“10 Must-Use Bird Photography Camera Settings for Beginners” plus 2 more: Digital Photography School |  |
- 10 Must-Use Bird Photography Camera Settings for Beginners
- 5 Things That Will Instantly Improve Your Photography
- 5 Ways Patience Makes You a Better Photographer
| 10 Must-Use Bird Photography Camera Settings for Beginners Posted: 08 Mar 2017 10:00 AM PST With an overwhelming number of settings on the new DSLRs, it becomes increasingly hectic to know which ones to use. Then it takes an incredibly steep learning curve to understand how these settings work. It is much worse for a bird photographer, isn't it? Bird photography is extremely challenging and a wrong setting might mean ruined photographs. It took several years for me to identify, practice, and stick to some of the key settings for bird photography. Let me assure you that these settings are not reached in a philosophical way. They are tried and tested methods of achieving extraordinary results. These settings are the ones I teach to my photography workshop students as the first step towards making better bird photographs.
Set it and forget itThe key to making successful bird photographs is to select the settings and forget about them. Yes! Forget about them. Have only one or two variables so that you can focus primarily on making great bird photographs. Which is the art of photography. In this article, I will give you 10 must-use camera settings that will help you improve your bird photography. These tips will relieve you of the persisting tension of changing the settings when the action unfolds. Remember, there are no retakes in bird photography. You have to be ready before the action unfolds. So, let's jump right in to find out how you can improve your bird photography with these 10 settings. IMPORTANT NOTE: Please note that it's not possible to give every step (for every camera) to configure a particular setting. I have given only just a few steps to show you the setting I have described. This is due to the constraint of space and the medium used.
1. Shoot in RAW formatAlways shoot in RAW format. If you have never used RAW, then make it a point to use it right now. Pick up your DSLR and set the Image Quality as RAW. Another option is to use RAW + Fine JPEG (or Basic JPEG) if you are unsure that you can handle a RAW file immediately. But, one day you may have to start working with RAW files. So, why not start shooting RAW from this day forward. RAW Camera Settings for Canon DSLRs:
RAW Camera Settings for Nikon DSLRs:
A RAW file holds all the data that your Camera Sensor captures. This means you are utilizing the sensor's complete capacity. JPEG format, on the other hand, is an image compression standard. It compresses the data to reduce the size of the file, by throwing some of the data away. You don't want to lose what your sensor captured, right? Some of the key advantages of using RAW files are:
Have you switched to RAW format yet?
2. Use the Auto White Balance (AWB) SettingThe Auto White Balance (AWB) setting is a boon to every digital photographer. This is especially true for bird photographers. Imagine setting the white balance every time the light changes. On top of that, birds are constantly moving which means it's almost impossible to set the white balance on the fly. Even if you say, you can set the White Balance, remember that the light is changing throughout the day. Choosing just one standard white balance might yield wrong colors. Instead, the AWB setting will keep adjusting as the light changes. With newer DSLRs, the AWB setting does a tremendous job of getting the right colors, almost every time. Most often, it's not necessary to change the white balance settings that the camera chooses for you. So, use RAW format, set your camera on AWB mode, and then forget about it. Auto White Balance Settings for Canon DSLRs:
Auto White Balance Settings for Nikon DSLRs:
Important Tip: If you use RAW format, you have complete control over the white balance during the post-processing stage. You can set it to any value you want. Tweak it to get the right colors. 3. Use semi-automatic modes like Av/A or Tv/SIt's a common tendency to shoot in Auto mode as a novice bird photographer. But, you'll have no control over the resulting exposure. Instead, start using the semi-automatic modes. They are extremely simple to use and will give you incredible results. Start with the Aperture Priority (Av/A) mode. Most of the pros use this mode, including me. It allows you to choose the aperture (which will define the resulting depth of field), while the camera chooses the shutter speed for you. Combined with the Auto ISO setting (discussed next), it'll ease your tension of worrying about the right settings.
If you are unable to get the required shutter speed, in the case of low light, choose Shutter Priority (Tv/S) mode. It allows you to select the shutter speed (which helps you to either freeze the action or blur it), while the camera chooses the aperture for you. Combined it with the Auto ISO setting (discussed next) for ease of use. Semi-automatic Camera Settings for Canon DSLRs:
Semi-automatic Camera Settings for Nikon DSLRs:
If anyone has told you that you should use Manual Mode to get the best bird photographs, forget about their advice. It's not about which mode you use, it's about how you use it. Forget about these petty talks. Instead, concentrate on making your life easier by using a semi-automatic setting. You'll thank me, for sure. 4. Use the Auto ISO settingThe Auto ISO setting, if used properly, can solve a lot of problems in bird photography. Most often, you need higher shutter speeds to freeze the action in bird photography. This means you must use higher ISOs. Using higher ISOs, especially on the cropped sensors (like Canon 70D, 7DMarkII, Nikon D500, D7200, etc.), can result in a lot of noise, yielding an unusable photograph. Most often you would have to work with ISO in the 400-800 range. Instead of setting the ISO to be at 400 or 800, it's wise to set it to Auto ISO and select the Maximum Sensitivity to be 800. If you are using a full-frame camera (like Canon 1DX, 5DMark3, Nikon D4, D810, etc.), you can set the maximum sensitivity to ISO 1600 (or even 3200 depending on noise levels). Auto ISO Settings for Canon DSLRs:
Auto ISO Settings for Nikon DSLRs:
When you use Auto ISO instead of using a static ISO, you are allowing the camera to decide the ISO based on the changing light. Cameras are designed to keep the ISO value as low as possible, at all times. Say you are working during the early morning when the light level is lower. The camera may start with ISO 800. But, as the light gets brighter and brighter, the ISO values will be smaller and smaller to compensate for the excess light. This means, your photographs will be much cleaner. 5. Use Auto ISO Combined With Minimum Shutter SpeedMany DSLRs allow you to choose the Minimum Shutter Speed in Auto ISO mode. This will ensure that the camera chooses the lowest possible ISO to achieve the Minimum Shutter Speed value. This gives you the best of both worlds. For instance, if you set the Minimum Shutter Speed to be 1/1000th of a second, the camera will alway try to select the lowest possible ISO value to meet your requirement.
NOTE: If there is not enough light in the scene to achieve the required shutter speed despite choosing the maximum ISO, then the shutter speed will drop. So, keep an eye on the resulting shutter speeds. Auto ISO and Minimum Shutter Speed Settings for Canon DSLRs:
Auto ISO and Minimum Shutter Speed Settings for Nikon DSLRs:
Whenever you are unable to meet the minimum shutter speed that you need, just switch to normal ISO mode and set it to a higher value. But, I don't recommend higher than ISO 800 on cropped sensors as the results will be too noisy and unusable. There are a few exceptions like the Nikon D500 and Canon 7D Mark II DSLRs that seem to work fine at higher ISOs. My suggestion: Test it. See how far you can push the ISO on your camera before the result looks too noisy. 6. Use the Evaluative/Matrix Metering ModeThe Evaluative (for Canon) and Matrix (for Nikon) options are default metering modes. But there's a common belief that Spot Metering works best for bird photography. Although it's true to an extent, it has too many limitations. It's beyond the scope of this article to discuss it here.
While Spot Metering mode considers just 3-5% of your image frame, Evaluative/Matrix metering mode considers many aspects such as; the subject in focus, other objects in the frame, the background, and uses a weighting system to arrive at the right exposure value. It's more intelligent than Spot and Center-weighted metering. When you combine the Exposure Compensation technique (discussed next) with Evaluative/Matrix metering mode, you can get perfect exposures. With recent DSLRs, I have seen that the default metering modes give the best results in the majority of situations. They are sufficient if the dynamic range of your camera is high enough. Metering Mode Settings for Canon DSLRs:
Metering Mode Settings for Nikon DSLRs:
7. The Histogram is your best friend, learn to use it.Yes, the Histogram is your best friend. If you are not using the Histogram, then you are missing a lot of image potential. There is enough material written about the subject, go ahead and embrace yourself with the knowledge. (Read: Histograms for Beginners) Every time you take a photograph, you must check the Histogram. Don't rely on the LCD monitor, check the Histogram. Why? LCD brightness and the ambient light can fool you into believing that a photo is under or overexposed. But, the Histogram gives you a clear cut exposure reading.
Simply put, the Histogram is a graphical representation of the exposure. By looking at the graph you'd be able to see if the photograph is properly exposed, underexposed, or overexposed. Typically, if the graph is skewed towards the right-hand side of the Histogram, your image is overexposed (washed out whites or pure white areas with absolutely no detail).
And if it is skewed towards the left, your image is underexposed (crushed blacks or pure black areas with absolutely no detail).
You want to the Histogram to have the distribution not touching either the left-most end (underexposure) or the right-most end (overexposure). Typically, you are okay as long as the distribution is mostly in the middle. The Histogram for Canon DSLRs:
The Histogram for Nikon DSLRs:
However, don't expect the Histogram to look like a Gaussian curve. It needn't be. Imagine an egret flying against a blue sky. Your Histogram will likely have two pillars on either side of the Histogram. One pillar (towards the left) would indicate the blue sky as it's close to mid-grey and the other pillar (towards right) would indicate the egret. It's a perfect exposure. 8. Enable the Highlight Indicator (Blinkies)This is another useful and practical bird photography tip. The Highlight Indicator, widely known as Blinkies, clubbed with the Histogram and Exposure Compensation (discussed next) can assure you the best exposure at all times. Make sure you start using it from today.  Make sure you keep detail in white feathers by using the histogram and highlight indicator. The Highlight Indicator indicates any overexposed areas in your image. It's very hard to know if you have overexposed your image or not, just by looking at the LCD monitor. I would say, never depend on the LCD monitor to review your image for exposure. The LCD monitor should be used for the sole purpose of checking your composition. Check the Histogram for the exposure. Sometimes, it's hard to find out if there are any overexposed areas on the Histogram. This is especially true if there's just a slight overexposed area. That's where the Blinkies comes in handy. You will see blinkers in the overexposed areas when you Enable Highlight Indicator or Blinkies. In Canons, blinkies show up in the first screen itself, whereas you have to check RGB Highlights screen in case of Nikon. In any case, make it a point to check the Blinkies every time. Highlight Indicator Settings for Canon DSLRs:
Highlight Indicator Settings for Nikon DSLRs:
If you develop this habit of checking the Histogram and Blinkies after every exposure, you are sure to improve your bird photography. Combine it with the Exposure Compensation technique you'll see the improvement in leaps and bounds. Why not decide to use them from today? 9. Use Exposure Compensation (+/- Ev) to Tweak the ExposureHere's the best bird photography tip that I can offer: If you want to achieve the perfect exposure, then start using the Exposure Compensation technique right now. You'll see a drastic improvement in your bird photography once you start using it. The metering modes can only give you the exposure values based on some algorithms. It'll never know what the subject is and how it should be rendered. For instance, it might render an egret in gray rather than white, and render a cormorant extremely dark. Because all the metering modes work on a concept called 18% Gray. I recommend you to read about it.  Tweak exposure compensation to keep black feathers looking black. It's almost always necessary to tweak the exposure to record all the details in the scene. It's especially important to render the subject in as much detail as possible. Simply put, expose for the subject. By using Exposure Compensation technique, you can tell the camera to either underexpose or overexpose the scene by a particular value. Say, you chose -1 Stop Exposure Compensation using +/- button (as shown) on your camera. Then, the camera will underexpose the scene by 1-stop. If you select +1 Stop, then it will overexpose the scene by 1-stop. Exposure Compensation Settings for Canon DSLRs:
Exposure Compensation Settings for Nikon DSLRs:
So, start using Exposure Compensation to improve your bird photography. You'll see phenomenal improvement with just an exposure tweak of +/- 1/3 stops. Try it and you'll see. 10. Learn to use AE/AF Lock or the AF-ON ButtonOne of the biggest issues that a bird photographer faces is to switch between AF-S (or One-Shot AF) to AF-C (or AI-Servo) mode. Normally you would need AF-S (or One-Shot AF) for the birds which aren't moving (or perched birds) and AF-C (or AI-Servo) mode all other times.
It's quite easy now-a-days to fix this issue. If you have AF-ON button at the back of your camera, it'll solve the issue. AF-ON button is used for back-button focusing (also known as rear-button focusing). Instead of half-pressing the shutter button to start focusing, you can use the AF-ON button to trigger autofocus functionality. When you are using the back-button focusing, make sure you have set the shutter button to only take photos and to not autofocus. This will leave the focus only for the AF-ON button. Now, all that you have to do is, always use AF-C (or AI-Servo) mode so that you are ready for the action. Whenever you release the AF-ON button it'll automatically lock the autofocus, which means, it'll work as AF-S (or One-Shot AF). If you don't have AF-ON button, you can likely configure any other button, say the AE-L/AF-L button to do the same thing. Focus Settings for Canon DSLRs: |
| 5 Things That Will Instantly Improve Your Photography Posted: 08 Mar 2017 07:00 AM PST On now until March 21st (AUS time) get Anthony Epes’ Online Light Monkeys Photo Group – Yearly Membership – 55% OFF at Snapndeals.
Having run photo workshops for several years now, I have noticed some familiar traits that many people share with their photography. So I've put together some tips that I feel will help you improve your photography – straight away. These little ideas have the potential to make a huge impact on your image creation.
1. Have patience
Patience is a skill I think many amateur photographers sorely lack. This matters because photography is often a waiting game – waiting for the subject to get into position, for the light to change, or working the elements of your photo into a perfect composition. If you are not prepared to be patient, you're not going to get many shots you like. Many amateur photographers are so driven by the desire to have a full memory card at the end of the day that they don't take the time to set up or wait for a great shot.
This could involve recognizing that the light isn't great now, but it might change in an hour. Or it might be setting up a great composition and then waiting until the right person stands in a precise spot. It could be shooting a person or a scene over and over until you get an expression or angle that reveals something unique and interesting and creates a more impactful photo.
I believe a lot of it comes down to people’s expectations. For me, getting one amazing shot in a day's shooting is a good result. Sometimes I go out and get nothing, sometimes I get a half a dozen, sometimes I just get one.
2. Free yourself from fear
When you are involved in a creative act, you will at some point be faced with one of the greatest forces known to man – fear. It is pervasive in our lives, and it can create havoc with your photography. For example, most of the photographers I teach have a fear of photographing strangers; this is very common. Now, you can either give into that fear and not photograph the subjects you really yearn to – or you can deal with. I still get fearful sometimes after twenty-odd years in the business. Sometimes I go to new places and feel self-conscious, or get intimidated to shoot someone whose look I like. It doesn't really matter what it is, fear is always fear and it can stop you from taking action if you don't face it.
I deal with fear by just recognizing that it's there. That fear has decided to show its face, and I just let it be there, knowing that eventually, it will drift off. I don't let it stop me, that's the key. After all, I love photography. I love the whole process of taking photos. Although this was said by an athlete, it is so relevant to photographers, and it’s worth reminding yourself that:
Remember – on the other side of fear is possibly an amazing image. 3. Think geometrically
I read recently that Henri Cartier-Bresson would choose which images to print by examining his contact sheets and work out which have the best geometric composition. By looking at them when they were printed small, he could see the shape and form of the photo, rather than the subject. He would then choose his photos based on which of them had the best geometric composition. Of course, the subject is important, their expression, the light, etc., but I like this idea of concentrating on the geometric elements of the photo. The reason being that all elements of the photo count, and having a strong organization of the shapes and forms, which is essentially the geometric elements of the photo, will create a strong composition.
4. Stop fixating on your subject
I have noticed that many people learning photography become totally fixated on a subject that they love, but forget to compose the other elements of their photo. For example, you see someone you think is awesome-looking. You start photographing them, without consideration for rest of the frame. You don’t look all the way into the corners of the composition, you overlap your subject with telephones or trees coming out of their head, nor do you notice lines running randomly out of the photo drawing the eye away from the subject. Even though the frame may feel pretty small, often people don't look at every part of the composition to see if the whole is working together. It is always about the whole image, not just what is currently fascinating you! It takes practice and concentration folks – all of the elements in your frame need to be relevant and work well with the subject.
5. Learn to become an observer
This tip is important. The best state of mind in which to take photographs is one of complete creative freedom, in the creative flow, where you are undistracted by your life outside of that very moment. Where you have forgotten about your to-do list and the thousands of emails you need to answer. You are just standing in the moment, looking around, noticing everything, and empty of thoughts about what else is going on in your life. That’s easy right?
No, not always. For many, it's super hard because what you do in your work and rest of your life requires skills which are exactly the opposite. Holding tons of small pieces of information, remembering, doing and rushing around with the business of life. Much as we may like to think that photography is all about technique and kit, it is actually an inner game. I don't really much care what gear you have, even though I love a new camera as much as the next person. The best photographers I've come across are completely in tune with their environment. They study the world around them and don’t constantly try to be in it doing, but instead, they look and observe. This might be something you need to cultivate – and it's totally possible to attain, even if it doesn't come naturally. Something in you has been drawn to photography, to the visual world and to express yourself visually. So you already have potential inside of you to become a great observer.
ConclusionHopefully, these ideas have helped point you in the direction of deepening, developing and improving your photography. It's so rewarding to work on simple ideas that have a great impact on your photos. I'd love to know what you think of these tips, please comment below. On now until March 21st (AUS time) get Anthony Epes’ Online Light Monkeys Photo Group – Yearly Membership – 55% OFF at Snapndeals. The post 5 Things That Will Instantly Improve Your Photography by Anthony Epes appeared first on Digital Photography School.      |
| 5 Ways Patience Makes You a Better Photographer Posted: 08 Mar 2017 05:00 AM PST It's interesting that on websites like Digital Photography School you will find lots of articles on gear and photographic techniques, but far fewer on the mindset of the successful photographer. I've always believed that the key to understanding why people are successful lies in the way they think. For example, if you want to build a business that turns over a million dollars a year, then you would learn a great deal from talking with people who have already achieved that. It's the same with photography. One of the mindset skills that is important to cultivate is patience. It's surprisingly difficult to do. Much has been written about our western culture of instant gratification and shortening attention spans. Many people are naturally impatient – it is natural to want results now rather than wait.
With all this in mind, let's look at some of the ways that patience can make you a better photographer. 1. Patience gives you time to explore the sceneIt's so often tempting to find an interesting scene, take a few photos, then move on to look for something else. But what if you waited? Maybe the right person needs to enter the frame to complete the composition. Perhaps you have to wait until somebody finishes what they are doing and moves out of the way. Maybe you just need to work the scene more, trying different angles and focal lengths and taking the time to look beyond the obvious. Patience will help you do that. For example, I had to sit and observe the scene below and wait for the right person to enter the frame. He finally did – and I got this photo.
2. Patience helps you build rapport with a modelPatience is a great characteristic to have in all dealings with people, but it's especially helpful when photographing people. It takes time to gain somebody's trust, to get to know them, and for them to open up and give you expressions that reveal character and emotion. It requires an emotional investment on your part, and it greatly helps if you are genuinely curious and interested in your model. An interesting conversation, a discovery of common experience or interest often leads to better, more revealing portraits. You'll get even better results if you work repeatedly with the same model. That requires the patience to build a friendship and working relationship, and the understanding that you might only start making your best portraits on the third or fourth shoot, not right away. This is one of my favorite photos of this model, and it came on our third shoot. I would never have made it without the patience to build our working relationship.
3. Patience helps immensely with long exposure photographyLong exposure photography is different from other types of landscape photography in that the shutter may be open for as much as five or six minutes. This is a long time to wait, and it can be difficult to know what to do. I like to use that time purposefully, when I can, by exploring different compositions and angles of view with my iPhone (whose camera has nearly the same angle of view as my Fuji 18mm lens). This way I am working on my next photo while the camera is exposing the frame. If I am not thinking about other photos then I like to relax, breathe in the air, and contemplate the scene. It's a chance to chill out and enjoy the view, rather than rush from one viewpoint to another.
4. Patience helps you find the best lightYou'll find the best light for most types of landscape, travel, and architectural photography at the beginning and end of the day, when the sun is low in the sky and golden light rakes across the scene. This is called the golden hour and it's when most scenes look the most beautiful. When you find an interesting place it takes patience to wait until the sun is lower in the sky, or discipline to wait and return when the light is better. The reward when you do so is beautiful light and more powerful images. The light changes with the seasons as well as the time of day, and it takes patience to return to a scene at different times of year to explore it in different lighting conditions. I used to live near the beach where I took the photos below. Patience helped me build a series of images shot in different seasons and different types of light.
5. Patience helps you build a body of work over timeOne of the easiest ways to improve your photography is to assign yourself projects that you can tackle over time. Projects are interesting because they focus your attention on a theme that you can explore in depth. This takes time, patience and sometimes determination. There may be times when things don't go your way, when creativity doesn't flow, or when people let you down. Patience helps you push through these negative events and go on to complete your project. This photo was taken as part of a long-term project photographing circus performers.  Learn how I created this shot here: How to Create Beautiful Light Painting Images With an Illuminated Hoop The long-term viewOne thing that all these ideas have in common is taking the long-term view. It's all about considering what you'd like to achieve in photography over the next few years and how you are going to do so. If, for example, you decide that you would like to spend more time taking photos of people, then there is some hard work in front of you in terms of finding interesting models and arranging shoots. Patience is required, but so is the ability to look into the future and think about your photography related goals, and the body of work you are building. Thinking ahead like this helps you act purposefully and constructively. Good luck! If you enjoyed this article and would like to learn more about the creative side of photography then please check out my ebook Mastering Photography. The post 5 Ways Patience Makes You a Better Photographer by Andrew S. Gibson appeared first on Digital Photography School.    |
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