Summer Weekend Shoots

[DonSchap]

Okay,

Saturday, there was a local Gem & Rock Show. One of the nature sanctuary's brought of a really nice looking Red-Tailed Hawk. So, having the DSLR handy ...

A700 W/ T17-50mm f/2.8
@ 50mm - f/5.6 - 1/15 sec. - ISO-1600 -Spot Focus - M - Tungsten

Sunday the weather turned beautiful ... a high of 75-degrees and rather nice waters. The house project was placed "on hold" and we grabbed the canoe and headed across the river to "the perch."

On it was a Golden Eagle ... looking a bit weathered by Mother Nature. These guys have some battle wounds, that's for sure.

The eagle had its back to us, as we approached the location ... but, it kept an eye on us.

A700 w/ T200-500 f/5-6.3
@ 500mm - f/6.3 - 1/250 sec. - ISO-400 - M - Handheld

So, we had to go around the island to get it from the other side. Darn those uncooperative subjects!

Juvenile Eagle

A700 w/ T200-500 f/5-6.3
@ 500mm - f/7.1 - 1/250 sec. - ISO-400 - M - Handheld - CROP

Obviously, the canoe does play hell with focus and shake, but we struggled through it. We were limited at how close we could get, because the river level had dropped significantly, exposing tree branches and grasses that normally weren't a problem. I'm not into getting my feet wet ...and slopping up my camera, so we stayed outside this natural perimeter.

[sparkie1263]

Nice shots from a tough place to shoot.

Frank

[DonSchap]

I tell ya .... sometimes you forget how hard it is to shoot on a moving platform. Shooting telephoto from a canoe is a real eye-opener. Plus, the river's current has the craft in motion. I may have to drop anchor and also invent a river-monopod that I can extend down into the river bed ... to get a stable point to shoot from, I did not even try that, this time, but there may be better moments in August, when I return.

One of those "video gliders" would have been handy, too, because we are not talking about simple 'handshake' with this operation ... your whole world is moving.

[Peekayoh]

___________

[DonSchap]

I thought I'd pop up a sample of some of the rock/lapidary art that the home's owner had enjoyed a decade or two, ago. Now, remember, this is in a home.

But, it that wasn't enough for an indoor special, how about a 24-inch Boulder Saw?

Yep. same room, on the other side. You slap the big ol' rock in there and this diamond-impregnated, liquid lubricated
circular saw goes to work, turn whole rocks into slabs.

But then again, nature can do some rather incredible artwork on her own ... as the this 180mm MACRO of a Abalone shell can demonstrate.

I saw it at the Gem & Rock Show, over the weekend ... liked that incredible mix of color and snapped it up, photographically, of course.

[sparkie1263]

Cool shots looks like you had a good weekend. I am running out of things to shoot here. I am loosing my creative touch. I have been using M mode more but just on still objects. I cannot get the settings right on moving objects.

Frank

[DonSchap]

Think timing, Frank. You have to consider speed as a coordinating factor.

A few simple rules I use ... for people, animals and UFOs

If it's dead ... BULB -> 1/40th
Sitting ... 1/60th - 1/125th
Walking or slow dancing ... 1/250th
Trotting or fox-trotting ... 1/500th
Running or flying birds (most natural stuff) ... 1/800th - 1/1500th
Driving or planes (mainly unnatural stuff) ... 1/2000th - 1/4000th
Shooting (soon to be supernatural stuff) ... 1/8000th

That about covers the moving stuff.

When it moves, this is usually where you can really appreciate an f/2 or better lens.

A really good exercise that I did was:

1) having my son drive my truck by the house, a number of times, at the same speed (15mph) with
2) my camera facing perpendicular to the passing vehicle,
3) on a tripod,
4) with a release, and
5) progressively crank up the shutter speed, while opening the aperture,

until I could freeze the tires completely. That's controlled speed.

It also helps you work on your timing, to get the vehicle at the same point, every time. Then, make a GRID of the shots, photoshopping the speed on each image.

[sparkie1263]

What about the Aperture? How do you guess that? This is all hit and miss to me. I am finding out that the images come out much better when you dial everything in right.

Frank

[DonSchap]

If you go through the forum, we did an aperture match ... but what the heck, you're a pal.

In "M" (MANUAL) Mode

Speed ......... Aperture ........ ISO
1/30th ...........f/16 ..............400
1/60th ........... f/11 ............ 400
1/125th ......... f/8 .............. 400
1/250th ......... f/5.6 ........... 400
1/500th ......... f/5.6 ........... 800
1/1000th ....... f/4 .............. 800
1/2000th ........ f/4 ............. 1600

These settings should provide an even exposure or "0 Ev" (Exposure Value) and that should get you a real good comparison. Adjust for 0 Ev exposure as required.

Also, PRE-FOCUS the camera and leave it in MF (Manual Focus) so it doesn't stall the shot.


Rules in Photography:

1) Doubling or cutting your shutter speed in half equals one f/stop of change.
2) Multiply or divide the Aperture setting by 1.4x equals one f/stop of change.
3) Doubling or cutting your ISO in half equals one f/stop of change.


As long as when you make a change to one of these, the other two are adjusted so there is a "net zero change" ... you should have the same exposure (0 Ev).

[DonSchap]

Here's a piece of "CHAINSAW ART" I found along the road ...

Definitely, not your average piece of work ...