Lightning Photography with Magic Lantern

Lightnings and storms are always a powerful subject. The power of nature calls everyone's attention, but lighnings in particular have been until now a trial and error matter.
Magic Lantern (http://magiclantern.wikia.com/wiki/Magic_Lantern_Firmware_Wiki) is a firmware add-on. It is not a hack, or a modified firmware, but it runs alongside Canon's own firmware, booting from the SD card every time you turn the camera on. The only modification to the original firmware is the ability to boot software from the card, which is turned off by default on Canon's firmware. That is the extension of the tampering on the original firmware the Magic Lantern guys have done.

Basic Technique

Set the camera on a tripod with LiveView turned on.  Next, select Motion Detect on ML's menu, and just let it sit there for the whole duration of the storm or as long as you like. Using LiveView consumes a good deal your battery, so you’ll want to plan for that. Also, obviously, there’s a good chance of getting your camera wet with rain. Lastly, sensor temperature may be a concern, so be sure to monitor that, as you don't want it to get too high.  I've spent a couple of hours testing it out and found no issue with it.  Naturally, your results might vary.
As a general rule I use:

• Av mode with f:8 or f:11, depending on the depth of field I need. I'm more concerned about long exposure rather than DOF, though.

• Low ISO (100 or 200) ensure a long exposure: that will help in capturing several impressions of the lightning strike

• Exposure compensation -2 EV: this will avoid the image to be rendered too bright, risking hiding the lightning off a blown out background.

• Set 20 or 30 seconds delay for LCD timeout and Global Draw on ML's power menu. You don't have to worry if the LCD turns off. The SD LED lamp will flash every few seconds to let you know that is still alive.

Now you just can sit and relax while the camera does all the work.
NOTE: For a list of supported cameras: http://magiclantern.wikia.com/wiki/Magic_Lantern_Firmware_Wiki
Text revision: Dk Baker

Sometimes you can even catch more than one lighning.

Selecting Motion Detect Exposure "EXP" mode sets the LiveView system to continuously monitor the brightness level of each frame, somewhat around 30fps, and when it detects a difference that you set as parameter (Here level 15 is shown) it triggers the sutter. I've worked with values around 8 and 20, depending in the amount of ambient light and moving subjects that might lighten or darken the overall image.

This was one of my first shots, you can see is a long exposure, enough to give the moving truck a "trail" effect, just like a second curtain flash effect. Sometimes the lightning is so fast that you will only capture the remaining luminosity, but for the majority of cases I've been able to capture the lightning. The key is where you point your camera to, and since not every lightning fall on the same place twice is kind of tricky.

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What we want in a macro shot - POV and special scenes

We are nearing the end of the 'what' section of this series. We've mentioned detail and background as critical aspects we look for in a macro shot, and now I'd like to survey two important non-technical issues.

The interesting parts of this dragonfly are its beautifully colored eyes, thorax and abdomen, all of which are clearly seen from eye-level. Shooting from a different angle would result in the image not containing what I wished to convey to the viewer. It would also result in a less personal feeling, contrary to the mood I was trying to create.

The first issue I'll discuss is point of view (POV)- and I plan to do this using a seemingly odd comparison. Let's leave the nature world briefly and step in the domain of children portraiture. As every photographer knows, the first and most followed "rule" in this field is 'always shoot children from eye-level'. This is indeed an important guideline to bear in mind, but what is its purpose? Some people may rightfully claim that shooting children from eye-level, rather than from above them, prevents perspective distortion which could make the subject seem to have a very large head and a small lower body.
While this is absolutely true, my point is that there is a much deeper motive for shooting this way. Shooting from eye level allows the photographer to show the subject as if looking at it from within the subject's own world. This ideological objective results practically in a much more natural image, and furthermore, one that contains a good, balanced view of the interesting parts of the subject.

This poison dart frog (Dendrobates pumilio) wasn't shot at eye-level, but rather from a slightly elevated position, due to environmental constraints. This has caused to the image to be less personal and to have the look and feel of a documentation by an outside viewer. This is ideologically problematic to me as a nature photographer, as well as aesthetically unappealing.	The same frog gets a more personal perspective when shot at eye-level, and the image looks much better.

In the wildlife photography world, as different as it is, things are very similar in this respect. When shooting an animal, one usually wishes to display its most interesting parts, and those parts are usually seen when viewing the subject at eye-level. But when the subject is a large mammal such as a lion or a zebra, it's very natural to shoot at eye-level, since the photographer has (at least approximately) the same height as the subject. Even when shooting giraffes or elephants from far enough, the shooting angle isn't extreme, and so this also qualifies as 'eye-level'. Alas, in the domain of macro - as always - things are quite different.
Our usual encounters with invertebrates or amphibians are either from a top view (watching them move on the ground) or from a bottom view (watching them fly in the air). Thus an extremely important consideration in macro photography is that in order to shoot invertebrates both in their natural surroundings and at eye level, one must change one's normal stance of standing on two legs, and go down - way down. Depending on where your subject is positioned, this may involve lying in the mud, being scratched by painful thorns or busting your back shooting at odd angles. However, once you learn how to control subject location, it's easier to create a situation where the subject is much more conveniently placed.

Photographer Ori Saar shoots a butterfly from eye-level. Ori knows that the butterfly's low position compels him to lie on the damp earth if he wants the right angle of view.

I'd like to emphasize that the POV consideration is only part of a general attitude toward macro photography. My governing idea is that one should shoot invertebrates the same as one shoots all other animals, including humans. I shoot a fly's portrait using the same ideas of light and composition I use to shoot a human portrait. The difference lies only in the technicalities stemming from the proximity to the subject. But once we learn how to identify and overcome (or even take advantage of) these differences, macro is essentially identical to any other kind of wildlife photography.

This mantis portrait was essentially shot like a human portrait, according to the same principles. The only difference is the shooting distance.

The second subject I'll mention here is finding and shooting special scenes. Imagine a wildlife safari in Africa. You can shoot great images of lions sitting on a rock, but they just wouldn't compare to a good shot in the middle of a hunt. When shooting macro things are similar, but with one difference: In the realm of the minute, vicious hunts, multi-partner orgies, courtship dances among many other bizarre behaviors and occurrences happen all the time, and everywhere, right under our noses. The only challenge is to find the scene and shoot it well.

Housefly sex scene, shot in my parents' backyard in the middle of a big residential city in Israel. All I had to do was to open the door and the scene was there. I don't consider this image nature photography - the flies are standing on a concrete fence - but it's useful to illustrate how ubiquitous these occurrences are.	A proper wildlife shot, showing the beautiful copulation of damselflies in the wild. Still, I didn't have to drive more than 10 minutes to get to the small lake where this scene took place. In the right season they are there in their thousands.

A spider feeding on a captured moth. The poison fangs are stuck deep in the moth's delicate connection point, making it tricky to spot where the spider ends and the moth begins. This is an image of the very midst of a feeding - the equivalent, in macro photography, of a lion gorging itself on a zebra. But in the mammal world, the zebra isn't five times the lion's size!

What I'm trying to say is that a true wildlife macro photographer should put a significant emphasis on shooting interesting occurrences, not just insects standing on branches. The ability to do this depends largely on the photographer's familiarity with animal behavior, habitats and activity hours. A robber fly will never hunt early in the morning, when it's too cold for it to fly, and a nocturnal animal like a red eyed tree frog won't croak or mate during the day. These considerations must be made together with those of all other aspects we've seen so far if one wants to produce a good wildlife shot.

With over 8000 species worldwide and more than 150 in Israel, robber flies are amongst my favorite subjects. These incredible hunters will eat anything smaller then themselves (including their own!), and sometimes even prey on animals larger than they are. Words alone can't even begin to show the splendor of these beasts, and the excitement of seeing them in action.	Damselflies may seem subtle and delicate, but they are ferocious hunters as well. Their favorite prey is our worst enemy: the mosquito.

But hunting and sex aren't everything. Other special scenes one might shoot are courtship dances, interactions with larger animals (a good shot of a mosquito dining on human blood can send shivers up even the toughest man's spine…), insects in flight and more – the variety is endless.

	A band-eyed drone fly caught in midair. Not an easy capture, but one that arouses wonder and emotion.
	One of the the robber flies' most fascinating behaviors is shown in this image. Having spotted a female, a male robber fly will often wait until his prospective mate has captured prey, only then attempting to copulate. This can save his life, as a hungry female won't hesitate to feed on him!
	Quality isn't everything – I always strive for it, yet sometimes the interest factor of the scene outweighs it. This image of aerial dragonfly sex isn't exactly what I'd call a quality shot, but still, it's a very interesting one. Even more so given the fact that the male and female are of different species!

Trying to shoot these fantastic scenes is very hard, and even more so when one remembers all the other considerations we've talked about. When wildlife macro photographers go to the field they have to think about focus, stability, proximity, DOF, light, POV and background, and do all this while hunting for an exciting occurrence and trying to compose the image well. Yet every event in the natural world is beautiful and unique, and capturing fascinating wildlife behavior is the very essence of our work. You should remember that it's worth all the hassle and give it a real, honest effort.

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For further reading on macro photography have a look at Erez' previous articles in this series:
What we want in a macro shot - BackgroundWhat we want in a macro shot - DetailThe what and why of wildlife macro photography

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Erez Marom is a nature photographer based in Israel and a regular contributor to Composition magazine. You can see more of his work at www.erezmarom.com and follow him on his Facebook page and deviantArt gallery.

Aviation Photography

Air-to-air shots involve considerable planning and expense, but creating dramatic photographs of aircraft need not involve you - or your camera - doing any actual flying...

Aviation photography provides an opportunity for even beginning photographers to capture unique images.Good aviation photography, however, requires a degree of technical know-how as well as basic knowledge of the principles of flight.
Perhaps the most common error made by novices when photographing propeller airplanes or helicopters is to 'stop' their propeller and rotor blades by choosing a shutter speed that is too fast.
While the urge to 'freeze' a fast-moving object by using a fast shutter speed is understandable, if you want to be a sucessful aviation photographer you will have to unlearn this basic photographic lesson. Using a fast shutter speed will ensure that a moving aircraft is crisp and sharp, but unfortunately, as it is powered by propeller or rotor blades these will be frozen too, robbing your image of any sense of movement.

To an experienced aviator, this image depicts a craft will a stalled engine that is about to fall from the sky!	Shooting with a slower shutter speed that allows for motion in the rotor blades yields a more natural result.

As a simple rule of thumb, propeller-driven airplanes should never be shot at a shutter speed faster than 1/250 second. For helicopters, the shutter speed must be even slower if the image is to look natural. Helicopters with three or more rotor blades should be shot at a shutter speed no faster than 1/125 second, while two-bladed helicopters look best at speeds no higher than 1/60 second. Shooting at slower shutter speeds will result in more motion blur and potentially a heightened sense of speed and power.

In this image, all of the background and foreground elements are in sharp focus which can lead to a relatively dull, lifeless image.	By panning the camera to follow the subject, the background blurs nicely, accentuating the speed and motion of the aircraft.

When shoooting fast jets like the F16 pictured above you don't need to worry about freezing propeller or rotor blades but still, if every portion of the subject is in sharp focus, as it gives little suggestion of movement and can result in flat, 'lifeless' images. Experienced aviation photographers, however, will often combine slower shutter speeds and clever panning to produce dramatic images with spectacularly blurred backgrounds that accentuate a jet’s velocity.
Obviously, slow shutter speeds make it difficult to avoid blurring images, so photographers must learn to pan effectively - a skill that does not come easily for most, so don't get discouraged when an otherwise perfect shot is ruined by excessive blur. Just keep practising. One obvious upside to using slower shutter speeds is that you can shoot at a low ISO sensitivity setting. Personally, I seldom shoot at settings higher than ISO 100, which means I get noise-free images with sharp, crisp detail.

Equipment choices

When shooting static aircraft on the ground, in many instances even a compact camera will suffice. At air shows you can walk around the tarmac for close-up views and there is usually a good amount of daylight, so super telephotos lenses are unnecessary and you can shoot at a low ISO sensitivity setting. If image quality is of paramount concern, I recommend avoiding your camera's Auto ISO setting. In my experience, compact cameras tend to err on the side of caution, choosing unnecessarily high ISO settings to boost shutter speed and prevent blur. Unfortunately, high ISO settings result in noisier images and, as we've seen, high shutter speeds are undesirable when photographing aircraft with moving propellers or rotors.

When shooting static aircraft on the ground, it isn’t always possible to avoid foreground or background clutter. One effective solution is to use a long-ish lens at a wide aperture for shallow depth of field. This ensures that scene elements in front of and behind the point of focus become blurred, and as a result, less distracting.

Air shows provide an easy way to capture close-up views of a variety of aircraft with entry-level cameras and lenses.	Don't rush away once the show is over - there are plenty of photographic opportunities to be had in the evening light once the crowds have dispersed.

Ground-to-air and air-to-air shoots of fast moving aircraft place an entirely different set of demands on you as a photographer, and your equipment. To shoot aircraft in flight you'll need fast, reliable AF, a flexible range of focal lengths and as close to continuous view in your camera's viewfinder as possible. For these reasons I prefer to use a DSLR, although current mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras like Olympus and Panasonic's Micro Four Thirds offerings and APS-C Sony NEX models offer compelling benefits. They are small, lightweight and have good image quality, but I recommend investing in an accessory electronic viewfinder, if your camera doesn't have one built in.

Some photographers prefer to use monopods, which provide support while still allowing for easy panning, while others simply prefer the freedom of hand-holding the camera. This is largely a personal choice, as either will work fine.

Ground-to-air photography is challenging for a number of reasons, one of which is that your subject is likely to be at least partially sillouetted against the sky. Experiment with positive exposure compensation for well-balanced images.	If you're struggling to keep up with aircraft as they scream through the sky above you, try setting up your camera to catch them landing or taking off. They're moving slower, and the clutter of airfield buildings and scenery in the background adds context.

Whichever model you choose, the camera body is ultimately secondary to the lens you use. A high quality lens on an entry-level camera can indeed produce excellent photographs. For really exciting close-ups of aircraft in flight when shooting from the ground, you will need something with a zoom range topping out around 400mm or more. New DSLR lenses in this range can easily run into the thousands of dollars. The good news is that you don't need an ultra-fast lens. Aviation photography is usually undertaken in good daylight conditions so even a slow lens with a maximum aperture of f5.6 or thereabouts will often suffice. Remember, we're not necessarily going for fast shutter speeds here. Further savings can be had by shopping around for deals on used equipment as well. For air-to-air shots, a 70-200mm zoom is likely to be all you'll need since you'll be much closer to the action.
As I've already hinted, whether you're using a DSLR or a mirrorless camera, a viewfinder is a must. It is much more difficult to pan accurately using a camera's rear screen for framing. In bright sunlight, glare can render LCD screens unusable. I also find that holding the camera in the traditional eye-level shooting position provides a more stable platform, which comes in handy when shooting at slower shutter speeds.
Equipment choices aside, it's important to remember that, as with any photography, the secret is to take lots of shots and to practice as often as possible. The results will be well worth it.

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Rob Neil is a professional aviation photographer and the editor and publisher of Pacific Wings magazine as well as a former commercial pilot.

Gearing Up For An African Safari

Getting the most out of a photographic safari requires some pre-trip research and planning when determining the most appropriate gear to bring on your once-in-a-lifetime adventure.

Embarking on an African safari is the dream of many a photographer. One that brings to mind immediate justification for the purchase of big, expensive lenses. After all, explaining to your significant other, 'But Ineed that 400mm 2.8 lens,' carries more weight if you're talking about capturing dramatic shots in the Serengeti of the 'Big 5' rather than the pigeons at your local park.
Yet once you have the green light to drop some cash at your favorite photography retailer, it's crucial that you tailor your gear to where you’re going and the type of operator that will be guiding you. African safaris exist across a range of options and locales, each of which may lend itself to a different set of gear requirements.

Lens support

Stability for your telephoto lenses is the first thing to look into. If you’re going to East Africa to explore the Serengeti, you’re most likely going to find yourself in a covered vehicle with a roof that pops open, allowing you to stand up on your seat and shoot out of the top of the vehicle. This allows for the use of a beanbag as a stabilizer, but forget about tripods and monopods. They are just not going to be much help inside these types of vehicles due to space limitations. Optical stabilization (either in-body or lens-based) are your friends. It's also worth noting  two downsides to this type of vehicle. They can make some people feel claustrophobic and your view is seriously impeded with the roof above you.
In some private reserves, particularly in South Africa, the standard vehicle used by safari operators is an open Land Rover/Cruiser with three rows of elevated seating behind the driver (see below). A big advantage of the open-top vehicle is that you really do feel like you’re out in the wild and of course you’ve got a much better view.

A roof-less vehicle not only provides more varied shooting opportunities...	...but also provides bars and/or support arms on which to clamp lens supports.

Be aware that with these open-topped vehicles, beanbags are of little use, as there isn’t really any surface on which to rest them. These vehicles do, however, have a bar in front of each row of seats onto which you can G-clamp a monopod with a Wimberley head (shown below). Alternately, if you’re alone in the row of seats, you can sit in the middle one and prop the monopod up from the base of the seat next to you. Another possibility here is to set up a small tripod on one side of you, keeping a short leg on the seat and two extended legs on the floor of the vehicle, although you may find this setup a bit clumsy to re-arrange should the action switch to the other side of the vehicle. Generally speaking, a monopod with a decent head is your best bet for this type of vehicle.

The Wimberley Head's gimbal-style design attaches the lens collar to either a monopod or tripod allowing for fast, easy rotation around the lens' center of gravity.	The Wimberley Sidekick offers the same functionality in a smaller, lighter and less expensive unit that can be attached to an existing ball head.

If you’re embarking on a self-driven trip in the national reserves and you’re in a rental sedan you should consider investing in some form of window clamp. There are several makes available, some of which allow you to even attach a Wimberley Sidekick (see image above). A beanbag is a good alternative here, and if you decide to use one, here's a simple tip that will make your traveling easier. Buy a beanbag that zips open and fly to your destination with it empty, saving weight and bulk. Once you are in country, simply fill it with rice or beans and you're all set.

Lens choices

As I mentioned at the outset, lens choice is largely dependent on where you’re traveling. In most of the National parks of Southern and Eastern Africa you are not allowed to drive off road at all. So if there is a lion kill happening 100 meters in from the side of the road, you’re stuck where you are will need some reach from your telephoto lens if you want to get in closer. This is particularly true of places like the Serengeti and Kruger National Park.

My advice for these trips is to bring along something like a 400mm f/2.8 with perhaps 1.4x and/or 2.0x tele-converters. Obviously not everyone can afford to own a 400mm f/2.8, but you are trekking halfway around the world with the express purpose of photographing animals. Renting a lens can be a more economical means of bringing the gear you need. Whatever you do, don’t forget the main reason that you're on the safari in the first place; to take great photos.

A fast telephoto lens with a reach of 400mm at its long end is standard gear on a safari...	...since you will often be photographing animals from distances of 100 meters or more.

If you’re shooting on an APS-C format DSLR, a 400mm f/2.8 with 1.4x and 2.0x tele-converters will give you a fair amount of reach options. Bring along a full-frame camera with a 200mm f/2 and 2x converter and you have some serious versatility in a shorter package too.
There's another safari option to consider - going to a private reserve. This  opens up all sorts of possibilities. By far the biggest advantage you’ll have (weather permitting) is that your ranger will be allowed to drive you right up next to those aforementioned lions feasting on some prey. At such a close distance you can switch to using a 70-200mm f/2.8 lens and get some amazing shots. In fact, unless you’re really into birding, you can easily get away with doing a private reserve safari using only a 70-200mm f/2.8 with a full frame sensor and a 2x converter. On our group trip to Sabi Sabi last year this was my most-used combination. I also had with me the Sigma 120-300mm f/2.8, but found that I was getting shots of better quality with the other combo. It was lighter and had image stabilsation, which allowed me to shoot without a beanbag or monopod.

Protecting your gear

Something to consider when bringing large lenses, together with a bunch of other (likely expensive) gear, is keeping them safe when you’re flying. On the international flights you can usually get away with bringing your photo gear into the cabin as carry-on. On short haul connecting flights within Africa, though, you are generally restricted to only 8kgs of carry-on in economy class.
An effective solution is to invest in a photographer’s vest. Some of these vests have pockets big enough to swallow up lenses as big as a 70-200mm 2.8, not to mention just about everything else you could fit into a reasonable sized camera bag. By putting everything that would normally be in your camera bag into your vest you can easily carry-on an actual bag that falls within the 8kg limit. Of course, you may get some strange looks from fellow passengers and airline security, but so what? You’re on safari – you’re allowed to look a bit odd.

Photo vests come in a range of styles and while we think of them as providing easy access to gear while shooting...	...they can be invaluable on short-haul flights, as you can 'wear' a couple of camera bodies and lenses, reducing the size and weight of your carry-on bag.

On my trip last year I had the following in my 20 liter backpack:

• Nikon D700
• Sigma 12-24mm
• Sigma 70-200mm 2.8
• Sigma 120-300mm 2.8
• Sigma 2x tele-converter
• Sigma 150mm 2.8 Macro
• Apple 13" MacBook (w/power supply, card reader & mouse)
• 5 x CF cards of varying sizes
• Sony Camcorder + 5 miniDV tapes

That bag weighed in at about 14 or 15 kilos. However, I was able to put everything except the laptop and 120-300mm into my photographer’s vest, with space to spare. This brought down the weight of the bag to well under 8kgs.
Should you decide to use a vest to carry your gear like this, you should also look at getting individual lens bags or protective wrappers made out of neoprene. They will give you just that extra bit of protection for your kit, both when flying and then also when you’re on a game drive. It goes without saying that you don’t want two unprotected lenses rubbing against each other, potentially damaging the tools that will see heavy action on your once in a lifetime safari adventure.

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Dallas Dahms is professional photographer based in Durban, South Africa who leads both group and custom itinerary African safaris at photographers.travel. Product images courtesy Wimberley, Inc.