Getting a great animal shot at the zoo can really help us as photographers to pay attention to the whole scene. Lets look at the following two photos. They were both taken on the same day of the same leopard in the same enclosure about three hours apart. The top photo shows the leopard right after he was fed, but the fence behind the animal really detracts from the photo. The bottom photo was shot while the big cat paced back and forth across the enclosure and was possible because I waited until the background was free of anything that would detract from the image. I made sure that the only elements in the frame were the ones I wanted there. I was then patient enough to wait until the cat was positioned in the frame before taking the photograph.

Both leopard shots were taken with a Nikon D2X using a 70-200mm f/2.8 lens at 1/100 of a second at f/2.8 using ISO 400.

There is also another something else you can do that will help with making your subjects pop out of the background and at the same time helps make it look like you aren’t at the zoo. You need to use a shallow depth of field. Look at the giraffe in the photo below, it was taken at the zoo with a fence in the background. I was able to make that fence blur to a point where it disappears into the background foliage. The photo was shot using a Nikon D2X using a 70-200mm f/2.8 lens using 1/250 of a second at f/3.2 and ISO 100.

Both my positioning and my control over the exposure helped to create images that are all about the animal and not about where the shots were taken.

One of the main problems with shooting in a zoo is that the animals are usually behind some type of barrier, be it a fence or thick glass. The secret to shooting though barriers is to use a longer lens and a wide open aperture. The shallow depth of field can not only cause the background to blur nicely making your subject stand out but can make the barrier in front of the subject vanish. The key is to have enough space between the fence and the animal to make this work properly.

These two images were taken moments apart of the same big cat in the same enclosure. The difference between the two, other than the visible fence in the top image, is the distance of the cat from the fence. Both images were shot with a Nikon D700 and a 70-200mm f/2.8 lens at 1/500 of a second at f/2.8.

The other type of barrier that has become more common is the wall of glass. This lets you see the animals without a fence but can be even more difficult to shoot through. The glass can have unwanted reflections, dirt and scratches. The key here is to get close to the glass. You need to try to get the end of your lens as close to the glass as possible to cutdown on unwanted reflections. I will even remove the lens hood to get the front element as close to the glass as possible.

This lion was shot through about 3 inches of heavy glass. I waited until he moved his head so I could get the profile shot i wanted. It took about 30 minutes of patiently waiting with the camera pressed up close to the glass to minimize the reflections and scratches. I did have to slightly adjust the image in Photoshop to increase the contrast. Shot with a Nikon D700 and 70-200mm f/2.8 lens at 1/800 of a second at f/2.8 and ISO 400.  Next time I’ll talk about the importance of checking the  background.

AF-S NIKKOR 24mm f/1.4G ED which will sell for $2199.

Prime Wide-angle Perspective— Ultra-fast f/1.4 Aperture Natural wide angle of view, with extreme light gathering capability, delivers extraordinary performance, meeting a broad range of challenging assignments.

• Nano Crystal Coat: Further reduces ghosting and internal flare across a wide range of wavelengths for even greater image clarity.
• 2 Extra-low Dispersion (ED) Elements: Offers superior sharpness and color correction by effectively minimizing chromatic aberration, even at the widest aperture settings.
• 2 Aspherical Lens Elements: Aspherical lens elements virtually eliminate coma and other types of aberration, even when shooting at the widest available aperture.
• Rear Focus (RF): Provides smooth and fast autofocus while eliminating front barrel rotation and lens length changes.
• Exclusive Nikon Silent Wave Motor (SWM): Enables fast, accurate and quiet autofocus.
• M/A Focus Mode Switch: Enables quick changes between manual and autofocus operation.
• Rounded 9-Blade Diaphragm: Renders more natural appearance of out-of-focus image elements.

AF-S NIKKOR 16-35mm f/4G ED VR which will sell for $1259.

• Definitive Wide-angle Zoom Lens: Versatile wide-angle lens, perfect for travel, land and cityscapes, and general photography.
• Nikon VR II (Vibration Reduction) Image Stabilization Vibration Reduction, engineered specifically for each VR NIKKOR lens, enables handheld shooting at up to 4 shutter speeds slower than would otherwise be possible, assuring dramatically sharper still images and video capture.
• Nano Crystal Coat: Further reduces ghosting and interior flare across a wide range of wavelengths for even greater image clarity.
• 2 Extra-low Dispersion (ED) Elements: Offers superior sharpness and color correction by effectively minimizing chromatic aberration, even at the widest aperture settings.
• 3 Aspherical Lens Elements: Aspherical lens elements virtually eliminate coma and other types of aberration, even when shooting at the widest available aperture.
• Internal Focus (IF): Provides fast and quiet autofocus without changing the length of the lens, retaining working distance throughout the focus range.
• Exclusive Nikon Silent Wave Motor (SWM) Enables fast, accurate and quiet autofocus.
• M/A Focus Mode Switch: Enables quick changes between manual and autofocus operation.
• Rounded 9-Blade Diaphragm: Renders more natural appearance of out-of-focus image elements.

I went to zoo to recharge my creative and photographic batteries.

There was no stress on having to get “the shot”, no clients wanting the images yesterday, no models that show up late and no expectations on my part.

There are many good reasons to go and shoot at the zoo:

The zoo offers a wide variety of subjects in different lighting.

Because of the other people and the zoo environment it is important to not only look at your subject but the background and surroundings as well.

You are never sure which of the animals will be out and about so you patience can be put to the test.

It is easier and cheaper than going on a full blown safari.

Both the photos in this post were taken using a 70-200mm f/2.8 lens at 200mm. Getting in really close really helps to reduce and of the distracting man made parts of the zoo. By making sure that the the subject, be it gorillas or giraffes, fills the frame I eliminated any of the man made zoo structures and other zoo goers giving the image a feeing of being shot in the wild.

Check out your local zoo and see what it has in store for you and check back here for more zoo tips soon.

All images were shot using a Nikon D700, 70-200mm f/2.8 Nikkor lens and Lexar UDMA CompactFlash cards.

The long rumored Apple tablet device was unveiled today by Steve Jobs. On the tech side, the iPad has a 9.7-inch display that is 1024-by-768-pixel resolution at 132 pixels per inch, a full capacitive multitouch screen, 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.1+, an accelerometer, compass, speaker, mic, and the the standard 30-pin connector. It also has a 3G option which I will get to in a few minutes. According to apple the iPad has a battery life of 10 hours because of the new Apple A4 processor. So what does the iPad do?

Well, it is very much like a large iPhone. The iPad actually looks like a large iPhone as is meant to be slotted into your digital life somewhere between the smart phone and a laptop. The iPad can browse the Internet using Safari, check your email, let you look at photos, TV shows and movies, watch YouTube, play music, and read eBooks. On the plus side, the iPad uses the same Operating systems as the iPhone so all the apps for the iPhone work on the iPad. New apps will take advantage of the bigger screen and faster processor but it does mean that there are a great many iPhone / iPod users who have a ton of content for the iPad already and developers can easily make the same content available for multiple devices. Another plus is the new Apple IBook store where you will be able to purchase electronic books directly on the iPad.

As this is a site for photographers and those interested in photography, lets look at the iPad from a photographers point of view. The first thing I noticed during the Apple presentation is that the device does not seem to handle  Adobe Flash which is not surprising since the iPhone doesn’t handle Adobe Flash either. Many photographers still use Flash for their websites and portfolios and if, as a photographer, you want to make sure that the widest possible audience actually sees your website, Flash will either have to be supported or the websites and portfolios will have to be changed. The second thing that I think is interesting is that Apple has a iPad Camera Connection Kit. This kit gives you two ways to import photos and videos to the iPad, either using the camera’s USB cable, or the SD Card Reader. This means that there is now a way to shoot, show and store images in the field that does not require a laptop. On the downside, there is not enough internal memory to store very many RAW files or full video clips and just like the iPhone / iPod Tough there doesn’t seem to be a way to increase the memory externally.

There are actually six versions of the iPad, three that are WiFi and three that are WiFi/3G enabled. The iPad will come with 16GB, 32GB or 64GB and be priced as follows

For the WiFi only, 16GB = $499, 32GB = $599, 64GB = $699

For the WiFi/3G, 16GB = $629, 32GB = $729, 64GB = $829

There is no data plan or contract with the iPad but instead Apple has a deal in place with AT&T for two different data plans. The first would be a $29.99 unlimited data and the second a $14.99 for 250 MB of Data. If you have the iPad that has 3G capability, you can order the data plan directly from the device and basically pay as you need it. For our international readers, this only applies the the United States all international pricing will be announced at a later date.

For more information visit the iPad information page on Apple’s website at: http://www.apple.com/ipad/

The first thing is to make sure that your camera is set on the Continuos Auto Focus. This is where your camera will continue to focus as long as the shutter button is pressed half way down and is best used for moving subjects. Since musicians are usually moving all over the place, this is the mode to use. The next thing is to set the Auto Focus mode. When it comes to my Nikon D700 there are three AF-Area modes; Single point, Dynamic-area and Auto-area mode. Now my choice here is one that I have found works for me. Others may find that different settings work for them, and even my PhotoshopWorld Concert pre-con teaching partner, Scott Diussa, uses a different setting than me. I use the Single point Auto Focus setting which means I need to track the subject and make sure the focus point stay where I want it to.

For this shot of Jason “Jay” James from the band Bullet For My Valentine I made sure that I had the focus point right on his face as he went into the head banging routine. Had Jason moved to the left or right, I would have had to track along with him. When it came to shoot Flavor Flav, member of Public Enemy I was caught unawares as he leapt into the air, but since he didn’t come forward or backward the shot was still in focus. One reason that I prefer the Single point to the Dynamic-area Auto Focus is that the camera will at times focus on the closest object and when sooting musicians this can mean that the focus will shift from performer to the microphone stand in front of them. If you find that the focus of your images isn’t where you thought it was, try a Single point setting.

All images shot with a Nikon D700, 70-200mm f/2.8 Nikkor lens on Lexar media. I will be teaching at PhotoshopWorld 2010 in Orlando in March including a Pre-conference live concert shoot workshop. For more information click HERE.

D3x

• When some memory cards were inserted in the camera, “CHA” was displayed in the top control panel and images could not be captured.  This issue has been resolved.

D3

• Auto white balance performance has been improved.
• When ISO sensitivity settings>ISO sensitivity auto control in the shooting menu is set to On, the Maximum sensitivity option can now be specified in steps of 1/3 EV, 1/2 EV or 1 EV, according to the Custom Setting b1 ISO sensitivity step value setting.
• The length of time the camera waits before adjusting focus in response to sudden changes in the distance to the subject can now be selected from 5 (Long) , 4, 3 (Normal), 2, and 1 (Short) from Custom Setting a4 Focus tracking with lock-on.  With the increase in the number of options for Custom Setting a4 Focus tracking with lock-on, this item will be set to 3 (Normal) after firmware upgrade.  Adjust this setting as needed.
• A Dynamic AF area option has been added to the FUNC. button + dials (Preview + command dials, AE-L/AF-L + command dials) item for Custom Setting f4 Assign FUNC. Button (f5 Assign preview button, f6 Assign AE-L/AF-L button).
• When AF-ON is selected for Custom Setting a9 AF-ON button or a10 Vertical AF-ON button, the monitor now turns off when the AF-ON button is pressed, even when shooting information is displayed.
• When AF-ON is selected for Custom Setting f6 Assign AE-L/AF-L button>AE-L/AF-L button press, the monitor now turns off when the AE/AF lock button is pressed, even when shooting information is displayed.
• A Use GPS to set camera clock item has been added to the GPS item in the setup menu.  When Yes is selected, date and time information acquired via connection to a GPS device is used to set the camera’s internal clock.  After selecting Yes for the first time, turn the camera off and then on again to reacquire GPS data.
• When Enable is selected for GPS>Auto meter off in the setup menu, the time until meters turn off is now extended by up to 1 minute to enable camera acquisition of GPS data immediately after the camera is turned on, and immediately after meters turn on.  (only with GPS Unit GP-1)
• When On is selected for Long exp. NR problems were experienced when shooting at shutter speeds slower than 1 s but faster than or equal to 8 s.  This issue has been resolved.
• An issue that prevented display of the focus point with playback of images captured with continuous shooting has been resolved.
• When some memory cards were inserted in the camera, “CHA” was displayed in the top control panel and images could not be captured.  This issue has been resolved.

Precautions for users of Camera Control Pro 2

These firmware versions are not fully compatible with Camera Control Pro 2 Ver. 2.7.0 and earlier versions. Some of the new menu items will not be available after the firmware has been updated.

Any camera control settings data saved prior to the upgrade cannot be loaded once the new firmware has been installed.

D700

• Auto white balance performance has been improved.
• Support for 64 GB memory cards has been added.
• When ISO sensitivity settings>ISO sensitivity auto control in the shooting menu is set to On, the Maximum sensitivity option can now be specified in steps of 1/3 EV, 1/2 EV or 1 EV, according to the Custom Setting b1 ISO sensitivity step value setting.
• The length of time the camera waits before adjusting focus in response to sudden changes in the distance to the subject can now be selected from 5 (Long) , 4, 3 (Normal), 2, and 1 (Short) from Custom Setting a4 Focus tracking with lock-on.  With the increase in the number of options for Custom Setting a4 Focus tracking with lock-on, this item will be set to 3 (Normal) after firmware upgrade.  Adjust this setting as needed.
• When the camera’s AF-ON button is pressed, the monitor turns off and a focus point can now be selected using the multi selector.
• When the MB-D10 AF-ON button is pressed (with AF-ON selected for Custom Setting a10 AF-ON for MB-D10), the monitor now turns off and a focus point can be selected using the multi selector.
• A Use GPS to set camera clock item has been added to the GPS item in the setup menu.  When Yes is selected, date and time information acquired via connection to a GPS device is used to set the camera’s internal clock.  After selecting Yes for the first time, turn the camera off and then on again to reacquire GPS data.
• When Enable is selected for GPS>Auto meter off in the setup menu, the time until meters turn off is now extended by up to 1 minute to enable camera acquisition of GPS data immediately after the camera is turned on, and immediately after meters turn on.  (only with GPS Unit GP-1)
• When On is selected for Long exp. NR problems were experienced when shooting at shutter speeds slower than 1 s but faster than or equal to 8 s.  This issue has been resolved.
• An issue that prevented display of the focus point with playback of images captured with continuous shooting has been resolved.
• When the virtual horizon was displayed with shooting in live view tripod mode and live view was then cancelled, the focus point displayed in the viewfinder could not be moved. This issue has been resolved.
• When some memory cards were inserted in the camera, “CHA” was displayed in the top control panel and images could not be captured.  This issue has been resolved.
• When [M] exposure mode was used in live view shooting via Camera Control Pro 2, the electronic analog exposure display did not function.  This issue has been resolved.

Precautions for users of Camera Control Pro 2

This firmware is not fully compatible with Camera Control Pro 2 Ver. 2.7.0 and earlier versions. Some of the new menu items cannot be selected.
Any camera control settings data saved prior to the upgrade cannot be loaded once the new firmware has been installed.

D300s

• When the Multi-Power Battery Pack MB-D10 was used with AA batteries, the battery indicator showed that MB-D10 batteries were exhausted or power supply switched to the battery inserted in the camera even when sufficient charge remained with the MB-D10 batteries.  This issue has been resolved.
• When some memory cards were inserted in the camera, “CHA” was displayed in the top control panel and images could not be captured.  This issue has been resolved.

To get the firmware for your camera go HERE and click on the model you need to upgrade.

Since the spot meter only takes into account a very small part of the overall scene, very dark or very bright backgrounds will not affect the meter reading. So those crazy moving lights don’t affect the spot meter readings as much as they do with the other metering modes. As you can see from the two images, it works the same if the background is really dark or really bright. Keeping the spot meter focused on the important part of the image gives me the feed back that helps me get the best exposure possible. The focus point and the spot metering point in both images is on the face of the performer.

The settings that I start with when shooting a concert are the same every time, but they change as I see what the lights are doing. Some bands like to have low lights, some like it very bright, others have fast moving strobes and some just have steady spotlights. Each situation requires that I adjust accordingly but here are the starting numbers: 1/160 of a second, f/2.8 and ISO 1600 for concerts indoors or at night, 1/320 of a second f/9 and ISO 200 for concerts outside in bright light. Bruce Hornsby was shot at 1/60 of a second at f/2.8 using ISO 800. Troy Sanders, bassist and vocalist for Mastodon was shot at 1/250 of a second using f/4 and ISO 640.

The new 300mm lens comes with the following improvements:

• Nikon VR II (Vibration Reduction) Image Stabilization
• Exclusive Nano Crystal Coat
• Three Extra-low Dispersion (ED) Elements
• Aspherical Lens Element
• Nikon Silent Wave Motor (SWM)
• Three Focus Modes
• Nikon Super Integrated Coating (SIC)
• AF Memory Recall
• Tripod Detection Mode
• Close Focusing to 7.2 feet
• Rounded 9-Blade Diaphragm

For all the details, visit the NIKON site : http://www.nikonusa.com/Find-Your-Nikon/Product/Camera-Lenses/2186/AF-S-NIKKOR-300mm-f%252F2.8G-ED-VR-II.html

Nikon has also announced a new 2x teleconverter. The AF-S teleconverter is the first to include an aspherical lens element which is designed to improve the quality of images when the converter is used. The AF-S Teleconverter TC-20E III is designed to minimise its impact on image quality that is usually present when using a teleconverter. When the new teleconverter is used with the new 300mm F2.8 VR II lens offers an effective focal length of 600mm at f5.6.

For all the details, visit the Nikon site: http://www.nikonusa.com/Find-Your-Nikon/Product/Camera-Lenses/2189/AF-S-Teleconverter-TC-20E-III.html

To understand why I choose manual mode, we have to think about how the other modes function. It doesn’t matter if you shoot in Shutter Priority, Aperture Priority or Program mode. All those modes give the camera some control over your exposure. The camera reads the scene with its built-in light meter and calculates the best shutter speed / aperture or both for the given scene. Fast moving concert lights can really play havoc with the built-in light meter.

When you look at the stage shot of Widespread Panic, you can see that there are a group of lights along the back of the stage. As these lights move, the light meter in the camera keeps adjusting and when the scene gets brighter the camera will start to underexpose the rest of the scene. As the lights go down the scene gets darker and when the camera adjusts and the scene gets overexposed. Shooting in manual mode allows me to keep the shutter speed / aperture and ISO settings I want and the camera won’t adjust anything as the light changes.

So when the lighting is tricky, remember: Manual Mode Rocks!

The top image was shot with a Nikon D2X and 17-55mm f/2.8 Nikkor lens at 1/60 of second at f/2.8 at ISO 200 while the bottom shot was taken with a Nikon D700 and 70-200mm f/2.8 Nikkor lens at 1/160 of a second at f/2.8 at ISO 1600. Both were taken using Lexar Professional media.