Showing posts with label Osprey. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Osprey. Show all posts
Friday, April 21, 2017
Saturday, March 25, 2017
Going Old School - Osprey Drawings
When I was a kid, I used to like to draw. I would draw cars, trees, boats, whatever.
Fast forward and now I like to take photos. A ton of photos. I usually take more than 100,000 photos a year. A typical day could be 500-2000 images depending on how many places and cool things and action I encounter.
A month or so ago I bought a couple of sketch books and some pencils, erasers, etc.
Thursday I sat down with a pad and pencil and stared at it for a while. Then I drew a box with a vertical line through it. And I scratched my head so to speak... What is that and why did I draw it? I didn't know. I still don't know, but it was a starting point. I figured out that was NOT what I wanted to draw. Usually my doodles are boxes, three dimensional distractions that are a waste of time but accomplish the goal.
Then from somewhere the idea of drawing a bird came to me. I decided to try to draw an osprey, and drew about 8 that first night, each roughly a quarter of the page I had to work with. Here are 3 from the first night.
Then on the second night I used most of a page and drew this single portrait. It's got some light and shadow...
Tonight (3/25/2017) I drew another osprey portrait but I didn't like the way it came out. It was too dark and there some issues with the proportions being a little bit askew.
So I drew a second image and here's what I came up with, it is from an image I took today of an osprey eating a fish. All these drawings are based on photographs I took at some point. I put the image up on my iPad and then drew...
Tonight's second drawing (above) is the first that has the tail and the repeating patterns in the feathers, and the first with talons. I drew it quickly and probably because I had done another image and given up on it, I was fast to call it done. Looking at it more I could work on the eye more and the left leg might need some adjusting. But part of this exercise is to go quick and make drawings and learn and move on.
I'm still playing with a few modes of doing the drawings. 2 days ago I started with the eyes and then added around that slowly. Today I tried starting with the tree branch and then added the eye and then more of an outline of the bird. In the future I want to try to do more of an outline of the entire bird/subject and then as I go fill in the details. That should help me get the scale and proportions better. But I also know from some past drawings that starting with small details and adding slowly to that can have a surprisingly good result because it is details added to details and the scale is considered for each small area vs. trying to get the scale correct all up front...
Hope you like the drawings, I had fun making them and plan to make more.
-Jon
Fast forward and now I like to take photos. A ton of photos. I usually take more than 100,000 photos a year. A typical day could be 500-2000 images depending on how many places and cool things and action I encounter.
A month or so ago I bought a couple of sketch books and some pencils, erasers, etc.
Thursday I sat down with a pad and pencil and stared at it for a while. Then I drew a box with a vertical line through it. And I scratched my head so to speak... What is that and why did I draw it? I didn't know. I still don't know, but it was a starting point. I figured out that was NOT what I wanted to draw. Usually my doodles are boxes, three dimensional distractions that are a waste of time but accomplish the goal.
Then from somewhere the idea of drawing a bird came to me. I decided to try to draw an osprey, and drew about 8 that first night, each roughly a quarter of the page I had to work with. Here are 3 from the first night.
Then on the second night I used most of a page and drew this single portrait. It's got some light and shadow...
Tonight (3/25/2017) I drew another osprey portrait but I didn't like the way it came out. It was too dark and there some issues with the proportions being a little bit askew.
So I drew a second image and here's what I came up with, it is from an image I took today of an osprey eating a fish. All these drawings are based on photographs I took at some point. I put the image up on my iPad and then drew...
Tonight's second drawing (above) is the first that has the tail and the repeating patterns in the feathers, and the first with talons. I drew it quickly and probably because I had done another image and given up on it, I was fast to call it done. Looking at it more I could work on the eye more and the left leg might need some adjusting. But part of this exercise is to go quick and make drawings and learn and move on.
I'm still playing with a few modes of doing the drawings. 2 days ago I started with the eyes and then added around that slowly. Today I tried starting with the tree branch and then added the eye and then more of an outline of the bird. In the future I want to try to do more of an outline of the entire bird/subject and then as I go fill in the details. That should help me get the scale and proportions better. But I also know from some past drawings that starting with small details and adding slowly to that can have a surprisingly good result because it is details added to details and the scale is considered for each small area vs. trying to get the scale correct all up front...
Hope you like the drawings, I had fun making them and plan to make more.
-Jon
Tuesday, March 14, 2017
2017 Osprey
When the osprey leave at the end of the summer I always anticipate their return 6 months later. Usually that means early March, some osprey are back and I look forward to seeing my first ones of the year.
First osprey (1/2 of pair) of the year, from March 2017:
Possibly my 2 favorite osprey photos of 2016, from out at St. Michaels on the Maryland Eastern Shore.
Male delivering a fish to a full nest:
![July Osprey [1]](https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/409/31402089070_c9fee244b6_b.jpg)
I don't previsualize photos very often, but this is one I planned for and hoped to capture. The only thing I went to shoot on this and one other day were 2 specific osprey nests, which each had 3 chicks.
Female shading her 3 chicks on a near 100 degree day:
-Jon
Tuesday, December 20, 2016
July Osprey - 2016
July is a great time for photographing Osprey in Maryland. The chicks are getting big, and still in the nests, not yet fledged. They are also eating a ton of fish so the adults need to be active to keep up with the demand for food.
In years past I have let other things grab my time and attention and I have missed out on shooting the osprey chicks.
But this year I took a day off of work, and I also took a weekend day and went to 2 specific nests near St. Michaels Maryland to shoot the birds. There are so many nests in Maryland, but I liked these two because they are near but not too near to land, and they each had 3 chicks this year.
At the first nest I watched as one particular bird worked out, flapping away, gaining wing strength.
![July Osprey [3]](https://c7.staticflickr.com/1/641/31737291686_ce300f5920_b.jpg)
What really caught my eye was how the adult was perched slightly higher than the chicks, and was surveying the area but also keeping a close eye on the chicks too.
![July Osprey [2]](https://c7.staticflickr.com/1/456/31737307046_7193d50ce6_b.jpg)
The other nest I shot at had the 3 chicks, and they spent more time being fed. The male osprey was nearby and delivered 3 fish within about an hour while I was there for about 3 hours. It was super hot, above 90/95 degrees.
While shooting from a nearby marina I drank 4 bottles of water to just keep up with the heat and sweat.
The above photos are new posts to flickr. The below images I have shared already, here's the male at the second nest checking me out while carrying a fish, and then coming in for a landing at the nest.
I really like how crowded the nest seemed and how they were all huddled together so closely. They were also very eager to eat, and the female (adult) went right for the fish and then repositioned herself to feed the chicks. The male was more tentative.
It is not that often that I have seen and photographed chicks and both adults in a nest. Usually the male will stay away or fly away quickly. This male was similarly edgy but delivered 3 fish, and stayed in the nest longer than I expected.
Part of the reason could be the distance of the nest from the shore. It was not that close - I used a 600mm and crop body (D500) to shoot them, and with a 1.4 teleconverter for some images. In addition, when the male came by and seemed to do a couple fly-bys checking out the nest and me, but not landing, I backed up slightly, until he landed on the nest. At one point I also used a cheap wireless camera trigger - where I set up the camera on the nest, turned off auto-focus, and then walked away to see if the birds' behavior would change.
During this time the male caught the fish and then would land on a nearby channel marker and eat some of the fish and wait. The male, and female actually while the male was hunting, took to the air to ward off other osprey that intruded on their territory.
Each day was about a 4 hour drive round trip, and probably around 4-6 hours shooting.
The osprey should be coming back in two and a half to three months. It will be fun to see them again.
-Jon
In years past I have let other things grab my time and attention and I have missed out on shooting the osprey chicks.
But this year I took a day off of work, and I also took a weekend day and went to 2 specific nests near St. Michaels Maryland to shoot the birds. There are so many nests in Maryland, but I liked these two because they are near but not too near to land, and they each had 3 chicks this year.
At the first nest I watched as one particular bird worked out, flapping away, gaining wing strength.
What really caught my eye was how the adult was perched slightly higher than the chicks, and was surveying the area but also keeping a close eye on the chicks too.
The other nest I shot at had the 3 chicks, and they spent more time being fed. The male osprey was nearby and delivered 3 fish within about an hour while I was there for about 3 hours. It was super hot, above 90/95 degrees.
While shooting from a nearby marina I drank 4 bottles of water to just keep up with the heat and sweat.
The above photos are new posts to flickr. The below images I have shared already, here's the male at the second nest checking me out while carrying a fish, and then coming in for a landing at the nest.
I really like how crowded the nest seemed and how they were all huddled together so closely. They were also very eager to eat, and the female (adult) went right for the fish and then repositioned herself to feed the chicks. The male was more tentative.
It is not that often that I have seen and photographed chicks and both adults in a nest. Usually the male will stay away or fly away quickly. This male was similarly edgy but delivered 3 fish, and stayed in the nest longer than I expected.
Part of the reason could be the distance of the nest from the shore. It was not that close - I used a 600mm and crop body (D500) to shoot them, and with a 1.4 teleconverter for some images. In addition, when the male came by and seemed to do a couple fly-bys checking out the nest and me, but not landing, I backed up slightly, until he landed on the nest. At one point I also used a cheap wireless camera trigger - where I set up the camera on the nest, turned off auto-focus, and then walked away to see if the birds' behavior would change.
During this time the male caught the fish and then would land on a nearby channel marker and eat some of the fish and wait. The male, and female actually while the male was hunting, took to the air to ward off other osprey that intruded on their territory.
Each day was about a 4 hour drive round trip, and probably around 4-6 hours shooting.
The osprey should be coming back in two and a half to three months. It will be fun to see them again.
-Jon
Saturday, October 1, 2016
Cape May NJ 2016 - Juv. Osprey Fishing
During the Fall I love to go to Cape May New Jersey. The raptor/bird migration is great. My friend Wayne turned me on to the location a while back, and I've gone every year since.
This year I have been once so far on September 24-25 (2016). It was a little early for big numbers of hawks, and the weather was not great for it either.
The best setup for hawk migration is when a cold front moves through, pushing birds east, and the prevailing winds are out of the Northwest. This pattern pushes birds towards the east coast and the way Cape May and the Delaware Bay are the birds run out of land to fly over, since there's water everywhere else and they tend to stop over on the cape.
But it's Fall and it's Cape May so not great here still has the potential to be good.
On this morning there were a few young osprey flying around over The Meadows and along the shore, over the Atlantic Ocean just at the edge of the beach.
The young osprey aren't very skilled at hunting yet and it takes them a lot of effort to catch fish. Here the osprey has caught 2 small fish, after trying numerous times to get something. I also saw dolphins in this same area and they were hunting as well. I probably saw more than a dozen of the dolphins over the course of a couple of hours.
(updated - 10/11/2016 with another image)
The ideal time to see hawks migrating is when the weather is right, and during the first couple of weeks in October based on my experience...
To see more of my Cape May photos click on this image to see my flickr set.
-Jon
This year I have been once so far on September 24-25 (2016). It was a little early for big numbers of hawks, and the weather was not great for it either.
The best setup for hawk migration is when a cold front moves through, pushing birds east, and the prevailing winds are out of the Northwest. This pattern pushes birds towards the east coast and the way Cape May and the Delaware Bay are the birds run out of land to fly over, since there's water everywhere else and they tend to stop over on the cape.
But it's Fall and it's Cape May so not great here still has the potential to be good.
On this morning there were a few young osprey flying around over The Meadows and along the shore, over the Atlantic Ocean just at the edge of the beach.
The young osprey aren't very skilled at hunting yet and it takes them a lot of effort to catch fish. Here the osprey has caught 2 small fish, after trying numerous times to get something. I also saw dolphins in this same area and they were hunting as well. I probably saw more than a dozen of the dolphins over the course of a couple of hours.
(updated - 10/11/2016 with another image)
The ideal time to see hawks migrating is when the weather is right, and during the first couple of weeks in October based on my experience...
To see more of my Cape May photos click on this image to see my flickr set.
-Jon
Original content posted at http://natureandwildlifephotography.blogspot.com/
Nikographer.com / Jon
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Maine Osprey 2011
My brother has been getting in to photography a lot lately and found an awesome spot for Osprey in Maine. There's a river and a run of fish going on now, and well, the river's pretty narrow and there's lots of fish and osprey. It's an awesome spot.
A half hour's walk through the woods and then there it is.
Continued...
In a few days I've gone a few times and spent quite a few hours there. There are all show with a 500mm handheld and cropped some...
The spot is setup pretty nicely, by late morning the light is working its way to the side of the river and behind the spot to shoot from.
While there my brother and I were both initially put off because of some hikers and people fishing there along the river. But after a while, I realized that by this not being an untraveled spot the osprey are actually more accustomed to people being around.
Nikographer.com / Jon
A half hour's walk through the woods and then there it is.
Continued...
In a few days I've gone a few times and spent quite a few hours there. There are all show with a 500mm handheld and cropped some...
The spot is setup pretty nicely, by late morning the light is working its way to the side of the river and behind the spot to shoot from.
While there my brother and I were both initially put off because of some hikers and people fishing there along the river. But after a while, I realized that by this not being an untraveled spot the osprey are actually more accustomed to people being around.
Original content posted at http://natureandwildlifephotography.blogspot.com/
Nikographer.com / Jon
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Keep Exploring & More Vertical
GVP #40 to #48 - From http://natureandwildlifephotography.blogspot.com/2010/05/keep-exploring-more-vertical.html
A couple weeks ago I went to the Air Show at Andrews Air Force Base. This was my 5th year going, and I'm starting to get my fill of it all. The highlights of past years have been the F-15 which is awesome and so fast when they kick on the afterburners. The F-22 Raptor is amazing too. It can basically defy normal laws of physics, and hover, flip, flop, slide, go backwards, sort of crazy.
-click for more-
The part that has gotten pretty old this time is the crowds. My basic routine for the past few years is to be on one of the very first buses from Fedex field so I can get a front row spot near the middle. Doing it this way makes it a very long day but there's not a better place to shoot from really. With no one in front of you, you can have an unblocked view of just about all of the show. They have restrictions on what you can bring to the base/show, but you're allowed to bring a chair, a tripod, and whatever camera gear you might want to carry (but bag sizes are limited to 1 cubic foot). The problem is that even if things go smooth it is a stressful day. Carrying around a couple cameras, a few lenses, a chair, a tripod, and being out in the hot sun on the tarmac takes a toll. Add to this the fact that the crowds are usually around 100,000 people, and being up front makes your space a target. Every one that was home sleeping at 7am now wants to stand in front of you. So it turns in to a defensive struggle to not get ousted from the front row, or just stepped on and bullied.
The other thing that I found some this year is that it is somewhat hard to get unique photos when you and 99,999 other folks are there too. I guess it is not impossible, but it is hard. My vertical project helped a little to keep me trying new stuff, but, more and more I want to keep advancing my photography and being where lots of other people are shooting isn't part of the plan.
Maybe next year I will take a different approach to it to keep it fresh - like sleeping in, or not bringing a big lens and tripod or chair, etc. Doing it completely the opposite way, and shooting the static display stuff more, or maybe the people of the air show.
(I realize that I am posting this to my nature&wildlife photography blog, but to me all photography is part of the same continuum - the learning, exploring, and processes involved.)
The sad news of the zoo's lions loosing their new born cub was a real downer. But the work involved in the zoo's effort to build a lion pride has been going on for around 5 years! The fact that they have a male, 2 females, they've settle in to the zoo well, and now are a pride of 3 - and there's been mating and a single birth (this recent one) is a success. And this setback is temporary, and I am still hopeful and proud of the hard work the zoo has done to come this far.
And now on to some WILDLIFE! Last year I went to Cape May New Jersey for the first few times ever. I stayed over night both times, and had a real blast. During Fall Cape May is a major hot spot for migratory birds. I saw hawks, and a variety of other birds but the Black Skimmers were my absolute favorites.
In October (2009) there had to have been 500 birds (black skimmers) along the beach - in just one or two groups. By November (2009) the group was down to roughly 50, and of those only a handful for adults. For reference as to how much I enjoyed watching and shooting them - I probably spent 50% of my time just with them on the beach, and maybe took 3000 shots. The hawks, raptors, etc which motivated me to go in the first place weren't my favorites or even a big highlight. Just this one image stands out - and the close encounter I had with a Cooper's that flew by me at around a distance of 5 feet and plunged in to a bush to try to catch a meal.
This weekend I went again but didn't find any Skimmers. There were some on the other side of the Delaware Bay in DE. The highlight of this trip was probably the Piping Plovers and Laughing Gulls. Much like the Skimmers, the Laughing Gulls are pretty common but they have some character and aren't too skittish.
I was keeping Cape May a "secret". Lol. The thing is that people do follow where I go, and I wanted to keep the spot to myself. But in actuality the spot is probably the most famous and known birding spots of all the east coast north of Florida. I realized this (obvious fact) and also that I should be able to get my unique images regardless of who knows I shoot there. I am still going to try to keep my smaller spots off of my publicly shared spots (just going to share the images themselves) - but a spot like CM, it's like Blackwater or Bombay Hook - the locations are very well known already.
Later in the weekend I checked in on one of the osprey nests I visit, and the female appeared to be sleeping when I got there. She woke up when some other birds chirped to alert the neighborhood to my approach. But she didn't fly off the nest, and just watched me for a few. There's gotta be chicks already or maybe by this weekend. I didn't see any feeding last weekend, and have high hopes for this nest this year.
I've been shooting video on and off, trying to keep at that. Here's a short clip of the osprey from above, sitting on the nest and yelling to the skies!
Those are some of my recent travels. My goal of late is to see and shoot differently as much as possible. The vertical thing has opened some doors. Going to new places like Cape May, and oh yeah, I took the ferry there this time. That was interesting.
Other ways I changed it up this year was in February when I took a day trip to Assateague State Park. That's around a 150 mile trip ONE WAY! I got there within 10 minutes of sunrise! I shot there for a few hours and had some fun/success. I went to Blackwater Refuge also that day. And to show just how crazy/motivated I can be - I went to Great Falls for sunset too - all in the same day. Was about a 15 hour day door to door. And I got some great shots. And because that day was so good at Blackwater, I went again the next day and probably got my best / most different Snow Goose shots to date. That weekend I drove around 500+ miles and "worked at it" around 25 hours.
A couple weeks ago I went to the Air Show at Andrews Air Force Base. This was my 5th year going, and I'm starting to get my fill of it all. The highlights of past years have been the F-15 which is awesome and so fast when they kick on the afterburners. The F-22 Raptor is amazing too. It can basically defy normal laws of physics, and hover, flip, flop, slide, go backwards, sort of crazy.
-click for more-
The part that has gotten pretty old this time is the crowds. My basic routine for the past few years is to be on one of the very first buses from Fedex field so I can get a front row spot near the middle. Doing it this way makes it a very long day but there's not a better place to shoot from really. With no one in front of you, you can have an unblocked view of just about all of the show. They have restrictions on what you can bring to the base/show, but you're allowed to bring a chair, a tripod, and whatever camera gear you might want to carry (but bag sizes are limited to 1 cubic foot). The problem is that even if things go smooth it is a stressful day. Carrying around a couple cameras, a few lenses, a chair, a tripod, and being out in the hot sun on the tarmac takes a toll. Add to this the fact that the crowds are usually around 100,000 people, and being up front makes your space a target. Every one that was home sleeping at 7am now wants to stand in front of you. So it turns in to a defensive struggle to not get ousted from the front row, or just stepped on and bullied.
The other thing that I found some this year is that it is somewhat hard to get unique photos when you and 99,999 other folks are there too. I guess it is not impossible, but it is hard. My vertical project helped a little to keep me trying new stuff, but, more and more I want to keep advancing my photography and being where lots of other people are shooting isn't part of the plan.
Maybe next year I will take a different approach to it to keep it fresh - like sleeping in, or not bringing a big lens and tripod or chair, etc. Doing it completely the opposite way, and shooting the static display stuff more, or maybe the people of the air show.
(I realize that I am posting this to my nature&wildlife photography blog, but to me all photography is part of the same continuum - the learning, exploring, and processes involved.)
The sad news of the zoo's lions loosing their new born cub was a real downer. But the work involved in the zoo's effort to build a lion pride has been going on for around 5 years! The fact that they have a male, 2 females, they've settle in to the zoo well, and now are a pride of 3 - and there's been mating and a single birth (this recent one) is a success. And this setback is temporary, and I am still hopeful and proud of the hard work the zoo has done to come this far.
And now on to some WILDLIFE! Last year I went to Cape May New Jersey for the first few times ever. I stayed over night both times, and had a real blast. During Fall Cape May is a major hot spot for migratory birds. I saw hawks, and a variety of other birds but the Black Skimmers were my absolute favorites.
In October (2009) there had to have been 500 birds (black skimmers) along the beach - in just one or two groups. By November (2009) the group was down to roughly 50, and of those only a handful for adults. For reference as to how much I enjoyed watching and shooting them - I probably spent 50% of my time just with them on the beach, and maybe took 3000 shots. The hawks, raptors, etc which motivated me to go in the first place weren't my favorites or even a big highlight. Just this one image stands out - and the close encounter I had with a Cooper's that flew by me at around a distance of 5 feet and plunged in to a bush to try to catch a meal.
This weekend I went again but didn't find any Skimmers. There were some on the other side of the Delaware Bay in DE. The highlight of this trip was probably the Piping Plovers and Laughing Gulls. Much like the Skimmers, the Laughing Gulls are pretty common but they have some character and aren't too skittish.
I was keeping Cape May a "secret". Lol. The thing is that people do follow where I go, and I wanted to keep the spot to myself. But in actuality the spot is probably the most famous and known birding spots of all the east coast north of Florida. I realized this (obvious fact) and also that I should be able to get my unique images regardless of who knows I shoot there. I am still going to try to keep my smaller spots off of my publicly shared spots (just going to share the images themselves) - but a spot like CM, it's like Blackwater or Bombay Hook - the locations are very well known already.
Later in the weekend I checked in on one of the osprey nests I visit, and the female appeared to be sleeping when I got there. She woke up when some other birds chirped to alert the neighborhood to my approach. But she didn't fly off the nest, and just watched me for a few. There's gotta be chicks already or maybe by this weekend. I didn't see any feeding last weekend, and have high hopes for this nest this year.
I've been shooting video on and off, trying to keep at that. Here's a short clip of the osprey from above, sitting on the nest and yelling to the skies!
Those are some of my recent travels. My goal of late is to see and shoot differently as much as possible. The vertical thing has opened some doors. Going to new places like Cape May, and oh yeah, I took the ferry there this time. That was interesting.
Other ways I changed it up this year was in February when I took a day trip to Assateague State Park. That's around a 150 mile trip ONE WAY! I got there within 10 minutes of sunrise! I shot there for a few hours and had some fun/success. I went to Blackwater Refuge also that day. And to show just how crazy/motivated I can be - I went to Great Falls for sunset too - all in the same day. Was about a 15 hour day door to door. And I got some great shots. And because that day was so good at Blackwater, I went again the next day and probably got my best / most different Snow Goose shots to date. That weekend I drove around 500+ miles and "worked at it" around 25 hours.
Original content posted at http://natureandwildlifephotography.blogspot.com/
Nikographer.com / Jon
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.
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
Continuing on my Vertical project here are 3 more photos. I've managed to post nearly 20 now, without too much trouble.
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
Original content posted at http://natureandwildlifephotography.blogspot.com/
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...
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.
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-
10 days in and about 15 vertical shots posted so far...
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.
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-
Original content posted at http://natureandwildlifephotography.blogspot.com/
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:
Preched Osprey - vertical shot for my GVP project.
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.
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).
-50-
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:
Preched Osprey - vertical shot for my GVP project.
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.
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).
-50-
Original content posted at http://natureandwildlifephotography.blogspot.com/
Nikographer.com / Jon
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
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.
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.
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-
I was going to wait some more before posting some osprey shots but then later decided to post them anyway.
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.
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-
Original content posted at http://natureandwildlifephotography.blogspot.com/
Nikographer.com / Jon
Saturday, April 24, 2010
MD Osprey - GVP #6
From http://natureandwildlifephotography.blogspot.com/2010/04/md-osprey-gvp-6.html
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-
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-
Original content posted at http://natureandwildlifephotography.blogspot.com/
Nikographer.com / Jon
Sunday, April 4, 2010
MD Osprey
From: http://natureandwildlifephotography.blogspot.com/
An Osprey shot from today.
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...:
Nikographer.com / Jon
An Osprey shot from today.
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...:
Original content posted at http://natureandwildlifephotography.blogspot.com/
Nikographer.com / Jon
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Free Tools: Calendering for Wildlife Dates
There are a few free tools that I use some times:
Overdisk
Bulk Rename Utility
Picasa
Gmail
Dropbox!
The one that I just started to use today/tonight for increased awareness and productivity is Google Calendar. I stated to enter past successes and dates for things like Osprey spottings, fox kit spottings, etc. I will be adding tons of new things as time goes on, and as I see new things.
The key thing to this tool for future years is how I am adding the past events. I'm adding them as yearly-recurring events with reminders days in advance. This will automatically email me of up coming dates when things worked in previous years! And it's free!
I've been shooting wildlife with a passion for maybe 3 or 4 years. Learning from past experience is a must, and as more time passes and more experience is amassed a tool like this is a great addition.
I highly recommend that you add a tool or system like this to your own research and shooting habits. Don't ask me for my info, that's the part you need to keep track of from your own travels. I only go to a very small patch of this globe we all live on, and I want to share the sights I find and see and track (not the specific details of my planning or shooting locations on that level). Your goal, if you're reading this blog for insight and help and guidance to do your own nature and wildlife photography work, should be to find your own slice of wildlife to watch, observe and learn from and share with others...
Google calendars and tracking events as yearly recurring events can be a great way to aid in that.
I'm already looking forward to - Ospreys and Chicks, Fox and Kits, etc.
I've also added dates for Black-Crowned Night Herons returning, and will be adding many other migratory species and the locations they've shown up in and when... The in-advance reminders should be a real help, and I recommend you give that a go too...
Happy Shootin'
-50-
-Jon
Overdisk
Bulk Rename Utility
Picasa
Gmail
Dropbox!
The one that I just started to use today/tonight for increased awareness and productivity is Google Calendar. I stated to enter past successes and dates for things like Osprey spottings, fox kit spottings, etc. I will be adding tons of new things as time goes on, and as I see new things.
The key thing to this tool for future years is how I am adding the past events. I'm adding them as yearly-recurring events with reminders days in advance. This will automatically email me of up coming dates when things worked in previous years! And it's free!
I've been shooting wildlife with a passion for maybe 3 or 4 years. Learning from past experience is a must, and as more time passes and more experience is amassed a tool like this is a great addition.
I highly recommend that you add a tool or system like this to your own research and shooting habits. Don't ask me for my info, that's the part you need to keep track of from your own travels. I only go to a very small patch of this globe we all live on, and I want to share the sights I find and see and track (not the specific details of my planning or shooting locations on that level). Your goal, if you're reading this blog for insight and help and guidance to do your own nature and wildlife photography work, should be to find your own slice of wildlife to watch, observe and learn from and share with others...
Google calendars and tracking events as yearly recurring events can be a great way to aid in that.
I'm already looking forward to - Ospreys and Chicks, Fox and Kits, etc.
I've also added dates for Black-Crowned Night Herons returning, and will be adding many other migratory species and the locations they've shown up in and when... The in-advance reminders should be a real help, and I recommend you give that a go too...
Happy Shootin'
-50-
-Jon
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