Violet-green Swallow
captured by D4s / 800mm
Some of the best photography only comes with planning! While we might just be a month into winter, spring is just around the corner. If you’re into wildlife photography, that means it’s baby time. Are you ready? Do you have the gear you think you need for nesting birds or baby mammals. Nesting birds need short lenses like the 70-200f2.8 FL or 300 PF and at least one SB-5000 though two would be better. You need to know and do ratios with those two flashes using a WR-R10. How do you do all of that in the dead of winter, figure out the lenses and flash ratios? Get yourself a old fashion baseball and place it in shade, light it with the flashes until you create the ratios you like and no one can tell you’re using flash. The time to learn this is now, not when you have a nest in your lens.
P-47D Thunderbolt
captured by D3x / 70-200f2.8
What if you’re into aviation, you ready for the spring airshow season? Unlike wildlife where you can get a baseball and practice at home, aviation requires you get out (doing those curls with a 10lbs weight with your left arm you can do at home). You might need or want to get that longer lens, but more than gear, technique is really important. Proper handholding and panning is something you need to practice now (if you’re not doing it daily). Then go to Shutter Speed Priority and set the shutter speed to 1/40 and pan with a moving car until you get it sharp. These essentials can’t be bought but earned. You’ve gotta put your time in so when the time comes, you are ready for the challenge. Whatever your endeavor is in photography, planning in large part determines the success you’ll enjoy when the moment comes to go click. Start the creative process now so you can visually tell the story then!