110. Wildlife - July 19-25, 2015
Kevin-
On an Alaska cruise, where one of the expeditions was Whale Watching. This was part of a group of humpback whales engaged in "bubble net feeding" supposedly not a common activity, as they are mostly solo creatures. There were apparently 10-12 humpback whales doing this group feeding thing. These are really tiny mammals. Only 45-50 feet long and weighing about 80,000 lbs each. Nikon D4s, handheld. Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 lens with Nikon 2x teleconverter. ISO 3200 f/8 @ 1/2500th of a second.
On an Alaska cruise, where one of the expeditions was Whale Watching. This was part of a group of humpback whales engaged in "bubble net feeding" supposedly not a common activity, as they are mostly solo creatures. There were apparently 10-12 humpback whales doing this group feeding thing. These are really tiny mammals. Only 45-50 feet long and weighing about 80,000 lbs each. Nikon D4s, handheld. Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 lens with Nikon 2x teleconverter. ISO 3200 f/8 @ 1/2500th of a second.
Paul-
This is one of the most personally satisfying photographs I have taken for the WPOTM. There may a number a number of things I could have done better with this submission you may mention—but this is not a slam on any of you who point them out. Seriously. Your eyes will see things my emotional perspective and level of photographic experience will miss. And hey, how you gonna learn to try new things, right?
Can I get an amen, somebody!?
Anyway, it’s a testament to our Mr.Gordon’s (Homo nikonensis) dedication to craft—and likely a character trait I am not certified to scrutinize too much—that he occasionally goes back to re-do a WPOTM shot he was not initially satisfied with for one reason or another. The result, to date, has always been something even better and closer to what he envisioned. (Correct me if I’m wrong here, Flash.)
I bring this up because a few weeks ago I shared a photograph of a few bison (Bison bison)—a creature that’d always captivated me—and unintentionally got the out-of-focus pattern of the wire fence I was leaning against. Changing a setting here and there would have improved the composition. So, in a slightly Kevinesque fashion, I went back to the nature preserve to make things right. (I’m a big fan of self-absolution.) I didn’t shoot the bison herd. I only shot one. And this one was indoors instead of plodding about.
Let’s just call it an ossified relative. And, hey, stationary and denuded as it is, it’s still wildlife…just in what I think is noble, eloquent, and permanent repose. I love this picture. I really do. I wanted to capture the sculpted beauty and brutish force of the animal. For me, this was the way to do it. I’m guessing this kind of picture is done to death by folks who are a lot better at this than I am. And so what. I enjoyed this immensely.
The other picture (which is not my submission), is some buzzing fellow hanging out around a patch of prairie gay feather (Liatris spicata). There were actually quite a few bees around as I poked around amid the blossoms. Still, I’ve found most bees aren’t too aggressive* until the person in their vicinity gets so.
Our story so far: Shot at aperture priority mode; 1/30 sec.; f/20; ISO 3200; 18-55mm lens set at 23mm, slight E/V adjustment, hand held. And the best part: As I crept up on this magnificent bison, it seemed either unaware of indifferent to my presence, which allowed to take quite a number of shots.
* Unless they’re Africanized, in which case don’t use the lens I did. Or at least get your papers in order first.
This is one of the most personally satisfying photographs I have taken for the WPOTM. There may a number a number of things I could have done better with this submission you may mention—but this is not a slam on any of you who point them out. Seriously. Your eyes will see things my emotional perspective and level of photographic experience will miss. And hey, how you gonna learn to try new things, right?
Can I get an amen, somebody!?
Anyway, it’s a testament to our Mr.Gordon’s (Homo nikonensis) dedication to craft—and likely a character trait I am not certified to scrutinize too much—that he occasionally goes back to re-do a WPOTM shot he was not initially satisfied with for one reason or another. The result, to date, has always been something even better and closer to what he envisioned. (Correct me if I’m wrong here, Flash.)
I bring this up because a few weeks ago I shared a photograph of a few bison (Bison bison)—a creature that’d always captivated me—and unintentionally got the out-of-focus pattern of the wire fence I was leaning against. Changing a setting here and there would have improved the composition. So, in a slightly Kevinesque fashion, I went back to the nature preserve to make things right. (I’m a big fan of self-absolution.) I didn’t shoot the bison herd. I only shot one. And this one was indoors instead of plodding about.
Let’s just call it an ossified relative. And, hey, stationary and denuded as it is, it’s still wildlife…just in what I think is noble, eloquent, and permanent repose. I love this picture. I really do. I wanted to capture the sculpted beauty and brutish force of the animal. For me, this was the way to do it. I’m guessing this kind of picture is done to death by folks who are a lot better at this than I am. And so what. I enjoyed this immensely.
The other picture (which is not my submission), is some buzzing fellow hanging out around a patch of prairie gay feather (Liatris spicata). There were actually quite a few bees around as I poked around amid the blossoms. Still, I’ve found most bees aren’t too aggressive* until the person in their vicinity gets so.
Our story so far: Shot at aperture priority mode; 1/30 sec.; f/20; ISO 3200; 18-55mm lens set at 23mm, slight E/V adjustment, hand held. And the best part: As I crept up on this magnificent bison, it seemed either unaware of indifferent to my presence, which allowed to take quite a number of shots.
* Unless they’re Africanized, in which case don’t use the lens I did. Or at least get your papers in order first.
Jerry-
This bee is my favorite "wildlife" photo of the week. Cindy had a groupon for the arboretum so we had to take advantage of all it had to offer. I had hoped to get a heron photo at the Green Heron Pond but had no luck there. My best luck was right near the visitor center by these purple flowers where all sorts of bees were hanging out.
Nikon D5200, 105mm Micro Nikkor, f16 @ 1/500, ISO 400, bright sunlight.
This bee is my favorite "wildlife" photo of the week. Cindy had a groupon for the arboretum so we had to take advantage of all it had to offer. I had hoped to get a heron photo at the Green Heron Pond but had no luck there. My best luck was right near the visitor center by these purple flowers where all sorts of bees were hanging out.
Nikon D5200, 105mm Micro Nikkor, f16 @ 1/500, ISO 400, bright sunlight.
Don,
This turned out to be my favorite. I was driving on an oil/gas road looking for the prairie dogs
that inhabit this area. Its a new town. I saw two playing together and was fortunate to catch
one as the lookout. D810, 70 - 200 mm lens with a 2Xtelextender f/6.3, 1/2000 shutter.
ISO 400, focal 400mm and camera setting Aperture Priority.
This turned out to be my favorite. I was driving on an oil/gas road looking for the prairie dogs
that inhabit this area. Its a new town. I saw two playing together and was fortunate to catch
one as the lookout. D810, 70 - 200 mm lens with a 2Xtelextender f/6.3, 1/2000 shutter.
ISO 400, focal 400mm and camera setting Aperture Priority.
Byron-
For those you that are old enough to remember a TV show called "Mutual of Omaha's - Wild Kingdom" you will recall the host, Marlon Perkins. He had an assistant named Jim Fowler. A typical line from the show would be "While I waited in the Jeep, Jim wrestled the Anaconda". On my mission to capture a photo of the way too common Canada Goose, I felt like Jim Fowler. There was a group of maybe 20 geese and I walked to a point roughly in the middle of the group. Most of the geese seemed uninterested in my presence but a large goose behind me was becoming agitated with my photographing a member of the flock. Maybe it was jealousy. I saw it lower its head and stick its tongue out. That was a signal to me to either skidattle or wear a Canada Goose headpiece while it pecked at me. I chose to finish up quickly and rejoin Marlon in the Jeep (in my imagination).
ISO 400, White balance set to daylight, 165mm, f/5.6, 1/800 sec.
For those you that are old enough to remember a TV show called "Mutual of Omaha's - Wild Kingdom" you will recall the host, Marlon Perkins. He had an assistant named Jim Fowler. A typical line from the show would be "While I waited in the Jeep, Jim wrestled the Anaconda". On my mission to capture a photo of the way too common Canada Goose, I felt like Jim Fowler. There was a group of maybe 20 geese and I walked to a point roughly in the middle of the group. Most of the geese seemed uninterested in my presence but a large goose behind me was becoming agitated with my photographing a member of the flock. Maybe it was jealousy. I saw it lower its head and stick its tongue out. That was a signal to me to either skidattle or wear a Canada Goose headpiece while it pecked at me. I chose to finish up quickly and rejoin Marlon in the Jeep (in my imagination).
ISO 400, White balance set to daylight, 165mm, f/5.6, 1/800 sec.
Deron-
I'm going with this crow keeping watch from a telephone pole. It was an overcast sky that gave me kind of a silhouette look, which I dig. Please excuse the little smudge on the lower left, I couldn't crop it out without ruining what I like about the photo.
I'm going with this crow keeping watch from a telephone pole. It was an overcast sky that gave me kind of a silhouette look, which I dig. Please excuse the little smudge on the lower left, I couldn't crop it out without ruining what I like about the photo.