I'm a nature photographer, primarily wildlife. I live in the Colorado Rocky Mountains and am blessed to live near a great variety of photo opportunities.
I'm using Sony Alphas as my primary cameras
A brief review: I decided I needed a new wildlife project, some sort of challenge, so decided the coyotes at my local park fit the bill perfectly. Turns out, they fit the bill a little too perfectly. They turned out to be quite the challenge - they're smart, sneaky, well-camouflaged, and extremely camera shy.
One of the big problems is that the coyotes are so smart and wary, it's hard enough to get a decent shot. I could use a TC to lengthen my reach optically, but the best time to catch them is right before sunrise, requiring me to shoot at high ISO with the aperture wide open, because of the low light - not the best for image quality, particularly with a moving subject.
This has forced me to raise my game a notch or two. I started to use the wooden blinds in the wilderness refuge. It quickly became obvious the blinds are designed for use with waterfowl, not coyotes. When I'm securely set up with the tripod facing the pond, the coyote would appear behind me on the trail; and of course when I was set up facing the trail, the coyote would be behind me on the pond.
Despite these frustrations, the coyotes would pass very close to me at times (10-15 meters) without spotting me. Not at an angle where I could get a shot, but still, a limited success. I needed to get closer to the coyotes normal path and still stay hidden, but with enough viewing angle to get a good shot.
Today I brought a camping chair and parked in the brush with the tripod. Not completely hidden, but not easy to spot either. This is the shot I could get today. I caught her (I think it's a her) by surprise - the only thing that gave me away was the sound of the shutter firing. It took her a bit to locate me - she kept moving positions while looking my way. She finally spotted me and moved off the ice to a higher ridge, where she sat watching me for 10 or so minutes. I never saw her again today after that.
Coyote (Canis latrans) Crown Hill Park Lakewood, CO Sony Alpha700 Sigma 300/2.8 Giottos tripod, Acratech ballhead, Wimberley Sidekick
Before I start this entry, let me report that the front focusing issues seems mostly resolved, at least for now.
Now on to new things.I went to my favorite fox location this morning, just before sunrise.We’ve had some recent snow, most of which has melted, but still lots of snow patches.And lots of ice on the trail.Lots of ice on the trail.So much ice that after one slide and one fall on my butt, I was having second thoughts about continuing the shoot.Nothing like carrying a bundle of expensive and fragile gear to make you paranoid about your footing.
Fortunately, I came well prepared.A quick trot back to the car and I found my instep crampons.For those of you not familiar, these are metal cleats that strap to the bottom of whatever shoe you’re wearing, and provide traction in all but the most technical applications.I trotted back down the trail, ignoring the icy patches that minutes before were so treacherous.
I carry enough gear in the back of my car that I could survive the next Ice Age.Remember the movie, The Day After Tomorrow?Child’s play.But all this got me thinking that nature photographers not only need specialized photography gear, but they can greatly benefit from some specialized outdoor gear too, particularly in winter.Since we’re outside early in the morning before the light and sometimes after dark, and in all sorts weather, some special tools can be invaluable.These are some of the tools and gear that I find helpful.
Headlamp – It’s hard enough to wrestle a big and heavy lens/camera up and on to a tripod without having to fumble in the dark at the same time.One tiny little mistake and thousands of dollars in delicate gear go crashing to the ground.Skip the flashlight and get a headlamp.Even the smallest LED headlamps shed enough light to make sure that Arca plate is securely seated in the clamp and to allow you to rifle through your gear bag in the dark.Skip the old-fashioned Xenon bulbs and heavy battery packs and try the new generation of LED lamps – they’re light and energy efficient.http://www.rei.com/search?query=led+headlamp&button.x=0&button.y=0
Crampons – Nothing like an icy trail (or sidewalk) to induce paranoia in a photographer.The majority of crampons are too technical for most pursuits.Go for instep crampons that are designed to strap on any shoe or boot you wear.http://www.campmor.com/outdoor/gear/Product___33054
An alternative is something like YakTrax that can provide a little extra traction.
For more technical routes, I’m very fond of my Grivel G10’s.They’re overkill for most applications, but when you need traction on icy trails, nothing else compares.I can move quickly over steep and icy terrain with little effort that way.
Snowshoes – For deep snow, or even icy trails, snowshoes are the ticket.I’ll usually bring both crampons and snowshoes in winter conditions if I’m going more than a half a mile from the trailhead.I start out with the G10s for packed, icy trails, and if the packed trail peters out, I’ll switch to the snowshoes.I’m fond of Crescent Moon snowshoes, but you really can’t go wrong with any of the offerings from the major manufacturers.
Trail Runners – This may be a controversial choice for many, but I prefer trail runners over boots for just about everything.I can travel more quickly and more comfortably in trail runners than in any boot.I use trail runners in the winter for snowshoeing, but there are some big caveats to this: in winter, there’s not much of a margin for error in bad weather conditions.In summer and fall I use light, breathable shoes with light wool socks.In winter & spring I use a Gore-Tex shoe sized to accommodate heavy wool socks, and I always carry spare socks plus a water proof/breathable sock just in case.If you’re going to go this route, make sure you’re not a winter weather neophyte.
I prefer New Balance shoes as they come in wide sizes.Don’t worry about brand; choose a shoe that fits properly.
Gaiters – With a low cut, trail runners can suck in a surprising amount of trail debris or snow.Use gaiters to keep the trail crap out of your shoe.In summer I use a shorty gaiter that’s very breathable.In winter, I usually still use a shorty gaiter, but now I switch to a stretchy soft shell material that’s water resistant and breathable.The drier I keep my socks, the warmer I keep my feet.The warmer I keep my feet, the longer I keep my toes.
Neck Gaiter – Same concept, just for your neck.Neck gaiters seal in the heat that would escape from your shirt and coat collar.With the buff Wear line, you can use it as a neck gaiter, hat, scarf, balaclava, among other things.I even use mine as a telephoto lens cover in snowy weather.
Some of you may have noticed that I'm slacking a little in posting new photos. It isn't through lack of interest. It's a camera problem.
My main camera is the Sony Alpha 700. It's a wonderful photography tool and I like it very much. It gives me (at least I think so) beautiful results with professional grade lenses.Except that it's developed a problem. I noticed that a lot of my pics were just a bit out of focus - not sharp like I'm accustomed to. After the usual attempts to rectify the situation (cleaning the lens, using a blower to get dust off the sensor, and using a sensor cleaner gently), things weren't any better. I tried all my lenses (all professional grade), the problem persisted.
Fortunately, I got the extended warranty when I got the camera new. The service is through Precision Camera. After several frustrating attempts to access service, I looked up Precision camera on Google, and discovered that others had similar frustrating experiences with them. Well, at least I'm not the only one. I finally got through and was able to send my camera in for repair, suspecting a front or back-focus issue.
I sent it in Oct 31. I'm glad I kept my Sony Alpha 100 in the mean time. It's a nice camera, but it's an entry level DSLR. The focus motor isn't nearly as robust as the a700, so it struggled to keep up the focus speeds on my big lenses, particularly my default lens for wildlife - the Sigma 300mm f/2.8.
It's difficult to go back to entry level gear after using semi-professional to professional grade gear for so long. I'm not trying to be elitist; it's just so much easier to to do what I do with with the gear I'm accustomed to using in the field.
Anyway, I got the camera back earlier this week, but the only time I'm had to use it is in the evening when I'm out with the dog, and with sunset before 5pm, I don't have a lot of light to use to evaluate the focus repair. Today will be my first chance to get the tripod out and check things out. I'm hoping things will live up to my Thanksgiving wish. I'll post some images later today if the focus is fixed.
Until then, I hope everyone has a safe and happy Thanksgiving.
As this is my first "official" blog entry, I'll provide a brief introduction. I'm doing this blog in reference to my primary hobby, photography; usually wildlife photography. Here in Colorado I have plenty of wildlife from which to choose. My favorite subjects vary by the season - summer is mountain goat, pika, and marmot season, fall is elk season, and winter & spring is fox season. For a little variation, I decided to go after one of my local coyote packs.
I've watched these coyotes for well over a year. They're at my local park where I walk the dog, but they’re elusive critters. I can usually only catch a brief glimpse before they dart into the woods and out of sight. Lately I've been spending more time stalking them and have been able to get a much better idea of their regular schedule & routes.
Today was the day I was going to get set up on his usual morning trail. The sun was coping up behind me. I was behind some reeds with the camera on the tripod, waiting for the coyote to come running down the trail towards me. The early morning sun would hopefully prevent him from seeing me too quickly and at the same time produce some lovely catch light in his eyes. Right on schedule, he came trotting down the trail – and spotted me immediately.
