6
The Crucial Role of Light
I was incredibly lucky at the beginning of my photography career 40 years ago because Larry West, my accomplished instructor and a brilliant nature photographer, freely gave me sound advice for becoming a competent nature photographer. I remember him asking me, “John, what do you get when you photograph a subject in bad light?” I pondered the question for a moment in the hopes of coming up with a profound and all-encompassing answer. I said, “The picture would have too much contrast, the highlights would burn out and lose detail, the shadows would go too black and lose detail, and the shadows would be unflattering.” Larry smiled softly and simply said, “You get a bad picture.” I was merely describing some of the symptoms of a bad picture. He said, “If you photograph anything in bad light, you will surely get a bad picture.” He went on to stress how it is crucial to photograph the subject with light that is favorable to it. I have used his observation about light for decades to achieve success far beyond my wildest dreams. To this day, I avoid wasting my time photographing subjects that are illuminated by unsuitable light that cannot be modified to make it photogenic.
Barbara and I teach dozens of nature photography workshops and seminars every year. During the workshops, we often critique the images our students bring from home. Many of these images are absolutely breathtaking, but others suffer from serious faults. The single most common problem we see is that the subject has been photographed with unflattering or downright horrible light. Other common problems include unsharp images, distracting backgrounds, poor subject selection, and boring compositions. On Friday evening of our summer and
autumn Michigan workshops, we project the students’ ten best images they shoot during the week with us. Apparently, our workshop leadership is effective because seldom do we see light problems in these images. When leading photo workshops, we carefully select the field trip destination to insure we take our group to an ideal location where the light and wind conditions are suitable for the subject matter. It is a decision that we take seriously because we know the success of our students in producing memorable images depends on picking the right location. For our own photography, we choose our shooting location exactly the same way because it is absolutely crucial to shooting successful images.
Regrettably, too many photographers assume they “see” the light. While everyone knows when there is light, many really don’t see it photographically. Instead, they just see that there is light on the subject. Seeing the light photographically requires understanding how the camera “sees” the shadows and highlights, not how you with a human eye do, as they are quite different due to the limited dynamic range the camera can record. Is the light direction suitable for the subject? What
The backlighting nicely outlines these downy Forster’s tern chicks. The golden sun brings out the colors in the chicks and beautifully separates them from the background. Canon EOS-7D, Canon 500mm f/4L lens, f/7.1 at 1/500 second, ISO 640, Shutter-priority with a minus 2/3-stop exposure compensation.
about the color of the light? Does a distracting shadow fall on the subject? Does the eye have a catchlight? Is the background too light or dark for the subject? Can a different angle improve the light? Can you modify the light? All of these and more are questions that must pass through your mind instantly as you
This serval cat unexpectedly appeared near the trail as we were driving back to our game lodge in the Masai Mara. I was using manual exposure and had not metered anything for the past 15 minutes. Since the natural light had fallen during that time interval, my images were underexposed by at least two stops. Still, digital software makes it easy to increase the exposure and minimize the noise that is created when the subject is underexposed and made the image quite useable. Canon EOS 1 Ds Mark II, Canon 500mm f/4L lens, f/6.3 at 1/400 second, ISO 160, and manual metering.
select, approach, and photograph a subject. There is plenty to think about, but it becomes automatic after a while. It is in your best interests to avoid assuming you are naturally skilled at seeing good photographic light because most of us aren’t. Fortunately, we can all easily learn to improve our ability to “see” the light.
Light has four qualities that dramatically affect how you photograph and what the final image looks like. These qualities are intensity, direction, color, and contrast. Let’s explore these factors individually to see how each of them affects how you photograph.
INTENSITY
Intensity refers to the amount of available light that illuminates the subject. This factor is less critical for digital capture (compared to film) because the qualities of high ISOs are incredibly good and constantly improving with each new camera generation. Still, low light levels make photographing wildlife more challenging. While you can use high ISOs, such as ISO 800 or 1600, to obtain sufficient shutter speed for sharp images, there are still problems that must be overcome. Autofocus is slower and less accurate when the light is dim. Indeed, if it becomes dark enough, your autofocus will completely fail to work. This forces you to use manual focus, but that isn’t easy either because it is challenging to see fine detail in the dim viewfinder. Fortunately, autofocus continues to improve, viewfinders are brighter, and high ISOs are improving. This means light that is low in intensity is much easier to use successfully than a few years ago. Indeed, these advances let us photograph earlier and later in the day than ever before. All of us have more productive time to shoot images as a result.
LOW LIGHT SHOOTING STRATEGIES
Let’s briefly highlight several key strategies for photographing in dim light. Use the most solid shooting platform you can. Usually this is a sturdy tripod, but it could be a bean bag or some other device. Keep the shutter speed fast by opening up the aperture to let more light strike the sensor and use high ISOs. If the shutter speed is 1/250 second or slower, use image stabilization if you have it. In some cases, you may have to add light with a flash and possibly a flash extender to successfully photograph the subject.
There is one more tactic that many photographers don’t think about. If all else fails, go ahead and underexpose the subject. Underexpose? Absolutely! Properly exposing the subject costs you shutter speed. Suppose proper exposure is f/4 at 1/60 second with a 500mm lens. You’ll have a tough time shooting consistently sharp images at 1/60 second, even on a tripod. If you underexpose the image by two stops, you could use 1/250 second which is plenty of shutter speed for most subjects. Then use software to brighten up the image. Sure, your image will be noisier and may exhibit less overall detail, but the resulting image may still be satisfactory anyway. Aren’t you better off to capture a sharp image that is a bit noisy over an unsharp one that has little noise?
I once got lucky in Kenya thanks to accidently underexposing the image. I used manual exposure to photograph lions in late evening light. Eventually, we had to drive quickly back to the lodge to avoid a possible fine if the driver was late getting through the gate after sunset. As we sped bouncing along, a seldom seen stealthy serval cat magically stepped out of the tall grass a short distance from the road. In only a few seconds, the driver immediately stopped, I threw my 500mm lens on the bean bag, back-button focused on the face of the cat, and fired off three quick shots before it disappeared for good. The first image was super sharp of the walking cat and the other two were fuzzy. Of course, during the time that elapsed between the lions and the discovery of the serval cat, the natural light had dropped by two stops. Since I was using manual exposure and didn’t have time to meter again, the camera didn’t change the 1/400 shutter speed I was using with the lions. The three serval cat images were two stops underexposed. Still, with Barbara’s computer magic, we think the sharp image looks fine. If the camera had been set to Aperture-priority, the shutter speed would have dropped to only 1/100 second. The images would be beautifully exposed, but none would be sharp with the slow 1/100 second shutter speed. Therefore, if you have no other choice, and you must have more shutter speed, deliberately underexpose the image to maintain a suitable shutter speed.
AN IMPORTANT LOW LIGHT EXPOSURE STRATEGY
Today, in the low light situation at sunset just described with the serval cat, I would use matrix metering, Shutter-priority, and Auto ISO. Using Auto ISO is covered in Chapter 3, but it’s worth repeating here because it is such an effective strategy that is not widely known among nature photographers. With Shutter-priority, the camera maintains the selected shutter speed, opens up the lens as far as possible, and boosts the
Photographing any animal in a snowstorm or driving rain makes for a memorable image. This topi quietly waited for the rain to pass as it stayed alert for approaching predators. Canon EOS 5D Mark II, Canon 500mm f/4L lens, f/4.0 at 1/640 second, ISO 1250, Shutter-priority with Auto ISO and a +1-stop exposure compensation.
ISO automatically, when necessary, to maintain a suitable exposure.
On a January 2010 Kenya safari, I used this Auto ISO strategy to photograph topi and Defassa waterbucks in a downpour. Naturally, the dense cloud cover and driving rain created dim light, but I did the best I could. I closed the roof hatch, opened a side window, and used a bean bag to continue shooting images in the downpour. I covered the lens and camera with a plastic bag to keep the equipment as dry as possible. Animals photographed in a driving rain or heavy snowfall make fascinating and unique images.
DIRECTION OF LIGHT
Light can illuminate the subject from a variety of directions. The direction of the light greatly influences how well the subject detail is seen, how high the contrast is, how the background appears relative to the subject, the colors in the image, and the overall appearance of the image. Light direction is a critically important variable that always must be considered when you choose your shooting angle. The five major light directions are frontlight, backlight, sidelight, top light, and diffused light. Let’s explore what these are and consider when they are helpful or detrimental to your images.
TOP LIGHT
Having the primary light directly above the subject may be the worst light you can use for the vast majority of wildlife subjects. For example, photographing an elephant during the middle of a sunny day is nearly always pointless. While it is easy to properly expose the sunlit back of the elephant, the belly and legs are hidden in dark shadows that can easily be five or more stops darker than the sunlit portions of the elephant. This enormous contrast range is not covered well with a digital camera and almost always produces ugly images. It’s possible to reduce the contrast range and make a more pleasing image later in the digital darkroom. Still, high sun is
The sidelight on this Masai giraffe nicely adds depth to its face. Sidelight is especially effective for revealing texture and shape due to the increase in contrast. Nikon D300, Nikon 200–400mm f/4 lens , f/9 at 1/160 second, ISO 400, Aperture-priority with a +2/3-stop exposure compensation.
something to be avoided most of the time. Obviously, it can be useful if your shooting viewpoint is above the subject, so you shoot down on it. Sometimes you need high sun to shoot into water to show detail. Still, top light remains the least desirable light direction most of the time. When photographing near the equator where the sun rapidly ascends into the sky, try to do as much photography as possible during the first two and last two hours of the day if the sun is shining brightly. Should cloudy conditions prevail, then photography is favorable all day long.
FRONTLIGHT
This light comes from behind the camera, or nearly so, to illuminate the subject. Since the side of the subject facing the camera is lit, the shadows fall behind the subject. Therefore, few shadows are recorded by the camera. Contrast on the subject tends to be low, making it easy to capture good detail throughout the subject. However, frontlight is flat light because it creates few shadows. This often causes the image to lose the appearance of depth. Frontlight tends to reduce surface detail due to the lack of shadows and does not show texture well at all. Nevertheless, frontlight is easily the most used light direction by wildlife photographers because it does work quite well for many furry and feathered beasts. However, if you always use frontlight, your images will assume a boring look of sameness. Accomplished wildlife photographers are quick to use other light directions, especially backlight and sidelight, whenever it’s effective.
SIDELIGHT
This light illuminates the subject from the side. Sidelight is especially effective anytime you wish to show fine detail in a subject or reveal the texture in an uneven surface such as a sand dune. Sidelight that lights the subject slightly from the front is effective for many animals, especially if the face is nicely illuminated and a catchlight is present in the eye. Of the five light directions, sidelight is likely the second least used light direction for wildlife. It tends to create contrast that is too high for the sensor to capture excellent detail in the brightest highlights and the darkest shadows at the same time. We tend to use sidelight far more in landscape photography where it really brings out the texture in sand dunes or a field of foxtail grass. However, soft sidelight is quite useful under bright overcast skies because the sidelight rims the subject, but the overcast keeps the contrast manageable.
BACKLIGHT
This light comes from behind the subject and travels to the camera. It is a terrific light for fuzzy or translucent subjects. For example, the throat pouches of some birds light up beautifully when backlit. Shadows fall on the side facing the camera, so it tends to produce high contrast images. This contrast is challenging for the digital sensor to record excellent detail in the highlights and the blackest shadows due to the wide dynamic range. Backlight works best when the light is golden early in the morning and late in the evening when an animal is nicely isolated against a dark background. This light beautifully rims the subject with a golden edge. The side of the subject facing the animal may be somewhat underexposed, but the effect is still attractive. Software is used to bring out more detail when desired. Most of us should use backlighting more than we do as it is terribly underutilized, to the detriment of our images.
SILHOUETTES
Silhouettes are often thought to be a backlight situation, but it isn’t quite the same. For example, if you silhouette an animal against the red sky of dawn, the light isn’t lighting up the back side of the subject, so it isn’t being strongly rimmed with light. The subject is merely isolated against the much brighter red sky. Although not strictly backlighting, silhouettes are fun to shoot, compelling to look at, and make highly worthwhile additions to your image collection. While we tend to think of silhouettes against a colorful sky, the background could be a glorious forest in autumn color or nearby mountain. Imagine finding a handsome deer posing on a hill in front of you that is in the shade. The background is lit with golden frontlight at dawn. Focus on the silhouetted
The golden sunshine nicely warms the colors and the soft backlighting rims this black-backed jackal puppy beautifully. Always consider early morning and late evening warm sunshine as a terrific backlighting opportunity. This light is especially effective against a darker non-distracting background. Nikon D300, Nikon 200–400 f/4.0 lens at 400mm, f/6.3 at 1/640 second, ISO 800, and Shutter-priority at a +1/3-stop exposure compensation.
deer, expose for the much brighter background, and shoot a fine silhouette.
DIFFUSED LIGHT
This light comes from many directions at the same time. It is plentiful on thick overcast days, in the fog, or when the entire subject is in the shade. In each case, the light is highly diffused as it bounces off the sky, clouds, trees, and all of the objects around the subject. This light is terrific for photographing wildlife because it is inherently low in contrast. This diffused light simplifies capturing detail everywhere in the image. Low contrast light is especially useful for photographing animals in the grass, bushes, or in trees. Bright sun in these situations creates far too much contrast for the camera to properly record. Diffused light is much friendlier to the camera. In 2002, when Velvia 100 was the fastest film Barbara and I would use, we looked for warm sunlight early and late in the day for most of our wildlife photography. While we continue
Barbara used a single flash to light the background which is a photo of out-of-focus yellow flowers. She turned off the three flashes that were being used to light the hummingbird, but continued to focus on the hummingbird to make this image. Nikon D3, Nikon 200-400mm, f/20 at 1/250 second, ISO 200, manual exposure, one Nikon SB800 flash to light the background.
to love this light, now that it is practical to use higher ISOs, we often prefer the low contrast light of bright overcast when photographing backyard birds and mammals that are attracted to our feeders and water drips. The reduced contrast on both the subject and the background lets us capture more detail throughout the image. Although diffused light has a blue color-cast, using the Cloudy white balance preset conveniently compensates for this excess blue light.
THE COLOR OF LIGHT
Everyone is familiar with the red light at sunrise and sunset. Why is it so red? The atmosphere is full of dust and water molecules that selectively filter out certain colors of light. Meet Roy G. Biv. This is a memory device that physics students learn to remember the sequence of colors making up visible light. This color sequence is red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet: Roy G. Biv. The red component has the longest wavelength and violet has the shortest. The shorter the wavelength, the easier it is absorbed or scattered by the atmosphere. Long wavelengths like the red, orange, and yellow ones penetrate the atmosphere much easier than the shorter wavelengths. The light is red and orange at sunrise and sunset because the atmosphere absorbs most of the other colors, leaving primarily red and orange wavelengths to illuminate the subject.
In a similar fashion, during the middle of a bright sunny day, the sky is blue because it primarily scatters the blue component of the visible light spectrum. This is important because available light has a high blue content when shooting in the shade. Since the warmer light of the sun is blocked by an obstacle, thus producing the shade, the reflected blue light from the sky lights up the shaded area, accounting for the strong blue color-cast. This is most pronounced when it is open shade. This means there is no obstacle above the subject, such as a canopy of tree branches, to block the blue light from the sky. If there is something blocking the light from the sky, the light still has a blue cast, but it isn’t quite as pronounced.
Even on a cloudy day, the light has excess blue in it, making subjects have a slight blueish color-cast. While this can be sometimes desirable, especially for a blue subject like a blueand-yellow macaw, normally it is best to correct the unwanted blue color-cast. The color of light on a cloudy day gets even more challenging if you photograph a subject that is perched on a branch in a forest of green leaves. Leaves appear green because the chlorophyll in the leaves reflects primarily green light while absorbing the other colors. This light now has a strong blue component from the overcast light and an unflattering green color-cast from the leaves. Fortunately, this
The natural blue light on a cloudy day, or in the shade on a sunny day, is helpful for improving the blue tones in this captive blue-and-yellow macaw. Blue light increases the color saturation in the blue feathers. Use the Sun white balance to keep the blue color cast for blue subjects. Canon EOS-7D, 300mm f/4.0L lens, f/4.0 at 1/320 second, ISO 400, Shutter-priority with a +1/3-stop exposure compensation, and handheld so the image-stabilizing mechanism was activated.
witches’ brew of blue-green light is not nearly the problem for digital as it was for film. We’ll discuss solutions for this situation shortly. Although this blue-green color is real and present, as you look at the subject, you don’t really notice it because our brains tend to compensate for color-casts, making it difficult for us to see it. But your camera has no brain to interpret and modify the colors. It records the colors as it “sees” them, including unwanted color-casts.
WHITE BALANCE
The color of light varies considerably so digital cameras provide a way to adjust color to make it more suitable for the subject to produce more pleasing images. Cameras offer a number of color presets and a few variable color controls. Be aware a preset choice corrects the light by a fixed amount. The Canon 7D, for example, offers Daylight, Cloudy, Shade, Tungsten, White Fluorescent, and Flash. Three variable white balance choices are offered, too. These include Auto, Custom, and Color Temperature. The Nikon D700 offers the same nine choices and your camera likely offers similar choices. Unhelpfully, camera makers sometimes use different names for the same thing. Nikon calls the Sun white balance preset “Direct Sunlight” and Canon calls it “Daylight.” It would be helpful if camera companies adopted standard terminology to make it easier for all of us to use their equipment.
JPEG VS. RAW WHITE BALANCE CONSIDERATIONS
RAW image files contain all of the information collected by the sensor. Some cameras offer small RAW files that do discard a significant amount of information, though we never use this option. It is easy to adjust the colors in the RAW image at a later time without losing any quality. This is one of the huge advantages of RAW. As a result, selecting a white balance to match the light you are photographing with isn’t critical. RAW images are typically captured in 12-bit or 14-bit files, depending on the camera. A 14-bit image has 16,384 brightness levels for each color channel. Since there are so many brightness levels, adjusting the overall exposure in the image by making major level adjustments to the blacks, whites, or mid-tones, tends to create fewer artifacts and other problems. RAW files tolerate computer software adjustments better than JPEGs.
On the other hand, a JPEG image is nothing more than a RAW image that is processed by the camera. When the image is processed, much of the information is permanently discarded to make the file size smaller. Further, the image is reduced to an 8-bit file which has only 256 brightness levels for each of the green, blue, and red color channels. A JPEG does tolerate some adjusting after capture. However, due to the relatively few brightness levels contained in the image, it doesn’t permit as much adjustment before creating image problems. Making large exposure adjustments to a JPEG may cause posterization which appears as an abrupt change in tone or color instead of a smooth transition.
A number of white balance choices are listed in the following discussion. The first name for each choice is the term Canon uses. The name followed by another name in parentheses is the term Nikon uses for the D700.
DAYLIGHT (DIRECT SUN)
This is the obvious choice to use when the subject is illuminated by direct sunshine. It gives you neutral colors without undesirable color-casts. However, in the red light of sunrise or sunset, the highly desirable warm colors still appear in the image. This white balance is normally the best choice for wildlife photography when the sun shines on the subject.
CLOUDY
Cloudy skies produce available light with a slightly blue color-cast. The Cloudy WB preset forces the camera to add some yellow to the image to counteract the excess blue light. We use this WB choice much of the time, even in the sun because it produces slightly warmer (more yellow) images. Barbara prefers to view her RAW images when they are slightly warmer in appearance. I used to do this too, but now use AUTO WB most of the time because I usually shoot only RAW images. Once we have selected the images we wish to keep and deleted the rest, we store them on external hard drives as unprocessed RAW images. When we wish to use an image for a book, slide program, print, post on the internet, or any other use, Barbara processes the RAW image using the RAW converter in Photoshop CS5. Since adjusting the color in the image is part of the processing procedure, she tends to leave her camera set to Cloudy most of the time, no matter what light conditions prevail. Again, she is shooting RAW. If you shoot JPEGs or JPEG plus RAW, then it is best to match the color of the light in most cases so the JPEGs will look their best, unless you wish to deliberately create a color-cast.
SHADE
Light in the shade with blue sky overhead exhibits a strong blue color-cast. The Shade WB adds more yellow than the Cloudy WB choice, so it compensates for more blue light. The ability to select a white balance setting to counteract excess blue light is a wonderful digital camera advantage. During the
White-tailed ptarmigan thrive in the rocky alpine slopes of Jasper National Park. The problem is spotting them. I searched the slopes for hours until another visitor finally spotted this one. I shot as close to the ground as possible and used Cloudy white balance to reduce the blue light in the overcast. Canon EOS 5D Mark II, Canon 500mm f/4.0L lens, f/10 at 1/200 second, ISO 400, and Shutter-priority with a +1-stop exposure compensation.
film days, the dim light in the shade and the strong blue color-cast created a huge problem. To reduce the blue, a warming filter, such as an 81C was used, but this filter absorbs 1/3 stop of light, making it somewhat more difficult to use fast shutter speeds. Now, with your digital camera, you can use ISO 800 for plenty of shutter speed and set the white balance to Shade without using a light-reducing warming filter. This is one reason why wildlife photographers are now capturing action images of wildlife in low light that was thought nearly impossible during the film era.
TUNGSTEN (INCANDESCENT)
Light from this source is extremely red. This WB preset adds blue, thereby reducing the excess red in the light. Wildlife photographers seldom use this type of light. The color is far too red and usually it is too weak in intensity. If you are photographing wildlife indoors, a flash is the better choice because it is easier to use, delivers a lot more light to the subject, and the color of the flash is more suitable.
WHITE FLUORESCENT
If at all possible, avoid using fluorescent light, especially for wildlife. It tends to be too dim to use on wildlife, making it difficult to use fast shutter speeds. Plus, fluorescent light is highly variable in color output. The make, coatings, and age of the lamp all affect the color of the light. If you must shoot indoors, use one or more flash units for best results.
FLASH
Many flash units emit a slightly blue light, though some have a weak yellow filter over the flash to compensate for it. This WB choice adds a small amount of yellow to eliminate the blue color-cast. Electronic flash is incredibly useful for photographing wildlife in dim light or when you wish to freeze action with short flash durations.
AUTO (AUTO WHITE BALANCE)
This WB choice automatically adjusts for color-casts to create images with neutral colors. It does a fairly good job, especially when using outdoor natural light. It is far less capable, though, if you are shooting with artificial light sources. However, Auto WB is a viable choice for wildlife photographers who primarily use natural light, electronic flash, or a combination of the two. If you prefer to let the camera determine the white balance, Auto WB is a successful choice. Many photographers, including your author, who shoot RAW, use Auto WB because they intend to tweak the colors anyway when the RAW image is processed. One of the huge advantages of shooting RAW is that the white balance can be adjusted with the RAW converter software without losing any quality. Even the colors in JPEG images can be tweaked, though, to a lesser degree.
Auto WB is a splendid choice for anyone who primarily shoots RAW images and doesn’t mind making color adjustments later. JPEG shooters can get by with Auto WB, especially when using natural light outdoors, but JPEG shooters will do better by selecting the WB choice to match the light. There is no wrong answer here. Using Auto white balance or matching the light with the appropriate white balance choice both work quite well.
Let’s review our white balance options. Barbara leaves her WB on Cloudy with her Nikon cameras most of the time. I normally use Auto WB for wildlife because it is one less thing I need to be concerned with when the photography is fast and
Kori bustards display to attract females during January in the Masai Mara. They walk slowly, but do steadily move along. I used continuous focus and selected a single AF point that corresponded to its head to keep the focus there. With so many details to monitor, it makes sense to eliminate one decision by using Auto white balance. I used a -1/3 stop exposure compensation to keep detail in the white neck feathers. Canon EOS 5D Mark II, Canon 500mm f/4.0L lens, f/13 at 1/640 second, ISO 400, Shutter-priority with a −1/3 stop exposure compensation.
furious. For landscapes and macro, I prefer to match the WB with the available light. Remember Auto WB tries to make the light neutral. If you photograph wildlife in golden light or against a red sky, Auto WB will drain the warm colors out of the image to produce more neutral colors. We want the golden light to appear in the image and not have Auto WB reduce it. However, always remember it is easy enough to bring a favorable color-cast back during the processing of the RAW image.
CUSTOM (PRE)
Wildlife photographers seldom use this choice because it takes time, but it is sometimes useful for landscapes and frequently beneficial for macro. However, this choice is invaluable if you are shooting JPEGs only and must correct two or more colorcasts at once. Suppose you are photographing a robin quietly sitting on her nest from the open window of your home. The cloud cover creates light with a blue color-cast. The green leaves surrounding the bird reflect primarily green light, producing that dreaded mixture of blue-green light. Setting the WB to Shade does compensate for the excess blue light, but merely warms up the green light. Instead, photograph the neutral gray bark of the tree, select that image, and set the camera to Custom WB. This procedure varies somewhat among cameras, so check your manual for the exact method. By selecting the image of the neutral gray tree bark and setting Custom WB, you will enable the camera to minimize unwanted color-casts in the image. The camera creates a Custom WB correction to accomplish this goal and reduces both the excess blue and green light at the same time. Then it applies this correction to all of the robin images you shoot. As long as the color-casts in the natural light don’t change, you’ll capture fairly neutral colors. Of course, if you move onto another subject where the color of the light is different, you must photograph another neutral object—such as a Kodak gray card in that light—and select that image to produce a new Custom WB for this new light.
This choice is difficult to use in wildlife photography because you must have a neutral object in the same light as your subject to begin the process. Normally, it is best to insert a gray card into the scene to photograph. Obviously, this isn’t terribly viable with wildlife as you’ll most likely scare the subject away. It would work, of course, if you knew the subject was going to appear later. Although Custom WB could be used, we think it makes sense to shoot RAW and not worry about multiple unwanted color-casts. Correct them later in the RAW converter of your favorite software such as Photoshop, Lightroom, Aperture, or any proprietary software your camera maker provides.
COLOR TEMPERATURE (K)
This choice is little used by most photographers because you need an expensive color temperature meter to set accurate color adjustments. You are better off to save your money and not have to carry this expensive meter with you. Instead, select the optimum white balance preset, use a custom white balance setting, or shoot RAW and adjust the color later.
However, if you wish to pop the colors in a sunrise or sunset, here’s a little-known trick. Set the camera to the Color Temperature white balance and dial in 10,000K. This tells the camera you are shooting in extremely blue light—which is a lie—since the light is red. The camera dutifully adds plenty of warm tones to counteract the imaginary blue light, making the sky and everything else in the image strongly magenta.
CONTRAST
Although we have mentioned contrast already, let’s describe what it is and how to counteract its often highly negative effects in your images. Subjects exhibit a range of brightness. Contrast is the range between the lightest and darkest brightness values in an image. This is often called the dynamic range. A foggy scene has a smaller range of brightness than a forest scene that is illuminated by bright sunshine. In other words, the forest scene has far more contrast than the foggy scene. Your camera’s digital sensor can capture detail over a contrast range of six to eight stops, depending on the sensor and the camera. However, many scenes exhibit a much higher range of contrast. Our eyes easily see detail throughout the scene because our pupils quickly adjust for different brightness settings. Photographers are limited to the smaller contrast range camera sensors can capture, rather than the wider contrast range our eyes easily handle.
Excessive contrast hides detail in dark shadows and/or eliminates it from bright highlights. Even if details are preserved, contrast often makes images look ugly. Usually, contrast must be controlled or avoided, if possible, to produce attractive images. We critique thousands of images our workshop clients bring from home. Too much contrast is a prevalent problem for many of them. Often, photographers think they have a metering problem. In reality, they have a contrast problem that makes arriving at a pleasing exposure for the overall image impossible.
AVOID CONTRASTY LIGHT
Photographing early or late in the day when bright sunshine isn’t present does reduce contrast problems. Naturally, over
Even in highly diffused overcast light, some subjects exhibit high contrast. The brightness difference between the white feathers on this swallow-tailed gull and the black rocks behind it is huge. Therefore, expose to the right as far as possible without clipping (overexposing) the white feathers. Canon EOS-7D, Canon 300mm f/4 lens, f/4.5 at 1/1000, ISO 640, Shutter-priority with an exposure compensation of minus 1 1/3-stops to keep detail in the white feathers, hand-held from a rocking boat.
cast days are low in contrast. However, even in highly diffused light that is inherently low in contrast, some subjects still are plagued with high contrast. A swallow-tailed gull perched on a rocky outcrop against a dark background is high in contrast, even if the available light is low in contrast. We call these types of images, “skunk pictures” because they have a wide dynamic range due to the pure white subject and nearly black background. However, if you shoot RAW and use software carefully, contrast that is primarily caused by black-and-white objects appearing in the same image are more manageable under diffused natural light conditions.
USE FRONT LIGHT OR BACKLIGHT TO AVOID CONTRAST
Photographing any subject where the light passes right over the camera on its way to the subject is frontlight. This light is low in contrast because the shadows it creates fall behind the subject, hiding the shadows from the lens. Backlight is inherently high in contrast, but is effective for revealing the shape of the subject. Backlight comes from behind the subject on its way to the lens. Due to the dramatic look of backlight, it is fine to allow the side of the animal facing the camera to be somewhat underexposed, especially if it is nicely rimmed with golden light.
PHOTOGRAPH IN THE SHADE TO AVOID CONTRAST
The light is always highly diffused in the shade because light bounces off objects all around the subject. In ugly midday bright sun, we often seek subjects on the shaded side of a mountain, rocky outcrop, forest edge, or large bushes to avoid bright sunshine and the high contrast it creates.
USE A FLASH OR REFLECTOR TO AVOID CONTRAST
At times, it is possible to reduce the contrast that bright sun so often creates. For some highly approachable animals that are habituated to humans, it might be possible to use a gold or gold and silver reflector to throw light into the shadows. This added light fills in the shadows, effectively reducing the overall contrast. A gold reflector adds a golden color-cast which is often desirable.
A portable electronic flash, especially one dedicated to your camera, is easy to use and throws the light much farther than a reflector. Use the flash exposure compensation control to adjust the light output from the flash to open up obnoxious shadows as much as you want. You could also set the flash on manual and use the power ratio control to adjust the flash output.
THREE TYPES OF NATURAL LIGHT THAT ARE TERRIFIC FOR WILDLIFE
GOLDEN LIGHT AT DAWN AND DUSK
Wildlife is especially active at dawn and dusk. If the sky is clear, or partly cloudy, the rising or setting sun envelops wildlife with wonderful golden light. Early and late in the day is the favorite time to photograph for serious photographers who seek outstanding images. Soft warm sunshine not only produces gorgeous color, but the low angle of the sun reduces contrast, especially underneath the animal, which is a serious problem when the sun floats high in the sky. This low angle increases the chance of having a catchlight appear in the eyes of the animal, making it look more alive. Golden sunshine is especially good for including mirror reflections of the subject in calm water that reflects autumn colors, golden cattails, the red rocks of a canyon wall, or the blue sky.
Although golden sunshine is ideal for many subjects, it doesn’t work especially well for animals that dwell in the forest, in high grass, or in the bushes. The vegetation blocks much of the light, creating ugly shadows on the subject. It creates a dynamic range that is too large for the sensor to successfully capture.
OVERCAST LIGHT
Bright cloudy days are terrific for wildlife photography. Thin clouds keep the available light levels high, permitting the use of fast shutter speeds. The huge overcast advantage is the light is low in contrast, making it possible to photograph animals
Yellow-billed storks are plentiful around wetlands in Kenya. Barbara was attracted to this one because it had a mirror reflection and was bathed in golden early morning sunshine. The bird gaping widely made this image one of her favorites. Nikon D300, Nikon 200–400mm f/4.0 lens, f/7.1 at 1/640 second, ISO 400, Shutter-priority and a +1/3-stop exposure compensation.
in the vegetation or out in the open without obnoxious and distracting shadows. The slight blue color-cast in this light is easily eliminated by using the Cloudy white balance preset. Bright overcast is a superb time for backlit images. You still capture the rim light effects produced by the soft backlighting, while easily keeping detail in the side of the subject facing the camera.
Thick clouds absorb plenty of light. Often, low light shooting tactics (high ISOs, large apertures, image stabilization, underexposing on purpose to permit higher shutter speeds) must be used for sharp images. Although photographing wildlife is more difficult in low light, it still is far better than midday bright sun.
SHADE
At the middle of a sunny day, look for subjects in the shade. Once again, this light has low contrast, making it possible to capture more detail in the subject and its environment. Use the Shade WB preset to reduce the strong blue color-cast in the light or shoot RAW and adjust the colors later. For best results, make sure the subject and the environment around it that will appear in the image are all in the shade. If the animal is in the shade, but the left corner of the bush is in bright sun, the severe contrast will be objectionable.
THE IDEAL LIGHT DAY ON A KENYA PHOTO SAFARI
Let’s share some observations about the light in Kenya that applies everywhere, though, perhaps to a lesser degree at higher latitudes. We are lucky to have spent almost two years leading safaris in Tanzania and especially Kenya. The wildlife photography opportunities are simply spellbinding. The variety of species, huge number of individuals, and access to wildlife is absolutely terrific. Our native Kenyan driver-guides are a joy to work with and happily share a wealth of natural history knowledge.
However, Kenya straddles the equator. The sun rises and sets quickly, shortening the length of time golden light prevails.
Samburu National Reserve is a favorite haunt of Greater Kudu. Barbara found this doe and fawn at dawn, but had to wait at least 30 minutes for them to emerge from the dense bushes. It was worth the wait! Nikon D300, Nikon 200-400mm f/4.0 lens, f/7.1 at 1/800, ISO 1000, Aperture-priority with a +2/3-stop exposure compensation.
While on safari, we sometimes wish we could quickly move Kenya up to Greenland to make the golden light period last much longer. Of course, no amount of wishing has made this happen. The sun shines a lot near the equator, so Kenya gets plenty of bright sunshine. Unfortunately, because the sun rises almost directly up near the equator, the sun loses its golden color quickly. Fortunately, digital images are easily tweaked with software to create the golden light look. However, the contrast problem soon becomes highly problematic. By 9:00 a.m., harsh shadows are appearing underneath the animal. These terrible-looking shadows are typically three to five stops darker than the sunlit portions of the animal. Although this contrast can be mitigated somewhat with software, the results aren’t nearly as good as photographing in bright overcast light during the middle of the day.
Between 10:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., on a sunny day, the extreme contrast makes it incredibly difficult to shoot excellent wildlife images. This is frustrating when many willing subjects readily pose for you. We try anyway, but delete almost everything due to the harsh light. Occasionally, luck
The equatorial sun rapidly rockets high into the sky. Between 9:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. in Kenya, the sun creates dark shadows on the bellies of the animals and the overall contrast is far too much to adequately capture in a single image. However, middle of the day overcast light is ideal for photography and helped Barbara capture a fine image of a topi nursing its fawn. Nikon D300, Nikon 200-400mm f/4.0 lens, f/4.0 at 1/400 second, ISO 800, Aperturepriority with a +2/3-stop exposure compensation.
prevails and clouds drift over, diffusing the light from time to time. If we were a weather wizard who could control the light, we would opt for golden sunshine for the first and last 1.5 hours of the day. Then we would schedule bright overcast between those two periods of time to provide excellent photography light for the entire day. It doesn’t happen like that very often, but when it does, shooting numerous rewarding images is easy. The color of the landscape matters, too. Early and late light tends to look good longer if the vegetation is green, rather than the typical yellow-brown during the dry season. Although the dry August-September migration period is enormously popular for the number and variety of animals that are present, and the chance of seeing thousands of animals cross the famous Mara River, sunshine doesn’t look nearly as good on yellow grass. Green vegetation makes the light look better longer.
Of course, nobody has control over the sun and the clouds. Hope for the best and make do when the light is challenging. However, when we do get perfect photo conditions, we work the subjects thoroughly and keep photographing as long as pristine light conditions remain. Never waste highly photogenic light because it is all too fleeting. You can eat and sleep when the light is less favorable.
REMEMBER THE CRITICAL ROLE OF LIGHT
If you pay attention to the light and consider the color, contrast, direction, and intensity whenever you shoot images, you’ll quickly become better at judging it. After a while, seeing the photographic possibilities in the light doesn’t take any time at all. Of course, once you really learn to see it, you also see the problems that are difficult or impossible to solve, too. Sometimes we wish we could be beginners again who simply enjoy photographing everything, no matter how bad the light. Then reality soon hits again and the words of Larry West remind us, “Shooting photos in bad light produces bad photos.” It is a simple statement that really says it all. Thanks, Larry! We can all benefit by remembering that.
After eating its fill of salmon at Geographic Harbor, this Alaska brown bear rested between fishing sessions and assumed many comical poses. More than 20 bears fished the river at the same time, but they were quite relaxed with each other and us with the abundance of fish crowded into a shallow river on this early September morning. Nikon D4, ISO 1600, Aperaturepriority, f/5.0 at 1/640 second with no exposure compensation, Nikon 200-400mm lens at 330mm.
