Outdoor Flash Photography Tips with Pets
Photography is one of the fun activities that are not only enjoyed by teenagers but also by adults. For some, this is a hobby. For others, this is a source of living. Either way, this is a fun activity that can be enjoyed with the best subjects. Most people would love to take photos of themselves. For others, they love to capture every moment with their pets. This is one of the things people do not only to freeze some important memories but also to capture the personality of their pets.
Pets are already considered important members of the family. This is why they also become part of important activities. Outdoor photography is fun and it also becomes more interesting with pets as your subject. Capturing the best moments of your pets while they play outside is certainly very satisfying. But it may be a bit challenging especially if you have an energetic one.
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Outdoor Flash Photography Tips For Beginners
To help you with outdoor flash photography with your pets, here are some tips for you:
Select a Familiar Environment
If you want to make sure that the activity will be successful, you have to choose a familiar environment. This way, the pet will be comfortable and you do not have to consider adjustments. You can go to the park where you usually walk your dog. You can also consider some places near your home where the pet usually goes to play. These are the kinds of environments where you can easily capture fun moments. The pet will certainly start playing or just stay calm while you are taking its photo.
Freeze the Action
In photography, you can easily capture the personality of your pet. However, it can be a bit challenging because there is a tendency for the pet to be moving very quickly. This is most especially when they are so excited. But you do not have to worry about that, all you need to do is to set your camera to be able to freeze the action.
First, set shutter priority as its mode dial to be able to freeze the action. After that, go to focus and set continuous focusing. This way, the lens will constantly be focused on the moving pet. If you are taking multiple shots, you can hold down the shutter button. Make sure however that you were able to set the continuous shooting mode.
Feathering the Light
The idea behind this photography strategy is to provide a transition from a full-lighted frame to more focused lighting to provide focus to the subject. It is all about rotating to narrow the light. As you manipulate the lighting, you will realize how the edges of the light will give you a great effect on your subject. You can make use of this strategy to provide emphasis to your subject. In an outdoor setting, this is a good way to make the photo more elegant and the subject catchier.
Aim for the Eyes
If you want to capture the emotion of your pet, you have to aim for the eyes. Most people are fascinated with the expression of pets. You will see from their eyes how they feel in the moment. This makes the photograph more interesting. To be able to do this, you can make use of a zoom lens that can easily cover 28-70mm length or just a standard lens if you do not have one. Go to mode dial and choose Aperture Priority. From there, go ahead and choose a wide aperture. Do not use flash to maintain a soft look on the eyes. Maintain the sharpness with the use of spot metering.
Shoot in Short Quick Bursts
This is one of the outdoor flash photography tips with pets that are recommended especially when the subject is in successive motion. This is usually used in sports photography but it can also be perfect for your outdoor photography with pets. This strategy is also called the continuous high-speed mode. The photographer, when using burst mode, is able to capture several photos by holding or pressing the button down. From there, you will be able to have options to choose from. You can easily select the best image from those that you have captured.
Flash-fill from the Camera
As an outdoor photographer, you have to remember that there will be days when the sun is to bright. It can affect the quality of your photographs. This is where the fill flash strategy comes in. This is something that you can make use when you observe that the surrounding is too bright.
To be able to make use of this trick, start by setting the ambient exposure. With this feature, the photo will certainly look perfect even without using flash. After that, you can now set the flashes until you achieve the right amount of light you need for your subject. The main point here is to make sure that you will be able to achieve the perfect balance. Your subject should not be over or underexposed.
Use Continuous Tracking Focus
One of the major problems people do not want to encounter in photography is capturing blurry images. This is one of the things that were already solved by some major features of DSLR cameras and even Smartphones. You can now capture sharp images even if the subject is moving nonstop.
In Canon, the continuous focus is achieved by choosing the Al Servo AF. For Nikon, you can choose the AF-C mode. When this feature is set, as you depress the shutter release, the camera focuses on the action and detects the subject. It will continue to refocus to make the subject look sharp. Make sure that the battery is full or enough because this is something that requires a lot of power.
Light Modifiers Soften Harsh Direct Flash
There are different light modifiers that you can make use of to soften harsh direct flash. There are also those that perfect for outdoor photography. One example of this is a scrim. This is used to diffuse the sun and other natural lighting. You can ask someone to hold it on a light stand. The light that will pass through it will be diffused. As a result, the lighting for the subject is also balanced. There are different options that you can make use of to modify direct flash. These features are available not only to DSLR but also in Smartphones.
Photography with pets as subjects has become the trend. You will find Instagram accounts and even some websites that include photos of pets as their main content. This is something that most people enjoy looking at. In fact, one way for you to catch attention on social media is to post a photo of your pet. People will certainly feel happy seeing it. With the use of the correct features of your phone and with the correct strategy, you can easily get that perfect photo.
Conclusions
Every outdoor session with dogs or cats is perfect. It does not matter if they just go to the park to sleep or play, you will certainly enjoy every moment. So why not grab that camera and capture the most precious moments with them. Hope our outdoor flash photography tips with pets would be helpful for you.
