Wildlife - Falcon & Camera-Setup-HowTo for fast Action-Shooting
This is another post of a Falcon. As you already know, these birds are clever. He was watching me, while I pulled out my camera quickly, while he flew near me. I was able to get a good photo from his front. Most of the time, they fly in circles around you or take the shortest way in the opposite direction. However, if you try enough times, he sometimes flies directly past you. This is the moment, where you have to be quick with your camera.
I’m always writing a short story to my photos and I like to transport some tips and tricks, how you can shoot better photos. That’s why I tell you now, how I setup my camera for fast Wildlife shooting.
Two people take a picture of the same scene and only one picture is good.
The question is, how can you be the one with the better photo?
This depends on you camera, lens, knowledge, practice and also luck.
In the next paragraph, I want to focus on how to get a sharp photo of a fast action shooting.
Because the falcon is a smaller bird, I need maximum sharpness. I know at what point my camera has the max sharpness, and I preset those values. That are for me: my lens is sharpest at aperture f=8. I use 600mm to bring the bird closer.
Camera Setup (Big Picture)
If you see a target approaching you want to shoot, you have to use presets on your lens and camera. On my lens, I programmed a profile for better stabilization and a distance-range from 6 to infinite metres. That makes the AF-Lens-motor a lot quicker. Second, I programmed the camera to *continuous-AF* with *priority for objects in front of the background*. I only use *5 AF-Points in the centre*, otherwise the camera could do more back-focusing. While in fast action shooting, I often trigger the *refocus-function* that gives better results with my D750. Refocusing means pressing the trigger *half way through*. I don’t use Back-Button-Focusing, because that function is not so well done on the D750. This is better implemented on a D810.
If you have Questions setting up your Camera, write me a Comment
A Falcon – flying in my Direction, using the described Setup
Don't miss my other Falcon photo:
My next photo will be available soon. I do not use any tricks, to get a picture and I try to make them look as close as possible to what my eyes have seen. If you like this picture, please vote and perhaps follow me. Thank you and have a nice day!
That's quite amazing! Great work! Did you look at the steemit photochallange ? :) Update: Yes you did...
Thank you so much! The problem with the challenge (or in general) is that posts with more votes are listed in front of others. Moreover, nobody is going through the whole list. I need more votes. If the posts would not be sorted by upvotes, the system would be much more easy for beginners.
That's true...but if you just care about getting your work out there for people to see, it still is useful. You can just get lucky with it after all. Upvotes are quite random but I see that they tend to be related to the time you spend interacting with others and their content. The more consistent and active you are and the more you engage with the community you can build a following and then your posts can hit the "hot" page more often. Plus you build your reputation up steadily which has a big impact on how your content might be perceived by some who are scrolling through the feed.
Thank you for this wonderful advice!
I'm trying to do, what you suggested. Sharing my work makes fun, even if I get low votes.
A comment like yours is really encouraging me to continue.
One more question. You wrote: they tend to be related to the time you spend interacting with others and their content.
Is there a way to get this information ?
Not sure really...I haven't looked for any statistical tools and there might be none. Just saying this from my short experience with it and from looking and reading around. Some say that at the moment new users focus too much on getting the attention of older, more established users called "wales", in fact chasing upvotes that count more than those from other new users. They do this instead on focusing on doing what the older users did in the first place which is to grow along with their peers and the platform by putting in time and effort and investing time into building relationships with other users that share their passions.
I heard that somewhere. I don't like this approach of attracting whales. Moreover, I'm voting only, if I like the stuff. I don't like to vote just because it makes my account better. Very good information. Thank You!
Me neither...but unlike you and me, there are many that are just "gold digging" on here. Keep up the good work and good things will come...don't be overly enthusiastic either.
That's exactly how I treat it. Good advice.
Great work, upvote
Thank you! Appreciated very much.