WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY Techniques I Use For PRO RESULTS
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 13 ม.ค. 2024
- WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY Techniques I Use For PRO RESULTS
In this video I take you on a wildlife photography trip to the Kruger National Park, showing you exactly how I take my wildlife photographs. I share a lot of behind the scenes footage and photos, and explain to you what camera settings I use, I talk about focussing and composition and share insights into techniques you can use on your own photography.
I use the Nikon Z8 and 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 in this video, and share some valuable information relating to that setup.
The Nikon Z8 is a great camera for wildlife, and I absolutely love using it.
#krugernationalpark #wildlifephotography #camerasettings #nikonz8
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Hi Mark. I enjoyed the video, but I want to point out that manual with auto iso is somewhat more difficult if you're using a dslr as I am. For example, consider the following scenario: An Osprey is sitting on a branch high up on the tree, some distance away and against a bright sky. I dial in +1 EC ( to prevent under exposure) and take a shot...all is good. It's exposed correctly. The Osprey then flies down and lands on the mud flats, so I take another photo, this time using negative EC (to prevent over exposure). That's good too. The problem comes if you want to take a series of shots of the Osprey leaving the tree, flying down with green foliage behind it and then (for example) diving for a fish. It's very difficult to decide on what EC to dial in, and made even more difficult as you don't have access to the histogram in the viewfinder on a dslr. Using live view I think would be quite difficult in this situation, despite having the histogram in sight. Mirrorless cameras fair much better it would seem in this situation.
Hi Paul, thanks for the comment. That is a tricky scenario to photograph in, and for that type of changeable scenario, I would switch to full manual, and get a good exposure for the bird initially and keep that exposure going throughout the full sequence of events (the Osprey moving from sky to land). Mirrorless does make it a lot easier as we see the exposure when we take the shot but even so, in those changing condition you would still have a under exposure / over exposure problem as the bird flies into / across different areas with different brightness.
@@MarkDumbleton That's why I do full manual in that situation. I agree with you and appreciate the reply. Cheers.
This is a great video. I also have the Z8 and love it. Notice how when you take a photo the frame bounces around due to VR? You can fix that. 😊 If you set VR to ‘SPT’ rather than just the standard ‘ON’ then your frame will not bounce around after pressing the shutter. 😊 This particular mode of VR is designed for anything moving fast or erratically, perfect for birds that you’re trying to track or follow in flight.
Here is a copy and paste from Nikon’s website regarding Sport VR and how it works. Just so you know this isn’t my opinion of how it works (ie. most TH-cam comments), that it’s actually how it works. 😎
From Nikon: “Sport mode limits vibration reduction to the minimum needed for subjects that are moving quickly and unpredictably. When the camera is hand-held, the image in the viewfinder remains as stable and smooth as when the camera is mounted on a monopod, making subjects easier to track during panning and high-speed burst photography.”
In my mind, I think of it like this. Standard VR is if I want to shoot at like 1 /10 or slower, while holding the camera as steady as possible, in order to get a crazy low light, or a handheld waterfall etc. for everything else, which is like 99.9% of the time (that rhymed), I use sport. 🤓
Hey Michael! Thanks so much for this. I really appreciate the comment and absolutely makes sense to use sport mode on the VR. The trip was my first one with the Z8 and still getting to grips with all the quirks of the camera, and the info you’ve shared will help me a lot! I’ll share this info in the next video, will help out a lot of people. Thanks again 😊
Great Video Mark
Love this Mark and I look forward to more videos like this. Well done.
Thanks so much mate! Appreciate the support and advice always!
Thank you Mark, great info sharing!
Thanks so much for watching Leane 😊
Excellent and educational video. It would, of course, be nice to see how you process these images, for the sake of completeness of the guide.
Thanks so much! I’ll probably do some editing videos of some of these images from the video. There are a lot of other editing videos you can look at on my channel, but I’ll make sure to include some of these images in future videos.
I really enjoyed this video. Some really well explained reasons for the compositions.
Hi Ben, thanks so much! I appreciate the comment, I hope to make these style of videos a lot more and provide as much info as possible.
Excellent video!
Thanks so much! Appreciate that a lot!
Thanks for sharing this lovely video. I always appreciate photos taken in National Parks and publicly accessible places as splashing cash on private reserves and photo hides is beyond my budget especially adding the cost of traveling across the globe to even reach the destination. Again thank you for sharing this experience.
Hi Norbert, thanks so much. I too can’t afford fancy lodges, and self drive trips is where I feel I take my best photos. Sightings won’t be as prolific as at a lodge, but for me the experience of a self drive is absolutely amazing. You have a lot more freedom, you can photograph a lot of the smaller things that lodges will drive past, and to be honest, most of my favourite images are the ones captured on my own camping trips in national parks. I appreciate the comment, thank you! 🙏🏻
Really enjoying your tutorials Mark. Only problem Mark I am missing a lot of them as I am not being "notified" on my lap top...... I have a lot to catch up on......
Thanks Carol. Maybe check your notification settings. Otherwise, every Sunday (as much as I can keep up with) at 3pm, a new video goes up 😊
Really enjoyed the in-field video. Please do more of them including changing lenses/cameras for close-up shots.
Thanks so much. I certainly will do more 😊 thanks for watching.
Thanks for this amazing video! Very timely for me as I am off to Kruger this week with my Z8 and 180-600!
Super excited to hear 😊 Where in Kruger are you staying?
@@MarkDumbleton Mopani, Letaba and Satara😊
Very nice 😊 I hope you have some amazing sightings!
Fab video. Love the beeeater shot👍
Thanks so much for watching Richard :)
@@MarkDumbleton pleasure. Just found your channel. Will subscribe and watch more. You have about the same amount of videos as me but way more subscribers. I need to do better. Take care 🙏👍😀💪
Great video, just subscribed!
I appreciate that a lot! Thank you!
tell us about your window beanbag - it looks comfortable to use with the 180-600
Hi John. I got it from a store in South Africa called Outdoorphoto. It’s a very handy thing to use. It’s a medium sized beanbag full of plastic pellets. I prefer the beanbag to gimbals etc. Super cheap but most of all very convenient when I need it. It just hangs over my car door.
Nice setup. I use a Dolar Tree pl noodle or pipe insulation from Home Depot or Lowe's
@markdumbleton thanks really enjoyed it made me miss Kruger
Thanks for the comment Adam! Kruger is such an awesome place!
Congratz on getting the Z8 🎉🐆🐅
Thanks so much! That camera is a beast!!!
Lekker video. Thanks. Hope you enjoying that 180-600. Been using the 400 2.8 TC and that has just been magical with Z9
Thanks so much! I really do enjoy the 180-600 on the Z8. Wow, I can imagine that the new 400 TC must be insanely good, that’s a dream lens!
I rally like your new approach to these great posts! Being right in the field... showing your precess. Love it! 🙌 You always shoot manual with auto ISO...? is it your "to go" mode...?
Thanks so much, really appreciate it. Manual with auto ISO is my go to wildlife settings setup. It’s just so easy to use and I always use it, well 99% of the time. I might switch to manual ISO if I’m shooting across very changeable conditions, like birds against a very brights sky flying down into dark shadows for example.
I'm not on Z-Mount yet, but I found that switching my VR off improves sharpness on my images at higher shutter speeds, like 1/1600 and up, I've got the Nikon 200-500mm
Thanks for the comment. I think there is definitely some merit to this, I think turning off VR with super high shutter speeds can definitely help. I've noticed on my Z system that when I fire the shutter and take a photo with VR on, the image almost jumps as I take the photo. I'll do some experiments to see if the jump causes any issues.
@@MarkDumbleton oh yes, I found that the autofocus is better at tracking fast moving subjects with VR off, but on the 70-200 it does not seem to be so much of a problem
Thanks for sharing that info. It's always good to let the camera do less in high speed action, and turning off VR is a good way.
Hey Mark, great video. What are you using to record you view finder?
Thanks so much. I’m using a device that connects to my phone called the ACCSOON Seemo.
Hey Mark you like me made the move to the Z8 in Dec it looks like >> I would love to hear how you find this combo as I have the 180-600.. Lots of learning on the new to me Focus system after the D850 and Z7 both gone now
What Plate have you got on the Lens >> I can find nothing suitable in RSA so thinking seriously of getting a 5.3 inch long Oben Plate from B&H for use on a Gimbal Head when I use a Tripod. I am 95% Vehicle based so I normally use a Beanbag like yours
Hi Peter, thanks a lot for the comments. I did get the Z8 in December. I love it with the 180-600, having the high megapixel count allows extra “cropping reach” which is handy. I too still need to learn more about the AF system, but so far it’s performing amazingly. I hardly ever tripod mount my setup and am for now just using an old arcade-Swiss plate, not even sure what brand it is anymore it’s that old. I do think getting a longer plate like you mentioned will work nicely, especially for the gimbal. I’m also vehicle based most of the time and the beanbag works so well for me.
another great video.
what are your thoughts on the 180-600mm?
greetings from Brazil
Hi, thanks so much for watching. I must say, the 180-600 is fast becoming my favourite lens of all time. Obviously not as sharp as a prime lens, but the versatility is absolutely amazing, and it does that with very good sharpness. The size is great and love the internal zoom design.
@@MarkDumbleton that’s good to know, thank you.
I enjoy wildlife photography as a hobby, but I’m just a beginner, I have a beginner setup (Nikon D5600 and Tamron 150-600), I’m planning to move on to mirrorless someday but I’m yet thinking which way to chose, the new Canon 200-800mm also seems very interesting.
I’m sure you’re going to love the photography and get completely hooked like I did. The Canon 200-800 looks very nice. I do love the 180-600, such a good range with decent maximum aperture.
On my A1’s I’ve noticed with Sky as background and auto iso I’m usually exp comp at +1 or +2. Problem is if bird then flys to ground sometimes I need to be -1 or -2. I’m in matrix metering I’m wondering if switching to highlight metering would help keep me from having to constantly turn exp comp?
Hi Ken. Thanks for the comment. I’ve often thought about this scenario, and the only way I could confidently answer this would be to shoot in full manual with manual ISO. If you meter your “sky” shot at about +1, aim the camera down to the ground and see what reading it gives. Also then depends on whether the ground has some shadows or bright highlights, so it can be tricky.
If I were to shoot the bird from sky to ground, I would meter the sky at 0, it can still work but will be slightly underexposed, but will be a good compromise for the ground shots.
I think no matter which metering mode you use for the sky, you’ll still need exposure compensations, except perhaps spot metering if it’s directly on the bird. Problem with that is trying to keep that small spot metering point on the bird in flight.
Thinking about this all, full manual with manual iso would be the way to go. Meter for the sky, meter for the ground and find a compromise somewhere in between.
Plenty ways to go about it I guess, but that’s what I would do 😊
@@MarkDumbleton thanks, great answer
which part of kruger were you in?
Hey Russel, I was in the Satara area for the entire video. Some good lions near the Timbavati picnic spot, and also along the S100 and S126.
@@MarkDumbletonThanks. That explains the Cheetah's. We were in Kruger in Oct. Mostly Skukusa and below. We did take a drive to Orpen Gate but it wqas very hot that day so did not see much. Next time.
Great video!
Thanks so much, appreciate the view and the comment!