Pets & Wildlife
by Ngaire Hart
1. Be creative
Catch your pets character
: be waiting in their favourite spot, snoozing, porch, outside playing
:pets can be playful little critters and rather than attempting to contain this to get them posed for that special shot it’s often very effective to go with their playfulness and make it a central feature of your image.
2.Freeze Action
:Many pets present a challenge to photographers because they are active and always on the move.
:The key with any subject that’s on the move is to freeze their action by using a fast shutter speed. Most digital cameras these days will allow you to shoot in full manual mode if you feel confident to get the mix between shutter and aperture right – alternatively you can work in shutter priority mode where you set the shutter speed and the camera automatically does the rest by picking a good aperture to work with your shutter speed.
: The last alternative is to use ‘sports’ mode which will mean the camera will select the fastest shutter speed possible for your situation. Once you’ve got your shutter speed nice and fast make sure your camera is always at the ready so you can anticipate the actions of your pet.
:If they are a fast mover you might also want to consider shooting in continuous mode (burst mode) to take a quick series of shots in a row. This can also lead to a wonderful sequence of shots that work well together.
3.Aim for the eyes
;use apeture to blur the background
: aim for uncluttered background or neutral colours
4.Include people or other animals
: be quick as animals are easily distracted
: get them when they are relaxed
:One of the best things you can do to add context to a shot is to include the special people in the life of your pet in the image.
:Shots with the owner or other family members interacting with your pet can make the images incredibly special for years to come.
:You might like to try posed shots but sometimes it’s the candid shots of owner and pet at play (or snoozing together in front of a fire) that really capture the character of the pet and evoke emotion.
5 Get down to their level
:on the floor, use bean bag so don't need a tripod or a book as support. To help reduce camera shake take a deep breath and relax.
: use a shallow depth of field and fast shutter speed.
: you get a glimpse of what life looks like from their angle, a sense of perspective, not from above at a human angle
6.Avoid using a flash
:flash is harsh, use natural light and this avoids getting animals with red eyes
7.take many shots/be playful
:if an anmimal is bored add their favourite toys
: feed the animal before taking shots so they're relaxed
: Include their toys, stimulate them to look longingly into your camera by holding a special treat above your head or take a picture with them sitting on top of you mid wrestle etc.
:Make your photo shoot a fun experience for both you and your pet and your shots are likely to reflect it.
10 Know your pets personality
:Before you start photographing your pet ask yourself ‘what sets it apart from other animals?’
:Think about what type of personality it has and then attempt to capture some of that in your shots. For example if everyone knows your pet as a sleepy, lazy or placid little thing set up your photo shoot around it’s bed or where it goes after a meal to lie in the sun and you’ll have every chance of capturing a shot that sums your pet right up.
:Alternatively if your pet is hyperactive, inquisitive and always on the move it might be better to do your shoot at a local park where it’s racing around, jumping for balls or playing with other animals.
11.Mix up your framing
:shoot take some tightly cropped facial shots (even focussing right in on single features like eyes, noses, ears, whiskers etc) but also make sure you take three quarter body shots as well as full body shots. In this way you end up with a series of shots that give viewers of your photos a full perspective on who your pet is.
12. Be Playful
;Include their toys, stimulate them to look longingly into your camera by holding a special treat above your head or take a picture with them sitting on top of you mid wrestle etc.
: Make your photo shoot a fun experience for both you and your pet and your shots are likely to reflect it.
13. Catch them Unawares
:Posed shots can be fun and effective but one thing I love to do (whether it be with animals or people) is to photograph them candidly paparazzi style.
:I have very fond memories of stalking my cat as he played in the back yard one day.
: I took shots while he scratched a tree, picked up a rope and ran with it, then climbed up into the tree.
: The whole time I photographed him he was barely aware of my presence so the shots were very natural without me distracting the cat from his ‘business’.
14 Try a Wide Angle Lens
: using a wider angle lens.
: This allows you to get in close but also fit in a lot of the pet. The other benefit of it is that using a wider angle lens will often give your image a little distortion that will give your image a new creative and fun perspective. Above all enjoy the time with your pets as you photograph them.
WILDLIFE
1.Animals eye is key to good photography:
2.: Getting the eyes in focus is the key to capturing a photo of an animal. It's human nature to look at the eyes. It is how we determine emotion and how we connect. A picture may be blurry but the shot can be saved if the eyes are in focus. (lion eye open)
2.Use long lens
: Getting closert to the action, yet staying a safe distance, is the key to photographing wildlife. By keeping your distance you allow the animal to be in their comfort zone are are more likely to get natural behavior.
: when taking photos in the zoo that are behind fencing, move close to the fence, focus beyond the wire, with a wide aperture, you can “focus out” the fencing and take photo with no wires. If the fencing is black you'll have a much better chance of pulling this off. Regular fencing this may be a challenge but if is the shot is important it doesn't matter. Also go in between the wires to take your shot. (owl zoo, monkey cage)
3.use a wide aperture
:a wide aperture can blur out a potenially busy background and bring attention to the subject instead. As you learn to control your camera you'll also find that adjusting your aperture will have a direct effect on your shutter speed. This will prove especially helpful when shooting in the early mornings and late evenings, when animals are typically most active and the light is warm and muted.
4.Adjust your shutter speed to stop/show the action.
: when animals are on the move you need to decide quickly on the type of shot you want to take. Keep the eye in focus if you can. Pick backgrounds that are uncluttered and simple, as this will make the subject standout in the image.
Consider using fast action on your camera, it is better to get the shot than none.(hippo fighting) take more than one shot so you can tell a story.
5.Plan for the best light
: there's nothing like a cloudy day to provide soft even light for wildlife photography. Clouds act like a giant diffuser to the sun, spreading the light out evenly and taking away harsh shadows, adujst ISO and shutter speed for stopping action and getting sharp, in focus images.
6.Frame your shot
:Framing your shot and cropping help improve composition that wasn't quite right when you took the shot. Setting your shot to lead the eye is a good example.lion cubs fighting origional v cropped shot)
7 shoot with two eyes
:Try and anticipate the action. Both keeping both eyes open you'll see the subject and you'll see what happens next.
8.Use tripod or monopod
:Even in a safari truck a mono pod will stop camera shake, thus reducing the risk of blurry photos.
9.Shoot, shoot, shoot
:Digtal photography means it is easy to delete bad shots. If you haven't taken more than one shot of the same scenerio you never know what you might have got. Later you can choose the best of the group. You can adjust your camera between shots to see the results of different camera settings. If you find a setting that is working for you, keep using it, its your camera and you are the person in charge of what you take. (elephant tusks, mpouth open + teeth, trunk on ground)
10.know the rules/break the rules
:Understand the proper composition using the rule of thirds and to incorporate in your ability to instantly capture that fleeting moment properly. But don't be afraid to break the rules. (leopard walking see back)
11.shoot wider
:People have an obsession to get as close as possible to the animals and isolate them totally from their environment. The result is often an image that looks like it could be taken of a captive subject in a controlled location, with a perfect smooth background and no idea of the real environment in which it finds itself.
Challenge yourself to give the viewer a better idea of where you took the image and where your subject has to carve out a living in the wild. (elephants going to drink)
12 Be there, enjoy it
Photographers need to be in the moment and don't get caught up with the technical issues and your settings, that you don't take in the moments you are witnessing while out photographing wildlife. Be mindful of the privilege of spending time and nature and being in places where the hand of man hasn't extended its full force.
Enjoy what you're doing. Have fun doing it!
Enjoy what you're doing. Have fun doing it!
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