Jun 10, 2010 | Moose Adventures, Wildlife Photography
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_bmp1053.swf, 391, 600 [/swf]
Yeap, we’re down in TX and the weather started to turn in our favor today. The temp hit 98.3 this afternoon and with that the birds started to pour in. This is a Scale Quail which was kind enough to hop up on a stump to pose. Now if only next time it will move a little to the left so the background is just a little cleaner. I know, I know, yesterday I was moaning it was cool, today the birds need to go to modeling school. What’s next?
Photo captured by D3x, 600VR w/TC-20e3 on Lexar UDMA digital film
Jun 9, 2010 | Landscape Photography
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/Crested Caracara 0122.swf, 391, 600 [/swf]
Where here in So Texas starting our Texas Bird Base Camp. We’re here in June when no one in their right mind would sit in a blind because it’s bloody hot and dry. We’re talking 103 – 105 degrees as daily highs. Now you might remember back in January when I was in Yellowstone bemoaning the fact it was bloody warm, a balmy 20-25 degrees rather than -20. Well now I’m bemoaning the fact it’s cold, only 90 degrees. Not only is it cold here, it’s all green from all the rain! Yikes! It makes me wonder what I did to piss off Mother Nature?
But in all seriousness, that really is how this business goes. Every spring for the past thirty years, I have had projects lined up to work on and every year the vast majority get postponed or canceled due to weather. It can be frustrating at times, a blessing at other times. It has made me appreciate when it does all come together and learn how to make a lot of lemonade when it doesn’t. I wrote about this just these last couple of times when photographing the F-86E and it all applies the same to photographing wildlife.
What you see here is one of the highlights that come with working with birds in Texas, the Crested Caracara. This is a great bird which most don’t realize is a scavenger just like a Turkey Vulture. But they are such characters and are so visibly colorful that they instantly grab your attention. So while it is cold here in TX and I might only get to photograph 40 species of birds rather than 60, one of those species will be this beautiful creature. So if I did upset Mother Nature, my apologies and thanks for being so good to me in any case!
Photo captured by D2xs, 600AFS on Lexar digital film
Jun 3, 2010 | Wildlife Photography
I am a little amazed after my quick blog posting about the 200-400VRII w/TC-20eIII works…but…I didn’t get one query. That but though is a big but and has absolutely nothing to do with image quality!
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP0544.swf, 585, 473 [/swf]
Finding a subject to do real world field shooting and cooperative to do a side by side has been a challenge. In the last couple of days the Violet-green Swallows have come back to Mono Lake to nest. And with sex in the air, a photographer testing a lens just doesn’t register. Thanks goodness, this was not only a gorgeous male but dang helpful in illustrating my points.
Photo on left is just 200-400VRII / on right is the exact same everything but with TC-20eIII added.
First and foremost, shooting the 200-400VRII with the TC-20eIII (no, didn’t test and not going to test with 1.7x) produces gorgeous quality, easily producing a 24×30 print which is my standard. With this said, I would personally never use that combo. The 200-400VRII lives to be shot on its own! The reason is two fold, the main one being the DOF is just too damn narrow! I had to work my butt off and think way too much about technique taking my concentration away from the subject. Next, the number of elements in the 200-400VRII cuts the light down enough so the AF system isn’t as responsive. Shooting the exact same swallow with the 600VR w/TC-20eIII, AF was snap on. Those two factors would keep me from taking this as a serious wildlife photographer solution. Sorry.
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP0634.swf, 585, 473 [/swf]
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP0664.swf, 585, 473 [/swf]
This pair of swallows was great, the male displaying to keep other males away from their nest site. And the female bringing in nesting material, feathers being a very popular item. I was only 9.5′ away during my shooting which made testing real simple. Now many have asked about the “old” 200-400VR with the TC-20eIII. I have no clue on that combo. Many have asked about the combo I did test, hopefully you have my own personal conclusion there, it works and works optically beautifully. I still get a lot of folks asking if the new 200-400VRII is “better” than the old version. Like I stated just last week, displaying via the web a visual of what I’m seeing on my Cintiq just isn’t going to happen. IMHO and for MY photography, the new 200-400VRII produces a cleaner image. Or in terms that have become infamous in my 70-200VRII video, it’s a TAD of an improvement. YOU will have to decide for YOUR photography if the upgrade is worth the price. I’ve already put my money down (thanks Jeff) so my mind is already made up. I sure hope this helps some folks, it’s all I have to offer.
Jun 2, 2010 | Wildlife Photography
The 200-400VRII is primarily my “big game” lens but entering into the summer, there just isn’t any big game around the house in the Sierra so field testing by photographing them isn’t possible at the moment. Well, not field testing just won’t do!
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP3192.swf, 585, 473 [/swf]
With PRS coming up soon, I decided to practice my panning and at the same time, field shoot with the new 200-400VRII. So Jake & I headed to Mono Lake to a creek the California Gulls come into in the afternoon to bathe. I set up purposely so the gulls would be backlit and let some natural fill light reflecting off the tufas deal with some of the shadows. I set myself up where the gulls would set their wings in a glide just prior to come to the creek and pulling up to land.
We shot for about two hours, until our arms got tired of handholding and panning for nearly 800 images. I was VERY impressed with my results which are basically hundreds of images like this, a single gull coasting on in.
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_bmp2957.swf, 585, 473 [/swf]
And why did I concentrate on just flight for two hours? You been to Mono Lake in the afternoon? You can’t find a nastier background for birds than its bleached bright white alkaline! Yeah, the gulls did interesting and funny things, but you need welding glasses to see it the light is so bright. I’ll take the interesting backlit green background over this white out anytime! The new 200-400VRII seems to be a tad better balanced handheld which I do like. I shot the whole time at f/8 and the D3s did all the AF work. The lens continues to impress me and support my own personal conclusion that it does produce a cleaner image.
Photos captured by D3s, 200-400VRII on Lexar UDMA digital film
May 24, 2010 | Landscape Photography
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP1997.swf, 585, 473 [/swf]
While in New York, Stephanie, Sharon & I explored the island from a bird’s eye perspective. We started at the end of the island looking up towards the Empire State Bldg.
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP1955.swf, 585, 473 [/swf]
Then we went up to the 102nd floor of the Empire State Bldg and from this view, we’re looking back down from where we had shot up from.
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP1958.swf, 585, 473 [/swf]
Turn 180 degrees and here’s the view looking up toward Top of the Rock and Central Park. On the 102nd floor of the Empire State Bldg, you have to shoot through the glass. I could see the tint in the glass when I shot it and figured I could remove it in post using color correction but alas, there is still a funny tint to the images that reminds me of old time post cards. Not decided if that’s a good thing or bad thing.
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP2258.swf, 585, 473 [/swf]
Then there is the view from the Top of the Rock looking back at all you see in the above photos. What fascinates me about these images is the light. The different times of day, direction and quality of light both ambient and artificial. It really dances in the Big Apple!
Photos captured by D3s, 18AF / 50AFS on Lexar UDMA digital film
May 23, 2010 | Landscape Photography
Yeap, it’s May 23 and it’s snowin here in the Sierra. It seems every year just when the daffodils boom, it snows. Doesn’t really help their growing effort but I do love the oxymoron the photo opp provides.
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP0385.swf, 404, 600 [/swf]
Whenever there’s fresh snow, I think photography. Tracks in the snow, patterns of the shrubs and trees trying to find air, critters scratching out a living, there always seems to be something for the camera.
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP0392.swf, 585, 473 [/swf]
This morning when I went out, I instantly look at the daffodil bed and thought photo opp. Then panic set in as the dogs headed straight for it. The whole mountain heard me yell stop!
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP0343.swf, 404, 600 [/swf]
Thankfully they left me a couple of buds with snow on them. The play of the color, white and yellow and the pattern of the snow outlining the blossoms just sucked me in. Anyone who happened to drive by just saw my butt sticking up in the air, not the most scenic way to start the day, but I was having fun!
Photos captured by D3x, 105VR on Lexar UDMA digital film
