Photography Tips for Whale Watching Pt1 - Photo opportunity of a lifetime
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 11 ม.ค. 2014
- In this photography tip I'm going to share a whale watching trip to Exmouth Western Australia where we unexpectedly got very up close and personal with a couple of Humpback Whales. This was a holiday (not a commercial shoot) and lifetime opportunity to photograph and be with these amazing humpback whales - something I'd always wanted to do.
This tip is all about the preparations for the main event. Test shots, which lens, focal length and light plus the difficulties of photographing from a moving boat..
Mike Browne
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Thank you everyone for your kind comments. It was a fantastic experience and I was a bit blown away by how close the whales came to us so apologies if the tips were a little 'fuzzy'. Glad you enjoyed it...
Fuzzy is good - that's how real life is, and is why some of us watch this channel! I especially liked the camera by the nose thing, tip-wise that is, which is kind of useful in lots of situations. I think I do something like it, but had never thought about it properly before. Now a "Top Tip".
I have seen whales in Australia. I was hitchhiking along the GREAT OCEAND ROAD. Someone told me, that whales come back every year, between June and September.
For me it would be orca. Though humpback are fantastic animals. I have the softest spot for orca. I've wanted to see them all my life. So this is me prepping for the chance to actually see them.
What a great experience, looking forward to the next one :)
Absolutely fascinating! Thank you for the opportunity to share those incredible moments with you. The photos and video were just stunning! Can't wait for part #2!
Brilliantly amazing !!!!
Amazingly close encounter! Awesome 👏
What an incredibly humbling experience. Thank you so much Mike for taking us along. Be well & stay safe.
Thank you ***** - I'm very lucky A) to have been able to go B) have a friend with a boat and C) to have been so close. It was very special.
Fantastic video! I'm envious of the experience.
Thanks again Mike and Janie - phenomenal view of the whales -- would have loved to been there with you folks.
Awesome Mike,, thanks for sharing.. I think the whales were just as interested in you as you were in them. Such gentle giants of the sea,, amazing :)
Indeed they were Pezby69 - as you saw they came after us when we backed off and we all had the feeling they were 'Human watching'.
Fantastic posing models! Awesome videos Mike. Thanks!
Thank you! my pleasure :-)
Amazing video Mike...
That was fantastic ... Looking forward to see part two, and I guess that's the part were you took those amazing shots of the whale's back against the warm and nice horizon, can't wait to see it.
All the best ...
Thank you!
I'm looking forward to part two :)
Hello Mike,
I want to thank you ten thousand times for the help... For all the work you made for us. I have learn more with your videos than 6 workshops.
My knowledge was with every episodes better than ever!
And i wait for the next episodes....
Billions thanks again...you are my "master".....
David
Wow thank you flockat Please help us spread the word and grow the community by 'liking' 'G+ing', sharing our videos and linking to us on photo forums, Facebook etc
Great stuff Mike.
Thank you!
Fantastic Mike your very lucky to have the opportunity to photagraph the whales, looking forward to part 2, atb John.
About ten years ago I was salmon fishing off the south coast of Vancouver island. All of a sudden the engines went off. My buddy had shut them down because we were surrounded by a pod of killer whales. There was about a dozen around the boat no more than five meters away. What an amazing experience.
It certainly sounds it 🐋🐋🐋
Great video, Mr. Mike. When will you release the part two? I'm anxious.
Thanks mike
My pleasure:)
Perfect shot sun is in front don’t need to take home silhouette shots 👍🏼
Very sorry we never got around to commenting at the time!
Fantastic
In part 1, when the Humpbacks are 3 or so feet from your friends boat. The Humpbacks are exhibiting resting behavior, just like us they need to take a break now and again. it is most likely mother and offspring and not a "little afternoon delight" its never a good idea to start your engine when that close. Thanks for the great photography tips on shooting whales.
I know All Things Coastal Ltd.. We agonised over starting the boat, rules say you're not supposed to go within 100metres of the whales but they kept coming over to us. I truly believe that rather than us whale watching - they were people watching... MIKE
Thanks for noting your Settings. Great Video!
Thank you Gece 😌
Amazing shots Mike. If you visit chile someday, i will be glad to show you the track of blue whales feeding while they take care of their calves. Hope to meet you some day. Im your fan number 1.
Thank you Selim Lazen - Chile is a place to visit on my bucket list so maybe ...
Fantastic. I will be doing the same in a few days, and can't decide on a 55-250mm or 18-135mm on a Canon crop sensor.
Beautiful 💖🐳👍🏻
You should go to the Azores (Pico island), mate. Some great whale watching opportunities there!
+kratuna0 MIke would love to someday! - MELISSA ( for Mike )
Amazing!! Thank you!! I have been looking for a whale photography video of whale watching and I'm so glad I found this!! I am planning to photograph whales in Maui!! I'm so excited!
My pleasure MimiNabs - have a fantastic trip. I'm sure it'll be an amazing experience.
Wow!
Great vid mate ,hoped you enjoyed your stay..
Thank you - it was fantastic Stu FromOz - I love Aus and as two of my closest friends live there I visit when i can. Of course one lives in the Blue Mountains and the other in Perth so they're not 'just down the road' from each other :-/
Wow! I’m off to Scotland at the weekend, for 6 days and hope to get out on a boat to look for some Dolphins, but this brought a tear to my eyes it humbles you. DG NewForest
Thank you David 🙏🙏🙏
Whales are my favourite creature.
This must of been a lifetime experience. Thanks for sharing it with us Mike and Janie. I hope I am spelling your name correctly janie, if I'm not I apologise. Well, what can I say, this is breathtaking, those wales were just so close to the boat! Cant wait to watch part 2
Thank you! It was a wonderful experience
This looks really fascination! Really! :-)
Thank you!
I know this is a fairly old video now but i have watched it several times because its so enjoyable. Anyway I noticed that your camera isn't set to high speed shooting. Do you not think it would have been better to use this setting so you don't miss any of the great action?
Thanks Mark Gowans Could have done but they weren't moving very fast so the difference between frames would be minimal. I hate wading through 1000s of image files looking for the ones I want to keep, so I prefer to shoot economically and choose the moment I want at the capture end of the process wherever possible. - MIKE
Your excellent tutorial videos ispire so many aspiring and amateur phototographers like me. What a joy and pleasure watching your tips and tricks, explained in a friendly manner. How I wish all teachers were like you!
Sorry Mike, I shoot primarily with a Canon 5D Mark 2 and a handy Nikon D3200.
You always shot Nikon in your photographic carrier?
Thank you Deepak Murthy Yes i shoot with my old Nikons which need replacing now. I don't really care what I shoot on to be honest..
You are right. It's the photographer behind the machine that counts.
Are you considering mirrorless systems in switching to new gear or is it better to play safe with a D800 or D610 having Nikon glass?
I do think a polarizer would of helped Mike.
It must have been an amazing yet a little worrying experience!
I would find it hard not to freak out having them that close..one tail flip and that boat is heading to the bottom.
But all the more exciting!
You are not allowed to drive up to them. Stand back and drift, as you did. It's fine when they swim up to you. I went whale watching out from Fremantle in October, the whales weren't so playful for us, it was late in the season.
I live in Mandurah.
Where's the next one mike. Amazing experience it seems. Hope to see the next one soon.
Probalbly a couple of weeks deepak sharma
Ll b waiting 4 it
Thank you! i'm going an a whale watching tour and i've been researching on taking photos. Will a 75-300 lens work well for this? I've also got a lens hood hoping it will help along with the CIR-PL filter.
Hey thanks @Germinity. 75-300 should be fine - depending on what the Whales choose to do of course. As you saw they cam right up to use even though we were backing away in attempt to maintain the mandatory 200m distance. They were watching us! Use the hood all the time to reduce flare, polariser might be handing to cut reflections on the water but be careful, they remove X2 stops of light and if the weather's dull you might get soft pics through camera shake. Have a great trip.. MIKE
What mode were you in ....Manual...Program...
I'm looking forward to see more whales. :)
They'll be here on Sunday Marcin M.
Mike Browne
Thank you :)
More Whales on the way later today Marcin M. ...
Mike Browne
I've got popcorn, coca-cola and 3D glasses (just in case). I've postponed a few meetings to see whales as well. I love whales! ;-)))
Best regards from Poland :))
Mike, thi8s is good stuff, where is part 2?
Joe M
Joe Meloi Thank you. Part 2 is coming on Sunday this week...
Great Video... How are you feeling Mr Browne ?
Good thanks Kevin Atwell
Did you shoot in manual or in one of the programme modes Mike?
Aperture Priority Linda T
Well, the next step was there for the taking. Under water photography, tell me Mike, did the thought cross your mind?
Would have loved to Cliff Carlo - don't have an underwater camera :-(
Ah, I see a post down further you were in Aperture...Gotcha
I don't understand what settings are you using? manual?
99% of the time I shoot in Aperture priority mode +Gennaro Cascella and control exposure as needed through the exposure compensation control. But it's important for photographers to know how to expose manually too because from time to time the camera's auto functions get things wrong so we have to step in and take control. By understanding how exposure works manually we know what is going on inside the camera when shooting auto and semi auto modes so it's no big deal for us to put it right when it does go wrong. This is an old video now and back then I didn't post exposure settings because they are no use to anyone unless they are standing next to me shooting the exact same shot in the exact same light. Light changes all the time so settings change minute by minute, sometimes faster. Because so many people asked me to post exposure settings I do on all my later videos. Sorry they're not on this one. Here's a link to how to make a manual exposure... Best wishes - MIKE
www.photographycourses.biz/videos/technical/exposure/manual-exposure
+Mike Browne thank you so much for the quick reply-
I often take pictures of whales working in fully manual and of course I alway choos a very quick shutter opening (2500)and a low iso (200 or 400) but the subject always appear not in focus and I don't really understand why. I will try tomorrow to apply your advice. thanks a lot again! keep up the great job!
No worries +Gennaro Cascella Couple of question for you to think about. How are you focusing? Is the camera in full auto multipoint focus mode - or are you controlling where it focuses by using single point autofocus? Here's part 1 of 3 videos which might help - MIKE
www.photographycourses.biz/videos/technical/getting-sharp-images/autofocus.html
thanks a lot! I am actually using auto focus singlepoint control... I try to follow your advices using aperture priority and I have to admit that picture quality is improving. I am in love with your channel your videos are so greatly understandable and you look like really knowing what are you talking about. I apreciate you are sharing all your knoledge, for the public to learn. Thank you so much from the bottom of my heart!
Gennaro Cascella Thanks - though there is more good stuff in the courses on my website which isn't on here.. Best wishes - MIKE
such low shutterspeeds :(
???
i thought you needed some spelling lessons Mike, then i realised you were photographing the mammals, not the country!
:-) Neil Richards
Quit talking lol enjoy
Too right! 🐋🐋🐋
What the hell!!!! You are not suppose to start or engage your engine with them that close!! And if the whales come to you that does not matter! As long as you are not engaged with your motors or they are off… I think your friends need to learn the rules a tad better before they cut a whale!
👍