Wildlife Photography Power Move: The Magic of Proper Camera Height

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  • Опубликовано: 16 янв 2025

Комментарии • 94

  • @nealschneider6554
    @nealschneider6554 Год назад +12

    Excellent tips, Steve! As you said at the beginning of the video, we’ve heard others talk about camera height before, but the depth you go into and the examples you show really help drive the point home.

  • @dougstead1956
    @dougstead1956 Год назад +1

    This channel is one of, if not the, very best at providing easily understandable and digestible training. I spent 10+ years as an instructor in the Canadian military. My objective was that everyone in a class passed with the required knowledge and ability to perform at the level needed. If you wish to confirm this, pick a subject from the wide variety of subject-specific training. Watch it a couple of times and practice as needed and you will be able to do what this instructor has taught. Period, end of story!

  • @janettemitchell6864
    @janettemitchell6864 Год назад +1

    Love your videos, they always teach me something

  • @jeffolson4731
    @jeffolson4731 Год назад +2

    I think you are the first photographer to explain effective angle. Distance can be your friend. As I age kneeling isn’t as easy anymore. Using distance and terrain to help get or appear to get level really helps.

    • @alansach8437
      @alansach8437 Год назад

      Oh yeah! I can get down, but getting back up isn't as easy as it once was! This reminds me of something that happened to me several years ago (when I insisted on "eye level"). A friend and I were photographing fishing river otters. I was on the ground to get "eye level". My friend remained standing. Suddenly, two otters came up out of the water. One had the head of a big trout in it's mouth, and the other had the tail of the same fish! We both shot away! My autofocus caught on a small blade of grass that I hadn't noticed, resulting in a burst of blurry images, while my friend got all the action in perfect focus!
      He teases me about that to this day! Being at eye level isn't always a good thing!

  • @paulinoaz
    @paulinoaz Год назад

    7:35 so glad you mentioned that, it seems each day that passes gets me closer and closer to that problem

  • @amitdutta8768
    @amitdutta8768 Год назад +1

    Excellent tips and nicely explained. Thanks Steve.

  • @randyschwager2515
    @randyschwager2515 Год назад +2

    As always…you are right on target! Great info! Thanks for taking me along!

  • @johnharkness6095
    @johnharkness6095 Год назад

    Great information provided in a Straightforward manner. Keep making these informative videos!

  • @SkylarkFields
    @SkylarkFields Год назад

    Very helpful tips and I love the way you illustrate what you mean. Just need to try and remember all this now!

  • @bap1944
    @bap1944 Год назад

    Steve another GREAT video.. THANKS..

  • @simonshutter3449
    @simonshutter3449 Год назад +12

    I love how Steve highlights the risk of a predator rather than dropping the rig in the drink. 😅

    • @backcountrygallery
      @backcountrygallery  Год назад +4

      LOL, doesn't even cross my mind. Although one time I dipped a little too low and when I pointed the lens down, water came out of the hood :)

    • @joshuahorner2639
      @joshuahorner2639 Год назад

      Heading to Okavango Delta in September and have had some nightmares regarding this exact potential scenario 😳

  • @quicktastic
    @quicktastic Год назад +8

    This video was sponsored by knee surgeons. 😂 Always interesting advice Steve. Many times, people could do this, but just don't think of it as important at the time. I had some relatives thinking it was a little strange how low I was positioning the camera when photographing a kids birthday party, but the resulting photos of the kids at their level or below turned out really good and it was like the viewer was joining in the fun with the kids rather than an adult looking down at it.

  • @luciegagnon1238
    @luciegagnon1238 Год назад

    Great tips, Steve. I like your straightforward style to explain the subject you are talking about. Thank you!

  • @gregorymcauliffe4577
    @gregorymcauliffe4577 Год назад

    Excellent information Steve! Thanks for sharing!

  • @williamedge9888
    @williamedge9888 Год назад

    Great tips, thanks Steve!

  • @drivingjack
    @drivingjack Год назад

    I did this shooting butterflies and the results were great! The below eye and eye-to-eye levels had a much better reaction than the above subject.

  • @richhughes2225
    @richhughes2225 Год назад

    This is good. I found that shooting birds from above can provide a novel experience for the viewer and doesn't always project domination

    • @backcountrygallery
      @backcountrygallery  Год назад

      As I mentioned with that tip, there are always exceptions. :)

  • @MrRudyc
    @MrRudyc Год назад

    this is excellent, Steve.and so is your Auto Focus E book. Thank you for your teachings.

  • @selectiveimagery
    @selectiveimagery Год назад

    As always, another great Steve Perry Video. One always walks away with a few more tips & tricks in their toolkit, thanks again. - Jeff

  • @VABrowneMDPhD
    @VABrowneMDPhD Год назад +4

    I really like your technique for capturing an animal that is downhill from your location. Having an LCD screen that tilts and pivots is especially helpful for those of us whose knees don’t work as well as they did when we were younger!😅

    • @nrocha2466
      @nrocha2466 Год назад

      or as an alternative carry some knee pads or a matt strapped to your bag

  • @jeffdavis2963
    @jeffdavis2963 Год назад

    Steve, thanks for another excellent video. I watched this yesterday and it finally got me moving to try lower shots of the backyard wildlife yesterday evening. I sat in a chair in the backyard and mounted my camera and telephoto lens on a desktop tripod with a gimbal, camera and lens were about 8-10 inches off the ground. I typically was shooting just a little down on the subjects (squirrels, deer and foxes), but the low focus shots came out very nice. I missed more than usual, but mixed in were some very nice shots that I would not have gotten without following your recommendations. As always, your videos are excellent. Please keep up the wonderful work. Take care.

  • @alankish8382
    @alankish8382 Год назад +1

    Thanks Steve - excellent perspective ! I usually accomplish this technique by happenstance rather than intentionally - looking forward to experimenting with it.

  • @Sanjaypatilphotography
    @Sanjaypatilphotography Год назад

    Steve, Always waiting for your great videos. This one is no different. Thanks

  • @johnarmstrong5727
    @johnarmstrong5727 Год назад

    Great video showing the difference in camera height makes , years ago I heard a member of our camera club remark "Its no good the B judge saying use a low view point if you can not get up again" , but you showed alternatives to having this problem.

  • @nanetticat
    @nanetticat Год назад

    Love these tips!

  • @sabyasachibanerjee124
    @sabyasachibanerjee124 Год назад

    This was very nicely explained. Will have to remember them next time the opportunity presents itself!

  • @ele4853
    @ele4853 Год назад

    Great video. Thanks for sharing :)

  • @chrishayes4785
    @chrishayes4785 Год назад

    Great video as usual Steve. Gave me some things to look out for before pressing that button.

  • @pizzologsanto4171
    @pizzologsanto4171 Год назад

    Good Advice . . Thank You !

  • @rahul2rahulyt
    @rahul2rahulyt Год назад

    Great video..

  • @cryptographerchris4856
    @cryptographerchris4856 Год назад

    Great stuff/tips as always.

  • @brianlemke6017
    @brianlemke6017 Год назад

    Great tips, thank you.
    And that bull at 10:25. Outstanding.

  • @karlgillard2112
    @karlgillard2112 Год назад +1

    Steve, as usual the information and its presentation is exemplary! I have never watched one of your instructional or informational videos where I failed to learn or improve on my personal shooting techniques. I'm sure I can speak for many others when I say...thank you!

  • @davidthompson3136
    @davidthompson3136 Год назад

    Beautiful sample photos, Steve. The subjects, compositions, colours, exposures, shooting angles and framings are excellent. Thanks for posting this helpful advice. 👍😎🇳🇿

  • @mistycloud7257
    @mistycloud7257 Год назад

    I found all these tips also helpful for children's photography.

  • @shotsbyscott6243
    @shotsbyscott6243 Год назад

    Thanks Steve! Great information.

  • @sunil3135
    @sunil3135 Год назад

    Great tips! Thanks! As far as I know, this topic has not been covered by other wildlife photographers to such a detail here on youtube.

  • @lancepolcyn3444
    @lancepolcyn3444 Год назад

    Thank you Steve! Love it! …. Getting up from those low positions is getting harder as I get older 😊 Best wishes

  • @Pengranger
    @Pengranger Год назад

    As they say, a picture says a thousand words 😊 Not sure the slides the slides with loads of text adds anything, and if anything detracts. As always, practical and informative. Many thanks.

    • @backcountrygallery
      @backcountrygallery  Год назад

      The slides pretty much just echo what I'm saying in the video, but sometimes people like to pause them and grab a screenshot for later reference. Like you say, probably no big deal one way or another.

  • @turnervmi
    @turnervmi Год назад +1

    Great information. It's very helpful to see your comparisons of the different vantage points. Just wish I had this before I reached my mid 70s. 🙂

  • @MrTmiket0007
    @MrTmiket0007 Год назад

    Thanks so much for sharing another wonderful video like always Steve and very useful information 🐦👍🤗

  • @saradinduadhikary9903
    @saradinduadhikary9903 Год назад

    Wonderful sir ❤️

  • @cambodiabird
    @cambodiabird Год назад

    Thank for tips.

  • @michaelmorris1865
    @michaelmorris1865 Год назад

    I love shooting from at eye level last time I shot from above was a rapidly approaching fox that had me constantly moving backwards to maintain minimum focus distance.

  • @wellingtoncrescent2480
    @wellingtoncrescent2480 Год назад

    Awesome tips. I really like your "focus" on photos over gear, which is all too rare on RUclips. I also found your books on wildlife photography and bird in flight extremely helpful. Keep up the good work.

    • @backcountrygallery
      @backcountrygallery  Год назад +1

      Thanks :) I prefer these kinds of topics to gear videos too. Techniques like this are really what make a difference, far more so than the brand of camera or lens you have. However, vides like this also struggle to get the same number of views, so I don't do as many as I'd like.

    • @wellingtoncrescent2480
      @wellingtoncrescent2480 Год назад

      ​@@backcountrygallery I hadn't realized there was such a difference in viewership rates. I saw a video recently where the presenter compiled statistics on the winners of a world wildlife photo competition, and pointed out just how of them were created with "late model" gear, presumably because there is a learning curve that takes years to master, especially for amateurs. Having replaced my gear last year, I now tend to skip videos that are clearly hardware-related, since I'm still climbing that curve :)

    • @backcountrygallery
      @backcountrygallery  Год назад

      @@wellingtoncrescent2480 I mean, there are always exceptions, but as a rule my gear-related vides get a lot more views than my more artistic / compositional oriented ones. The technique videos - using the gear kind of stuff - are a wildcard. Sometimes they go nuts, other times they fizzle. So, I do a variety :)

    • @wellingtoncrescent2480
      @wellingtoncrescent2480 Год назад

      @@backcountrygallery Curious. Speaking of gear, when I was getting back into photography a few years ago, I bought your "Stunning Wildlife Photography" (2015) and later "Stunning Birds In Flight" (2021). Both are lovely, and I consult them often. The more recent touched on mirrorless cameras, but I hope there will be an update at some point, as it's been such a profound change. Thanks.

    • @backcountrygallery
      @backcountrygallery  Год назад

      @@wellingtoncrescent2480 Thanks for the purchases :) I have done an update to the BIF book to include more about mirrorless. The update was 3-15-2023 and I did add some additional material. Not sure if you have that update, but you can get it from the My Account area: bcgwebstore.com/my-account/ (you'll have to log in, of course).
      As for the wildlife book, I'm probably going to do a second edition, so no more updates to the first version. It'll be a complete re-write if I do it. However, I'm also thinking of doing more specific-topic books instead. It started with the BIF book and I'm currently working on a book that will cover the artistic aspects of wildlife photography. Then one on filed techniques and another on gear - at least that's the idea :)

  • @rontrus
    @rontrus Год назад

    Hi Steve, although I rarely shoot wildlife I enjoy watching your videos, because you stick to the subject and don’t bother your audience with lots of uhs and uhms like many other youtubers, who seem to think, the best way to make a youtube video is all spontaneous, in short: You are prepared! But as much as I understand one could get carried away talking about stuff he is deeply connected to, I think many non-native English speakers like me would enjoy your videos even more, if you could post a little sheet of paper in your recording studio: “Slow down a little”. 😉

  • @kapilbhallafoto
    @kapilbhallafoto Год назад

    very useful

  • @abzjaynesimmons
    @abzjaynesimmons Год назад

    Great video. My issue is more commonly I'm too short to look over long grass /fences etc to see the animals! But good ideas to try out

  • @Jonathantuba
    @Jonathantuba Год назад

    A technique I used a lot on safari in Kenya earlier this year was dropping the camera out of the vehicle down to near ground level using a monopod, sighting with tipped back screen, using eye AF to focus and operating with remote. Worked well with 70-200 lens and definitely raised my Safari photos to the next level. Using a monopod upside down to get camera low to the ground is also something that a person with mobility limitations can use to get the camera low angle from a standing position. Just make sure it is a sturdy monopod. Mine fell apart on the last day of Safari with camera and lens dropping to the ground, but lucky that was only from less than a foot and no damage was done to either.

    • @backcountrygallery
      @backcountrygallery  Год назад

      I've heard of this technique before but haven't had a chance to try it. It sounds like you had some good success with it. I'm definitely packing a monopod for my next Africa trip :)

    • @Jonathantuba
      @Jonathantuba Год назад

      @@backcountrygallery definitely any photographer going on safari I would recommend taking a monopod for this purpose. On my recent safari, I had the other two photographers in my vehicle trying to do the same by the third day, as I was getting so much better results

    • @backcountrygallery
      @backcountrygallery  Год назад

      @@Jonathantuba Awesome, I'll give it a try for sure :)

  • @waysofthewildwood
    @waysofthewildwood Год назад

    Thanks so much! This was insightful -- I'm very much an amateur photographer who has a hard time, despite years of trying otherwise, of keeping all the technical aspects straight (so many numbers!), but these tips here I can remember and easily grasp. I appreciate it!

  • @NickTheGreek-m3x
    @NickTheGreek-m3x Год назад +2

    Very helpful! I saw a picture that was taken with the a7iv. Did you buy this camera?😀

    • @backcountrygallery
      @backcountrygallery  Год назад +5

      I did and really like it. For years I've thought that 30MP was a sweet spot for wildlife, so when Sony produced it, I felt is had to get it :)
      Also, the shot was the howler monkey - and did you see the ISO? 12,800. That shot happened fast and I wasn't prepared for it - I should have lowered my shutter speed for a lower ISO - BUT between the camera's ISO abilities and Lightroom's Denoise feature, it seriously looks like ISO 100 on my screen!

    • @Manjunath_Murthy
      @Manjunath_Murthy Год назад

      @@backcountrygalleryThis is so reassuring as an a7iv shooter myself and yes it’s a stellar of a camera for it’s price. I was thinking of upgrading from the a7iv to z8 and 180-600 what’s your opinion? Stick to a7iv or go for the upgrade for the 4K 120 and 20fps

    • @NickTheGreek-m3x
      @NickTheGreek-m3x Год назад +1

      @@backcountrygallery Do you think the 10 fps are enough? And also do you think that the canon r10(15 fps, 24mp, decent buffer and good af performance) with the tamron 150 600 is a good combo? Do you have someting else to recommend? Keep creating amazing things and you have a lot of fans from Greece! Cheers Nick!

    • @backcountrygallery
      @backcountrygallery  Год назад +2

      @@NickTheGreek-m3x I'm always happy to have a faster frame rate and I do prefer 15 or 20. There are often expressions, wing positions, or even poses that are just a touch better from one frame to the next and 20 FPS gives us twice as many chances. Still, for the price, the A74 does a great job IMO and we've had plenty of keepers with it. I still shoot the a1 a heck of a lot more, but I am surprised at how much I like the A74.
      I've never really shot the Tamron 150-600, so I can't say one way or another.

    • @backcountrygallery
      @backcountrygallery  Год назад +2

      @@Manjunath_Murthy The Z8 and 180-600 is a fantastic combo and I'd say it's a few notches above the A74. The A74 is great considering the price point - but to be fair you're comparing it to the next class of camera with the Z8, so the Z8 has the edge for sure IMO. A better comparison is the a1 and the 200-600 (neck and neck with the Z8, depending on your priorities).

  • @leric4205
    @leric4205 Год назад

    Tank you Steve ;)

  • @jameskay574
    @jameskay574 11 месяцев назад

    Steve - all of your videos (and images!) are incredibly good. I really like the sharpening you did in the images for this video. Care to share your technique?

    • @backcountrygallery
      @backcountrygallery  11 месяцев назад

      I did back in 2013 :)
      ruclips.net/video/OIxgSZV7lPY/видео.html
      It's an oldie but a goodie - I still use that technique.

    • @jameskay574
      @jameskay574 11 месяцев назад

      @@backcountrygallery I saw that video but since it was so old, I figured you would have a new technique nowadays. I watched the video and tried it out and you're right, it works great! If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Thanks for taking the time to respond...

  • @NickTheGreek-m3x
    @NickTheGreek-m3x Год назад

    Hi Steve! Can you suggest me a beginer kit bellow 2500 dollars? Also because I have a limited budget I will have this kit for at least 5-6 years. Your work is the best!

  • @BijiTGeorge
    @BijiTGeorge Год назад

    Great Video, Steve. Also do you have a date when the Z9 guide with 4.0 will be available? Thank you.

    • @backcountrygallery
      @backcountrygallery  Год назад +2

      My travel schedule has been nuts, but I'm working on it now. The section for Auto Capture is huge (like 6000 ~ 7000 words) plus there's quite a few other additions and I'm doing some reorganizing of the button setup chapter (no small task either). I figure I'm about halfway through it at the moment, hoping to have it done in the next week or two.

    • @BijiTGeorge
      @BijiTGeorge Год назад

      Thank you so much for the quick replyI know it is going to be a huge update. Steve. @@backcountrygallery

  • @mitchellmysliwiecphotography
    @mitchellmysliwiecphotography Год назад

    yup, getting back up is becoming a bigger and bigger part of the equation.

  • @macimages4215
    @macimages4215 Год назад

    Lol…getting low isn’t the problem, getting back up is…I feel that pain!

  • @jonjon_polisson
    @jonjon_polisson Год назад

    Would you be able to make a video on tips and tricks for taking photos of wildlife with the Live view on a DSLR? Whenever I go to the ground with the screen I'm struggling with the autofocus. I use BBAF and I can't tell if it does anything or not, it kind of does what it wants. (I have your autofocus book but I might not have reached this chapter yet if you cover this subject in it.)

    • @backcountrygallery
      @backcountrygallery  Год назад +1

      The problem with most DSLRs is that they use contrast detect AF for live view. It's slow and prone to misses when trying to go after an animal - especially one that's moving. It's not that you can't use it, it's just that it's best with easy targets that are more or less holding still.

  • @thomaschamberlin2485
    @thomaschamberlin2485 Год назад

    My mind was blown when I saw that Piper Mackay outfits her Land Rovers in Kenya with built-in beanbags on the windows and has one door removed so one photographer can get down on his belly. When I was in Africa we always shot out of the top of the vehicle, with the expected grass stubble right behind the animal or bird.

  • @jaimeduncan6167
    @jaimeduncan6167 Год назад

    Great tips. A side note: I like the eye level, but the idea that the first one is dominating is a pretty curious read. When I look at a dog I don't feel like I am dominating him/her. The little gut looks natural, and I have the impression that I am with him/her and makes me feel I am living the experience. The eye level for small creatures creates a totally different experience and I favor it because of that, it's novel for the viewer. The ready from above = dominating comes from misandrist interpretations. that everything men do is about power.

    • @backcountrygallery
      @backcountrygallery  Год назад

      I donno. Everything I can find about composition seems to agree with my statements.

  • @ashokan134
    @ashokan134 Год назад

    Thanks Steve!

  • @AMGOSUK
    @AMGOSUK Год назад

    Nice vid and great tips. Like when shooting humans - many subjects need to be shot when the camera/lens is level with the top lip. Shooting from lower adds power to the subject.
    Agree 100% - shooting from higher diminishes the subject -- one is looking down on the subject AND this is often "wrong".
    When shooting a large male lion at say 30-40m from a Safari Vehicle with 600mm on a FX body one is "effectively" at eye level not significantly higher. That said we try to position the vehicle as low relative to the subject as we can.
    Shooting across water "has to be" at water level or as close as it is safe to be to this. I was at the Talek River Hippo Pool protected by a fallen tree and rocks from a large pod of hippos and it made a great sequence of shots. I would not have laid down on a beech in east access to the hippos and their irritations. Most 0f my shot on the Chobe river were taken sitting in the boat not using the CNP/Pangolin chairs, which were much higher.
    David Yarrow has made "disposable D810" in cages a trick for many of his books/images.
    I thoroughly recommend using Ground Pods and Panning plates to get ultra low while not resting your lens on the ground/water.

  • @helmut7878
    @helmut7878 Год назад

    👍👍👍

  • @thomasmanson1119
    @thomasmanson1119 Год назад

    I like your point Steve, well done. Tom KC3QAC

  • @owenpeller6471
    @owenpeller6471 Год назад

    Nothing new here

  • @owenpeller6471
    @owenpeller6471 Год назад

    You speak too fast