And now for something a little different 🙂
Sometimes I think one of the best ways to get better at wildlife photography is to study how other photographers approach their shots. You know, what settings they use, why they use them, what they are thinking in the field – that sort of thing.
So, I decided to try to do that with this presentation.
In this video, we’ll look at eight of my images from my recent trip to Tanzania (I had about twenty-five I wanted to share, but I doubt anyone wants a two hour video) and I’ll share my settings along with why I used them. Not only that, I’ll also share the challenges of each shot and how I handled them in the field. This is a little different; let me know in the comments if you want me to do more of these kinds of videos in addition to my regular fare. Enjoy!
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PS – If you enjoyed this post, I think you’ll REALLY like my e-books and video workshops! Thousands of pages and hours of videos filled with tips, tricks, and techniques – all my best content! Check ’em out – click here (hey, it’s free to look).
Great video!!!
As always, Steve, so informative and entertaining! Just for fun I calculated for how many years I’ve been shooting and a student of photography, around 54! Hoops! getting up there in age. I have seen, read, and owned (some of your material of course) quite a bit about photography. And must admit I’m hooked on your BCG College of Photo Education! 🙂 Thanks to you, your insights, passion and entertaining way of teaching photography one can continue to learn and grow as a photographer. BTW, looking forward to my May-June trip to Tanzania with Unique Safaris. Hope that gorgeous girl… Read more »
The video explanation of your techniques and rational for the shots is absolutely educational. Please consider more in the future.
Thanks
I really enjoyed this video. Had a chance to go to Tanzania in 2018. Took about 8,000 photos during our trip. Wish I had seen this video as well as your web site before we went. While I got a lot of great shots, there would have been many more keepers with what I have learned from you.
I really enjoyed this video! Thank you. Will look at it again in my preperation going to the Chobe in Botswana in March. Also learned a lot from your presentation on wildlife photography.
Really like this style of video.
Really enjoyed this video. I definitely would like to see more of this sort. I’m always interested in how great photos were taken and what the photographer was thinking at this time. Thanks!
I loved the video and learned a lot from them. Please do more. I have also enjoyed your ebooks. I have used much of the lessons from those books to make what I consider great images.
Steve, so sorry I missed meeting you, as you came to the Serengeti camp the last day we were there. My friend Bruce did recognize you and spoke briefly with you. Got most of the same animal shots, even that difficult to find barn owl! Was real interested in your comments on how you shot them, as I was faced with many of the same challenges that you were. I will increase my shutter speed on fast moving targets, as I have been afraid of the high ISOs. You have no fear of that (Topaz) and also no fear of… Read more »
Sorry I missed you too!
Also, I’m not too afraid of higher ISOs IF – and only if – I’m filling the frame. How Topaz and other noise reduction software handles an image is directly related to how well you’ve filled the frame. I’m not so brave if I’m facing a heavy crop 😀
I love the discussions about the thought process you use when taking your beautiful photos. These kind of videos really broaden my options to consider when I’m faced with what appears to be a less than ideal photo op. Please keep this type of videos coming!
thanks Steve looks like you had a beautiful trip. the Video was a great help. You didn’t say but did you ever use comp. +or-
Sometimes, depends on the situation. Next video I’ll try to pass that info along.
Thank Steve
Congratulations to Steve for the above videos. I like them for the following reasons:
Mumber one : the profound knowledge that he has on the subject he presents.
Number two.; the ability to present the material in a way that is easy to understand. it requires a special ability.
Number three: the task to always leave an open avenue for someone that does things differently and have an open mind about different photographic approaches.
I enjoyed your video and discussion on each image camera settings and why. Well done.
Thanks, I really enjoyed your discussion and advice.
Great video! Real nice to see the “behind the scenes”…
I enjoyed this very much. I really appreciated the thoughts that went into each picture. I hope you do some more of these and it would be great if you could do some photos with this end use in sight AND did some photos without using the high cost equipment that many of us can’t afford. For instance, if you didn’t own the 600 prime lens and 2X, how would you deal with some of these shots. If you couldn’t shoot 20 frames per second, what would you do. How would you handle the photo opportunity. Those are the kinds… Read more »
Ace shots and good info on the background to them.
I greatly appreciated your views and thoughts on each image.
I greatly appreciated your insights on each of the images.
Totally enjoyable. Enjoyed that you shared your camera setting. Thanks
Excellent thanks very much
Lovely stuff, Steve. Very helpful and interesting.
Thanks Steve really interesting. My photos from Tanzania nowhere near as brilliant as yours but when I next visit I have some useful tips.
Excellent Presentation. Your walk and talk through from beginning to end of each photo was just what I needed. The description of the scene, time of day, conditions, which led to your camera settings really helped me better understand the process you use to nail your shots.
Thanks Steve,
A great video and very useful to share your thinking in obtaining these top quality images. I’ll certainly take those thoughts with me when next in the field in a similar situation.
Wonderful video. Most enjoyable and helpful. Please do more. One question: when shooting from the vehicle what lens/camera support were you using. I don’t think you mentioned that.
Just setting it on the edge of something or sometimes a beanbag.
Love it! Very helpful.
I learned a lot from this. Please keep doing these.
A great video and really appreciate the insights and thought processes that you went through. Please do more of these type of Videos.
Excellent Video. Knowing how and why you used certain camera settings is key.
Please do more such videos.
The presentation was very informative and I enjoyed the way you presented the material. I’d love to see more.
WOW! Please keep providing this type of video content! Having the how and why behind the shots is invaluable! Thank you. Claire
Another great video Steve. Thank you. I’d appreciate more of these please AND there would be a lot of value (for me at least) if you added a “part 2” to each video. In this video you mentioned your use of Topaz for one of the images, and it got me thinking: hey, I now know how Steve got the shot, but what was the image like straight out of camera, and what was his workflow in post that achieved the final image. It would be fascinating to see the sooc and final images side by side. I don’t know… Read more »
Thank you, Steve. It is always a learning session for me watching your videos and tips in relation to photography. This always gives me the encouragement to better my own photography.
Thanks again.
Really wish I’d seen this video before I visited Tanzania in October – very helpful!
Really enjoyed this video. The discussion of the effect you wanted, and issues encountered really makes this special. Would love to see more of same.
Fantastic video. Love seeing your images and the commentary was, as usual, really instructive. Thanks Steve.
really liked this video Steve, on my way to Tanzania shortly with a little pandemic luck
Another great video, thanks Steve.
Steve, As usual this is exceedingly well done. This ‘story behind the image’ approach is quite informative and a wonderful teaching technique. Please do more, far more, of these.
Love it. Thank you. Your passion for photography is infectious. Highlighting when you tweak AF and metering to adapt to conditions particularly helpful.
Great video! The format is good relating to real in the field thought processes, along with the camera settings used to tie it all together.
This was great
Fantastic! Great video, Steve. Very informative and inspirational. More, much more, of the same, please.
Don
Great photography and video.
I thought it was great and overmuch enjoyed it. Please continue doing them and thanks for all of your hard work
My Best Bill
Thank you Steve! I enjoyed seeing this video as your imagery is always top notch. Hearing your explanations about your thought processes certainly is valuable to hear as they give me strategies that are enhanced by having the image there onscreen at the same time. So it gets my attention and your advice then does get absorbed! I will bear in mind much of the plentiful ways that you have employed to come away with such gorgeous pictures.
Great video! The Flamingo is amazing! Enjoy all your videos.
Steve, great job! Please continue doing this. All the best!
Super interesting! Thanks for taking us on an African safari with a lot of precious advice!!