Action & Behavior Archives - Gaurav Mittal Photography
29
Dec
Canon 7D Mark II Review
- By Gaurav Mittal
- 11 Comments
Canon 7D Mark II Review
Introduction
Three years ago when I got very serious about bird photography, I knew I needed to upgrade from my first DSLR the Canon 50D to something better. After a thorough research, I decided to invest in the Canon 7D, which had a slightly faster frame rate and being an APS-C camera with a crop sensor, gave me more effective focal length. Increased focal length is always a driving force for a bird photographer when considering a camera. Equipped with my 7D and the 500mm lens, in December of 2011, I headed to Bosque, New Mexico. After two days of shooting with the 7D, much to my dismay I found that the ISO related noise handling was extremely poor, causing the images to suffer badly, it was surprising that even at very low ISO, images seemed to appear as if high ISO settings were used. The autofocus was also sluggish.
23
Nov
Bird Photography Workshop in Bharatpur
- By Gaurav Mittal
- One Comment
A little over two months are remaining for my first ever Bird photography workshop in Bharatpur and I’m very excited about the opportunity to help and educate the participants on the fundamentals of bird photography. From understand composition, exposure, having a proper workflow in post processing to the ethics when approaching wildlife in the field, I will cover all of these and much more.
17
Sep
Bird Photography Tips: Shoot With a Purpose
- By Gaurav Mittal
- 4 Comments
1/100 sec F/5.6 ISO 800, Canon IDX, 600mm + 1.4x
In this image of the week, I continue to share some bird photography tips that will help improve the quality of your images and add purpose to your bird photography.
10
Sep
Serene Green: Making Impact in Bird Photography
- By Gaurav Mittal
- No Comments
1/3200 sec F/8.0 ISO 800, Canon IDX, 600mm +1.4x
Birds by far are one of the most popular subjects in wildlife photography; every minute thousands of images are uploaded online showing birds in flight or behavioral activity. However, amongst the thousands only a few are attention catching. The problem lies in the fact that very little thought process is involved in the creativity, the composition and accurate post processing of the image. Read more…
01
Sep
Romancing Over Candlelight Dinner at Bharatpur
- By Gaurav Mittal
- No Comments
1/800 sec F/8.0 ISO 800, Canon 5D Mark III, 600mm +2x
It is no secret that images created in the early morning or late afternoon light also known as the “golden hour”produce pleasing results. It is critical to be present at the right location and have the composition and the exposure setup because the light is ever changing and you get just a few seconds or maybe a minute to capture that magical moment.
30
Aug
Learn Flash Use in Bird Photography and Expand Your Photographic Horizon
- By Gaurav Mittal
- 2 Comments
In a recent interview, I was asked the question, what are some of the challenges you face in bird photography? I thought for a while as to how to sum it all up in the best possible way and here is what I said, “wildlife photography in general is a very challenging form of photography, elements of nature such as weather; lighting conditions and a cooperative subject are not in a photographer’s hand. Many a times, regardless of all the preparations we make, even if one of these elements is missing then the photographic opportunities are lost.” Read more…
27
Apr
Nature & Wildlife Photography: Shoot With a Purpose
- By Gaurav Mittal
- No Comments
Like most nature & photography enthusiasts, shooting birds in flight is my passion, a craft very close to my heart. When I first started bird photography, like most nature & wildlife photography newbies it was an instant reaction to shoot a bird flying by. My reaction would be, “Wow look at that bird in flight, I have to get that shot”, and then my trigger-happy finger would fire away the camera like a machine gun! A lot has changed since I started out, for one; I started to question the need for shots that all very much looked alike and second, what did I wanted my audience to learn from my images? Whether you are into bird photography or any type of nature & wildlife photography, one thing is certain; you need to shoot with a purpose. Your images should have an impact and tell a story. While this may sound simple enough, but without planning and proper execution, the purpose will remain oblivious and the story will be confusing. I decided to write this post and share my thoughts on what it takes to make story-telling images. Read more…
18
Mar
Bird Photography for Beginners
- By Gaurav Mittal
- No Comments
March 18, 2012
I am intrigued –and delighted- by the enthusiasm of beginner bird lovers who spend days on end preparing for a “trip” to do Bird Photography in the wild. They get books, read the latest articles, and make intricate preparations before they venture out. And there I am, dying to tell them a thing or two that would save them a lot of frustration. Naturally, I always leave them to it, for fear of dampening their enthusiasm.
What I would tell them though has nothing to do with the intricacies of photography and everything to do with bird-watching. You see, birds are birds, whether on the slopes of Kangchenjunga, or on that pine tree behind the house. And before venturing out with a backpack full of lenses and accessories, it is important to acquire basic knowledge of bird behavior, as well as basic knowledge of Bird Photography. Doesn’t it make sense that the hit-and-miss nature of the learning process be undertaken from one’s porch rather than from an exotic destination? Read more…
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