I never no what’s going to happen when I head out in the morning. I set out early this morning with the intention of photographing some Wood Ducks that I had recently seen on a local playa. I love Wood Ducks because of their vibrant colors but find them very difficult to photograph. Somehow those colors just dont look the same in a photograph no matter how much saturation I use. When I arrived at the playa however I heard the characteristic chattering call of a familiar bird and it wasn’t long before I spotted the loudmouth. It was a Belted Kingfisher. Continue reading “Wildlife Photography Action shots- shutter speed, frame rate, a little bit of luck, and a lot of patience.”
Wildlife Photography Tips. Wow, this lens is heavy!
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve thought that to myself while walking with my supertelephoto lens. Currently I have a Nikon 500mm F4. This lens, as well as the rest of the supertelephoto group, is heavy. These lenses weighs in at around 10lbs, give or take a pound. Lugging them around is a chore. While you might occasionally take a few handheld shots with these superteles, you need to have some form of stabilization in order to consistently get keeper shots. The solution is a mono pod or tripod with some type of head. Together with your camera, battery grip, and lens, a tripod or mono pod with head adds to the weight. There needs to be a way to carry your rig comfortably, over significant distance and have it remain immediately available for use should a wildlife photography opportunity present itself. I have looked at and tried a number of combinations and the one I find most useful is this. Continue reading “Wildlife Photography Tips. Wow, this lens is heavy!”
Beginning Wildlife Photography. You’ll never see a Bobcat sitting on the couch.
I got up early in the morning as I usually do to head out before the sun came up. I like to be in position to catch the sunrise and see if any wildlife will present itself for the mornings shoot. On the two preceding mornings I was without luck and spent several hours watching small bluebirds flit in and out of the pasture I was scouting. This morning was different however. Just prior to sunrise, during that time when you don’t have enough light to actually take a photo without using an ISO so high it’s not worth it, I noticed some movement along the tree line at the distant edge of the pasture. Initially I thought it was a house cat from the farmhouse about 1000 yards away, but no, today was my lucky day, Bobcat. Continue reading “Beginning Wildlife Photography. You’ll never see a Bobcat sitting on the couch.”