Sometimes I forget that my camera has video capability and there are some things that just sell better than a still. Here is some hd video I shot while on the trip.
My wife and I just visited Africa for the first time. We were celebrating our 25th anniversary. They say it’s a trip of a lifetime. Hopefully it won’t be the only time I get there. This photo is of African Wild Dogs having a little down time before going out on a hunt. It is from the Okavango Delta area.
Last week I spend a few days at the Oregon Coast. Started in Newport and worked my way south to the Coos Bay area. There are many great places to stop along the way. The D4 and D750 were the two cameras I brought. The 80-400, 28-300, 16-35 and 16mm fisheye were all that was needed. This was a bit of a reconnaissance trip so I know where and how long I want to spend for the next time. There is plenty more to explore than what I did but I now have a good sense of the distances and the time it takes to drive to various locations. If you go before the end of May you pretty much have the place to yourself. Hardly any traffic and all the hotels are not very busy. Get a tide chart so you know when the waves will be the most active. More later.
Right near the visitors center at Mammoth there was a Great Horned Owl nest. The two sibs cuddling on a branch just outside of the nest and an adult in a tree nearby.
So I’m standing on fishing bridge in Yellowstone taking some shots of the ice still on the lake. I look to my right and I see this grizzly running down the street when he decides to take the sidewalk that I’m standing on. The park rangers are chasing him / her and yelling “Get off the bridge”. So I calmly do, fortunately the traffic is stopped watching this because that’s what getting off the bridge means. Go stand in traffic. I got these three not so great shots of the bear running by.
I was in Yellowstone for four days last week. Never enough time but boy can you see a lot in a short period.
Saw – Bison, Elk, pronghorn, bighorn, coyote, fox, great horned owl right at the visitor center had a nest got two babies in a tree, grizzly w/cub, black bear w/3 cubs, Stayed in Gardner 5 miles north of the north entrance. Great place to stay if you don’t want to be close to Old Faithful. But being there for critters, the north side is the place to be. The lodge at Canyon Village is also a good location and looked brand new and had just opened this past weekend.
Following birds in flight is one of the trickiest things to do. Shutter speed, framing, focus point on the eye. They do slow down a bit when coming in to land. Camera technique and a gimbal head are a must for me at least. I know a few people who can hand hold but a 500mm can be a bit much.
It’s nothing like you have ever seen. A winter wonderland with critters. More on my website in the Yellowstone gallery.
Taken at Old Faithful D3s 500mm TC 1.7
Capturing birds in flight presents a number of challenges. Shutter speeds, panning with the subject, keeping it sharp. This was shot at Horicon Marsh in Wisconsin.
D3S 500 VR
I was up at Horicon Marsh to scout out the area before fall migration starts. Not much going on right now. The Egret nesting season is just ending so they were pretty much everywhere. A couple of Sandhill Cranes showed up and a few Wood Ducks. Goldfinches were in abundance feeding on the thistle. I watched this Egret play with the fish for about 15 minutes. Just throwing it around until finally eating it.
Nikon D3s 500 f/4