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    • Image of the Day – Fly By

    Seagull in flight, Antelope Island, Utah.

    I’m in Utah for the Outdoor Photo Expo and had a chance to photography at Antelope Island before the expo.  While the opportunities were limited (three bison, two jackrabbits, and an interesting looking partridge in a pear tree……wait, wrong story) I did get a chance to photograph seagulls.  Sitting in my car on the causeway to Antelope Island, I watched of seagulls fly overhead, so I grabbed my 500mm IS lens and started creating images.

    The above image is one of my favorites from the shoot.  The image was created using a Canon 1D mark 4, 500mm IS lens, at 200 ISO.

     

     

    Written on August 5th, 2011 , Image of the Day
    Image of the Day – Moose

    Closeup of a bull moose in the mountains above Salt Lake City, Utah.

    In a few days I will be heading to Salt Lake City to attend the Outdoor Photo Expo.  In anticipation, I started looking through some of my old photos from when I lived in the area.  This image of a bull moose was taken almost exactly 7 years ago (August 9th, 2004) and is historically important because it is the image that convinced me that my switch to digital was a good move.

    The image was captured about 20 minutes after sunset with the light levels were falling fast.  I was shooting with another photographer who was using film.  Film locked her into a single ISO setting while my digital setup provided much needed flexibility as the light left the sky.  By the time we packed up, my ISO cranked up to 1000.  The end result was I went home with several pleasing images (it was the first time I had ever photographed a moose) while every one of my friend’s images were blurred.  It was a great way to drive home the digital advantage of adjustable ISO.

    Ironically, at the time I was didn’t like the noise in the image, but I was willing to accept it.  Today, with the advances in image processing, I can remove almost all of the noise.  This is one case where the image has actually gotten better with time.  Who knows, maybe this next week I will have a chance to see this moose again.  I wonder how 12500 ISo will look.

    The image was captured using a Canon 1Ds, 70-200mm lens with a 1.4 teleconverter, at 1000 ISO.

    Written on August 1st, 2011 , Image of the Day
    Image of the Day – Curiosity

     

    Spotted hyaena smelling car bumper.

    Sometimes they are as curious about us as we are about them.

    This spotted hyaena was photographed smelling the bumper of our Landrover as it walked past.  The image was captured using a Canon 1D mark 2, 500mm IS lens with a 1.4 teleconverter, at 200 ISO.

     

    Written on July 18th, 2011 , Africa, Image of the Day
    Image of the Day – Missing Africa

     

    Female lion walking between two vehicles with photographers watching.

    This is the first summer in five years that I will not spend some of my time in Africa.  It is an amazing place and images like the one above remind me how much I miss it.

    The image was captured using a Canon 1D mark 4, 120-300mm lens with a 1.4 teleconverter, at 400 ISO.

     

     

     

    Written on July 11th, 2011 , Africa, Image of the Day
    Image of the Day – Baboon

    Closeup of an adult male olive baboon's face.

    I always have fun photographing baboons.  Their faces are expressive and their interactions remind me of a big family get together.  Best of all, they travel in large troops, so if you miss a shot, you have several hundred more chances.  Photographically, the problem is that it is easy to photograph baboons, it is hard to photograph a baboon.  Removing all of the distractions and focus in on a single behavior or interaction is a serious technical challenge.  The solution is a long lens and a lot of patience.

    The large male baboon shown above is a good example.  Using a long lens (300mm lens with a 1.4 teleconverter) I was able to narrow the angle of view, thereby removing the visual distractions.  Next I focused on the face, which presented an additional issue, limited depth of field.  Long lenses have reduced depth of field and it is essential to control which part of the scene will be in focus.  Each twist of the head shifted the point of focus and changed the image.  With wildlife, the key is to get the eyes sharp.  From that point on, it became a waiting game for when all the elements come together: the head turned in the right direction, the expression interesting, and the eyes in focus.

    The image was captured using a Canon 1Ds mark 3, 120-300mm Sigma lens with a 1.4 teleconverter, at 800 ISO.

    Written on July 4th, 2011 , Africa, Image of the Day
    Image of the Day – Vervet Monkey

    Juvenile vervet monkey sitting in a tree.

    I always get excited when photographing monkeys.  Their appearance and expressions make it almost impossible not to see something of ourselves when looking at this.  In this case, three young vervet monkeys were playing in the trees.  Watching them jump between the branches, I realized that capturing an in focus image was going to be a challenge.  Instead of tracking the monkeys with my camera, I sat back and watched what they were going.  It wasn’t idil entertainment.  I was looking for a pattern.  After a few minutes, the pathway the three vervet were following became obvious and I set about taking my image.  rather then chasing after the overactive monkeys, I pointed my camera at their favorite jumping spot.  By prefocusing on the opening in the branches all i had to do was wait for a monkey to enter the frame.

    The image of the vervet monkey was captured using a Canon 1D mark 2, 500mm IS lens with a 1.4 teleconverter, at 400 ISO.

    Written on June 27th, 2011 , Africa, Image of the Day
    Image of the Day – Banded Mongoose

    Banded mongoose standing up in the grass.

    It has been a while since I last posted to the blog.  The school year has now ended and while busy, it went well.  So, with that done, lets get back to photography.  Today’s image is a banded mongoose photographed on safari in Tarangire National Park in Tanzania.  These little guys are extremely difficult to photograph.  They tend to stay in the tall grass and capturing a clean image is largely a matter of luck and timing.  Occasionally they stand up to look around and that moment, as they lift their head above the grass, is the best photographic opportunity.

    The image was created using a Canon 1D mark 4, 500mm IS lens with a 1.4 teleconverter, at 400 ISO.

    Written on June 22nd, 2011 , Africa, Image of the Day
    Image of the Day – Lioness in a tree

    Female lion lying in a yellow acacia tree, Serengeti National Park, Tanzania.

    This image of a lioness hanging out in a tree was taken in Serengeti National Park two years ago during one of my photo safaris.  While they are not the best tree climber (too big), lions do occasionally climb to get away from the bugs.  This female was kind enough to pose for use for over an hour before climbing down and leaving.  The image was captured using a Canon 1D mark 2, 20-70mm lens (set to 34mm), at 200 ISO.  After getting the closeup shots, I wanted to go fro the animalscape that included the beautiful habitat.  The picture was taken from a vehicle and the camera was supported by a beanbag.

    Written on April 15th, 2011 , Africa, Image of the Day, Tanzania
    Image of the Day – Bluebonnets and INdian Paintbrush

    Red Indiana Paintbrush flowers in the middle of a patch of blue bonnets, Texas Hill Country.

    Flower season has begun in the Texas Hill Country and it looks like this year will be a poor year.  The above picture was taken last year when the wildflower display was spectacular.  The image was captured using a Canon 1Ds mark 3, 70-200mm lens (set to 160mm), at 400 ISO.  The camera was supported on a tripod and a long time was spent waiting for the wind to die down.

    Written on April 12th, 2011 , Image of the Day
    image of the day – white-bellied go-away bird

    White-bellied go-away bird perched on a branch, Serengeti National Park, Tanzania.

    The White-Bellied Go-Away Bird is a difficult species to photograph.  During my repeated attempts the bird lived up to its name.  Whenever I approached, it decided to go away.  Seriously, it is a beautiful bird with a delicate crest on the top of its head and I was fortunate enough to come across a tolerant individual just as the sun was dropping below the horizon.

    The image was created using a Canon 1D mark 2, 500mm IS lens with a 1.4 teleconverter, at 640 ISO.  The bird was photographed from a vehicle and the lens was supported on a beanbag.

    Written on March 28th, 2011 , Africa, Image of the Day, Tanzania
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    Through the lens with Chris Gamel

    Musings of a photographic educator.