Photography Course

Wildlife Photography - A Primer
By Marv Binegar

Alaska Brown Bear

Nikon F4s, Nikkor 400mm/3.5, Fujichrome 100

While hiking the trail to Brooks Falls in Katmai National Park, I heard what sounded like an Olympic sprinter in bedroom slippers behind me. I managed to get a few feet off the trail before a large brown bear with a salmon flopping in its mouth ran past. A few seconds later, an even larger bear ran past in hot pursuit. The bears were so intent on the salmon that they paid no attention to me.

First Things First

Success as a wildlife photographer starts with a natural affinity for the outdoors and the creatures which inhabit it. Most serious wildlife photographers, while not formally trained biologists, are astute observers of wildlife. They spend far more time reading about and watching animals than they do actually making photographs. Today there are many more sources of information about animals than at any previous time. Local libraries have access to books on just about every species known to exist. An incredible source of information about animals is the internet. There are literally hundreds of sites with information on wildlife behavior. Not to be overlooked are outstanding animal videos such as the National Geographic productions, which can be rented or purchased from any number of sources.

The quality of your wildlife images depends upon capturing the most interesting behavior of the animals you wish to photograph. The first and foremost rule of wildlife photography is that a photographer must never do anything which endangers or unduly stresses an animal. It is the animals natural behavior that provides opportunities for interesting photographs, and you should do nothing to alter that behavior. For instance the antics of the fall breeding season (rut) are of great interest to the photographers of elk. In order to record this behavior, you have to know where to find a large number of fairly cooperative elk, and you need to know exactly when the breeding season occurs in that particular location.

Bugling Rocky Mountain Elk

Canon EOS-1V, Canon EF 600mm/4 IS, Ektachrome 100vs

This bugling elk put on a magnificent display of rutting behavior. Knowing something about elk behavior made it possible to be in the right place at the right time in order to create this image.

Alaskan brown bear photographers, on the other hand, will want to capture the concentration of bears as they feed on a run of salmon. They’ll need to know when and where the salmon are running, and how the bears are likely to behave as they’re feeding. Now if you want to capture the pageantry of a caribou migration, you’ll need to identify a location where you can photograph the herd just after the calves are born. You’ll also need to know how you can get close enough to this phenomena to create quality photos. Photographing wolves in the wild is best accomplished at their denning area. Knowing where a pack has established their den, whether pups are present, when they are active, and how the pack is likely to react to the presence of a photographer are essential pieces of information. Even photographing a squirrel in your backyard requires some understanding of the animal’s behavior patterns and tolerance of humans in order to record effective images.

Equipped with some basic knowledge about a species’ behavior, the photographer’s next step is to find a population of animals which is accessible.

Caribou

Nikon FM-2, Nikkor 300mm/4.5, Fujichrome 100

Migrating caribou demonstrate some of the most interesting behavior that I have observed.
Sometimes they’ll break into a run when they spot a patch of snow on the arctic plain. Led
by the new calves, a group of animals will repeatedly run to the top of the snow field and
slide down. Sometimes the cows get involved, but I’ve never seen a bull sliding. I’m not
sure of why they do this, but it looks like they’re having a wonderful time, sliding
hell-bent-for-leather with their long legs askew.

Depending upon which species you want to photograph and
where you live, this could be as close as your own backyard or as distant as another
continent. The excellent national parks and wildlife refuges of the United States and
Canada are home to most of North America’s species. These animals are usually not
hunted and are more tolerant of humans than those living outside of parks and refuges.
Some wildlife photographers take advantage of the opportunities to photograph captive or
semi-tame creatures in zoos or on game farms. Others refuse to do this on ethical grounds,
insisting upon photographing only wild and free animals.

Equally as important as gathering information about various
wildlife species is the acquisition of basic photographic knowledge. Successful wildlife
photographers all started by photographing things which didn’t try to run away!
Photography is one of those endeavors nobody knows everything about. It is a matter of
life-long learning. Beginning and intermediate photographers need to take every workshop,
class, and photo tour that they can afford. They also need to read every photo book and
magazine available. Photographic artistry comes from years of study and practice,
practice, and more practice.

Camera/Lens Support

Perhaps the most important piece of equipment for wildlife photographers is a high quality, heavy-duty tripod. Although there are many brands available, the ultimate tripods are manufactured by Gitzo although Manfrotto, Slik, Benbo, and other companies also produce excellent tripods. Today, the photographer can choose between traditional metal styles and the newer carbon fiber construction. No matter which material you chose, it is essential that the tripod be sturdy enough to support your longest lens at slow shutter speeds, but not so heavy or unwieldy as to keep you from using it. Depending upon your physical strength and the focal length and weight of your longest lens, the best choices are probably Gitzo’s 3 and 4 series or other maker’s tripods of comparable size. The lighter weight of the carbon fiber legs allows the photographer to use models with larger diameter legs.

Bull Moose

Nikon F3, Nikon 400mm/3.5, Fujichrome 100

This resident of Denali National Park was not crazy about my photographing him. When I saw
his hackles go up and his ears lay back, I knew it was time to back off. Moose can be
aggressive and dangerous photo subjects. Knowing a bit about wildlife behavior can prevent photographers from injury.

The most popular tripod heads with wildlife photographers fall into two categories. First are the traditional large, precision ballheads such as those made by Arca-Swiss, Studioball, and Kirk Enterprises. These heads have the great advantage of movement in all directions being controlled by one knob. The second type of head is the gimbal style head such as the Wimberly head or Kirk Enterprises Cobra. The gimbal style is excellent for the fast action of wildlife photography with a long, heavy lens because its design suspends the lens at its balancing point, allowing it to swing easily from side to side and up and down. My favorite example of this style is the Wimberly Sidekick which fits into a traditional ballhead, converting it to a gimbal head. By adding the Sidekick to your arsenal you can have the advantages of both styles at your fingertips.

One other camera/lens support that every wildlife photographer needs is a good window pod. Many of the subjects that you’ll want to photograph are tolerant of vehicles, but will not stay around for a photographer on foot. Kirk Enterprises and L.L. Rue both sell excellent window pods.

Film

Today’s successful wildlife photographers still use the 35mm film format. Digital imaging can’t approach the quality and convenience of film at this time, and other film formats have never really caught on with serious wildlife photographers.

The quality of films available in both transparency and print varieties is amazing. The most popular films are made by Kodak and Fuji. Although, print film is becoming more popular among professionals, most still rely on transparency film. The most utilized films are the slower, fine-grained films such as Fujichrome’s Velvia (ISO 50) and Provia (ISO 100) and Kodak’s Ektachrome 100VS (ISO 100). Generally, wildlife photographers are likely to avoid faster films because they know that they will be sacrificing resolution and saturation by using them. When faster film is needed, they are more likely to push one of the ISO 100 films one stop, exposing it at ISO 200.

Cameras and Lenses

Wildlife photographers buy a camera system. In other words they add pieces of equipment as they need them, and so they choose a manufacturer that produces a wide array of cameras, lenses, and accessories. Many serious wildlife photographers use either Canon or Nikon equipment. Both companies manufacture professional quality cameras and lenses, and they lead the industry in bringing innovations to the market.

Both Canon and Nikon produce a number of cameras in different price ranges that are more than adequate for most wildlife photographers. The flagships are currently the Canon EOS 1V and the Nikon F5. These are amazing instruments, with capabilities that most photographers won’t utilize. Even Nikon’s and Canon’s lowest cost cameras are light year’s more advanced than the best cameras made only a few years ago. Some features are more important than others. Autofocus, a fast motor drive, several exposure modes, depth of field preview, and a choice of metering modes are very important features. Whatever models you choose, be sure you have a second camera body. That way a malfunction in one camera won’t put you out of business.

Columbian White-tailed Deer

Canon EOS-1, Canon EF 500mm/4.5, Fuji Provia

Becoming familiar with a tolerant population of a particular species is helpful. There is
a refuge which protects the endangered Columbian white-tailed deer a couple of hours away from my home. Many hours of observation has helped me anticipate when and where the animals may be photographed.

Most wildlife images are made with telephoto lenses. The ultimate wildlife lenses are the 500mm f4 or 600mm f4 models made by several manufacturers. Also popular are zoom lenses which extend to 300mm or 400mm. Some newer lenses by Canon and Nikon feature image stabilization or vibration reduction technology, a great advancement for wildlife photographers. At a minimum, an aspiring wildlife photographer needs at least a 300mm telephoto. Faster lenses (those with larger maximum apertures) are much more expensive than slower ones, but they are also much smaller and lighter. Serious photographers should buy the fastest long lenses that they can afford (discounted prices can approach five figures for some Canon and Nikon lenses). It is also advisable to buy the same brand of lenses as your cameras. Or, if you can’t afford Canon’s or Nikon’s latest, to buy all of your lenses from the same reputable lens manufacturer such as Tamron, Tokina, or Sigma. Useful accessories include 1.4x (or 1.5x) and 2.0x teleconverters which extend the useful range of your lenses. They should be made by the same manufacturer as your lenses.

Copyright 2000/ Marv Binegar

Marv Binegar is a freelance photographer and writer specializing in the American West. His work has appeared in publications such as OUTDOOR PHOTOGRAPHER, NATURE PHOTOGRAPHY, BACKPACKER, OUTSIDE, NATURE AND TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC TRAVELER, and many regional magazines. In addition, his photographs are utilized by publishers of calendars, greeting cards, and books.

If you would like to purchase any of Marv’s great photos you may contact him by clicking HERE

Processing your own film will save you bucks AND give you great
feedback on your shooting!

By processing your own film you will be able to evaluate how good you are shooting…. and, if you do it soon after shooting the film, you’ll remember what the light and scenery was like.  Which means you will become a better photographer faster, and have more pride and confidence as a photographer.

You’ll need a developing tank, reels and negative sleeves. I do not recommend getting plastic tanks nor reels… only stainless steel.

You will also need a clock, thermometer (this thermometer was purchased from a local pet shop) and the chemicals (Tetanal C41 developing kit)

If you buy from a good camera store they can order the Tetenal kits.

The measuring cup in your kitchen is perfect for accurate measuring when mixing chemicals and a simple funnel makes for accurate pouring.

You also need to know how to read instructions.   Simple as that.  There is no real mystery to the process, it is quite similar to cooking because it involves time and temperature.   And the manufacturer has made mixing the few chemicals quite easy.

The only time you need a light-tight room is to load the film onto the reels, or you can use a light-tight changing bag. I’ve had assignments all over the country, as a news photographer, and found that any bathroom can be made completely dark quite easily.

You need to practice loading the film onto the reels.  Use a scrap roll of film and get used to loading the film onto the reel with your eyes closed. The lead part of the film should be cut straight so you can insert it cleanly into the center of the reel.  Notice that I have put a slight curve on the film so that it will feed into the grooves easily. It will be clumsy at first but  you soon will acquire the “right feel” of slightly curling the film and feeding it into the reel’s grooves.

Once you have acquired the knack, go ahead into the darkened room and load film onto the reels and place inside the tank.   Place the lid on securely and the film is safely stored
inside a tank that allows you to pour chemicals in and out.

Mix the chemicals according to the
instructions, being careful to clean the measuring cup and funnel after each mix.
You can use empty milk containers ( well cleaned) or glass bottles.  You should try
to use containers small enough so that you do not have a lot of air in the bottle.
As  you can see the “BF” (bleach/fix) bottle is only half full and that
chemical will go “sour” after a while.

I
usually run hot water into the bathtub to about four inches high and then place the
bucket, loaded with the chemicals, into that.  Then I run hot water into the
bucket.  Water usually comes out of the hot water faucet at about 120 degrees…. and
should bring the chemicals up to 100 degrees, which is the preferred temperature.
The bathtub water should keep chemical temps stable throughout the whole process.  IT
IS IMPORTANT THAT YOU DEVELOP THE FILM AT EXACTLY 100 DEGREES!   Don’t worry, if you
follow the procedures listed above, you’ll be fine.

Read the instructions thoroughly BEFORE you begin
processing so you are aware of the times and temps.  Then simply follow those
instructions to process the film.  It will only take you about fifteen minutes to
complete processing and I recommend you use running water for the final wash, dumping the
tank a few times at the start.  When it comes time to dry the film you might want to
use rubbing alcohol to soak the washed film.  The alcohol replaces most of the
water and makes drying much faster.  Then, simply hang the film from the shower
curtain rod, close the door and do not go back in for at least a half hour.  You do
not want to stir up the air - with the dust - and put dirt on the wet film.

To determine how accurate you were
developing the film (time and temp) you need only look at the edge numbers of the
developed film.  They should look similar to the sample at right…. not too black
and not too light.

Good luck with the magic!!!

If you are not aware of which cloud formations are condusive to beautiful sunsets, you will waste valuable time and film on an inferior sunset.

And, if you have not checked around and found out what makes for good sunset photographs, you will not even be aware that your sunset pics are inferior.

If you do not know that the final minute of a sunset is most critical you might miss the perfect moment.  The sun descends at such a rapid rate that you can actually see it move.  Thus every second counts.

And, if you are not aware that you shouldn’t just take a direct reading with your meter, you will end up severely under-exposed because the sun is aimed directly at your meter.  You must open up at least two to three stops in order to get proper exposure on the clouds and water where the light, that gets to the film, is a lot weaker.

On becoming a Pro. How to become a professional photographer? First and foremost.

1. Do your homework
2. Study your subject matter
3. Do not go into any shooting situation blind

The more you know ahead of time, the less time you will waste trying to come up with relevant, intelligent art. Let’s take the simplest of situations shooting a sunset.

Be helpful to other photographers, especially other pros. Free-lance photography is a very difficult way to make a living so help out. Share info and equipment if you can. Be tolerant and friendly to amateur photographers who ask your help. They show their love and respect for something you believe in.

You must never be a part of the situation you are shooting be it a wedding or a news event or a family gathering. You must learn to be an unattached observer or you alter the purity and honest of the events before you. You must not photograph people when you are in a private place unless you have their permission. That is invasion of privacy and against the law.

If you get their permission you are well advised to tell those folks what you intend to do with the photo.

In fact, you may not sell that photograph for commercial purposes, even though you received permission to photograph the person, unless you have a “Photo Release” from that person giving you the right to use the picture for commercial use.

If you are on public property and manage to photograph something that transpires on private property you may use that photograph for you personal use, and have it published in a legitimate media - like a newspaper or Internet website - however, you may not sell, or use, that photograph for the purposes of making money off of it.

Being a photographer carries with the responsibility of never altering a photograph. (You can lighten, darken, sharpen, or crop the image and be safe. To alter is to “Make or become different in some particular way, without permanently losing one’s or its former characteristics or essence - either through darkroom techniques or digital “enhancement” - you are compromising the purity and integrity of the art.) Photography has an inherent quality of honest and you must have the courage to stand by the image.

I put this old sports shot up to impress upon all of you a few basic MUSTS about shooting sports. Learn and practice these pre-requisites and you will be well on your way to shooting good sports photos.

This is a Corvette sports car that was in a sanctioned race. It blew out its brakes and then it’s transmission (downshifting), screamed across the infield and the track on the other side…. and then hit an embankment.

It was launched airborne …. and fifty other photographers did not get this, the peak of action.

They had fancier cameras but that in itself was not enough. They did not study and/or analyze this sport. Knew nothing about racing. And simply assumed that, because they had the “finest cameras” their photos would be fine too.

I studied sports car racing. I walked most of the track in search of the best vantage point. And I brought along a 50-300mm zoom lens to find THE vantage point that would allow me capture the best possible action.

I watched the Corvette head down a long straight-away, he didn’t slow down, and I knew he was in trouble. He screamed off the track onto the infield (which is when the other fifty photographers shot their pics … and got shots of a car driving on grass.) I waited and zoomed in…. he crossed the track on the other side….. I waited and zoomed in some more…. and when he hit that embankment I hit the shutter, capturing him in mid-air.

My photo was published nationally, the other fifty photographers are still scratching their heads.

SOOOOOO…. get to know your subject matter.

Find the best vantage point in terms of good lighting and maximum activity.

Bring equipment that has the best chance capturing the images you want.

The key to capturing all fast action sports is to develop your ability to concentrate and anticipate. You will do much better if you know WHAT to concentrate on and WHAT to anticipate.