Photography is all about decisions but sometimes, while having to make some of these decisions, we tend to get so caught up the detail that we forget to focus on the creative side of things.
Unfortunately a lot of people make decisions, or question their decisions, after having clicked the shutter. I am all for looking at what you have done and decide what you could have done differently in order to learn but this is not always the case. A lot of the time questioning your work can lead to despondency which then leads to negativity and this is definitely not the best frame of mind with which to try and make creative decisions when you are out in the field. If this process keeps spiraling out of control it is not too uncommon for someone in this mindset to start looking at other people’s images and making decision as to why their images are not that good. Again, not a good creative mindset to be in and remember, at least the person whose images you are now questioning went out there, made their decisions, took the shot and is sharing it with their audience.
Wildlife photography is all about decisions and as with anything these decisions get easier with practice. Yeah, the more you do it the easier it gets. Well, the technical side of things anyway.
Now one of the best creative techniques we have out in the field have is the control of aperture. By understanding which aperture to choose and how that choice will influence the depth of field, look and feel of the subsequent images can make a world of difference to your wildlife photography. It is always very frustrating to hear people say that want an f/2.8 lens because now they can shoot in bad light. Yeah, absolutely but way more important than that is how that large aperture is going to affect those images.
The difference between f/2.8 and f/4 could be the difference between having a mind-blowing close up image of a lion’s face or an average one where the eyes are not in focus because you focused on the nose while using a shallow depth of field. See? Lots of decisions that can influence your images.
The following image was shot at an aperture of f/4.
The decision to shoot at f/4 was made in order to throw the background out of focus and place the focus completely on the bird. I kept it at f/4, rather than opening up to f/2.8, because the bird was moving around and I might then have not gotten the whole bird sharp and in focus. Small thing, but just to be safe. Should I have decided to shoot at a smaller aperture, such as f/11, the background would have been a little bit more in focus which would have distracted form the Weaver. Apart from the decision of which aperture to use, other decisions / questions I was faced with when I shot this image included:
- What metering mode should I use?
- What should I expose for?
- Should I frame the images as a portrait or landscape?
- Does the branch across the tail bother me enough not to take the picture?
- How far am I from the subject?
- How far is the background behind the subject?
All of this obviously happens in a split second and gets easier the more you do it. The catch, however, is this. A lot of the decisions we have to make is based on the technical side of things. Photography is a creative art and if you get too caught up in the technical stuff you will will find it difficult to let your creativity run free. You will end up producing technically perfect images without any feeling. Without anything special. For that reason it is important to understand the basics, practice it but not to overcomplicate it.
For the last few weeks I have been working on notes for workshops and photographic safaris I will be running later this year. There is still a lot of work to be done but the process of trying to take the basics and simplifying them while at the same time not forgetting the creative side of things has proven to be quite an interesting ride. It has made me look at, and question, a lot of the technical and creative decisions I have made with images in the past and how I can do things differently, if not the same, in future. Nice exercise.
Anyway, with regards to aperture here is one of the diagrams that I have started putting together for the upcoming workshops and possibly also for an e-book in a month or so. The idea was to take some of the basic technical decisions we have to make out in the field, simplify them and put them into a easy to follow flowchart. So start from the black box and go from there…
Ultimately it is not only important that you get used to making decisions when you are out photographing but also why. The better you understand the decisions you have to make the easier they will become and the more creative control you will have over your images. And that’s what it should all be about.
During the next few weeks I will post a few more of these flowcharts as I work on finalizing my notes. If you have any technical questions or decisions that you find difficult when you are out photographing leave a comment or email me and I will see if I can include them and hopefully help you make those decisions a little easier.
On a slightly different note, I am still working through the many images from my trip to Bangkok and as soon as I have worked through them I will post a picture essay. In the meantime you can check out a number of the images on my updated site by clicking on the logo on the right. The site, which contains my commercial work, is brand new and I am still uploading images and tweaking it here and there but you can view some of the Bangkok pics under the Street and Travel categories.
Yeah, busy year ahead and lots of plans!! 
Gerry
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Gerry, superb topic. The text is compelling. The graphic flowchart works clearly. ‘Tis a good thing! A necessary element in the development of a program for making successful photographic images.
I would like to propose an expansion to your comment on the paragraph below the bullet points (I’d have copied the portion but you seem to have an active ‘no copy’ plug-in; good idea for protection, make interactive discussion a bit more constrained. FWIW). It begins: “All of this obviously happens in a split second…”
My comment is this:
_ _A ‘quality photo’ does not occupy a single definition slot. The determination of success for any given photographic image will be heavily influenced by more than one definition. That definition will be guided by one of two major EndPoints: TECHNICAL or EMOTIONAL._ _
One EndPoint pulls the definition of success toward a TECHNICAL priority for the photo. This priority for technical optimization is displayed in images defined by: focus, color, clarity, contrast, etc. A defining ‘Rule-of-thumb’, for animated subjects, is to have the ‘EYE’ in focus, first an foremost. Thus, if the image is clearly in focus, proper contrast, correct color, clear depth-of-field, etc., is therefore a success.
Another EndPoint pulls the definition of success toward the pulse, or emotive of the photo, thus making EMOTION the priority of the photo. Does the photo compel or repel? Does the photo convey a story or cloud the inspiration? Does the photo invoke response or leave the viewer flaccid?
If a photographer internalizes the notion or concept that a photo is a success by the first standard, then their work is likely to be filled with very technically perfect work, that lacks the luster you refer to – in the referenced paragraph as, “…without feeling. Without anything special.”
On the other hand, if the photographer concentrates on capturing images evoking life, vibrance, emotion, existence – there is a high likelihood that these images will fail in a number of technical areas, but will greatly appreciated for their ability to convey meaning and emotion.
Thus, I will assume, the commentary you have put forth is presuming such an avenue – flowchart selection as it were – has been chosen and the next question to consider in planning the f-stop used, would be heavily influenced by the, ‘line of success’, the photographer will be seeking.
IF not, then I would submit that discussing the EndPoint of the photograph before the f-stop would make the f-stop selection a far more intuitive and fluid element of the work flow.
Impressive and informative entry.
!
I am still mostly a snap shooter.
Means when something hops in front of my lens, I first shoot.
If I get the chance and whatever it was that hopped in front of my lens is still there after that, I think what I can do to improve the shot
Your tips and Infos will sure help me the next time I am out there
Thanks!
THanx great tips and entry Gerry……very informative
Grant