GeoffG46
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Behind The Lens
Location
I was doing a photographic Safari in Botswana. We camped in the heart of the Okavango Delta on Chao island, listening to African Scops Owls calling to each other every night. We would set off early in the morning by boat, working all the channels and seeing what we come across. As we came around a bend in one of the more northern channels where the water level was lower, there was this Red Lechwe bull standing close to the waters edge. I knew from previous experience that he was going to jump the gap to cross over to the other side. I just waited for the event to happen and I let rip when it did. All my previous attempts to get a shot like this had failed. It is really impressive how far these animals can jump from a stationary position.Time
I really enjoyed capturing this image as the Lechwe didn't give us much time to think about the shot. We were just in the right place at the right time. We were busy heading back to camp after our afternoon session out in the bush. This image was taken on the 7 September 2016 at 04:43pm.Lighting
It was late enough in the afternoon for the light not to be too harsh. I could really push the ISO down while still enjoying fast shutter speeds. My main focus for the day was to capture birds in flight, and the odd Lechwe jumping over the water. ;)Equipment
I was using my Nikon D600 with Tamron 150-600mm f6.3, the boat was a bit crowded so there wasn't any space for tripods. No other equipment was used.Inspiration
Well I guess the drive to capture something unique inspired this photo. I always try to capture an animal/bird doing something other than just standing around or sitting on a branch. Knowing your subjects habits also helps to capture the them doing something unusual.Editing
Just a bit of cropping, and removed some reeds that were almost in the way. I also touched on the black and white limits, and put the exposure down a bit.In my camera bag
I don't have a lot of equipment yet as I'm still getting into photography. I have a Nikon D600 and usually have my Tamron 150-600mm attached to it as I mainly do bird photography. I also carry a Nikon 55-200mm f4-5.6 for when I just have to capture my surroundings. I recently became a Father, so I got myself a Nikon 50mm f1.8 so that I can photograph my beautiful daughter.Feedback
In most instances on a boat Safari in the Okavango. You are obviously on a moving, unstable surface. And if like me, you are trying to capture birds in flight. You need to make sure you have your shutter speed as fast as possible to minimize blurring. The fact that you are close the water surface makes it difficult to always see what's around the next bend, and the constant change of direction keeps putting the sun at a different angle. So checking your settings regularly also helps to capture those unexpected explosive moments when you come around a corner to find a Fish Eagle catching a fish, or a Pygmy Goose bursting from cover.