Galapagos Islands Photography. What would I have done differently? Part III of III.

No matter how much time you spend preparing to take successful photographs, it is almost impossible to get everything right on your first visit to a new location. For a place as unique and special as the Galapagos Islands, you want the best photographs you can take.  Hopefully this series of articles will help.

Disclaimer: This is based solely on my experience taking a weeklong guided tour in the Galapagos Islands on board the Archipel I (specifically the eastern, central, and southern islands).  I was not on a photography tour and no special accommodations were made for photographers on my trip.

If you have not already done so, it would help to first read part one and part two of this three part series on photography in the Galapagos Islands.

What would I have done differently?

I’m going to answer this question from both technical and artistic perspectives.  First, the technical.

Depth of Field (DOF):  Most of my photos were taken in the range of f/8 to f/13.  I knew when to open up to f/5.6 to isolate the subject and blur the background.  But I should have stopped down more often to f/16 or f/22 for greater DOF.  This is particularly true with regard to the sea lions and marine iguanas.

Focusing:  AF-C focusing, dynamic 9 point, is my go to focusing method for birds in flight and slow moving animals.  But on Galapagos I used it for everything, even resting animals and birds sitting in trees.

Early on day one I realized that dynamic 9 point sometimes missed focus.  Occasionally the camera would lock onto a nearby branch or rock instead of my subject.  Realizing this (I could see it in the viewfinder), I was able to slightly move as necessary to get the camera to focus where I wanted. 

Though missed focus was uncommon, I should have switched between dynamic focusing and single point focusing as appropriate.  Admittedly I was concerned that if I switched to single point focusing I would forget to switch back to dynamic focusing.

Focal Length:  I used an AF-S 70-200mm zoom lens with a TC 1.4 attached.  The TC extended the long end of my zoom lens from 200mm to 280mm.  The trade off was making the wide end of my lens 98mm instead of 70mm.  This was the right choice, as the majority of my photos were taken above 200mm.

But 98mm was not always wide enough.  For example, I have a lot of photos of clipped wings from birds flying past closely.  Usually, but not always, I simply backed up or changed angles.  A slightly wider lens, say 70mm, would have been better.  

Underwater:  I should have learned to use the flash on my Olympus.  At the very least, I should have experimented with the flash.  I probably would have done this if I were comfortable grabbing onto a rock to hold position underwater.

Over the course of the week I learned a lot about taking photographs while snorkeling, but I did not get a chance to use that knowledge.

Second, the artistic.

It is only natural to constantly photograph the wildlife.  That is why you are in the Galapagos Islands.  But do not ignore the flora, sand, waves, and the clouds.  I did not take many opportunities to photograph subjects other than wildlife, but I should have. 

Considering that my favorite photo of the entire trip was taken with a 28mm Nikon Coolpix A (mockingbird on the beach, below), I should have found more opportunities for wide angle wildlife shots.  If I ever return to the Galapagos Islands, I will force myself to shoot a substantial number of wildlife photos with a wide angle lens.  In hindsight, this was my greatest mistake.

I think most folks, me included, shoot birds at high shutter speeds to freeze wing movement.  There were so many flying birds that I should have spent some time panning and experimenting with slower shutter speeds to show wing movement. My second greatest mistake.

Though I carried a Nikon close-up lens 5T with me every day, I never once used it.  Again, opportunities missed.

As I mentioned previously, I took very few close-up portraits of animals.  It is not my preferred style of photography.  Even so, I should have taken more.   

What gear did I take but not use?

I never used my polarizing filter, close-up 5T, step up/down rings, or extra batteries.  One fully charged battery per camera was sufficient for the entire day.  Though I did not use these accessories, I would absolutely carry them.

What camera and lens do you need?

If you are reading this, you probably already own what you need.  Any DSLR or mirrorless camera, 20 MP or greater, capable of shooting at least four frames per second, will work fine as a primary camera. 

Pretty much every DSLR or mirrorless camera (with interchangeable lenses) released in the past ten years meets these criteria.  My D800E was released in 2012.  It shoots 4.5 frames per second (without a grip).  I was perfectly content with it.

Advanced amateurs might want more frames per second.  Personally I do not enjoy culling a series of photos shot at 20 frames per second.  Admittedly four frames per second is not much, but for me 20 frames per second is overkill. The sweet spot is probably about 10 frames per second.

Your go to lens should be a 70-300mm telephoto zoom lens.  Think light and portable.  You do not need a f/2.8 behemoth.  A high quality variable aperture lens will suffice.  You will be shooting at f/8 or more most of the time anyway.  

For wider photos, a second lens with a focal length in the range of 24mm to 35mm works best.  I used my Nikon Coolpix A for this purpose, with the added benefit of not having to change lenses.

Advanced amateurs used to carrying slightly larger and heavier equipment may prefer a longer telephoto zoom lens, such as Nikon’s AF-S 80-400mm or Fuji’s XF 100-400mm.

Fuji users may realize that my X-H1 camera (24 MP capable of shooting 8 frames per second) and XF 55-200mm lens (effective 70-300mm on an APS-C camera) fit these criteria perfectly.

So why did I not use my Fuji X-H1 and XF 55-200mm as my primary camera and lens combination?

Familiarity.  Habit.  Custom.  I have been using Nikon cameras and lenses to shoot wildlife for over 15 years.  This is what I am comfortable using.  The Galapagos Islands are not the time to experiment with new gear.  You must know your cameras and lenses before going.

I originally invested in a Fuji system several years ago for a lightweight travel option.  If I ever do a post about photography in European cities, Fuji will be prominently discussed.

Also, the XF 55-200mm is my first Fuji telephoto lens.  I only purchased it a few weeks before this trip, in part to have a backup telephoto zoom.  In sum, I did not have the experience or comfort level with the Fuji combination to make it my first choice on this trip.

I did use the Fuji X-H1 and XF 55-200mm combination when photographing Galapagos Giant Tortoises on Isla Santa Cruz.  This was the only day I used the Fujis.

What about a superzoom?

One size fits all zoom lenses, typically with a focal length range of 18-200mm or 28-300mm, are very popular.  But I have never been a fan of these lenses and do not own one.  If you own a superzoom and like it, then I suspect it would do just fine for you on the Galapagos Islands.

Conclusion.

Should you find yourself on a plane heading to the Galapagos Islands in the near future, hopefully you will find this information helpful.  You do not need the latest and greatest camera gear.  You do need to know how to use what you have. Travel light, have fun, think before you shoot, and try different things. 

Garrett

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