Great tips and honestly almost all of these tips are what we use in the art world too as painters.. for instance , catch light, no catch light in dark eyes then there is no life in the subject that you are trying to portray. Light.. same thing .. the light has to make the subject pop and the backgrounds cannot interfere or rather should enhance the subject.
I love everything about this video. The photos are absolutely mind blowing and the advice is top notch! But your enthusiasm and right-to-the-point delivery is what got me to subscribe!
Thank you Steve! I appreciate the help and tips as a starter photographer. I would love to also see the ISO, aperture, and shutter speed that you used for the photos that you included in this video and for future ones as well. That would be really helpful for me. Thank you so much!
i'll tell you why i like these tips vids from Steve - because his images are world class. there were some outstanding shots in this vid and i would love to just have 1 that good. So, if he says 'do this' then, do. Great work. Ta.
As always, excellent Steve. My photography is much better because of your tips, ebooks, etc. One of these days I'm going to be part of a workshop. Happy holidays.
Great video, as usual Steve. I learn lots each time. Thanks for the Black Friday deals too. Looking forward to learning more from your next videos. Take care and stay safe.
Awesome video Steve. I note down some key points that i found to be new to me and then practice it One request make video about taking a particular type of shot like how you meter in low light to capture an animal
Your photos are absolutely stunning! Especially in case of sharpness and... composition, view.., whatever you name it. Honestly, are there a lot of post-production in them?
Thank you :) It's funny, the things you mention (sharpness, comp. etc) are all done in the field as much as possible. Although I post process everything, it's often more limited than people expect. The key is following the advice I give in this and other videos. I only tend to shoot in good light, with good backgrounds and foregrounds, when the animal is in a good position, with good looking animals, etc. I also actively try to fill the frame (that's where some of the extra detail you see comes from) and actively try to create powerful compositions in the field. I don't really want to spend hours in front of the computer to process just an image or two - I simply don't have the time. Instead, I try to get as much right in the field as I can so most of my photos only take 5-10 minutes in Lightroom / Photoshop (and much of that time is just trying things and seeing if I like them).
I agree. It's tough however - I like doing these kinds of videos and I think they are the most valuable thing I do, but all I get are requests for gear-related videos.
Very informative guide, Steve, as always. Excellent photographs all around. Your exposure, among other things is beautifully set. I struggle with getting focus in BIF shots. Any tips you can dispense for this problem?
Very valuable tips, thanks Steve. You know what I'm been targeting past days? Cooper's Hawk, migratory here in Costa Rica... discovering him/her by chance riding my bike... Do you have shoots of Coopers? Regards.
Great tips. Of course, the reality for most of us who have limited time out in the field is that we usually have less ability to control issues like backgrounds than is ideal. Actually, as someone who came to wildlife photography from "birding," I don't mind somewhat distracting backgrounds as much as most wildlife photographers. After all, bushes, branches, leaves, etc. ARE what we see when we view a bird or animal. I actually don't care for the completely clean backgrounds that are the preference these days. It can look like the creature is posing in a studio or with a fake backdrop.
Using a tripod to stay vigilant sounds good, but you also need to be at animal height. So any tips for being comfortable at the tripod at different heights? Like using a folding chair? Lying down can be okay but bugs, mud, etc.
Martha has a tip: Avoid excessive celebration. I just saw a Eurasian Collared Dove! I can add it to my bird list! WOO! Bird flew to an obscured location before I could get the camera out.
I have a framed photo of a bird in my home that didn't have a catchlight in its eye, and yeah it looked creepy. A bottle of WhiteOut and a toothpick fixed it right up!
You can do catch lights in post editing. Eye level with dangerous animals can be dangerous...to them eye contact, at eye level, is an aggressive move and if the camera is down, it's eye to eye contact. I was a zookeeper and a bunch of us got trapped in a wart hogs out building/shed because because we went into clean his exhibit...he got out of the secondary pen, and we looked at him...causing an outrage on his part. As a photographer, I wouldn't expect you to know that...so just something to keep in mind when talking about eye level.
Steve, I tried to register at your online store to buy a couple of your e-books but the registration form would not accept my Canadian address. Please help.
For the pic in the video, you'll also need a 500PF, 70-200, 105 macro, a 100-400, a 200-600, a 180-400, and a 24-105 (and probably a couple others) :) It was a big mix!
For the pics in the video, I did use a 600mm, bit also a 500PF, 70-200, 105 macro, a 100-400, a 200-600, a 180-400, and a 24-105 (and probably a couple others) :)
All great tips. Thanks for posting. Watching this and wondering why Nikon didn't send you you the Z9 to test. You of all people would be the one to know how good it really is is. I know I'm not the only one that kept coming to your channel waiting for it.
Honestly, no clue. I have the following and I could have taken it to Africa - talk about a test! I've had people talk to Nikon on my behalf (I have no contacts there at all) and it never goes anywhere. I think I ticked them off at some point I guess...
@@martharetallick204 Beats me (although, I was pretty hard on the initial Z cameras and I haven't been overly kind since). All I know is that multiple attempts have been made over the years with only silence from Nikon.
@@backcountrygallery I'm only a newbie at about 6 months of nature photography. Because of your videos I have Nikon a D750 and Z6II... at the end of the day you of all people on RU-vid Should've been sent one to test it out for nature photography. It would be a good honest review. Unfortunately for the Nikon community there isn't anything out there on the Z9 doing what you do. Maybe someday..... Best of luck and looking forward to more content in the future.
Reasons why I can't be good at wildlife photography 1. No gear, only a 15-45 mm kit lens 2. Lives in urban, even the birds are hard to find 3.No means of transportation Though I'm confident that one day I'll be good as u when I depend on myself
Wow. What a fantastic video with great tips. Your example images are the best. I have most of your ebooks, but would like to get better at video. Does The Focus shift book include video tuition? Thanks for posting.
Thanks! The focus shift shooting video is just for focus stacking though. I don't have any material for how to shoot video. I'm really just an amateur in that dept.
Great Tips Steve as always, I have a question, what should we do if we go on a safari trip? I never went so far but when I look on youtube people are on vehicles and it seems that there is not much chance for going to animal eye level like the example in Tanzania I saw people on a vehicle's roof and I feel there is no chance to go down, any tip on those situations otherwise no point going on African Safari, right?
I too am restricted to the vehicle when in the Serengeti but it's a rare day that I stand up and shoot from the roof (the only way I do it is if the animal is up on some rocks). It's easier to shoot from the top and that's why nearly every group you see is doing it, but you can also shoot from widow level which is much better. In addition, it's not always complete flat and you can often get the vehicle in a position that's a little downhill from the animal, allowing more of an eye-level shot. I did that with a lion cub on my last trip just a couple weeks ago and it looks like I'm at or maybe even slightly below his eye level. Finally, as mentioned in the video, having the driver stay back and using longer glass can help make it look like you are closer to eye level.
The ebooks, together with the videos, are the winning recipe. I have learned so much just by watching the videos; however, once I got my hands on the ebooks, the improvement in my shots doubled or even tripled. Get the ebooks and catch the videos. You would thank me later.
Me encanta ver sus vídeos pero no hay subtítulos como para poder seguir su explicación al instante. Si podría poner sus vídeos subtitulados en español estaría muy agradecido y un millón más de hispano parlantes 😀
would like t ear your thoughts about deep of field vs managing the background VS focal length of the lens... (managing a 600 mm F4 is way different than a Canon 800MM F11 ! Great vide again!
Steve , you always give great tips and advice. Sometimes I find that our area of the eastern mountains of Kentucky has many grey skies and lack of lightning changes to deal with. Do you just advise avoiding these conditions or make the most of what you are experiencing.
Make the most of it. I shoot in overcast all the time. Do I prefer golden light? Of course! However, I'll take an overcast day to a hard sun in a blue sky every time. Many of my favorite shots are in overcast.
@@backcountrygallery Thank you! Glad to know that as I usually end up with more active wildlife on those cloudy days. I really enjoy the Backcountry forums and I am finally getting closer to pursuing photography more than ever before.
