Getting good focus/contrast/saturation with wild life

[ElizaMM]

I have been trying to photograph ducks in the wild and can't come close to this: Wood Duck
Is this Audubon photo HDR? If so, how would you get enough shots of a moving target?

 

[dxqcanada]

No.
Practice.

Ask Glenn: Wood Ducks!
or Michael: Wood ducks

Most people in the Nature & Wildlife subforum will tell you that this takes mostly experience and some good equipment.

Tip: overcast sky

 

[ElizaMM]

Thank you. I have lots of time to practice and we have had overcast sky for days. I looked at Glenn's and Michael's photos and they are lovely.

 

[Overread]

Overcast is actually really nice to work with! You get to use more of the day shooting (esp in the summer) whilst when you get fully clear skies sure you've got more light, but you actually lose a portion of the middle of the day to very strong harsh light that can be a nightmare to work with - especially with things like ducks on water as you'd get a lot of powerful sunlight reflection from the waters.


First up lets hear and see where you are right now. Can you share some photos that you've taken of ducks and detail your camera, lens and other equipment as well as how you went about taking the shot. How you were standing, time of day etc... It's a lot easier to help you by getting a good understanding of where you are now.

 

[dunfly]

No.
Practice.

Ask Glenn: Wood Ducks!
or Michael: Wood ducks

Most people in the Nature & Wildlife subforum will tell you that this takes mostly experience and some good equipment.

Tip: overcast sky

And Patience. I sure the photographer did not just run out and grab the shot. No telling how much time he spent setting it up.

 

[Braineack]

I have been trying to photograph ducks in the wild and can't come close to this: Wood Duck
Is this Audubon photo HDR? If so, how would you get enough shots of a moving target?

HDR? no.

You can learn directly from the source: https://www.harrycollinsphoto.com/post/costa-rica-bird-wildlife-photo-workshop-2020

He suggests he uses a 600mm lens here. So either a $2000 150-600, or possibly a $13,000 600mm f/4.

when i go to his flickr, the $13,000 lens with a $5,500 camera body is confirmed:

D5S_8937-Edit-Edit

So, if you want to come close to his shots, it's possible you start with a hellofva lot of money. And then follow his YT channel for tips on editing

 

[Joseph Hanna]

Well.......Harry’s photos are simply some of the best wildlife photos out there. I certainly don’t think there’s anything wrong setting your sites on a photographer this caliber. I have my group of photographers I tend to aspire to. Kinda the beauty of the web as stuff is easily available. I think there’s a bunch at play here. First he’s talented and I’m sure with endless practice. Also and for whatever reason he has the time and wherewithal to get to great locations. I’m absolutely positive a component here is extreme planning and extraordinary patience. Theses are clearly not photographs he got while out takin’ the dog for a walk. Finally he’s attained good equipment although I’d proffer for amateur to intermediate folks the first three assets are more important than the last..

It's a journey for sure

 

[photoflyer]

Really really good glass, patience, practice, hard work, luck.

 

[Derrel]

Really, really good glass is a key component of Harry's work... this is what a $13,000 600 mm lens can do in the hands of an experienced bird photographer. A good degree of what you are seeing is based upon state-of-the-art photographic tools, in the hands of an experienced shooter.

Another thing is based upon shooting opportunity. If you have access to wood ducks that is a key. If you have 50 days a year when you're out in the marsh or the woodlands shooting, then you have many opportunities.

For those who are just getting started, zoos and Wildlife refuges offer opportunity. Most Wildlife photographers recoil at the thought of shooting semi-tame animals, and there is actually a sort of Unwritten code that strongly discourages these images from being used unless they are clearly labeled as having been made under controlled conditions. But for the beginner or intermediate shooter the ability to photograph wood ducks on water at close range, like 10 to 20 feet, this is where zoos and wildlife parks and wildlife refuges offer opportunity. If for example you had a 300mm f/ 4 prime lens you could use it to good effect on Ducks at 15 to 20 feet.

For bird photography the 500mm and 600mm lengths are very popular.

 

[cgw]

$hit! Does social distancing mean that a 13 grand 600mm is the new normal for street photography?!