Wildlife Photography across the Water: Mini Trip Report - Part 5

Tuesday, 26 October 2010

Mini Trip Report - Part 5 - Poor Light

Sometimes, no matter what, and no matter how the light on the subject is always going to be crap. It is at times like that that we really (usually) do know better and should go off and do something else. When I took my recent trip to Gigrin to the Red Kites - see previous posts here , here and here. the light on the first day was awful. It wasn't likely to get better and I knew the images were going to be crap.

So why did I stay for a couple of hours in the cold and miserable weather? Many reasons

1.   It was time to experiment!!

2.    It gave me the opportunity to check out my C1, C2 and C3 settings to make sure things were still in order.

3.   Have a crack at using the flash to infill

4.   To get some practice in for the next day when I hoped the weather was better.

5.   To study my subjects behaviour - how the flew, how they fed so I was better equipped for next time.

6. Lastly and most importantly, I just love watching the wildlife - a picture is a bonus

So here are a couple of shots to demonstrate that you cannot make a sows purse from a pigs ear when the light is shite!!

Both with 7D, ISO1600, 500 f4L, 580EX flash head plus Better Beamer giving the 'steel eye' look. I could have edited it out - but the images would still be poor. So here for a demonstration for you.

What was clear to me though was that the 7D AF works well in poor light, and did when against a background where there was limited contrast.

1 comment:

robbieb26 October 2010 at 08:16
Cheers Martin, good advice to us all, even more so as the low light levels are fast approaching (especially up here) I'll have to try using fill-in flash - something I've never used, sort of 'fear of the unknown' :)

Robbie
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Bio's

David Courtenay, a self taught wildlife and nature photographer, has been capturing images for over 30 years. He has had a passion for wildlife since early childhood and remembers being glued to the television whenever Survival, Wildlife on One and other natural history documentaries were shown. In the 2006 he swapped his established career for the life of a wildlife photographer, such a move demands a measure of uncompromising passion and commitment.

David has travelled extensively throughout Europe as well as spending more than 7 months in India working with local guides and trackers in search of Bengal Tiger, Asian One horned Rhino and Asian Elephant. He has also photographed Wildlife in Australia, Malaysia, Thailand, Sumatra, Africa, Canada and America. Working closely with Conservation companies he tries to raise funds to help Wildlife that has been put on the endangered list by poaching and habitation loss

Martin Dyer has had a passion for avian wildlife since childhood, particularly raptors. Photography was also another keen interest and it was with the specific availability and control of the whole process that digital offers that Martin was then able to combine the two in 2003. Based in the UK, Martin is a regular visitor to Scotland, specifically the Isle of Mull to watch the Eagles resident there. Other trips to Europe and around the UK are usually part of Martin’s agenda in a typical year.

However, as a firm believer on making the most of the local patch, Martin has spent a lot of time and hard work creating a wildlife garden which is reaping the rewards with many new species and varieties of wildlife. A keen member of a number of wildlife photographic groups, Martin is keen to expand his portfolio into other areas of wildlife, and has already established a wide portfolio of images of fungi.