Steve
Nichols Imaging Commercial Photography & Web Services
All of the images of birds and animals on the Critters page and through the last image on the Contact page were shot with the following equipment:
Fuji Finepix S2 35mm Digital Camera
Nikon ED AF Nikkor 80-200mm 1:2.8 D Lens with Hood
Tamron SP AF Teleconverter 1.4x (This combination gives me app. 420mm effective focal length.)
Bogen Manfrotto 3221 WN Tripod (light-weight, good for hauling around in the field).
Bogen Manfrotto 322 RC2 Ball Head (Grip set for left-hand use, free's up my 'trigger' finger)
IBM 1Gig Microdrive
Quantum QB1 Battery (equivalent to 4-5 sets of batteries).
Camera Settings:
Meter set to Average Center-Weighted
Shutter-Priority Mode (1/500 sec. - 1/1000 sec. or faster depending on the lighting)
ISO 100
Continuous shooting mode
'Sunny' for White Balance & Cloudy (depends on conditions)
AF area is not selected
Fine Image quality
4256 x 2848 Recorded Pixels
Color, Tone, Sharpness all Standard
Manual Focus (especially if the animal is moving). (Still working on mastering auto-focus with a moving subject.)
Image Preview is turned OFF. Saves a lot on battery life.
Notes on techniques:
I will set the +/- Exposure to add 1/2 a stop for a darker-colored bird, and go
-1/2 stop for a brighter-colored bird, like a gull. Add 1 full stop for a
black bird or crow. I bracket when time allows. I'm using an incident
light meter when backgrounds are either on the dark or light side and they will
bias the exposure.
I try to wait for the animal to give me the best pose when possible. They
are always looking around. I usually zoom all the way out to 200mm, and
pull back if necessary. Focusing is very critical, don't shoot it if you can't
get focused (unless you are doing an action shot.)
If you're shooting digital, shoot a lot. It doesn't cost you anything! If
you are on a trip, film shooters, remember film is the least costly part of your
trip, so don't be stingy on the frame count.
I'm always shooting with an eye on the composition. All of these animals
have been shot many, many times for documentation or identification purposes, so
an artistic presentation makes more sense to me. Hope that helps, and happy
shooting!
Photo Copyright Colby Chester 2005
"Patience is an egg that hatches Great birds.." Zulu saying