Home / Workflows /

Nature Recording Workflows and Production Checklists

Workflows and checklists used to ensure consistent recording quality during field recording and post-production. The procedures documented here help maintain reliable capture conditions, consistent technical settings, and predictable editing results across all projects.

These workflows support the production of wildlife films, soundscapes, and macro nature photography published throughout this site.

Video Recording

These checklists guide field recording sessions and ensure that all technical and documentation steps are completed. Locations are recorded using Québec Sauvage field reports and later exported to document exact recording sites for soundscapes and animal behavior footage.

Render Videos - Soundscapes

I use DaVinci Resolve Studio (DR) for all video and audio editing. I produce the following versions: 4K (@muuuh VOD), 1080p (@muuuh broadcast), and optionally an audio-only export for the Spotify channel. The rendered soundscape videos (VOD) are listed in the Soundscapes section.

caffeinate -dims ffmpeg -i FILENAME-MASTER.mov \
  -c:v libx264 -preset medium \
  -b:v 25000k -maxrate 25000k -bufsize 50000k \
  -pix_fmt yuv420p \
  -profile:v high -level 5.2 \
  -g 60 -keyint_min 60 \
  -c:a aac -b:a 256k \
  FILENAME-4K.mp4

caffeinate -dims ffmpeg -i FILENAME-MASTER.mov \
  -vf "scale=-1:1080" \
  -c:v libx264 -preset veryfast \
  -b:v 6800k -maxrate 6800k -bufsize 13600k \
  -pix_fmt yuv420p \
  -g 60 -keyint_min 60 \
  -c:a aac -b:a 256k \
  FILENAME-1080p.mp4

caffeinate -dims ffmpeg -i FILENAME-MASTER.mov \
  -c:v libx264 -preset medium \
  -b:v 40M -maxrate 40M -bufsize 80M \
  -pix_fmt yuv420p \
  -profile:v high -level 5.2 \
  -c:a aac -b:a 192k \
  -movflags +faststart \
  FILENAME-4K.mp4

Render Shorts - Animal Behavior

The timeline uses 1080 × 1920 vertical, 29.97 fps, with “Centre crop with no resizing” to avoid scaling artifacts while preserving the camera’s original pixels. This allows limited vertical reframing (≈165 px) and substantial horizontal adjustment to follow the subject. Short-form animal behavior clips produced with this workflow are listed in Videos.

Settings Render 1080p → YouTube

• Container: QuickTime
• Codec: H.265
• Resolution: 1080x1920 (same as timeline)
• Framerate: 29.97 (same as timeline)
• Bitrate: Restrict to 20Mbps
• Encoding Profile: Main10
• Key Frames: Automatic
• Bypass re-encode when possible → OFF
• Force sizing to highest quality → ON
• Force debayer to highest quality → ON
• Audio: AAC, 320 kbps, 48 kHz stereo

Macro Photography - Focus Shifting

Tap image to enlarge

Focus shifting is a macro photography technique used to extend depth of field by capturing multiple images at different focus distances and combining them later in post-processing. This technique is particularly useful in macro photography where depth of field becomes extremely shallow at high magnifications. Focus shifting only works under zero-wind conditions, since even small movements between frames can ruin the stack.

The following settings are used for macro photography with the NIKON Z8 and the NIKKOR Z MC 105mm lens. The distance to the subject is read directly from the lens distance display.

At 29 cm (≈1:1 macro)

At 50 cm (≈1:2 to 1:2.5)

Lighting

I block direct sunlight and illuminate the subject primarily with a dimmed Ulanzi LT028 (40W), adding an optional Ulanzi RGB video light for backlight.

I target ISO 100 for the cleanest files and choose f/11 or f/5.6 depending on available light to keep shutter speed reasonably fast (typically faster than 1/5 s).

About the Photo: The example image shows Red Clover (Trifolium pratense). This photograph illustrates the type of macro photography image produced using the focus-shifting workflow described above.

Editing Affinity Photos

Tap image to enlarge

I use Affinity Photo for photo editing and try to keep as few destructive steps as possible, since they can’t be changed later in the editing process. The final images are published in Photos.

• In raw persona adjust exposure, highlights, shadows, develop - destructive
• Crop to optimize composition, keep original ratio - destructive
• Remove dust spots and disturbances with the in-painting brush tool
• Add noise reduction live filter
• Add adjustment layer HSL (saturation)
• Add adjustment layer curves (improve range dark/light)
• Apply live high-pass filter and adjust to the sweet spot (check for halo).
• Apply median blur (remove white spots introduced by sharpening)
• Needs vignette?
• Needs exposure correction?
• Needs white balance shift?
• Needs another noise reduction live filter?
• Export to jpg max quality

Photos that qualify as key portfolio images — suitable for desktop backgrounds, full-width banners, or print — are exported at 6000 × 4000 px. All other images, intended primarily as documentary photos accompanying species pages or habitat/park descriptions, are exported at 3000 × 2000 px.

About the Photo: The example image shows a pair of Northern Gannet (Morus bassanus) touching bills during courtship. This photograph illustrates the type of wildlife image produced using the editing workflow described above.

Disclaimer

I am not sponsored by, affiliated with, or receiving any incentives from any brands or products featured in this article. All equipment mentioned was purchased at market price, and any mention of specific brands or products is for informational purposes only and should not be considered a recommendation.

All content on this page — including photos, videos, and field audio recordings — was created by Karl-Heinz Müller, a Montréal-based wildlife filmmaker, sound recordist, and photographer. Founder of MUUUH and Québec Sauvage, he has spent over a decade documenting Canada’s natural habitats through immersive soundscapes and wildlife films. Learn more about Karl-Heinz

Last updated: 2026-03-11