8 Secrets For Sharper Wildlife Photos

[@scoopnewsworthy]

Steve...As a frontline emergency physician and and professional photographer I want to thank you for your fantastic photography series. Coming home after busy shift in the ER, sitting down on my computer and listen to your informative talks on photography is a breath of fresh air. I wish you and your family a safe, healthy and enjoyable holiday season.

[@lintownboy]

You always explain everything so well Steve.

[@matthewbell1968]

In terms of explaining photography Steve and Mark Smith are in a class of their own. Great work again thanks Steve 👍👍

[@gewglesux]

Mark smith ... The Bird and Osprey guy... i know him now..

[@lockygolfer]

I totally agree!

[@karenkaptures]

Someone put the link to this video in a photography group. The subject was tack sharp photos, not necessarily shooting animals. This is one of the best videos that I have ever watched. I love the picture examples. Thank you Steve.

[@Phaedarus]

This is why Steve's channel is the best. He gets right to the point and couples his explanation with USEFUL examples. Unlike so many of the more popular photography KZbin channels, Steve doesn't need bimbos, personality hacks, cheap humour and other eye-candy to keep the viewers' attention. Sweet, short classy instruction is the way to go.

[@christosphillips3568]

Great stuff, thanks for your efforts Steve, this is gold for new people to the world of wildlife photography. Also very handy when it comes down to a refresh for people teaching in seminars. Great upload once again by what I consider, hands down ,the number one YT photography channel

[@backcountrygallery]

Many thanks!

[@DipanDas]

Steve, your idea of using a high shutter speed has completely changed the way I take birds pics. They are much sharper than they used to be earlier. Thank you so much for this great tip.

[@thomasotterbein9410]

Perfect explained, but most of them I know already. But nobody can explain it, clear and understandable, like you Steve! I am always on manual mode and adjust by myself shutter speed and aperture as necessary. And.....not be scared of may be high ISO. It’s better than a blurred picture. Thanks Steve for this video.......

[@whakabuti]

Steve my man! Your wisdom isn't unappreciated. I've got far better shots as an amateur wildlife photographer. Appreciate it! Also cheers from Sri Lanka 🍻

[@kkaraz]

Steve, you are awesome! Precise, to the point, objective, no BS. Love it.

[@hamy5050]

I have been watching your videos for 5 years and have not seen a better video tutorial bette than yours,you explain very well and easy to understand, thank you for this awesome videos !

[@thirakhor5634]

This video is how it should be done, straight to the point, no filler, useful information. Thanks for sharing

[@benstanfill363]

Honestly one of if not the best channel for photo tips. Getting better images always happens after watching one of your videos and learning something new.

[@BrianJohnson-bq9tr]

Steve, I am a long time (30+ year) hobbyist but, new to wildlife photography and your videos are the most informative I've seen. I am very comfortable behind a camera but this genre is new to me. Thanks for all of your time and effort.

[@Brentvanee]

Wow, another eye-opener..thanks for the tip on the effect of the cool air outside and the warm air within the car...never gave it a thought but glad you did.. :-)

[@charliesmusic270]

In costa rica, shooting wildlife, this helped quite a bit this morning. Thanksb

[@FloridaBackYard]

I been doing nature photography for 20 years and you taught me something in 5 minutes. Heat diffraction never occured to me and explains a lot as i am a Florida nature photographer.

[@johnnicholson8345]

I've had more than one photo suffer from this but had no ability to move closer.

[@japiebreedt4318]

@@johnnicholson8345 nnn

[@miltondsilva1933]

Thank you for sharing your knowledge and wisdom. Greatly appreciate your work.

[@rajdeepmotilal]

Thank you for your extremely helpful tips.

[@XX-vs4ze]

Steve...As a person who is not a frontline emergency physician and also not a professional photographer I want to thank you for your fantastic photography series. Coming home from after driving by or maybe near or even in the same town as the ER, sitting down on my computer and listen to your informative talks on photography is a breath of fresh air. I wish you and your family a safe, healthy and enjoyable holiday season. 👍👍

[@malaranu6883]

Truely grateful was using monopod with my 600 zoom & struggling then saw that that I could use my tripod with it & now happy with my purchase. Seem that I should have known this but I didn’t. Thank you.

[@jimt9816]

Thanks, Steve.... Your videos have been a great help as I jump into the world of mirrorless and wildlife photography. You're one of the best!

[@backcountrygallery]

Thanks so much!

[@yara96]

Excellent and easy to follow.

[@AGag47]

Despite knowing my stuff, I can easily say I couldn't come close to the quality of Steve's teaching skills and ability to put al this information in easy to understand context. Anytime I come across someone in areas I like to shoot, I always point them to this channel.

[@TheGroenings]

I have been looking all over for this kind of advice with no help. This video helped so much! Thank you!!!

[@fezzerpaul]

Perfect advice Steve, thank you. I have a Nikon D5600 with a 70-300 kit lens which I struggle to get sharp images at the maximum focal length. I will try your suggestions as I’m sure they are the likely causes of my dull images. 👍🏻

[@skaslusky]

Great Video Steve. No matter how long we have been shooting and no matter how many times we think we have the fundamentals down its so important to return and review them. I had one of those, Oh yeah moments remembering how I forgot one of these.

[@markstevens6682]

Great advice Steve.... I might also add the importance of learning not only all the functions your camera has to offer, but learn all the different ways they can be used to your advantage or disadvantage....

[@NotFromConcentrate]

Hi Steve! I bought your eBook last night and I really appreciate your dedication to teaching. Your videos are fantastic and full of useful instruction.

[@backcountrygallery]

Thank you so much!

[@Photoking26]

Some great advice there on the Z7ii camera. Thanks.

[@NIBUSVISUALCREATIONS]

Thankyou Steve your tips are helpful.

[@Photogal]

I appreciate all these tips thank you so much!!!

[@scalaacom]

Nice. Thanks for the refresher. I’ve recently bought my heaviest lens yet (200-500 f5.6) and boy hand holding is becoming a challenge for the first time ever.

[@backcountrygallery]

It's a chunk. I like that one on a monopod for extended shoots.

[@basvh666]

Good video man ! Thanks for all the advice

[@TechNShtuff]

I had weeks of struggles with my Nikkor 70-300mm f4.5-5.6 before I learned about af fine tune. I was told over and over not to mess with it though, finally after ignoring everyone, a -7 compensation took me from zero sharp bird images to over 75% of my images being tac sharp. I would up picking up a focusing card and all but one of my lenses have been adjusted now and provide much better results.

[@erwinplattau5891]

No nonsense video, direct, clear, very good video !!!

[@garyadams5201]

Great video Mr. Perry! You are very clear and right to the point. Please keep them coming!

[@mylucksmiles]

Shutting at noon ,the brighter the light helps shutter speeds. The myth that noon is a bad time to take photos listened to old wives tails. Love your help ....cheers

[@wildlifeindia2903]

Thnx for best tips Steve... Following you...

[@jameshahyderali7717]

Thank you for the wonderful information 🙏🙏🙏🙏

[@danilomaciel1066]

Muchas gracias por los consejos de siempre, Steve! 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻 Saludos desde Argentina

[@richardb649]

Always a pleasure to watch your videos Steve - and never fail to learn something new everytime .Thanks very much for all the effort you put into your videos- really appreciated

[@mohamedhazib7781]

pretty explanation and presentation, thank you so much to share with us watching from Srilanka

[@HR-wd6cw]

With group AF on Nikons at least, it shows a grid of 9 points, but will put priority on the center point. If the area of focus falls out of the center point but into one of those 8 other boxes, then it will refocus where it has tracked the subject (an eye) to. So if you use Group AF for example, ensure that the center point (which is not always shown on some cameras) on the eye (for example on some of the Nikon DSLRs you get a cross, but there are really 9 points, even though it shows you 4 in a diamond formation).

[@dineshsharaf4678]

I have faced most of the problems you mentioned in this video. You taught well to overcome those. Thanks very much Steve.

[@outdoorswithed5722]

Awesome advice! Just recently started trying to shoot the birds at my feeder and these lessons immediately payed off in some great shots.

[@mylittleninjas]

Thanks Steve. I just bought a Tamron 150-600 G2 for my D850. I was planning on tuning it with the included Tap-In Console before I start using it, thanks to you and this video, I think I’ll wait and see.

[@lyngregory3049]

Very helpful Steve, you explain so clearly.

[@Charlie-wood]

I look forward to putting your advice into practice. Thank you for the video

[@roamingrodgers]

Great video. I visited South America a few years ago and took a bridge camera with me for convenience, I knew I was making a mistake but did anyway. I'm going to Central America this year so plan on taking my Nikon D750 with the 80-400 lens so will definitely practise and use these great tips before I go, thank you.

[@claudiorusso2220]

Hey, this is the first video that explains so many technics so well in a short time. Well done ✔ Go on like this. Perfect

[@CodyDills]

Great video! Not just in the information provided but the presentation and flow was perfect. I could have really used this video a year ago!

[@shutterbuginfinity]

Great advice on how to get sharp images I recently been shooting more wildlife thank for the tips,

[@DHAGMANN2]

Another great compelling Video Steve, like your books👍

[@nigelmay6349]

All excellent points! There's so much that goes into sharpness that we often don't realize.

[@jerrycasier6224]

Great vid Steve! 👍👍👍Do you have some intel about your tripod and the loose tripod head? THNX 👌

[@lukes5533]

Your tips are the best out of everyone online , thanks for your awesome advice Steve. 👌👍

[@declantarpey6642]

Super clear and informative video. Thanks Steve.

[@AdamBenJaffel]

I ve learnt so much from you Steve. Thank you for sharing all your knowledge with us. I m improving my photography by the day while applying what i watch on your channel 🙏

[@RitwickSatyaki-wq3nk]

It is now summer in India. I can't really get out of my schedule to photograph birds. Waking up in the morning is difficult to get out because the sun rises at 4:30 in the morning. And the afternoon is very hot! So here i am, watching your videos after dinner while laying on the rooftop of our rental house.

[@sfink16]

Excellent information! Now I need to show my wife that I HAVE to get out the car for better shots. She is not patient with my photography needs.

[@bassangler73]

Or you can justify to her that you can stay in the car but you have to turn heat off...lol

[@jose280714]

lol..

[@Bassbarbie]

😂 at least she's there. My husband would never accompany me when taking wildlife photos. I have a lot of photos of the back of him in our touristy ones 😂😂

[@sfink16]

@@Bassbarbie Been there, done that (of my wife's back that is) LOL

[@kakarabreu]

this was DEFENITELY the beeeeeeeeeeeeest video i saw. And look, i saw like 2000 videos these days searching good explanation about technicals for birds. AWSOME job man. Subscribed s2

[@joh.8203]

Finally found a helpful video on this subject! Thank you.

[@alangeorgebarstow]

Hi Steve. I'm just wondering (as I do whenever I'm in "mad professor" mode): has any photographer ever come up with the idea of the "bipod"? To my mind it would be a winner. When the bulk and spread - not to mention the weight - of a tripod becomes unfeasible; and a monopod doesn't give you the steadiness, especially laterally, that you demand; then surely a bipod (with two legs) would fill the void. Double legs will not only save on space and weigh, but will give you the lateral steadiness of a tripod. Moreover, you (the photographer) provide, in yourself, the third tripod leg. I think such a device (if it already exists) would be a boon to wildlife shooting. What do you think?

[@kdj.imagery4317]

Thank you for iterating using image stabilization with tele-zooms while mounted on a tripod, I shoot with a Nikon D7200/Tamron 150-600mm mounted on a tripod with a ball head and get good results with shutter speeds lower than 1/350th. However, I mostly shoot perched birds with it.

[@garybrenner2801]

Great video... very informative & easy to understand. Thanks for posting!

[@ralphernesti834]

Started to watch and completely liked the advice you were giving and subed right away. Thank you for your no BS talk and straight to the point I look forwards and going back to see your other clips.

[@SteveMasonCanada]

Some great tips! I usually try to keep the car fairly cool when shooting in winter (80% of my shooting here in Canada) but that's to keep the lens/sensor/mirror(previous to mirrorless) from fogging if I leave the car and return. Never thought about heat shimmer, but makes perfect sense.

[@jamesss1953]

thank you very much for this bundle of advice with examples....

[@scarface1961]

Thanks Steve. Another well done video. Your information is invaluable.

[@scottpitner4298]

Thank you for the tips! 👍 Love that hawk (roadside) picture. It’s great All-Around

[@carlosdias1940]

Have to show my appreciation - sports photographer here...and content can really be adapted to sports. Cheers

[@johnwinter6061]

Great tips. Thanks. Just as well higher ISO on newer cameras is not a big issue anymore.

[@InCountry6970]

Superb tips, thanks and thumbs up

[@rolandomunari588]

Thank you, your videos are really a pleasure to follow, so packed with useful info and tips

[@daniellehner1383]

I learned a lot about filming in Nature with this video. Many, many thanks. Greetings from Switzerland.

[@umeshwaghmare6912]

Love this tips thanks..!! Subscribed

[@meganferreira6216]

This has really helped a lot!!!

[@rentedtux1883]

Even though we all miss the original Journey lineup, I very much enjoy your photography videos 🙂

[@benomatography]

Nice video Steve! Are you already testing the Z6 II for wildlife? We’re desperately waiting for your review ;-)

[@backcountrygallery]

I plan to run it through its paces, but just got it yesterday.

[@IustinPop]

@@backcountrygallery, do you intend to update your AF guide with it soon (1-2 months), or will it come later? I've bought it a while back but didn't manage to read it yet, and now as I'm moving to the 2nd generation, not sure if it's worth reading as is or better to wait for the update.

[@backcountrygallery]

@@IustinPop Yes, I will be updating it in a few months. However, there's not much new for the AF guide. The MK II cameras add eye-AF to the wide area and there may be another minor change or two, but essentially it's all still the same, it just performs better. From a functional standpoint, what's in the book now seems like it's going to stay the same. I think the only advice I'll modify is that it doesn't seem necessary to turn off Apply Settings To Live View in order to have the best AF performance. It seems like you can now leave that on and still have good performance.

[@IustinPop]

@@backcountrygallery then I have no more reason to procrastinate :) Thanks for the fast response!

[@DuckMisty]

Good video. I once had a Dotterel only 15 feet in front of me on a cold morning with strong sunlight. I lowered my gear to the ground and shot away. Back home on the screen the shots were all soft. I worked out why in the end - it was air turbulence near the ground. Lesson learned!

[@iheartchiropractic]

Fantastic video. Thank you for creating it and for sharing all this information with us!

[@pawelmod3292]

very nice content and video. i’ve got the feeling that quite a few issues are resolved in mirrorless cameras like: - AF tracking/locking over full area of the frame - front/back focusing - or even such fancy toys like eye-af is helpful I need to check more about lenses “sensing” the tripod and differenced between C, N and S...

[@kontrolla1]

Another excellent video Steve. Your presentation skills are second to none.

[@davearchbell9921]

Great advice. I actually used my tripod for some waterfowl birding for the first time and what a difference.

[@ChrismediaAlbury]

Very good info, to the point.

[@vitocarpucci]

thank goodness i stumbled on to this video while looking for something else!!! Great focus advice that I will immediately try on my Nikon D850. Thank you!!!

[@bobkids009]

Very Educational indeed......thanks buddy .......

[@kuau714]

Great video Steve, I am so glad I found you on KZbin

[@lorneturner5318]

Thank you..very helpful.

[@jochenwuest]

VR + electronic shutter + sturdy tripod and head = great combination for owls! I once did a small experiment with my 600FL in VR normal mode on my Z6 set to electronic shutter but that was back when I had my old Gitzo 3 series and a Gitzo ball head - which was a bit undersized to be honest. I now use the Sachtler Flowtech 75 with FSB-8 fluid head which is much more solid and damping. However, here are the results of how many shots out of 10 that I fired off with each shutter speed were sharp (using my old Gitzo setup): 1/4sec - 30% 1/5sec - 10% 1/6sec - 30% 1/8sec - 40% 1/10sec - 50% 1/13sec - 70% 1/15sec - 60% Now it may look odd that I sometimes got a better keeper rate with slower shutter speeds than with higher ones. But this only reflects how prone to even the slightest movements of your own body / arm it is to use those really slow shutter speeds. And on top, I started really concentrated on standing still and then I probably got a bit sloppy and more unstable throughout the experiment. I also should have made more than just 10 shots with each shutter speed I guess. I'll definitely repeat the whole experiment with my Sachtler tripod and head! With all those numbers above looking not that promising at first, I'd still prefer trying to fire off a burst with VR and electronic shutter enabled and then just browse though them and throw the blurry ones away at home rather than not trying at all. And yes, electronic shutter still has some impact on the keeper rate as even the shutter in those new mirrorless cameras produce some slight vibration that the VR has to compensate for. By eliminating this source of vibration (i.e. switching to full electronic shutter for slow shutter speeds with VR) one can "help" the VR. As I drop below 1/20sec I still find that my keeper rate is even higher with a remote or cable trigger and VR turned off though. But sometimes you can't use a remote as you always need to adjust the focus point or you just forgot it at home ...

[@hotakasakurai947]

Perfect explain for an amature. I will try those things as soon as possible. Thanks for uploading this video!!

[@kalenderquantentunnel9411]

Spot on! With respect to the IS-on-tripod issue this comes from the first generation of Canon IS where it was explicitly advised againts using it on a tripod and for good reasons. Later versions of all brands are just sensitive enough to sense the absence or presence of even very small levels of vibration and reliably hold still in its absence. They also do not sense if they are on a tripod - there is no switch in the screw-hole or whatever - they just reliably sense vibration. Therefore, if you have the camera on tripod and wind-gust induces vibrations into your long lens even on a heavy tripod with a fixed beefy ballhead, IS helps to eliminate that. Just dont use IS on a tripod set to active or sport while not panning, as this might induce more blur than it removes.

[@ianmilne655]

Thank you, I'm new to wildlife photography, this vid has some great advice👍 I shoot with a Sony A7Rii and Sigma 100-400mm

[@rolandrick]

It’s so interesting to see, you also use different systems as the a9ii on that owl. I am totally curious what’s the trigger for you to select D6 or a9ii going shooting...

[@standalowen]

Hey Steve. Thanks. But Pentax user. New follower and will catch up. Glad i found you.

[@ashok5591]

Friend, a little about bird photos in large lakes for people who are beginner in photography as so many buttons are there in the body of the camera which makes us confused. (Sometimes, I feel why l purchased a camera. I am practising and practising but I have not become perfect. Sometimes I feel, if I practised so much in this middie age of mine, in other new subjects, for example if I happened to practice that much time in doing mathematics I could have become perfect in solving mathematical problems). I suppose you have understood what I mean to say. So please guide us a little about clicking good bird photos, and what things to keep in mind.

[@TaipeiGeek]

Great tips! Thanks a lot, Steve!

[@dalevile3455]

Even though I am a Canon shooter, I still find your advice really useful. Thanks for another good video.

[@TaipeiGeek]

@@dalevile3455 Thanks for following my channel.

[@nihatnl747]

Nice explanation, thanks bro!

[@seanmarah6886]

Great very helpful video.