Photography Tips

OSPREY WITH TROUT, SALMON ARM, BC, CANADA

You just never know what might happen. Early in 2014 I got a series of shots of an osprey with a large trout. I watched the osprey hover quite far away. Osprey do this when they fish. Next thing I know, the raptor dove into the water. And it remained there for what seemed like minutes. So I knew it connected with its prey. What I didn't know was the size of it. But given the time it took for the osprey to take off again, it was readily apparent that it was quite the catch. And indeed it was. Luck was on my side as the osprey for some reason decided to parade its lunch right above my head. At one point, it was so close I could no longer focus on it with my 500 mm lens.

TIP The series of shots that I got of the osprey were all perfectly exposed because I shot in MANUAL mode. Yes, that M setting on your camera. Don't let it scare you off. Manual mode allows YOU to set the exposure, ISO AND shutter speed. If, and this is the important part, the light is constant (i.e. cloudy) AND you expose for your subject, your camera's exposure settings won't be put off by the light off varying backgrounds - sky, ground etc. As the light changes, you'll have to check the histogram to make sure your settings are still correct. Once you get used to it, I bet you won't be going back to those other camera settings. Try it on something trivial at first until you get the hang of it.

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