In the midst of traffic lights and new housing projects, wildlife thrives in Albany, Oregon. Maybe, it is the surrounding forests and adjacent farm-fields, that supports such a robust, wild ecosystem. Or, it could be the toughness of critters, who are able to withstand the smog and lost habitat.
Whatever it is, it provides us with fabulous opportunities for timeless photos of wild creatures in the middle of our lives, and our town.
Yes, we do not litter. Nor do my children. But, this is not the case with everybody. In the photo above, we see Burkhart Creek and some trash. This is not necessary, and we can remedy this. It will take some hard work and some pride-swallowing, but we can clean up our parks and rivers.
How?
Well, the first step is education. Teach our kids the virtues of trash receptacles. Second, and this one is much harder, organize volunteers to clean our streams. I know, we are not the town's maids, but we do owe it to ourselves to eliminate poisons from our lives, and that includes our neighborhoods. Call me, I'll come help clean up...
Birdlife is omni-present where I live. One chirps and moves on, and another chirps and moves in. I carry a camera almost everywhere, but even your phone is capable. Just shoot in "Action" mode, to get a faster shutter.
On walks with my dogs, or sitting on the porch and sipping coffee, bird photos are best shot in good light. Find spots in the yard for feeders, that showcase the birds' colors. Set watering fixtures in "friendly" areas, where you can shoot them candidly.
Tripods are an under-appreciated tool in photography, and admittedly, I don't use mine enough. I use the three-legged stabilizer for landscape shots and still-life stuff, but when it comes to wildlife, I shoot handheld.
But, that is a mistake. Sure, wildlife moves at a dizzying pace, and getting to capture animals can be problematic when using a tripod. However, if your subject is fairly static, a tripod is a tripod. Meaning, utilize the tripod's virtues. At long zoom lengths, the tripod will allow you to stop-down. And, eliminating handshake is always a good thing.
Fall is a great time to walk around with a camera. The leaves are turning gorgeous colors, the air is cool and refreshing, and wildlife is in high gear, as Winter is coming to the Pacific Northwest where I live.
Moving about under these conditions can be tricky. Dry leaves are the enemy, as well as other people who are out enjoying the season. Walking gently and avoiding dry twigs and leaves only takes a bit of practice. The same can be said for foot traffic. Avoid crowds. It is that simple.
Be creative by finding quietier, less traveled parks and trails. Get there early or go late. Again...avoid crowds.
Aperture settings on my gear, mostly the Canon 7D & EF 70-300mm f4-5.6 IS USM, can also be finicky. At full zoom, 300mm, f5.6 is horrible, even at thirty feet. Shooting at f8 or so, is my best option.
Because of this, I am sometimes shooting at higher ISOs. After seeing photos that were out of focus at f5.6, it is better to see focused images at ISO 2000 and f9.
Coming face to face with nature's critters can be awe-inspiring. Moving slowly and deliberately in these spots can help you get closer and get candid action shots. The closer you get, the more likely a fleeing response. This means you should be ready. So should your camera.
Fast shutters are essential to wildlife photography. 1/1000 second is a minimum in most situations. Often, faster shutters are needed. Shooting osprey, for instance, is a 1/2000 second affair. Freezing action and getting those piercing eyes focused, requires such a fast shutter.
Like stopping down apertures, shooting fast shutters sometimes requires higher ISOs. In light of this, find light whenever possible, but don't compromise. If it takes ISO 3200 to get to 1/800 second, just do it.
Weather is as harsh as I am on my gear. Rain shields such as ballcaps or cellophane are great ideas. I also use lens hoods to keep raindrops off the lens face.
While walking in these conditions, keep the lens cap on, or keep the lens pointed down.
In places like the Oregon Coast, covering gear while on the beach, is the way to go. I have seen guys wrap cameras in Ziplok bags too. Again, be creative and protect your gear.
I photograph a lot of things in and around my hometown, including people, wildlife, architecture, and street scenes. Although this article is about wildlife, the profiling of me when I am out in public with a camera (which is all the freakin' time), is really about photography.
There are not many creeps out there that are shooting pervert photos with a camera like mine, expensive and huge. Meaning, very obvious!
Simply put, the paranoia about cameras in unwarranted. I have been in public parks, shooting wildlife and nature, and people still are suspicious of a camera. Monteith Park in Albany, is a sprawling city park situated at the confluence of two rivers. The critter life is astounding. I have had mothers of children call police on me at this park, as well as had homeless folks yelling about "not taking" their photo. I didn't have a camera in hand...just hanging from my neck, but the Canon 5D and EF 70-300mm spooked these folks anyway.
I have had security guards approach me on the street, and at public places like the Albany Farmers' Market, people sometime complain if I take their photo.
I even heard a skater at the Albany Skatepark bragging about an assault on a man who took a photo there.
It can be ridiculous, and so we flee, to wildlife.
No comments:
Post a Comment