From Digital Camera World · · 1m 10s
Photographing animals from moving boats: 4 key tips
How to keep sharp images and dry cameras when shooting wildlife from rocking boats.
In brief
How to keep sharp images and dry cameras when shooting wildlife from rocking boats. Shooting animals from moving boats requires securing the camera, using manual settings for fast shutter speeds, and selecting appropriate lenses for different animals. Originally reported by Digital Camera World.
Safety first
Secure yourself and your camera to prevent falls when shooting from a rocking boat.
“Falling in when there are hippos about is not a good idea as these amiable-looking creatures are, in fact, aggressively territorial and will happily tear you limb from limb.”
Camera security
Attach a strap to your camera to avoid dropping it over the side.
“Seals are the next menace because there's little difference to them between a juicy fish and a fleshy hand holding a camera over the side.”
Shutter speed settings
Use 1/1,600 sec for fast-moving seals and 1/1,000 sec for slower animals like hippos.
“I was aiming for a shutter speed of 1/1,000 sec but the light was changeable and increasingly murky, so I switched to Manual mode.”
Aperture and ISO
Set f/6.3 and Auto ISO to balance light and sharpness for seals in murky water.
“It's a trade between noise and getting the speed and aperture that you want.”
Focus settings
Use wide area focus detection and animal tracking for seals and hippos.
“Focussing on the gorillas, hippos and monkeys wasn't a problem because they weren't moving around very quickly.”
Lens selection
Choose 180-600mm lens for hippos and monkeys, 150-300mm for seals.
“The seals got quite close to the boat so anything from 150-300mm would have been fine to get a close up shot of them.”
Seals and hippos
Hippies move slowly but seals require fast shutter speeds and continuous focus.
“It takes some practice to follow where they are going but it makes for much more dynamic and action-filled shots.”
Final settings
Use continuous shooting and fixed settings for seals in changing light conditions.
“Having Auto ISO and fixed settings here was also the best option because with reflective water and patchy sunshine by this point, the metering was changing with every shot.”
Here's the gist
Shooting animals from moving boats requires securing the camera, using manual settings for fast shutter speeds, and selecting appropriate lenses for different animals.
