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Lesson Info
4. My Approach to Shooting In the Field
Lessons
Lesson Info
My Approach to Shooting In the Field
The main thing I love about wildlife photography is that it forces you to give up control and be fully present in the moment with the animal you're photographing. Sometimes though, this can be so overwhelming and so amazing in the moment that I truly believe it's important to put the camera down, if you can, and just fully be in that moment and appreciate it and take it in. I've been on so many trips where I'm going crazy like a hawk, like taking so many photos. And then I look back on that trip and I'm like, I don't even remember that. That feels like a blur. And it's because I wasn't fully present 'cause I was just literally behind my camera the whole time seeing the whole scene from behind a screen, essentially. So yeah. Put your camera down as much as you can. And just remember to take in that moment. Some people believe that the story behind a photo is more important than the image itself. But I kind of believe that the shot initially is what draws people in to hearing that story.
With that being said, I think it's so important that as you fall in love with this animal that you're researching and talking about and sharing the story, that your passion will become contagious, the more excited you are and passionate about protecting this animal will draw others in to do the same. There are a lot of photography rules out there and I like to break them and I encourage you to just try and challenge anything that's the norm or standard. For example, it's commonly taught that landscape photography, you should aim to shoot at aperture F8 and above. But I personally like to shoot at 2.8 max 4.5, which some people would be like, nah that's not gonna be sharp at all, but that's my personal choice. I also prefer to shoot wildlife with the widest aperture possible. Usually around 1.4, to, 2.8. I really like that narrow depth of field because it focuses in on the animal, it adds a dreamy effect. It softens the background. So that's not as much as in focus. And I don't know if that's my personal style. You may find something different that works for you but experiment and figure out what you like. So while I'm shooting in the field, my eye is constantly scanning for something that stands out to me. For example, it could be a lone tree that's popping out in the middle of a field or an animal that has something unique about it or is exhibiting some sort of unique behavior. While I was driving through the Yukon, I came across a bear. It was sitting on the side of the road. It was just super happy, eating a bunch of berries but it was crazy because half of its face was missing. It had this crazy wound that had been healed and it was such a unique moment. Or at first I was like, whoa, like what's wrong with this bear? And I ended up meeting with a wildlife vet who told me that her best guess was that the bear probably wasn't born this way. It had probably most likely been attacked by another bear and survived this terrible wound and was in pain for quite a while. It might have even still been in pain, but it was just an amazing example of how nature can survive the most intense, gnarly things. What I really took away from that moment is that sometimes what's considered ugly or imperfect in nature or anything can actually become the most valued or beautiful, that bear always sticks out in my mind. Whenever I see another bear, I always think back to that bear and how that was the craziest thing I've seen. And I wonder like how it's doing now. I even have had some people send me DMs saying they've seen the same bear like sending me like a quick shot they took of that bear, just wandering around, still going. So to me, it's more inspiring to find something that's unique like that and stands out. And I also think it's important to not, if not only find something unique, but also capturing expressions and behavior is so important because as humans I feel like that's something we can relate to, for example, like a shot of like a lion yawning or like making a funny face. Like sometimes you can relate to that. And then it brings the viewer in more. Also while I'm shooting, I'm much more concerned with the feeling in that moment and the emotional side of things rather than the technical side of things, which I kind of find interesting because I feel like I constantly encounter the opposite photographers that are more obsessed with the technical side of things rather than the emotional side. And maybe that's just my personality type or something. But for me, I think if you've captured this photo that's following all the rules of photography is technically perfect, is tech sharp, let's say, but it doesn't invoke any emotion in the person viewing it. Then in my eyes personally, I think you've kind of failed at your job at capturing that photo. I think it's, I think back to like the most famous paintings in history where people can view this painting and it just it brings them to tears and it's because that in painting invokes this emotion in them that they can relate to versus them being like, wow that was a technically perfect brushstroke with that paint brush. I don't feel like that's as long lasting as it is when an emotion is invoked. While I'm out shooting, I'm also aware of my composition and for me, it's a very intuitive process, does the animal look better centered to the left, to the right? What just feels pleasing to my eye is what I tend to go with. And sometimes, I want to get more eye level lower to the animal because I feel like the eyes are really gonna be what draws you in but that's also not necessarily sometimes an animal walking across the scene can be just as powerful. I'm also trying to shoot as minimal as possible. I'm always looking for light backgrounds or dark backgrounds, maybe like minimal sand or snow, because I think again, that kind of stuff reduces my anxiety when I look at a photo seeing less stuff in a scene really calms me. But on the other side, I really admire, amazing street photographers that can photograph a really chaotic scene where there is mess and people everywhere. I think it's so amazing when people can do that. And again, that's kind of about finding what you like. So while out in the field it's really important to be calm, quiet and as respectful as possible. It's important to always keep your distance from the animal and remember that a shot is not worth your life. And it's also not worth endangering the animal's life as well. It's important to move really slowly to convey a non-threatening stance and to always leave escape room. So if the animal wants to run, it can run. It's super important that you never turn your back on the animal. And if you feel that it is showing any signs of stress that you start to slowly back away, if you feel like the animal is hyper aware that you're there it's important to also not stay too long. Never chase an animal or force it to do anything never feed them, never bait them, never use animal calls, just simply be an observer. If you feel like it's appropriate, you can choose to talk to the animal in a calming soft voice. Sometimes I do that. This my biggest one that I struggle with is you should try to wear camouflage or neutral earth tones to kind of blend in and not disturb the environment as much as possible. You should always go in a small group that you should never be in a large group as obviously the more people, the more disruption is most likely going to happen. And a big thing as a photographer is just always making sure your camera settings are ready. If you can do a test shot beforehand have your settings ready to go so that if something crazy pops up, you can just turn and capture that moment without having to deal with dialing everything in. So that was some of my tips and approaches for shooting in the field. And I cannot wait to go put it into action.
Ratings and Reviews
Sarah Mackey
Brilliant and inspiring workshop This workshop was absolutely fantastic. I feel so lucky to have gotten an inside look at Charly's process and how she's developed her style. The videos following her on the photoshoot in Alaska are absolutely breathtaking, they gave me chills. The workshop was filled with so many great tips on how to be a mindful wildlife photographer as well, which is really important for our planet. After having finished this workshop, I definitely feel inspired.
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