| Composition is cardinal to a good picture |
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Inclusion of the tree on the left of the elephants is crucial to the balance and appeal of the picture. Unless one visualises the outcome of the image in advance, newer ideas will not come by, which in turn will be the difference between a good and a great picture. The image has been cropped from top and bottom to give it a panaromic feel.
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| Landscape photography is the most non-exhaustive branch of photography |
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In your urge to get close to mammals, reptiles and birds to make portrait pictures, try not to ignore the bigger picture - the forest or the waterfront that supports such spellbinding conglomerate of wild species. India, with such wide array of habitat types, is a fantastic place to pursue landscape photography. I have been shooting landscapes for nearly two decades yet I know that I have merely scratched the surface.
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| Back-lit leaves make extraordinary subjects |
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The translucence of leaves coupled with a profusion of veins and their symmetry makes leaves excellent subjects for back-lit photography. In addition to these attributes, their ever-changing colouration and texture provide unending photo-opportunity, even after they have been shed by the parent tree.
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| Capturing movement |
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Such images can be created when the animal is moving. Two important considerations are - a) use of relatively slow shutter speeds (below 125th of a second) and b) panning the camera to follow the trajectory of the animal. This way the animal will appear 'still' in the image while the background will be blurred, accentuating the feeling of motion. With little practice on moving vehicles in the city, you will be able to create such images easily in the wild.
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| A bean bag is a good substitute for a tripod |
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The shape and size of bean bags vary greatly based on the size and weight of the lens. Some people like light bean bags and hence use plastic beads as the filling. Others who like heavy ones, use uncooked rice to stuff their bean bags. I use a cotton bag with a zipper. This allows me to carry an empty bag to the field, fill it up with uncooked rice, take pictures, empty it at the end of the trip and bring an empty bag back with me. This saves a lot of space in my camera kit.
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| Magic of multiple flashguns |
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Multiple flashguns (2 or 3) from different directions, especially while shooting small wildlife (insects, spiders, reptiles, amphibians, fish, etc.) add a lot of sparkle to the photograph. Apart from allowing the use of large depth-of-field (large f-number such as 16, 22 & more) it completely cuts the distractions caused by a single flash unit mounted on the camera. The resulting studio-like effect makes the images ideal for use in Field Guides to enable identification of species in the field.
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| Knowledge provides opportunity |
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The benefit of thorough natural history knowledge to a wildlife photographer cannot be overstated. Males of several species of fast flying, tiny butterflies visit carnivore excreta (scat) to extract vital minerals essential for their body functions. Once on the scat they seldom get disturbed and allow phenomenal photographic opportunity. Several of these species are extremely difficult to detect let alone photograph when not on their favorite food source!
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| Shallow apertures separate the subject from the background |
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While shooting wildlife portraits, try to isolate the subject from the surrounding. This can be achieved by reducing the depth-of-field, i.e. blurring the background. For this you may choose to increase the focal length of the lens or shoot the subject when the background vegetation is far away from it or reduce the f-number (widen the aperture of the lens). For instance, f2.8 will create a more intense blur compared to f5.6, which in turn will produce a better blur than f11 and so on.
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| The rule of two thirds |
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Bang-in-center horizons are more often than not boring. Search for a focal point in the landscape & give it prominence by shifting the line of horizon to include a larger area around it. This could be a boat in the water or clouds in the sky or a group of animals or natural geometric formations or a bunch of floating leaves as shown in the accompanying photograph. An off-center horizon also gives a feeling of greater depth-of-field. Wide-angle lenses are excellent for creating such pictures.
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| Use a reference object to estimate size of pugmarks in the field |
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A ruler, a pen, a coin or any other known standard object placed alongside a pugmark or scat improves the ability to estimate the relative size of the photographed animal sign. This, in turn, allows an accurate identification of the species from the indirect evidence. For instance, without a clear understanding of size, it is sometime difficult to differentiate between the pugmark of a tiger and a leopard. However, a pen placed near the pugmark acts as a reference point for estimating size.
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| Time lapse still photography |
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These time lapse images were shot at the Sanjay Gandhi National Park, Mumbai. The semi-evergreen forest bears a deserted look in winter with a predominant brown shade of the grass and leaf-less trees. As soon as the rains arrive the entire forest undergoes a phenomenal change with fresh leaves and grass engulfing every surface. Photographers can depict this miracle of life easily by taking pictures of the same location in two different seasons.
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| Use photography to reveal the unseen |
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Camouflage is primarily used for two reasons- a) to hide from predators & b) to stalk prey. In both situations, unless the animal superimposes its body against a matching substrate its strategy will not work. This praying mantis is camouflaged against a dry bark. However, if it sits on a green leaf its cover will be blown & it will be vulnerable to bird or lizard attack. Observe barks & leaves carefully. Being the most prevalent substrate, many animals have evolved colours to merge with them.
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| Macro photography |
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Several good macro or micro lenses are available in the market today. A good fixed focal-length macro or a zoom macro lens is very handy in the field. Larger the focal length the better it is as the photographer can maintain a safe distance between him- or herself and the subject. Moreover, while using in-built flash, being farther away from the subject obviates the chances of casting a shadow of the lens on the subject. A macro lens will open up a whole new world for you. Try one.
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| Slow shutter speeds can be used as a tool to indicate motion |
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The use of slow shutter speeds while photographing waterfalls accentuates the motion of the water apart from adding a milky glow to the cascade. An overcast weather will help as one can reduce the shutter speed considerably (lower than 1/3rd of a second) by simply decreasing the aperture to f18 or f22. The use of tripod is a must for taking such photographs.
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| Try to photograph birds in flight |
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The thought of birds gliding through air conjures up visions of freedom, the single most desired state of mind among humans. Photographers, now-a-days, with their highly sophisticated equipment, are capturing more and more of these magnificent flight images. Among the most preferred angles of flight photography is the one where the bird is at eye-level. The best place to achieve this is near a water body, loaded with water birds.
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| Use silhouettes more often than you currently are |
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Silhouettes of animals or trees or land formations, especially against fading light can make extremely warm images. If you can add colour to the background, which is easy during sunrise or sunset, the silhouette becomes even more interesting. However, monochrome, well composed silhouettes can be as interesting. Start looking beyond the obvious. While metering the camera pretend that the dark objects are non-existent. In other words meter the brighter parts of the frame.
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| Action photography |
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It is advisable to photograph animals in action - butterflies sucking nutrients from some substrate, mammals hunting prey, courting birds, snake swallowing prey, individuals fighting, monkey leaping, animals sprinting etc. This adds a lot of natural flavor to the photograph and highlights the fact that lives of these animals are not static, as depicted in many tight close-ups. A crisp portrait can make a powerful picture, but will find it difficult to compete with a crisp action photograph.
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| Make the most of the early morning light |
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The early morning winter light with its slanting trajectory is best for getting the catch-light in the eye of animals and also for imparting a warming effect to the photo. Additionally, no shadows are cast beneath the eye or skin folds of animals. The soft tone of the light reduces the strong contrast that the afternoon light casts. There is a golden tinge to the morning pictures but audiences are tolerant to it. So, be in the field as early as you can to intercept the spectacular morning hues.
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| Nature photography need not be about animals or landscapes alone |
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India's wildlife reserves are protected by a dedicated bunch of field staff (permanent & temporary) who spend their entire life away from their families, under extremely testing circumstances (including appallingly limited resources). For me, they are the unsung heroes of India's conservation effort- who get the stick at the drop of a hat if something goes wrong but never any accolade for protecting India's life-giving ecosystems. Use images to communicate their unparalleled role to the world..
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| Eye-level Photography |
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When shooting small animals such as lizards, frogs, and insects try your best to take eye-level photographs. This will improve the communication value of the photograph and separate the subject from the background. Remember that small subjects look even smaller when photographed from the top.
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| Animals should look into rather than out of the picture |
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Leave more space in front of the face rather than behind it. This will encourage the viewer to search for the object that the animal is looking at and make her/him spend that many more seconds on the picture.
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| Photographers must respect the privacy of wildlife subjects |
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Every life-form, big or small, has the right to privacy & in no condition, should the photographer in you overlook this fact. Never infringe into their private space unless it shows prospects of some significant scientific record. If you happen to displace an insect to take a better picture, ensure that it is released back in the same location where it was first found. Do not upturn stones in search of photographable spiders/geckos/scorpions, as this may cause irreversible damage to their lairs.
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| Start shooting sunsets to pep up yourself about your own photography skills |
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Photographing sunsets or sunrises is the easiest way to encourage the photographer in you. The vibrancy of the sky has a universal appeal. Most people have an in-built appreciation for the evening or morning skies. Additionally, people are not very critical about seeing the exact hues on your image, as they have seen the sky transforming from bright yellow to deep red. Simply put, people will like your image even if it is slightly under- or over-exposed. Go for it.
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| Look out for interesting animal behavior |
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Wildlife photographers, with the advent of good telephoto lenses, are tempted to take crisp, tight, portraits of animals. However, photographers must also use these lenses to include more of the surrounding. This will help them take interesting animal-animal or animal-plant interactions. Such photos will enthuse the viewer and increase the understanding of the species. Fighting, feeding, pollinating, stalking, hunting, mating, hovering are some of the behaviors that must be captured on camera.
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| A perch is as important as the animal sitting on it |
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Look to photograph animals, especially birds, when they are perched on interesting substrates. Textures on dry or lichen-laden log or branch is far more favorable than a wire or a thin, broken twig. Refrain from setting-up artificial perches in the field. Knowledgeable people will tell the difference between natural and artificial ones. Additionally, the species is likely to be exposed to a greater predatory risk if the perch is placed in an exposed area for better light.
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| Create different angles and ways of capturing a wild animal on camera |
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A closeup of the face of a tiger or a crocodile is tempting but the photographer must look out for opportunities to capture those aspects of the species that are symbolic to the way people see the species in the wild. This could mean a closeup of the beak of a hornbill, or the eyelash of an elephant or a giraffe, or the fingers of a monkey holding a thin branch - to highlight the most impressive or the most ignored parts of the species. If it comes good the audience will relish the image.
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| Urban Wildlife |
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You do not need to go to the Himalaya for wildlife images. If you have the eye, there will always be exciting shooting opportunities around your house. These juvenile Tailorbirds in my backyard proved to be just the right subjects. Two fledglings would regularly visit my garden at a fixed time before sunset. They roosted at the same spot, a well-hidden horizontal twig about a metre from the ground. I observed the birds for a week before planning the shoot. And the result is in front of you.
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| Create artistic images without displacing or handling wildlife |
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Though the ubiquitous snail seldom attracts attention, it is a cooperative subject and will provide a wildlife photographer what a bird or a butterfly never will – time! Thus, it can be utilised to master techniques before moving to more mobile subjects. Care must be taken to not displace or handle the animal
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| Lookout for interesting objects around the subject |
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Compose the frame carefully. Avoid certain distractions due to a harsh background or a foreground, eg brightly coloured objects, a broken branch, plastic wrapper, tourist vehicle, bright patch of sunlight etc. However sometimes, something in the surrounding enhances the quality of the picture or tells something vital about the subject. During such occasions, include it.
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| Maximise Depth-of-field while shooting landscapes |
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F-stop, aperture & depth-of-field are directly connected with each other. While shooting landscapes, shoot at the highest possible F-stop, which means the lowest possible aperture. As you increase the F-stop from f5.6 to f22, the aperture decreases, which in turn, results in an increase in depth-of-field. Unfortunately, as F-stop increases, shutter speed decreases. To avoid shake use a tripod. In absence of a tripod, anchor the camera against a substrate or your elbow against your chest.
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| Shoot with a purpose |
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Shooting images at random is perfectly legitimate, but when you have a purpose in mind, it does often make just that difference since you are better focused and possibly better prepared. What I have attempted with such images is to raise awareness about the ruthless massacre of wild animals at the hands of mindless development. Roads are important but they can always be planned better so that they do not cut through wildlife-rich habitats, thereby avoiding collateral damage to wildlife.
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| Kill camera shake with a Tripod |
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Camera shake is the number one enemy of photographers. The difference between a crisp, award-winning image and a run-of-the-mill snapshot could well be camera shake. Use a tripod, shoulder-pod, monopod or chest-pod. In the absence of a tripod/monopod/chest-pod try to shoot at as high a shutter speed as light will permit. Avoid shooting from a moving vehicle. In fact, insist that the engine is switched off as engine vibration kills critical sharpness.
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| The forest floor is a treasure trove of information |
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Always keep an eye on the forest floor - this applies to researchers, tourists, forest staff & photographers. Often, the forest floor captures & communicates the story of the recent past. Animal tracks, animal excreta, kills, vehicle movement, indirect evidences left behind by poachers - everything is recorded by the substrate. The best naturalists are those who can detect the faintest evidences on the forest floor. Photographers too should be alive to this aspect of natural history.
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| Always keep the eye of the subject in focus |
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When in a conversation with another person, we generally look at the eye and talk. This habit is carried forward even when we look at images in a book or on television. Therefore, the golden rule while photographing portraits is that the eye of the subject be in sharp focus at all times.
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| Know your subject well |
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A good wildlife photograph is a product of equipment, understanding of its limitations, lot of patience and above all, knowledge of the subject. Read about the natural history of your subject - activity pattern, best time for sighting, breeding season and temperament of the animal.
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| Insects in your backyard |
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You do not have to go to a forest to photograph insects. Keep your camera within reach even when you are at home. There are enough and more variety of insects in and around our homes. Practice to shoot insects under different light conditions and backgrounds. This will come handy when you go to a forest.
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