Mastering hybrid shooting in wildlife with Aleksander Nordahl

Having spent the last 15 years combining his passion for free diving and underwater photography, Aleksander Nordahl now focuses on documenting the beauty and the plight of the ocean. His dual approach blends both fine art and photojournalism, creating stunning images of marine life and landscapes, while also shedding light on environmental challenges such as the decline of kelp forests.

“I’m not the typical wildlife photographer. I’m doing fine art underwater photos of structures in kelp, but also documenting oceanic issues like pollution and destruction,” he explains.

But Aleksander has a dual approach in another sense, too. He’s used the Canon EOS R5 in the past for hybrid shooting, and has now recently tested out the EOS R5 Mark II, a camera that elevates the creative experience thanks to seamless switching between stills and video. This design answers the demands of his work, where quick decisions can make the difference between capturing a fleeting moment and losing it forever.

"When you’re holding your breath, and you have a minute and a half underwater, swimming and composing, and you suddenly need video instead of stills – it makes it so much easier," he says.

Read on for some words of advice on hybrid shooting.

Aleksander emphasises the importance of reliable autofocus – as someone who works in dynamic, unpredictable environments, he praises the EOS R5 Mark II’s ability to track subjects with precision. However, understanding your camera’s settings is what really helps you make the most of them.

For those just starting out with the camera, Aleksander recommends experimenting with its advanced eye-tracking autofocus system. The more you know about it, the more you can get out of it. For active or fast-moving wildlife, try setting the AF operation mode to Servo AF, enabling Subject Tracking, and selecting Animals under Subject to Detect. Half-press the shutter button as you follow your subject’s movement – the camera will prioritise focusing on its eyes if they are visible, and the AF frame will turn blue when the AF has locked on. You can now fully press the shutter button to take as many shots as you like. Once the AF is locked on to a subject's eye, it just keeps tracking even when the subject moves to the side of the frame.

Practise adjusting the settings based on your subjects, experiment with the different options, and try out the camera’s Eye Control AF to streamline your workflow – this ingenious feature in the EOS R1, EOS R3 and EOS R5 Mark II can set or switch the autofocus point by detecting what you are looking at in the viewfinder, but you’ll need to take the time to calibrate it to your eyes before using it.

As a photographer and filmmaker, the lenses you choose will define the quality and style of your content. Aleksander has been experimenting with RF lenses, and he is particularly excited about the future potential for underwater shooting. The Canon RF 15-35mm F2.8L IS USM and RF 28-70mm F2L USM lenses have become key parts of his experimental approach, offering a versatile range for capturing everything from wide-angle seascapes to detailed close-ups in a single dive. The pairing of the RF series lenses with the EOS R5 Mark II mirrorless system delivers exceptional clarity and rapid autofocus performance, making it an ideal choice for demanding shooting environments.

"I can’t wait to get my underwater housing for the EOS R5 Mark II,” he says. “It will make it so easy to capture content underwater, and it will be a game changer with the RF lenses.”

Aleksander says he plans to use the Canon RF 5.2mm F2.8L DUAL FISHEYE lens. This lens provides a 180-degree field of view and is designed for immersive VR (virtual reality) and stereoscopic 3D content creation. It also allows photographers and filmmakers to capture ultra-wide, 180-degree footage, making it ideal for wide-angle shooting, which is a useful perspective to capture expansive environments like the ocean.

"I'm dreaming of taking pictures and filming them with that 180-degree lens,” says Aleksander. His goal is to create a unique visual experience inside what he describes as an “ocean cube,” a large-scale, immersive art installation.

"It's basically a cube where you step into the ocean," he explains. "If you look down, to the sides, or up, you’re inside the ocean. The technology used will allow people to experience the beauty and vastness of underwater life without having to hold their breath.”

The EOS R5 Mark II has a dedicated control on top for switching quickly between still and video modes, a feature Aleksander says will come in particularly handy when working underwater. With only a minute and a half to shoot while holding his breath, efficiency is everything. Note that when you change from still to video mode using the switch, the camera instantly swaps to your last video settings – so save time by configuring everything as you want it in video mode in advance, and you’ll be ready to record without delay as soon as you change modes.

In addition, one of the standout features of the EOS R5 Mark II is its ability to capture stills and video simultaneously. While recording video, you can take still photos (single shots or continuous shooting) by pressing the shutter button fully. To enable this feature, make sure you have two cards in the camera's card slots, and select Dual shooting (still&movie) in the camera menu.

This feature is less versatile than swapping modes – movies are recorded in Full HD and JPEGs in 16:9 only, and your current movie recording settings for autofocus, exposure and white balance are applied, without the option to choose your preferred stills settings. However, this feature is unbeatable for an instant response when you want both stills and video without missing a beat.

To be a hybrid creator, understanding how to compose shots for both photography and videography is essential. Aleksander stresses that his approach to video is like his still photography, and this mindset helps create visually stunning content in both formats.

“I create, I compose, I expose – I do the same with video as I do with still photography. It allows me to create moving still photos with the same beauty.”

If you’re transitioning into hybrid shooting, Aleksander’s advice is to think of your video as a series of still frames. Focus on your framing, lighting and composition just as you would in a photograph. This will make the footage not only easier to edit but also more cohesive when combined with stills in a project.

Aleksander highlights how the ISO sensitivity and sensor quality on the EOS R5 Mark II help reduce the need for intensive post-production work.

“Colour grading, especially when working in challenging environments like underwater photography, is tough. But with this camera, the quality of the video means I can spend less time in post-production – because the footage is already high quality coming out of the camera."

When shooting in low-light or underwater environments, use the camera's Auto ISO setting to allow it to adjust automatically based on the available light. If you want more control, set a reasonable ISO limit manually (for example ISO 3200 or ISO 6400) to maintain image clarity while avoiding excessive noise. This way, you can focus on composing the shot and let the camera’s next-generation full-frame back-illuminated stacked CMOS sensor capture the best possible detail in low-light scenarios. If you need it, the EOS R5 Mark II offers the option of in-camera neural network noise reduction for cleaner, more detailed JPEG images.

Thanks to such features, you'll save significant time in post-production by needing less noise reduction or colour correction.

"This camera allows you to be both a stills and motion photographer without compromising,” Aleksander says. “It lets you master both without feeling like you’re sacrificing anything."

In his latest exhibition, Aleksander showcased a collection of high-resolution, slow-motion videos as part of his art pieces. Above is one example, featuring kelp in an Arctic jungle.

With practice and the right approach, you can pursue endless creative capabilities. Whether it's stills or videos, getting to know the features of your camera can elevate how you work, making the processes better and better.