Hunting Washington Forum
Community => Photo & Video => Topic started by: boneaddict on June 09, 2007, 03:21:47 AM
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I'm not even going to pretend I have all or even a few of the answers in taking good pictures. For the most part there is a reason why a professional takes hundreds to even thousands of shots to get a good one, but.....I thought I would start a thread with some tips, or things to watch out for, or mistakes that are common, or mistakes that are just plain easy to make, and I have made. Feel free to add to it. I will try to post as many examples as possible as we go along. I have been at this awhile as an amateur, and that is ALL I am. I use what equipment I can afford, and just plain have fun. I found it was alot harder to get a good picture of a deer than it was to shoot one. I also found no one believed me when I said I saw a big one, until I started getting them on film. Its sort of like a shed antler, you get to study it over and over. There are many folks on here and on other sites that take great images. I hope people aren't shy and keep posting them. I love them and I'm sure the rest of you do as well.
The first topic I would like to breach is focus. One of the things I have struggled with out in the big woods is getting a clear crisp focus. I haven't mastered it yet, so this is more of a things to watch out for. When using AUTO focus, which is often what I use, it becomes difficult to attain sometimes when the animal is in the brush. Heck, I struggle with it in the wide open. In the old days of staring through a viewfinder, I found my eyesite wasn't the best, and things I thought were in focus, weren't even close. This has improved with the digital cameras and their onboard display. One thing that I found that was also hard was trying to get the whole animal in focus while using a telephoto lens. When an animal is close, sometimes part of him is in focus and part of him isn't. One thing I have learned to do is put my camera crosshairs on their eyeball. The autofocus tends to pick up on that object, and this gets the whole animal is a focal feild of focus. One of my favorite things to do, is have the tree the animal is standing next to in perfect focus, but the animal blurred. Here are two examples.
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv47%2Fboneaddict%2Ffocus.jpg&hash=ded7f191add5a37f9410ea4beddf2a1b72d9d36d)
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This second one is of a buck I nicknamed slick. He had no eyeguards. He was in really thick brush chasing after a doe. She kept moving, but really didn't want to go away. He didn't really want to be there, but he didn't want to leave her. I climbed up onto a fallen leaner so that I could get above the brush, and kept trying to get shots. My autofocus kept wanting to focus on the brush, but not him. I'd just get him in focus, and he would duck his head and dart forward. I took thirty images of this buck to get maybe one that turned out to my satisfaction. It also doesn't help that the sky is usually dark and overcast or its late or early in the day. Thats a topic later. Here is slick with nice focused sage brush.Notice how the pine is in perfect focus again. Subconciously I must have been a logger and enjoy trees more than antlers....NOT(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv47%2Fboneaddict%2Ffocusproblems.jpg&hash=9ae3ad71153f34405e67c918a1e1c62065c7e041)
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Come on slick.....quit moving
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(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv47%2Fboneaddict%2Fslick1-1.jpg&hash=19f030115a3235bc8d46e8453d64acbefb126419)
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Heres another tip....don't overcrop when your original is slightly grainy from low light conditions, because all it does is over enhance the grain. That being said, here is Bruiser up close and personal. You have more lee-way with that now withthe new high megapixel digitals. This is off of one of those disc they give you when you get the regular pics developed. The resolution on them stinks. Thank goodness the originals turned out better.
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv47%2Fboneaddict%2Fbruiser-1.jpg&hash=f221af4aa6baec34356581d4ab6bf6c53a3b6c02)
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv47%2Fboneaddict%2Fbruiser2-1.jpg&hash=9d7b07b5e60c6c9221de8b62415be99c5cf6f441)
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next one......always make sure your critter has their eyes open and mouth shut. Sometimes they are worse than kids around the Christmas tree, eyes closed mouth yapping :)
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv47%2Fboneaddict%2Fphotomoments.jpg&hash=f52100fcfc596cafca4e2d40e7fad80e8b7e3152)
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Looks like a tough guy glare...or he's blowing a kiss.
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Here is another focus issue. This HUGE sow came outat about 20 feet from me feeding in the brush. I set my bow down and was trying to get her on film but I couldn't get my camera to focus. It turned out that the auto focus got set to manual. By the time I figured that out, I had two cubs to my left and a pissed of mom to the right. The cub will appear here shortly in the blackie thread. He was about as big as most bear in Washington. She was flat gigantic. These were on my Alaskan hunt. There would have been alot of problems if both cubs had went up the tree, but one decided to run off while she was making false charges at me. Of course at this time the camera had been put away and gun dug out. She left and guarded the other cub while I proceeded on my way after taking a couple shots of the dude up the tree.
I missed the oppurtunity of a lifetime getting this HUGE bear on film at 20 feet. Oh well, live and learn.
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv47%2Fboneaddict%2Fbad.jpg&hash=af8102fd3754a573b67c95be878995f29a140b40)
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here's a tip for you...you always seem to forget GPS coordinates on those pics...they would mean a lot more with those coordinates please
:P
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I posted this pic elsewhere, but wanted to go ahead and list this as a tip. Always make sure you have at least 5 pictures on your roll if out taking pics. I took this one then ran out of film. I frantically had to re-load, and by the time I did, he was off to the brush. I spent about 20 minutes playing grab a$$ with him, but never got another goood pic. After that, I always shoot extra pics to finish the roll, if not left with at least 5 shots. I know life is different digital, but keep track of how many you have left on that memory card. Its just as important.
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv47%2Fboneaddict%2Fresizemistake.jpg&hash=1472a23f495aae2f8096dd2aaef126c0ddfc7b46)
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ps...here is another tree in focus. It was the first deer I shot with my new camera. Still trying to get used to the different zoom. Remember, a picture with 12 power optical, is way better than a picture with a 20 power digital zoom. You are better off to snap the picture with the 12 then crop and reduce than you are to fill the frame up with the hgiher digital zoom.
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv47%2Fboneaddict%2Fnewcamerasorry-1.jpg&hash=b32ad52373c3b9cffec08df53b3817dd6f5b0dfe)
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better, but still having troubles..I just flat needed to have some sort of tripod or monopod with the lowlight, and I needed to be more familiar with my camera.
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv47%2Fboneaddict%2Fbetter.jpg&hash=b9fd5184c06873be8a5ac79b1477ddf6506f3905)
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Monopods are cool and handy, but they just don't cut it. I have 9 pics where I was right on top of this buck, less that 15 yards, and this is what I have......totally upsetting
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don't over zoom when you are doing an action shot.
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv47%2Fboneaddict%2Fbonesbucks%2Foverzoom.jpg&hash=0e94f31d883dba7245e3e8869c4286db7c1c8d4b)
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Bone,
Thanks for the insight. As a hunter, roughly two months of the year are locked up, but this gives a whole new perspective on getting out there after the season. Those are actually pretty good pictures and I do appreciate the tips. Most of us should probably be out there doing the same thing.
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Great tips and nice pictures Bone. Do you have any suggestions on cameras? Do you prefer a digital SLR as oppose to just a digital camera?. I know one thing is you can never shoot enough pictures. I hike alot during the off season and have some pictures of the same place I have visited but shot again as the light might have been a little different. Tough thing seems to be that the picture never seems to be as good as it was at the moment you took it. Maybe it has to do with how the eye sees things.
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I would prefer the SLR, but affordability is another thing. I think the Nikkon D200 camera would be one of the best you can get. The D80 would be acceptable. The problem with these SLR cameras is the price. I love my Cannon A2E, but its film, not digital. A comparable lens with the low F stop of 2.8 at 400mm would cost about 10 grand. You get into the same sort of thing with the digital SLRs. I like the Panasonic Lumix series as they do quite a variety of things for the price. Plus you are shooting through Lieca glass. The new FZ18 also has a pretty good macro mode for taking macro shots. I haven't experimented much with it, but it seems like it would work good. I lke to dink and play, and the SLR is good for that. I'd LOVE to have one with a good telephoto lens, one variable zoom for family shots, and one for macro stuff like pictures of fly tying, bugs, etc. The other nice thing is the size. You'll find packing a huge camera around and the tripod, becomes an issue, especially backpacking into tough country.
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i have 3 digital cameras in my household. my old nikon coolpix, it's replacement the panasonic lumix fz 18, and my wife has a digital rebel slr. the slr takes the best pics hands down. it's also the fastest as far as delays. the nikon is so outdated we won't even talk about that. i think it comes down to what kind of pics you want to take and how much money you want to burn up.
if i wanted to buy a few lenses and had the money, i'd go dslr. the cameras themselves are getting cheaper and cheaper. you can buy a 100-300mm f4-5.6 lense for a few hundred bucks. it won't be the quality lense of, say, a canon L lense, but it works pretty damn good for the average joe. those little mule deer pic's i posted in the pisscutter thread were taken by that canon with a 100-300 stretched out to 300mm at f5.6. they work for me.
hopefully i will get similar results out of the lumix...we shall see. the macro mode does work well on that camera...it's pretty much all i've used it for so far.
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Bone, I would never use autofocus in the areas your shooting. The brush is just too noisy and the autofocus will pick up on it a lot. Also, brush tends to be "noisy" for a background. There are some tricks you can use to avoid a noisy background. I change my angle, use f2.8 or wider, and get tight crops. Additionally, you shoot in tough conditions. Getting good deer photos in an area where deer are hunted is tough, so I have a lot of respect for you and the photos you are getting.
Sometimes, with manual focus you can use a distracting grass/brush for you...
(https://hunting-washington.com/cpg/albums/userpics/10250/typical_rack_med.jpg)
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Thanks Pope, I have alot of trouble with autofocus picking up on brush and branches etc. You only have so many seconds if that for the shot, and when you camera focuses on that brush, its a pain. I can do all right with my Cannon, but have troubles manual focusing with the digitals I have. MORE practice. I agree with you on letting your background work for you. One of my favorite pics is like that. I scanned it and its on here somewhere, but the grass and sage are all blurred in the background.
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Yeah, I'm leaving right now on my annual rut photo safari. (I took the above photo at the site) I'm going to be dealing with the same issues you deal with because of the place I shoot. It has lots of distracting horse grass. To make matters worse, I don't have a 2.8 lense for this shoot. I bet it will be raining or snowing also. Should be interesting what I can get...
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here it is
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Have fun. Yep the weather is a bear. Nic bright blue conditions and wonderful light....no animals or dreary wet, dark foggy conditions, game everywhere. Tough choice. I think I am headed out to get some whities in the rain. They had completely died down when the weather was so nice when I was out with Lil. That and of course the increased pressure with the hunt going on. Good Luck. I'm looking forward to seeing some of your AWESOME pics. Hopefully you run into another HAWG like that last one.
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Onlyif he was a massive 30 incher.....another example of blurring out the background a bit...
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depth of field?
i think thats what it's referred to as...
cool shots. are those scanned from film?
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autofocus gone bad...the foreground looks sweet...unfortunately i wanted it the other way around and just got too distracted by horns....
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Yep, those are from the 35mm. You have no idea how often autofocus goes bad. Neat thing about digital is that you can see it right away. Its a real bitch when you get your film back and its that way.
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Wow great pictures...Now I am going to have to get a camera and give it a try!
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Great tips and nice pictures Bone. Do you have any suggestions on cameras? Do you prefer a digital SLR as oppose to just a digital camera?. I know one thing is you can never shoot enough pictures. I hike alot during the off season and have some pictures of the same place I have visited but shot again as the light might have been a little different. Tough thing seems to be that the picture never seems to be as good as it was at the moment you took it. Maybe it has to do with how the eye sees things.
Like Bone mentioned, the Nikon DSLR's are very nice cameras. My dad has the D200 and I have the D80. I have an 18-200 lense for close-in stuff, and for now I borrow my dad's 80-400 when I want to reach out a little farther.
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Bone if I may, What film are you shooting if not 400 step up to it, it will give you a bit in the darker times. Don't zoom in so far with a 35mm you have more resolution than a 12 MP DSLR. Also have the pics burned to cd the you can play with the output in a photo editor. Try the manual focus but first set the diopter on the view finder to your eye, you will be surprised how well the old eyes work even in a fast moving enviorment. Also maybe don't center the object of your desire, use the old 1/3 rule, makes for a much more interesting photo. Use the shortest focal length and the narrowest aperture you can for the most depth of field.
Canon A-1 film
Canon XTI ,17-70 Sigma, 70-300 IS, Quantary 2x telle
then mutiply by 1.6 for a digital 27-112, 112-480 2x 224-960
Canon S5IS (35-485) some where in that range.
LEN
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I went from 200Kodak to 400Fuji. Do you prefer Kodak or Fuji, or know of any better, or does it matter? I need to work on the manual settings with my digital. Thank you for the tips.
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FWIW, I use a Canon 20D and a wide selection of lenses. I shoot all my pics in RAW format and use Photoshop CS2 to convert to jpeg or tif and editing. Its a rather spendy program but makes editing a lot easier. Focus can also enhance some photos. For instance, the first photo the focus is on the bigger buck in the forground, leaving the little buck in the background as an afterthought. The second pic is just the opposite. Although both pics are relativley the same, you get two different stories simply by changing the focus. Most of the pics in "Post Montana" were taken with a Canon 400mm/4FIS or a 100-400mm f4.5-5.6L EF IS. Going with an SLR gives you much more options however may not be cost effective for most.
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Another thing I like doing is using the bushes in the forground as a frame. For outdoor pics it makes it look like you are hiding from the animals or sneaking up on them. Gets the imagination working like in these 2 pics. Notice it looks like I am sneaking up and peaking at them through the bushes. Keep in mind, these are just suggestions, in no way am I saying I know it all, just sharing.
