Bird photography is probably one of the most challenging activities for a nature photographer to tackle. I started out like most people, trying to take a photo of a bird in a tree with a short (200mm) telephoto lens. When I look at my old photos, I sometimes have to squint to see the bird in them! Now I’m very happy with my bird photography, and as you’ll see it takes skill, patience, and a little bit of luck to really get a dynamic bird photo. I recently presented a live online webinar on bird photography, during which I shared some of my favorite photos and shared camera settings and tips on gear and processing. If you have some free time, I hope you can check it out.
As mentioned in my earlier article, the best lens is the one that fits your needs. Sometimes that means having the best optics and fastest aperture, but other times other factors can trump pure optical quality. In today’s episode I take a look at some of the Nikon lenses in my kit and discuss how often I use them.
I just received and installed the Rotorpixel 2-axis gimbal for my DJI Phantom 2 Vision quadcopter. It was fairly straightforward to install, and it really smooths out the video. Unfortunately, I’m stuck inside today with 30 mph wind gusts, so no flying yet. I’ll have a follow-up report once I can test it all out in flight. In the meantime, I did put some video in the clip above from the Phantom 2 Vision with the gimbal installed.
As photographers, we quickly learn to recognize the differences in lighting conditions. We all seek to shoot things in what we call “good light.” But what is good light, anyway? We’ve certainly heard of golden hour and blue hour, and you probably know that overcast skies and midday light aren’t always ideal. In today’s segment of The Sensor Plane, I’ll discuss some common lighting challenges and how to deal with them in the field.
Today on the Sensor Plane I want to talk a little about an oft-overlooked creative tool: white balance. You can use the camera white balance setting to change the mood and feel of your images both directly in camera or in post. While it’s important to get proper white balance in your shots, remember that if you shoot in RAW it’s very easy to adjust after the fact.
The Sensor Plane Photography Podcast with Jason Odell
