Category Archives: Photography Techniques

Small Birds Taking Flight

This article shares some photographs of small birds taking flight. All photographs were captured hand-held using the E-M1X Pro Capture H mode (i.e. 60 frames per second) during a two-hour photo session at Hendrie Valley. During my short visit I captured Pro Capture sequences of nine species of birds. Six species are featured in this article.

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Allowing For Wing Movement

When photographing birds taking flight, allowing for wing movement needs to be considered. This is especially important if a photographer’s objective is not to clip the bird’s wings. This article shares a selection of 15 photographs captured during the same Continuous Auto-Focus image run. All photographs are displayed as 100% captures without any cropping.

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High ISO ETTR Test

Before we get into this article I’d like to thank one of our readers, Motografia, for providing the creative spark for this article. During a recent visit to Bird Kingdom I decided to try a high ISO ETTR test. The term ETTR stands for ‘expose to the right’. This is a somewhat controversial technique in which a photographer purposely exposes an image ‘to the right’ in order to maximize highlight details.

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Achieving Shallow Depth of Field

Achieving shallow depth of field is something that many folks want to do with their photographs. While some people may associate full frame cameras with shallow depth of field, it is also possible to achieve this with smaller sensor cameras. This article discusses some simple techniques that can be used when applying this creative approach to flower photography. All of the photographs in this article were captured with M4/3 camera equipment.

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Adapting to a Changing Birding Environment

After my wife and I arrived at our resort in Cuba in late January,  the first thing we did after dropping off our bags in our room, was visit the wetland area adjacent to the hotel. During our previous visits to this resort, the area had been a terrific spot for birding and bird photography. During past visits I had typically spent hours every day on the walkway over the water photographing a wide variety of bird species. This year my challenge was adapting to a changing birding environment. Continue reading Adapting to a Changing Birding Environment →

Tips on Photographing Dragonflies Hand-held

If you’re like me, one of the insect subjects that you may find challenging to photograph handheld is dragonflies. While on a recent tropical holiday I took the opportunity to practice my approach capturing images of these interesting creatures. This article shares some tips on photographing dragonflies. Continue reading Tips on Photographing Dragonflies Hand-held →

Photographing Small Birds Using Extension Tubes

A few days ago I took a break from a number of projects on which I’m working, by visiting Bird Kingdom in Niagara Falls Canada. It was a marginal day at best. The sky was overcast with rain falling. This later turned to a light snow, making the indoor shooting conditions at Bird Kingdom dark and difficult. This article discusses photographing small birds using extension tubes. This topic will be included in my upcoming bird photography eBook. Continue reading Photographing Small Birds Using Extension Tubes →

Using Slow Shutter Speeds to Photograph Wild Birds Handheld

Readers who enjoy bird photography can attest to the fact that many people go out early in the morning to capture their images. This can be a challenge, especially when using a camera with a smaller sensor, as higher ISO values are often used during this time of day. This article shares a few images and discusses using slow shutter speeds to photograph wild birds handheld. Continue reading Using Slow Shutter Speeds to Photograph Wild Birds Handheld →