All’s Quiet

After a bit more of an interesting recent month, it’s back down to ‘normal’.  I decided rather than plan anything inparticular recently, I would just go out and enjoy the day though I did hope on the two of the ocassions I did go out, that I might photograph some Roe Deer.  Unlike my sucess with the Foxes, I spent some three hours searching for a sight of a Roe but nothing, just a few tracks.  Large parts of the woodland were covered with a thick undergrowth, particularly ferns but still, I would have expected more.

As I was giving up I walked passed what I thought was a ray of sunshine shinning off a tree stump but after a few steps further, thought it might be a deer so walked back a  little.  There in the distance was a Roe staring right at me.  Their eyesight isn’t great, better at picking up on movement so I just stood still and waited, and waited, and waited and still it stared without flinching.  It was a case of who was going to move first which luckily it did first.  As it move off I thought I might be able to set up my camera at a location I thought it might pass by – a small clearing which, if I was correct, it would have to cross.  So this is what I did and waited.  After around 30 minutes I figured it must have gone in a different direction so got up and started to move away when I saw to my left barely five metres away, the Roe Deer followed by a little fawn.  How I didn’t see it before or it me while I was just standing there, I don’t know, but all I could do was watch it pass.  Any movement and it surely would see me and I didn’t want to scare it.  Strike on photo opportunity.

My second visit to the same woods proved equally futile and again I made my way back stopping at a clearing to enjoy the morning sun and the view.  After about a minute I noticed a male Roe, again about five metres in front of me just starting at me.  How did I not see it before and why did it not run off before?  Had it been there all that time or had it walked into view before noticing me?  It was another case of who could outstare the longest which again, I managed and it quietly walked into the undergrowth.

It’s amazing how an animal the size of a Roe Deer can just blend into the surrondings.  Admittedly, on both these occassions I had ‘turned off’ and lost concentration, having given up on seeing anything, but still!

Above – Roe Deer (left) and Fox (right) tracks together

Below – The type of countryside visited in recent weeks from woodland to grassy fields

Another visit to the spot I photographed Foxes in early July, though the grass was even longer than before so when I did eventually see a Fox if was barely visable.  I could hear alot of alarm calls from a Blackbird so I know it was around in the area, I just couldn’t see it.

A few shots from woodland areas of Grey Squirrels, Pheasants and a Jay.

Within the wetland areas I tried a fancy slow shutter speed shot of a Tern hovering.  Unfortunately, it wouldn’t face towards me which would have help make the shot.

The final image was a macro attempt.  Strictly not macro though as it was taken with a 300mm lens and cropped.  I do have a 105mm true macro lens but I find this type of photography a completely different challange from what I normally do.  There’s no way I could have got close enough to this Dragonfly with a 105 lens.  Even at over 2 metres distance with the 300mm, I had to patiently ‘stalk’ it and this was taken at close to the lenses minumum focusing distance.  I think maybe why I’ve never really taken up this type of photography is because, to get the best results you need sunshine and low or zero winds, not at plentiful supply in this part of the world. On this occassion I didn’t have the latter and only some of the former.

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Still more sunshine!

We are being spoilt – three days of sunshine!  Normally a day of good weather brings me to feverishly plan in making the most of the day by deciding on what I will be doing and photographing so as not to waste the precious moment of sunshine, but today I thought, what the heck, I'll just spend the day wondering around and enjoying the weather taking any photographic opportunities that may come my way. In the Reeds My travels started around wetlands and reed beds where I came across this Reed Bunting, very vocal and initially quite hidden.  I tried to take photographs through the reeds but every time I found a gap the wind would blow the reeds around so obstructing a clear view.  It took over half an hour of patiently waiting before he came out to a spot clear of reed obstacles by which time my ability to keep the camera completely steady after holding the lens up for so long, was becoming a bit of a struggle and so fewer shots were as sharp as I would have liked. As he stayed put on this spot I had more time to frame the shot and catch it just at the right time.  I noticed at every time just near the end of the song, his beak would be open continuously and so shot frames off at that point.  I also tried to change to portrait viewpoint to get more of the reed in shot.

By the Lake Elsewhere, some of the lakes geese and ducks were enjoying the sun on terra firma but I noticed every time a dog walker would come along they flew back to the water.  A good opportunity to get some bird in flight shots, so sat at a spot I thought likely they’d fly past, kept the sun to my back for optimum lighting and waited.  Sure enough after their returning to the spot some dogs were unleashed upon them.   I was able to get quite a few shots of mostly Mallards in flight though even a Jackdaw got in on the act and gave me a fly by.  Unfortunately the best of the images of this bird (see below)had some nearby trees obtruding on the right of the frame.  I did toy with the idea of using the wonders of digital editing and clone the distraction out which would have probably made it a better shot, but refrained.

Interestingly, after my last excursion photographing Sand Martins in flight, I had less of a problem holding a focus lock despite a ‘busy’ background.  Probably a combination of it being a much larger subject and a more consistent flight pattern as well as having more time to get that lock as I could track them from take off to passing right by me.  What a difference the sun can make to a shot.  It just helps to bring out the colours and give the photograph a more 3d impact.

In the Fields In many of the fields the foliage was kept short by grazing horses and so had a blanket of beautiful yellow buttercups with the odd, intermittent splash of purples and whites from other wild flowers.  I did notice during the day something that I had already realised in the past week, and that was how few actual flowing plants I come across – six on this day and mostly of only two variations.  It was still a beautiful sight in the early afternoon sun on a sunny warm day with an almost clear sky and so sat down under the shade of a small tree for a much needed drink.

There seemed to be a chorus of competing songbirds in every direction I could here and on a distant perch, a Kestrel was on the lookout for a meal and the call of a couple of Red Kites filled the air even above the songbirds though I couldn’t see them.    What I did see was a leggy Crane Fly flying past and landing on some nearby grass.  A quick lens change and on went my 105mm macro.  A bit of insect stalking later and I was able to get a couple of frames off before it was off. Lying down photographing this, suddenly I noticed another – a small red beetle crawling around between flying from grass stem to grass stem.  For the last week I’ve been looking for insects to try out my macro ‘talents’ but I had been walking around.  Getting down to ground level and suddenly a whole new Serengeti appears.  Many more of these beetles, small flies and various other assortments of bugs and beasties including a spider that was busy repairing its web.  At least it couldn’t fly away and so gave me a good opportunity to try my new macro skills, or at least that what I thought.  It was constantly moving back and forth, spinning its silk and as I tried to focus on it at a closer range every slight breath of wind literally shook the spider out of frame.  Despite the bright sunshine I had to push up the ISO to 1600 just so I could get a decent shutter speed and the depth of field needed.  That close and with that depth of field, just my breathing was moving the spider in and out of focus.  I ended up settling for 1/1000 second at f10.  I’m thinking some kind of flash is a must for this kind of work. Whilst shooting the spider I noticed another bug crawl past my viewfinder – literally!  During the many lens changes I had made during the day it had somehow got inside my camera.  I’m normally very careful about changing lenses so as not to get dust onto the sensor, but a small bug!  The whole camera cleaning kit came out when I got back.

Crane Fly

I’m not an expert but I believe the three images below are of a Soldier Beetle

A Garden Cross Spider

By the Pond Later on coming across some small pond that looked lifeless but for some flies, so I thought I would try the same tactics as with the fields and get down low and just wait.  Sure enough there was a flurry of activity with Pond Skaters everywhere.  Under the water were tadpoles and small fish one of which I watched for a while as it seemed to patrol its area of territory barely a foot square in size, unconcerned by leaning over and pointing my lens at it. For the first time this year I also came across some Damsel Flies both red and blue, no Dragon Flies though.  Due to their timidness and my clumsy technique of stalking them, I ended up putting my converter on the macro lens so as to help keep a bit of distance between us.

A Pond Skater

Male Stickleback

My first real excursion into macro photography was quite and eye opener.  In some ways it’s similar to the way I go about photographing larger animals except you have to think on a miniature scale.  I’m reasonably happy with the macro shots though I’m sill learning so hopefully will improve.

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Just a Few Birds

With no luck in my attempt to get some ‘iconic’ images of Deer or Foxes in winter settings, I turned to the more and relatively easy option of birds to photograph.  Relatively easy, because, though easier to find, photographing small birds that are constantly moving and in very poor lighting conditions, put photographer and equipment to the test. All images below had to be shot wide open to get the fastest possible shutter speed.  This meant a very narrow depth of field and along with a shutter speed usually not fast enough to avoid a combination of freezing the action and avoiding camera shake, some two thirds of the resulting images were out of focus.

Great Tit - Sigma 500mm - 1/1000 sec, f/4.5, ISO 1600

Nuthatch - Sigma 500mm - 1/1250 sec, f/4.5, ISO 3200

Blue Tit - Sigma 500mm - 1/800 sec, f/4.5, ISO 3200

Coal Tit - Sigma 500mm - 1/800 sec, f/4.5, ISO 3200

Reed Bunting - Sigma 500mm - 1/640 sec, f/4.5, ISO 3200

Blue Tit - Sigma 500mm + 1x4 converter - 1/1320 sec, f6/3, ISO 3200

Nuthatch - Sigma 500mm - 1/500 sec, f/4.5, ISO 3200

Great Spotted Woodpecker - Sigma 500mm + 1x4 converter - 1/200 sec, f6/3, ISO 3200

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A weekend of mixed fortunes

Saturday With my Mk IIn now being replaced by the Mk III, I was eager to take it out for a trial.  One of the reasons for getting this was due to its famed high ISO performance and with the day being dull and dizzily it was a perfect time to put it to the test.  For the first part of the morning, I comfortably shot at 3200 and even 6400 with amazingly little noise and no banding – roll on dark, dingy winters (though not just yet).  With some encouragement of some nuts, the Grey Squirrels where very obliging and even a Jay got in on the act.

Jay – 1/400 f4.5 ISO 3200

Having walked around for a while and finding nothing much else about, I decided to have a go at some of the ‘smaller wildlife’ that was flying and crawling round me.  I’m not a macro photographer, but it’s surprising just what there is around our feet and it’s not until you get down and have a really good look that you realise this.  I think on another day, I will go out equipped especially for macro as I really needed a tripod.  At 1-1 distance, the depth of field was millimetres.  I found myself focusing at the minimum distance and then firing the shutter at the right moment as I breathed in and out!  To get any kind of balance between depth of field and shutter speed, I had to up the ISO to 1600 – not ideal for macro.

Sunday A much brighter, warmer day (I think this is what they call summer!) so, a trip to the coast.  Lots of fledglings still being fed by their parents mainly Sparrows, Starlings and Buntings, as a result of which they were much more approachable.  For the first time this year, I was able to get the ISO down to 400 or less and still get a fast shutter speed and stop down a bit for extra depth of field.

An opportunity to test my cameras autofocus and my own skills with some gulls in flight, came later.  This is a technique that definitely takes a lot of practice and experience.  Just keeping the bird in frame long enough for the cameras focusing system to lock on is hard enough but then you have to keep it in frame so it can keep it in focus!  I found the focusing limitations were down to my own ability (or lack of) to do this and need a lot more practice - and then there’s the various combinations of in camera settings to choose from.

The reason why this blog is a little later than I had planned is that I had a bit of bad luck – my computers hard drive died on me, as did my backup hard drive, all within a twelve hour period of each other!  I’m sure I am not simply cursed with some kind of hideous bad luck, rather than the mini heat wave we’ve been having recently causing the drives to conk out.  The good new was that all my original photographs taken in RAW during the last six years, were backed up on a backup, backup.  The bad new was that everything else I had was on the other two drives, including my ‘processed’ files for my website and blog – that’s a lot of years of work.  I’m sure the true nature of the disaster won’t be completely felt until later as I start to miss other things that have been lost.

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