the water hole
Dec, 2017Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
This image was captured at one of the two waterholes in Nxai Pan, Botswana. It is an amazing place and I hope that this scene captures some of the contrast and vibrance of this part of Africa.Time
Typically in these parts we go out early in the morning and again in the evening, sometimes after dark. We had been watching a herd of Springbok, stretching from horizon to horizon, as they put on a great prancing display. By around 9 a.m. we moved on to the waterhole for a cup of tea and more great sightings.Lighting
Really with my type of photography you have to take what you're given! On this day the air seemed a bit clearer than usual and produced quite a harsh light for the time of day. I like the way it defines each aspect of the image, but can't claim any credit!Equipment
I'm a canon user (trying a Sonya9 now tho') and try to have 2 on board with different lenses. This was taken with a 5DMkIII and a 70-200 f2.8 lens.Inspiration
. I think I got the depth of field about right, the springbok slightly out so it doesn't distract from the zebra, but provides foreground onWhenever I'm out I'm on the lookout. Wildlife photography seems to me to offer 2 options. Stay put in a good spot and wait for subjects to come to you or move around and see what you find. Sometimes once you've found it you need to do a bit of stalking to close in, but in this case we were on board a truck, the scene appeared in front of us and I was lucky enough to be there. It lasted long enough that I could think about f stops and shutter speed. I think I got the depth of field about right, the springbok is slightly out of focus and so distracts less from the main subject (zebra) whilst providing a point of interest. The background blurs nicely and allows me to imagine the sound of the bush.Editing
Minimal in this image, just some brightness adjustments in parts of the image and a crop to make it look right.In my camera bag
If I'm in a vehicle I'll take a 1DX. 5DMkIII and a Sony a9 with e fit adaptor. I like to have my 200-400 f4, 70-200 f2.8 and a 24-105 f4, all canon and throw in a little Sony 50mm too. I've usually got a few filters and a tripod along with spare batteries. Sometimes I add gps, a macro lens and ring flash. If I'm on foot then it's as little as possible depending on the quarry.Feedback
I'm sure I'm not alone in noticing the phenomenon which means you see much more without a camera and as soon as you pick one up everything goes away! It's back to the two approaches, but in any event you need patience, I was after a malachite kingfisher for about 10 years before I captured an image I liked.
