Today’s DSLRs offer many auto-focus options and people often ask me which is best. Of course that depends on the situation and personal preference. I have settled in on one or two basic combinations of auto-focus settings that work for me 99% of the time. Before I get into the specifics, let me disclose that I am a Canon shooter and the descriptions that follow are based on Canon’s feature set and terminology. I think it is safe to assume that all major DSLR brands have similar options but their terminology may vary a bit.

First, for me it all starts with switching the auto-focus from the shutter button to the AF button on the back of the camera. Whether shooting wildlife or landscapes, I have fewer focus errors when using “Back-Button AF”. I takes a bit of practice to reprogram your brain to focus with the AF button rather than the shutter button. But the nice thing about using Back-Button AF is you can set your focus point, recompose the scene if necessary, and fire the shutter without the risk of inadvertantly changing your focus. I know you can depress the front shutter button half way and re-position without changing your focus, but if you take your finger off the shutter button you will likely change your focus when you finally trip the shutter.

Back-button AF is turned on by setting the appropriate Custom Function for your camera. Remember, Custom Functions are locked-out if you’re in the full-auto or a picture-icon setting like the Portrait mode or Landscape mode. The particular Custom Function number varies with the particular model. Here are the C.Fn menu selection for my current cameras:

• EOS 7D: C.Fn IV-1 (Custom Controls — Shutter, AF-ON, AEL buttons)
• EOS 5D Mark II: C.Fn IV-1 (option 2 or 3)

Ok, with that messy business out of the way, we can move on. For nearly every photo shoot, there are two basic auto-focus considerations. First is the auto-focus MODE and the second is the auto-focus AREA. Canon DSLRs have three focus MODES; One Shot, AI Focus, and AI Servo. Let’s keep this simple by eliminating AI Focus from our discussion because all it does is automatically switch between the other two. AI Focus switches from One Shot to AI Servo if a stationary object begins to move. I have never found AI Focus to be useful and simply don’t use it. I suppose some of you will think I’m crazy but I have just never found a reason to use AI Focus – so let’s throw it out of the discussion and focus (no pun intended) only on One Shot and AI Servo modes.

At the risk of over simplification, One Shot is good for landscapes and AI Servo is good for moving objects such as wildlife and kids. AI Servo allows you to lock onto a moving subject and keep it in focus while you track it along its path. In theory all you have to do, if your focus mode is set to AI Servo, is concentrate on keeping the subject in the frame while the camera keeps the subject in focus.

One Shot mode is for still objects and landscapes. If you never shoot moving subjects, One Shot is probably the mode for you. But there is no disadvantage as far as I know to shooting landscapes in AI Servo mode so most of the time, my focus mode is set to AI Servo.

After deciding between One Shot and AI Servo, the other focus consideration is which focus AREA to use. Canon has three default AREA selection modes with two additional added with Custom Functions. The default modes are Single-Point AF (manual selection), Zone AF (manual selection), and Auto Select 19-AF Point. The two custom modes are Spot AF (manual selection) and AF Point Expansion (manual selection). On the 7D, these additional two modes can be turned on with the Custom menu C.Fn III -6 Select AF area selection mode.

I don’t like Auto-Select AF or Zone AF because I want total control of the focus point – I don’t want the camera making those decisions for me. Single Point AF and Spot AF are very similar however, Spot (according the the Canon manual) is more precise. For landscapes I use Spot AF. I choose the subject for critical focus, press the AF Back button and then recompose the scene if necessary. If it is a “big” landscape, I will pick a focus point about two-thirds into the scene and then recompose.

For wildlife, especially birds in flight, I use AF Point Expansion. AF Point Expansion is a lot like Spot AF, except that in Expansion, the adjacent focus points are used to help lock in on the moving subject. Intuitively, the Auto-Select 19-AF point mode would seem to be the best for fast moving wildlife. However Auto-Select 19-AF is problematic with shallow depth of field produced by long lenses. I found the auto selection point chosen by the camera would usually be the closet object to the camera, like a wing tip, rather than the eye or head. For wildlife, the eye MUST be tack sharp, anything less gets deleted. Since the Auto-Select 19-AF point doesn’t always make the best decisions, I rarely use it.

Therefore to sum up, here are the auto-focus methodologies that work best for me:

• Landscapes: One-Shot AF mode with Spot AF
• Wildlife: AI Servo AF mode with AF Point Expansion

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Here’s a nice collection of trees in honor of Arbor day. Please stop by the  NWF photography contest web site to vote for your favorites.

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This video of sand hill cranes on the Platte River in Nebraska was shot with the Canon 5D Mark II and the Canon EF70-200 f/2.8. If you’ve got a fast internet connection check it out full-screen in 1080p.

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Canon 7D with Canon EF600mm f/4.0

This year marks my sixth consecutive year photographing the spring migration of Sandhill Cranes in Nebraska. I just wrapped up three days shooting from Rowe Sanctuary, various points along the Platte River, and nearby cornfields. Rowe Sanctuary is owned and operation by the National Audubon Society.

Each year has certain similarities but also unique aspects. This year was unique for two reasons. First, it was really hot. I’ve never shot cranes in 88 degree heat!  Normally after an afternoon shoot your fingers and toes are numb from the cold. This year we needed a cold drink and a shower. Second, this year for the first time in my experience, the Rowe Sanctuary blind was not photographer-friendly. Never before have I felt unwelcome in the public viewing blinds. This year however, it was clear that serious photographers were to be tolerated but severely restricted. Granted, Rowe has specialized photography blinds, but for many photographers, the public viewing blind is a better alternative.

It’s not clear if the new photography restrictions were a result of new policy or just one over-enthusiastic volunteer. Rowe is clear about their mission – conservation of Sandhill Cranes and their habitat – not the care and nurturing of a photographer’s habit. However, in years past, I felt sanctuary staff  was welcoming and accommodating.  This year, in addition to previous rules, high-speed continuous shutter bursts were prohibited and LCDs were required to be turned off or covered. I’m no crane expert, but I find it hard to believe the cranes’ well being requires such restrictive measures. More importantly, disparaging comments from the Rowe Sanctuary staff  made the experience uncomfortable. I am fully aware the Sanctuary is privately owned by the National Audubon Society and as such they get to set the rules. I appreciate what they do and am grateful I have an opportunity to visit their facility each year. However, it seems to me they could further their cause by being a little more supportive and accommodating to nature photographers. Just one photographer’s humble opinion FWIW.

Ok, the rant is finished. Now on to more important matters; photography. Despite the heat and hostile attitude, I must say this year was quite productive. We were treated to some fantastic sunrises and sunsets and even though the number of birds were down about 50% from their peak a few weeks ago, there were plenty of photo opportunities. One of my goals this year was to capture cranes engaged in courtship dancing. Sandhill Cranes are monogamous and mate for life. They dance and call to to their partners during the mating season (and other times I’m told). The dance involves jumping, bowing, and extending their wings. You will also frequently see them throw a stick or corn cob into the air. I guess to a crane, all this dancing and stick throwing is quite a turn-on.  Any way, I wanted to come home with some quality images of these rituals, not only from the river, but also from nearby fields.

I spent considerable time cruising the back roads south of the Platte working on “dance” photos. I learned many years ago that cranes are quite skittish when approached. However, moving cars don’t bother them. Cars, even travelling at 75 mph on the Interstate don’t inhibit their dance. But getting out of ones car to setup a tripod and camera does disturb them. They will walk or fly away if you so much as open your car door. So using your car as a blind minimizes disturbance and gives you the best opportunity to capture their  behavior.  I’ve tried bean bags of many types for in-car camera support and until now have not found one that works for me (the top of the door is too low with the window all the way down or the support is unstable with the window partially up). However, a newly discovered gadget, the Puffin Pad, made shooting from a car a breeze, even with a 600mm lens. It is contoured to fit over the top of the door when the window is fully open (which is still too low for me) and it has a slit that fits nicely over a partially extended window for a very stable and sturdy support which of course allows you to adjust the height to suit your needs. The Puffin Pad worked great. It allowed me to get the shots I hoped for without disturbing the cranes. I highly recommend it to any wildlife photographer.

Here are a few 2012 favorites:

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Florida is a wildlife photographer’s paradise. Over the course of just two days (about 14 hours really) I shot over 20 species of birds – and I don’t mean I just caught a glimpse, rather I was able to spend considerable time photographing each of them. In this, my fourth and final post on the topic I will simply show a few of those species and favorites from two productive days of photography.

Possibly the most interesting (not necessarily the best photo) of the group is number two below; a Reddish Egret White Morph. I’m not an expert birder, but I’m told it is very rare. While shooting it I didn’t notice the pink beak and thought it was merely a Great Egret. Not until afterwards did I learn from a fellow shooter what it was. Cool.

As they say, even a blind squirrel finds an acorn now and then.

As always, thanks for looking. I’d love to hear from you about your Florida experiences.

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Snowy Egret - 7D with EF70-200mm f/2.8 @ 85mm 1/1600s -1.0 f/4.0 iso160

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Reddish Egret White Morph - 7D w/ EF600mm+1.4TC 1/1250s @ f/5.6 +0.67 iso400

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Bald Eagle 7D w/ EF600mm 1/1000s @ f/8.0 -1.0 iso200

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White Pelican 7D w/ EF600mm 1/2000s @ f/8.0 -1.0 iso200

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Osprey - 7D w/ EF600mm 1/1600s @ f/8.0 -0.67 iso200

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Wood Stork - 7D w/ EF400mm 1/1250s @ f/8.0 -0.33 iso200

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Oyster Catcher - 7D w/ EF600mm 1/1250s @ F/8.0 -0.33 iso200

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Great Blue Heron - 7D w/ EF400mm 1/1000s @ f/5.6 -0.33 iso200

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Ok, I’ve decided to blog some more about Florida birdies; the Great Egret this time.

Great Egrets, also known as Great White Egrets, range from Oregon to Mexico on the west coast, from Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico along the Missouri and Mississippi river valleys, throughout the Southeast U.S. including Florida of course, and vast areas of South America. I have personally photographed them in Nebraska, Iowa, Missouri, Florida, and Costa Rica. Although common, great egrets are beautiful and very photogenic, especially during breading season with their long feather plumes.

Here are some cool Great Egret facts from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology:

• The Great Egret is the symbol of the National Audubon Society, one of the oldest environmental organizations in North America. Audubon was founded to protect birds from being killed for their feathers.
• Not all young that hatch survive the nestling period. Aggression among nestlings is common and large chicks frequently kill their smaller siblings.
• The longevity record for a wild Great Egret is nearly 23 years.

White birds are particularly challenging to photograph. The camera’s exposure meter is easy fooled by a white bird on a dark background, losing important feather details to blown highlights, even on overcast days. It is even worse on high-contrast sunny days.

I almost always shoot in aperture priority mode and use exposure compensation as necessary for control. I will under expose the overall scene if necessary to make sure the white bird is properly exposed. To compensate, I frequently lighten background elements in post after the fact. As a general rule I expose to the right (ETTR) so that the histogram comes close to, but does not touch the right edge of the scale. A clipped histogram on the right side means blown highlights and there is nothing you can do in post processing to recover lost detail. With a bright white bird as the subject matter, this will sometimes result in under exposed or clipped shadows. Everything in photography is a compromise and it is usually better in my opinion to sacrifice detail in shadows in order to retain details in highlights.

Here are a few of my favorite Great Egret shots from two weeks ago. Thanks for looking.

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Canon 7D w/ EF 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 85mm f/4.0 -1.0 iso200

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Canon 7D w/ EF 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 155mm f/4.0 -1.0 iso200

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Canon 7D w/ EF 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 120mm f/4.0 -1.0 iso400

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Canon 7D w/ EF400mm f/5.6 1/2500s f/5.6 -0.33 iso 200

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Canon 7D w/ EF 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 190mm f/8.0 -0.67 iso200

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To follow up on last week’s post about Florida birds I thought I would blog this week on the Roseate Spoonbill, an exotic looking bird found along the coasts of Texas, Louisiana, and Florida. Its range also includes large areas of Central and South America. I have observed Roseate Spoonbills in Florida many times but this was the first time I’ve gotten close enough to get decent photographs.

The roseate spoonbill is a beautiful bird with a distinctive spoon-shaped bill with pink body and wing feathers. It is a large bird, about two and a half feet in length with a wingspan of about four and a half feet. Like the flamingo, the roseate spoonbill’s pink color comes from the crustaceans it eats. In the mid-to-late 1800s its feathers were used in ladies’ hats and fans. By the early 20th century, the population had shrunk to only a few dozen nesting pairs in the United States. Over time the population recovered and today the roseate spoonbill is no longer a protected species.

I made these photos at Alafia Banks Bird Sanctuary. It is recognized as Florida’s flagship sanctuary and  is the most productive nesting colony in Florida. According to Audubon Florida, “today the islands that make up the sanctuary are owned by Cargill Fertilizer, Inc. and leased to Audubon for operation as a sanctuary. Each year, up to 18,000 nesting pairs of 16 to 20 species of birds nest on the Alafia Bank Sanctuary, making it one of the largest colonies in Florida and one of the most diverse colonies in the continental United States. The Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission has listed Alafia Bank as the most important colony in the state, due to its size (number of birds nesting), longevity of nesting activity, and species diversity.”

I was mostly interested in shooting the spoonbills in flight which was especially challenging from the rocking deck of our boat. My two workhorse lenses for birds in flight (BIF) are the Canon EF400mm f/5.6 and the Canon EF600mm f/4.0. Captain Terry was able to maintain optimum position so much of the time that the vast majority of my images were taken hand-held with the EF400mm. When a little more reach was necessary, I used the 600mm mounted to a Wimberly II gimbal head on a Gitzo GT2531 LVL tripod.

I used the Canon 7D exclusively on this trip. Its crop sensor came in handy for maximum reach. Set to aperture priority, exposure compensation from -0.33 to -1.67  was required to avoid over exposing the  the bird’s white neck and yellow head. I was constantly checking the histogram on the LCD to make sure I was not clipping highlights. Autofocus set to AI Servo and AF point expansion proved to be the most effective method for quickly locking onto and tracking birds in flight without losing focus to the background.

I find these birds to so beautiful and photogenic. I’m pleased to post a few of my favorite spoonbills here for your consideration and comment. Thanks for looking.

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Canon 7D w/ EF600mm 1/1600s at f/4.0 -1.67 iso400

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Canon 7D w/ EF400mm 1/1600s at f/8.0 -0.67 iso200

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Canon 7D w/ EF400mm 1/3200s at f/5.6 -0.33 iso200

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Canon 7D w/ EF400mm 1/1600s at f/8.0 -0.33 iso200

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Canon 7D w/ EF600mm 1/4000s at f/4.0 -0.33 iso200

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Canon 7D w/ EF600mm 1/2500s at f/4.0 -1.67 iso400

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Last week I spent a few bucks in an effort to take better photos. Not on a new lens, but rather to join friends in Florida for a photography outing. It was a relatively small investment and it payed off in a huge way. We hired Captain Terry of Reelin and Chillin Charters to take us to rookeries off the west coast of central Florida. This was my third outing with Terry but certainly not my last. Terry is a photographer too so he knows what is important to us; light, timing, and a steady boat – and he delivers!

Steve, Connie, Bruce, and I enjoyed a spectacular day at Alafia Bank Sanctuary and various nearby points in Hillsborough Bay near Tampa. The weather and the wind cooperated and we achieved our main goal of photographing nesting Roseate Spoonbills and Wood Storks. Of course we encountered many other species and were not shy about shooting them too. I’m very happy with the results – in fact, this outing has to be my most productive day of wildlife photography ever (I think also I said that last time I went out with Terry). Not to minimize the importance of long, fast lenses for bird photography, but this day’s photos were as much about location, light, and timing as they were about the latest hardware.

I’m still grinding through the 2,700 exposures taken between sunrise and sunset on Wednesday and will post more in the days to come. But here are two initial shots that I like and hope you do too.  Thanks for looking – if you like them, contact Terry and arrange your own “opportunity” to take better photos.

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Roseate Spoonbill - Canon 7D w/ EF400mm 1/3200s at f/5.6 -0.67 iso200

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Wood Stork - Canon 7D with EF70-200mm 1/1600s at f/5.6 -0.67 iso200

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On the second day after the only major snow storm to hit the area this winter, I headed to Squaw Creek NWR in northwest Missouri to check out the action. I knew Squaw Creek did not feel the brunt of the storm as we did in Nebraska. In fact, there was only about an inch or so of snow on the ground south of the Missouri state line. However, I encountered a completely different type of “snow” storm once I arrived at Squaw Creek. This one was a blizzard of snow geese who have apparently decided to head north very early this year. Normally, we don’s see geese in these numbers until mid-March. I have no idea how to estimate the numbers, but I am confident there were at least several hundred thousand out there today. Our winter has been so very mild - I don’t believe the water at Squaw Creek has completely frozen over at all this year – so a few geese and several eagles have wintered over in the area. But now the numbers of both are way up.  The eagles follow the geese as they migrate up and down the Missouri River valley each fall and spring.

In addition to the geese and bald eagles, there were a large number trumpeter swans this morning too. I’ve noticed trumpeter swans several times this winter but their migration is obviously underway too as there must have been 200 or so swans out there this morning.

This “snow storm” was much more fun that the other one Friday night. The video and photo below were both taken with the Canon 7D with Canon EF600mm.

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Snow Geese - a different kind of "snow" storm - click for a larger version

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One week ago today I flew through Denver on my way to Rocky Mountain National Park to photograph bull elk. Boy, what a difference a week makes. Last week I arrived to light snow flurries but it was nothing really. Today Denver and the entire Midwest is getting hammered by a huge winter storm. I heard Denver is expecting 20″ of snow before it ends tomorrow. Here, the weatherman is predicting 7-11″. I’m glad I got in and out before all of this started.  Too bad for the elk, it must be miserable tonight.

Before more time passed, I wanted to post a few more shots of my final morning at Rocky Mountain National Park. Of my four shoots, I was treated to the best light on my last morning. Again on that final morning, the big bulls did not disappoint. I arrived at my favorite spot a good 45 minutes before sunrise and lucky for me, the bulls were right where they had been the previous two days. They continued to graze on exposed grasses for about 90 minutes until, as if on queue, they all turned and slowly walked back into the forest. There was obviously some unspoken (grunted?) signal that was easily communicated between them.

So here are some of the results from my final morning shoot at Rocky Mountain National Park. Shooting large animals is a lot of fun and these elk were patient and tolerant subjects. Again, thanks for looking.

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Canon 7D w/ EF400mm f/5.6 1/320s +0.33 iso 400

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Canon 7D w/ EF600mm f/4.0 1/320s +0.67 iso200

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Canon 7D w/ EF400mm f/5.6 1/320s +0.33 iso 200

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Canon 7D w/ EF400mm f/5.6 1/400s +033 iso200

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