Blog

What's your "keeper" rate? (and who cares?)

2012-05-26T12:23:52Z

*cue "old guy" voice*...

When I was your age, sonny, we shot film. Lots of it. Our fastest film was Ektachorome ISO 200 - and we were grateful for it! (Because Kodachrome was either ISO 25 or 64)

You kids these days, with your fancy, new-fangled digital cameras don't know how hard it was.... Now get off my lawn!

OK, enough of that.

But back when I started in photography in 1973, we did shoot a lot of film. Being a cheapskate, I shot almost exclusively with slide film, so I wouldn't have to pay for prints that I was going to throw away anyway.

Even then, when it cost at least $0.25 per slide, my keeper rate was pretty low - and it's a question that I still get a lot today.

What makes a "keeper" is a personal decision. There are no completely objective standards, so I'll give you a look at mine.

First, it depends on where I'm going to put it. There are some images that get to live in my library and others that get to live in my portfolio - and there's a big difference.

My library is the collection of images that I keep for a variety of different uses, ranging from an image that I might use here in my weekly articles, to writing I do for others, to examples to use in classes.

To live in the library, I require:

1. Proper exposure (either in camera or in post)

2. Good composition (again, either in-camera or in post)

3. An interesting or useful subject, or at least the potential that the image will have a later use.

Mule Deer (Library Image). Canon 40D. Canon 600mm f4 L IS.
ISO 320, f5.6, 1/1250th second.

That's not a bad shot of a Mule Deer. But there's not a lot of "wow factor" there either. It's in the library.

On the other hand, my portfolio is the best of the best. It requires a much higher standard, starting with all of the library requirements...and

4. The subject must be compelling. It must captivate me and the viewer.

5. It generally involves a "critical moment", striking light or really dramatic composition.

6. It's something that's especially unusual.

Polar Bear Mom, Playing with 1st-Year Cub. (Portfolio Image) Kaktovik Polar Bear Photo Tour.
Canon 5D MkII. Canon 100-400mm L IS @ 400mm.
ISO 640, f8, 1/1000th second.

This image meets those tests. It's an interesting subject, a critical moment and one that's capivating. It's one that I'm proud to have in my portfolio - and a great memory from Kaktovik.

So with all that out of the way, what's my keeper rate?

For the library, it's pretty high, probably around 25%. For the portfolio, I'm somewhere around 3%.

That means that over 70% of my images either end up getting tossed in to the trash.

What?!? over 70% garbage? I can hear you thinking to yourself, this guy is either not so good at this photography stuff, or there's something wrong with his camera.

No, it's not that. It has a lot to do with the kind of shooting I spend most of my time doing - wildlife.

If I were shooting landscapes, I'd have a far higher keeper rate. The same for architecture and portraits. That's because these situations are far more controllable. Compose, expose - maybe bracket for HDR. That's it. My keeper rate will at least double.

Autumn in Denali National Park, Alaska. (Portfolio Image)
Canon 5D MkII. Canon 100-400mm L IS @ 100mm.
ISO 640, f18, 1/100th second.

With wildlife, I'm working very hard to focus on moving animals (especially hard with birds in flight!), while trying my best to manage an often unmanageable background and hoping for a critical moment, interesting behavior or eye contact.

Osprey Take-Off with Fish. (Portfolio Image) 2012 Maine Osprey & Seascapes Photo Tour.
Canon 5D MkII. Canon 100-400mm L IS @ 400mm.
ISO 2500, f7.1, 1/4000th second.

But now, let me ask you a question...

Who cares what your keeper rate is?

Whether you have the "golden shutter finger" and nail every shot the first time (and I bet you don't), or you have to work harder at it, it's the image that matters.

Let your images speak for themselves and don't worry about the unimportant stuff like keeper rate, the brand name of your gear, what color your lens is or who thinks you're "cool".

Stop trying to live up to what somebody else or some blog article (including this one!) thinks you should be and just be yourself.

You'll enjoy photography a lot more if you go your own way, shoot what you want, when you want and how you want.

In the end, as long as you have enough keepers to make you happy, the keeper rate doesn't matter at all!

Bad Weather? No Problem (if you're prepared!)

2012-05-20T09:00:00Z

Two quick announcements before this week's article -

First, I was recently interviewed by Frederick Van Johnson at the This Week in Photo podcast. It's episode #255, titlied "Deliberate Photography".

TWIP is one of the longest running podcasts, dating back to 2008 and all of those episodes are available through iTunes.

Thanks Frederick - it was nice to spend time chatting with you and the TWIP audience!

Next, I'm thrilled to have one of my images selected by the Cape Cod Art Association for their All Cape Cod Juried Exhibit and Sale, which runs from May 18 to June 11.

One of my favorites, shown below, is printed on a glossy Chromaluxe aluminum art panel by 1-Stop Foto at 16" X 24" with a "black shadow mount". It is priced at $375.

If you can't make it to the gallery, just contact me and I'll have another print made for you.

Anhinga Portrait. Canon 7D. Canon 600mm f4 L IS.
ISO 800, f4, 1/500th second.

This week, we'll talk about handling bad weather. Or more to the point, handling your camera gear in bad weather!

Bad weather can take a few major forms; mainly precipitation, humidity and temperature extremes. None of these are especially good for your gear.

But there can be some great photo opportunities in bad weather. Storm photos of blizzards, lightning shots, pounding surf, moody scenes of rain and fog - you get the idea.

Other times, you might find yourself in a once-in-a-lifetime situation, like our Kaktovik Polar Bear Tour. If it rains, it's worth being prepared, so you can keep shooting.

Sure, you might get a little wet, but how often are you going to have a chance to shoot Polar Bears in the wild?

Just keep the gear dry and you can shoot all day!

Polar Bear Family, Kaktovik Polar Bear Tour. Canon 5D MkII. Canon 100-400mm L IS @ 275mm.
ISO 640, f8, 1/1250th second. Image captured in intermittent drizzle / light rain.

Precipitation in the form of rain or snow can be overcome with good rain covers. You can use something simple like a trash bag - just be sure it's tough enough that it doesn't tear easily.

It's best to use a lens hood when trying this. Simply put the camera in the trash bag and pull it back over the camera, so that the lens is tightly up against the bag. Carefully tear a hole in the bag for the lens hood to poke through and secure it with a rubber band.

For a little more robust solution, you can go with a commercial rain cover that's purpose built.

PHOTO CREDIT: Robert Thompson. Charlie with Aquatech Rain Cover & 600mm lens, Kaktovik, Alaska.
Casio EX-ZR100. ISO 400, f11.4, 1/1250th second.

Aquatech makes covers for all sizes of lenses, external flashes, underwater housings and a lot more.

I also use a Vortex Storm Shield for that 100-400mm zoom you see hanging from my shoulder. It slips on in about 4 seconds, so I tend to keep is in my pocket until the moment I need it.

High humidity is a concern too, even without actual precipitation.

The danger with humidity is not so much that you will short out the electronics, but that you can grow mold inside your gear - it's especially hazardous to lenses.

To overcome this issue, I bought a bunch of reusable desiccant packs at Amazon and keep them in various bags I use.

Rapid temperature changes are something to avoid too. Your camera and lenses are made up of different elements - plastics, glass and different kinds of metals.

Each of them will expand with heat and contract with cold, but because they are different materials, they do it at a different rate. Each has a different "coefficient of thermal expansion" and that leads to physical stress at the points where they are joined together with screws, adhesives and clips.

So just as a best practice, try to let your gear change temperatures somewhat slowly. You don't have to go nuts, but just keep in mind that moving from your temperate house to the outside, whether extremely hot or cold is something to avoid as much as you can.

Next, check your camera's manual to see what the ratings are for extreme heat and cold. You might be surprised to find that those specifications are pretty narrow! For example, the temperature specs on my Canon 5D MkII and my old 40D state that the operating range is 32F - 104F.

I have shot in temperatures *far* lower...

Snowy Owl. Canon 40D. Canon 600mm f4 L IS. Image captured at 5 degrees F.
ISO 400, f7.1, 1/400th second.

And temperatures somewhat higher....

Death Valley at 108 degrees F. Canon 5D MkII. Canon 16-35mm L @ 16mm.
ISO 200, f16, 1/250th second.

I've never had either camera act up with these extremes. In fact, I called Canon Professional Services to ask them about it. Their answer was that while their cameras will probably work quite well outside the stated temperature range, it's not something they guarantee or support.

In other words, your gear may work outside the range of 32F - 104F, and if it does, that's great. But if it doesn't, well, they told you so!

Finally, going from cold to warm presents an additional hazard - condensation. Think in terms of taking a cold glass from the fridge into a warm room. A layer of water instantly condenses on the surfaces.

This is a big problem and one of the main sources of mold inside lenses.

There are a couple of ways to avoid condensation. First, let your gear change temperatures slowly - we covered that above.

My practice in the winter is to leave my gear inside the camera bag and leave it in a cold part of the house or garage, warming it up over the course of several hours. You'll need to reverse that process if you move from an air conditioned house to a hot outside in the summer.

The other method is to wrap your gear tightly in a plastic bag when you move to the warm location. If the gear is cold enough to trigger condensation, it will form on the bag, not the gear. Again, let the gear acclimate slowly and you'll be OK.

I've only suffered condensation once and it's a good cautionary note.

On my Florida Bird Photo Tour last year, I stuck an extra lens in my checked bag - something I almost never do. I always try to carry all of my gear on.

Well, it turns out that the cargo hold is pretty cold. When I took the lens out in the warm Florida sun, there is was. Condensation!

I put the lens right back in that bag, which was still cold and let it warm up slowly. It worked out OK, but I dodged a bullet.

So let's plan on dodging fewer bullets and being better prepared - I hope this article helps!

"I've always been told that..." An exercise in independent thinking!

2012-05-13T00:06:10Z

Before this week's article, I want to let you know that I'll be at Hunt's Photo for their "Digital Days" event through tomorrow. I'll be there talking about wildlife photography and answering your questions live at the Hanover, MA store. I'll be there from about noon to 5 PM.

So this week, I want to give those of you who listen to the so called "experts" a little encouragement.

You can use your own brain! That's right. You hereby have my permission to think independently and make your own decisions about your photography, without checking in with the "experts".

Why am I on a tear about this subject?

Within the last few weeks, I've heard one too many of my workshop guests and my private lesson students tell me that they have "always been told" something that without context is just absurd. And it drives me nuts.

Here are a few examples.

I was going to buy that Canon 100-400mm L IS lens, but I've heard that it's not sharp.

I beg to differ. I've used that lens for the last few years and beat it like a rented mule. It has gone with me from southern Florida to northern Alaska to the remote wilderness of Labrador. It has performed flawlessly and produces tack-sharp images.

The Polar Bears of Kaktovik, Alaska Canon 5D MkII. Canon 100-400mm L IS @ 400mm.
ISO 640, f10, 1/1250th second.

I have this image blown up to 6 feet X 6 feet for one of my trade show banners. Even at that size, you can count the individual hairs on that little cub.

I strongly suspect that people who say this lens isn't sharp have never used one.

Next, one guest on a recent Bird Photography Workshop was struggling to get her tripod out to bring with her as we were getting ready to walk into the wildlife sanctuary. It was a brilliantly sunny day and she was shooting with a medium telephoto lens - something like a Canon 75-300mm.

I asked her why she was bringing a tripod. Her reply?

"I've been told that you should always shoot with a tripod".

Let's modify so-called pearl of wisdom that so that it makes sense.

You should always shoot with a tripod when you need one. And you don't always need one.

Awaiting take-off. Canon 5D MkII. Canon 16-35mm L @ 16mm.
ISO 640, f8, 1/1600th second.

Just for the record, the image above was shot without a tripod. As was the Polar Bear image above.

If you cannot get a shutter speed that's fast enough to prevent unwanted blur from camera shake, *that's* when you should use a tripod or other camera support.

But if you cannot articulate a reason to use it, and your images are sharp, then use it only if there's some reason that you want to. It's just not necessary!

Finally, I had a student last week who told me that she always shoots in Manual mode. Again, I asked why. You guessed the answer already - she said she was told that you should always shoot in manual mode. It's the only way to learn.

Sorry, experts. It's not.

I'll direct you to an article I wrote in March 2011 in my series "A Trip Around the Mode Dial", where I emphasized that every single mode setting (Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority, Full Auto, Program, Scene Modes, etc) all get you to precisely the same exposure.

And if you're in manual mode and shoot at the camera's recommended exposure setting, you'll get the exact same exposure as the rest of the automatic modes.

Why complicate things by setting both aperture and shutter speed manually? Why not pick the one that's most important to you and let the camera set the other?

Again, unless you can articulate the reason, don't waste the effort. And don't waste the time that you should be spending concentrating on your subject!

I shudder to think how many images this person missed while fiddling around with manual exposure.

So let's all stop listening to the so-called experts on then internet and start running their "sage advice" through the filter of our own experience and intelligence.

When someone makes a claim like those above, let's ask them why they say it.

Maybe there's a great answer. And then again, maybe it's another load of hot air, foisted on us so the "expert" can make himself feel smarter than everybody else.

Use your own smarts. Make your own decisions - you'll be a better photographer for the experience!

An interview with 1-Stop Foto, a great Pro Printing Lab

2012-05-04T11:54:12Z

One quick announcement before this week's article. I'm thrilled to say that we have reached an agreement with the South Shore Natural Science Center to offer a photography class at their facility in Norwell, MA.

Check out our "Classes" tab above for complete details!

And don't forget - there are just four days left to enter this month's contest. The details are available in the monthly newsletter. The latest copy is available here: http://eepurl.com/kXL1n

The assignment is "Blur Me!" And the winner receives a free ticket to their choice of any of our workshops held in the next 14 months!

This week's article is focused on printing your images - but not on the do-it-yourself variety.

I spent some time with Charlie Poole, President at 1-Stop Foto and Natural Color Lab. This is the lab I use for my printing and they're one of my sponsors.

Before I get into the interview, let's get one thing out of the way.

Deciding whether you want to print your own or use an outside lab is a decision that only you can make. As for me, I choose not to for several reasons. But the primary reason is that I just don't have an interest in it.

It strikes me as an enormous hassle - and I don't print anywhere near enough volume to keep inkjet heads from drying out and clogging. That gets awfully expensive and frustrating.

Many people are surprised to find that I despised working in the wet darkroom too. It just isn't a part of photography that I enjoy. I'd much rather spend my time finding the next beautiful bird to shoot!

Royal Tern from the Florida Bird Photo Tour.
Canon 1D MkIV. Canon 800mm L IS.
ISO 2500, f5.6, 1/6400th second.

Now that's a pretty bird. On any given day, he's easily the coolest character on the beach too. He's just chillin'.

Capturing this image is a lot more enjoyable for me than tinkering with computers and printers or darkroom chemicals.

But that's just me. There are a lot of people who really enjoy the process of making their own prints, and if you're one of them, more power to you!

So as an introduction, 1-Stop Foto is a Pro printing lab, located in Stoughton, Massachusetts. Pro labs set themselves apart from consumer labs with a very high level of quality. That typically means expert hand-review and correction of every image and top-shelf print products not normally available to consumers.

Pro labs generally only service working professional photographers. Most of their clients are commercial wedding and portrait studios, architectural and product photographers.

In addition, pro labs create a wide variety of products such as wedding albums, large wall prints, greeting and holiday cards and a lot more. Again, many of these products are normally available only to the trade.

Now for our interview...

The Amazing Image (TAI): So Charlie, you have two enterprises under one roof - Natural Color Lab and 1-Stop Foto. Can you tell us the difference between them?

Charlie Poole (CP): Natural Color Lab has been around since 1981 and serves the Pro market. I like to say that I started it with just my wife and my dog. The dog is gone, but I still have the same wife!

The pro market is primarily wedding & portrait photographers, but there are other specialties we serve too. We are one of the largest pro labs in the entire northeast and one of the first to go digital in 2000.

1-Stop Foto is set up for consumers. It has a much easier interface that's more intuitive that the ROES (Remote Order Entry System) used by the pro market. The entire system is designed for simplicity.

TAI: Is there a difference between the two sites in the way images are handled?

CP: There's no difference at all. On both sites, every single image is hand-reviewed by the same expert human technicians. Unless we're instructed not to, we optimize every image before printing. We do it exactly the same way, no matter which site the order comes from.

Because of the way we're structured, our 1-Stop Foto customers get pro quality printing at consumer pricing.

Just for an example, you can get a 16" X 20" professional-quality print, double-matted including glass, backing and wire, ready for hanging at $125. That's about half of what you would pay if you went to the big chain stores at the mall.

Here's another example. You can get a standard 8" X 10" print for $1.97 on normal photographic paper, or $2.47 on Fuji Pearl paper, which gives the print the metallic look.

TAI: Aside of standard photographic prints on paper and canvas, what other kinds of photo products do you make?

CP: We have a lot of products. For example, we make our own gallery wraps right here in-house. We do calendars, postcards and even business cards.

We make all of our own frames too. We have 39 styles in stock, all at the same price, just to keep things simple.

Our Chromaluxe line of products produces prints on everything from wood and aluminum to key chains, coasters, ornaments and bookmarks. We print greeting cards, advertising materials. We even make luggage tags - there's a lot of stuff here!

Again for simplicity, we have a flat charge for shipping - and we keep those costs down too.

TAI: That's a good introduction. Now for the hard part. What are the most common mistakes made by photographers when they send an image to you for printing?

CP: By far the biggest mistake is that the file is too small. When you export your RAW files for printing, set the size to the maximum file size. In fact, for whatever reason, Mac users are constantly sending us the thumbnail image by mistake.

Don't bother with trying to figure out DPI settings either. Our internal software will handle all of that for you automatically.

TAI: What's your take on sharpening before export?

CP: That's another area where photographers go off track. Again, our internal software will handle the sharpening for you, based on both the image size and the print media - unless you instruct us not to.

Shoot the largest possible file size in-camera. Do your edits in Lightroom, Aperture, Photoshop or whatever program you use and export to the largest size jpg available. We'll handle the color correction and sharpening.

TAI: Is monitor calibration - or lack of it - a common problem?

CP: This is the 2nd largest mistake - and again, Mac people have the biggest problem, because Mac monitors are so bright and beautiful. But so much so that users get a false sense of the real brightness of the image.

Mac users who don't let us do a correction for them consistently find that the printed image is darker than they expected.

But it's not just Mac users. I recently had a pro photographer who sent an order in as "ready to print", meaning that they wanted us to do no editing at all.

Her images looked awful, because she had just installed a very nice new Dell monitor - without calibrating it.

It's not critical to get your monitor calibration absolutely 100% spot-on when you work with us, because every image is hand-edited. Unless you tell us not to, we'll always try to make it look its best. But you should calibrate your monitor and be reasonably close.

TAI: Treading into deeper water, how about color space?

CP: All printing that's done on photographic paper - no exceptions, and no matter what lab you use - is an 8-bit jpg process in the sRGB color space. Any other settings are not going to improve the image.

It's tempting to use something like Adobe sRGB, because it can reproduce a wider range of colors - until you consider that no photographic printer in the world can reproduce the additional colors.

Some inkjet printers are moving to 16 bit, but inkjet prints just don't have the same appearance as those made on photographic paper.

Photographic paper has a much nicer look - it has more depth to it. It's just more appealing. And in gallery wrap applications, inkjet prints tend to crack, especially at the edges.

For the time being, we'll continue to print on photographic paper because we think that it produces the best results. That will probably change at some point.

TAI: That brings up a question that's going to generate some hate mail... How long do you think film is going to be around?

CP: I tossed out my film developing machines years ago. I even tossed my 4 X 5 enlargers - I couldn't even give them away.

I got lucky and found someone who was willing to pay for my 8" X 10" enlarger, which was also headed for the trash. I paid $14,000 when I bought it and sold it for $1,100.

We still make prints from film negatives, but I'd be surprised if film is still around in 5 years.

TAI: How about your photographic printing media like paper and canvas?

CP: Same thing. I give it 5 years. And we use a lot of it. At Christmas, we're printing two miles of it a day!

TAI: That's pretty impressive! Are you prepared for the change when inkjet technology catches up?

CP: Absolutely. I don't think I'll ever buy another photographic printer - their days are numbered.

TAI: Anything else you would like to add?

CP: Just to say it's worth giving us a try - and don't be afraid to compare pricing. You'll be pleasantly surprised!

All you need for your ordering is a credit card and something to print. If you need help or if you have questions, just give us a call at 800-342-0900 or e-mail support@1stopfoto.com.

I really enjoyed talking with Charlie, and I can attest to how nice the Chromaluxe products are too. I recently ordered one of my favorite Polar Bear images on a 20" X 30" aluminum art panel. It looks great!

I hope you found this a useful article and I hope you'll bookmark it and read it one more time before you order your next prints.

A Near Digital Death Experience...

2012-04-28T13:35:11Z

I hope this article will encourage you to get your backup plan in place. NOW.

I'm sharing this because I just emerged from several hours of hard drive imposed terror.

Somehow - and I don't know how - many of the images in my Aperture library (where ALL of my images are stored) became corrupted.

Crescent Lake, Alaska. Canon 5D MkII. Canon 100-400mm L IS @ 100mm.
ISO 2500, f18, 1/4000th second.

(I couldn't bear the idea of writing one of my weekly articles without sharing one of my favorite images! But this is one of them that could have been lost in this near-disaster. That's sort of a good excuse for including it, no?)

The images were actually still in the now corrupt library, but all of the EXIF data had suddenly disappeared. The EXIF data contains all of the information on the camera and lens used for each shot, as well as all of the exposure information - shutter speed, aperture, ISO, etc.

All of those fields in the damaged files were completely blank.

In addition, the damaged images suddenly showed up in duplicate, but deleting one of the duplicates resulted in both images being deleted.

Worse, I went to have a look at the master files for each image, I found that every one of over 17,000 master files was named "Spoonbill before Crop", followed by a sequential number. That was the name of an image I used in an article here nine months ago.

Neither repairing nor rebuilding the library did any good - those are the first things to try when you have a problem in Aperture.

I had to face the facts - my working library had become corrupted - I was in real trouble.

Time to see if my backup plan would save my bacon. Here's the plan I've been using up to this point.

1. My working library is my primary drive. It's on an external 1 TB Firewire 800 drive that stays with me in my laptop bag.

2. I mirror that drive using a Mac program called "SuperDuper" to another external 1 TB Firewire 800 drive - that's backup #1. It travels with me in the same laptop bag as the primary drive.

3. I mirror the primary drive again onto another 1 TB USB drive I keep at work. That's backup #2.

4. I mirror the primary drive again on to another 1 TB Firewire 800 backup at home. That's backup #3.

So that's three complete backups of the primary drive. All of them in different physical locations, so if the home or office are destroyed by fire, flood or other disaster, I still have another backup elsewhere.

Sound paranoid? A little overkill perhaps? Read on!

So faced with a corrupt library on my primary drive, I tried backup #1. But because I copy the working drive on to this drive most frequently of all, it had the same corrupt library copied onto it from the primary drive. The errors had copied over perfectly.

No joy. I was really starting to sweat.

I tried backup #2 - BINGO! It was perfect! And I lucked out. I had not done a photo shoot within the last several days, so there were no new photos that were missing from this drive.

I deleted the entire library from the primary and backup #1 and replaced them with the library from backup #2 and I was back in business.

But as I thought about the terror that had just passed, I realized that even with all three backup drives, my backup plan still wasn't good enough.

In fact, if I had been just a little more diligent in backing up my working drive, I would have copied that corrupted library to all 3 backups.

My backup plan of multiple redundant drives would protect me against a catastrophic drive failure, but not against a corrupted file.

I really dodged a bullet!

So I went to the Apple Store for advice - and came home with a 3 TB G-Technology external hard drive to use for Apple's Time Machine program - a program that I had not been using.

This program backs up all of your data on an hourly basis and keeps reference copies for every year, month, week, day and hour. It's too complicated to explain here, but the upshot is that in the event of a corrupt file, I can simply roll my system back to the point immediately before it corrupted.

There are PC versions out there too, though I don't have personal experience and can't recommend one.

The cause of my problem is most likely, according to the experts at Apple, to be that the drive was unplugged at a critical moment, or suffered an "unauthorized dismount" at some point.

One of the key points is that as soon as you recognize symptoms like this, STOP. Think your next steps through very carefully, and get expert advice if you need it.

It would have been easy to surmise that the right thing to do would be to make a backup of my working drive onto whatever backup device was close at hand, just in case the working drive failed completely. That would have been exactly the wrong thing to do - it would have replaced the good library file on the backup with another copy of the bad one.

So please learn from my near disaster. Take a minute and review your backup plan. Be sure that whatever system you use not only protects you against a catastrophic drive failure, but also against a corrupted file.

Before I put the wrapper on this week's article, a big THANK YOU to the folks at the NJ Federation of Camera Clubs for their warm welcome last week!

I've also been invited to speak to the Cranbury Camera Club on May 9, at their regular meeting. I hope those of you in the area will join us for a presentation on my favorite topic, wildlife photography.

I'll spend the next two days shooting in Cape May, NJ as I explore another location for our very popular Bird Photography Workshops!

Finally, if you're not on the newsletter mailing list, you can get a copy of the latest here: http://eepurl.com/kXL1n and you can subscribe using the link in the toolbar on at the top of this page.

Finding Wildlife!

2012-04-21T10:00:00Z

I grew up believing that wildlife was out of my reach. As a kid from Boston, I didn't see a whole lot of it, except for pigeons and squirrels. It just seemed to me that I'd never be able to find wildlife to photograph.

As a result, I spent a lot of years shooting everything except wildlife, simply because I didn't think I'd be able to find subjects to shoot.

Is that holding you back too?

Well, I'm here to encourage you to pick up that camera and get out there shooting wildlife - you CAN do it!

I'd like to help by sharing some of my favorite places to find wildlife subjects. Here are four ideas.

1. Audubon sanctuaries. There are Audubon sanctuaries in more places than I can count. Some are small and others are enormous. But they are generally good places to find a big variety of wildlife - especially birds.

It's worth noting that for those of us in my home state of Massachusetts that Mass Audubon and the National Audubon Society are two completely unrelated organizations. It's worth joining both of them.

Here's a shot from the Corkscrew Audubon Sanctuary in Naples, Florida...

Painted Bunting. Canon 7D. Canon 600mm f4 L IS + Canon 1.4X extender.
ISO 500, f5.6, 1/800th second

2. State parks. Some state parks have wide expanses of forest and these are really worth remembering when you're looking for subjects. Here's a website that lists state parks all over the country: http://www.stateparks.com/index.html

Snowy Owl - Salisbury Beach State Reservation, Salisbury Massachusetts
Canon 40D. Canon 600mm f4 L IS + Canon 1.4X extender
ISO 400, f7.1, 1/400th second

3. National Parks. Some of the best photography anywhere is found in our national parks. From Arcadia in Maine, to Yellowstone in Wyoming and far beyond. Some of my own favorite shots are from these sites. Here's a link to a list of US National Parks: http://www.nps.gov/findapark/index.htm

Alaskan Wolf - Denali National Park. Canon 1D MkIV. Canon 600mm f4 L IS + Canon 1.4X extender
ISO 1250, f10, 1/320th second.

In addition to wildlife, there are some pretty spectacular landscapes in national parks too!

Yellowstone Hot Spring. Canon 5D MkII. Canon 16-35 L @ 17mm, f22, 1/60th sec, circular polarizer.
ISO 320, f22, 1/60th second

4. Local Lists. I'm not aware of every single list out there, but I get tremendous use from www.birdingonthe.net. This is a forum where birders report their finds. There are lists for different areas, so when I'm traveling, I check the local list.

Here's the list for Massachusetts:http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/MASS.html

So there are four quick ideas on where you can find subjects to shoot. Don't ignore the local parks, lakes, ponds and seashores either.

Want some hands-on learning? Join me for one of my Bird Photography Workshops coming up on May 12 and June 3 in Marshfield, Mass!

There's a lot more wildlife available than you think - now get out and start making some amazing images!

Birds in Flight - the Landing Shot!

2012-04-14T11:33:19Z

I have to admit that shooting birds-in-flight is one of my favorite aspects of wildlife photography. But within all of the bird-in-flight shots, the landing shot is one of my favorites.

That's because the landing sometimes (not always) gives some perspective of the surrounding environment and can often reveal much of the birds body and wing structure along with the patterns and colors of the feathers.

I find this especially interesting because it gives you a much better look at how the bird is put together. You can see where he gets his strength for flight, a better look at his talons for hunting and the beautiful - often backlit - wing feathers.

My typical shooting setup is the Canon 7D mated to the Canon 600mm f4 L IS, sometimes used with a Canon 1.4X matched extender.

But even if you don't have the budget for big glass like that, there are alternatives like Sigma's 50-500mm and 150-500mm with OS (Optical Stabilization) that can be had for a LOT less money.

Here's one I shot with my old Sigma 50-500mm - without OS.

Great Egrets Landing. Canon 40D, Sigma 50-500mm. (EXIF Data missing)

This pair of Great Egrets landing was one of my first decent wildlife images, It came from the middle of about an 8 frame burst. The pose was just perfect, and while I wish I had a larger aperture available to blur the background more, I still like it.

Another, from one of my Bald Eagle shoots ...

Bald Eagle Landing. Canon 40D, Canon 600mm f4 L IS. ISO 320, f8, 1/1000th sec.

I like this image not only because the bird's eyes are in razor-sharp focus (an absolute prerequisite for people or wildlife), but also because it gives such a good view of his feathers, wings, talons and tail.

It's not my best Bald Eagle shot, but it's the best landing shot of the collection - and initially, it was pretty noisy. I cleaned it up with Nik DFine 2.0. It's a great plug-in that I have just started to use in Aperture. There are also versions for Lightroom and Photoshop.

Landing shots don't always have to show the landing either. You can sometimes see by the birds position that he's about to land, even if you can't see exactly where.

White Pelican Landing. Canon 7D. Canon 600mm f4 L IS + Canon 1.4X extender.
ISO 400, f7.1, 1/2000th second.

It's another example of how beautiful these birds look on landing. It's a nice display of his wing and a peaceful, relaxed, almost contemplative gaze as he considers the landing.

All of that is pretty funny if you ever watch them land in the water as they dive for a meal. They glide along like the most graceful thing that ever existed, and then plunge face-first into the water as if they tripped.

Here's another favorite...

Great Blue Heron Landing. Canon 7D. Canon 600mm f4 L IS.
ISO 400, f6.3, 1/640th second.

Again, a nice display of the wing structure and the Great Blue Heron's wonderful colors.

So here's my tip for this week...

As you're working on your bird-in-flight shooting, be conscious of landing shots.
Always be sure that you're in high-speed mode (the fastest frame-per-second rate you camera has)
When the bird nears a place where you think he might land, stop shooting for a moment so that your camera's buffer can clear.
Keep bumping the focus so you can lock focus faster when the moment comes.
And when the moment is right, TAKE THE SHOT!

I hope you can put a few of those tips into practice and improve your avian photography - it's a lot of fun and well worth your effort.

Bird Photography - the case for making it part of your portfolio!

2012-04-07T12:47:36Z

This seems like the right time for this topic as we launch the first of our new Bird Photography Workshops next weekend. They're scheduled for April 14, May 12 and June 3, 2012.

Most amateur photographers spend a fair amount of time trying to find the right subjects to shoot. We all get into those photo-slumps from time to time when nothing seems to inspire us.

Personal projects can help, but sometimes you just need a new challenge. Something that takes some effort and skill. Something that really pays off with dramatic, beautiful images.

Bird, or avian photography can be just the thing.

First, once you stop to take a closer look at the birds that are all around us, it strikes you pretty quickly - these are really beautiful creatures!

Female Tree Swallow Landing. Canon 7D. Canon 600mm f4 L IS.
ISO 400, f4, 1/2000th second.

Take a close look at this female Tree Swallow, frozen in the middle of her landing. The feather structure on both the wing and the tail are beautiful, intricate and perfectly designed. Even though she doesn't have the bright cobalt blue coloring of the male, her feathers are tinged with it.

And you should see her fly! At just 7 inches long, she feeds on flying insects. Racing along at 45 miles an hour, she turns in the blink of an eye to catch her food. She makes turns with G-forces that would kill a fighter pilot - and she does it with ease!

Even the lowly Blue Gray Gnatcatcher is much cuter than expected when you give him a closer look.

Blue Gray Gnatcather. Canon 5D MkII. Canon 28-300mm L IS @ 300mm.
ISO 1000, f5.6, 1/640th second.

Exquisite color that blends so smoothly from bluish gray to white, bright ring around his eye. He really is a pretty bird!

Then there are those with splashy eye-grabbing colors..

Male Painted Bunting. Canon 7D. Canon 600mm f4 L IS + Canon 1.4X extender.
ISO 500, f5.6, 1/800th second.

Now that's a sight to see! His spectacular colors say it all. It's no surprise that he attracts all the pretty females!

Bird photography holds some great rewards. Fresh air, getting out to do something fun, a nice way to shatter your photo-slump, not to mention the great images that will land in your portfolio!

So my advice is to just get out and try it. The time is right too - the spring migration of the warblers is almost here...

...and the juvenile Red Tailed Hawks will be making their appearance...

Juvenile Red Tail Hawk. Canon 5D MkII. Canon 600mm f4 L IS + Canon 1.4X extender.
ISO 400, f9, 1/200th second.

...along with the Baby Great Horned Owls!

Great Horned Owlets. Canon 7D. Canon 600mm f4 L IS. Canon 1.4X extender.
ISO 1250, f6.3, 1/1250th second.

As far as gear, this is an application where you almost cannot have too much focal length.

I shoot most of my avian images with the Canon 600mm f4 L IS lens. It's big, expensive and heavy - my 7D, tripod, gimbal and 600mm weighs in at 22 pounds.

If you want to try out that kind of gear, call our friends at LensProToGo - they rent all the gear you need. They carry the lenses, tripods and gimbal heads that make bird photography so much fun.

Here's my secret for a lower cost lens too...look at Sigma's 150-500mm with Optical Stabilization. Currently about $1069, it's far less expenive than lenses like my 600mm (currently $9200).

It's relatively light, very hand-holdable and a capable lens. It's available in Canon, Nikon, Sony and Sigma mounts. You might even look for a used one on eBay.

I recommend and use Benro carbon fiber tripods and the Induro GHB2 gimbal head for the big lenses. They're definitely worth a look. For smaller lenses, consider a Benro Ball Head.

So spring has sprung. Give avian photography a shot and see if it doesn't brighten up your portfolio - and for some great tips, join us for one of our Bird Photography Workshops!

When to Upgrade... The gear-head's dilemma.

2012-03-31T11:06:45Z

There are lots of different kinds of photographers out there. Some don't give much thought to the gear, instead staying intent on creating great images with whatever gear they have.

Ask them how many "lines of resolution" their favorite lens has and they respond by telling you that they don't have a "favorite" lens - they use the right one for the job. And they have no idea of how many lines of resolution any of them have, nor do they care in the slightest.

My daughter is one of these. Look at her work at www.rebeccamacphoto.com and see what kind of work she turns out with a decent camera body (Nikon D300) and a just-average kit lens. Look at her cross-processed work to see what a creative mind can do with a Holga - a cheap, piece-of-junk plastic camera with a plastic lens, unpredictable light leaks, one shutter speed, a cult following and a price tag of $30.00.

Others are gear-heads. These folks are fascinated with the tools of the trade. They can not only quote the precise specifications of every piece of gear they have, but also those that they want. They can tell you every technical detail of camera bodies, lenses, tripods, strobes and filters - and they can give you "authoritative" reasons why theirs is "better".

Most of these people will upgrade their gear the moment that something new hits the stores. They're the kind that wait on the sidewalk for two days before Apple releases the new i-Anything.

Canadian Rockies. Kodak EasyShare DX 7590 (point & shoot) @ 18mm.
ISO 80, f4.5, 1/800th second

Some of us fall in between, and we're faced with a decision about every 24-36 months when our favorite manufacturer unleashes a new blast of better-than-ever cameras, lenses and flashes.

Do we upgrade or keep our current gear?

Well, in the last few weeks, this question has come up again at the high end of the price range, with Nikon releasing the $3,300 D800 and $6,000 D4 while Canon has countered with the $6,800 1D X and the $3,500 5D MkIII.

Crescent Lake, Lake Clark National Park. Casio EX-ZR100 (point & shoot) @ 4mm.
ISO 100, f3, 1/125th second.

The two photos above are taken with point & shoot cameras. The first was shot in 2004 with a 5 MP Kodak - old technology at it's decrepit best!

The second with a Casio point & shoot that's a little newer.

But here's the point. While we debate about whether the noise performance of the D800 will be better than the 5D MkIII, or whether the extra cost of the Canon 1D X is warranted vs a Nikon D4, others are out there with old, "obsolete" gear - and they're making GREAT images.

I understand the twinge of pain that happens when your formerly cutting-edge camera has been replaced by something newer. I still remember the day I received my new 17" MacBook Pro. Just 24 hours later, Apple announced the new models.

But my MacBook worked exactly as it had the day before. Even though I don't have the new Thunderbolt interface or i7 processor, it still works - and it has been writing this blog for two years. Not to mention managing my Aperture library of about 100,000 images.

Likewise, I still have images in my portfolio that were shot with my first DSLR, a Nikon D70.

Downtown Boston in Autumn. Nikon D70. Nikon 17-35mm @ 17mm.
ISO 200, f6.7, 1/180th second.

Those images still look just as good as the day I shot them. They still bring back the pleasant memories. They still work just as well in any context, in any print, in any publication.

And more to the point, *nobody* is going to look at those images and say, "Yuck. That was shot with an old DSLR." They're not going to say that, because without the EXIF data, nobody can tell.

So by now, you might think that I'm a card-carrying member of the "I'll never upgrade" brigade.

Not so fast.

Sometimes gear really does matter, and sometimes that capability of new gear outstrips that of your old gear by so much, that it makes sense to bid your old equipment a fond farewell.

Case in point...

My Nikon D70 was a decent camera. If I were using it only for portraits and landscapes, I'd probably still be using it. It was easy to use, had a 6.3 MP resolution, shot in RAW and had all the features I needed.

Until it came to shooting air shows and wildlife. And in those applications, the slow, 3-point autofocus failed miserably and 3 FPS maximum frame rate just couldn't keep up.

I made the decision to upgrade out of complete frustration. Out of my inability to get the shots I wanted, due mainly to my equipment's inability to keep up with the demands of the actual shooting situations I was in. Not because something shinier came out.

I switched to Canon and bought a 40D, because at that particular moment, Nikon's D200 was about 9 months away from getting replaced by the D300. That was too long to wait - and I was not all that heavily invested in Nikon lenses and accessories.

The 40D had a better 9-point autofocus and 6.5 FPS maximum frame rate.

For the kind of shooting I did, those two features made all the difference, and I was able to start turning out much better work, especially in wildlife.

Osprey with Alewife. Canon 40D. Canon 600mm f4 L IS.
ISO 640, f5.6, 1/800th second

So while I'm not going to jump at either the Canon 1D X or the 5D MkIII, I do upgrade on occasion. My decision is based a lot more on practicality than the need to impress people with the latest and greatest.

As long as the gear I use can do the job, and the newest gear doesn't offer anything that's earth shattering, must-have features, I'll keep using it.

And if you adopt the same strategy, you'll have that much more available cash to invest in lenses, flashes, tripods, software and other accessories.

The Anatomy of a Wildlife Shoot

2012-03-25T01:35:36Z

I'm writing this weekend's article from southwest Florida, where I'll be exhibiting at the Florida Camera Club Council's convention in Naples. I hope you'll stop by to visit if you're in the area!

I brought all of my camera gear with me on the road and just couldn't resist a side trip to have another whack at the Barred Owls at the Corkscrew Audubon Sanctuary.

So this week, I'm going to invite you to come along on a wildlife shoot - from a little different perspective.

What follows is pretty much the running narrative inside (what's left of) my mind during this shoot. It should give you an insight into my thinking as I go through an actual shoot. I hope you find it useful!

Owls. I just love owls. They're beautiful, exquisitely designed and a lot of fun just to watch - *IF* you can find them.

They also have that look that says "we both know I'm smarter than you." They're very cool. I think they know it too.

Well, the nice folks at Corkscrew are extremely good at spotting the Barred Owls there - and sharing their location. That solves the first part of the problem.

This image is from a month ago when I was there as part of our Florida Bird Photo Tour.

He wasn't in a good position - the branches in front of his face were really distracting. We waited as long as we could for him to move, but eventually had to go. He never budged. This marginal image was about the best I got.

Barred Owl - too deep in the trees. Canon 7D. Canon 600mm f4 L IS.
ISO 800, f4, 1/640th second

Ok, owl. You won that round, but now it's a month later and time for round two.

Preflight checklist complete. ISO, shooting mode, focus points, white balance, FPS, etc. Here's a nice checklist you can use.

So, where are they today? Too deep in the brush for a decent image? If so, I'll wait it out. They'll move eventually. This time I have all day and I'm prepared to spend every last second of it to get the shots I want.

We'll see who moves first this time. And it won't be me.

Found them! The owls are out, so I grab a shot. It's my "might be my only chance" shot.

Barred Owl, Partially Obscured by Foliage. Canon 5D MkII. Canon 100-400mm L IS @ 400mm.
ISO 800, f5.6, 1/60th second.

It's marginal, but it can only get better from here.

Here's my thought process.

First, set up my Benro tripod. Give the legs a gentle kick to be sure they're all the way out. I don't want the 600mm falling over.

Dial a little bit of friction into my Induro GHB2 gimbal head. That helps to filter out random shakiness on my part.

With my lens strap long, move the second body, the 5D MkII behind me. I keep the strap over my shoulder with one arm through it. In that position, I can swing it to a forward shooting position very easily.

Both image stabilizers on, both in Mode 2 to allow for panning.

Hoodman loupe hanging from the tripod for easy access. I want to be able to check my images quickly and make any necessary corrections.

Next, evaluate the scene.

How is the light? I hate bright, hard sun. Even a small shaft of direct sun penetrating the trees and hitting my owl will create problems with blown highlights and high contrast.

There was some of that in the first shot, but there's some cloud cover moving into place.

If I wait a few minutes, it's going to obscure the sun and soften it the light. And it does. Sweet!

Now, the owl is in nice soft light.

Let's wait to see if he moves.

He does, and lands in a much better position!

Frame it up and check the composition. Make sure that I have not cut off head, feet or wings inadvertently. How's the use of negative space? Any distracting elements? Big branches growing out of his head?

It looks good. He's looking into the scene, not out of it. That's a more pleasing composition. Think rule-of-thirds, at least loosely.

Barred Owl in Tree. Canon 5D MkII. Canon 100-400mm L IS @ 210mm.
ISO 1250, f5.6, 1/200th second.

Use the long lens for a tight portrait? Sure, why not.

Barred Owl Portrait. Canon 7D. Canon 600mm f4 L IS.
ISO 1250, f4, 1/200th second.

Now it gets hard. Can I get a more interesting shot?

Observe the owl's behavior. Is he doing anything that gives me a hint about what he might be up to? Mating? Feeding? Threats? Anything?

He does - he locks his eyes on something on the ground. Looks like food and I think he's going for it.

Barred Owl about to pounce. Canon 5D MkII. Canon 100-400mm L IS @ 400mm.
ISO 1600, f5.6, 1/250th second.

I watch him like a hawk - through the lens of course. I know I can't look away, even for a second - that's when he'll do something interesting.

Quick scan of battery status, shutter speed, aperture, ISO. All good.

Check the focus points. All points activated. Rats. I should be using one point only on a stationary subject and it should be right on his eye.

No time to change it, but I'll be ok. The owl is the closest contrasty thing, so the camera will focus on him instead of the background - that's how the 5D MkII behaves.

He shifts his weight. He's about to make the jump to the ground where his meal is enjoying it's last moments of life. Nature sure can be hard on the prey. I feel a little bad for whoever is about to depart the planet.

I bump the shutter to be sure I still have sharp focus. Perfect.

I check the exposure settings. Not perfect.

I want some extra depth of field to cover any little focusing errors, and I'd like the shutter speed to be a little faster - it's marginal at 1/160th second.

If I close that aperture any further to gain depth of field, the shutter will go even slower - and I'm hand-holding this lens, so I don't want that to happen.

I'll have to change the ISO to get either a faster shutter speed or smaller aperture - or preferably, both.

I'm shooting the 5D MkII and it can go a lot higher than ISO 1600 without risking excessive noise, but changing it would require me taking the camera away from my eye.

Bad idea - he's going to fly any second and I can't risk it. I decided to stand pat and take the shot at 1/160th second.

Barred Owl Take-Off. Canon 5D MkII. Canon 100-400mm L IS @ 120mm.
ISO 1600, f5.6, 1/160th second.

It worked. It was a good take-off shot. He never actually flew - he sort of jumped to the ground, so the flight shot I was hoping for was out of the question.

His eyes are sharp (an absolute requirement), and I have some wing blur, which shows motion.

It's not my best shot ever, but I like it. Then again, it's hard not to like Barred Owls no matter what they're doing.

Now, it's lunch time for owls!

Barred Owl with Crawfish. Canon 5D MkII. Canon 100-400mm L IS @ 275mm.
ISO 1600, f5.6, 1/500th second, -0.67EV.

Feeding behavior? Very cool.

Next, check the LCD. Does the shot look ok? I just need to be sure I hadn't knocked the mode dial from my customary Aperture Priority into manual or had some similar surprise / disaster. Nope. It looks good.

Are there blown highlights? If so are they important highlights? If not, keep shooting. If yes, think about using exposure compensation to knock the highlights down. But not so much that important shadows are blocked.

No blown highlights or blocked shadows here. Excellent.

I get lucky - a second Barred Owl flies in. I think these two are dating, but who knows?

I want a shot of them together...they're a cute couple! But I want them both looking in my direction. It takes a while, but they eventually do.

Barred Owl Pair. Canon 5D MkII. Canon 100-400mm L IS @ 150mm.
ISO 1250, f5.6, 1/250th second.

Nicely posed, decent alignment, no distracting elements in the image, no meaningful highlights blown - just a patch of sky behind them. It's a win!

Finally, can I get a different pose? A different look? Let's wait a while longer.

I get lucky - again. One of the owls flies to the base of a tree to look for more crawfish and strikes a nice pose making eye contact with me!

Barred Owl at Tree Base. Canon 5D MkII. Canon 100-400mm L IS @ 400mm.
ISO 1250, f5.6, 1/80th second

1/80th second? No problem. Scooch down and brace the lens on the railing. It worked.

A few hundred more frames just to be sure I have the best possible images and I'm done for the day!

So I hope you've enjoyed a visit inside my head. It's not always a tranquil place during a wildlife shoot, but knowing my gear, my subject, composition and lighting makes it a lot easier.

And this week's article wouldn't be complete without a hat-tip to all of you who have been reading these articles for the last two years. That's right - March 26 (close enough) is our 2nd anniversary!

Thanks for all of the great comments and questions - and the warm welcome you've extended at camera clubs, birding clubs, art festivals and libraries.

Building this business is truly a labor of love and I'm glad to have you along for the ride!

What better way to conclude our 2 year anniversary than to announce a new sponsor? I am thrilled that The Amazing Image is now sponsored by the Mac Group!

The Mac Group represents some of the best names in the photography industry today - many of which I've been using for years. Benro, Induro, Tenba, Sekonic, Pocket Wizard have all had a place in my camera kit for a very long time.

This week, I was introduced to the X-Rite ColorMunki, which Ray Nason from the Mac Group used to calibrate the big LCD TV that I use to run slideshows. What an improvement! I'll be buying one of those shortly...

And if you have any questions about any aspect of photography or any topics that you would like to have me write an article about, just drop me a note!