The most frightened I’ve ever been in photographing an animal was when I took pictures of this monster Nile crocodile in Kenya. We had stopped for breakfast on a plateau above the Mara River, and we were allowed out of the vehicles. This was unusual in the national parks, such as the Masai Mara, for obvious reasons. Lions camouflage very well in tall grass, and deadly snakes can be anywhere. So, I wandered down to the river’s edge and spotted the croc about 100 feet away on my side of the river. Without exaggeration, it had to be six feet wide and 18 to 20 feet long. Crocs can run very fast on flat land, so I took note that right behind me was an incline that led back to the vehicles if I had to make a quick escape. Just 15 minutes earlier, on the other side of the river, I saw a croc swallow an entire impala in two gulps, and that image was very much in my mind as I stood there. I had a 500mm Canon f/4 lens, and it was obviously too much focal length for this situation because I couldn’t include the entire reptile in the frame. I was too afraid to take the time to change lenses, and I didn't want to take my eyes off the crocodile for one second. I took this shot from a tripod and returned to my photo tour group with a sigh of relief. The settings were 1/1250, f/5.6, and 320 ISO.
7 Comments
Dec 26, 2017, 1:05:19 PM
Ian - Hi Jim, Do you use any form of light meter prior to shooting?
Dec 26, 2017, 12:07:30 PM
Jim - Not anymore, Ian. For 25 years I used a handheld Sekonic light meter, but with the meters being so good in our modern digital cameras, plus the immediate feedback on the LCD monitor, there is no need for a light meter in my opinion.
Dec 21, 2017, 8:20:06 AM
Jim - Hi Barbara, I think of that often. The diversity of life on planet Earth is truly something that continuously amazes me.
Carlton -- I haven't posted the ultra closeup (with a scanning electron microscope) of the face of a black widow spider. To me, that shot redefines 'ugly'! Or the head and face of a flea I took off my dog many years ago. The word 'grotesque' comes to mind. Here is a link to that page of photos on my website: http://www.jimzuckerman.com/scanning-electron-microscope
Don't miss the shot of the tick, also.
Dec 20, 2017, 8:45:36 PM
Barbara Vickers - Thanks again Jim. After the initial fright of seeing this creature I had to again contemplate the diversity of life on our planet.
Dec 20, 2017, 8:10:17 PM
Carlton Mceachern - Jim, I appreciate the challenge but this has to be the ugliest subject you have ever photographed!
Dec 20, 2017, 7:24:32 PM
Jim - Thanks, Tamra. The long lens certainly makes the croc look more monster-like.
Dec 20, 2017, 2:10:26 AM
Tamra Stallings - I think the 500mm focal length is what makes the image.