Low-angle Photography : Field Guide

Both the above shots were taken from the boat where I was sitting, from the same angle and same settings.

In Photography, irrespective of the genre.. the ‘Angle of View’ is one of the crucial factors which influences the final outcome. As a creator, you have to decide on what angle you want the viewer to see the subject…

Particularly when you are shooting with tele lenses, where the angle is narrowed down to the sensor, framing by standing posture and sitting posture will get you two very different images. While in both the cases, the subject remains at the same distance, the foreground and background influences the overall perspective.

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Here in this case I initially shot the Grater flamingo having food, I wanted to show the unique way the flamingos adapt while consuming their food. I cannot lay flat as I was already in a floating boat. Even If i am ready to get wet, I have to get in to the water go by water level and frame, before which the subject will fly off for sure.

So I did with another method: Turned the lens leg by 180deg, Coupled with my monopod and took over the boat level. For control my frame and to release the shutter I connected the Mobile app and camera.

Set up:

> Connected Cam and Mobile thro’ App

> Held the cam few inches above water level

> Framed thro’ app live view and released shutter.

Similarly we did the same during our Masai Mara expedition, below is the set up used.

Below is one such photograph framed using this technique.

A similar set up..

In many forests where stepping out of vehicle is prohibited, this setup will be of great use.

PS: This image was shot back in our camp for demonstration purpose.

Hope the above details were informative, If you have tried similar setups, do share with us by sending the links in comments section.

© www.munishphotography.com

+91 9094015745

5 Reasons why I love visiting Mara by November

Masai mara is one of my favourite wildlife destinations, I have travelled by both migration season and by November, here are the five reasons why I personally love visiting mara by the month of November...

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1. Green and Dramatic

While the main focus is on mammals, the green background makes the frame more pleasing...

By November, the water flow by the mara river will be very good, eventually it will be all greens everywhere. It will not only please your eyes but your cameras too.. 

See how green Mara by November. A View thro' window of our Safari flight, just before landing.

Getting a green background on your wild-portraits is a pure bliss. Where in by migration season all you get is a yellow grass with a very mild tint of green in it.

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2. Less Crowded

During the wildebeest migration period (Jul - Oct), you can literally see citizens of almost every known country in the world. Being one of the largest natural history event in the planet, this will be in every nature lover's wish list, eventually this season becomes the busiest season across the year. But, by November it will be like an empty endless golf course. You need not stand behind any other vehicle to get a good angle. For example, we witnessed a cheetah hunting down a Thompson's gazelle and shot the whole sequence for an hour, It was only us with two more vehicle witnessed the whole scene. If this was by August, there would be easily thirty plus vehicles in that scene.

If you are a photographer, you would personally love the place with very less crowd with ample opportunities to frame the mammals and wild Scape as you prefer.

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3. Wallet Friendly

Happy faces... :) 

Like in any business, tourism also operates on system of 'Demand Vs Supply'. lesser the crowd more the offers. Package rates goes down. Availability becomes much easier. 

Right from the flight tickets to the camp charges, the overall package will be 25% to 30% less than that of high season rates. You will also have the advantage of getting your favourite camp's availability on desired dates. 

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4. More opportunity to witness live hunts

A Live hunt just in front of us, witnessed during our last trip by Nov 2017.

While hunting happens all through the year, the probability of witnessing a live hunt is very high during this season. During migration time the savannah will be full of prey and predators, so most of the time it's a quick catch & eat scenario. All the action will be over by the time you track down and reach the location. 

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5. You get the best naturalist

'Sons of the Soil' Our extremely knowledgable naturalists !

The role of a naturalist is very important while on a safari. Not just for sighting and photography purpose but, to get aware more about the African savannah and enhance your knowledge on animal behaviours. Going along with the local has so many advantages, you also get to know more about the Masai villages and their culture from the local naturalist.

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Disclaimer: The statements and conclusions in this blog are purely based on my personal opinion with my own experience on visiting Africa. As you may know opinion varies person to person. So please translate it accordingly, or join for an exclusive trip to experience nature at its best !

© 2018  www.munishphotography.com

A Chaser, A Prey and An Opportunist..

I am personally excited to start this "Story Behind the Shot" series, with this one.

There is an exciting story behind this capture..

It was a hazy afternoon while we were on safari by the beautiful savannah of Masai Mara, spotted two young lions sitting casually by the plains and a herd of wildebeest behind casually grazing by the fresh greens.

While we expected some action to happen between the lions and the wildebeest, a Hyena from very far ran towards the herd. My naturalist told that hyenas will be more active after rains.

The hyena ran straight across the herd and made smart split, gone round, did repeated splitting and ended up chasing one at last, the wildebeest made a sprint and made enough lead over the hunter, but being open land it couldn't hide or move off from hyena's view... 

The chase continued for couple of kilo-meters, while we followed from far off distance. The wildebeest reached the banks for the mara river and took a decision to cross the river...

The chaser came close to it but not enough, the wildebeest started crossing the river, thats when the TWIST happened ! 

A huge Croc came from nowhere straight from the bottom and locked the wildebeest's head with its powerful jaws, took it down in single shot.

Between the powerful jaws, the Prey had no choice !

Within minutes, the croc took control of the whole scene. meantime, one more croc joined the party. The wildebeest has no other option other than giving up...

When your friend joins the party !

The hyena who chased down so long watched the whole thing happening. Gone around the river and tried to frighten off the crocs but in vain.

A disappointing walk after a long chase...

Can you see the blood off the surface..

The crocs casually dragged off the prey. When the blood comes off to the surface the hyena decided to leave the scene. The drizzle started again.

The Hyena walk by the banks watching his prey taken by others..

This whole thing happened between two consecutive drizzles, in less than 30mins. We anticipated the powerful Lions to do the job but it was the long-range runner Hyena who started.. at last it was the opportunist Crocodile who grabbed the prey.

The final Drag off, and the drizzle starts..

Apart from witnessing this amazing nature's event, I personally learnt a lot from this experience. Hope you also have some takeaways of your own, hence keeping my learnings without mentioning here.

Please do share your comments and views, which will fuel me further to write more. I am currently writing a blog on travel to Masai Mara.

© 2018 www.munishphotography.com

+91 9094015745

Getting started with motorsport photography

Wedding photography may have monopolized photographic interests in India. But just like the state of sports in this country, all it takes is a little awareness for people to look beyond and identify other forms of photography that might pique their interest.

One such interesting option is motorsports photography.

From Asian Road racing championship @ Chennai 

hile fashion and commercial photography have thrived over the years, lesser-known genres like motorsports photography are slowly expanding beyond the purview of journalism.

A big challenge for motorsports photography enthusiasts is the fact that it doesn’t enjoy the same popularity as other sports, mainly cricket. There are very few international-standard race tracks in India. And it’s mostly bike makers, tyre and accessory manufacturers who sponsor these events.

So, it does take patience and a diligent pursuit of opportunities to be successful as a motorsports photographer. Not that technique is easy—on the contrary, it takes a lot of practice and a creative eye to make pictures that stand out.

Indian Racer Rajini Krishnan at Chennai track.

 

So, how does one start with motorsports photography?

Choosing the right equipment (telephoto lenses, cameras with high fps, etc.) is just part of the big picture. To shoot at a racetrack, you’ll need prior permission from the officials. Usually, only approved media representatives and official photographers of the race club (like the Madras Motor Sports Club, MMSC, in Chennai) are allowed to take photographs.

Once you’ve managed to gain access and necessary permissions to shoot, what you need to focus on is technique. Two of the most common techniques employed are: panning and freezing. Of course, all other composition, light, and framing rules also apply.

Panning

Panning is one of my favourite composition techniques, mostly so because it requires immense skill and practice. 

A Panning Shot, from Malaysia SuperBike Championship. 2017

Panning emphasizes the speed of the racer, by making sure the moving subject or the racer is tack sharp while the other elements in the frame are blurry (usually blurry lines).

At comparatively lower shutter speeds, the synchronized alignment of the lens and the moving subject is key to a successful panning shot. The composition usually involves a single racer, so you know what your frame is exactly and work towards building a story out of that.

When Narain karthikeyan took on the track in Chennai.

1. Shutter speed settings of 1/60s  to 1/200s are common, and it depends on the speed of the racer at that point in time.
2. Recommended aperture is one stop lesser than the native wide-open setting of the lens. I usually choose F6.3 with a 400mm focal length.
3. ISO depends on the existing lighting conditions—as always, the lower the better. But since shutter speeds are typically low, ISO 100 is quite easily achieved.
4. Manual selection of a single focus point is always recommended. In case multiple points are selected, focusing on the helmet and the headlight lamp can make a huge difference while viewing the picture big.
5. AI Servo is a thumb rule. Because the subject moves at 150+ km/h, the difference in time between focusing and exposure matters a lot. At the same time, freezing the focus point with AI Servo is critical; I usually select an area with high contrast to keep my lens focusing system predictable.

Freezing

Freezing is more in tune with framing and focusing. The placement of the subject in the frame when it is zipping through at 150+ km/h is the challenge here.

Ideally, you can efficiently freeze the subject at decisive moments like negotiating a curve, touch and go situations, and so on.

Unlike panning, in this technique, the background plays a major role. It might be a challenge, but I usually find that branding boards make for a good background.

Typical challenges you’ll face at the racetrack

Racetracks are dusty and hot, and you might spend a full day under the sun. It takes passion and high endurance levels to keep yourself going.

Besides, you’ll also need to be proactive—running from one corner of the track to another is the only way you can get good angles and capture defining moments.

Some tips

Usually, I attempt freezing motion shots in the first few laps in at least two corners, so that I capture a small group of racers negotiating the corner.

Mid-race is when I focus on panning shots and choose a few leading racers to make good pictures.

The time of race matters much, because harsh light can lead to dark shadows and unusable images. This means you might have to compromise on better angles for good light.

Jorge Lorenzo @ Sentul Racing Track, Indonesia

Motorsport photography is not about planning and executing. It is about capturing the moment with skill and knowledge that you have acquired through practice and experience. But know that the rewards are fulfilling, if you can overcome the challenges.