Hey Andy I gotta say it’s very refreshing to see a wildlife photographer on RU-vid who can actually take good photos and gives good advice instead of the most basic and obvious “tips” for wildlife photography like all the other channels. Keep doing what you’re doing because RU-vid and future wildlife photographers need youtube channels like this that are genuine.
Thank you so much, it's so nice to have the support of people such as yourself. I really hope that I can create a valuable resource for sharing my images and experience within wildlife photography!
Anyone wanna buy my camera gear? After seeing these wonderful pieces of art, I decided to start baking cakes instead of taking flat images. Brilliant work. Stunning.
Andy, quite simply the best tutorial on backlighting I’ve ever seen. So many other lessons in here also e.g. persistence; practise; artistic interpretation; technical choice…can’t wait to see what you offer us next
This was quite the eye-opener. Thank you for giving me so much food for thought! I can only hope (and practice a lot!) to one day take pics anywhere close to yours.
I am delighted to hear that, Genevieve. It is my sincere hope that by sharing my images and my experience that I can help others to develop their skills!
So very glad to have discovered your channel, Andy. Sublime images. I'm really looking forward to whatever comes next! Thank you for sharing your expertise.
Most comprehensive backlit tutorial I have seen so far!! Thanks a lot for sharing your experience Andy. Cant wait for slow shutter tutorial in coming weeks
One of the best videos I have had the pleasure to view to date. Not too many photographers on youtube share tips not only on light but how to achieve the eye catching beauty of backlit images. Thank you
@tomklingele510 they're will get a bit of a break now as I'm in Brazil but I'm working on new videos all the time. Between mid-September and Christmas, I aim to post once a week!
Andy your channel is fantastic! I was having a go panning some gannets last week, stuck to 1/30th so definitely know I need to go a bit slower now. Just mid day experimentation but fun. Zero stress 😁
@teeeenyfifi always the best way, and gannets are a perfect subject to practice with. Repeatable behaviour is such a benefit, and really helps with the creative exploring. Fingers crossed that create some magic! 🤞
What a fantastic video, so full of information and ideas. I have always liked backlit and low and high key photgraphy, so I learned a lot from this. Hopefully you will create a video covering high key photography in due course. My personal favorite of the monkey was #4. Cheers, Merv.
Andy, I was pointed in your direction by Adam Juckes this morning and boy am I glad he did. What an amazing video. Wonderfully presented and explained. Now spending the rest of my day watching the rest of your stuff! Thank you 🙏🏼
Thanks Rob, it's proving to be a really effective way for me to share more of my work, and hopefully to create a useful resource for people looking to improve their own photography.
Hi Andy A great video on "contre jour" which I have posted on our photographic club page as there will be many who are interested to see this. I found it very instructive and helpful and luckily had a suitable photo to post with it.
Wonderful video - I am a relatively new photographer, mostly birds. I have accidentally captured a couple of quasi-decent backlighted images, but this video really made me think and start to understand the how and why. FYI, I like Baboon #2 - my birding photo buddies have commented that I seem to like slightly underexposed images. Not sure why.
Hi Richard, it's a common misnomer, I think. They're talking about the OVERALL scene where, typically, if you're shooting in backlight, you'll likely be shooting with negative compensation (if in Aperture priority or AV), hence why people mistakenly refer to it as underexposing. You're not underexposing, you're exposing correctly FOR THE SUBJECT! 👍
Andy - outstanding demonstration of using backlight, lots of quality tips in here. Love the tip about highlighting an environmental shot with backlit subject - that’s something I had not considered so far.
I enjoyed and admired your backlit images a lot, Andy. And your comments. I think that many of my images may be too bright for them to be as expressive as yours are. I definitely need to work on this aspect and experiment... - A warm thanks from Norbert
@@andyparkinsonphotography Andy you are really too kind! With your background & immense standing in the world of nature photography (I can’t see anyone with as many accolades as yours), your benevolence in imparting your knowledge, coming from your stature is really highly appreciated. Giving back to the community is your highest reward! ❤️
I will be delighted if you find it useful. Even one gem of beneficial information can help to unlock certain aspects of photography, so thanks again for your kind comment!
@JulianLane Hey Julian, my apologies for the slow response, but I've been travelling back from Brazil. Yes, of course, no problem! First thing to say is that whatever works best for you individually is the right way to go. For me I like to simplify, to streamline my work as much as possible. So when I shoot I commit 100%. I don't follow subjects through light and into shade, I prioritise and will only shoot in very specific situations. I set my ISO, I set my aperture and then, by shooting in Manual I only have to rotate the command dial, making tiny adjustments to shutter speed to maintain the correct exposure, backed up by my viewfinder Histogram. I focus on the shutter button, not back button, so I'm left with one thing to do. Likely, when the subject is in the light, however much light, my exposure is accurate. If I shot in AV I would be forever adjusting the exposure compensation, depending on the amount of light on the subject. That would slow me down, would be less accurate, and would involve more fingers pressing more buttons.
Quality content as always Andy! Really nicely and easily explained. As for the baboon, i would go with #1 the others seem to start losing the quality in the highlights. But again, everybody has their own style and their ideas of what they want to show in the picture. Can we cut down the week to 2 days or so…looking forward for the next one!
@@andyparkinsonphotography ok mate, I do love a bit RU-vid, when you can find something worth watching and you've certainly done that. Glad to see it's all worked out for you and your family.
@dalesutton1284 I think it'll become a really useful way for me to share my images and my experience and hopefully simplify something that is so often overcomplicated! 👊
Hi Andy, what a fantastic video. I have always loved backlit, low key and high key photography so this video was of particular interest to me. Hopefully you will create a video covering high key in due course. My personal favorite of the monkey was #4. So much to learn here. Cheers,Merv
Honestly, your images are mesmerizing. I was always afraid to shoot with backlighting but after looking at your work, I am making a U-turn :) Wonder if all those images were handheld or do you use tripod? TIA
Thanks so much Zon, that means a great deal! Foes/badgers/swans etc are always with a tripod, mountain hares always handheld/resting on the ground. It always depends on the species!
An excellent tutorial, Andy. I experiment with backlighting every now and again but the way you combine backlight with wide angle, letting the backlight draw attention to the subject is something I haven't tried yet. Thank you so much. One question - how much do you recover shadow detail on the animal? Is it something you do often or do you largely let the image speak for itself (knowing the compromises you need to make at the time of shooting).
Love your work. In relation to the backlit baboons, I prefer an image that allows some of the subject to be discernible, rather than a silhouette. This type of light is my favourite to work with. Sadly, we don’t have many baboons in Northern Ireland, well, not that type😳😳
@@njs12706 🤣🤣 I think the Irish hares would be a good subject, especially if they favour higher ground where the rising/setting sunlight will be stunning!
What an explanation. I am a big fan of backlit photography and try often to position for that. Just a question, would you opt for spot metering or matrix while shooting backlit. Thank you
No, never, it's far too variable, IMHO. I always use Matrix metering, though now, as I shoot mirrorless with the Z9, I shoot Manual 100% of the time! 👍
Hi Andy, very informative video with great examples. I try my best to get it right in camera but I sometimes end up slightly underexposing the image more than I'd like or vice versa. And since I am using a DSLR, it is a bit challenging to get it exactly right in camera. I then end up adjusting the exposure as per my liking in Lightroom Classic. I was just wondering if underexposing by one stop in Lightroom would give me the same effect as underexposing by a stop in camera while taking the shot or are they somehow different? Thanks!
One thing I would say is that if you underexpose too much in camera, and then have to lighten it in post-processing,then you will introduce noise. You won't if you overexpose, a little, and then slightly darken in post. 100% try to move to mirrorless if and when the finances allow it. It will revolutionise your photography and massively accelerate your learning! 👊
Very good explanation Andy, Have learned a lot with your video. I've seen many talk about manual mode + auto iso, or fully manual. What are your preferences over these 2 settings? I've personally worked with both but would like to hear from you.
I use fully manual all the time. Firstly, I commit to the very best photographic possibility, I don't move lazily between light and shade. I set my ISO, I decide on my aperture, then as the opportunity unfolds I just change the shutter speed accordingly. I shoot mirrorless with a histogram in the viewfinder to maximise my exposure accuracy 👊
@@andyparkinsonphotography Thanks. I will fully commit myself from now on to go fully manual. Love your channel and your photography. Thanks for the inspiration to a young generation such as mine and beyond. love from Brazil.
