Bokeh

When I started photographing wildlife, I wasn't giving much attention to the background against which I would be placing my subjects. In fact the excitement I had, whenever I pressed my shutter release, was so overwhelming that I could hardly think about it. Few years later I realised that my popular wildlife photos are where the subject stands out against a beautiful blurred background. I started giving more attention to the background ever since.

  To direct the attention of the viewer to the subject, it is important that the subject should not be lost in the background clutter, however beautiful it is. This can be achieved by limiting the depth in a scene that comes in focus. If the planned depth-of-field for a particular shot is carefully chosen to envelop just the subject, everything else in front and behind the subject will be out of focus or blurred.


© Retheesh Kalathil Rajkumar - All Rights Reserved

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM lens is set at 105mm and f/4. The large aperture that is visible in this left image produces a very shallow depth-of-field, just enough for the red pin. 


© Retheesh Kalathil Rajkumar - All Rights Reserved

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM lens set at 105mm and f/16 shows the octagonal shaped opening. This small aperture produces large depth-of-field that covers almost all the pins.

  Out of focus background blur in photography is called Bokeh (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bokeh) which is technically and aesthetically(?) different from blurring the background using image editors like Photoshop or GIMP (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaussian_blur). I have seen guys at my local wedding studio do the selective blurring in Photoshop by using "Adjustment layers and Layer Masks". You can learn about it here, http://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/using/masking-layers.html. I am not against someone using an image editing software to replace backgrounds, combining different images to create a single image or any other manipulation. I just don't use it for wildlife or nature photography and I am unaware of any wildlife/nature photographer who does that.

  Creating an out of focus background blur or bokeh in photography is not difficult, especially when shooting in a controlled atmosphere like a studio or in a situation where you can move the subject around. A good lens certainly produces pleasing bokeh.

Two lenses I would recommend for the beginners are here.

1. http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Canon-EF-100mm-f-2.8-USM-Macro-Lens-Review.aspx

2. http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Canon-EF-50mm-f-1.8-II-Lens-Review.aspx

  Setting the lens to its largest aperture (f/2.8 or f/1.8 for the above mentioned lenses as an example) increases the out of focus area in a picture or in other words produces a shallow depth-of-field. A longer focal length also reduces depth-of-field. With a zoom lens, taking photo at its telephoto end while keeping the aperture wide open will give the best possible chance of achieving a nice background blur.

  I currently use Canon EF 400mm f/5.6 L USM for my wildlife photography. It can produce nice bokeh if you are fortunate to locate yourself close enough to your subject in relation with its background.

  To make things clear, please see these three photographs below, all taken with same camera and settings, f/5.6 at 400mm (Remember, bokeh is unaffected by ISO and shutter speed).

© 2013 Retheesh Kalathil Rajkumar - All Rights Reserved

  This Red Fox was walking on the other side of the River Kelvin in Glasgow, subject is far from camera.

  It stayed close to the vegetation, background distance to the subject is small.

Result: Absence of bokeh

Reason: Distance between subject and its background is very small compared to the distance between camera and subject.

  I waited in vain anticipating that the fox would walk further down to a clearing where the vegetation was only on the sloping river bank, far from the waterline.

© 2013 Retheesh Kalathil Rajkumar - All Rights Reserved

  I spotted this beautiful Painted Stork at Bharatpur in Rajasthan, taking off from its nest and flying towards me. I waited patiently while tracking the bird through the view finder. When it came flying low over the lake I started taking pictures. Subject was not vey far from camera

  The background was a small islet, not very far from the bird.

Result: Bokeh, just good enough for the subject to pop.

Reason: Distance between subject and its background is similar to the distance between subject and camera.

© 2013 Retheesh Kalathil Rajkumar - All Rights Reserved

  One of the most unmistakable birds, Atlantic Puffin, comes to the same breeding place every summer. These bird colonies are huge and breathtakingly beautiful. I took this picture in Isle of May in Scotland.

  It was towards the end of the season and this particular individual landed on a rocky outcrop near its burrow with 2 Sand eels in its beak. It was less than 5 meters from me.

  The lichen covered cliff was the background. Distance between subject and its background is very large.

Result: Nice clean bokeh

Reason: Distance between subject and its background is very large compared to the distance between subject and camera.

  Finally, composition also plays a big role in creating interesting images.

© 2013 Retheesh Kalathil Rajkumar - All Rights Reserved

  I took the picture of this Common Greenshank while lying flat on the beach. It was important to use a very low angle to place the bird against the vast expanse of the nice blue sea. As you can see, it resulted a clean image and the subject stands out.

  Now compare it with this image of the same bird at same location but taken in my early years of photography, April 2007. I was naive, I stood high on an elevated sandy bank and looked down at the bird, invariably eliminating any chance of getting the bokeh!

© Retheesh Kalathil Rajkumar - All Rights Reserved

Further reading:

1)  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Depth_of_field

2)  http://www.luminous-landscape.com/tutorials/dof2.shtml

Common Koel (Eudynamys scolopacea)

When I started my photography with a Panasonic point and shoot camera, I was not very ambitious. The list of limitations were many, but then I was very happy to use the camera whenever I got an opportunity. I often visit Theosophical Society in Chennai and neighbouring Adayar Estuary to watch birds. In one such visit I saw this female Common Koel feeding on a ficus(?) fruit. The day was bright. I thought I would capture the moment when the fruit is still in the bird's beak. After many attempts I got this picture that stayed as one of my favourites for long time, even though it showed plenty of digital noise, chromatic aberration and unimpressive levels of contrast.



When I had my new Canon EOS 400D camera and a 300 mm lens, I saw this bird feeding on ficus fruit in Lalbagh, Bangalore. The light was harsh and I was shooting from almost exactly beneath the the bird.



I tried for different angles to get the light reveal the details on this male bird's dark plumage and brighten up its deep red eyes. This photo was the best I could get.



I was happy that I could watch the bird for prolonged time. A female bird arrived at a later stage to join the feast. The male and female birds are so different that, when I was a kid, I considered them as separate species!




Years later I got a chance to take a very good picture quite unexpectedly. This male bird revealed its presence when it aggressively defended this bunch of ripened areca nut (ornamental dwarf type) from a White-cheeked Barbet. These nuts have only a thin layer of edible (I never knew) skin around a hard shell. I was pleasantly surprised by seeing this Koel swallowing it whole.



The best part of observing and taking pictures of this beautiful bird was that I could do it all from my bed room.

Painted Stork (Mycteria leucocephala)

Painted Stork (Mycteria leucocephala)

It was one of my early birding trips, and when I suggested Ranganathittu to my friends as a destination there was no disagreement. Anil, a friend of mine who visited the park in the past excited rest of us with stories of large birds flying overhead so close that one could feel their powerful wing beats!

Dr. Salim Ali bird sanctuary at Ranganathittu is a cluster of islets in the river Cauvery. These islets are covered by trees and bushes suitable for roosting and making nest. Lush green paddy fields surrounding this area are ideal for foraging. Large number of Marsh Crocodiles also make these waters their home.

After reaching the park, we booked for a boat ride around the rocky islets. When I saw the adult Painted Stork along with a juvenile, the first thing came up in my mind was how appropriate its name is.



Another place that provides safe haven for these beautiful birds is Kaggaladu in Tumkur, Karnataka. It was a big surprise to see the birds in the middle of a small village, especially when we were expecting a protected sanctuary for birds.  If someone visits this place in non-breeding period of the year (August - February) it would be hard to imagine it's one of the largest Painted Stork colonies in South India.

We saw few large Tamarind trees in the middle of the village claimed by a group of storks. Watching them in their nest was real pleasure for us.



Panasonic DMC-FZ7, 1/500 sec., f/7.1, ISO 100, March 23, 2008



It was difficult to get an unobstructed picture through the twigs and leaves. Fortunately this particular bird landed in clear view and I was ready for this.



Panasonic DMC-FZ7, 1/400 sec., f/8.0, ISO 100, March 23, 2008


Taking a good picture of these birds on wings was always in my mind. This dream came true in my visit to Keoladeo National Park in Rajastan. My guide led me through the main road that goes through the park. Large trees bordered this long empty road. We reached an open area, from where I could watch a large group of Painted Storks making nests on a small island in a flooded lake. They regularly flew in and out through a rather predictable route. I positioned myself along this and waited for an opportunity. I didn't have to stay long before my chance arrived. I spotted one of the birds just taking off. It was gliding slowly so I could easily keep it in my view finder while tracking continuously. The bird flew towards me. It was so large that I thought I could not contain it fully in the frame. I swiftly started clicking and the bird slightly altered its path to present me with some beautiful views.

These are the two photos which I liked the most in a series of continuous shots.





Canon EOS 50D; EF400mm f/5.6L USM; 1/3200 Sec at f/5.6; ISO 640; Aperture-priority AE; Partial Metering; Central focusing point with AI Servo, handheld.





Canon EOS 50D; EF400mm f/5.6L USM; 1/1250 Sec at f/5.6; ISO 640; Aperture-priority AE; Partial Metering; Central focusing point with AI Servo, handheld.

Atlantic Puffin (Fratercula arctica)

Puffins are one of the most easily identifiable birds, with their bright coloured bills and unmistakable face. They spend most of their time in open ocean feeding on fish by diving in the water. They come to their large breeding colonies every summer. Seeing these beautiful birds is not difficult when they come to nest on offshore rocky islands.

The first time I saw a puffin was on a small island called Craigleith in the Firth of Forth when I took a boat to the Bass Rock. I was on a regular rigid inflatable boat that didn't have a scheduled stop on this island. This photo was the best I could take from the boat.



I had a very good trip to the Bass Rock, and I thought I should come back to see the puffins up close. Later I learned  that Isle of May in the firth of Forth is a better place for watching puffins. In the summer of 2011 I sailed from Anstruther with my wife and friends to this important National Nature Reserve owned and run by Scottish Natural Heritage.

As we approached the Isle of May, we could see the island being swarmed by countless birds.



Sheer cliffs around this small island is home to thousands of sea birds, and these rock faces were all stained by generations of bird droppings.



Puffins live in crevices or burrows in the soil which they excavate with their strong claws. So when we reached the island we were appropriately reminded by the volunteers to stay on well marked tracks around the island to avoid damaging the nests underground.


This puffin in flight shows its characteristic body shape suitable for "flying" underwater.




We have seen many birds resting, this one was particularly relaxing.






The breeding season was coming to an end but many puffins were still seen coming back to the land with Sandeels in their beaks.





Canon EOS 50D + EF 400 mm F5.6 on a Manfrotto 190XPROB Tripod

This was one of our most productive birding trip and the place was extremely beautiful. When we finished our packed lunch, it started drizzling and we were forced to return to the waiting boat as there was literally no shelter on the island. The rain stopped after a while but then it was time for us to leave.

Oystercatcher (Haematopus ostralegus)

North Berwick is a good place for serious bird watching trips. The famous bass rock is just a couple of kilometres off this coast where some 80,000 Gannets nest every year. A few boat services start from here to Bass Rock, Creigleith, Fidra and Isle of May.

Rakhee and I first visited this place for one such boat trip to the Bass Rock, but our bad timing forced us to cancel our trip. We spent our time on the beach enjoying this beautiful view of the distant Bass rock in low tide.



The exposed tidal zone was inviting, and we could see many birds exploring the rocky pools filled with sea water. There were many Oystercatchers feeding on the other side of a large tide pool, which I couldn't cross. The birds were actively looking for mussels and cockles.



The next time I got the opportunity to watch these birds was, on the west coast of Scotland, when we visited Isle of Mull. I hired a Canon EF 400mm f5.6 L lens for the trip anticipating a closer look at much celebrated White-tailed eagles. We did not see any eagles, but saw plenty of other birds including this lone Oystercatcher on a boulder.



The day remained damp and overcast. My lens rested in my bag most of the time. Tide was out and I watched this pair probing beneath pebbles.



I tried closing in, but there was insufficient cover and the birds maintained a constant distance. I gave up sneaking in and settled for wide shots.



Later this year when we planned a quick trip to Rothesay, I never thought seriously about Oyestercatchers, or even any kind of bird watching at all. After getting off the ferry we went to a local restaurant and spent hours on local seafood delicacies.

On the way back I noticed this pair at far side of the harbour. I sat on a side fence for some time just to get familiarised. It was evening and I was blessed with beautiful golden light. They were feeding but never stopped watching me.



After some time they started their elaborate preening.



I watched in surprise, through my lens, as this bird suddenly started calling loudly. I was reluctant to take my eye off the viewfinder but when I did, I saw another Oystercatcher circling around. It never landed, because, I assume, this bird was defending its territory. I expected some sort of action. Nothing happened. The intruder retreated. Peace again.



This is one of my favourite photos, Oystercatcher with its orange-red bill and reddish-pink legs standing in slowly flowing clear water, all illuminated by golden light.



I left this pair behind and looked for the intruder, who has settled a few meters away. It started drizzling and the light was falling. I resisted my urge to pack my camera and waited for the “intruder” to take off.

Hand holding a 400 mm lens at shutter speeds anything below 1/400 calls for a pair of experienced hands. If I try that, I knew, I will certainly end up with a shaky images. I had my options, I could switch to Shutter priority AE or dial in some negative exposure compensation to maintain a higher shutter speed. It would be then possible to reduce the camera shake, but of-course I would have then ended up with an underexposed image. It may be possible to brighten up my image in post processing, but there’s no way I can recreate unrecorded details later.
Another option was to stay calm in Aperture priority AE and enjoy watching the bird through the lens. I thought, if I could manage to get at least a couple of frames, I would be a satisfied person with some good motion blur.

I didn't get any time to think about it, my bird was already on its wings and I missed the take off. Now it's all about bringing the bird back in to my view finder. Fortunately it flew towards me in a large arc and I was able to take few pictures.




When I reviewed it, I was happy that I haven't had much camera shake. The motion blur, nice reflections and traces of rain made my day.

Dipper (Cinclus cinclus)

I watched a lot of birds in great pleasure when they were feeding in water. Common Kingfisher's lightening fast dive from a perch, Pied Kingfisher's ability to hover above water before the plunge, the limitless patience of a Grey Heron, high speed deep dive of Gannets and underwater spear fishing of Darter are all special bird behaviour I watched in awe. I added Dipper to the top of this list when I was first told about the unusual feeding behaviour of Dippers, by one of my friends at RSPB. A Dipper typically feeds by diving into shallow fast flowing rivers and WALKS underwater in search of insect larvae and freshwater shrimp. Once they get their share they just bob back to the surface like a cork.
Who could imagine that this bird's weird and wonderful behaviour does not belong to the realm of folklore? In fact they are able to walk underwater by utilising the force of the flow, something similar to race car aerodynamics. The water flowing around the body of a Dipper creates enough lift to hold the bird firmly on the river bed while it searches for food.

Soon I was seen looking for Dippers in a stretch of water where every one else has seen Dippers more than a few times. Even though this river in the Glasgow University campus is not far from where I live, my attempts to see one, failed one after another. It was quite frustrating, and an early winter in 2009 forced me to stay indoor for most of the time.

One morning I received a call from my friend at RSPB to see where I am available to shoot some volunteers in snow for a local news letter. Even though I didn't particularly like the idea of spending considerable time in snow, it was one good opportunity to escape my boredom.

It turned out to be a good day in cold. Just after our portrait shooting, my friend showed me a distant plump bird in partially frozen river. I changed my lens instantly to get this shot just before it walked into water again and moved away downstream.

This year I started with tell tale marks of bird droppings on rocks and I found this location. I didn't have to wait long before this beautiful bird appeared from nowhere. It was carrying something in its beak.

It started calling and suddenly this juvenile came into the scene. I guess the nest was beneath where I stood, well hidden in bushes.

It would have been very hungry. It swallowed what the parent bought in and started begging for more.

The parent is now ready for another plunge.

In its favourite hunting ground, the big bird dived into the fast flowing river in search of insect larvae and freshwater shrimps.

Underwater image is not available. I don't have a polarizing filter :-(

After few minutes it bobbed back to the surface. A dipper doesn't seem to have webbed feet, but it appeared as a powerful swimmer.

Food is served.

The young bird is still hungry!! and the whole process started again.

© Retheesh - All Rights Reserved

Jungle owlet (Glaucidium radiatum)

When I was a kid, we had a pair of owls roosting in one of the large trees near my home. I still have a distant memory of their eery hooting in the evenings. But later I got used to it and then too busy with my studies to care for it.

When I grew up and tried to photograph their possible descendants, I realised how rare this species has become. I was very excited to spot this one at the top a tree outside my fence. It was out of reach for my point and shoot camera, but I clicked. To my eyes it appeared nothing more than a silhouette. Honestly I did not expect a reply, when I posted it on a Flickr group, Field Guide: Birds of the World, for identification. To my surprise, I got a quick reply saying it was a Jungle owlet and then in all my ignorance I suggested it could not be an immature one, to be called as an owlet. It received a polite reply advising me that Jungle owlet is the common English name for that species and it has nothing to do with the bird's age. The influence on me was so strong that I bought a field guide to the birds of the Indian subcontinent in the same month.

Jungle owlet (Glaucidium radiatum), originally uploaded by retheesh k r.

One month later when I came back home on a holiday, I saw this one trying to chase away a pair of Common mynas. This dead coconut tree was one of the 2 such trees suitable for nesting at that time. Unfortunately most people in my village are intolerant towards dead trees. As soon as a tree stops yielding its been cut down, completely forgetting the fact that they provide excellent nesting opportunities for a wide variety of bird species.

In this following occasion when this Jungle owlet came up to land on a tree, not far from my bedroom, I was fortunate to have a clear direct view. I was laying on my bed relaxing over a heavy breakfast. Since my windows were wide open, I was completely exposed and I didn't dare to move to reach for the camera. What I could do was to pull the window curtain close, inch-by-inch, whenever this bird turned its head away. Once I was behind the blind, I could safely reach for my camera to take this picture.

To me, the most difficult part of taking the picture of a Jungle owlet is to locate it before I am seen. This could be true for any owl species. They are perfectly camouflaged for their habitat, rarely move, truly inconspicuous and on their lightly loaded wings with special feathers they effortlessly flow through the woods without the faintest noise. Their keen eyesight and acute hearing make it almost impossible to approach them without being spotted.

I started noticing that whenever I stepped out of my room, a dark brown bird flies away from a short tree. First I thought it would be a Rufous Woodpecker, but then I realised a woodpecker with its characteristic restlessness cannot go unnoticed. I decided to have a watch on that tree through my window. It took less than a couple of hours before this beautiful bird came back to reveal its identity, a Jungle owlet. Now I could enjoy my advantageous position, I crawled out of my room and up to the fence to take this photo. I used spot metering on the bird to handle silhouette creating strong back light.

After tasting the success I went on to record all its preferred perches. Most of the big trees in my compound were planted by my grand mother, Devaki Krishnan. However after her death, her youngest son with a very bad taste for wildlife, considered many of these trees worthless.

Two years later, this was the only tree remaining in my original list of Jungle owlets' favorite perches. I took this photo from my roof, keeping a low profile and covered with a home made camouflage cloth.