NikonGear'23
Images => Nature, Flora, Fauna & Landscapes => Topic started by: gryphon1911 on May 09, 2017, 14:38:33
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I'm not much of a birder.....that is to say I take pictures of birds as opportunity allows, but I never was one to actively seek them out. That is but for one. There are a lot of Great Blue Heron's in my area and I'e always wanted to be able to get a shot of one in a natural setting.
Something always seemed to get in the way of getting a shot I was happy with. They were nested and too far away, I didn't have the right camera/lens and/or the time of day was just not conducive....the lighting was trash. You get the point.
That all changed yesterday when, after work, the wife and I went on a training hike(training for our Yellowstone vacation later this year) when she saw a Heron hunting at a pond in the park. Luckily, I had the Nikon D500, 300/4E PF, and the TC-14EIII.
I stalked my prey, ever so slowly taking pictures at different intervals as I approached, just in case it were to get spooked and fly away. I was able to get roughly 20-30 yards from the bird before I stopped. I didn't want to stress the bird while it was hunting, so there I stayed. Got a few good shots, but this one attached is my favorite.
So far, this has been my best shot of a Heron to date. The search for my "Eleanor" of birds is over. However, I won't give up opportunities to get even better shots in the future if the present themselves.
*For those who are not movie aficionados, the term Eleanor is used in the movie "Gone In 60 Seconds", where the main character is a car thief and the only car that has eluded him in all his years is a Shelby Cobra, which he names Eleanor.
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Andrew, great analogy
I like your Eleanor ! Nice light and nice story
BTW ... This guys are spectacular when landing ... ;D
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Indeed they are. The bird did take off while I was there, but I did not have the correct camera settings when it flew into the setting sun to get an acceptable image. Maybe next time! :D
Thanks for looking and commenting.
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Nice, like the lighting.
The herons can be difficult, shy and easy spooked.
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Nice combination of the studio-like well controled lighting and the pleasing natural environment. Thanks for sharing!
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Thanks all for the comments. Everything came together for me that day.
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Great portrait Andrew.
Indeed, this is birding. Almost endless frustration, until one day it all comes together for a few seconds.
So what's the next target?
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Great I like it very much, the light looks not so physical as already said but it captured the right moment
Very good performance the lens combination
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Great portrait Andrew.
Indeed, this is birding. Almost endless frustration, until one day it all comes together for a few seconds.
So what's the next target?
I'm not sure. Not a whole lot of exotic birds about. I might stumble about a bit further south of me and see if I can find some American Bald Eagles in the wild. They are making a resurgence here.
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Great I like it very much, the light looks not so physical as already said but it captured the right moment
Very good performance the lens combination
Thanks!
I lucked out and was at the pond right at sunset, so got that nice side lighting.
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I'm not sure. Not a whole lot of exotic birds about. I might stumble about a bit further south of me and see if I can find some American Bald Eagles in the wild. They are making a resurgence here.
A worthy target.
It's so good to hear about birds making a resurgence in Europe and America. Here, the opposite is the norm.
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yoh - your Eleanor is beautiful. And well done on a really great image. Feels good hey :)
My Eleanor is a Fish Eagle. I hear AND SEE them - but they are a speck in the sky above my house.
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A worthy target.
It's so good to hear about birds making a resurgence in Europe and America. Here, the opposite is the norm.
Yes, it has been years since the Bald Eagle population has been this good.
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yoh - your Eleanor is beautiful. And well done on a really great image. Feels good hey :)
My Eleanor is a Fish Eagle. I hear AND SEE them - but they are a speck in the sky above my house.
Thank you, and best of luck to you on getting your Fish Eagle, they appear to look quite similar to bald eagle.