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5 Tips for Photographing Wildlife in Low Light Conditions

08 Nov

The post 5 Tips for Photographing Wildlife in Low Light Conditions appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Will Nicholls.

NOTE: Check out our Ultimate Guide to Nature and Outdoor Photography.

Most wildlife is active during dawn or dusk, and photographing animals in low light can be frustrating when you’re pushing your equipment to the limit. Even if you’re shooting on the latest and greatest DSLR camera, you’re still going to reach a point where the light is too low to use the ideal settings. It’s at this point that you need to start calling on your skill and technique to improve your success rate.

Here are a few tricks that I use in my own wildlife photography to get better, more usable images in low light.

1. Choose the perfect aperture and shutter speed for low light

When shooting in low light, you should use the widest aperture you can (i.e., the lowest f-number) to let in the most light possible.

If you’re using expensive telephoto lenses, then you’ll probably have a maximum aperture of f/4 or even f/2.8. However, the majority of midrange and budget telephoto lenses have a maximum aperture of about f/5.6 or f/6.3. Still, keep the aperture as wide as possible to give yourself the optimum baseline.

With regard to the shutter speed, the rule most people learn is to use a speed of at least 1 over the focal length of your lens. For example, a 400mm lens would need a shutter speed of at least 1/400s to eliminate camera shake effectively. However, this rule often isn’t possible in low light conditions. So you’re going to need to break it!

Drop your shutter speed as much as you can while still keeping the image sharp. You can go much slower than you think. 1/100s is totally plausible.

To prevent camera shake, enable any image stabilization technology offered by your lens. It’s important to use a tripod, too, as it’ll keep things steady.

wildlife low light — This bear photo was taken at 1/30s, f/4, and ISO 8000.

Try panning

Once your shutter speed starts to get really slow, then you’ll almost definitely introduce motion blur from the subject moving. But if your subject is walking or running along, you can pan your camera along with it.

With practice, you can move your camera at the same rate as the animal and freeze its body – even with a slow shutter speed. You will get a blurred background, but it’s actually a rather cool effect (see the bear photo above!).

2. Don’t be afraid to boost your ISO

ISO might be the most feared setting among photographers. However, it shouldn’t make you tremble! I meet many photographers who don’t move the ISO above 400, even if their cameras are more than capable of handling the increase.

Sure, higher ISOs introduce noise into your photo, but a noisy image is better than a blurred one.

Test out your camera and see how far you can feasibly increase the ISO before shots become unusable. You can also remove noise in post-production, so you can sometimes salvage a too-noisy image.

The image below was taken at ISO 5000, but you’d be forgiven for thinking the value was much, much lower. The camera in question was a Nikon D4, which has notoriously good ISO capabilities. But this is an extreme example, and at ISO 5000 there was still noise. Even lower-level DSLR cameras can still be pushed to ISO 1600 or so while achieving fairly good quality images.

eagle in low light — An eagle photo taken at 1/100s, f/4, and ISO 5000.

Be brave and increase your ISO when you need a faster shutter speed. It’ll help you keep shooting as the light gets lower, meaning you’ll have more time to wait for wildlife!

3. Be careful when using a zoom lens

Zoom lenses sometimes use a variable maximum aperture.

What does this mean?

Zoomed out, you may have an aperture of f/4 – but as you zoom in, this can increase to something like f/6.3. If your lens has a constant aperture throughout, then you don’t need to worry. But if it doesn’t, then be conscious of the fact that you’ll have less light reaching the sensor when you’re zoomed in.

When your lens is limited by a variable maximum aperture, think about zooming out and taking a more atmospheric or environmental image. You’ll have a larger aperture to play with, and you may be able to achieve a more usable shot than if you zoom in all the way with less light.

bear in environment — If your lens has a variable aperture, try zooming out to utilize the widest option and take environmental images that don’t focus only on the animal.

4. Utilize burst mode

Don’t forget that you have a burst mode. If you’re worried about blurry images, fire off as many frames as possible. This will increase your chances of ending up with a usable shot.

You see, slower shutter speeds mean more chance for both camera blur and motion blur. If an animal moves its head, your shot may well be ruined. But if you’ve been shooting multiple images at once (via burst mode!), then chances are that you’ll get another shot, taken a fraction of a second later, that isn’t blurred.

Burst mode is honestly one of the most useful things you can do when photographing wildlife in low light. It really helps to get usable photos and works like magic alongside the other techniques in this article.

5. Don’t underexpose

It can be tempting to underexpose your photo, knowing that you can brighten it later. While this may give you a quicker shutter speed, the photo will likely need significant brightening in post-production. And lightening an already-dark scene will introduce a lot of digital noise.

low light wildlife photography — This photo was taken at 1/60s, f/4, and ISO 5000.

Instead, try to keep your exposure as balanced as possible. If you can keep your histogram happy, then you’ll have a smoother ride through the editing process. The worst thing would be to take an underexposed shot, only to find out later that it’s unusable because brightening it up ruins it.

I prefer to risk blur but fire multiple frames than to take an underexposed, sharp shot. Maybe that’s just me, but the technique frequently works in my favor.

Photographing wildlife in low light: conclusion

No matter how good you are at photography or how good your gear is, you’re going to have times when your shots are ruined by low light. That’s just part of the game – but, with luck, you will manage to capture strong low light shots some of the time.

With practice, you’ll learn when there’s no point battling against depleting light levels. And a combination of the techniques I’ve shared here should keep you in action for longer.

Do you have any other low light tips to add? Please share them in the comments below!

FURTHER READING: Check out our new Ultimate Guide to Nature and Outdoor Photography.

The post 5 Tips for Photographing Wildlife in Low Light Conditions appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Will Nicholls.

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6 Ways of Using Reflector to Take Better Portraits

07 Nov

The post 6 Ways of Using Reflector to Take Better Portraits appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Dennis Drenner.

I’ve been making my living as a photographer for over 20 years, and I have accumulated thousands of dollars of gear in the process. I have the latest Canon DSLRs, a full complement of lenses, strobes, light stands, gels, filters, softboxes, tripods, and even some video and audio gear.

But the one thing that often makes the biggest difference in the quality of my portraits is a simple $ 20 reflector. I never leave home without one, and neither should you.

When shooting outdoor portraits, the first thing many photographers think about is the background – but first and foremost, the pros consider the quality of the light. They know, for example, that a portrait with nasty overhead lighting is not going to work, no matter how cool the background.

A reflector can help you salvage bad light, and turn okay light into something magical. You can use your reflector from below to fill in shadows, or from above to block distracting light. You can bounce the sun from a silver reflector to create a main light, or you can use a reflector with a black side to create deeper shadows. You can even sit on your reflector to keep your pants clean when shooting outside, or pop it open dramatically to dazzle young children.

Most of the photos in this article were shot with a 5-in-1 reflector you can buy for less than $ 20 USD. 5-in-1 refers to the fact that the reflector and cover can combine to give you five different options: white, silver, gold, and black sides, as well as a diffuser.

Here are six tips to help you use a reflector to transform your photos.

1. Use a reflector for fill light

The most traditional use of a reflector is to simply reflect light into the shadows. I took my wife, Karen, out into our local park to demonstrate this.

In the photo on the left (above), Karen is photographed in nice soft light, but there are still pretty deep shadows under her eyes and chin. In the photo on the right, however, she is holding a reflector at her waist. The shadows on her face are noticeably lighter and there is a subtle catchlight (a reflection of the reflector) in her eyes. If she were an older person with more textured skin, the contrast would be even more dramatic.

Of course, you may not always want to fill in the shadows in this way, but if you are trying to flatter someone it almost always helps.

You don’t even need an official photo reflector. Anything that reflects light will work. In a pinch, I’ve used everything from old newspapers to a nearby person wearing a white shirt.

2. Use a reflector as the main light source

This is one of my go-to reflector moves, and it’s an easy way to wow your friends and family.

You position your subject with the light hitting them from behind, then use a reflector to bounce the light back into their face. You will get nice soft light on your subject’s face, with a dramatic rim light on the back of their head. The only trick is positioning yourself so the light doesn’t go straight into your lens and create lens flare (unless you like that look, of course).

In the photo above, the sun is hitting the left side of my subject’s face and arm. The light from a reflector is bouncing some of the sun back to light up her face.

You may also notice the shallow depth of field in the photo above. If you are lighting with a reflector, you can jack up your shutter speed as much as you like to allow for a wide aperture (this photo was shot at 1/1250s at f/2.0 with a 50mm lens). If you were using flash to create this same effect, you would have to lower your shutter speed (to 1/250s or whatever matches your camera’s sync speed) to sync with the flash, requiring a narrow aperture and a greater depth of field (which will kill the whole look).

Yes, yes, some of you are no doubt thinking, “What about high-speed sync?” Well, yes, that could give you the same effect if you had the right equipment (and know how to pull it off). Or, you know, you could just use an old newspaper as a reflector.

For the example above, I positioned Karen against a tree and had her cousin, Claudia, reflect a spot of sunlight on her from about 10 feet away. At this distance, the light from the reflector looks more like it is coming from a grid spot or snoot (hard light) – in other words, it’s a focused and dramatic beam (notice the fall-off of light on her legs). It’s a cool look that you can recreate with a reflector, a few feet of aluminum foil, or your bathroom mirror. Your friends will be wowed and ask what fancy gear you used for the shot (and your family will ask what happened to the bathroom mirror).

For a slight variation on this technique, we moved the reflector slightly behind the subject (relative to the camera) to create a dramatic rim light on the face in a profile shot (see below).

3. Use a reflector to block light

Sometimes you’ll find yourself in beautiful, shady light under a tree, except for that pesky sunbeam that finds its way through the leaves to light up your subject’s left ear. When this happens, turn your reflector into a light blocker (sometimes called a flag or gobo).

A few years ago, I was doing a maternity portrait in a local park when a newspaper photographer snapped my picture while I was using my reflector as a gobo (shown in the image below). If you look at the reflector, you can see the bright spots of sunlight that it’s blocking (imagine how those spots would have ruined the final image if we didn’t block them!).

4. Use a black reflector to create more dramatic shadows

Sometimes, you actually want to deepen the shadows. I use this technique all the time in my headshot studio. Below is a photo of me with a white background. In the first shot, I have a silver reflector opposite the main light, sending light back towards my left cheek. In the second shot, the reflector has a black cover on it, gobbling up reflected light to leave a dark shadow on the cheek.

Except for the small change of literally flipping the reflector from one side to the other, the lighting setup is identical, but the effect is pretty dramatic. (For you studio lighting enthusiasts out there, my key light here is a large softbox, and there are two bare heads pointing at the background to make sure it is a nice, bright white).

This is the same technique used in the famous Steve Jobs portrait where he has his hand on his chin. In addition to creating a little drama, you can also use this technique to give someone a photographic face-lift by trimming pounds from the dark side of their face and under their chin.

5. Who holds the reflector?

You may be saying to yourself, “But I don’t have an assistant! Who’s going to hold the reflector for me?” I usually don’t have an assistant, either, but there is often someone nearby who is more than happy to help, be it a family member, passerby, intern, wedding guest, etc. Sometimes, you can even have the subject of the photo hold the reflector themselves. Of course, if you’re in the studio, or outside on a day without too much wind, you can just pop your reflector onto a light stand (like in the studio shots of me above).

In the photo below, I was shooting wedding portraits on a beach in the Florida Keys. My reflector assistant that day was one of the bridesmaids, who truly enjoyed helping her friends out with their portraits.

6. Reflectors in the environment

Once you get the hang of reflectors, you’ll probably start noticing reflected light everywhere. Ever see a white building getting blasted by the sun? Well, that’s nothing but a giant reflector! Depending on what’s around it, you may have found yourself a giant studio with no rental fee.

Mind you, anything that reflects enough light can work as a reflector. A brick building, a large truck, or a flock of seagulls flying by at just the right moment – it all works!

Using a reflector: final notes

Although they may not be as sexy as strobe kits, reflectors can often yield similar or superior results for your portraits and are cheaper and easier to use. I will leave you with a few more example photos, shot using nothing more than a reflector.

In the child portraits below, note that there is light behind the kids in both cases, but there is still beautiful light on their faces. Same goes for the athlete portraits.

As a final image, I leave you with a group of wedding guests who were so enamored of my reflector that they wanted a picture with it. Hopefully, you will soon have similar feelings toward your own reflector!

Do you have any additional reflector tips to add? Please share them in the comments below!

The post 6 Ways of Using Reflector to Take Better Portraits appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Dennis Drenner.

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Weekly Photography Challenge – Dark & Moody

07 Nov

The post Weekly Photography Challenge – Dark & Moody appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Sime.

I spotted a fun theme on the Tamron Australia Facebook page and we’re going to play along because it’s a fun looking theme!! “Dark & Moody” and it can be interpreted in so many different ways! Tag your photos #dPSDarkNMoody

dark theme for dPS weekly challenge moody Simon Pollock

We had darkness a little while back, focussing (boom boom) on shadows, but this theme is more to do with a dark and moody scene, a dark cloudy sky, a gritty lane, a scene lit with moody light – open to interpretation! Make sure you tag your photographs with #dPSDarkNMoody and we’ll feature a selection of images from the month on our blog!

Missed a Weekly Challenge? Catch Up or do them all again here!

Weekly Photography Challenge – Dark & Moody

Great! Where do I upload my photos?

Simply upload your shot into the comments field (look for the little camera icon in the Disqus comments section) and they’ll get embedded for us all to see. Or, if you’d prefer, upload them to your favourite photo-sharing site and leave the link to them.

Weekly Photography Challenge – Looking Up

Share in the dPS Facebook Group

You can also share your images in the dPS Facebook group as the challenge is posted there each week as well.

If you tag your photos on Flickr, Instagram, Twitter or other sites – tag them as #DPSDarkNMoody to help others find them. Linking back to this page might also help others know what you’re doing so that they can share in the fun.

Follow us on Instagram?

The post Weekly Photography Challenge – Dark & Moody appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Sime.

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NiSi Filter System Review (For Fujifilm X100 Cameras)

06 Nov

The post NiSi Filter System Review (For Fujifilm X100 Cameras) appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Matt Murray.

The Fujifilm X100 camera line has consistently appeared in lists of the best compact cameras over the last decade. This is not surprising; the series boasts a sharp 23mm f/2 Fujinon lens, great ergonomics, and a ton of cool features.

The series started with the original X100 in 2010, but is now in its fifth iteration with the launch of the Fujifilm X100V in February 2020.

The Fujifilm X100F camera — One of the best compact camera options of the last decade: the Fujifilm X100 series.

As a “take everywhere” camera, the X100 line has many advantages. But perhaps one of the drawbacks is that there isn’t a lot you can add to it to increase its versatility.

Or is there?

In this article, I take a look at the NiSi filter system for Fujifilm X100-series cameras.

So if you’re ready for a thorough NiSi filter system review, let’s get started.

Fujifilm X100-series accessories

Until recently, the only thing you could add to an X100-series camera that truly added to its versatility was one of Fujifilm’s teleconverters.

The fixed 23mm lens has a 35mm full-frame equivalent field of view. Adding the TCL-X100 teleconverter, this changes to a 50mm equivalent, whereas the WCL-X100 widens your field of view to 28mm.

Although the optical quality is excellent, the teleconverters are relatively heavy and quite pricey. If only there was something lighter and cheaper yet with excellent optical quality that would add to the X100 camera experience…

Enter the NiSi filter system for X100-series cameras.

NiSi filters

As a long-time user of the X100 series, I was excited to see NiSi recently launch a filter system for this camera lineup.

NiSi has a great reputation among landscape and cityscape photographers, because their filters are made from high-definition optical glass and offer true-to-life color reproduction.

Cleveland Point by Matt Murray NiSi filter system review example — The waves were gently lapping against this old jetty, but with the NiSi ND8 filter attached to my Fujifilm X100F, a 5-second exposure was enough to smooth the ripples out.

I’ve been using the NiSi 100mm system for the last few years with my Fujifilm X-T3 and Fujifilm X-T2. And I have been impressed with the results.

So, as a long-time user of the X100 series, I couldn’t wait to try out this new NiSi filter system.

NiSi filter system for Fujifilm X100-series cameras

For this NiSi filter system review, I tested the filters designed for Fujifilm X100-series cameras on my Fujifilm X100F.

Here’s what’s included in the kit:

NiSi 3-stop medium-edge graduated filter
NiSi HD polarizer filter
NiSi ND8 3-stop neutral density filter
NiSi Natural Night filter
NiSi X100 filter holder
Filter carrying case

There is also a slightly cheaper starter kit that contains only two filters: the medium-edge graduated ND filter and the polarizer. I’m not sure why you would opt for the starter kit when, for a small additional cost, you can get two extra, very useful filters.

NiSi filter system review — The NiSi filter system for the X100 series.

First impressions

My first impression of the kit was very positive: the quality and design of both the packaging and the filters is impressive.

The filters come in a light gray filter case, which has a tough shell and looks to be hard-wearing. Inside, each filter is wrapped individually in tissue paper. The filter case has several divider tabs inside, one for each filter as well as the filter holder.

NiSi filter system — The filters come wrapped in tissue paper.

My next thought was to marvel at how tiny the kit was, so much smaller than my 100mm NiSi filters. Of course, when you think about how big the lens is on the X100, it makes perfect sense for the set to be so small.

The filter set is as light as a feather and very compact. If weight matters to you, you’ll barely notice this new bit of kit in your bag.

Build quality

The build quality of the kit is excellent. The filter holder is constructed with aluminum alloy (the same material used in the popular NiSi V6 100mm filter kit). The filters themselves are made of high quality, precision-annealed optical glass, which is a point of difference as some other companies use resin.

Installation and usability

Getting your X100-series camera ready to use the filters is super easy.

First, unscrew the front ring on your camera’s lens. If you’ve never used a lens hood or teleconverter on your X100-series camera before, you may even be surprised to know there is a ring that comes off the front of the camera.

When this ring is taken off, it reveals a thread mount. The next step is to screw the NiSi filter holder onto the lens. Now you’re all ready to go!

Brisbane at night by Matt Murray — For this image of Brisbane at night, I stacked the NiSi ND8 filter along with the NiSi Natural Night filter.

Using the filters

Once the filter holder is in place, take a filter out of the pouch and slide it carefully into the filter slot closest to the lens.

Note that the holder has two slots so you can add another filter to the holder if you wish.

Quite often, I found myself using filters in combination; for example, at dusk I was using the 3-stop ND filter to get longer exposure times for ferry trails on the Brisbane River, along with the Natural Night filter to correct the color of the light. In very bright conditions, I often used the graduated ND filter along with the polarizer filter.

The filter holder rotates 360 degrees, which is very handy for when you need to use the graduated ND filter in either horizontal or vertical orientation. Of course, for the other three filters, the orientation doesn’t matter.

NiSi 3-stop medium-edge graduated ND filter

The NiSi 3-stop medium-edge graduated ND filter is a fantastic piece of kit to have in your camera bag.

As with all graduated neutral density filters, it helps to darken specific areas of an image such as bright skies. But as a graduated filter, it allows normal exposure in other parts of the image.

The filter is quite long in comparison to the length of the filter holder, allowing you to move the filter up and down in the holder to control its exact placement.

NiSi HD Polarizer

The NiSi HD Polarizer reduces reflections and glare by filtering out light that has become polarized due to reflection from non-metallic surfaces.

This comes in handy when you want to remove glare on the water or reflections when shooting through glass. The filter provides good color and saturation in scenes.

I enjoyed using the polarizer, though the effect is less noticeable compared to the other filters.

ND8 filter

The NiSi ND8 filter is a neutral density filter that gives a 3-stop exposure reduction. This allows you to photograph with slower shutter speeds or wider apertures than would usually be possible.

A neutral density filter is perfect for being able to show movement in your images. For example, you can use the NiSi ND8 to shoot traffic trails or flowing water.

This filter is probably the most fun and most dramatic filter to use in the kit. It’s fantastic to create long exposures using this filter; you can then see the effect it has on moving elements in your photos.

NiSi filter system review ND8 example — Here’s an extreme example of the ND8 filter in use. The longer exposure time makes the sea looks perfectly smooth!

Natural Night filter

The NiSi Natural Night filter is the perfect companion for night photography. When shooting cityscapes, many factors affect the color of the light; these include mercury vapor, sodium, and low-CRI streetlights. The glow from these light sources prevents your camera from seeing the sky properly and can negatively affect your images.

The NiSi Natural Night filter blocks out the most common wavelengths of light pollution, leaving you with a more natural-looking night image.

Here’s an image taken without the NiSi Natural Night filter:

Story Bridge and Howard Smith wharves in Brisbane at night — Story Bridge and Howard Smith Wharves in Brisbane without the NiSi Natural Night filter.

And here’s the same composition, captured once the NiSi Natural Night filter had been added:

Story Bridge and Howard Smith Wharves at night (using the NiSi Natural Light filter) — What a difference! Story Bridge and Howard Smith Wharves in Brisbane with the NiSi Natural Night filter.

NiSi filter system review: Conclusion

I’ve really enjoyed using the NiSi filter system for the Fujifilm X100 lineup.

The filters are a fantastic addition for anyone shooting with this series of cameras. They add another layer of versatility without compromising the compact nature of your setup.

Until recently, the only way to add to the versatility of the king of compact cameras was by purchasing a pricey (and heavy) teleconverter. But with this kit, you have multiple creative options to use depending on the conditions.

Boasting excellent build quality, the professional kit contains four useful filters. They are small, light, and come beautifully packaged in their own tough case.

The professional filter set is also fantastic value for money, widely available for around $ 65 USD. The starter kit, with two fewer filters, is available for around $ 49 USD.

In fact, I can’t recommend this filter set highly enough.

So now that you’ve finished this NiSi filter system review, the question is not, “Why would you buy the system?”

It’s rather: “Why wouldn’t you buy it?”

You can grab the NiSi filter system here.

The post NiSi Filter System Review (For Fujifilm X100 Cameras) appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Matt Murray.

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The Top Best Photo and Video Tools for Beginners

05 Nov

The importance of post-processing and editing in photos and videos cannot be overemphasized. For every great photograph, great view, lighting, and aesthetics, there is a precise amount of effort that was put in place to achieve that result that has become a focus of all eyes. A bulk of these efforts come into play in the post-processing aspect, editing in Continue Reading

The post The Top Best Photo and Video Tools for Beginners appeared first on Photodoto.

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How to Use Framing in Your Compositions to Improve Your Photography

05 Nov

The post How to Use Framing in Your Compositions to Improve Your Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Simon Bond.

Photos look great when framed on the wall, but that is not the only way to use frames in photography. The world is full of frames, and they can be used in your photos to make the composition stronger.

In this article, you’ll learn how to find frames. You’ll also learn how you can work with frames to enhance your images. So let’s use framing in your compositions!

a paper frame in the composition — For this photo, traditional Korean paper, called Hanji, was held in front of the camera and used as a frame. The person in the photo is making this traditional paper, so the frame adds context to the image.

What is framing?

Framing, as the name suggests, is when you surround your main subject with a border of some kind.

The frame could literally be a picture frame you hold up in front of the camera. However, there are lots of other ways you can create frames in your compositions. For instance, you can photograph through a window frame, a doorway, or a gap in a wall. And you can always create your own frame, which you’ll learn about in a moment.

Why add a frame?

A frame is used in your image to draw the eye to your main subject. The subject could be a model standing in a doorway or architecture framed through a window.

Plus, a frame can add to your image. The right frame can add context, which creates a further narrative element.

framing in your compositions architecture — Architecture can provide strong framing opportunities for your photos.

Where to find frames

Here’s the next question:

Where can you find a frame that will work for your photo? I’ve already mentioned a few classic ideas, but let’s look at those (and others!) in more detail below:

Doorways: One of the easiest frames to find is a doorway. You can position your main subject in front of the door and use it as a frame. Alternatively, you can photograph through the door and use it as a frame for the background scene.
Picture frames: Hold a frame in front of your camera or ask someone else to hold it for you. Then use this to frame something interesting.
Windows: This is similar to a doorway, but doesn’t run to the ground.
A wall: Here, you need to look for a gap in the wall to use as a frame. This can work well when the foreground (the wall) complements the background behind it.
Lensballs: One of the reasons a lensball is an effective photography tool is because it always provides a natural frame, with the outside of the ball framing the inside.
Photograph through: Look for objects you can photograph through, such as a plant pot or a tube. These will give your photo a circular frame.
Nature: There are plenty of natural frames. A cave entrance or a tree tunnel can work well.

framing in your compositions archway — A wide-angle lens was used to capture the archway in front of this temple, which created a great frame.

How to photograph with a frame

On the face of it, photographing with a frame is easy:

Simply compose a photograph in front of something like an arch or window.

However, you need to consider some key compositional and technical questions. For instance, what’s the subject in the frame? And how large or small should your frame appear?

Focal length: The focal length you choose will depend on how much you want to compress the area surrounding your frame. It will also depend on how far back from your frame you’re able to stand. For instance, when photographing indoors, a wide-angle lens may be needed to fill the photo with the frame of a window or doorway.
Subject: Just because you have a natural frame does not mean you have a good photo, especially if the subject behind it is uninteresting. Look first for your main subject, and then look for available framing options. If you’re taking portrait photos, this will be easier than if you’re photographing a landscape; you can, of course, always ask your model to stand within the frame.
Narrative: What will your frame tell the viewer about the rest of the photo? Is it possible to adapt the frame in some way so it better suits the scene behind it? How much of the area surrounding the frame will you include, and how will that affect the story you’re trying to convey?

framing in your compositions light painting frame — There was no frame for this photo until the light was painted in!

Creative framing in your compositions

When a frame isn’t available, you have another option:

Create your own!

This creative approach to framing in your compositions can lead to the best results. That’s because you’ll have more control over the frame itself. You can control the size and shape of the frame. You’ll also be able to precisely match the frame to the image you are trying to create.

The following are some possible ideas for more creative framing:

Card or paper: Choose the color, cut out the appropriate shape, and make your own custom frame.
Copper piping: Placed close to the lens, this will create a flare-like effect when the sun shines off the metal, and this flare can be used as a frame.
Plant pot: Cut out the bottom of a plant pot and use it to photograph through. A wide focal length will likely be needed to catch the edge of the pot as you photograph through it.

framing in your compositions net — Always look to see how a frame can add more of a story to your photo. In this image, the fishing net is used to frame the fisherman.

Get framing!

Now that you know all about framing in your compositions, it’s time to get out and practice what you’ve learned.

Do you enjoy using frames in the photos you take? Is there another approach you use when looking for frames? Have you ever tried creating your own frame so that it matches the photo you’re taking?

Share your thoughts in the comments! And if you have photos with frames, please share them, too!

The post How to Use Framing in Your Compositions to Improve Your Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Simon Bond.

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Mastering Noise Reduction in Lightroom: The Essential Guide

04 Nov

The post Mastering Noise Reduction in Lightroom: The Essential Guide appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Simon Ringsmuth.

Shooting at a high ISO is a great way to retain control over other exposure parameters such as aperture and shutter speed while still getting a usable image.

However, even today’s digital cameras still produce noise and grain when shooting at values like ISO 6400, ISO 12800, and beyond. While an ISO 6400 photo is never going to look as clean as a photo taken at ISO 100, you can use Lightroom noise reduction to clean up your high ISO images.

Mastering noise reduction in Lightroom involves a few tradeoffs. But it’s a great solution for people who need the flexibility of shooting at high ISO values while still getting great results.

Mastering noise reduction in Lightroom infant — Nikon D750 | Nikon 85mm f/1.8G | 85mm | 1/500 sec | f/1.8 | ISO 6400

To understand how to use Lightroom noise reduction, it’s important to learn a little more about ISO.

In a nutshell, ISO is a measure of a camera’s sensitivity to light. When shooting with film, each roll has a single value and cannot be changed until you use up all your exposures and put in a new roll. Digital photography, on the other hand, lets you alter your ISO any time you want.

Higher ISO values let you use smaller apertures or faster shutter speeds because your camera produces a brighter exposure. As a result, you don’t need as much light coming through the lens in order to take a picture. This means that you can use a smaller aperture, faster shutter speed, or both. (Or you can use Auto ISO and let your camera figure out the rest.)

The tradeoff is that increasing your camera’s ISO inevitably leads to noise being introduced to the picture. (Digital noise is kind of like the static you might remember seeing on old television sets.) High ISO shots aren’t as sharp, and colors aren’t as vibrant, thanks to noise. But if shooting at ISO 6400 means you can use a fast shutter speed to avoid motion blur, then it’s generally a tradeoff worth making.

Mastering noise reduction in Lightroom man portrait — Nikon D750 | Nikon 85mm f/1.8G | 85mm | 1/90 sec | f/4.8 | ISO 6400

The best of both worlds would be a high-ISO shot that retains the color and sharpness of a low ISO shot. Unfortunately, that’s not actually possible (at least not with current technology). But mastering noise reduction in software such as Lightroom gives you a great deal of control over reducing high-ISO artifacts while keeping as much detail as possible.

A closer look

The effects of high ISOs aren’t always visible when photos are downsized for the web. To really see what happens at high ISOs, and to understand how to clean it up, you should look at images up close.

Here’s a zoomed-in view of the above image; you can now see the effects of shooting at high-ISO values:

Mastering noise reduction in Lightroom portrait close-up — Up close you can see the speckled background on the left and the lack of definition in the eyebrows. These are just some of the effects of shooting at ISO 6400. Noise reduction settings are at their default values: Luminance 10, Detail 50, and Contrast 0.

Lightroom lets you remedy these ISO artifacts, at least partially, through the Detail panel in the Develop module.

There are two types of noise reduction available: Luminance and Color.

Luminance is the most common form of noise in digital photography and refers to the slight speckled variations in brightness from one pixel to the next. You can see this most clearly in the brown background on the left side of the above photo.

Color noise is often obvious at very high ISO values like 25600 or greater. It looks like random splotches of color scattered around the brightest or darkest portions of an image. In modern digital photography, color noise isn’t nearly as much of an issue in most instances. Most of the time you won’t need to use the Color, Detail, and Smoothness sliders. For most practical purposes, it’s best to stick with luminance noise reduction adjustments.

Lightroom noise reduction sliders mastering noise reduction

To access the noise reduction sliders, click the Detail panel in the Develop module. The noise reduction sliders are grouped with sharpening adjustments because these often go hand-in-hand. Boosting noise reduction can have a smoothing effect on your images which can be somewhat mitigated by adjusting the sharpening sliders.

Getting detailed

When working with luminance noise, there are three sliders to adjust:

Luminance
Detail
Contrast

Luminance is a measure of how much noise to remove, while Detail and Contrast give you finer control over the effects of the noise reduction.

You might notice that Lightroom automatically applies a small amount of noise reduction to every RAW file by default. This is generally a good starting point because RAW files, due to their unprocessed nature, inherently contain more noise than in-camera JPEG files. And it’s almost always recommended to remove some of that noise even if just a tiny bit.

To start the noise removal process, move the Luminance slider to the right. The farther you go, the more pronounced the noise removal effect will be. I generally don’t push it past 50, but your settings will depend on your image and your personal preferences.

After adjusting the Luminance slider to your liking, use Detail and Contrast to bring back parts of your image that might have been lost by the noise reduction algorithm. Move the Detail slider to control the threshold at which the noise reduction starts to kick in. This can help retain some of the details in your image but end up leaving some of the noise intact.

As you adjust the Luminance slider, you will see some parts of your picture get muddy, almost like a layer of petroleum jelly has been smeared across the shot. Use the Contrast slider to bring back some of the high-contrast parts of your image that are most affected by the Luminance slider.

As with many aspects of photography, there is no single correct answer for how much noise reduction to use in Lightroom. Some high-ISO images will look fine without too much tinkering, while others require more drastic measures. Mastering noise reduction isn’t about finding one solution that works for every image. It’s about understanding how to use the editing tools to create the best possible outcome for any given photo.

Low ISO versus noise reduction

To really understand how Lightroom noise reduction works, it helps to look at some comparisons of images so you can see the results for yourself.

The following images show different versions of the same scene; one base shot is taken at a very low ISO, while another is taken at a high ISO. I then apply varying degrees of noise reduction and display the results.

I took the first image at ISO 100:

test scene — Nikon D7100 | Nikon 50mm f/1.8G | 50mm | 1 sec | f/8 | ISO 100

Here’s the same scene shot at ISO 6400 for comparison:

When resizing images for the web, some of the issues with shooting at a high ISO are difficult to notice. However, a few artifacts do stand out, such as the muddiness of the solid blue radio toy, and a clear lack of definition in the intricate parts of the ball maze on the left.

For a closer look, here are 100% crops of each image:

test scene crop — A 100% crop of the original ISO 100 image. Note the fine detail in the cactus and the overall clarity of the picture.

test scene crop ISO 6400 — A 100% crop of the original ISO 6400 image. Colors are washed-out and subtle texture is obliterated. Note that the green paint lines at the borders of the white lines are completely gone.

When looking at these images close-up, it’s clear that the ISO 6400 photo is noticeably worse. However, if shooting at ISO 6400 or greater will give you the ability to get the shot you want, then it’s a tradeoff worth making.

High-ISO shooting becomes even more practical when you learn to eliminate some of these issues in Lightroom. Using the noise reduction options won’t fix a high-ISO image entirely, but it can go a long way toward cleaning things up.

test scene with noise reduction — A 100% crop of the ISO 6400 image with these adjustments applied: Luminance 80, Detail 60, and Contrast 55. While the ugly noise artifacts have been smoothed out, the image still isn’t as rich and detailed as its low-ISO counterpart.

Mastering noise reduction in Lightroom isn’t just limited to moving three sliders in the Detail panel. It’s best paired with other adjustments such as Texture, Clarity, Contrast, Saturation, etc. There is no one-size-fits-all preset to magically make your ISO 6400 images look as good as ISO 100 images. But with a little work, you can bring back some of the punch and brilliance of your originals.

test scene noise reduction and edits added — A 100% crop of the high-ISO image with previous noise reduction edits applied along with the following: Contrast -15, Shadows +34, Blacks -35, Texture +42, and Saturation +22.

Noise reduction isn’t a cure-all, and it won’t resurrect parts of the image that were never captured to begin with. In the ISO 6400 shot above, no amount of software-based noise reduction can bring back the green paint along the white lines that were clearly present in the low-ISO image.

But careful use of the tools available to you can go a long way toward making a messy picture more than usable.

Mastering noise reduction in Lightroom test scene — Nikon D750 | Nikon 85mm f/1.8G | 85mm | 1/250 sec | f/2.8 | ISO 6400. The sun was setting and I needed a fast shutter speed, so I chose to shoot at ISO 6400 and was able to adjust it in Lightroom. My clients loved the results.

Mastering noise reduction in Lightroom: Conclusion

Mastering noise reduction in Lightroom isn’t a science; each image is different and your own preferences matter most of all. Shoot some test images at ISO 6400 or higher, then see what you can do to clean them up using the tools available to you.

You might be surprised at how much latitude you have when editing. The more you experiment, the more skilled you will get.

And soon you’ll be transforming your photos from noisy messes into near-masterpieces.

The post Mastering Noise Reduction in Lightroom: The Essential Guide appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Simon Ringsmuth.

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ISO Settings in Digital Photography

03 Nov

The post ISO Settings in Digital Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Darren Rowse.

ISO is one of three important settings on your camera that are used to take well-exposed photos.

The other two fundamental settings are aperture and shutter speed – and if you’d like to learn about these settings, check out our introduction to aperture and our beginner’s guide to shutter speed.

An introduction to ISO settings in photography

We regularly get questions about ISO from readers of Digital Photography School like these:

What is ISO and why is it important?
What is the best ISO setting?
Should I always choose the lowest ISO?

In this short tutorial, I want to answer each question in turn.

Let’s start with a definition of ISO:

What is ISO?

ISO actually has two definitions, depending on whether you’re discussing film or digital photography:

ISO in traditional/film photography

In traditional (film) photography, ISO (or ASA) is an indication of how sensitive a film is to light.

In film photography, ISO is measured in numbers. You’ve probably seen them on film canisters: 100, 200, 400, 800, etc.

The lower the number, the lower the sensitivity of the film, and the finer the grain that will appear in your photos.

ISO in digital photography

In digital photography, ISO measures the sensitivity of the image sensor.

The same principles apply as in film photography:

The lower the number, the less sensitive your camera is to light and the finer the resulting grain.

Higher numbers mean your sensor is more sensitive to light, and this allows you to use your camera in darker situations. The cost of doing so is more grain – although cameras are improving all the time. Today, many cameras can use high ISO settings and still get very useable images.

Here’s a time when you might want to choose a higher ISO:

If you’re photographing an indoor sporting event where the light is low and your subject is moving fast.

In such a situation, by choosing a higher ISO, you can use a faster shutter speed to freeze the athletes’ movement.

ISO settings and grain

Choosing higher ISO settings comes with a serious cost:

The higher your ISO, the more grain or noise that appears in your photos.

I’ll illustrate this below with two enlargements. The image on the left was taken at ISO 100, and the image on the right was taken at ISO 3200.

Can you see the difference? The high-ISO photo (right) is full of unpleasant noise, whereas the low-ISO photo (left) is completely clean.

ISO 100 is a “normal” or “standard” ISO on most cameras. It’ll give you lovely, crisp shots (with little to no noise or grain).

Most people tend to keep their digital cameras set to Auto mode, where the camera selects the appropriate ISO setting depending on the conditions you’re shooting in. However, most cameras also give you the opportunity to select your own ISO.

When you do override your camera to choose a specific ISO, you’ll notice that this impacts the aperture and shutter speed needed for a well-exposed shot.

For example:

If you bumped your ISO up from 100 to 400, you’ll notice that you can shoot at faster shutter speeds and/or smaller apertures.

Questions to ask when choosing ISO

When choosing my ISO setting, I generally ask myself the following four questions:

Light – Is the subject well lit?
Grain – Do I want a grainy shot or one without noise?
Tripod – Am I using a tripod?
Moving subject – Is my subject moving or stationary?

If there is plenty of light, I want little grain, I’m using a tripod, and/or my subject is stationary, then I will generally use a relatively low ISO rating.

If it’s dark, I want grain, I don’t have a tripod, and/or my subject is moving, I might consider increasing my ISO. This will enable me to shoot with a faster shutter speed and still expose the shot well.

Of course, the trade-off will be noisier shots.

Situations where you might need to push ISO higher include:

Indoor sports events, where your subject is moving fast, yet you have limited available light
Concerts, which are low in light and often “no-flash” zones
Art galleries, churches, and more, where there are rules against using a flash and the interiors aren’t especially well lit
Birthday parties, where blowing out the candles in a dark room can give you a nice, moody shot that would be ruined by a bright flash. Increasing the ISO can help capture the scene.

ISO is an important aspect of digital photography to have an understanding of if you want to gain more control over your digital camera. So experiment with different settings and how they impact your images. And in particular, learn more about aperture and shutter speed, which – along with ISO – are a part of the exposure triangle.

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More photography tips for beginners

Feel like a beginner at photography? We’ve compiled our best tutorials for beginners here on our Photography Tips for Beginners page.

The post ISO Settings in Digital Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Darren Rowse.

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Tamron 28-200mm Wins Grand Gold Prize at Digital Camera Grand-Prix 2021

02 Nov

The post Tamron 28-200mm Wins Grand Gold Prize at Digital Camera Grand-Prix 2021 appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.

Tamron’s 28-200mm f/2.8-5.6 Di III RXD superzoom has been awarded the Grand Gold Prize in the Interchangeable Lens/Mirrorless category at the Digital Camera Grand-Prix 2021. Tamron has also taken a Gold Prize for its 70-180mm f/2.8 Di III VXD telephoto zoom in the Third Party/Mirrorless category.

The Digital Camera Grand-Prix honors the best cameras and lenses of the year; all gear debuted during the 2020 fiscal period is eligible, and winners are selected by photographic authorities.

In past years, awardees have included the Sony a7R IV (for Camera of the Year, 2020), the Nikkor Z 58mm f/0.95 S Noct (given Editors Award, 2020), and the Sony FE 24mm f/1.4 GM (for Lens of the Year, 2019).

But while Tamron has frequently received prestigious Digital Camera Grand-Prix prizes – in fact, the company has been awarded in each of the last six years – the new 28-200mm f/2.8-5.6 perhaps stands alone, thanks to its breathtaking combination of focal length range, compactness, and image quality.

In fact, the Tamron 28-200mm f/2.8-5.6 is the ultimate superzoom. It’s built for Sony full-frame cameras, and Tamron has ensured that it can stand up to the rigors of Sony’s mirrorless lineup; the 28-200mm is effortlessly sharp on high-resolution bodies such as the a7R IV, from 28mm to 200mm, at all apertures.

In other words:

You can capture stunningly sharp landscapes at 28mm, before zooming in for some nice sharp portraits in the 50mm to 150mm range, before capturing a sharp telephoto street shot or two at 200mm.

This is unprecedented for superzooms, which are equally well-known for their overall usefulness and frequent image quality issues. You can either have flexibility or sharpness, but not both, or so lens manufacturers seem to think – yet Tamron has proved that it’s possible to keep it all: sharpness, focal length flexibility, plus solid build quality, autofocus speed, and more.

I haven’t even mentioned the 28-200mm’s maximum aperture, which varies from f/2.8 to f/5.6 across the focal length range. The f/2.8 maximum aperture at the wide end of the range further increases the lens’s versatility. For night shooters – especially astrophotographers, who require clean images at relatively fast shutter speeds – an f/2.8 aperture is a must, and the 28-200mm can provide it.

The 28-200mm f/2.8-5.6 is offered for a very reasonable price:

$ 729 USD, which is cheaper than many native Sony lenses, and brings an incredible bang for your buck when you consider what you’re getting.

So if you’re interested in a lens that can do pretty much anything, from landscapes to street photography to portrait photography and more, check out the Tamron 28-200mm f/2.8-5.6 Di III RXD.

(Also, take a look at our review of the incredible Tamron 70-180mm f/2.8 lens for Sony.)

Now over to you:

What do you think about the 28-200mm f/2.8-5.6? Are you impressed by Tamron’s innovation? Are there any competitors that you like better? Share your thoughts in the comments!

The post Tamron 28-200mm Wins Grand Gold Prize at Digital Camera Grand-Prix 2021 appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.

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Tips for Photographing Birds in Flight

01 Nov

The post Tips for Photographing Birds in Flight appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Bruce Wunderlich.

This article introduces some key concepts for photographing birds in flight.

One of the most necessary ingredients is patience; you may often photograph an entire day and not get a single usable image. In most cases, there is some luck involved – you have to be in the right place at the right time, after all!

But hopefully, this article will give you the tools you need to improve your luck and capture stunning birds in flight photos.

Choosing a location

Let’s begin with how to choose the best location for your birds in flight shoot.

Near rivers or lakes is a great place to set up, because of the abundant food sources for the birds. Find a position on a hill that will put you at eye level with the birds.

And check out the position of the sun, because you should not be shooting into it. Light coming from behind you or from the left or the right of your position is preferred.

Also, birds will generally take off and land into the wind, so knowing the wind direction of your location will help you predict the flight direction of the birds you are photographing.

Lighting

Good lighting plays a key role in successful birds in flight photography.

As with any other kind of outdoor photography, the golden light of morning and evening is best. However, because you are shooting birds in the sky, these times can be extended and you’ll still get nice lighting on your subject.

Make yourself invisible

Some birds will not venture near humans, so you need to make yourself as invisible as possible.

In some cases, this might be as simple as not wearing brightly-colored clothing. However, avid bird photographers may also want to set up some kind of blind. Blinds can be purchased inexpensively from most hunting stores.

Also, sitting down will make you less noticeable to the birds than if you are standing.

Study your subject

Study the birds you enjoy photographing to learn their habits.

How does this help?

Knowing the birds can help you predict their movements. For instance, many birds, especially the larger species like herons or eagles, will relieve themselves just before they fly. Knowing this can help you be ready to shoot just before your subject takes off.

Lens

Choosing a good lens for birds in flight photography can be a challenge. I recommend you use the fastest and longest lens you can afford.

For your best chance at a great shot, you’ll need at least a 300mm lens, but a 500mm to 600mm prime lens is preferable.

(Unfortunately, these lenses don’t come cheap!)

Tripods

A great tripod head for birds in flight, especially if you’re using a large lens, is a gimbal head. It balances your camera and lens while requiring very little force to pan left and right or up and down.

A less expensive option is a pan head, which also allows for movement in all directions on two different axes. And while ball heads can be used for birds in flight photography, they’re not a very stable solution for large lenses.

Exposure

When setting up your camera to shoot birds in flight, keep in mind how the exposure triangle of shutter speed, aperture, and ISO plays an important part in getting the perfect exposure.

Shutter speed – You need your shutter speed to be fast enough to freeze the bird’s wings in your photo. While small birds’ wings may flap at approximately 40 beats per second, larger birds, like herons and eagles, flap around 2 beats per second. Many species of duck are fairly fast flappers, at around 5 to 10 beats per second. So the question remains: How fast should you set your shutter speed to freeze wing motion? Go for at least 1/1000s to 1/2000s. Even faster is better, if possible!
Aperture – In order to gain as much depth of field as possible, you should use the smallest aperture you can afford. Select your f-stop (the aperture number) based on your lens’s sweet spot (where your lens focuses most clearly), which is probably around f/8.
ISO – You want to keep your ISO setting as low as possible to avoid digital noise (graininess) in your photos, although most modern camera models do a decent job with higher ISOs.

So how do you bring all three elements of your exposure triangle together to get the best exposure? You may consider simply using your camera’s Shutter Priority mode, in which you set the shutter speed and the camera sets the aperture (and ISO on some models).

However, I recommend you try this alternative method:

Set your camera to Aperture Priority mode
Set your aperture to f/8 (the sweet spot) to get the sharpest-possible images
Using your camera’s light meter, check the exposure of the scene where you hope to photograph your birds in flight. You will probably find that some areas of the scene are darker than others.
Using the exposure reading you get from the darkest areas of the scene, adjust your ISO to bring your shutter speed up to at least 1/1000s. It follows that when your bird flies by and you are panning your camera into a lighter area, your shutter speed will increase to above 1/1000, and when your subject is in the darker areas, your exposure will still be appropriate.

Now, here’s one final step to tweak your exposure:

Have you ever noticed how, when photographing birds in flight, your image will seem dark and be missing details, especially in dark feathers? To bring out more detail in dark areas, change your EV (exposure compensation) setting to +0.3. This will add a little more light (though depending on the lighting, you may need to add a bit more exposure compensation).

On the other hand, what if you are photographing a white bird, such as a swan? The white bird’s image will tend to get “blown out,” so that you’re missing detail in the whites. To compensate, adjust your EV value to -1.0 to -2.0. This will pick up the detail in those white-feathered birds. (If you are thinking that your background will be underexposed, you’d be right – but you are photographing the swan, not the background!)

Focusing

To keep your flying bird in focus, set your camera’s focusing mode to continuous focus.

In this mode, as long as you have the shutter button depressed halfway and are focused on the bird, the camera will continuously acquire focus as the bird moves. Canon calls this function “Al Servo,” while Nikon calls it “Continuous Servo” or “AF-C.”

Also, both Nikon and Canon will allow you to expand your AF points so that your camera can identify moving subjects at adjacent points (which will help you keep your moving subject in focus).

Nikon also offers two AF area modes that can work for birds in flight:

The 51-point Dynamic Area AF and the 3D Tracking area mode.

Both of these AF area modes will search at all 51 AF points for the movement of your subject, although these modes can be a little too slow when focusing in some situations.

Composition

Composition can be the most difficult aspect of photographing birds in flight.

But all the basic rules of composition remain valid here. You always want to have more space in front of the bird than behind it; a good rule is to have a least two to three times the space in front of the bird.

One thing that helps maintain this space is to place your focus point in the center of the frame and try to keep it on the bird’s eye. This method works really well on large-beaked birds, such as herons.

Also, while most birds in flight images include just one bird, look for those occasions where you can capture two or three birds at once (for a great result!).

Technique

As the bird is flying toward you, quickly get your focus locked.

Then, when the bird is close and in a position you like, fire away. Keep panning even after you’ve stopped shooting. This follow-through motion will keep your last image in focus better than an abrupt stop.

When panning as the bird flies by, you want to match your panning speed to that of the bird. And depending on your shutter speed, this will help keep the bird in focus while the background may be blurred.

You want to keep the bird’s eye in focus and sharp; this is key. If you are handholding your camera, try to keep your left hand under the barrel of your lens and your elbows close to your body, as this will help you maneuver the camera as steadily as possible. If you are standing, keep your legs spread out to create a good sturdy base.

If you are planning to hold your location and position for a time, I recommend using a tripod. This will help keep your camera steady, especially if you are using a very heavy lens.

So stay alert and look for opportunities to capture great birds in flight images. It will take lots of practice to get that perfect shot.

But once you get it right, you will be hooked!

Also, if you’re interested in more bird photography tips, check out these articles:

10 Incredible Bird Photography Tips for Beginners
A Turn of the Head – Creating More Compelling Bird Portraits
An Introduction to Bird Photography

The post Tips for Photographing Birds in Flight appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Bruce Wunderlich.

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