…morning light is magic…

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Backlit Great Egret from High Island

It felt fantastic this morning to get the chance again to take photos at High Island’s rookery.  It was like going home again.  It’s a long drive but well worth it.  Got there about 45 minutes before the sun came up and had to use a flash light to walk down the trail.  Used to fumble my way in the dark but stopped doing that after finding a gator on the trail a few years ago.  Got set up and had a blast taking blurred flight shots in the pre-dawn hour.  At sunrise, the sun comes up in your face which I love as you can get a chance to play in the light and get great opportunities for some unique backlit photos.  Below is one of my favorites from today.

Stats for the day:  3 hours of driving, 2 hours of shooting, too many mosquitos to count, 3316 photos taken, 900 photos saved, photos processed = 1 (so far)

Taken with Canon 7D and 100-400 on tripod with Sidekick gimbal mount

1/800 sec @ F5.6, partial metering, -2/3 exposure compensation, ISO 250, no flash

Posted by  |  April 6, 2012 | Categories: Birds | Tags: , | 4 Comments

Great Blue Landing in Silhouette

Spent about 1.5 hrs lying around at Bolivar Flats yesterday taking shorebird photos.  Go figure.  As I was concentrating on a group of Willets, this Great Blue Heron started squawking above me as he circled twice and then finally landed fairly close to me.  I tracked him as he was coming in for a landing,  which was a challenge while laying down with a ground pod.  Got my sweatshirt all twisted up while spinning myself around on my stomach.  Luckily for me, he landing into the sun which produced a nice series of silhouette shots.  This one came out the best with his wings outstreatched and feet just starting to enter the water.

Taken with Canon 7D and 100-400 lens on Skimmer ground pod.

1/2000 sec @ F6.3, evaluative metering, + 2/3 exposure compensation, ISO 250

Posted by  |  April 1, 2012 | Categories: Birds | Tags: , | Leave a comment

Northern Harrier Fly-by

Caught this Northern Harrier in flight while taking shore bird photos at Bolivar Flats in Dec.  I was laying in the muck with my ground pod at sunrise when this Harrier came up over the grass at the shoreline.  He didn’t see me at first which gave me a chance to focus and track him for several shots.  It’s always a challenge to get close to these raptors so I was pleased to get this shot.

Taken with Canon 7D and 100-400 lens mounted on Skimmer ground pod with Sidekick gimbal mount.

1/500 sec @ F5.6, + 1 exposure compensation, ISO 500, spot metering, no flash.

Posted by  |  March 25, 2012 | Categories: Birds | Tags: | 2 Comments

Three in a Row

Was doing a little wading in the Gulf of Mexico to get this shot at Bolivar, TX.  These Avocets flew between me and the shoreline and I was able to capture them in flight as they were lined up.  Hand held shot while carrying the ground pod.

Taken with Canon 7D and 100-400 lens

1/1250 sec @ F5.6, partial metering, + 2/3 exposure compensation, ISO 400

Posted by  |  March 16, 2012 | Categories: Birds | Tags: | 2 Comments

The Stretch

This Common Moorhen was doing some stretching before beginning his morning aerobics routine.  Taken at Brazos Bend state park in Texas.

Canon 7D with 100-400 lens

1/1000 sec @ F5.6, spot metering, ISO 400,  no flash

Posted by  |  March 9, 2012 | Categories: Birds | Tags: | 3 Comments

Backlit Snowy Egret

Here is a Snowy Egret coming in for a landing at Brazos Bend State Park in TX.  Taken early in the morning with some good ‘ol back lighting.  I tracked this Snowy as he flew across the water and saw that he was going to be back-lit and fired away as he spread his wings for the landing.

Taken with Canon 7D and 100-400 lens, handheld

Aperture priority, 1/4000 sec @ F5.6, ISO 400, partial metering, +2/3 exposure compensation

Posted by  |  March 3, 2012 | Categories: Birds | Tags: | 1 Comment

Blurred Wing Lift Off

Caught this Marbled Godwit talking off while laying down with my ground pod.  He was a couple of feet off of the ground at this point.  Was using aperture priority but the shutter speed was low enough to blur the wings.  Glad to see that his head was relatively sharper than his wings which is always the challenge with these type of shots.

Taken with Canon 7D and 100-400 lens on Skimmer ground pod.

1/320 sec @ F7.1, ISO 200, spot metering + 2/3 exposure compensation, no flash

Posted by  |  February 25, 2012 | Categories: Birds | Tags: | 4 Comments

On the Run at Brazos Bend

Made a trip out to Brazos Bend State park a couple of weeks ago.  It was a little chilly at 39 deg and very windy which attributed to my frozen head/face.  Had a hat in the car but being the intelligent person that I am, didn’t put it on.  Was going to walk back to the car to get it but the sun was about to come out and I didn’t want to miss the good light.  Caught several Coots running around, as usual, and had a fly over from a bald eagle, which was a first for me at Brazos Bend.  Of course the Coot shots came out better so I’ll post these.  Got some decent light on this one.  The challenge with these guys is to catch them in mid stride and to keep their heads in relative focus while their wings are blurred to give a sense of motion.

Taken with Canon 7D and 100-400 lens, hand held, no flash

1/400 sec @ F5.6, ISO 400, spot metering, +2/3 exposure compensation

1/320 sec @ F5.6, ISO 400, spot metering, +2/3 exposure compensation

Posted by  |  February 20, 2012 | Categories: Birds | Tags: | 3 Comments

Galveston’s FeatherFest Photo Contest

Below is the press release for Galveston’s FeatherFest photo contest.  It’s a four week contest and lots of fun.  I’d highly encourage everyone with good photos from the local area to enter.

 

Galveston Island Nature Tourism Council

P. O. Box 1468

Galveston, TX 77553

 Feb. 8, 2012                                                   Contact: Sue Reed  281-686-8514

 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                    

Photography Plays Big Part in FeatherFest

Nature Photo Contest Runs through March 25

 

GALVESTON ISLAND, Texas (Feb. 8, 2012) – Photographers and birders alike flock to Galveston Island to participate in field trips and workshops led by professional photography instructors during FeatherFest, April 12 – 15.

FeatherFest is one of the largest birding festivals in Texas, and the only one with a dedicated nature photography track. Due to high demand, the 2012 festival offers twice as many photography programs as it has in the past.

Leading up to the festival, the FeatherFest Photo Contest draws hundreds of spectacular bird images from photographers around the state. Individuals are invited to submit images of birds taken in Galveston, Brazoria, Harris, Fort Bend, Jefferson or Chambers counties. Entries for Week 1 of the contest are due Sunday, March 4. The contest runs through March 24. Details are at http://galvestonfeatherfest.com/photo_contest.php.

Kathy Adams Clark, Larry Ditto, Debbie Ferrell and Sean Fitgerald, who are among the state’s most recognized photographers, are returning for a third year to lead festival photography activities.  Scott Buckel and Tim Timmis are new members of the photography leadership team. They all target a specific skill level in their events, from beginner to intermediate to advanced.

Houston Camera Exchange, official sponsor of the 2012 FeatherFest photography track, will have its latest cameras, lens and accessories at Birders’ Bazaar, the free public trade show open throughout the festival.  Representatives from Canon, Nikon, Sony and other manufacturers will be on hand to demonstrate their products. The trade show will be in Old Galveston Square, 2212 The Strand in downtown Galveston.

 “Photography has become an important part of FeatherFest. Birding is magnificent in Galveston during spring migration, so the timing is perfect for nature photographers,” said Barbara Rabek, co-leader with Scott Buckel of both the competition and photography track.

 FeatherFest is a project of the Galveston Island Nature Tourism Council, which supports eco-tourism and education, and promotes the value of area natural habitats. Visit www.GalvestonFeatherFest.com or call 832-459-5533 for more information.

Posted by  |  February 12, 2012 | Categories: Birds | Leave a comment

Avocet Silhouette

Here is another Avocet silhouette from Bolivar Flats.  This one has some water droplets coming off its beak which helps to make the shot more interesting.  Very close to a full frame shot.

Taken with Canon 100-400 lens on Skimmer ground pod.

1/640 sec @ F 5.6, evaluative metering, ISO 200, + 2/3 exposure compensation

Posted by  |  February 6, 2012 | Categories: Birds | Leave a comment