Wildlife Photography

[Chickstarrs]

Glad I found this thread. I enjoy wildlife photography too but am not that good at it. I have had a T7i Canon for a couple of years but still trying to learn how it all works. Especially when it keeps deciding to focus on the background and not the subject. That frustrates me and I can't figure out why it does that. If I change the focus to one focus point, then I lose most of the depth of field and have just that small area in focus. My sister does awesome wildlife photography but she exclusively uses Nikon and can't help me with my Canon.

 

[Chickstarrs]

By the way, you all have such beautiful pictures posted here!

 

[mdees88]

Glad I found this thread. I enjoy wildlife photography too but am not that good at it. I have had a T7i Canon for a couple of years but still trying to learn how it all works. Especially when it keeps deciding to focus on the background and not the subject. That frustrates me and I can't figure out why it does that. If I change the focus to one focus point, then I lose most of the depth of field and have just that small area in focus. My sister does awesome wildlife photography but she exclusively uses Nikon and can't help me with my Canon.

I have a t7i. Are you shooting in Auto, shutter priority (tv), or aperture priority (av)?

Changing your autofocus point shouldn't affect your depth of field. (Maybe if your shooting in auto it might could possibly affect the settings the camera wants to use, not sure about that). Changing what your focusing on can definitely affect it. Like if you're real close to the subject and the camera accidently focuses on the background then most all of the pic will be in focus. But if you actually focus on the subject the background will be blurry because it's far away....

Having a shallow depth of field is what most people go for in wildlife pics but obviously there's plenty of times when you want to incorporate the background in the pic as well. The lens you're using, your proximity to the subject, the subjects proximity to the background, and the aperture you're using have the greatest affect on depth of field....

I never let the camera use all of the auto focus points because it will usually grab the background and not the subject, like it's doing to you. I use either 1 single auto focus point or I use the center cluster. This is less "thinking" for the camera and generally it will focus on the subject and not the background.

Also you need to be set on "AI servo", not "one shot" if you are shooting moving subjects.

Cameras have come a long way but they cannot read our minds. They don't know whether you are trying to freeze a fast moving object, get a sharp subject with a blurry background, get the entire background in focus. It can't know what you are trying to do which is why it is very important to shoot in either shutter priority or aperture priority depending on what your trying to accomplish. This way you control one if the three variables to get the proper results you want....

 

[Chickstarrs]

I have a t7i. Are you shooting in Auto, shutter priority (tv), or aperture priority (av)?

Changing your autofocus point shouldn't affect your depth of field. (Maybe if your shooting in auto it might could possibly affect the settings the camera wants to use, not sure about that). Changing what your focusing on can definitely affect it. Like if you're real close to the subject and the camera accidently focuses on the background then most all of the pic will be in focus. But if you actually focus on the subject the background will be blurry because it's far away....

Having a shallow depth of field is what most people go for in wildlife pics but obviously there's plenty of times when you want to incorporate the background in the pic as well. The lens you're using, your proximity to the subject, the subjects proximity to the background, and the aperture you're using have the greatest affect on depth of field....

I never let the camera use all of the auto focus points because it will usually grab the background and not the subject, like it's doing to you. I use either 1 single auto focus point or I use the center cluster. This is less "thinking" for the camera and generally it will focus on the subject and not the background.

Also you need to be set on "AI servo", not "one shot" if you are shooting moving subjects.

Cameras have come a long way but they cannot read our minds. They don't know whether you are trying to freeze a fast moving object, get a sharp subject with a blurry background, get the entire background in focus. It can't know what you are trying to do which is why it is very important to shoot in either shutter priority or aperture priority depending on what your trying to accomplish. This way you control one if the three variables to get the proper results you want....

Thank you for all the info and suggestions. It is very helpful.

I usually shoot in Auto or Manual. I use Auto when I don't have time to figure out the light settings for manual, but the focus is so random it drives me crazy. My manual shots lately have all been with a yellow tinge to them. The colour setting must be been changed at some point without my knowing, if that is even something that can be done with this camera.

Yes, I have been using the single focus point or the center cluster. However, if I am trying to compose my picture with the rule of thirds, sometimes the eye is not in the center. Or if I want to get the whole animal, again the eye may not be in the center and that is what should be focused on, correct. So I end up with some really nice focus on the fur or feathers in the middle of the body but a blurry eye. I have tried focusing on the eye and then shifting slightly to compose it better, but still seem to lose that eye focus.

Usually I use the continuous shutter to take several shots in succession. I am not sure if that is the same at AI servo. I will also put it on the sport setting sometimes. I don't really care if the background is blurry, in fact that is often better. I just want to get my subjects as sharp as possible.

Thanks again.

 

[mdees88]

Thank you for all the info and suggestions. It is very helpful.

I usually shoot in Auto or Manual. I use Auto when I don't have time to figure out the light settings for manual, but the focus is so random it drives me crazy. My manual shots lately have all been with a yellow tinge to them. The colour setting must be been changed at some point without my knowing, if that is even something that can be done with this camera.

Yes, I have been using the single focus point or the center cluster. However, if I am trying to compose my picture with the rule of thirds, sometimes the eye is not in the center. Or if I want to get the whole animal, again the eye may not be in the center and that is what should be focused on, correct. So I end up with some really nice focus on the fur or feathers in the middle of the body but a blurry eye. I have tried focusing on the eye and then shifting slightly to compose it better, but still seem to lose that eye focus.

Usually I use the continuous shutter to take several shots in succession. I am not sure if that is the same at AI servo. I will also put it on the sport setting sometimes. I don't really care if the background is blurry, in fact that is often better. I just want to get my subjects as sharp as possible.

Thanks again.

Composing properly with a single auto focus point is definitely difficult. There's several ways to do it. The easiest way is to shoot the eye in the middle of the pic (center composed) then crop the picture later to get the proper composition. Problem with that is when you crop you lose some resolution and you might be too close to the animal to make it work.

Another way is to move the single AF point where you want but this takes a little time and the animal could move while you're doing it.

A better way to do it is to lock the focus on the eye, then reposition (while the focus is locked) and take the pic. This is what the "one shot" setting does..... I'll explain further in a second.

You're talking about high speed continuous shutter, which is what you want. Let's you take multiple pics quickly. "One shot" and "AI servo" have nothing to do with that.

"One shot" means when you press the shutter release halfway the focus gets locked in for as long as you hold the button down. This is a good setting for things that do not move. But it also let's you lock in the focus on the eye and recompose.

"AI servo" means the camera is constantly focusing while the shutter release is pressed halfway down. This is good for moving subjects. Like birds in flight. But once you move off the eye it will ficus wherever your single AF point is aiming at.

So with "one shot", if you point at a tree close to you and push the shutter halfway it locks it in focus, then (while still holding halfway down) you aim at some far away trees the camera will not focus on them.

"AI servo" will focus on whatever your autofocus point is aming at. You push shutter halfway and aim the close tree, it is in focus. As soon as your autofocus point moves to the background the background will be in focus.

So if you're normally shooting animals that aren't moving around a whole lot, try setting your camera to "one shot". Then you point at the eye, push the shutter halfway, compose how you want, then push all the way to take the pic.

Sounds like your whitebalance is at a specific setting when in manual. All you need to do is switch to manual then change the white balance to auto white balance.... should fix the yellow problem.

I rarely ever shoot in manual unless I'm doing night sky photography. 99% of the time I use shutter priority. Definitely recommend it over Auto or the sport setting. Give you more control but still let's the camera adjust the aperture and ISO automatically. I usually set the shutter speed as fast as I can without making the ISO go too high. I'm normally 1/400th for stationary shots and 1/1000-1/2000 for fast moving subjects (as long as it's bright enough outsude).

 

[Chickstarrs]

Composing properly with a single auto focus point is definitely difficult. There's several ways to do it. The easiest way is to shoot the eye in the middle of the pic (center composed) then crop the picture later to get the proper composition. Problem with that is when you crop you lose some resolution and you might be too close to the animal to make it work.

Another way is to move the single AF point where you want but this takes a little time and the animal could move while you're doing it.

A better way to do it is to lock the focus on the eye, then reposition (while the focus is locked) and take the pic. This is what the "one shot" setting does..... I'll explain further in a second.

You're talking about high speed continuous shutter, which is what you want. Let's you take multiple pics quickly. "One shot" and "AI servo" have nothing to do with that.

"One shot" means when you press the shutter release halfway the focus gets locked in for as long as you hold the button down. This is a good setting for things that do not move. But it also let's you lock in the focus on the eye and recompose.

"AI servo" means the camera is constantly focusing while the shutter release is pressed halfway down. This is good for moving subjects. Like birds in flight. But once you move off the eye it will ficus wherever your single AF point is aiming at.

So with "one shot", if you point at a tree close to you and push the shutter halfway it locks it in focus, then (while still holding halfway down) you aim at some far away trees the camera will not focus on them.

"AI servo" will focus on whatever your autofocus point is aming at. You push shutter halfway and aim the close tree, it is in focus. As soon as your autofocus point moves to the background the background will be in focus.

So if you're normally shooting animals that aren't moving around a whole lot, try setting your camera to "one shot". Then you point at the eye, push the shutter halfway, compose how you want, then push all the way to take the pic.

Sounds like your whitebalance is at a specific setting when in manual. All you need to do is switch to manual then change the white balance to auto white balance.... should fix the yellow problem.

I rarely ever shoot in manual unless I'm doing night sky photography. 99% of the time I use shutter priority. Definitely recommend it over Auto or the sport setting. Give you more control but still let's the camera adjust the aperture and ISO automatically. I usually set the shutter speed as fast as I can without making the ISO go too high. I'm normally 1/400th for stationary shots and 1/1000-1/2000 for fast moving subjects (as long as it's bright enough outsude).

Thank you. That's a lot of great information. I will try your suggestions.

 

[mdees88]

 

[Chickstarrs]

@mdees88 Love your pelican shot. Here is one I took this spring. It is not nearly as crisp as yours (and I used Photoshop the sharpen it). I was also on the wrong side of the sun but there was not much I could do about that. It was the right side for sunset pics.

 

[Chickstarrs]

Here is another that I took this spring in Florida. I am happy with this one. The heron was not moving much so I was able to take time to adjust the focus and lighting.

 

[mdees88]

I like the pelican shot. I wonder if your shutter speed was slower than mine. It's definitely harder to get sharp images with slower shutter speeds on moving subjects. But one very neat thing about panning/tracking your subject with a slower shutter speed is you get motion blur in the background which is a very neat look. I think that might be what I'm seeing in your waves.... either way it looks cool.

I was at 1/1000th shutter speed and could've bumped it up some more since the ISO was only at 250 but it was kind of spur of the moment and I wasn't paying a whole lot of attention, lol.

Very nice pics... definitely nailed focus on the heron, it's tack sharp. Manual focus?

One of the two main reason's I upgraded to an 80D from the T7i was because the 80D had microfocus adjustment. When I bought my newest lens it would just slightly miss focus on the T7i. In live view it was perfect but shooting through the viewfinder it was usually a tiny bit off. The problem compounded when I bought my teleconverter, which led me to upgrading. The 80D let's you calibrate the autofocus to each lens you use. Made a noticeable difference, especially when using the teleconverter. The other reason I upgraded is because the button layout is much more user friendly.

Not sure if that is a problem you might be having or not but thought I would share. Pretty easy to find out. Take a pic with the viewfinder then with liveview and see if they focused on the same point.

Plenty of pelicans down here in lower AL. I prefer birds of prey but I take what I can get..... haha. This pic is one of my favorite pelican pics and it was a complete accident, lol. Barely got it off as the sun was going down behind a building which is starting to cast a shadow on the back of his head.