Wildlife
Get to know the pro
Name: Elliott Neep
Website: www.neepimages.cm
Photographic specialism: Wildlife
Pro
wildlife photographer Elliott Neep shares a few nuggets of useful advice
Favourite location to Photograph? East
Africa and polar regions
Best time of day to school? Morning light
Preferred kit? Nikon D3s, 600mm lens and
super-wide-angle lens.
Mini bio: Elliott is an award-winning
professional wildlife photographer who supplies stock images to Getty Images
and FLPA. Throughout the year, Elliott also work as a photographic tour leader
for Oryx WPE (Rockjumper) and as a staff photographer for Silversea
Expeditions.
How to achieve excellent wildlife images
Get a decent tripod
Good camera a support is an essential
element for getting sharp photographs in low light! Get yourself sorted with a
good-quality, sturdy tripod and separate tripod head. Avoid using the flimsy,
wildlife-alerting silver ‘hobby’ tripods.
Adjust your aperture
With super-telephoto lenses, your depth of
field is significantly compressed. There’s little difference between ‘single
stops’ (f4 to f5.6) when you’re up-close. To make a noticeable change, move in
bigger steps. Don’t get caught up on the technicalities of ‘sweet spots’ and
f-numbers.
Pan with movement
Panned motion-blurs require a steady hand
or a tripod for a smooth lateral movement. Pan in the direction of the subject
with a shutter speed of around 1/10-1/30sec. An excellent motion blur requires
a recognisable subject with a sharp head or face and this technique works best
in low light or overcast conditions.
Get in close
It’s easy to get carried away with
telephoto lenses. Try using a wide-angle lens to get up close to your subject,
it will enable you to capture the habitat and tell more of a story, creating an
engaging image.
Up your ISO
It’s better to have a sharp shot with some
noise, than a clean shot with a blurred subject. The latest DSLR cameras com
with superb noise-reduction technology, so when you’re shooting in low light,
use it and up the ISO!
Consider composition
For a more dynamic composition, avoid
placing the subject centre-frame. Compose with the subject to the side or in
one of the corners, looking into the space on the other side. Read up on the
rule of thirds – it works for a reason.
Stay in focus
Shoot on continuous autofocus when taking
wildlife portraits. Unlike photographing people, wildlife subjects are
constantly alert, on the move and looking around. If your subject happens to
look away to the side and you are focus-locked, the shot will be out of focus
Focus points
Use Single AF mode when photographing a
static still-life object, or when you need to compose a more contextual shot
with your main subject outside of your focus points.
Get low
Remember you can move to the side and
adjust height even with a tripod. A metre or two to the side can make a huge
difference to the background when using a telephoto. Getting down low will also
help diffuse the foreground and background.
Focus on the eyes
People connect with an image through the
eyes of the subject, so time your shots for great eye contact and get down to
the subject’s eye level. Above all else, make sure those eyes are sharp.
Embrace the elements
Don’t be afraid of the elements. Rain,
wind, and snow have the power to transform the everyday into the remarkable.
Besides, there is no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing.
Be observant
Avoid the machine-gunning approach to
wildlife photography. Be selective and observant of your surroundings and the
behaviour of the subject. Pick your moments with critical timing, waiting for
that look, intimacy, interaction, drama, or brilliant light.
Compose to crop
Cropping can drastically change the
composition of an image. Many wildlife and landscape images benefit from a 2:1
or 2.5:1 panoramic crop. I frequently compose for the cropped image, before I
shoot it.
Capture details
Floral photographs are best compiled as a
study. Start with a telephoto to capture the whole plant portrait: get close up
with the wide angle to show the subject in its environment. Capture the
intricate details with a macro lens, or telephoto lens with extension tubes.
Keep practicing
If your only photo experience is twice a
year on holiday, how are you supposed to improve? Get down to the local park or
pond and photograph wildlife as often as you can.
Patience is key
Being a good wildlife photographer is as
much about knowing what not to shoot and what to leave out of the frame, than
anything else. Learn to recognise the potential in a scene and what elements
make for a great wildlife image.
Putting it into practice
1. Settings
Adjust your camera settings prior to
shooting so that you’re ready to capture any fast-moving subjects.
Select a fast shutter speed in your shutter
priority mode; the camera will then determine the correct aperture setting for
the exposure.
2. Setup
Now set your AF mode to continuous so you
never lose focus and get down to your subject’s eye level. Ensure the camera
has focused correctly on the animal’s eyes before shooting.
3. The results
Being patient will result in fantastically
sharp portrait shots of your subject. However, always remember to respect the
animal’s habitat if you’re getting in close to shoot. As a rule, safety comes
before the shot.
