TJ Booth for SPLIT REED
1. Lens Selection
Knowing what tools are right for the jobs is 90% of the battle. Yes, talent and skill weigh quite an impact on the outcome of an image, but just like using a butter knife for a screwdriver, you may get the screw off, but it’s not ideal. That is similar to not having the right lens to get your desired look. There are a few different things you’re going to want to take into consideration such as filling the frame. If the birds are very close, a lot of times you won’t need a long lens. However, as waterfowlers, we know that’s not always the case. My lens of choice is a 200mm-600mm lens and pretty much all lens manufacturers make a lens that is similar in focal lengths. I recommend getting something similar that works for your camera and gives you the versatility that is needed to get that extra reach.
2. Shutter Speed
Shutter speed is very important to the equation of taking photos of anything that could be moving, but ducks are a whole different battle. A lot of the popular shots you see around on social media and in magazines are of ducks frozen in mid-flight which is very cool and a lot of times very desired. In order to get images like that, I recommend a shutter speed of no lower than 1/1000 of a second. That will vary depending on the environment that your subject is in such as how fast your duck is moving, whether they are flying, sitting on a rock preening, or even how much light is available to you while you are shooting. Usually, the happy spot for me is somewhere around 1/1600 of a second on a bright day with the sun at my back. Again, occasionally this will change depending on the weather and environment. Now, I’m not saying you can’t break the rules and go with a much slower shutter speed to get a different look. I would actually recommend experimenting with something slower and seeing what the outcome is. Every once in a while you may end up with a gem! In this game and this industry, it’s all about being different. Making sure that you stand out is the name of the game. Get out and experiment and just keep shooting!
3. Get Low!
A huge, huge, huge factor for me is a concept that was introduced to me back when I first started taking photos. You want to be on or below the eye level of your subject. Shoot from angles that aren’t seen every day. If you think about it, what position is the average soccer mom taking pictures at? Probably standing straight up looking down on the subject. Correct? Well her kid just happens to be 4 feet tall, imagine if she laid down on the ground and shot up. That would make her kid look so much more powerful and interesting. The same thing goes for waterfowl. Think outside the box and find positions that make that animal look larger than life. Go for that hero shot. That will give you a great start to capture something epic!
4. Composition
This section fits right in with the section above but has a little different meaning to me. With composition, it is all about what’s in the frame along with your subject to make it stand out and pop. The three things you need to remember are the foreground, subject field, and background. Having something out of focus in the foreground gives your subject a sense of scale. It also helps to give the entire picture a sense of depth. Having a nice foreground will make your shots look more “3-D” rather than flat and boring.
Now the subject field. This one is a big one and will make or break the shot. One of the major keys to waterfowl photography, in general, is capturing animal behavior. A duck that is just sitting there is super uncompelling and boring. Capturing a shot of the duck practicing natural behavior? Now that’s what I’m talking about. Whether that is preening or flying, 99% of your best shots will be when the duck is in a natural state and pose.
The background is also very important. You want there to be no distractions, but at the same time complement your subject. For example, shooting a dark subject on a dark background will tend to make your image flat and 2 dimensional. It helps when you can position yourself to where your subject and your background are creating a contrast to one another. A lot of times light makes a huge difference to create that effect. Having an interesting background helps tie in the story and set the stage for the environment you are in. For example, if you are at a park, you don’t want to be able to see anything in the background that could make it look like you are at a park, and the same thing goes in the wild. Make sure that your background is clean of any man-made structures or objects. Be careful when picking your backgrounds.
5. Post-processing
This is a question that gets asked a lot. “TJ, what programs are you using to edit your photos?” The simple answer to that is Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop. There are several different tools out there to help you get the look that you are looking for. In my opinion, Lightroom and Photoshop give me all of the tools that I need to create whatever look I can dream of. A big key to being able to help me achieve the looks that I do is always making sure that I shoot my photos in RAW format. That will give me far more information in my files and allow me much more flexibility in post-processing. Now, that being said, these computer programs are entirely different skills in themselves. I recommend spending some time and playing around in the programs. Maybe even take a few classes that teach you how to take advantage of all the tools, because I promise there will be times in the field when you shoot photos with the intention of editing them a certain way. Having the knowledge of what you are capable of on the computer will affect your photo shooting style to accommodate what you want to achieve in post-processing. Knowing your tools well enough will be a key aspect of setting yourself apart from the crowd.
6. Colors and Contrast
Now we get into colors and contrast. This is a bit of a tricky subject because there are so many styles and so many ways that people do it that there really can’t be a right or wrong style. Now there can be right or wrong times for a certain style depending on the image, but generally speaking, I use contrast and color to help create depth in my images. My personal style is geared toward being able to create something that looks like you could reach out and touch it. Contrast and color can accommodate that. There are so many different styles out there, so I would recommend playing around with your images and finding what works best for you. Examples of images with color and contrast compared to one without below.
7. The Finishing Move
Everyone likes a little extra. Am I right? That little piece of something that just puts it over the top. Now, again, this can get tricky because you don’t want to go too crazy with it and make your image not look believable. My general rule of thumb is you want to be able to feel the image. You want to give the viewer a perspective that they feel like they are right there standing with you. A lot of times you have a great shot that looks killer to your eye — perfect light, perfect subject, and everything looks amazing. You take the shot, look down at the display, and it just doesn’t do your subject justice. Well, adding just a bit of texture to your image can do just that for your viewer. It brings another sense into it if done correctly. So, I like to add a snow overlay when taking shots in the snow because snow is something that generally doesn’t show up as it should on photos. When I was there in person, it was amazing because of the snow. Well adding that texture in post-processing is something that is necessary to give that photo texture. Or adding just a bit of a mist just to give it that little bit of extra pop.
These are a couple of things that can help change up your waterfowl photography game and keep you thinking in the field. I hope that you got a little bit of something to turn those gears in your creative mind. Now get out, practice, and just shoot!
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