THEEDIT
98 PRACTICALPHOTOGRAPHY
Get the shots
you need
There’s nothing too complicated about getting the
shots you need for this technique. All it takes is
a little patience. In fact, you may have already shot
this way by accident, and have the images you
need to go right ahead with the layer blending
part of the technique, as many photographers tend
to shoot multiple images of the same subject, to
guard against things like camera shake or subject
movement. As with many such techniques, the
most important thing is consistency between the
images, with framing, focus and depth-of-field
very important. The steps below will give you
some tips on setting up the right way.AboveShootingfroma tripodor monopodcanreallyimprovethechances of
successbecauseat longfocallengths,evenminormovementalterstheframing.AboveA normaltripodballheadcanbe turnedto
wi ldlifeby looseningthetensionslightly.2
Settheexposureandfocus
Selectaperture-prioritymode(A or Av),andincrease
the ISO setting until you have a shutter speed that’ll
freeze the movement of your subject, so something like 1/250sec
or 1/500sec should be ok. Move your AF point over the subject
and focus on it.3
Shoot, wait, and shoot again
Switch to continuous drive, and take your first shot, then
wait. Think about the second frame compared to the
first, and you’ll get a good idea of when background subjects have
moved sufficiently for you to shoot again. When that’s happened,
take the second shot. Shoot as many as you need to be safe.1
Keep your shots steady with
a tripod or monopod
To make blending the separate
shots possible, Photoshop mustbe able
to align them, and for that they needto
be as similar in framing as possible.
You can ensure this by shootingfrom
a tripod or monopod, but as wildlife
framing is more dynamic than
landscapes, you’ll need to alter your
technique slightly. If you’re shootingfrom
a ball head, try loosening the tensiona l
th ere’s some movement possible,allowingyouto
follow the subject more easily – butrememberyou’ll
need to keep hold of the camerawhenshootingthis
way to stop it tilting. Alternatively, invest in a gimbal
head that’s specifically designed for this purpose.
As there will still be a little vibration from your shooting
hand, keep any image stabilisation switched on.TIP!
Withthe lens
mountedvia its tripod
foot,tryloosening the
ringa littleallowing
youto alterangle
andframing.