I just figured out why previous videos weren't filling the frame when I did the edit (adding images auto selected 4:3 aspect ratio even when video was 16:9, and then when the two were mixed neither filled the frame.).... Edit done in Windows Movie Maker, captured with D300s.
I tried to change the aspect ratio on an existing Movie Maker project's images and it hung the app. So, the below video is a re-do on a movie I was trying to make. It actually took me a few tries to make a project from scratch that behaved correctly, in the end I made a new project, changed the image aspect ratio without any files or clips added, saved that, then closed MM and opened my project fresh and it worked.
One of the things mentioned in a recent This Week in Photography podcast episode was when shooting video not to pan around and chase the action like you might for still images. But instead setup the video camera and let the action happen inside the frame.
For this footage that's just what I'd done, setup the camera and let stuff happen without moving around.
-50-
-Jon
Friday, January 22, 2010
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Free Tools: Calendering for Wildlife Dates
There are a few free tools that I use some times:
Overdisk
Bulk Rename Utility
Picasa
Gmail
Dropbox!
The one that I just started to use today/tonight for increased awareness and productivity is Google Calendar. I stated to enter past successes and dates for things like Osprey spottings, fox kit spottings, etc. I will be adding tons of new things as time goes on, and as I see new things.
The key thing to this tool for future years is how I am adding the past events. I'm adding them as yearly-recurring events with reminders days in advance. This will automatically email me of up coming dates when things worked in previous years! And it's free!
I've been shooting wildlife with a passion for maybe 3 or 4 years. Learning from past experience is a must, and as more time passes and more experience is amassed a tool like this is a great addition.
I highly recommend that you add a tool or system like this to your own research and shooting habits. Don't ask me for my info, that's the part you need to keep track of from your own travels. I only go to a very small patch of this globe we all live on, and I want to share the sights I find and see and track (not the specific details of my planning or shooting locations on that level). Your goal, if you're reading this blog for insight and help and guidance to do your own nature and wildlife photography work, should be to find your own slice of wildlife to watch, observe and learn from and share with others...
Google calendars and tracking events as yearly recurring events can be a great way to aid in that.
I'm already looking forward to - Ospreys and Chicks, Fox and Kits, etc.
I've also added dates for Black-Crowned Night Herons returning, and will be adding many other migratory species and the locations they've shown up in and when... The in-advance reminders should be a real help, and I recommend you give that a go too...
Happy Shootin'
-50-
-Jon
Overdisk
Bulk Rename Utility
Picasa
Gmail
Dropbox!
The one that I just started to use today/tonight for increased awareness and productivity is Google Calendar. I stated to enter past successes and dates for things like Osprey spottings, fox kit spottings, etc. I will be adding tons of new things as time goes on, and as I see new things.
The key thing to this tool for future years is how I am adding the past events. I'm adding them as yearly-recurring events with reminders days in advance. This will automatically email me of up coming dates when things worked in previous years! And it's free!
I've been shooting wildlife with a passion for maybe 3 or 4 years. Learning from past experience is a must, and as more time passes and more experience is amassed a tool like this is a great addition.
I highly recommend that you add a tool or system like this to your own research and shooting habits. Don't ask me for my info, that's the part you need to keep track of from your own travels. I only go to a very small patch of this globe we all live on, and I want to share the sights I find and see and track (not the specific details of my planning or shooting locations on that level). Your goal, if you're reading this blog for insight and help and guidance to do your own nature and wildlife photography work, should be to find your own slice of wildlife to watch, observe and learn from and share with others...
Google calendars and tracking events as yearly recurring events can be a great way to aid in that.
I'm already looking forward to - Ospreys and Chicks, Fox and Kits, etc.
I've also added dates for Black-Crowned Night Herons returning, and will be adding many other migratory species and the locations they've shown up in and when... The in-advance reminders should be a real help, and I recommend you give that a go too...
Happy Shootin'
-50-
-Jon
Some 2009 Favorite Images of Mine
I already posted a year in review flickr post a few days ago:
A couple of those that stand out follow.
This one for the flock, ocean and rocks - I just like the composition, the image itself didn't jump out at me during initial reviews, but it has stuck with me since I found it a month or more later in my further reviews.
This stands out even though for purposed of this blog it is captive and I usually only post *wild* or *non-captive* shots here. I began to work more on blur shots and had a camera die this day and within a couple days of taking this image the 3 brothers were sent from the zoo and just one cheetah remains there right now so no more trying for stuff like this.
In 2009 I embraced the different and new, and did things I would have previously avoided. This is shot from the VA side of Great Falls down below at Fisherman's eddy. Kate talked me in to adventuring down there, and while the short climb was dicey it wasn't really that bad and I've done it many times since.
The first time I got a Baltimore Oriole and it wasn't a tiny spec was in 2009 and the color in the background helped make this a memorial image for me.
This image and the process I used to capture it taught me to line up not just the horizon to perfectly horizontal but also the elements in the foreground. Too many times I've shot similar things but the foreground bothered me and I considered the images failures. Here the parallel lines work, and the lack of distracting angled foreground help.
Finally it is this image that reminds me of how fun it was to get to watch and get to know a little, this osprey pair. They successfully raised 3 chicks and I saw chick 3 fledge... This year I plan even more things for osprey (stay tuned), so I can better get more personal and intimate images with the least bother to the birds...
Happy Shootin'
-50-
-Jon
A couple of those that stand out follow.
This one for the flock, ocean and rocks - I just like the composition, the image itself didn't jump out at me during initial reviews, but it has stuck with me since I found it a month or more later in my further reviews.
This stands out even though for purposed of this blog it is captive and I usually only post *wild* or *non-captive* shots here. I began to work more on blur shots and had a camera die this day and within a couple days of taking this image the 3 brothers were sent from the zoo and just one cheetah remains there right now so no more trying for stuff like this.
In 2009 I embraced the different and new, and did things I would have previously avoided. This is shot from the VA side of Great Falls down below at Fisherman's eddy. Kate talked me in to adventuring down there, and while the short climb was dicey it wasn't really that bad and I've done it many times since.
The first time I got a Baltimore Oriole and it wasn't a tiny spec was in 2009 and the color in the background helped make this a memorial image for me.
This image and the process I used to capture it taught me to line up not just the horizon to perfectly horizontal but also the elements in the foreground. Too many times I've shot similar things but the foreground bothered me and I considered the images failures. Here the parallel lines work, and the lack of distracting angled foreground help.
Finally it is this image that reminds me of how fun it was to get to watch and get to know a little, this osprey pair. They successfully raised 3 chicks and I saw chick 3 fledge... This year I plan even more things for osprey (stay tuned), so I can better get more personal and intimate images with the least bother to the birds...
Happy Shootin'
-50-
-Jon
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Quick Sunrise @ Bombay Hook NWR, DE
The sunrise this morning came and went pretty fast.
With a think cover of clouds and just a thin band on the horizon where the sun could peak through, the light was great, full of color, but it only lasted for a few minutes.
I would normally see this part of the scene (below) and keep on going without shooting it. But even more so now, I stop and think, and look a little harder and reconsider just moving on. Light alone can be a strong element, and on a day like this one it was over quite quickly.
The light really did go away moments later, but the clouds broke up some an hour or something after sunrise so the trip wasn't just for those few minutes at sunrise.
For landscapes that short window of sunrise and sunset light is a must... It is a big part of what makes getting up at 4am and driving 100 miles worth it for me.
-50-
-Jon
With a think cover of clouds and just a thin band on the horizon where the sun could peak through, the light was great, full of color, but it only lasted for a few minutes.
I would normally see this part of the scene (below) and keep on going without shooting it. But even more so now, I stop and think, and look a little harder and reconsider just moving on. Light alone can be a strong element, and on a day like this one it was over quite quickly.
The light really did go away moments later, but the clouds broke up some an hour or something after sunrise so the trip wasn't just for those few minutes at sunrise.
For landscapes that short window of sunrise and sunset light is a must... It is a big part of what makes getting up at 4am and driving 100 miles worth it for me.
-50-
-Jon
Monday, January 4, 2010
Cold Weather Photography Tips
This has been a very cold winter so far, and it is not about to let up right away.
Weather is a very compelling element when it comes to photographs. Where I shoot it is a common thing to get bright or cloudy days, without a lot of wind. Rainy days are often not very good for shooting outdoors, although I've found a good shot on occasions.
When it is cold, it can be good for frozen things, snow, animals behaving differently, etc. Skipping days like that, cold and frozen, can mean skipping a lot of chances for new things.
My brief list of tips for shooting on cold days are:
1) allow time for gear to get cold when traveling outbound.
2) allow time for gear to slowly get warm again once you're home (keep in bag, and closed).
3) dress in lots of layers, wool socks and liner socks. Don't wear tight shoes.
4) hats, gloves, scarves, FLEECE!
5) extra batteries
6) eat
In past years I've let the cold get to me. Now I wear wool/smart socks and also liner socks, and my shoes normally are loose fitting. I wear fleece long-johns, which are about 500% warmer than cotton ones. And I dress in lots of layers, none of which are super thick or warm, but when combined they add up, and allow for tweaking and adjusting when conditions or locations change.
I bundle up and use my car as a wind jam often.
This weekend I went out and with the wind-chill it was about minus-1! But I wasn't cold. Conditions weren't exactly 'friendly' but it didn't stop me or make me wish I had stayed home, because I was prepared.
One thing I may have learned the hard way, is that when going in and out of a warm building - leave the camera gear outside in the cold. I did that, went in with it, a bunch of times while in Maine on a past trip and it may have lead to some damage to my camera.
When I'm heading to a place like Bombay Hook and it is below freezing I keep the heat lot, use my heated seats mostly, and roll down the windows for the last 20 miles or so - so things get cold. And in reverse I let the car warm up slowly, and once home, I keep things wrapped up except for removing a memory card or two...
Fair weather photography is easy, tougher weather shooting will build character and you'll get some unique images...
Happy Shootin'
-50-
-Jon
Weather is a very compelling element when it comes to photographs. Where I shoot it is a common thing to get bright or cloudy days, without a lot of wind. Rainy days are often not very good for shooting outdoors, although I've found a good shot on occasions.
When it is cold, it can be good for frozen things, snow, animals behaving differently, etc. Skipping days like that, cold and frozen, can mean skipping a lot of chances for new things.
My brief list of tips for shooting on cold days are:
1) allow time for gear to get cold when traveling outbound.
2) allow time for gear to slowly get warm again once you're home (keep in bag, and closed).
3) dress in lots of layers, wool socks and liner socks. Don't wear tight shoes.
4) hats, gloves, scarves, FLEECE!
5) extra batteries
6) eat
In past years I've let the cold get to me. Now I wear wool/smart socks and also liner socks, and my shoes normally are loose fitting. I wear fleece long-johns, which are about 500% warmer than cotton ones. And I dress in lots of layers, none of which are super thick or warm, but when combined they add up, and allow for tweaking and adjusting when conditions or locations change.
I bundle up and use my car as a wind jam often.
This weekend I went out and with the wind-chill it was about minus-1! But I wasn't cold. Conditions weren't exactly 'friendly' but it didn't stop me or make me wish I had stayed home, because I was prepared.
One thing I may have learned the hard way, is that when going in and out of a warm building - leave the camera gear outside in the cold. I did that, went in with it, a bunch of times while in Maine on a past trip and it may have lead to some damage to my camera.
When I'm heading to a place like Bombay Hook and it is below freezing I keep the heat lot, use my heated seats mostly, and roll down the windows for the last 20 miles or so - so things get cold. And in reverse I let the car warm up slowly, and once home, I keep things wrapped up except for removing a memory card or two...
Fair weather photography is easy, tougher weather shooting will build character and you'll get some unique images...
Happy Shootin'
-50-
-Jon
Sunday, January 3, 2010
work work work
This weekend was cold and very windy. Temps in the 20's and 30's, and winds as strong as 25-35 miles per hour.
I decided to stay fairly close to home, but did get out each day despite the weather. I wasn't expecting to see all that much. If I had traveled to the Eastern Shore of Maryland or Delaware (100 miles each way, 2 hr drive each way) the wind and cold would have meant that everything would have been hunkered down. And the water would be frozen or choppy at best.
What I hoped to get lucky and see was an owl. Maybe a Great Horned Owl or Barred. But that wasn't in the cards. Here's some of what I did see:
Hermit Thrush(maybe)
Possum
American Robin
Red-Tailed Hawk
I'm glad I got out. I never know what I might find or see, or photograph. I do however know if I stayed home I would have seen nothing... Work work work, getting out and making an effort, that's the most fundamental thing I do to get good photos. I go out shooting all the time.
If the above are not 'big successes' as far as images themselves, here are a couple of recent ones that I would call successes.
A Red-Fox at Bombay Hook NWR with a meal:
And a Delmarva Fox Squirrel does the closest thing to posing for me:
The reward for today's trip is getting out and trying, and the sights I did see, but also the trip will help in my searches for new spots in future seasons. As with 'my heron' finding a good spot that's close to home is really welcome, and lets me shoot before or after work, and make more frequent trips to a spot. Where I went today I spotted a few potential Osprey Platforms, and they were as close as 'my osprey' - but not as far of a drive. Now that would be cool.
(this is a great time of year to search for new spots to work in Spring...)
Happy Shootin'
-Jon
-50-
.
I decided to stay fairly close to home, but did get out each day despite the weather. I wasn't expecting to see all that much. If I had traveled to the Eastern Shore of Maryland or Delaware (100 miles each way, 2 hr drive each way) the wind and cold would have meant that everything would have been hunkered down. And the water would be frozen or choppy at best.
What I hoped to get lucky and see was an owl. Maybe a Great Horned Owl or Barred. But that wasn't in the cards. Here's some of what I did see:
Hermit Thrush(maybe)
Possum
American Robin
Red-Tailed Hawk
I'm glad I got out. I never know what I might find or see, or photograph. I do however know if I stayed home I would have seen nothing... Work work work, getting out and making an effort, that's the most fundamental thing I do to get good photos. I go out shooting all the time.
If the above are not 'big successes' as far as images themselves, here are a couple of recent ones that I would call successes.
A Red-Fox at Bombay Hook NWR with a meal:
And a Delmarva Fox Squirrel does the closest thing to posing for me:
The reward for today's trip is getting out and trying, and the sights I did see, but also the trip will help in my searches for new spots in future seasons. As with 'my heron' finding a good spot that's close to home is really welcome, and lets me shoot before or after work, and make more frequent trips to a spot. Where I went today I spotted a few potential Osprey Platforms, and they were as close as 'my osprey' - but not as far of a drive. Now that would be cool.
(this is a great time of year to search for new spots to work in Spring...)
Happy Shootin'
-Jon
-50-
.
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