Capturing breathtaking wildlife photos, especially close-ups of birds and small animals, requires the use of a super-telephoto lens. However, once you have this powerful tool in your hands, you may encounter technical challenges. The sheer size and weight of ultra-long lenses can make handheld shooting difficult, while the extended reach makes it tricky to achieve sharp images of wildlife subjects.
But don’t despair! Super-telephoto wildlife photography is within your reach, even if you’re a beginner. In this article, I provide seven practical tips to enhance your wildlife photography skills using a super-telephoto lens. By implementing these techniques, you’ll be well-equipped to capture crisp, clear, and stunning shots of eagles, tigers, zebras, songbirds, and a variety of wildlife.
So, let’s jump right in and discover how to take your wildlife photography to the next level!
1. Select a shutter that is sufficiently fast. speed
If you are shooting wildlife photos When shooting wildlife photography, you should be sure toset the shutter speed carefully and be sure to be sure to monitor it as you shoot.
But which is the best shutter speed to choose? What’s more, the principle of the reciprocal states it is recommended that shutter speeds needs to be at a minimum as fast as that of the proportional of the lenses focal length. If you’re using 500mm of lens, you’ll require to shoot at minimum 1500s.
If you lower your shutter speed to less than the reciprocal of your focus length of the lens, shake may begin to affect the images you shoot and you could result in a collection of blurry, inaccessible photos. However, keep in mind that if the lens you are using has stabilization technologies it is possible to take pictures at a slower shutter however be aware that when you shoot excessively slow, shake from the camera could take over.
After you’ve determined an acceptable shutter speed with the reciprocal rule you’re not finished. You should also watch your subject’s movements then adjust your shutter according to. A subject that is relatively still (e.g. an animal in grass) is able to be captured with the reciprocal rule shutter speed with no problem However, if your object is moving, such as trotting, walking or running it is necessary to increase your shutter’s speed often substantially.
For instance, a moving mammal usually requires shutter speeds of 1/1000s or more and birds flying generally require at least 1/2000s to get sharp shots. If you’re taking photos in bright sunlight I’d recommend boosting your camera’s shutter speed up to minimum 1/2000s. There’s no disadvantage to making use of a speedy shutter (apart from lighting loss however, if you choose to use the shutter speed that is a little too slow it can be devastating.
2. Choose a midrange aperture value
A majority of novice wildlife photographers make use of the largest aperture their super-telephoto lens can allow since the larger an aperture you have, the quicker shutter speed There’s nothing wrong with an extremely wide aperture…right?
However, this isn’t the case. Wider apertures reduce your the depth of field which is how much of the scene that is sharply focused – and if the field isn’t sufficient your subject’s tail wings, and even their body could become soft this isn’t optimal. When shooting wildlife it is generally recommended to keep the entire scene looking crisp (though you have the option of adjusting your focus on the direction of your subject and the angle of your subject, so don’t overdo it by trying to get everything sharp and crisp).
However an aperture that is wide will generally result in background blurring which is stunning and helps your subject pop out of the background.
So, it’s crucial to achieve the right equilibriumwhen selecting the aperture. Do not go too wide so that your subject isn’t in the frame, but don’t get so narrow that you’ll lose the stunning background blur. Instead setting your lens at f/6.3, f/7.1, or an aperture of f/8 depending on its focal length as well as your subject. Take some shots and then look over photos on your LCD to check for sharpness and the depth of field then adjust the settings accordingly.
3. Select a higher ISO when needed.
The aperture and shutter speed as well as the ISO together comprise an exposure triangle and these three settings affect the brightness of your pictures. The greater the ISO is, the brighter your images – everything else being equal – and also the more rapid you can get an image with your shutter.
But, the high ISOs have a disadvantage they create noise that appears in your photos as tiny scattered areas that decrease the quality of your image and can look a bit sloppy.
When deciding on your ISO is important to reduce it as much as you can in order to minimize noise. However it’s not a good idea to sacrifice the speed of your shutter or a small aperture for keeping the ISO low. It’s more beneficial to take a noisy picture rather than one that is blurry.
I would suggest starting with determining the aperture and shutter speed. Choose an ISO that will give you an adequate exposure, even though that ISO may be on the higher end (e.g., ISO 3200). If you are concerned that the ISO will create excessive noise, you could try to lower the shutter speed or increase your aperture, but remember the negative effects that were discussed earlier!
4. Make use of a monopod or tripod to increase stability
Super-telephoto lenses are generally heavy. The heavier the lens, more difficult it is to keep the lens stable when you hold it.
One method to combat this issue is to increase the shutter speed. However, as you’re aware, you’ll have to either increase the aperture or increase the ISO to make up for the difference and both come with their own issues.
This is why a lot of super-telephoto wildlife photographers choose to stay clear of handholding as much as is feasible. Instead they place their lenses on tripods or monopods. tripod or monopod. These support systems help give your camera stability and let you focus less on preventing your hands steady, and more on the environment and the movements of the wildlife.
Be aware that Telephoto lenses come with an accessory for tripods, and it’s essential to utilize it to attach your setup on a monopod or tripod. If you choose to attach your setup using the bottom of your camera and then put pressure on the lens mount, which could harm your entire camera.
Pro tip: If you’re in a situation in which you don’t have a monopod or tripod you can try stabilizing yourself by sitting down or resting your body against trees or crouching to the point that your elbows rest upon your knees. Try stabilizing the lens by putting it on the car’s hood or on the top of a bench or even against the ground.
5. Keep your eyes low for stunning backgrounds
A large portion of this article focuses on taking sharp super-telephoto photos. However, while it is crucial to have sharp images however, you should consider how the image looks. So, prior to taking a picture, think about how I can make an image that appears appealing?
One method of spicing your images and achieving professional appearance is shooting from an angle low. If you are able to get on an even level with your subject – whether by sitting down or lying flat on the ground, you’ll have an intimate view, which is always pleasant. Also, you’ll additionallytend to have a more appealing background blur that will give your subject a pop and add some spice to your photographs.
Why would a low-angle enhance the blur of the background? It’s because of one reason: when you shoot wildlife from high up the background is usually the ground that is behind the subject. When you go down in the low areas, ground strays away and the background will appear more distant, like trees or grasses, and even the horizon. Due to the way that depth of field functions the distant elements appear blurry, resulting in amazing results!
6. Make sure to utilize image stabilization
In this article, I noted that it’s crucial to adhere to the reciprocal rule, in the event that your lens does not offer image stabilization.
It’s true that image stabilization is essentially the mechanism used by lenses to stop camera shake. If you’re holding the camera this technique, it will let you take photos at extremely slow shutter speeds, yet take sharp photos.
When you are ready to shoot ensure that the lens’s image stabilization feature is turned on! (Some cameras also have image stabilization that is equally useful.)
Photographers are often advised on not using stabilization for images while using tripods. However, while image stabilization may cause blurring when taking photos with long exposures using a tripod, this isn’t a typical issue that wildlife photographers face and therefore it’s safe to put your lens in the image stabilization setting and then leave it on for as long as you want.
7. Use the back button to focus.
The most common method of focus on the latest DSLRs or mirrorless models is to use the shutter button. Half-press the shutter button until you achieve focus, and then use the shutter for the remainder up to trigger the camera.
While this approach is effective, it can cause unnecessary difficulties. One example is that you cannot simply switch between the camera’s single-shot focus and continuous focus that makes difficult to take pictures of subjects that change from stationary to moving and then back.
There’s a second option available: back-button focus allows you to disconnect the focusing mechanism from the shutter button of your camera. Instead of focusing with pressing the shutter button half-way the focus is achieved using a switch at one of the cameras’ backs. So, you can remain in continuous focus mode. hold the focus button while you see your subject moving, and then let the button go to secure the focus once the subject ceases to move.
Back-button focus takes some time to get used. However, if you’re trying to take sharp photos of wildlife using a super-telephoto lens it could be an absolute game changer!
Tips for super-telephoto wildlife pictures Final words
The shooting using a super-telephoto lens can be an enjoyable experience however, because the lenses are so massive and long, without the right methods you’ll have a difficult time getting excellent images.
Remember to select the shutter speed as well as aperture and ISO. Make sure your setup is stable and activate the image stabilization. Make sure to lower your camera for stunning backgrounds. Also, think about using the back button focus! Your wildlife photos are sure to appear stunning.
