Vernon Chalmers Photography Training 2022 Update

Photography Training with Canon EOS R Full Frame System

From 2022 I will offer camera / photography training on the entire Canon EOS R range of bodies and  lenses available in South Africa. I have done extensive research / testing on most of the current Canon EOS R Full Frame mirrorless bodies (and associated RF lenses).

Training will be available on the following Canon EOS R body / lens pairings:

• Canon EOS R3
• Canon EOS R5
• Canon EOS R6
• Canon EOS RP
•  Canon EOS R
• Canon RF Lenses
• Canon EF Lenses (via Mount Adapter EF-EOS R)

Photography Training Genres:

• Canon EOS R Introduction / Exposure
• Canon EOS R Autofocus System
• Birds in Flight / Action Photography
• Landscape / Long Exposure Photography
• Macro / Close-Up Photography
• General / Street Photography

Training will also be available for photographers that migrated to the EOS R System, but still uses Canon EF and compatible lenses (via Mount Adapter EF-EOS R).

All other Canon EOS DSLR body / lens / photography training will carry on as before.

Attached image: Canon EOS R6 / RF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens (Image Credit: Canon USA)

Vernon Chalmers Photography Training Milnerton Cape Town

Birds on a foggy morning | Table Bay Nature Reserve

Low Light Photography at Woodbridge Island / Table Bay Nature Reserve

Yellow-billed duck : Diep River : Table Bay Nature Reserve

What a difference a day makes. Yesterday's glorious morning turned into a thick fog layer all over the Diep River and the Table Bay Nature Reserve, Woodbridge Island  - with poor light and visibility all round.

I walked into the reserve and waited for more than hour for the fog to lift somewhat. Nevertheless, I managed a few shots in these challenging conditions. I spotted two black-headed herons - interesting they don't go near any of the grey herons in the reserve - keeping very much a steady distance.

Birds of the morning:

• Yellow-billed duck
• Reed cormorant in flight
• Yellow-billed duck in flight
• Pied kingfisher in flight (with fish)

Cape Town Location
Table Bay Nature Reserve Woodbridge Island, Milnerton

Canon Camera / Lens Settings

• Canon EOS 7D Mark II Body
• EF 400mm f/5.6L USM Lens
• Manual Mode: Auto-ISO: 250 - 800
• Aperture: f/5.6
• Shutter Speed: 1/1000 - 1/3200
• AI Servo: Case 1: Wide Zone
• 10 fps High Speed Continuous Mode
• Handheld

Post-Processing
Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic CC 9.4: Cropping. Colour correction / noise reduction / lens profile correction

Reed Cormorant in Flight Table Bay Nature Reserve Woodbridge Island

Yellow-Billed Duck in Flight Table Bay Nature Reserve Woodbridge Island

Pied Kingfisher in Flight Table Bay Nature Reserve Woodbridge Island

Birds in Flight Photography Cape Town View

Bird Species Woodbridge Island, Cape Town View

Using Auto ISO for Birds in Flight Photography

As Posted on the Birdlife South Africa Facebook Group

Herewith shared an unusually low flying yellow-billed duck at Woodbridge Island photographed at Auto ISO 1250 with my Canon EOS 7D Mark II / EF 400mm f/5.6L USM lens. Granted, the shutter speed was perhaps a tad high at 1/4000s (setup at the time was for faster flyers in poor sky light), but I was still happy with the 'noise' outcome.

Aperture was f/5.6 on a Crop / APS-C body at 400mm focal length. With a full frame body at the same focal length the noise level would probably be a stop or so better.

It is recommended with Auto ISO (in low light) to bring the shutter speed (for in-flight birds) down to 1/1000s to 1/4000s. I never go less than 1/2500 / 1/3200s - and sometimes use 1/4000s in very good light (with Auto-ISO).

Best is to experiment quite a bit before jumping to conclusions that you need to upgrade body and / or lens for low light shooting. 

Bird in Flight: Yellow-billed duck at Woodbridge Island, Cape Town

Yellow-Billed Duck in Flight : Birds in Flight Photography and Auto ISO

Source / more camera and Autofocus detail View 

Canon Photography Training Milnerton Woodbridge Island | Kirstenbosch Cape Town | Around the Cape Peninsula

Cyclamen Flowers - Canon EOS 700D and various lenses

Cyclamen Plant : Arnhem Milnerton Cape Town

Objective: Demonstrating application of the Canon EOS 700D / Rebel T5i DSLR camera with EF 50mm f/1.8 II and EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM lenses (and Canon Speedlite 430EX II flash / Canon EF25 II Extension Tube).

Note: All photos hand-held in Av mode (Aperture Priority) with external hot shoe flash. Auto flash ISO (TTL mode). Shutter speeds all automatically selected by camera. All images shot in JPEG.

Canon Camera / Flash Equipment

• Canon EOS 700D SLR camera body
• Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II prime lens
• Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM zoom lens
• Canon EF25 II Extension Tube (for last image close-up)
• Canon Speedlite 430EX II flash
• Sto-Fen Omni-Bounce EW Diffuser

Av Mode - Aperture Priority Settings

• 50mm f/1.8 II lens (nifty fifty) @ (f/8 - f/22)
• 18-135mm lens @ (f/16 - f/22)
• Auto ISO 400 / TTL flash mode
• Shutter speed: various (auto)
• Image Stabilization on (EF-S lens)
• Zero post-processing (just crops)

Canon EOS 700D / EF 50mm f/1.8 II lens (Nifty Fifty) f/22 ISO 400 (Flash)

              Canon EOS 700D / EF 50mm f/1.8 II lens (Nifty Fifty) f/8 ISO 400 (Flash)

Canon EOS 700D / EF 50mm f/1.8 II lens (Nifty Fifty) f/22 ISO 400 (Flash)

    Canon EOS 700D / EF-S 18-135mm IS STM lens f/16 ISO 400 (Flash)

Canon EOS 700D / EF-S 18-135mm IS STM lens f/22 ISO 400 (Flash)

Canon EOS 700D / EF-S 18-135mm IS STM lens f/22 ISO 400 (Flash)

Canon EOS 700D / EF-S 18-135mm IS STM lens f/22 ISO 400 (Flash)

Canon EOS 700D / EF-S 18-135mm lens / Extension Tube f/22 ISO 400 (Flash)

More on the Cyclamen Plant - The Cyclamen Society

Reed cormorant flying in the fog…

Taking advantage of the Sun and Poor Light Conditions

Nobody around here gets excited about photographing [another] cormorant. Images are always more or less the same. But, in different light conditions, unlike the normal sunny shooting days, the cormorant shines against the fogging light.

Location: Diep River / Table Bay Nature Reserve, Woodbridge Island

Canon Camera / Lens

• Canon EOS 7D Mark II
• Canon EF 400mm f/5.6L USM Lens
• Manual Mode: f/5.6 / 1/2500s / Auto-ISO 640
• No Lens IS / Handheld

Post-Processing: Adobe Lightroom

Reed Cormorant Flying in the Fog Table Bay Nature Reserve / Woodbridge Island

Birds in Flight Photography Gallery