Feb 23, 2009 | Wildlife Photography
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/bbp3491.swf, 585, 444 [/swf]
The last couple of days of our FL Base Camp were just jammed packed with what I felt was nothing short of great photography. As I kept reminding the folks, all it takes is one cooperative bird and your shoot is made. Well, I kept finding very cooperative birds in just the right places in just the right light. The opportunities just seem to leap out and I was more than happy to take advantage of them.
What I’ve got here is a little something new for MooseNews Blog viewers. I put together a Slideshow Gallery (something I learned at our You Can Do It Too from RC the web guru) that has 26 images I particularly enjoy from the 2700 I captured in those last two days. All the photos were taken with the D3x (which I have come to really like shooting with), the 600VR and TC-17e. All the images but two were taken at f11, the other two f/8. I’ll bring to light this week some of the techniques I used to capture these and other images taken this past week in FL and a D3x mini wrap-up as well so stay tuned!
This is a Black-bellied Plover that was very busy digging up some slimy sea worm thingie from the muds of Estero Lagoon. Darn fun to photograph it and its friend.
Photo captured by D3x, 600VR w/TC-17e on Lexar UDMA digital film
Feb 20, 2009 | Wildlife Photography
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP5246.swf, 585, 444 [/swf]
The last couple of days have been a complete blur. The photography for me personally have been phenomenal! The photo opps with a couple of species have been killer, the magical light at that moment, spectacular. I feel incredibly fortunate to be there when it all came together. At the same time, I’m sooooooooooooo behind in getting images all filed and blogged. I’ve learned some more about photography, biology and the D3x and those thoughts are still all finding a spot in my mind. Lots to post, so little time. So until I get it all organized, here one photo from this AM shoot at Venice Rookery. I just like it. Make it a great weekend!
Photo captured by D3x, 600VR on Lexar UDMA digital film
Feb 19, 2009 | Wildlife Photography
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP2915.swf, 395, 595 [/swf]
This is my worse photo from the afternoon, a family of Raccoons found in a tree cavity. It took about an hour of waiting to make the photo happen as the coons were seen going into the cavity where they took a little nap. Once they came out though, hot dogs! Wow, great shooting!
Photo captured by D3x, 600VR w/TC-17e on Lexar UDMA digital film
Feb 19, 2009 | Wildlife Photography
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP2346.swf, 395, 595 [/swf]
It was a morning that just kept providing more and more photo opps. This is a Little Blue Heron totally intent on one thing, catching a fish. This along with seeing people all the time makes it very easy to approach. I’m leaning out and over the boardwalk to make this shot.
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP2295.swf, 395, 595 [/swf]
Then there are these characters. The Red-shoulder Hawks at Corkscrew seem to be just about everywhere when in fact, they few that area around just are constantly on the move. Not the greatest of shots, just being close and spending a little time with them makes it special, to me.
Photos captured by D3x, 600VR on Lexar UDMA digital film
Feb 18, 2009 | Wildlife Photography
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP3702.swf, 500, 405 [/swf]
The afternoon didn’t offer up just one species, but over a dozen great opportunities. I say our foks swapping out lexar cards a few times. That’s a good thing! This is a Forrester’s Tern that was busy taking advantage of the fish panic caused by the fishing pelicans.
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP3928.swf, 500, 405 [/swf]
There was the always present, cooperative and comical Snowy Egrets. They provided some great portrait and flight photography.
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP3977.swf, 500, 405 [/swf]
But the winner of the friendliest award is this Ruddy Turnstone that walked right up to every one of our lenses, right in order, and performed. It’s darn good fun to get down in the sand and play, and make great images at the same time! And yes, that’s a fly being flushed up by the turnstone.
Photos captured by D3, 70-300VR on Lexar UDMA digital film
Feb 18, 2009 | Wildlife Photography
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP3510.swf, 500, 405 [/swf]
The Moose Cam was mounted on the bracket, the 600VR & D3x dying to crank out some images. The light was great, the wind was perfect and, nothing! The Osprey were at the nest, but they had fed before we arrived so by the time we got there, no action. The morning was a bust. So, off to eat we went like all good wildlife photographers.
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP3809.swf, 500, 405 [/swf]
Once the hard light had gone by, we headed off to the Fishing Pier and the afternoon show. And man, was it a show!
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP3730.swf, 500, 405 [/swf]
The Florida Brown Pelicans just fished and fished and fished! And they did it at point blank range. The only trick was finding the “purty” males and clean backgrounds. Solid panning was so important as well as moving with the action. This has always been one of my favorite all time shooting locales, and it didn’t let us down this afternoon.
Photos captured by D3, 70-300VR on Lexar UDMA digital film
