God's creations, whether through the evolution of time, nature, animal interaction, or man's God-given gifts are all one time only unique occurrences. As Ralph Waldo Emerson stated, each fleeting moment in time is a singular happening never to be exactly duplicated. Sharing those witnessed images and observations with others and allowing them the appreciation of God's handiwork is why image capture is important to me. George Ritchey
This quote is on the first page of an instructional booklet I received when I took a wildlife photography class at The Birmingham Zoo on November 16, 2019. It didn't impact me in any way until after the class was over and I reflected back on what I had learned that day.
I've been looking for ways to improve as a photographer and the idea of a class got my attention while scrolling through Facebook events. From 8 AM to 2 PM, t was almost an all day affair. Our instructor, George Ritchey, went over some photography basics and explain what we might encounter as we strolled through the zoo, but that was the most teaching that was offered. I found the lack of instructions to be disappointing because I came mostly to learn. I wanted someone to help me understand my camera a little more and help me figure out what I could do with it. George did offer us tips and gave us encouragement as we started shooting, but I don't know that the class was worth $75. I supposed I had different expectations of what the class was going to be and I'll admit, that's on me. Despite my complaining of not getting traditional photography lessons, I did pick up three takeaways.
1) Wildlife Photography is shot in automatic focus.
Since I bought my Nikon D3400, I've been shooting with manual focus. I like being able to control the focus and give my images that nice bokeh. But, as I discovered through this wildlife photography class, animals aren't going to slow down so you can set your focus! I was having the darndest time getting shots of the fast-moving predator cats, sea otters, and birds because I wasn't using automatic focus.
When George suggested that I switch to auto, I remembered that the lens I bought would only work with manual focus on my camera body. At the time of purchase, I thought "That's no big deal, I usually use manual focus, anyway". Well...now, I realize why that matters.
While I could still use my lens with the animals at the zoo, I got extremely frustrated. I fought blurry images and missed opportunities for amazing shots. Though, I did end up using manual focus as an advantage instead of a hindrance. I looked for ways that the plant life around me could be used to paint around and through the wildlife. I thought it gave the shots a little something extra.
Next time around, I'll use my kit lens (18-55mm) since that will allow me to use automatic focus.
2) Shooting through glass means getting up close and personal with it.
In certain areas of the zoo (particularly, the reptiles, predators, and primates), animals would be behind glass. George told us that if we wanted to shoot through glass, we'd need to get the lens right up on the glass. This was a good tip that made it appear as if the glass wasn't even there! The downside is that my clumsy self would, sometimes, bump into the glass due to looking through the lens instead of looking through my own eyeball.
3) Wildlife Photography could also be referred to as "Image Capture".
Wildlife Photography is similar to event photography (which I do quite a bit with my UA Museums job) in that the goal is capture a moment in time. Those moments will be unique in time and won't be repeated. There was no need to worry about getting the same shot as someone else because each photographer would bring a different eye and perspective and the animals would provide the motion. Thinking about this genre of photography in that light gave me a new appreciation for it.
I went into wildlife photography, only understanding that it was simply taking pictures of animals. I wanted to take the class because it seemed like a good way to be outside, seem some animals that I don't see on a regular basis, and practice photography. But, wildlife photography can be more than just "taking pictures of animals". This experience may not have been the kind of educational environment that I was hoping for, but I can't say that I didn't leave it having learned something.