Nov 28, 2017 | Wildlife Photography
Douglas Tree Sqrl
captured by D5 / 800mm
Think he’s been watching Peanut Cartoons through the window?
Winter has come to the house … and we love it! One of the best things is how it concentrates all the critters at our feeders, free water, and houses (be it shrubs or birdhouses). It makes observing them easy, fun and always entertaining. Nows the time to stock up on supplies and make sure you have those unfrozen sources of water available for them. It’s 13 degrees outside as I write this which means any water not warmed with a heater will be a rock. This little Douglas Tree Squirrel is waiting his turn to get to the bird bath. Free water is so important to critters, no more so than in the winter.
Nov 17, 2017 | Wildlife Photography
One of the great things about wildlife photography is the simple pleasures a simple click can bring! We’ve had 36hrs of rain here at 8200′, over 4 inches so the critters have been hunkered down. The sun came out this morning as did the birds in great numbers. Often with storms this time of year, migrants that normally fly on by stop to wait out the storm. It’s one reason the 800mm is left set up, ready to shoot at the first shout of “BIRD!” Then when conditions are right, they greet the day in the sun refueling on our property. This morning a secretive favorite of mine appeared. Sharon first called him out and for the next twenty minutes, we watch the Varied Thrush rummage through the underbrush looking for morsels (not been on the property that we know about since ’08). Then it hopped up and T’d up long enough for me to make a couple of quick portraits. And now my day is made. Simple photographic pleasures!
Nov 14, 2017 | Wildlife Photography
The coats of mammals are essential to regulating their core temperature. It’s really a marvel of adaptation when you look at the color, length, molts, patterns and distribution each mammal has which is what in large part makes each unique. There is one thing we can generalize, mammals coats become their most luxurious in winter. This is a biological fact we can use to grab our viewer’s heartstrings!
We start by being more intimate in our photos in telling that story. Top photo was shot with a 600mm and the bottom with a 200-400VR2 at 400mm. Using these longer lenses permitted manipulating the background so the subject, story, pops in the photo. Along with that is the light. The softer light like in the top photo makes the fur appear, thicker because there are no hard shadows to define it. And by emphasizing the thicker fur we play into folks stereotypes. Most associate thick fur with winter so by playing into that, it makes our storytelling easier. It’s fall so that means, the fur is coming.
Oct 27, 2017 | Wildlife Photography
Spotted Towhee
captured by D5 / 800mm
There are two types of photographs, memories, to me, those for the refrigerator and those that go out to the world. The difference being is those that go on the refrigerator and the personal memories, the ones where only we understand the inside story so for the most part, there is no story other than that inside knowledge. This photo goes on the frig and is here only to illustrate my point. Sharon and I love the fall because a group of birds always move through the property. One is the Spotted Towhee. We only have them for a couple of weeks but we celebrate it! This year they were around when we had a splattering of snow. This one photo sums that up great for us. But unless I told that story, the only real true attribute the photo has going for it is, it’s sharp. That’s not enough to share with the world so it’s only to go to the refrigerator gallery.
Oct 20, 2017 | Wildlife Photography
I had the itch to spend some time with my birds. So I set up the D850 / 800mm on a bird bath where I could work on the computer and shoot. I actually had a great time, photographed over a dozen species and made a couple of images I really like. What I love seeing in the photographs was the dramatic change in the light. Over the couple of hours, the light on the birds and the background really changed, changing the entire photo. What you see below is Cassin’s Finch, Red-breasted, White-breasted and Pygmy Nuthatch, male & female Red-shafted Flicker, White-headed Woodpecker, Evening Grosbeak and Stellar’s Jay. I just love my birds!
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Oct 9, 2017 | Wildlife Photography
White-crowned Sparrow
captured by D850 / 800mm
I’ve had a whole lot of folks ask about the D850 for wildlife photography. The honest answer is, I’ve not really had the time nor opportunity to truly photograph critters with it yet. It’s a valid question because, on paper, the D850 appears to be perfect. For example, I’ve always needed myself a minimum frames per second of 5.5FPS which the D850 blows by with 7 native and 9FPS with the MB-D18. Even better is the buffer which for all intent and purpose is endless (yes, technically there is a limit). After a week of focusing in on the backyard critters, I can easily say the D850 does a great job with wildlife!
Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel
captured by D850 / 300PF
I first went with a D850 / 300PF combo chasing squirrels around the wood pile. This small, light package was pretty darn easy and fun to shoot with. The rockin D850 AF system made shooting in the low light a snap which is really important in wildlife photography. With that checked off the list for first tests, I switched to the big gun and birds. With fall color quickly disappearing from our meadow, I set up on a bird bath for the birds coming in. White-crowns just showed up for fall so I focused in on them while saying fall in the photo. The first thing I noticed with the D850 on the 800mm was the balance. To really make that work for my style of photography, the MB-D18 needs to be attached. The balance on the rig as well as vertical firing button it provides is needed for my style of shooting. But when it comes to performance, the D850 rocked it. Many have asked if the D850 will be my main wildlide body. It won’t be because I not only love the D5, I don’t need those huge files for critters. Will I use the D850 for critters though? From time to time, you bet. Can the D850 be your main body for wildlife? Oh heck ya! With that choice, you’d never have to look back, but only forward to killer performance and images!
