The Sunbittern Moment

Mar 20, 2024 | Wildlife Photography

Sunbittern captured by Z 9 / Z600f4 TC w/Z2.x

The Sunbittern is a bird you have probably seen like I on the tele on a nature program. The male has a crazy courtship display, opening up its wings to expose this wicked cool sun pattern. The size of a Snowy Egret, you can’t miss them in their shadowy water world they inhabit. Well while in Costa Rica we were afforded a morning with a nesting pair. It was a challenge to make the shots on many levels. It started by having to shoot from a bridge and road. That might not sound like much until you’ve been on the narrow mountain roads of Costa Rica and experienced how the locals drive. It is a scary proposition. Then there is the nature of the light, harsh and spotty. And as the morning wore on hit shimmer was an issue. Then there was the secretive nature of the this nesting pair. But when the two kids poked their heads up and looked around the world, the cameras melted and not from the heat. They are so darn cute! And with that all said, the sunburn I came back with from the experience was well worth it. Just darn cool, simply darn cool our Sunbittern moment!

Sunbittern captured by Z 9 / Z600f4 TC w/Z2.x

I’m Sweatin with Anticipation!

Mar 15, 2024 | Landscape Photography

Costa Rican Rain Forest Nikon1 V3 / Nikkor 1 70-300

Costa Rica has long drawn my attention to its rich wild heritage! Sharon & I first visited it over a decade ago, heading to the magnificent Osa Peninsula numerous times. We loved all we experienced (except the humidity), saw and especially photographed. The birds are over the top crazy, gorgeous and stunning! I couldn’t get enough of them but life has a way of getting in the way of life at times. Well, a year ago an opportunity arose for us to travel back and explore almost the complete opposite what we had done in the past.

Rather than heading south from the airport, we’re heading north. Rather then heading to the coast we’re heading deep up into the mountains. We have the potential, my hands are trembling as I type with the excitement, of over four hundred species of birds! Just to emphasize how exciting I am, I’ve packed the Z105mc to explore with too! I’m going for birds, landscapes and even bugs and know I won’t be disappointed. In preparation for our exploration I went through all the photos I had taken on previous excursions to the region. I found I was really heavy on sunrises and sunsets and real short on forest photographs. I’m a bit disappointed in myself for that so forest photographs are really on the top of my list. It’s going to be a phenomenal adventure, I’m sweatin with anticipation!

Osa Pennsula captured by Df / 80-400VR

Hold That Crab!

Mar 14, 2024 | Wildlife Photography

Sanderling captured by Z 9 / Z600f4 TC @840mm

It’s incredible fun getting down in the sand, eye level with the many birds that cruise the surf looking for a meal. The panic attack we see chasing the waves to and fro are the Sanderlings. These puff balls of energy are on the beach most of the time fueling up on migration. They feed on these tiny little crustaceans and slimy things and they need thousands to put on weight. That’s what keeps them a panic attack, finding their food items in the receding surf. The beds of sand where there is the most prey will have the most birds, so that’s where I hit the sand.

I literally lay right in the sand and with my rig. The Z 9 / Z600f4 TC rests securely in a Panning Plate which I have inside a Frisbee. The panning plate as its name suggests provides limited panning with the lens though it’s “resting” on the ground so I can photograph moving subjects like, the Sanderlings. The key to making sharp images is to first realize you have very limited panning maneuverability when you’re on the sand. This requires you to pick your foreground and background and “hope” your subject uses it. In this case I wanted the small section of reflection in the foreground so that’s where I positioned myself. Then, as the Sanderlings zipped by, the Z 9 zipped to bring home the photograph. I knew they would come there because of the food, they needed the food. So when I saw the crabs pop up, I would say to myself, hold that crab!

Sanderling captured by Z 9 / Z600f4 TC @840mm

Love Planning a Long Overdue Visit

Mar 7, 2024 | Landscape Photography

Yosemite Valley captured by Z 6 / Z24-70f4

I was really little the first time I saw the valley. I’ve hiked in and out of the valley with my father. For a couple of years, the Peterson for spent 45+ days in the valley camping alongside the river exploring, shooting, and speaking. And if the skies were clear, you could see our old home that was a mere twenty-four miles away as the crow flies from Half Dome. Yosemite is very special to our family and it’s been six years since I’ve been on the valley floor. It’s time to go back so we’re planning a fall trip. Why now? The winter of ’22-23 saw historic levels of snow. This winter, especially the last month has brought a whole bunch more of the white stuff. Yosemite loves water and comes to life in a way that is best expressed in photographs. With new gear in the kit, it just seems like the right time to say hello to an old friend. It’s going to be great and I just love planning a long overdue visit!

With a Turn of the Head

Mar 5, 2024 | Wildlife Photography

Atlantic Brown Pelican captured by Z 9 / Z600f4 TC @840mm

We’d seen this individual the day before. It appeared it had impact damage to its left wing that was in the process of healing. It flew just fine, had no problem gliding just above the surface with ease but the wing wouldn’t completely fold into its body at rest. On more than one occasion it would perch on a piling as pelicans like to do and on this occasion its body gesture sent my mind into goofy land. The first image I saw as it talking to its imaginary friend about the good old days. The next image it’s smelling it pits getting ready for a hot date. The two poses came back to back, literally. I was taking the first image when it changed to the second pose. I let the Z 9 rip, its 20fps capturing what my warped sense of humor was seeing. The photos still make me chuckle, all with a turn of the head.

A Favorite Place this Time of Year

Mar 1, 2024 | Landscape Photography

Mesa Arch captured by D3x / 18f2.8AF

Life has a way sometimes of getting in the way of life at least for me preventing me to be places I would like to be at tiems. There is so much amazing world out there to witness, explore and share but we can’t be everywhere at one time. It’s a good thing we’re photographers ’cause photography is a grand way of preserving memories and sharing them. Even if it’s just sharing them with ourselves to remind us of our favorite places when we can’t be there. Mesa Arch in late winter is one such place for me. It’s cold, remote as the light comes up and then the warmth of the light brightens the soul. A physically small spot especially when compared to the global scale yet massive in size in the heart. It’s simply for me a favorite place this time of year!

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