warblings
Flight Photography
TECHNIQUES – PART 2
In the second and final part of the Flight
Photography Techniques series, we move
into the finer points of this demanding form
of avian photography. In the last issue, we
concluded that using only the centre point
of your auto focus (AF) system is the best
way to track birds. The importance of setting
your camera to “track” was addressed, so
the camera focuses continuously. Finally, although
not an absolute necessity, we talked
about getting used to shooting in manual
exposure mode, which has clear advantages
for flight photography.
Sky versus
terrain — bumping
The sky to terrain transition poses one of
the biggest challenges for the AF system.
Blue sky backgrounds have their place,
but if we were to limit all our in-flight images
to a bird against a blue backdrop, our
portfolios would take on a rather one-dimensional
quality. Terrestrial backgrounds
with out-of-focus trees and greenery that
take on a painterly look can be suggestive
of habitat and lend a degree of visual
depth to the image. Unfortunately, non-sky
backgrounds are notorious for confusing
AF systems. Your camera will often try to
focus on the trees and bushes in the background.
To work around this tendency,
a technique known....
By Scott Linstead
Contributing Editor
To read more from this column please ...
BIO
Scott Linstead(1977) worked as an aerospace engineer and then as
a high-school teacher before moving on to professional wildlife
photography. The purchase of a 500mm lens in 2006 quickly elevated
avian photography from a serious hobby to the point of obsession.
Scott strives to produce images that are an inseparable alloy of natural history and art.
He believes that universally striking wildlife images are a key element in public awareness and conservation.
Scott lives with his wife, Stephanie, in Maple Grove, Quebec, Canada.
Please click here for Scott's site.
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