Romantic interludes between cape buffalo are not common. I had never seen one before. As with many wildlife moments, they last for such a brief time that it behooves you to have your camera settings well thought out beforehand. First and foremost, the shutter speed must be chosen to insure sharp pictures. Depth of field is irrelevant if the pictures aren't sharp. Next is the lens aperture. If there is enough light, I like to ride around in the Land Rover with a setting of f/8. When the light diminishes, I'll open up. When it's bright, I close down to f/11 or f/16. Finally, the ISO is considered. If possible, I like to keep it below 3200 with my current camera, the Canon 1Dx Mark II. My settings for this shot were 1/320, f/5.6, and 1600. I used a 100-400mm telephoto set to 170mm because I was quite close to the herd. I'm off to Venice today to begin my annual Carnival in Venice workshop.
0 Comments