By the time you get out your camera, put on a longer lens and find the right exposure, that bird or dragonfly is probably in another zip code.
That’s why it’s a good idea to always keep your camera ready for action as you’re hiking down a trail. Always keep it by your side and ready to photograph a distant subject that may only be there for a second or two. Here are a few tips for making your camera ready to go:
#1 – Keep your longest telephoto lens on the camera
Most wildlife and insects don’t let you get very close, so keep your telephoto lens on the camera to ensure you fill the frame as much as possible. The longer lens will also help you isolate your subject more.
#2 – Take off the lens cap
This seems like a no-brainer, but I’ll admit I still forget this one sometimes. Putting your eye up to the viewfinder and realizing your lens cap is still on is a five-second mistake that could cost you “the shot.” Keeping your lens cap off will make your lens more vulnerable to dust and scratches (if you happen to drop the camera), so also make sure you use your lens hood too!
#3 – Disable mirror lockup
Mirror lockup is great for those times when you have a controllable subject and you’re shooting from a tripod, but when you’re doing any kind of action photography, mirror lockup will just slow you down. So, turn it off.
#4 – Enable continuous shooting
To increase your chances of getting a sharp photo as you’re handholding your lens, make sure you enable continuous shooting so you can just hold down that shutter button as the camera rapidly takes more shots.
#5 – Set ISO to 400 or 800
You can also increase your chances of getting a sharp photo by using a faster shutter speed, and increasing your ISO will tremendously help with that. For bright and sunny conditions, use ISO 400, but if the sky is overcast don’t be afraid to increase it all the way to ISO 800.
#6 – Set your aperture to the widest or sharpest
If your lens is pretty sharp at it’s widest aperture, feel free to use that, but also consider stopping down by one stop (that’s where most lenses are their sharpest). The wide aperture will help you get a fast shutter and help isolate your subject against its background.
#7 – Pre-set the exposure for direct sunlight
Throughout the day as the light conditions change, you should continue to update the proper exposure on your camera for a subject that’s in direct sunlight. But, also keep mental notes of other exposures: if the sun goes behind a cloud, side light, back light, etc. Use the histogram to help you find that proper exposure. And, memorize the f-number series so you can quickly jump between apertures/ISOs and update the exposure quickly.
#8 – Turn on image stabilization
Since you usually won’t have much time to take the shot, you’ll be stuck with hand-holding your camera. So, remember to turn on image stabilization (or vibration reduction on Nikons).
#9 – Make sure you have room on your memory card!
Also make sure you have plenty of room on your memory card, so you don’t start shooting photos in a burst and then get stuck because you filled up your memory card!
#10 – Pre-focus your lens
If you’re trying to target one specific subject (e.g. hummingbirds) that you can usually approach at a regular distance, then you can save time by pre-focusing your lens to where you think you’ll encounter your subject.
What did I miss?
Is there something else that you do to keep your camera “ready for action?” If so, please share it with us by leaving a comment below!
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About the Author: Steve Berardi is a naturalist, photographer, software engineer, and founder of PhotoNaturalist. You can usually find him hiking in the beautiful mountains and deserts of southern California.
I would add a secure strap. I just bought one by BlackRapid which goes over head and shoulder and keeps your camera securely by your side with lens pointing backward. It leaves your hands free but you can swiftly raise it into action. It’s a bit pricey though.
One addition I would make is to leave you camera “On”. I see many people who manually switch their camera off while walking to their next intended destination. This puts them in jeopardy of missing a shot at unannounced wildlife. Instead, keep the switch in the “On” position and set the camera’s sleep mode (most modern digital cameras have this feature, check your manual for setting instructions) to 30 seconds. That way the camera will put itself to sleep after a set amount of time in order to preserve battery life, yet still be ready to shoot when that unexpected shot presents itself.
I once missed a shot of a caracal (lynx) leaping into the air to capture a bird ;-( My camera settings were fine for the morning light, but the action took place in riverine forest. Ever since have C1 preprogrammed with the best fast action setting for my camera, AV – max f-stop,max workable ISO, AI Servo focus, High speed burst. C2 is stopped down, lower ISO. C1 helped me get my first leopard shot.
I have a question about the ideal focal length lens to be using of the type of trail walking you describe. I am not adverse to a zoom lens but what range is suitable for this type of situation?
It makes a big difference if you are in need of a 200mm vs 500.
@Hilke / Jason / Carl – Thanks for your great additions!!
@Pete – I usually keep my 300mm lens on my camera while I’m hiking. Most of the time I also have a 1.4 extender on there, making it a 420mm. I think somewhere between 200 and 400mm is ideal for hiking. Anything shorter and you don’t have enough reach, and anything longer is gonna get pretty heavy.
Thanks you for your response it helps a lot. If I may ask one more question, do you think the extra optical quality of a fixed focal length lens outweighs the benefits of a zoom covering the same range? I am a Canon user with a new 60D.
Steve, another informative posting. I really like coming to your site and browsing through your many postings. Some info may be a refresher but I’m always grabbing a bit of info from each. I’m not much of a cold weather shooter so here in the northeast it’s nice to keep energized with photo knowledge so I’ll be ready to go out and shoot when the weather starts to break.
@Pete – I think the fixed focal length lenses are great for when you know you’ll be cropping. I’ve cropped almost all the photos I’ve taken with my 300mm, because I just couldn’t get close enough to fill the frame with the subject.
But, I think zoom lenses are great for landscapes and close-ups, where you have a controllable subject, because having a wide range of focal lengths allows you to capture a wide range of compositions while still filling the frame. Here are a few posts I wrote that might explain this a little better:
http://www.digital-photography-school.com/why-you-need-a-telephoto-zoom-lens-for-landscape-photography
https://photonaturalist.com/understanding-perspective-and-focal-length/
@Art – Thanks so much for your nice words! Hope you’re staying warm up there in the NE.. It’s almost spring time here in Southern California 🙂
Don’t overlook the battery. Make sure it’s charged and that you have a spare handy.
Terrific article and advice!!!
Thanks for the checklist. I will keep it in mind as I try to capture my (first, next, last) great shot.
I believe you could add one more item to your checklist and that is know when, where, what to look for! Knowing your environment provides wonderful opportunities for great photos. Whether it’s getting that sunrise shot of a tall ship getting underway, the turtle basking in the sun, or the supermoon coming up over the horizon for the first time in eighteen years preparation is the key.
As the aging process continues trying to remember everything that I should do to be ready for my next photo shoot gets more complex everyday.
I finally have the time to photograph anything that I want, time to experiment, and time to reflect on the shots. The technology that exists lets me buy the gear that I want for prices that I can afford. Nirvana!
And after all of that I still have the computer skills to try and fix it in “Post” if I forget something.
Remember, “Take the shot”!
Over the past few years I have made the transition from film to digital. It has been an exciting adventure! As I developed my technique with a film camera I have been interested in applying many of them to the digital arena. The topic – hyper focal distance. Your last issue talked about keeping your camera ready for action. When I was shooing with my film camera I tried to keep my lens at the hyper focal distance. I am having problems trying to keep my auto focus lenses tuned to the hyper focal distance. Do you have any suggestions?
Don
For dyamic situations (which wildlife on the trail most often is), I wouldn’t go over a 200mm lens. I do a lot of cropping, but you cannot control when and where wildlife appear and which way they may run. (Moving animals are ussually more interesting than standing animals.) It’s just my opinion and it is difficult to fill a frame, but I prefer animal pictures with some context of the environment.
Great article! Only thing I would add is that if you’ve got your ISO set to 800 I would also enable HIGH ISO Noise Reduction on the special menu to reduce some of the grain.
You are walking in the bush with your camera lens cap off, and things frequently fall off trees or blow in the wind. To protect your investment from dust, pollen, or, God forbid, dew, mist, spider webs, bird’s contempt, I carry a two foot square piece of cheap new woven plastic shower curtain. This fabric drapes well and weighs nothing . Cut a few from the curtain. Drape it over the gear loosely. Dumps in a hurry when a target appears and no great loss if it gets mislaid. Wash and dry it when you get home.