Artistry Photography by sueann

Roaming around in the woods or simply looking out your front window, you will find many opportunities to take a few shots at some wildlife pictures. Even though it is one of the most rewarding things that you will ever do, it can also be one of the most challenging. Not only will your subject not stay in one place very long, the lighting is also a big challenge. If you are an amateur photographer and you have been putting off learning to shoot manual, now is the time to start. It is very hard, if not impossible to get a good picture of a bird, just to name one species, while shooting and focusing automatic.

So many times I see a picture that someone has taken, and I can immediately tell that it was shot on an automatic setting with auto focus. The subject will be dark and even though it might be a pretty good shot, it is almost impossible to see.  If you think about it, the sky is usually much lighter than your subject and for that matter, much larger or maybe the ground is covered with snow….white snow.  What is the most easily seen thing in the picture….your subject, the sky, or the snow?  Which one did your eye have to work the hardest to see?   

Don’t be afraid to try your hand at manual settings.  Turn the auto focus off and play around with your camera. Learn to trust your own focus. Yes, you may miss a few shots, but I’ll bet in the long run, you will get more than you miss, with a little practice. Your pictures will actually be in sharper focus and your big buck, eagle, or just that little butterfly that you are trying to capture, will be what is in focus, not so dark you can’t see it.  Happy shooting and check back in for more tips! Talk to me, I welcome your comments.