Do I Scare You?
Close- up of an emu opening wide his beak and eyes.
Close- up of an emu opening wide his beak and eyes.
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Jul, 2016Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
I was on a country walk not far from my home in Somerset, UK, when I heard a strange noise beyond a fence as if someone was beating a drum. When I looked over the fence I saw three or four emus doing exactly that sound. They are very curious animals, so when they saw me they came nearer and as soon as I started to take pictures they reacted by making all sorts of faces. Did they think I had some food for them? I don't know, but after a while they simply walked off.Time
It was towards evening, not the best of light conditions on days when the sun is not out, and there were branches casting shadows, but I tried my best on Manual Mode with different apertures and ISO.Lighting
With animal photography long exposures are not really possible, so I tried my luck with a slightly bigger apertures than usual.Equipment
I have only one camera - so far -, namely a Nikon D5200. I had left my tripod at home that day, so this is hand held. I would like to go back to that emu farm and take pictures with my Nikkor lens 55-300mm - and if they turn out alright I would like to share them on VB.Inspiration
Animals always inspire me. They don't need to be exotic, cats and dogs will do, what I am interested in is their personality, either as individuals or as a species. I now have found out that emus are quite unique and playful birds!!Editing
I had to lighten up my picture a bit and also slightly sharpen it, but as far as I can remember that was all.In my camera bag
I wish I had a choice, but I haven't yet invested in different cameras or accessories because I feel I still have a lot to learn before I can spend money on more sophisticated equipment. I always take my Nikon D5200 with me when I go for walks (sometimes even when I just go to the post office or the Coop) and usually I have my Nikkor lens 55-300mm with me - just in case I spotted an animal in the distance. As to the tripod, I must confess that I often leave it at home because I feel lighter walking without. But very often I regret it; images come out so much neater and sharper with a tripod.Feedback
For people interested in animal photography my advice is - lots and lots of patience. I often wait a long time in front of an animal and study it before I start to take pictures. I also talk to them (if possible) to test their reactions and that is usually when they start to show who they are: cute, aggressive, curious, indifferent, haughty etc. There is a whole range of emotions the animals start to display, and then I shoot at least ten pictures in a sequence and will chose the one which, in my eyes, reflects best my subject's uniqueness.
