Short and Sweet

1. It’s certainly uncomfortable to get down to ground level, but that often makes the best pictures. What I find so compelling about this picture is the low angle to the penguins when usually we see these birds from a standing vantage point. The wide angle lens allowed me to have complete depth of field. 3. When shooting birds in flight, it’s not possible to get the bird sharp and the background blurred to suggest motion. It has to be done with two separate pictures composited -- the bird photographed with a fast shutter speed (1/3200) and the background taken with a slow speed in the 1/15th of a second range. 2. These girls in China are from an ethnic group known for bright clothing. I set this shot up, but notice that it looks natural -- not like a setup. When you arrange models in your travels, try to make the shots look like you just got lucky and happened upon a real

situation. The images will look a lot more natural. 4. Because of the distances involved at air shows, depth of field is irrelevant. That means you can shoot wide open, and that in turn means you can use fast shutter speeds with low ISO settings. A tripod and a gimbal head takes the weight of a long lens off your arms and shoulders, but at the same time a tripod is inhibiting.§