LinkBack URL
About LinkBacks
Hey all,
I shot this sequence this morning, and when I was doing the PP work, I thought it might make a nice lesson. I was out driving around the lakes and ponds near my home, when I happened upon this small (4 to 5 foot) Gator near the water's edge. I normally don't spend too much time with them (I have thousands of Gator shots already), but I saw a nice composition here and decided to work it.
So what I'm going to do below is walk you through my sequence of working the shot, with the eventual culmination of exactly what I saw in my mind's eye BEFORE I even got out of my car with the camera. Keep in mind that these are ALL full frame images (the final one is cropped slightly for straightening) shot with a 70-200 zoom lens on the Canon 40D. I was VERY close to this little fellow.
EXIF: All images were with the Canon 40D, Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L zoom lens (at varying focal lengths - noted on each image), ISO 400, and variable f stops (noted on each image). It was an overcast, rainy morning with wonderfully diffused light.
Disclaimer: Alligators are dangerous. I encounter them regularly, and have a good feel for their habits. This Gator is far to small to be a serious threat to a human, but there are always exceptions. I was far more concerned with the possibility of a bigger one lurking nearby (or just under the water) than I was with this one. When it comes to Gators, if you don't know what you're doing, stay far away from them.
What I envisioned before starting the sequence: I saw that wonderfully still water, and the Gator's close proximity to the shoreline, and decided I could work a nice head shot of him, with reflection from eye-level against the still, white water. I wanted the Gator properly exposed, but the BG slightly overexposed to isolate the subject.
Image 1: This was actually taken from my car window. It was a test image really. I had decided that the overcast conditions probably warranted a higher ISO, so I went with 400. This image was shot at 70mm, f/2.8, and was just a test for exposure settings. I made the first adjustments in the car before starting the real sequence of images.
Image 2: Here I'm actually starting to move toward the Gator. I'm in a crouched position, moving very slowly toward that grass. My plan is to be prone by the time I get to the grass, and then crawl through it to the water's edge to shoot the Gator at eye-level and at a very close distance. At this point I'm looking around very carefully for more Gators, and any snakes or fire ant presence in the area. I'm far more concerned with the possibility of a Cottonmouth encouter than I am about this Gator. This image was also at 70mm, and f/2.8.
Image 3: This image was shot at 200mm and f/2.8. At this point I'm a little closer, and really trying to get a few images in just in case the Gator bolts off. I'm also trying to see the clutter in the image and pick my angle for going through the grass.
Image 4: This was shot at 105mm, and f/2.8. Now I'm in the grass on my stomach, raised up on my elbows for the shot. You will note that I shoot and move all the way through the process of working a composition. It's not unusual for me to fire more than a hundred frames of a single composition...looking just the perfect one. I do this to not only increase my chances of a great image coming out of the sequence, but also to keep checking that exposure! I actually kinda like this one with that bit of vegetation in the front of the frame.
Image 5: This was shot at 120mm, and f/4. I had moved in as close as I dared (within a few feet). I decided to stop down a bit to add some DOF due to the closer distance, so f/4 was chosen. This was the image I had in my mind's eye before I ever got out of the car.
The main reason I wanted to post this was that all too often I see beginner Nature Photographers who are so worried about just getting a shot, that they screw up what could be a really great shot by panicking, rushing, and not paying attention to the details. Stop, relax, and enjoy it. Focus a bit on the composition. Picture it in your mind, and then try to create it. Above all, move slowly and patiently toward your subject. You'll be amazed at how close you can actually get!
Hope this helps....
-CB
Reply With Quote
Originally Posted by Canon_Bob
