When it comes to working in the field and setting myself up for success, I've tried a lot of different approaches, some of which I'd like to share with you in the hope they might help you too, Paul Nicklen writes.
When I'm shooting, I always remind myself of the left brain, right brain theory: that there are two 'sides' to our brains – the left 'analytical' side and the right 'creative' side.
When you're using the latter, you're seeing the world in shapes, colors, patterns, diagonals, converging lines and so on. You're not thinking too much; you're lost in the creative process.
I'm using my creative brain when I 'sketch' with my camera. It's just my eye, my lens and the scenery in front of me.
Working like that, you're exploring ideas, trying things out. You might be learning about the area where you're shooting, in the knowledge that you will come back later that evening or the next day and shoot some more.
Or you might sit and wait for the stars to come out, or put your camera on a tripod and do a beautiful time exposure.
There are a bunch of different things you can do when you're in that creative space, but you need to allow yourself to come into an area and start to feel, and sketch, and not think too much. Giving yourself permission to experiment is key.
I encourage you to do the same when you are scoping out new locations and setting up a shoot.
You've spent time thinking about camera menus, got to know your kit inside
out, practiced switching dials and changing settings, and so on, so when you're surrounded by beautiful towering Douglas firs in the rainforests of British Columbia, you're able to get lost in the artistic and creative process.
Keeping the camera stable is an important area of field work, too, of course. When I was using Fujifilm Velvia 50 film, everything was about tripod, tripod, tripod.
Today, working digitally, I bring tripods with me on expeditions, but I find I am using them less and less. And I certainly don't obsess about using one.
It helps if you have quick reactions. An animal might be walking towards me, and I can be down on my stomach quickly, shooting a low-angle shot, looking up at and elevating that animal in the frame.
In that scenario, if I'm able to properly support my camera and lens on the ground, a tripod isn’t necessary.
Nicklen is a Canadian photographer, filmmaker and marine biologist who uses his camera to reveal the nature of the changing polar regions due to the effects of a warming planet.
He has documented the beauty and plight of our planet for over 20 years as an assignment photographer for National Geographic magazine.
Paul is the co-founder (along with his wife, Cristina Mittermeier) of SeaLegacy, an organization that highlights ocean conservation issues to the global community.
His new book, Paul Nicklen: A Photography Masterclass is based on Paul's online Masters of Photography course. This is a sample chapter from that book.
Camera support
If you are using a tripod, make sure it has a ball head that you like working with. There are some complex tripod heads out there, and using them can be fiddly and frustrating.
You could also consider purchasing a video tripod head, so you can move fluidly between video and stills, which gives you options.
Video heads are made for motion. They are more fluid and allow for smoother pans and tilts – essential when tracking a bear through tall grass or following a whale breach.
There are many ways to support your camera, though, you just need to think creatively.
Beanbags can be useful for stability, or even a nearby branch or mound of earth. Think about how you are holding your camera to minimize movement.
I like to rest the tripod plate in the palm of my hand and use the rest of my arm and shoulder for extra support.
I can pull my arm into my chest, and everything's quite stable. Holding the camera in that way gives me control over my focus and the ability to zoom, and I don't rock the camera.
I might be shooting at 1/8sec with a 16-35mm lens and getting good results.
Different focus
I also like to use back-button focus, especially when photographing moving animals – a wolf, for example.
This is where the autofocus function is assigned to a separate button on your camera instead of the shutter release button at the front/top of the camera.
The AF-ON button on advanced digital cameras is designed for this purpose.
By separating the functions of shutter release (taking the picture) and autofocus (AF), the camera will not be constantly refocusing every time you press the shutter release.
This avoids unwanted refocusing and defocusing as you take pictures and gives you more accurate control over where your point of focus is.
Give it a go. Try it in a few different scenarios. Before long, I’ll wager that all your cameras will be changed to back-button focus.
I'm also a fan of the silent shutter. I was slow to come round to mirrorless cameras until I noticed the noise that my camera was making in the field.
I was clacketing away at 10 frames a second. When you're around wildlife, being able to shoot silently is a game-changer.
Another piece of advice I give to mentees is something I'm sure you've heard before, but it's worth saying again: always be ready and prepared.
A good habit to get into, I find, is to set your camera to your standard 'home' settings at the end of a day’s shooting.
When I put my cameras away at night, I leave them at ISO 400, f/8 and on back-button focus, so when I pick up my kit first thing, I'm ready to go.
I keep the batteries charged and have an extra set of batteries to hand. I always keep fresh memory cards in my cameras.
Imagine you're walking along a river, not expecting to see much, and suddenly the most incredible moment unfolds in front of you. A spirit bear or a wolf walks out into the scene, for example.
You grab your camera, but it's set to a five-second exposure, or the 'wrong' focus setting, or the 'wrong' ISO – you might be on ISO 3200, but you really want to be on ISO 400.
You will lose time, or even worse, miss the moment entirely. So, getting into the habit of coming back to those 'home' settings is important.
Get organized
I always keep my lenses and camera bodies in the same spot in my kitbags, so I know where they are and can grab them quickly and easily, and there are always tripod plates on the long lenses – you don't want to be searching for those.
Keeping your kit organized and accessible is key. If you get into good habits, when a scenario is unfolding, you'll be able to respond more efficiently.
You don't want to be locked up in your left brain trying to find the lens you need or trying to find a memory card or a battery. It's easier and frankly more fun to be ready, and will likely lead to a rewarding experience.
A final quickfire tip is, when you're out shooting and you're achy, tired and feeling weak, I encourage you to keep a bottle of 'Try Acting' with you.
It's something we always take with us on a shoot. When somebody on the team starts to complain that they're cold, hungry or tired, one of us will pipe up and say, 'Take some Try Acting' – it's a tongue-in-cheek reminder to tough it out.
Being a photographer sometimes means pushing through your own personal boundaries of discomfort.
You won't always be comfortable when you're working in the field, but when you stick it out and get a shot that you're proud of, the success will taste even better.
Buy Paul Nicklen: A Photography Masterclass
Paul Nicklen: A Photography Masterclass is published by Frances Lincoln, with Masters of Photography (ISBN: 978-1-83600-981-8) and is priced $25/£18.99.
Read more
A longer version of this extract appears in the May issue (307) of Digital Camera World magazine.
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