105mm portrait lens vs. 500mm tele: will you see the difference?

[Bennvdm]

105mm definitely looks better. This makes me think of Jason Lanier or some other portrait photographer that had a video reviewing the sigma 105 F1.4 including wildlife shooting in South Africa. Only problem with short lens is likely shooting angle in Africa, as you mostly shoot from game drive vehicles. Effect of not shooting eye level will be greater with a shorter lens. No problem with elephants and rhino’s etc, but will be difficult with smaller game.

I would love to give my sigma 135 f1.8 a try from a hide… Unfortunately hides are few and far between in Namibia- I only know of one at Onguma lodge

edit -I found the video.

 

[Calson]

People take Robert Capra's remark out of context. In the time period that Capa photographed combat soldiers the longest lens that could be used with the Leica RF cameras was 85mm and that required an external viewfinder to correct for parallax. As a practical matter the lenses used were in the 50mm focal length area. One had to get very close to fill the frame with a 50mm lens on 35mm film cameras - and this often had fatal results for the photographer.

Longer lenses all distort perspective and reduce the depth of field. It comes down to how close one can get to a subject or group of subjects without harm to the photographer or without disturbing and distorting the behavior of the subjects. It all depends on the situation and the subjects and the capabilities in equipment and time available for the photographer.

 

[ElenaH]

a shot of a giraffe running into dramatic sunset clouds

oh, I didn't know about it. I knew about a portrait of a girl with a lion behind, what made me ask questions what it is all about... In any case I liked the lion more... ;-)
I also didn't know that about Art Wolf.
That is definitely not a way I like.
Normally I am lucky to have animals at the camping place.

 

[ElenaH]

105mm definitely looks better. This makes me think of Jason Lanier or some other portrait photographer that had a video reviewing the sigma 105 F1.4 including wildlife shooting in South Africa

Very interesting. I saw already some videos from Jason Lanier. I have 105mm form Nikon because it is smaller but I think, Sigma is better.
And yes, you need to give your Sigma 135mm a try!
It's a pity that in Namibia there is not many hides because especially there it can be very productive at least for birds! Perhaps, you should build a one of your own?

 

[ElenaH]

It all depends on the situation and the subjects and the capabilities in equipment and time available for the photographer.

that is absolutely true!

 

[fcotterill]

David Yarrow Accused of Feeding Fox for Photo, Denies Wrongdoing

Renowned wildlife photographer David Yarrow has found himself at the center of a new controversy this month after another photographer levied claims that

petapixel.com

Yarrow has a long record of unethical tactics, in which his ego and pursuit of revenue overwhelm ethical guidelines and laws. He's leveraged a successful career in finance etc to fund customized trips that can afford assistants and buy in local expertise. The latter has included managed sets, with baiting, and also captive wild species; as in a tiger that became stressed out.
In how it's packaged in media releases, cleansed of the grubby details, his marketing in interviews and public presentations can be taken as persuasive, but certain facts need to be considered. This article is a partial summary of repeated abuses:

Famous photographer David Yarrow exploiting animals – Saving the Wild

www.savingthewild.com

Some of published reports of unethical events include: Chasing a giraffe with a vehicle to capture the animal galloping in dust; exploiting caged animals under dubious circumstances in setup studios etc (back in 2015 he tried to dilute criticism of the tiger fiasco, in Detroit, with platitudes about supporting conservation etc); positioning a human model far too close wild elephant, and exploiting the priority status of an endangered big tusker;

A Tiger Posed In An Abandoned Factory, Or When Ruin Photography Becomes Exploitation

Should artists use Detroit's urban decay as their "canvas"?

www.huffpost.com

More Insight Into The "Escaped" Tiger Incident At Detroit's Packard Plant

So if you have been watching social media this week, then you most likely heard about British photographer David Yarrow who made headlines after a tiger allegedly got "loose" during a photo shoot that was taking place in the well-known Packard Plant in Detroit. As a photographer, I am in...

fstoppers.com

David Yarrow Is Running Afoul of the Ethics of Wildlife Photography, Again

There's been a bit of an uproar in the wildlife photography community this week. One of the genre's most popular and successful photographers has been called out for turning wildlife into an accessory. What do you make of all this? Love or hate his style, David Yarrow is considered by the public...

fstoppers.com

Unscrupulous. This is not wildlife photography according to Ethical Guidelines

Natural Art Images: Voice: Commentaries

www.naturalart.ca

EDIT there's this interesting article (3 parts) about authentic wildlife photography published in 1998

Photography Falsification (Part Three)

Atlantic Unbound: The Atlantic Monthly Magazine Online

www.theatlantic.com