Friday, April 30, 2010

GVP #16, #17, #18

From http://natureandwildlifephotography.blogspot.com/2010/04/gvp-16-17-18.html

Continuing on my Vertical project here are 3 more photos. I've managed to post nearly 20 now, without too much trouble.

Black-Crowned Night HeronBCNH NestOsprey @ Sunrise

I might just be able to keep this up for a while.

Magazines are vertical right? Covers are vertical, right? Hmmmm. I want to grow past the guiding hand that flickr is. I wonder how far this will go, how long I can keep shoot for and posting just vertical images?

It looks like some fox kits have started to show themselves at Bombay Hook Refuge. And quite a variety of birds are now at the refuge.

A week ago at Blackwater Refuge quite a few yellow legs were there. I also spotted a couple of great egrets.



May starts tomorrow. Here are my "most interesting shots tagged with May". I am planning to make new plans. :D

Nikographer.com / Jon

Thursday, April 29, 2010

GBH and MD Osprey - GVP #14 #15

From http://natureandwildlifephotography.blogspot.com/2010/04/gbh-and-md-osprey-gvp-14-15.html

10 days in and about 15 vertical shots posted so far...


GBH Dippers

I've been shooting vertically more for sure. Yesterday I went to shoot some birds and actually tried some in flight shots vertically! It was weird and a little awkward, but it was good.

MD Osprey


Vertical flight shots worked best for the part of their flight where they'd bank in front of me to the left or right.

Focus
Keeping the manual focus ring locked down seems to avoid the problem where the camera stops trying to auto-focus if it moves.

Last night I experimented with intentionally setting the focus fine tune to -6. Very often I've shot an osprey for example and gotten the wings in focus and the head (which is slightly closer to the camera) is not in focus. The test seemed to work, and I will try again with something like -10 or -12. Flight shots with the subject closing in on the camera seem to be when this problem happens most.

I hedged my bet and shot with that setting for only a portion of my time out. The results seem to indicate it helped. My only fear for this is I will forget I had it set and then shoot something not moving and my focus will all be off slightly.

-50-
Nikographer.com / Jon

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Osprey Perch GVP #13

posted at http://natureandwildlifephotography.blogspot.com/2010/04/osprey-perch-gvp-13.html

It's pretty cool how adaptable osprey are. They can nest on power poles, man made nest platforms, channel markers, in actual trees some times. Although in the Maryland area osprey don't seem to nest in trees all that much.

One of my favorite odd locations for an osprey nest is this one on Route 50:

The Osprey of Exit 44A Route 50 Maryland (3 pix)


Preched Osprey - vertical shot for my GVP project.

Osprey Perch

One of my other favorite osprey platforms is near Reagan National Airport. Over there osprey use the channel markers as nest platforms, and then add all kinds of materials to build the nest. Here the monument in the background (and plane) provides the clue(s) for where it is located.

Context*

I've been searching all over the place for new spots and found quite a few. There are so many places that they nest - be it on private property, in refuges, above ball fields or even just in a parking lot on a light pole. Not all are accessible, still others are awkwardly located and not very photogenic. I managed to find a pretty good one recently and don't want to jinx myself so I am holding off on even going until there are chicks, which should be in about a month. A second spot is equally as good and I posted something the other day from that spot (but not the nest yet).

Talons

-50-
Nikographer.com / Jon

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

3 Blind Robin Chicks GVP #12

From http://natureandwildlifephotography.blogspot.com/2010/04/3-blind-robin-chicks-gvp-12.html

Hey, On The Right, I'm Ready!

Hey, On The Right, I'm Ready!

3 Blind Robin Chicks aka GVP #12.

Pure nature.


Nikographer.com / Jon

Talons - GVP #11

From http://natureandwildlifephotography.blogspot.com/2010/04/talons-gvp-11.html

I was going to wait some more before posting some osprey shots but then later decided to post them anyway.

Talons

The unique composition caught my eye and the talons being in focus with the head was less so drew my eyes back to the talons.

This was GVP #6, and is from another spot.

MD Osprey

Some of my recent GVP posts were mainly results of cropping. The top photo here was horizontal, but the bird was at the top edge of the frame. I'd have probably of liked it before but then rejected it for posting. The vertical crop brought it back for me.

-50-
Nikographer.com / Jon

Monday, April 26, 2010

GVP 8, 9 and 10 - and focus plan

From http://natureandwildlifephotography.blogspot.com/2010/04/gvp-8-9-and-10-and-focus-plan.html

BCNHBCNH

I've been on flickr now for so long I've been shooting and posting with it mind. Too much on my mind.

This Vertical project is one attempt to break that habit. Explorer doesn't "like" vertical shots, and I don't as much, and laptops, contacts, screens, all favor horizontal images.

Whatever.

Another thing I have gotten in to the habit of it posting one a day mostly. So tonight I decided to post 3 shots, all vertical.

Yesterday it was vertical video.

---

On a more technical note, I learned something about hand holding my 200-400mm.

My main pet peeve with the 200-400mm f/4 lens is that the manual override of focus cannot be turned off. Gripping the lens near the front very very often caused the focus ring to turn and then that causes the camera to stop trying to focus.

I thought about using some gaffer tape to lock down that ring. But tape on that lens, just didn't seem like the right thing to do. This weekend I had the idea to slide my neopreme camo back a bit to cover the edge of the focusing ring, to prevent it from moving at all. It seemed to work!

Two other things I've changed up to improve my focus tracking of moving birds is to use the focus button on the back of the camera. The general way is to focus with the shutter button or back button on a moving subject and then just keep the rear-focus button depressed all the time. Take shots, wait, continue to track, take more shots - doing it this way keeps the camera working on focus the entire time because the focus button on the back of the camera is still pressed...

The other thing I finally did and think I may just stick to is I've turned OFF the focus limiter. I've gotten better at getting close to birds, or hiding better, and I don't want to miss those closer chances. With the limiter on I've had the occasional very close fly-by not be shootable because the lens wasn't allowed to focus so close.

The focus limit trade off - allow the lens to focus faster for a far away subject and miss close shots. OR take far away shots after a little lag / hunting, but NOT being locked out of the chance to focus close - which on the 200-400mm is about 6 feet (minimum).

The other day I was out shooting in two spots and had an eagle (both times) spot me late and make a hard turn and bank away. I was hiding and dressed in some camo, but not in a blind at the time.

-50-

Nikographer.com / Jon

Sunday, April 25, 2010

Great Falls National Park - GVP #7

From http://natureandwildlifephotography.blogspot.com/2010/04/great-falls-national-park-gvp-7.html

Great Falls National Park (GVP - Vertical Video )



I've been experimenting, and playing, and decided a couple weeks back to try shooting video vertically... The above is the result, rotated to achieve the proper orientation.

It may or may not be a "success" but I think it put all the pixels to use to get the flow of the river as I intended to. The idea for this project is helping me experiment. I mean, who is gonna shoot video vertically?!

Nikographer.com / Jon

Saturday, April 24, 2010

MD Osprey - GVP #6

From http://natureandwildlifephotography.blogspot.com/2010/04/md-osprey-gvp-6.html

MD Osprey

I'm not doing much Osprey shooting this year yet, but I found this one (bird) and shot it vertically so, it works for my project.

I've got a new osprey spot waiting in the wings so to speak that I should start to post from in about a month, it's gonna rock!

-50-

Nikographer.com / Jon

Friday, April 23, 2010

Going Vertical #5

From http://natureandwildlifephotography.blogspot.com/2010/04/going-vertical-5.html

Vertical.

Posting vertical shots has been something I've avoided, plainly.

Shooting, I'd sometimes think to do it, and still fewer times I'd respond and shoot vertically.

Great Falls, VA

This little project has turned a thing that would be a reason to not, in to a reason to.

--50--
Nikographer.com / Jon

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Going Vertical #4

From http://natureandwildlifephotography.blogspot.com/

GFNP

From the Maryland side of the park along the bridge path to the main-overlook...

Go Vertical!

It shouldn't be such a chore to think and shoot vertical, but most of the time it is for me. It seems natural to shoot horizontally.



-50-
Nikographer.com / Jon

Going Vertical #3

From http://natureandwildlifephotography.blogspot.com/2010/04/going-vertical-3.html

I'm just up to my 3rd GVP post...

Vanishing Boardwalk

This is a boardwalk at a nearby spot. The other end of the boardwalk has an elevated blind for watching wildlife from.

I hope this Going Vertical Project frees me to shoot vertical more as well as actually posting vertical images. My flickr account has probably 1% (or less) vertical shots, while I might have shot 5% (or less) vertical...

-50-





Nikographer.com / Jon

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Going Vertical #2

at http://natureandwildlifephotography.blogspot.com/2010/04/going-vertical-2.html

Blackwater

I've decided my project is going to be to shoot and post vertical shots for a good while.

Flickr really like horizontal images, or square images. Vertical images are not as popular, although I did recently come across someone's flickr stream that was almost completely vertically composed images.

Flickr's Explorer is almost always non-vertical shots, the non-vertical shots just work better for computer screens and the site's layout.

At a recent photoclub meeting the presenter had many panoramic shots taken with a panoramic camera. Most times you'd think of a pano you'd think horizontal, right? Well this person also had some vertical panos, like 1 foot wide by 6 feet tall. It's such an odd thing that it struck me. He's a pro and said that they sell well the tall narrow shots because they can fit in to place where wall space is very limited. And wow, yeah, that makes such great sense.

I'm going to try a few vertical panos if the subject looks right for it.

Here's another vertical shot, that I posted a while back, a rare thing...

My GBH

-50-



Nikographer.com / Jon

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Planning for a project, something to shoot for

From: http://natureandwildlifephotography.blogspot.com/

I've been trying to come up with a project. Something I can work on for a while, something to influence my plans and my approach to shooting for a long period of time.

My current approach is to shoot as much as possible. But that is not a long term plan, just a good measure of energy or making time for shooting.

I came up with 2 ideas for projects:
1) 365 project for shooting at a location - for instance shooting at great falls national park every day for a year. Hmm, yeah, that means I couldn't travel at all and miss a day. So, kind of tough to do. Then I got to thinking maybe I could just try to over time shoot and get a good/meaningful image each day of the year, over many year, and over time hitting each day of the year (ie all 365 days of the year). That I might be able to do. I need to figure out what days at Great Falls are already covered and then try to fill in the gaps...

2) I had the title for the project for a while, it's "Going Vertical". I shoot almost all the time horizontally so this would be a way to motivate me to think a little differently and try to compose vertically. For a couple weeks I've tried this, and taken more verticals than I would have done otherwise.

With those as my thoughts for a project, I am going to work on the "Going Vertical" project and shoot and post many vertical shots for a while.

Here's my first vertical post.
Going Vertical #1

I hope to shoot and not just CROP to vertical, I want to actually SHOOT vertically btw...

-Jon







Nikographer.com / Jon

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Blackwater - Bald Eagles Spring 2010 pt2

From http://natureandwildlifephotography.blogspot.com/2010/04/blackwater-bald-eagles-spring-2010-pt2.html

I posted this earlier today and now decided to post a bunch more shots from this time a couple weeks ago...

Bald Eagles at Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge.

2 Adults.

Incoming

Like A Dingy In The Wake Of A Super Tanker

2 Juveniles.

Federal Fish Inspector!

Brother Can You Spare A Fish?

http://blackwater-national-wildlife-refuge.blogspot.com/

-50-






Nikographer.com / Jon

Blackwater Refuge - Bald Eagles Spring 2010

From http://natureandwildlifephotography.blogspot.com/2010/04/blackwater-refuge-bald-eagles-spring.html

A couple weeks ago while I was at Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge I found a patch of marsh with around 5 eagles in it, and some ducks and RWBBs too.

Blackwater Refuge

They seemed to be feasting on some fish as well as what might have been a goose. The goose looked snow goose sized and white - if it was a snow goose it had to be a weak one that didn't leave with the other ones during the northward migration because I think those geese left weeks if not a month or more ago.





The group of eagles seem to be pretty friendly to each other, but did swoop in a few times to compete over some of the food. The birds in flight here - the young eagle had a fish and was trying to maintain control of it, but dropped it mid-flight, and the adult caught it mid-flight and kept it ;) I love seeing those mid-air transfers.

Blackwater should be fun this year - but I am not looking forward to the summer bug. Hopefully my blind will help keep them away from me. (The above were shot from my car, btw.)

-50-





Nikographer.com / Jon

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

CS5 and the iPad - I don't care

From http://natureandwildlifephotography.blogspot.com/2010/04/cs5-and-ipad-i-dont-care.html

People, bloggers, photographer, technology enthusiast are all going bonkers for the iPad and the upcoming release of Photoshop CS5.

Personally neither item gets me excited.

CS5 - I'd rather get excited over taking photos, not editing them. OOhh, Ahhh, content aware fill - really, are photographers like ME getting excited? Less than 1 percent of my images are digitally altered for content. I adjust levels, sharpness, crop, but I don't rip and replace content from my images. Maybe just maybe stitching panoramas where there are data gaps, but I'm not sure if it is that needed of a feature for me.

iPad - I have an iPod Touch already. I really enjoy it for podcast, and having some images in my pocket at the ready to share. It's my 2nd iPod - I had a gen3(?) video ipod which was nice too. So I have 2 desktops, 2 laptops, 2 ipods, and that's just my personal stuff (I have 2 work desktops and a laptop there too). If the iPad had a camera, gps, a memory card reader (flash, and SD) I'd be more interested.

I think a cable that connects the average video ipod to a tv or pc monitor is much more interesting, and I have one of those.

Locations, subjects, taking images - that excites me.

-50-



Nikographer.com / Jon

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Great Falls National Park Spring 2010

From http://natureandwildlifephotography.blogspot.com/2010/04/great-falls-national-park-spring-2010.html.

The River's water levels are coming down, and the herons are fishing in the main falls some. Over the last week I saw Great Blue Herons flying around with nesting material, as well as competing for spots to fish from.

Heron @ Great Falls National Park

There's a rookery up river that is pretty active, and an eagle's nest too. The eagle appear to now have a chick. I didn't follow the exact dates, but the chick might be 2 weeks old now.

I forgot and now remembered some of why I like Great Falls so much. The herons and water are such great attractions, and not having to drive a hundred miles (bombay hook refuge, blackwater refuge) is a nice change of pace.

While there I also saw a couple bluebirds, as well as many vultures (turkey and black). There was also a Red-Tailed Hawk with some crows dogging it on more than one occasion over the main falls.

I highly recommend folks visit Great Falls National Park. Bring a tripod and a short and long lenses.




-50-


Nikographer.com / Jon

Saturday, April 10, 2010

Getting unfamiliar with a location

From http://natureandwildlifephotography.blogspot.com/2010/04/getting-unfamiliar-with-location.html

I had this idea for working locations, and how to break from past routines.

In general we as humans try to do things in the fewest steps, with the least effort, while maximizing results. Sweeping statement, but I find it to be true related to some of the aspects of my approach to wildlife photography.

fewest steps
I go to place that have worked, and when I try new places if it doesn't work I put more effort in to the places that have worked. For the sake of observation, we all take in the smallest amount of visual queues to refresh our image of a place or scene - most of it is actually perceived from memory! That's why you might have never noticed a new store on a well traveled path, or something similar. And why it doesn't take all day to drive to work, because the path is known, and it is why driving somewhere the first time seem laborious, and 'risky' or 'uncharted', and well, requires more effort.

That last part also relates to how we will commonly take time to look where someone else is actively looking. Why waste time finding something or just trying to find something, when it is possible someone else has already found an interesting item... When I'm out shooting I now actively take in to account that people might stop and see me and change my encounter.

I also actively try to not just roll up on someone and influence their encounter if possible. A week or two ago I was at blackwater refuge and drove past someone I knew and another person too, just to let them have a peaceful solo sunrise, while I moved on to find my own spot. That worked out great because I found this heron and watched him hunt for 20 minutes straight, and we both had a good time ;)

Great Blue Heron

least effort
The downside to using the least effort is that major areas go completely unexplored, and routines lead to (in my opinion) lesser results. One example would be wear patterns on a carpet in (say) my apartment. The carpet a foot to the right or left is just as walkable and usable but habits form and areas go under used and other get overused. Least effort causes wear to form in the direct paths from one spot to another.

For wildlife photography, to bring those points back to being meaningful to my blog and this post, it is easy to form habits and wear patterns and wind up missing possibly huge areas worthy of exploring.

At blackwater refuge I realized that there are a few trails that I have in one case NEVER walked, and in another case only ever walked for 5 minutes on one occasion. Chances are if I explored those areas I'd find owls, foxes, song/small birds, delmarva fox squirrels, and who knows what else. But I've not put the effort in and they are like the unworn sections of carpet in my apt.

One of my newer goals is to not just go where other folks are going, and seeing what is mostly plainly findable, but to search more and see what hides around the corner from the easy to find.

Bald Eagle Fishing @ Blackwater RefugeEagle Portrait

At blackwater this winter I tried a spot I've driven past many times, and setup one a couple occasions and got this eagle fishing shot and also one of an eagle perched close by. It was very easy to drive on by, and hard(er) to stop and risk it, but it paid off - I didn't have anything quite like these - encounter or image wise from blackwater...


I can think of a couple of trails at Bombay Hook refuge that I've also either never hiked or never given more than a brief survey.

In summary, while I think it is very good to get to know a location, and form habits that lead to success, the opposite is also true. Treating a location like it is brand new and giving time to each spot or area in search of something is worth pursuing too. Using this approach can add new life to a spot that seems well known and lacking *new*.

p.s. for reference I've been to blackwater around idk 50 times in 4 years, and bombay hook 25 times in 3 years...

-50-





Nikographer.com / Jon

Friday, April 9, 2010

Canon Hacks, Someone please hack my Nikon!

From http://natureandwildlifephotography.blogspot.com/2010/04/canon-hacks-someone-please-hack-my.html



http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/25/hack-provides-liveview-canon-eos-dslrs-with-video-recording/

What you have to do:
1.) Download the flle: valexvir.narod.ru/
2.) Extract it
3.) Plug in your camera with the USB to your computer, turn the camera on.
4.) Run the .exe - That's it.
5.) Press WRITE on the software to record a video

Still not your 5D Mark II because your camera has to stay connected to a laptop in order to record video and there's no audio.

*edit* I don't imagine using this method to shoot anything substantial because it's not practical or 1080p HD


--

Discovered because Andy posted this:


and this


The main things I'd want are:
-better control over bracketing - ie like my d70s had, 3 shot brackets with 2 stops per shot (d200, d300, d300s only do 1 stop increments only, even if it does more shots)
-shutter speed control for video recording (d300s)
-






Nikographer.com / Jon

Red Fox with Tundra Swan

From http://natureandwildlifephotography.blogspot.com/2010/04/red-fox-with-tundra-swan.html

This Red Fox was working mightily to drag this Swan (I think) back to his den. It was pretty huge and the fox struggled, and took a break to catch its breath more than once.

Just back from Linen 'n Things?

Red Fox

I suspect that the fox either did the kill earlier and went back to fetch it when I found him, or he stumbled upon the bird and claimed it for himself.

Bombay Hook is very well know for Foxes, there's a lot of them there and due to human feedings (a crime) they are not fearful and usually don't run away from people/photographers. On more than one occassion I've felt that a fox was coming too close and had to get them to back off a little.

-50-






Nikographer.com / Jon

Thursday, April 8, 2010

Possum, Oh Possum (video)

I made this a number of months back, and meant to redo it, but never got around to it, so I finally decided to just post it.

Previously I posted just this one image of the Opossum/Possum...










Nikographer.com / Jon

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Flowers and Colors - Get out, Cross-train

From http://natureandwildlifephotography.blogspot.com/

I've written about some local spots before, and here's another one.



Nature and wildlife photography takes many trips, lots of attempts and visits to locations. While there are good habits, and techniques, much of it is chance and luck. So, I've found some of the best ways to get good images is to find spots that are not too far of a drive (maybe 30 minutes away or less) and then go often.

With days that are longer than 12 hours, I like to take time to go some where either before or after work. If I get off of work at 5 or 6, and sunset is at 7:30 or 8:30, that's a good amount of time to shoot if it is close by.

I live north of DC and that means Great Falls is close, and there are just a ton of parks, gardens that are good candidates for working.

Even though I like to shoot mostly wildlife and landscapes, I have been getting in the habit of going to a local garden (brookside). They have many varieties of flowers. Just a couple weeks ago almost nothing was in bloom when I went, but I got some decent pansy shots and posted this one.

For me it becomes an exercise in color, composition, and trying to really see more or better, and control things. With wildlife that's harder to try and practice. With landscapes it is somewhat doable, but you cannot control color or light much (sun, time of day, weather conditions - not too controllable) except for getting out a ton and picking the right DAYS...

But with flowers it is straightforward. In a way I would consider flower photography cross-training for me. It is a related but different skillset that I hope to learn from and apply to other areas of photography.

Tonight I stopped by the gardens for less than an hour, and took/made some images. While there I also saw a bunch of american robins, and a pair of red-winged blackbirds. On previous trips I've seen a kingfisher, and baltimore oriole, geese and ducks. One of these days I'm going to get some good wildlife photos here. It might turn in to my next find like the heron from last year. Who knows. And because the gardens are managed and well maintained there should be a good variety and turn over in the flowers/subjects, which means colors.

On a technical note, I've been shooting the flowers mostly with my 80-400mm, and a close up lens, and with extension tube(s) off of a tripod. No flash, and no reflector (yet), and I've not brought a spray bottle of water either...

And color should not be underrated a photographic element of its own.
GBH @ Sunrise


-50-




Nikographer.com / Jon

GBH w/ big fish at Blackwater Refuge

From http://natureandwildlifephotography.blogspot.com/

Great Blue Heron with a big fish.

Lemme Go!

(1/60th, f/4, 400mm, ISO 400)

There's a spot at Blackwater Refuge where herons often hunt. Approaching herons at the refuge is a fairly straight forward thing - stay in your car and don't move too fast, and you won't spook them. I shot the above from my car, and managed to shoot the heron for around 20 minutes. He caught a few fish, smaller ones earlier, and then finally caught this big one. It took him more than 5 minutes to eat it.

I shot these at some pretty slow shutter speeds, and hand held (resting on hand and window's edge). I like the motion, but it is tough to get a lot of keepers. These were shot at around sunrise, and the heron was in a shaded spot. As the light gradually increased I did up the shutter speed but still only a little. Adding the movement, while still not *blurry* I think adds to it nicely.

For sunrise and lower light situations I'm going to continue to work with the slower shutter speeds. I'd have preferred to be on a tripod, but that would have scared off the heron...

BTW, Congrats to Pat Ulrich on the denfenders.org contest.

-50-





Nikographer.com / Jon

Sunday, April 4, 2010

MD Osprey

From: http://natureandwildlifephotography.blogspot.com/

An Osprey shot from today.

MD Osprey

I've been watching some osprey this year, but it's different. I don't care to watch the nest from last year the same way. Watching and appreciating birds, while positioning one's self near their nest - sort of seems weak. No matter the effort, my presence will at least ruffle their feathers.



And with other photographers coming too, it just makes things too much to manage as an individual photographer. So I have and will go some, but for the most part I'm going to just visit and shoot at that nest occasionally, and try to find more spots too.

Today, I immediately broke from my past habits and took a walk through the woods and saw a Great Horned Owl fly across my path and head in to the woods fly at about 2 feet off the ground. I didn't get any photos of 'em, but, it was like a reward of my trying more new/different and moving away from the "watch the nest" style of shooting.



The drama at the nest is that there appears to be a couple or more different females courting either THE male or just plain competing with the locals over the platform... IDK. If I had a bird's brain maybe I'd know. Lol.

-50-


Here are a few from last year at The Nest...:

MD Osprey 6 of 6 - handheld D200



Nikographer.com / Jon

Golden Eagle Photos and Videos

From: http://natureandwildlifephotography.blogspot.com/

Seeing a Golden Eagle is a pretty rare thing for me. When I first started to see bald eagles I would mistake juvenile balds for goldens, but nowadays I am pretty familiar with the differences in their markings.

The eagle count at Blackwater Refuge this year had 7. I got this golden eagle there a little over a year ago.

Golden Eagle @ Blackwater NWR, MD 1/3/09

Golden eagles are basically huge, and can prey on things that are also surprisingly large. Check out this short clip of a deer falling prey:



And see this image from a nest with a feast of foxes (some with radio collars):



Here's a much longer video, that is almost too crazy to believe, but I think it is real and just shows how powerful the golden eagle is.



-50-




Nikographer.com / Jon