Ostridge
Jun, 2016Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
I took this photo whilst visiting the Mabalingwe Nature Reserve in South Africa. Mabalingwe is abundant bird and animal life, including Africa's "Big 5", Spread over more than 12 500 ha makes Mabalingwe big enough to feel wild but small enough so you have a good chance for some great sightings. I love visiting the African bush and as it where my love for photography started. Plus wants not to like about 5* accommodation and some of the best wild life in the world.Time
This photo was taken about 5ish in the afternoon, as I was on my way for sun downers. In the bush there is no point trying to take photos in the heat of the day. The sun is so strong it will just wash out all the colors and give you a massive amount of haze. But to make up for it golden hour in the bush is something special. This photo was taken about an hour before golden hour which was a bit of a shame, but luckily not in the full heat of the day.Lighting
With all wildlife photograph when it come to lighting you have to take your wins where you can. So many times I get a great sighting and wish I could ask the animals to move a bit to get them out of direct sun light or move them out the shade, to give the best photo. But sadly am not Doctor Doolittle. With this photo I will admit I got lucky, the time of day was when the sun was not high in the sky giving softer lighting but enough to be able to use a nice fast shutter speed to capture the detail before the animal moves.Equipment
This was shot on my original Canon EOS 350D, with a canon 100-400mm L series lens. I love that was able to get such a clear crisp shot with an entry level camera. I often look back at these photos to remind myself it most defiantly is not all amount the kit. I have since upgraded to a canon 5d mk1 but to this day I still use my 350D as a backup even though it is now nearly 15 years old, but still take a great photo.Inspiration
As I am incredibly fortunate and get to visit South Africa regularly and get to spend lots of time out in the bush. Each time I go I set my self a different challenge. On this visit I wanted to capture portraits of the wildlife with a focus on the eyes. I was so lucky an Ostrich came along, I love Ostrich they have such expressive faces, plus they are kinda funny looking which make them strangely photogenic.Editing
This photo had no major post-processing. With this photo the sun was still quite strong, so I had to punch up the blacks a little to help bring the colors and contrast back, adding the black back also helps to remove little bit of haze. I adjusted the clarity to just sharpen the image a little and show off the fact I managed to the get focusing nearly bang on. ( I mention that as it's my Achilles heel). I use Adobe Lightroom to process my images as I find Photoshop a bit too much.In my camera bag
First in my bag goes my Canon 5D MK1(when this shot was taken that was a 350D) , next up it my trusty canon 50mm 1.8 ( yes that's the cheap one) the 50mm prime is an am amazing lens for its cost, and is my main lens when not in the bush. Next up will be my speed light flash as you never know when you may need it and a cokin filter kit. Then it very much depends on what I am looking to shoot or where I was going. On this trip, being a wild life trip, some big lenses were essential I find canon 100-400mm l serise is a great all rounder if you don't want to be caring around a fixed length small telescope. I often take a 2x converter with this lens as well making it 200-800mm but you do lose auto focus, and some may fix the aperture as well. ( think the new posh ones have got around this). Being in the bush I pack a dust/water protector as the dust gets in everything. If you have more of a professional level camera this is so much of a issue as they are sealed a bit better, but when taking a more entry level camera it good to give it some protection. I nearly killed by 350D after a few trips to the bush with the red African dust. The specialist lenses I always hire, in the UK I have found a number of great companies hiring out equipment for a very reasonable rate, but I am sure this happens all over the world too. I always check the game park I am visiting for it's size as some place will get you closer to the animals than others. For example if you are vising the Kruger national park you going to want the biggest focal length you can, as it's more likely you are going to viewing from a distance. Where as with the more private game parks you'll have a ranger that will get you as close as you dare or is safe, but in most cases you will still want latest a 300mm lens.Feedback
With any true wildlife photograph ( no zoo's etc) there are 2 things you really need. Luck and patients. So many times I've seen some amazing things but was just not able to capture it due to bad light or the animal being to fare away etc. The main thing when photographing wildlife is to ensure you camera is already, you never know when something may suddenly become visible and the chances are if your turning on the camera and start fiddling with the settings you will miss the animal. I find unless I'm in a hide, I keep my camera on at all times on a multi shoot setting and I take a series of about 6 shots each burst, this is because animals always move on you, and you never know, in a split second they could change there posture or move slightly and give the photo that extra quality. When I get a slow spot on the game front, I often use this time to take a few test shots, trees work quite well. Just to keep the camera dialed in as the light changes during the course of the day. When doing close-ups like this shot, clarity is really important as it very unforgiving the smallest amount of camera shake or the focus just being a little bit out would detract from the attention of subject. If you really are looking for some great closeup animal shots then I have to admit it's much easier to visit a center where you can get close. (I find this cheating a bit, though I have enjoyed many photo a trip to London Zoo) these are a great place to practice before heading out to the wild.
