note the different feel compared to the previous image. Lens: 150mm, ISO: 200, Aperture: 4, Shutter: 1/250

What about flipping the image over? Personally I find this to look a little awkward as it looks like the image was flipped over and not quite correct. Perhaps this is because I am a photographer and recognize this technique, perhaps not. You do see this done regularly so it’s more a matter of personal preference. The following images of this wonderfully painted house on a French canal is a good example of this technique. Which do you prefer?

A colourful house in France - normal reflected orientation. Lens: 150mm, ISO: 200, Aperture: 9, Shutter: 1/60

A colourful house in France - image rotated 180 degrees.

With reflections in some ways you are combining two images, perhaps a man made object reflected in a stream or in this case an old versus  modern architectural mix in this photograph of the Saint-Bonaventure Church in Lyon, France. This contrast in images can be a very powerful tool.

Saint-Bonaventure Church, Lyon, France. Lens: 44mm, ISO: 250, Aperture: 4, Shutter: 1/125

Reflections really suit the abstract side of photography. Again, I find the longer focal length lenses to be slightly better for these images as I can isolate the details more. With images like the Seine River below I will often shoot 4 or 5 images of the same subject in quick succession. It’s amazing with moving water how different each image will appear as the reflection dances on the surface.

Night Reflections, Seine River, Paris, France. Lens: 125mm, ISO: 250, Aperture: 3.5, Shutter: 1/3

Wooden boat hull, Port Townsend, Washington, USA. Lens: 150mm, ISO: 200, Aperture: 5.6, Shutter: 1/60

There are reflections everywhere once you take the time to look for them and they make for excellent photography subjects. On your next trip to the woods or town take your camera with you and explore this wonderful subject matter.

Sightseeing Boat, Seine River, Paris, France

Perhaps the best way to see and photograph the bridges of Paris is from the Seine River itself. Countless river cruises will take you through the main portion of the Seine, often while sipping on wine and eating good food. I don’t recommend this food and wine habit for photography however as you will get little in the way of photographs. Save that for a later time; it’s one of the reasons to be in Paris in the first place! Most of the large boats leave form the vicinity of the Eiffel Tower and these boats are “huge” carrying upwards of 300 passengers or more. For photography my preference is the smaller boats leaving from Pont Neuf that carry fewer people and don’t serve food. Get to the cruise terminal early and try to get a seat at the front of the boat for the best views. The evening light is stunning so attempt to be on one of the last river trips before sunset, this is a very photogenic time to be on the river.

Don’t neglect to photograph the bridges from land as well. Many are popular with musicians and artists while others have small cubbyholes for lovers to watch the Paris skyline unfold in front of them and well, be lovers. The Seine River has a constant supply of commercial boat traffic of interest while the river dinner cruises and site seeing tours pass underneath the bridges as well. This is a fascinating way to see how Paris works and a great perspective for photographs.

The bridges span about 200 years of architectural styles from simple pedestrian bridges to ornate sculptural masterpieces. Every bridge is different, one of the exciting reasons to spend time on the Seine River.

While I wont cover most of the bridges in this article I’ll touch on a few of my favourite and most photogenic of the Paris bridges.

Pont Alexandre III is an arch bridge ornamented with fine sculptural work that many consider to be one of the most beautiful in Paris. The bridge connects the Champs-Élysées quarter and the Invalides and Eiffel Tower quarter, well worth the time to spend walking over between these two landmarks. Much of the detail work can only be seen from the river so viewing Pont Alexandre III from this vantage point is worth the river trips in itself. Pont Alexandre III was built between 1896 and 1900.

Sculptural details on Pont Alexandre III, Seine River, Paris, France

Pont Alexandre III and the Grand Palais, Paris, France

Pont des Arts or Passerelle des Arts is a pedestrian bridge in Paris which crosses the Seine River. It links the Institut de France and the central square (cour carrée) of the palais du Louvre. The original bridge was built between 1802 and 1804 and was the first metal bridge in Paris. After a somewhat rough history including damage during the two world wars and a barge collision in 1979 the bridge was dismantled. The present bridge was built between 1981 and 1984. Today the bridge is frequented by artists and musicians and is a popular place for picnics and to watch the barges plying the Seine.

Pont des Arts, Seine River, Paris, France

Musicians playing on Pont des Arts, Paris, France

The newest bridge in this area of Paris is the passerelle Léopold-Sédar-Senghor, formerly known as passerelle Solférino (or pont de Solférino) linking the Musée d’Orsay and the Jardin des Tuileries (Tuileries Gardens). The bridge was built between 1997 and 1999. This bridge crosses the Seine with as single span and is very photogenic with its’ unique architecture. An interesting note is the use of Tabebuias, a Brazilian tree that was used to cover the bridge.

Passerelle Léopold-Sédar-Senghor, Paris, France

One can’t spend every minute in Paris doing photography however as there are so many other interesting things to do. A highlight of any time in Paris for me has always been joining the locals on the banks of the Seine and watching the world float by; dining on fine cheese with a  baguette and  a bottle of French wine while soaking up the sun. It really doesn’t get any better than this!

Enjoying the view in front of Pont de la Tournelle, Seine River, Paris, France

Sea Anemones, Botanical Beach

Let’s face it, the weather in most parts of the world is not always picture perfect. Where I live on the west coast of British Columbia, Canada we have our share of rain and what I like to call heavy mist. As a photographer what do we do to prepare ourselves for this?

On a recent trip to Botanical Beach near Port Renfrew on the west coast of Vancouver Island the weather was a typical heavy mist with occasional rain mixed in. Rather than putting the camera away and forgetting photography completely I took this opportunity to capture what in many ways is a unique landscape. All landscapes do not look like a Tahiti beach at sunset!

Keeping the camera gear dry while shooting is of course one of the primary concerns. While I don’t go overboard in buying raincoats for my gear I also don’t leave it sitting out on a tripod either. I try to change lenses under cover of trees or cliffs or when there is a slight break in the drizzle. Often I’ll wear a baggy raincoat that I can slide the camera under when I’m not shooting images and I will drape plastic bags over the camera if needed. What I don’t do is seal my camera gear in plastic or anything else that can’t breathe as I think this will just cause more issues with moisture. A little air circulation is a good thing! I try to have a light towel or in a pinch my tee shirt to wipe off the camera if a little too much moisture lands on it.

I’m a strong advocate of using your lens shade at all times and not just to shade the lens from sunlight and glare. These shades are also very effective at keeping rain off the front element of your lens or filter. It’s amazing how a few drops on your front element can make unpleasant blurred areas in your photos. If I do get drops or mist on the element I wide it off with a dry cloth or tissue and wait for it to clear. You have to be patient here as it may take a while! Lens shades can also save your lens if you are moving quickly and give the front of the camera a smack against a tree or rocks and this does happen, at least to me!

I really don’t worry too much about my camera bag getting a little damp but try to keep it closed as much as possible. On occasion I have slipped a garbage bag over my camera bag if the weather gets extremely ugly and while this works well for the worst of it, it also makes access to equipment very difficult. The harder it is to access your equipment and shoot the less likely you will be shooting photographs; trust me on this!

Big waves at Botanical Beach, British Columbia

My biggest concern with equipment is getting it dry when I return to the vehicle or to my house. I find returning to a vehicle is the easiest as the temperature inside is about the same as outside so I tend not to get condensation. I wipe my gear off as well as possible, open up my camera bag so it can breathe and don’t think too much about it. As the vehicle warms up the air temperature inside slowly warms the equipment and condensation generally isn’t a problem.

Concentrate on the small picture

Coming into a warm home or trailer is another issue however as condensation will form very quickly if a damp and cool camera is brought into a warm and dry environment. A few options work reasonable well. Generally I dry my equipment off the best I can outdoors and let it sit in a covered area for an hour or so. At this point I bring it indoors and haven’t had any issues. Another option is to dry the equipment as well as possible and place the items in plastic bags. When brought into a warmer environment any condensation should form on the plastic and once that equipment has warmed up to ambient temperature it should be fine. I’m a little skeptical on this as I have always thought I likely have rain clouds forming inside the plastic bags and this can’t be good! At any rate, in my many years of shooting I have only had major condensation issues a few times and while I have had anxious moments watching all my lenses fog over they have always dried out fine without lasting damage. Yes, I’m sure damage can be done but do your best with drying out your equipment and you likely will be OK.

What do you do if the weather is just so awful that you don’t want to risk your valuable photography equipment? I always come up with a few different options. My first is to shoot in the forest or another protected area and concentrate on close up photography and not the grand landscape. It’s certainly easier to protect cameras without heavy rain and wind. The second is to stay at home and wait for another day. While I hate to admit defeat, this does happen on occasion. The third for me is to find a warm cafe or pub and just sit the weather out for an hour or two. The weather often changes hourly and your photography day may have just been delayed a little.

Our equipment is surprisingly tough, get out there and shoot even when the weather isn’t perfect, you will be shooting memorable images that aren’t that common.

Looking in tidepools, Botanical Beach Provincial Park, Vancouver Island

Botanical Beach Provincial Park, Vancouver Island, BC

Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)

Wildlife photography can be one of the most challenging and rewarding fields of nature photography. With digital cameras creating such widespread interest in all types of photography, new photographers all over the world are taking an interest in wildlife photography.

Most of the photography guides these days focus on the technical aspects of the camera: but really good photography relies more on composition, lighting, and sensitivity to your subject. This means you can improve your photography by thinking creatively, not technically.

Here are five of my top tips for taking better wildlife photographs.

Wildlife Photography Tip #1.

Get to the subject’s eye level. Wildlife photos are most effective if they create an intimate connection between the subject and the viewer. The best way to do this is to take your photo at the subject’s eye level. This way, the viewer can feel like they are looking at the subject from inside its little world, rather from the outside looking in.

If, for example, your subject is low to the ground (like a lizard, frog, or even a pet), crouch or lie flat, getting as low as possible so you can take your photo at the subject’s eye level.

Wildlife Photography Tip #2.

It’s All In The Eyes. The personal connection mentioned in tip #1 is really about eye contact, so it is important to get the eyes right. If the eyes in your wildlife photo are sharp and clear, the photo will probably work. If they are out of focus, lost in shadow, or if the subject blinks or turns its eyes away, the connection will be lost, and the photo will almost certainly fail.

You don’t even need your whole subject to be in focus. Your animal could be mostly hidden by leaves, in shadow and out of focus. The picture could still work…as long as the eyes are open and captured sharply in the picture.

Wildlife Photography Tip #3.

If The Background Doesn’t Help, Get Rid Of It. Many wildlife photos are spoiled because the background is cluttered, distracting, ugly, or just plain inappropriate. For example, seagulls on a beach can be quite beautiful, but seagulls at the local rubbish tip is a different matter. Also, wildlife photos look far less natural if you can tell they were taken in a zoo. Apply this principle: “Anything that does not make my photo better, makes it worse.”

This does not mean you can’t take a good wildlife photo at the zoo, at the tip, or anywhere else for that matter. You just need to manage it. If your background is spoiling your shot, zoom right in on the subject to eliminate as much of the background as possible. By zooming in, you will also reduce the depth of field to a minimum, so any background that does appear in your photo will be out of focus and less distracting.

Wildlife Photography Tip #4.

If Your Background Is Working For You, Use It Well. A wildlife photograph that captures the subject in a beautiful natural setting can be even more effective than a simple close-up. My photos of a kangaroo on the beach, for example, show the subject in an unexpected context, making a more interesting image than a close-up portrait style photo.

If you take your wildlife subject as part of a wider landscape, you need to consider all the techniques of composition that apply to landscape photography. Remember the rule of thirds (which may or may not help) and be careful to position your animal so that the subject and the background work together to make a more effective composition. In particular, try to have your wildlife subject looking into the picture, not out of it.

Wildlife Photography Tip #5.

Capture your subject in the best possible light. Even the most perfectly composed wildlife photo can fail because of bad lighting. Losing your subject in the shadows, glare reflecting off shiny feathers, and shadows across the face of the subject are all simple mistakes that can ruin a photo.

There is no single rule for lighting in a wildlife photograph, but here are some suggestions. I often find the best results when the sky is lightly overcast with thin cloud. This produces light that is bright, but soft and even compared to full sunlight. Your subject will be well illuminated, but you avoid harsh contrast and heavy shadows that rob the image of important detail.

If the weather is sunny, try to take your photos early and late in the day when the sun is low. At these times the light is soft and warmly coloured. It is also easier to catch the full face of your subject in sunlight, rather than half-obscured by shadow.

So there you have my five tips for wildlife photography. I could cheat and add tip #6: take lots of photos. Animals move, blink, flap their wings, and generally find ways to frustrate the wildlife photographer. Don’t forget, with digital photography it costs you nothing to keep snapping. So practice, persevere, and try out these tips…you could be taking better photos in no time.

Andrew Goodall has made his living from nature photography for over 20 years. See his images at http://www.naturesimage.com.au Andrew’s ebooks “Photography in Plain English” and “Every Picture Tells A Story” have helped thousands of beginners learn the art and skills of nature photography. Find them at http://www.naturesimage.com.au/page/25/default.asp

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