The Early Bird

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.Iguassu Falls National Park (Brazil)
The heavy clouds made for a much more dramatic scene
Photo: © Daniel De Granville, 2007

“The early bird catches the worm”, claims the popular saying. One of the fundamentals for those who deal with wildlife or landscape photography is the need of waking up and getting to the field very early. First, because the best natural light for such kinds of pictures happens when the sun is very close to the horizon, throwing an inclined and soft light that illuminates the subject evenly, without pronounced shadows or strong contrasts. In second place – and just as important – is the fact that animals are more active during these periods, specially in the first hours of morning.

But, different from what beginners tend to think, firsthand experiences and reading about photography have taught me that in many occasions an overcast day can be equal or better than a sunny day for photographing nature. Pictures taken inside the forest, in particular, come out much better when done on a sunless day. The thin layer of clouds acts as a giant natural hazy light, similar to the accessory used in studio photography to attenuate shadows. This way, the problem with the “hard” light in the middle of the day is gone (keeping in mind that in lower latitudes, as I said in a recent post, the “good” sunlight usually lasts very short).

With time our eyes get accustomed to perceiving when the natural illumination is at its best. As well as too much sun is bad, too many heavy clouds may turn the environment too dark and the colors become lifeless. Also, if you are shooting landscapes in which the skyline appears, a gloomy sky just won’t do. Then the only solution is to wait for the next day…

Amazon Rainforest, Brazil
The overcast sky made the light soft and even
Photo:© Daniel De Granville, 2007
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Home Sweet Home

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.Japi Mountains
Photo: © Daniel De Granville, 2007

Since about one month ago we left the region of the Pantanal and Bonito (State of Mato Grosso do Sul), where I lived and photographed for almost 13 years, starting a new project living by the Atlantic Rainforest in São Paulo State.

We are now at the Japi Mountains, an important remnant of the Atlantic Forest located 40 km (25 mi) north from the city of São Paulo, protected by various legal issues and by the environmental awareness of many of its inhabitants. The region’s bird list accounts for about 235 species, of which we already saw more than 50 without even leaving home!

This means a lot of projects coming up - a new environment, new landscapes and species from the fauna and the flora waiting to be observed and photographed!

Home, sweet home!
Photo:© Daniel De Granville, 2007
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At The Zoo

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. "I just hate paparazzi!"
Photo: © Daniel De Granville, 2007

After some months without updates, Fotograma finally brings you the new Month’s Gallery with a selection of captive animal images done by me at Tierpark Hellabrunn (Munich Zoo), at Refúgio Bela Vista and Bird Park (Iguassu Falls) and at São Paulo Zoo (the latter done during a field trip as part of the bird photography course that I taught last week at Avistar 2007).

Check them out!

Despite offering no glamour or healthy challenges brought by wildlife photography in natural environments, photographing at zoos can be a quite interesting and fun experience. The fact that the animals are totally habituated to human presence and in urban areas which are quickly accessed makes the photographers’ work much easier in many aspects. In addition, the gathering of species from all continents in a single area offers an almost inexistent opportunity for the vast majority of nature photographers, of registering critters whose original home is located many miles, days and dollars away.

The difficulties include being able to compose an interesting scene of an animal inside an artificial enclosure and simultaneously eliminate from the photo objects that could give away the place where the creatures are, such as bars, glasses, sawn wood, mowed lawn, concrete walls and floors. The intense presence of the public also requires a lot of creativeness and patience from photographers used to the quietness of the forest.

No matter what the final results are, even if one is able to get a photo on a scenery that resembles very much a natural environment, it is ethically recommended to clearly state in the photo captions (or tell those interested in details) the fact that the image was produced in captivity.

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