A P h o t o g r ap h e r ’ s G u i d e
hank you for your interest in shooting for Meet Your Neighbours. This paper details how the project will work, what is required from its photographers and the benefits to you for participating. Choose your NGO Each photographer must partner with one or more conservation NGOs in their region. They will provide your fee, in whatever form is agreeable to you both, and work with you to have the work seen as widely as possible within your region. They should also provide assistance to you in accessing the species they would like photographed. This photographer/NGO partnership is a core principle of MYN. You may be tempted, since you can do this work locally, to underwrite the cost of its production yourself and see what you can do to exhibit it. Or you may decide to offer your work for free to an NGO. Neither approach is acceptable for good reasons: working with an established conservation organisation not only improves the chance of effective outreach into the community but also asserts the value of cooperation between scientists and creatives. Better work is likely to
funding routes. Alternatively, may you be able
indoor galleries, why not arrange an exhibit to
strike a deal for in-kind payment that is acceptable
be held outdoors, in a public space? This could
to you both.
be done through digital projection or on weatherproof materials. By taking alternative approaches
result. Simply giving your photography to an NGO
Presenting the work
undermines its value and your work in creating
Although MYN does not intend to direct where or
it and provides no incentive to the organisation
how participating photographers should present
to work hard to have it seen. While some local
the work to their own local communities, we
NGOs may simply have no internal budget to
highly encourage novel approaches to allowing
Rights
commission photographers, they may able to
the work to be seen. So, for example, rather than
The rights to photography produced during a MYN
access sponsorship for your through their usual
solely displaying the work in museums and in other
assignment are pretty much those that go with any
to presentation, the higher the chance that more people will have an opportunity to learn and connect with their wild neighbours.
commissioned work. The “client” (in this case the
indoors but there is a better chance of getting
A. this is extra work and B., more importantly,
NGO and MYN) will have exclusive rights for
engagement with the local community if you are
out of focus edges are extremely hard to cut out
three years after the delivery of the finished files
out making these pictures in public spaces.
convincingly. It’s best to do it in-camera.
and thereafter you will have full rights and the NGO rights to continue to use the work within its own organisation in perpetuity. If it licenses pictures to third parties after that three year term, you are entitled to a 50% share of the royalties. You may, however, post your pictures on the web during the first three years and enter them in local and international competitions, with acknowledgement given to MYN and your partner organisation. MYN’s rights to your work cease after three years. Now, the practical stuff For the project to work on a creative level, technique needs to be uniform - as if the project’s entire output has been created by only one photographer. Remember, it’s the subjects who are the stars here, not the photographers! This prescriptive approach ensures maximum consistency and therefore “brand recognition”. There are three basic requirements: • That every subject is photographed in the field, on location (See Right) and NOT in an indoor studio. In the case of small animals, this may involve temporary trapping and translocation to the field studio (a tank in the case of amphibians or an enclosed set for invertebrates and small rodents), but plants can be photographed entirely in-situ. Not only is this approach more sympathetic to the subject than moving it
• That each subject should be represented on a
• That the white set is backlit. The main reason
pure white background without any shadows on
to do this is to show the translucent qualities
it. By that, we mean 255 in each channel out
of the subject and in doing so, to add depth
to each corner. Why? – because these images
and nuance to the images. Backlighting makes
are design-ready elements that can be placed
it easier to achieve the pure white background
straight onto a white page without any further
but adds a layer of complication to exposure.
work. This is especially important for building
How to manage this is explained in detail on
images
the accompanying notes and on the training
describing
biodiversity.
Why
not
shoot on a grey background then cut out and composite onto a pure white one? – because
DVD which will follow at a later date.
Other technical considerations
family name- the initials of your partner NGO-
What equipment you’ll need
MYN needs the photos shot during the commission
your county code – the date of creation- and
Actually, not very much. MYN will supply you with
to be submitted as finished 16 bit Adobe RGB
sequential
NB-SWT-
the Makrolon plastic you’ll need for backgrounds
TIFF files, accompanied by the original RAW
GB-150610-012112.tif. Keyword information that
and set building (that is, the set for invertebrates
file. Only by working with a RAW file can the
needs to be embedded includes: your name and
and the small tank, if you are shooting aquatic
correct exposure balance between subject and
partner organisation; species name – local and
subjects) and some Flyweight for duffusers.
background be achieved. The camera should
scientific; the continent, country and region; the
Although I use a portable studio flash set, you can
be 12 megapixels upwards to provide enough
habitat; whether or not the subject was controlled;
make indistinguishable pictures with two or three
data for large prints. The naming protocol is
behaviour exhibited; year, month and season.
old manual flash guns. Beyond that, all you need
as follows: The first letter of your personal and
number.
For
example:
is a means of supporting the various diffusers, backgrounds and flashes. So, what’s in the project for you? Well, yes, a fee, and after a while, licensing rights. But there is a bit more to it than that. This project is a coordinated effort to highlight, from different parts of the world, the importance of local biodiversity in people’s lives, that it’s not all about remote, uninhabited places. We can talk all we like about the value of these things to our local communities but as you know, it’s often only when outsiders take an interest that local people sit up and realise what they have. MYN provides that international platform for “the local.” And you will be part of it. Working as part of a team creates synergies that are hard to match if we all work away independently on our own projects; it is more possible to reach a critical mass, to overcome the inertia of public indifference and start using our photography to move hearts and minds
using the field studio
(The following text has been extracted from Niall Benvie’s book, Outdoor Photography Masterclass, 2010)
The field studio We’ve not managed an early start this morning
of underwater ones) against a backlit, pure white
(Above) Moorish gecko in the field
thanks to all that bed-time reading last night. Dawn
background. These near shadow-less portraits not
studio, Alicante, Spain. The smooth
has been and gone and now it’s just another grey
only describe the subject in amazing detail but also
sides of the set I photographed this
and green summer’s day with a light breeze.
reveal its translucent qualities. The pictures have a
youngster in deterred escape and
But this is not a problem: today we are going
glow absent from conventional white background
very soon the animal was placid. A
to use various field studios that allow us to work
work done in the studio and a verity borne out of
session like this can be completed in
independent of the weather – and make some
being made in the field. And without the context of
10 minutes. Nikon D3, 200mm, ISO
beautiful pictures in the process. We are going to
its environment, the subject becomes an individual
200, flash, f18
photograph the subjects in situ (with the exception
rather than simply a member of an ecosystem.
OriginS My own line of inspiration traces back to the
belief that this is possible and they too often use
(Below) Cornfield “weeds” in the field
great American portrait photographer Richard
plain backgrounds to dignify their subjects. What
studio, Scotland (composite of 10
Avedon whose 1947 portrait of a boy and tree
we are going to do today, then, should be seen as
images). Assembling a montage is
in Sicily lead him to understand the strength of
the continuity of a tradition – albeit one in another
itself a creative process, but remain
the simple white background. Susan Middleton
genre - rather than something ground-breaking and
true to the subjects by maintaining the
assisted Avedon in the mid 1980’s, and “became
radical. I love this cross-pollination of ideas and
same magnification ratio and natural
fascinated with the idea of making a portrait of a
influences. It is interesting to note how many popular
associations. Nikon D2x, 200mm, ISO
plant or animal that could evoke the same kind of
nature images feature very pale, sometimes white,
100, flash, f20
emotional response in the viewer that a fine portrait
natural backgrounds. We are simply taking the
of a person could”. She and her collaborator
next step and producing a pure, clean background
David Liittschwager’s work on endangered species
in-camera.
over the intervening years has been driven by the
Tools This is my current set up,
(albeit less conveniently) with a
(Far Left) Mountain arnica with
using
couple of old manual flash guns,
fritillary sp. butterfly in the field
Quadra system with 2 heads
synch. leads, some Perspex
studio, Austria. While field studio
(one
softbox).
(Plexiglass) and plastic envelope
work tends to be highly controlled
I use a pretty fancy set up for
stiffener. It really is as simple as
and predictable, serendipity (such
this work because I do a lot
that. In time you can add some
as when this butterfly suddenly
of it and like the control I get
relatively inexpensive clamps
appeared on set) can lift the
with the gear I use. But you
and stands to compensate for
interest of the picture.
can arrive at the same results
having only one pair of hands.
the
Elinchrom
inside
the
Ranger
速
Finding your models Let’s keep in sight what we’re trying to achieve: a portrait that stops the viewer in their tracks, encourages them really to look closely at the subject and perhaps even to feel awed by its beauty. We want the viewer to feel they’ve seen something new and special. The toughest part of the job is not technical: it is finding the specimens that display personality. Plants have personality? Well, they do but it is manifest in things such as their vigour, freedom from disease, and pose - resulting from the balance between their leaves, flowers and stems. Some specimens simply look better on set than others and it’s best to audition hopefuls by placing the piece of Perspex behind them first before committing to a screen test. Invertebrates, in some ways, are more inscrutable so it is a matter of working with a variety of models, each for a short time and seeing which has the best attitude on set. (Left) Harebell in the field studio, Montrose, Scotland. Take time to find the most elegant, representative specimen; it’s on its own in the frame with nowhere to hide. Nikon D2x, 55mm, ISO 100, flash, f16
Balancing the light I first started to make white background plant pictures
– this is what makes the subject glow – but clearly
in the late 1990’s but on film it was very hard
the effect will be stronger the closer the background
consistently to balance subject and background
is to the subject. If the subject is pale or delicate
exposure. Digital capture is hugely enabling in this
in the first place it is likely to become very hard to
respect. We are after a background that is 255
separate it from the background at the processing
in each channel. Not a bit grey, not pure white in
stage. The rule is really simple: for opaque or dark
the middle, dimming towards the edges but 255
subjects, keep the background close; for all others
from corner to corner. We are effectively cutting out
move it further back. If you minimise the influence
the subject in-camera meaning that the picture can
of forward spill by distancing the backdrop, it is
be laid out on a page, or as part of a composite,
possible successfully to photograph white flowers
without any further work. In practice, it is sometimes
on the white background.
hard to light a large piece of background Perspex
®
from corner to corner: in these cases, ensure that
Getting exposure just right
the background immediately around the subject
Let’s look at exposure. We want to blow out the
is 255 in each channel (set your camera to blink
background, but only just – or else we’ll find it hard
a highlight warning) then paint out the corners in
to manage forward spill. You’ll find that even a third
Adobe Lightroom with the Adjustment Brush. But it’s
of a stop can make the difference between pure
best to save yourself the extra work and get it right
white and pale grey. Don’t plug in your front fill
in the first place.
until you’ve determined the good exposure for the background. Set the flash and camera to manual
Background positioning
and make a series of test exposures, adjusting the
The distance between the subject and background is
aperture, the flash’s output or the ISO (the shutter
crucial. At the correct exposure, the backlit Perspex is 255 in each channel regardless of whether it is 10 cm behind the subject or one metre. A certain
(Left) Green veined white butterfly on cuckoo flower,
amount of light coming from behind spills forward
Norway
speed should be the fastest one your camera can synchronise with manual flash) by one third of a stop at a time. The histogram should show all the background blinking over exposed but none of the subject. There will be a distinct lack of values on the left side of the histogram, but so long as some levels have registered in the second quarter of the histogram you’ll be able to bring back the darker tones during processing. Now put on your front light. Although I use a flash head in a small softbox these days, you can fire the flash through a piece of opaque envelope stiffener for a similar quality of light. The stiffener should be closer to the subject than the flash is to it for the gentlest feathering. Check the histogram again to make sure that that no parts of the subject are over-exposed. Move the fill back and forth until you’ve struck a good
Working with invertebrates The bug set. In this position, the set is used to photograph
I like to keep the animal’s time on set to a minimum and
animals that are best seem from directly above. I can be
prepare everything (in the field!) before the creature
swung round by 90 degrees to work on animals best
is caught and transferred. If you are unfamiliar with
seen from the side.
a species, it’s best to with work with an entomologist who can tell you if its behaviour suggests it is stressed.
While plants are relatively straightforward, bugs are
If so, the session ends straight away and the creature is
less so. For them I use a curved clear or opaque set
returned to its spot. Purists may decry moving animals
suspended from a stand. I can position it to shoot a
at all but in light of the casual destruction of these and
Don’t be worried if the picture looks a bit wishy-
subject from the side (as I would a grasshopper) or from
may other sorts of wildlife on the roads, in the course of
washy: you’ve captured as many levels as possible
above (more appropriate for most beetles). The clear set
agriculture and industry and even in our own gardens, a
and made your cut-out in-camera. It will turn into
is used if the animal is too translucent to appear directly
short spell on the celestial set is rather harmless. Our side
something beautiful in Lightroom.
on the white Perspex and needs some distance from the
of the deal is to make sure that people see the pictures
background. In this case, I put a softbox behind the clear
and if not care, at least take an interest in the subject.
balance between showing translucence and front detail.
set and it becomes the background. Equally, you could point a couple of flash guns at a big reflector.
A special word about amphibians (Left) Smooth newt in the field studio,
Frogs, newts and toads are highly charismatic
discard the water after the shoot near watercourses
Alam Pedja, Estonia. Niall and
subjects, never more so than when they are in their
with amphibians. Clean the tank thoroughly after
Jaanus Järva (Right) set up the “wet”
element. But amphibians worldwide are dying of
each shoot and avoid handling the amphibians
studio in a shaded picnic hut close
chytridiomycosis, and many populations are in
with your bare hands.
to a pond full of newts in the forest.
catastrophic decline. Help to prevent its spread
So long as the subject is quite small, build a small
Set time was kept to a minimum and
by using purified water in your tank (place the
tank with Perspex®. Obviously, it is less fragile than
soon this fellow was back in the pond
bottles in the host pond to warm or cool them to the
glass and its tensile strength is greater. As a result,
trying to impress the females. Nikon
same temperature) and use new nets for dipping in
I can get away with a front pane that is only 1.5
D3, 200mm, ISO 200, flash, f20
each pond. Put up your set in the shade and don’t
mm thick.
(Right) Red Salamander Larva, South Carolina, USA.
join us! Meet Your Neighbours is currently seeking likeminded individuals, organizations and businesses who would be interested in learning more about ways that they might support this effort. For more information, please contact Niall Benvie or Clay Bolt. Niall Benvie Senior Advisor & Co-Founder PH: +44.1356.626.128 EM: niall@niallbenvie.com SM: 24 Park Road BRECHIN, Angus, DD9 7AP Scotland Clay Bolt Project Coordinator & Co-Founder
If you’re worried that flash is going to cause lots of
What is more of a problem are small specs on the
reflections, don’t. Since I am aiming to expose the
surface of the Perspex; when it is cleaned it generates
background as pure white, any that might show
a static charge that draws dust, pollen and fibres from
there will be blown out. Front lighting comes from a
the cleaning cloth. Keep a small squeegee on hand
single diffused flash above the tank; its angle ensures
too to burst the bubbles that form on the Perspex as the
there are no reflections from the Perspex in front of
water changes temperature; you’ll get rid of some of the
the animal and since you’re probably shooting at
fibres in the process. Be aware too that Perspex is very
about 1/200 second at f22, ambient light won’t
easily scratched and where these coincide with out-
show either.
of-focus parts of the animal, they will show up clearly.
®
PH: 1.864.905.8797 EM: claybolt@earthlink.net SM: 198 Jenkins Way Easley, South Carolina, 29640 USA
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