May 2005 Newsletter
CONTENTS
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The
Beauty of Digital - High ISO "no flash" Shooting
NEW! Weekend "All Digital" Workshops
- Chincoteague, Virginia
NEW! Early Winter
2005 Texas Workshops - and
even more spring dates!
Additional Workshop updates
The
Beauty of Digital - High ISO "no flash" Shooting
With many of today's advanced digital SLRs the lack
of noise found in images shot at higher ISO settings is
nothing short of amazing to me. This is especially
true with the newest Canon models such as the 1D Mark
II (my everyday "bird" camera) and the 20D - my back-up
and "second body." While a few years ago I was happy
to be shooting reasonably clean images at ISO 400,
today I am not afraid to go to ISO 800 - or even higher!
What
this means for me is greater freedom to shoot in low
light conditions without the real need for fill flash
in many cases. Don't get me wrong, flash is still
a necessary tool in many situations, particularly
harsh lighting conditions and high contrast scenes.
Flash is a hot topic during workshops and one I enjoy
teaching! But I have been finding flash less and less
desirable in soft or low lighting and often prefer
to use a higher ISO instead. This allows me more freedom
because of the additional shutter speed I gain. Of
course this also has its limits, but I generally find
the look of higher ISO images taken in low light much
more pleasing and natural looking than those images
taken with fill flash.
© 2005 Greg Downing, all rights reserved
Heather found this great perch on her way home from
the store one day - we are always looking for good
perches! Subtle details such as the darker shadows
in the pine cones and under the edge of the bird's
wing make the image appear more 3-dimensional. This
"look" would not have been possible with a lower ISO
employing flash.
American Goldfinch (female) - EOS 1D Mark II, 600/4
IS, 1.4TC, 1/250 sec, f9, ISO 640
When
shooting with a 500mm or 600mm lens, without flash,
I like to keep my shutter speeds up to at least 1/100
of a second, and at least 1/200 when using a 1.4x
teleconverter on either lens. Although I often go
a little lower, birds do not always sit perfectly
still and my technique may not always be perfect,
so these are safe shutter speeds when using an IS
(image stabilized) lens on a sturdy tripod, of course
with good technique.
For
example, if I am shooting at ISO 400 and my shutter
speed begins to drop below these numbers then I simply
increase the ISO. I usually increase it in 1/3 stop
increments (this is not possible on some consumer
DSLRs) until I get to about ISO 800 or 1000, then
I start to give up some shutter speed for less noise.
The point is that I find a shot taken at 1/100th at
ISO 800 is usually going to end up sharper and more
"usable" than one shot at 1/50th at ISO 400 (the equivalent
exposure at a lower ISO). When things get really tight
I will even elect to underexpose an image slightly
to gain more shutter speed, knowing that I can brighten
it up later while still maintaining good image quality.
So,
next time you're out shooting and you start to lose
the light, dial up the ISO and keep the flash off
- you may be pleasantly surprised at the results!
Review© 2005 Greg Downing, all rights reserved
I promised an image of this back yard resident
in the last newsletter - so here it is. I took
this just after the sun went behind the trees. I did
not have my flash mounted as this guy is especially
skittish and the flash would have surely spooked him
- another advantage of high ISO shooting!
Red-bellied Woodpecker - EOS 1D Mark II, 600/4 IS,
1/125 sec, f8, ISO 1000
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NEW! Weekend "All Digital" Workshops
- Chincoteague, Virginia
The
new and unique two-day "All Digital" workshops are
just what people have been asking for. With so many
new digital wildlife shooters these days there are
very few opportunities to learn the nuances of digital
nature photography in a small, informal setting.
Whether
you're new to digital photography or just feel overwhelmed
with all the new things you have to learn, these workshops
are the answer to getting a boost in your digital
photography skills. With intensive lessons on digital
imaging, digital workflow and digital editing techniques,
we will cover a lot of ground in two days! Plus, with
in-the-field instruction at one of the most beautiful
locations on the east coast this one is not to be
missed!
Long lenses NOT required!
Topics
to be discussed during this workshop include:
- Getting
the most out of your digital camera.
- The
histogram and how to interpret accurate exposures.
- Image
transfer and storage considerations.
- Archival
strategies.
- Setting
up a digital darkroom, calibrating etc.
- Optimizing
your image - dynamic range and color balance.
- Working
with adjustment layers.
- Sizing
photos and understanding resolution.
- Sharpening.
- Printing
demonstrations.
And more!
To
register for this workshop please visit the link below.
And look for more "All Digital" workshops coming soon!
Chincoteague,
Virginia - October 29-30, 2005
(2 weekend days - plus Friday evening) $575 (click
here for more info or to register)
© 2002 Greg Downing, all rights reserved
In the mornings the loop road is usually closed
but a walk in can sometimes be
worthwhile for shooting sunrise - and you don't need
a big lens!
Snow Geese, Chincoteague, VA - EOS 1D, 100-400IS
@ 330mm
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NEW! Early Winter 2005 Texas Workshops
- and even more spring
dates!
After
adding even more spots to the spring 2006 Texas workshops
they too sold out in a matter of days. Word must have
gotten out!
In
order to keep up with demand I have added even more
workshops in Roma in early April. I have also added
some early winter dates to get some winter specialty
species as well. Both the spring and winter workshops
will be run the same way.
Participants
will benefit not only from great shooting, but from
the digital editing sessions at the ranch, which include
basic digital workflow, PhotoShop tips and tricks,
and lessons on such tasks as sharpening, recovering
highlights and making digital prints – all within
close proximity of where we shot each morning and
afternoon.
The
small groups keep it manageable and allow for much
more personalized instruction - one of my
specialties.
As
I have expressed before, Texas has become my
favorite workshop locale, for the privacy, guaranteed
subjects, ease of shooting and the total flexibility with
access to everything we need. Not to mention it's
just about unbeatable in terms of reliable avian subjects!
© 2005 Greg Downing, all rights reserved
Pyrrhuloxias were a little difficult this year
but folks wanting to concentrate
on this species came away with some nice images.
Pyrrhuloxia- EOS 1D Mark II, 600/4 IS, 1.4 TC
New
Roma Texas Dates for December 2005:
Dec
2-4, 2005 (3-day) $975 (register here)
Dec 5-7, 2005 (3-day) $975 (register here)
Dec 2-7, 2005 (all 6 days) $1,850 (register here)
New Roma Texas
Dates for 2006:
April
1-3, 2006 (3-day) $975 (4 openings - register here )
(Weekend workshop!)
April 4-6, 2006 (3-day) $975 (4 openings - register here )
April 1-6, 2006 (all 6 days) $1,850 (4 openings
-
register here -please register for both the above
workshops)
NOTE:
FOLKS ALREADY REGISTERED
FOR THE APRIL 8-10 WORKSHOP CAN ADD THE APRIL 4-6
DATES AND GET A FREE DAY, PLUS SAVE $100!
register here - discount will be applied
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Additional
Workshop Updates
Bosque del Apache, New Mexico:
Nov
9-11 (3 days) $850 (1 opening - register here )
Nov 12-14 (3 days) $850 (2 openings - register here )
(weekend workshop!)
Nov 9-14 (6 days) $1,500 (1 opening - register here )
Homer
Alaska - Bald Eagles (with Arthur Morris)
March
3-7 (5-days) $1,699 (register here)
March 8-12 (5-days) $1,699 (register here)
March 3-12 (All 10-days) $3,198 (savings of $200)
(register here)
Antarctica
2007! (filling up - e-mail me
for registration form)
For
additional workshops please visit my website: www.gdphotography.com/workshops
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Until
next time, happy shooting!
Regards,
Greg Downing
