Breaking the Rules for Amazing Wildlife Photography!
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 18 พ.ค. 2024
- We talk about about breaking the rules in Wildlife Photography and what kind of images breaking those rules produce.
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WHO I AM.
My name is Scott West and I am a nature and wildlife photographer located in Alaska. I am very lucky to live in a place surrounded by amazing landscapes and even more amazing wildlife.
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Best Wishes
Scott
As someone who lives in Washington State, I really appreciated this video. I love those gray or rainy days! Hope your health recovery continues.
It makes some special images for sure
If you waited for the perfect weather in Washington, you would only shoot 3 days a year LOL I live in WA too... and overcast days are great to shoot in and the right equipment rain won't stop you either.😄
@@deanstainbrook2839 same here in south central AK
I'm glad to hear you are recovering well and doing what love the most - being out there with nature ! Warm regards from a fan of your work from Brazil. Continue the fantastic work. 😀
Thank you very much!
Fantastic video! It’s “something special” to see you outside in the wild, again, so full of your passionate love for nature and wildlife! Thanks for sharing creating this awesome video. So many people avoid “bad weather”. I agree that it’s a great time to get outside to photograph! The giant soft box in the sky lowers contrast and really makes it possible to get more even lighting.
Very much so. Thanks Vaughn.
Def agree with you. To this day one of my favorite pictures i took was a Great Horn Owl (Mom) in the rain covering her babies.Great to see you out and doing what you love!
That's awesome
Glad to see a video from you when ever it works for you. Take care of yourself first and don't worry we will be here when your videos come!
Thank you, I will
Fantastic video filled with valuable information! Great to see you and thanks for taking me along!!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Thanks for such a practical and inspiring "how to" video, Scott. It's just fabulous!!! I love all your videos and am really happy to see you back at it.
Glad you like them!
This is fantastic stuff! Good to see you out there! Thanks for sharing this great info!!
Thanks
Great video Scott. Glad you are well
Thanks 👍
Wonderful video! So glad you are out and doing what you do so masterfully! Thankful for your continued recovery. My prayers are with you and your healthcare team.
Thank you so much!
It's good to see you out, about, and doing well. Nothing better for recovery !! And those images, crazy good ! Thanks for sharing, it's now got me thinking outside "my" box.......Cheers,
Thanks 👍
Soooo glad to see you back at it. Great stuff as always.
Thanks
Thanks so much! Very inspiring!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Crazy how the bad weather can turn photos into something magical. Rules were ment to be broken. Im glad to hear you are recovering well. God bless you brother. Keep up the good work.
Yes! Thank you!
Really enjoyed this thanks and good to see you out and about and hopefully feeling better. A tough place to operate but spectacular results.
Much appreciated
Great motivation talk!! Nice video again....
Glad you liked it!!
Wonderful video. So very different and refreshing. It’s great to break rules and do your own thing, as that way your images are unique to your own style and imagination. You are very relaxing to listen to. I find your videos incredibly therapeutic as well as informative. Thank you (Amanda, England 🏴) ps your close up front full on photo of that eagle’s head is AWESOME! Love it! ❤
Thanks so much! Glad you enjoyed the video.
That was a wonderful video. Thank you.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Thanks, Scott. I learnt many things from your video.
Glad to hear it!
Great to see you out and about, Scott! You're looking good! I enjoyed this video. The type and quality of lighting in less than ideal weather conditions can make for some great images. Thanks for the clothing and gear tips as well!
Awesome! Thank you!
Marvelous video, Scott. I'm now planning on "breaking the rules", getting out in great light and not so nice weather, getting low, eyelevel with my subjects, and producing images I am not currently making. Thanks for the inspiration and pep talk... gonna do it! All the best to you, stay healthy and strong in all you do!!!
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Excellent video and great photography 👏🏻so happy to see out doing photography again after your health struggles. Praying for your full recovery 🙏
Thanks
Never knew these rules even existing. Thanks for the video!!!
👍
Outstanding and very informative as usual!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Dude your timing is perfect on this out on my way to Yellowstone and the weather is going to be crummy. I'll definitely be trying some of those tips and tricks you gave us
Good luck. Sure you will get some wall hangers
Good to see you out there running that shutter. Really nice eagle images and your advice on the advantages of shooting in the rain and rain gear is much appreciated.
thanks
Back in nature sure can heal mind and body. Looks like you've got your mojo back.
thx
Thank you and God bless you for living your dream in Alaska That's absolutely awesome
Thank you! You too!
Awesome image of that soaked eagles head…….love it👌- good luck with the health & hope the progress continues🙏🏻
thanks
Great video!! Great eagle pictures!!
Thank you very much!
Wonderful photos and the work of a master. Sending healing vibes brother
thx
Great stuff. Really inspiring video. Some of my personal favourite shots this year are Pine Marten in the rain. It’s one of the few time I was desperate for more rain. Living in Scotland I get plenty of rain and bad weather- your video is encouraging me to look it as a blessing rather than a curse.
Oh I'd love to get some Pine Marten shots. We have a lot of them, just unlucky on running across them. Scotland and Kenai Peninsula here in AK are pretty close to weather cycles 😉
Wow! That intro footage was nuts! Great to see you back out there.
Thanks Mark. Ya we had some really cool weather and a super low tide. SO everything came together. Got a film version of the outings coming very soon with more footage
Scott that was a most enjoyable video full of information that will help anyone starting out to photograph wildlife. I must change my attitude for when it’s raining- some great shots there especially the Bald Eagle’s head, no wonder that is one of your favourites. It’s good to hear you are getting out a bit more now and you are beginning to look fitter. What ever you are doing keep it up but don’t overdo it. All the best S
Glad you enjoyed it
Great video, it's watch & learn time again! 🙂
Thank you! Cheers!
So interesting to hear and see everything that goes into a photograph. That eagle head shot is truly something else. Informative and entertaining video as always Scott 😊
Glad you enjoyed it.
Great advice! My most interesting photos I shot in bad weather conditions; and I did not even know, that I was braking any rule😊
😂
Full Send ! I love to go out at rain as well .. great video. Greetz from Austria
Awesome! Thank you!
Stoked I found this as I signed up for an Alaska Bear and Wildlife Photo tour. I am so going to freeze as I live in Hawaii.
It shouldn't be so bad in the summer 🤪 Watch this next. Katmai Bear excursion th-cam.com/video/4R2Ky5OXCY0/w-d-xo.html
Great video! Keep up the great videos and work! Quick question, do you still use the Canon R7?
Yes I do! Probably have a r7 video out soon.
I lived in Seward for almost two years. I’m sure I saw you on the bay as I lived there by the bay. I wish I’d seen you would have loved to have wondered around on the bay front with you ! Awesome video when I saw the eagle I knew the background.
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Good morning Scott. I just discovered your channel. I'm watching the third video and I'm sure I'll stay here for a long time. I'm just starting my adventure with photography - with an APSC camera and a 30 mm f1.4 lens. However, I just started thinking about buying my first telephoto lens. Of course, not as professional as you use, but I'm thinking about buying a prime lens 135mm f1.8 (which would give me about 200mm on APSC) - just something to start with and I think your channel will provide me with a lot of inspiration and joy. Ok, I'm going back to watching. I will definitely catch up on a lot of the videos from your channel in the next few days. Greetings from Polish forests to beautiful Alaska.
Glad you are enjoying 5he videos.
I agree with you on trying to get a unique shot. I take some bird portraits like most people do. But bird on a stick isn’t very unique if you ask me. My favorite shots are behavioral shots, that often include more environment. I love it when they give you that quick “ I see you” eye contact. I do like low perspectives, but at my age, getting back up with camera in hand is challenging. But hell, if the shot is worth it, I’ll do it and then spend 10 minutes getting back up, leaving only my pride on the ground! Love the content and your work! Happy shooting!
Ya I hear you about the up and down. Trying to recover from heart issues has made that very evident
Thanks for. Posting this inspiring and helpful video. I share your passion for shooting in bad weather, but wish I had your f4 lens. My Tamron 150-600 is challenging at f6 when the light is low. I think you misspoke around the 11:45 mark. Since snow flakes are slower than rain drops, you need a slower shutter speed for snow than you do for rain to get streaking. On the other hand, if you are going for more defined flakes, it is nice to be able to use a slower speed for snow than rain to get more light or use a smaller aperture - as long as the bird is static.
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Excellent! We live outside of Fairbanks where the annual precip is about 12 inches...quite different than where you photograph on the Kenai Peninsula or Kodiak. My favorite rain coat is also a SIMMS, and for pants I like Grundens. I do have a pair of commercial fishing grade Helly Hansen in my boat that are from 1989 and still going strong!
Ya the Grudens and HH are great gear. Any sandhill on the nests over at Creamers yet?
@@WILDALASKA Still early for crane nests. Pintails, widgeon, teal, shovelers, divers, geese are here now.
@@RetrieverTrainingAlone ver nice. I may be up that way in a couple weeks for a few days
I love shooting on cloudy days. Image noise can be a problem at high ISO, but not anymore with Denoise software. I got good bird images in a forest the other day at ISO 16000. 16000!!
I wish I could find a good pair of gloves, too. My fingers freeze up so quick when the temperature gets to 30° or less. I have a pair of Vallerets that are OK but I still struggle in the cold.
I can find cold gloves that work its just the wet submerged stuff that gets me.
I find if you have been laying on the ground for a period of time, birds/animals become accustomed to the random shape on the ground and you are not perceived as a threat. That was a good demonstration by having some cloud cover and softer light there are no harsh shadows and near the end where the sky was clearing, shadows appeared. You must have the same weather forecasters as we do in Australia.
👍😂
@@WILDALASKA I have just gone mirrorless, Canon R6 Mk ii, I used your tutorial to set my camera up, thanks.
This past weekend I was out photographing blackbirds and for the most part I would keep to the rules. This one outing I went by the grocery store and then headed a few minutes outside of town, it was a light rain and I kept getting closer to this one yellow-headed blackbird. It was one of the best shots I’ve made to date. Had the camera set too 1/3200 sec, f/9, auto iso. The iso ended up being 20000, so lots of noise. I thought oh great, unusable. Used the noise reduction in Lightroom and some basic tone changes. So yes I agree photographing in unfavourable conditions actually makes some great photos. I’m looking forward to shooting in those conditions again.
Very nice
Nice tips! I thought Gore tex was finished as it was only marketing and not useful material at all. I’ll look to camo my lens. It came with it actually but never put it on
Goretex is great stuff. But if you have something smelly its hard to get out
I swear by the Lens Coat rain coats. On our last Alaska trip, we were out on a whale watching tour in the pouring rain for three hours. The lens coat kept my camera and 300 2.8 bone dry. Me not so much. Great video.
Yes they are very good quality. Love the humpbacks feeding 😄
Glad you are up an at em! I found crappy conditions are better in my area as =s less people out scaring everything off lol.
very true
great video!I can't get on my belly like that,my back is to bad ,busted multiple vertebra so it's sort of locked up almost straight.The last time I tried,took me almost 10 minutes to get up 🤣🤣.
Sorry to hear that
Read Dr Sarno's book, believe it and it'll turn things around for you. I was in the same boat and things improved. Good luck.
Eagles in Alaska are like seagulls on the Jersey shore.
We have a lot of eagles and even more seagulls 🤪
Do you use a 95mm Protector Filter on your Canon RF 200-800 ? Does it affect the image quality?
No. I don't put any glass in front of the lens as it affects the image. Your lens hood is your lens protector
I always had a protective filter on my lens in the old days. I removed it from my mirrorless kit. I do believe it makes a difference in sharpness in mirrorless photography. It was a mental shift, but I think it’s needed.
only just starting the video, but, being a rebellious SOB, I'm imagining the types of rules you want me to break are the ones that say things like "you're not allowed to go within 30m of a sleeping seal".. so, if I get arrested, I'm sayong you told me to do it. 😇
Hah.
I live in Germany. Wildlife is very hard to find on good days. With bad conditions, the animals just hide and are nowhere to be seen at all.
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