I was born in Cornwall, a very beautiful part of the world, and
have always been interested in the power and majesty, animals, and
insects. My father was quite a noted ornithologist, and I suppose I
developed an interest at quite an early age. Also, my Aunt lived
and worked on a farm and I spent all my holidays with her, further
exposing me to both the countryside and wildlife that existed
around me. I have been a member of Renderosity since August 2002,
and was rather surprised when asked to write about any aspect of
photography, in particular to those who would subscribe to
illustrious journals such as this. This article is therefore not
going to be about how to take photographs but more about some of
the techniques that I have learned over the past 30 years that I
use in attempting to capture wildlife on film, and more recently
with digital technology. Photographing nature, particularly
close-up or macro work (my interest), presents several difficulties
that require us to learn to handle special situations. First, the
closer we get to a subject, the shallower the (DOF) depth of field
becomes. Second, close-in work is very sensitive to light and
movement. The zone can be as small as a half of an inch or less. In
order to alleviate the shallow DOF problem we need to use a small
aperture, which impacts on the available light. Worse still, we
have to be careful to keep our subjects most important features in
focused in a plane parallel to the film. This has further
complications as movement is also greatly exaggerated at close
range. Even a minute amount of wind may cause a flower with our
butterfly to flutter in and out of focus and our model may
disappear from view in a split second! We may also like to use slow
to medium film to capture fine details. Using a smaller aperture,
in natural light usually requires a slow shutter speed. We need
therefore to be first and foremost patient! But a little ingenuity
and planning can help us overcome some of these problems.
Useful Items And Important Points 1. Personal Safety This is
something that is easy to forget, but please remember that in the
wild there are many dangers. I have found myself in precarious
positions on a few occasions. It is easy to get carried away and
become careless in dangerous situations. For example, are you
wearing suitable clothing or safety equipment? In mountainous
terrain, weather conditions can change very quickly and you could
easily get into trouble. Also, leaning over a cliff to get a closer
shot of a Puffin may result in your premature demise, unless you
take a rope to fasten to a good secure place, like a tree. Flash
equipment can be indispensable. Three or four small flash units
rigged to a photoelectric trigger can enable us to achieve very
good results. The camera can be set-up and pre-focused and hidden,
released by a long cable release. Our flower and butterfly shot can
work better by constructing a simple wind shield with a couple of
sticks and a plastic bag, and a good reflector made from some white
cloth attached by string or more sticks. I carry a broom handle to
help bash nettles down. Also, a bit of white card and safety pin
can be useful as a diffusing canopy.
A beanbag and some brackets can be great to put our camera on to
save lugging a Tripod around. I have made up a pack of items that I
always take with me. Serving in the military for most of my working
life many things like this have become second nature to me. But
please give these factors due consideration, it could save your
life! Also keep in mind that some wildlife can be dangerous too! If
you want to get the best shots we also need to learn a bit about
the behavior and habitat of our subjects, the chances of just being
lucky to stumble across wildlife are few and far between. It is
important to be patient and plan properly. Much can be learned from
field guides: animal behavior patterns, their feeding habits, the
time of day they are active, or favorite watering holes and trails
will reduce the chances of failure. Most wildlife have far keener
senses than us; they are timid and fast so we need to try and keep
some distance between us and will tolerate our presence if we dont
appear threatening. Using clothing that blends in with the terrain
or building a shelter out of natural cover can often aid in getting
closer to our subject. Once we are in close enough, we need to
proceed slowly to avoid frightening our subject(s) off. Be aware
that reflections and noise from the shutter or motor-drive may be
enough to spook them! I usually use a dark cloth to wrap the camera
to reduce noise, and a lens hood will keep down reflections to a
minimum. For serious work use a long focal length lens (200-400 mm)
to get clear visibility and to keep a safe distance. Getting good
stability will require the use of a good tripod and even more
elaborate planning. Please dont be put off by these precautions.
It is not necessary to go to such elaborate lengths or travel to
exotic places to discover interesting and appealing subjects. Our
own gardens, local forests, and woods will provide a plethora of
interesting material, and provide plenty of practice for developing
good techniques and the patience to master the necessary skills.
You will discover new and surprising aspects of Mother Natures
mysteries as the colors, shapes and textures become revealed. Be
creative ... the artistic possibilities are endless.
####
Daniel
OByrne
A self taught Artist and Photographer who has been an active member
of the Renderosity community for 18 months, posting in Photography
and Mixed medium. He has undertaken various tasks writing articles
on Photography for the Magazine as well as doing software reviews.
A graduate of Portsmouth University, followed by Post Graduate
studies at the University of Middlesex He has a specialist interest
in the field of Mental Health research. He worked in the Military
for 23 years and was a Trauma Specialist there and traveled widely.
Danny is working in Buckingham Mental Health Trust at present and
been there for 9 years where he has spent time working with
Rehabilitation and Community Care for people with enduring mental
illness. His hobbies include Chess, Golf and listening to music and
reading. An avid lover of nature and wildlife his interests in this
has always been the inspiration for his Art and Photography, and
considers that lighting is the very soul of his attempts at trying
to capture this within his work.
