Joe and Mary Ann McDonald's

Wildlife Photography

September 2008

How can you shoot from a small boat?


Great Kiskadee Flycatcher, Rufescent Tiger Heron, and Green Kingfisher shot on a river
in Brazil's Pantanal from a small boat.

On my recent trip to Brazil's Pantanal, the world's largest wetland, much of our photography took place from small boats that were a bit broader in beam than a canoe. The boats had three or four rows of seats, with two seats per row, and were powered by a small outboard motor. Shooting from them was a bit of a challenge, but even so, we did all right. Although we were after jaguars, and were successful in that endeavor, most of our photography involved birds, and from a boat we were able to get extremely close.

Here's how I met the challenge. First, I raised my ISO as high as needed. With my Canon 1D and 1Ds I felt I could easily shoot at ISO 400 without any worry of image degradation, and that was my default ISO. Nikon shooters, especially those shooting a D3, could probably go with 800 from what I've heard! Next, I usually shot wide-open so that I was obtaining the fastest shutter speed possible. Between ISO and shutter speed I was insuring that I minimized the threat of movement either from current or from the other four people in the boat (my two friends, our guide, and the boatman). I used a tripod for all of my 500mm work, but I did handhold and brace myself for a lot of the shots I did with my 28-300 and 70-200mm lens. For the latter I bought the new f4 version which costs me a stop of light, compared to the f2.8 I have, but the lens is very sharp and so light that it truly is a joy to use.

Most importantly, I had my lens set on AI Servo rather than one-shot mode so that I could continuously fire, even if I was out of focus. I had my focus sensor placed on the subject's eye or head, so I often did not have it on the center spot, which generally acquires focus fastest. But here's the trick ... as our boat approached a subject we'd cut the motor and drift in with our momentum, and while doing so I'd just keep my focusing sensor on the appropriate spot and just fire away in a long motor drive burst. In this way, although I was wasting frames (big deal, it is digital!) I pretty much insured that somewhere during that sequence I'd have some sharp, if indeed not every one was not sharp as they often were.

Shooting a sequence certainly cost me in terms of cards, and I generally went through a couple per day, and it also cost me in terms of downloading time and later in editing, because there were more images to generate previews and to select from. However, when editing, I simply tag a couple representative shots from the sequence, since all are basically the same shot with the only variation perhaps being slightly increasing image sizes. After tagging these representatives, I'll select a few -- generally the closest or ones where there is a definite eye highlight - and I'll check these for sharpness. If they are all sharp I'll tag the best one or two and delete the rest. Those not tagged get deleted as well, immediately, so I'm freeing up disk space and saving myself extra time.

The important thing here is firing as I moved forward, rather than trying to time a shot and take only a few. With a moving boat numbers count, so don't be afraid to use your motor drive and fire off frames!


Previous Questions of the Month

Digital Questions

How difficult is it to master MASKS?
WHY WE SWITCHED FROM Nikon to Canon

Does the automatic sensor cleaning feature of the Mark III really work?

What is our initial Digital Workflow?
What is our Digital Workflow in the Lab?
 How do I keep track of Digital Files?
Is Shooting in the RAW format worthwhile?
What is the Difference?
How can you capture a sharp image and angel hair on a windy day? 
 
Can you match the Histograms?
How do we meter White?

 Is the Mark II the ultimate wildlife digital camera?
What is DEC? 
 Wildlife Models - Is there anything new to shoot?

Do You Need a Big Printer?
Can a Wimberley Head be used with small lenses?
 What is Reality? Adobe's powerful LIGHTROOM Program
Why must you have at least 2 digital backups?
 Is Digital Manipulation - a benign alternative to interacting in the natural world?
 Film or Digital? - Why you should shoot film!
 Does the Visibledust cleaning system really work?

Camera Techniques

Photo Trap - The Pro's Secret Weapon
LensCoat camera, lens, and tripod covers

What Equipment do we usually take afield?
Does the AutoFocus on the EOS 1D Mark III work?
Which Macro Lens is for You?

What is the Most Important thing you can do before a Workshop?
 
How many Flashes do you need to effectively illuminate hummingbirds?
What is the best shutter speed for panning running mammals?

Is there an easy way to level a camera for panorama shots?
Is the New Wimberley head worth having?
Is an L-Shaped Camera Bracket worth the Money? You bet it is!
Using Zoom lenses with tele-converters and extension tubes -- can you use both together?

Are Image Stabilization Lenses Worth the Money?
What the heck is the Scheimpflug Law?
What is the Best Composition?
Should you have a depth of field Preview button on your camera?

 How do you determine distances?
Hyperfocal Distance
Apertures for Macro


FLASH AND REMOTES

Flash and Tele-flash Techniques
What is the best flash for closeup and macro photography?
What is the most versatile remote release camera firing system?
 
How do you shoot high-speed action images?
How did I shoot the gliding Sugar Glider?
How did I photograph that flying wasp?
What the heck is a Plamp?

IN THE FIELD

Can Photographing Wildlife Models make Conservation Sense?
Is Kenya safe to visit in 2008?

What I did on my summer 'vacation.'

Why is Yellowstone the best for wildlife photography in the US?
Is a Trip to Antarctica Worth it?
What is the best season to do a photo safari in East Africa?

What is the Big Lie? The truth about Kenya's Tourism--it is SAFE!
Which Mountain Park is better for wildlife - Denali or Torres del Paine?
What are our Five Favorite Shooting Locales?

How can you attract insectivorous birds to your feeding stations and bait sites? 
How do you make things happen in wildlife photography?

What is the best Car Window Mount?
How can you save your shoulders?
How can you reduce contrast and the effect of wind for flower and macro photography?
What is the best Game Caller?
How Easy is Whale Photography?
Why Can't You Feed A Bear?
What is our Favorite bird-shooting location?

 

 

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