During a late afternoon adventure, a handful of birds flew overhead. No time but to focus and shoot, and hope all ends well. Even without the characteristic green head, I still think it’s a mallard duck.
Nikon D800, Nikkor AF-S 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR, 300mm, ISO 640, f/8.0, 1/2,000s
I really like the rich, blue color of Shoreline Lake. Lately, I have been experimenting with a polarized lens filter. Through the viewfinder, the effects are quite subtle. I can see a change, but cannot predict the full effect when viewed on the computer. Need more practice with the polarized lens filter, to say the least.
Nikon D800, Nikkor AF-S 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6, ISO 360, 250mm, f/5.6, 1/1,250s
Near the Google offices on Shorebird Way in Mountain View, CA lives a colony of egrets. To protect young egrets that may drop from the trees above, the city has closed down the street.
This Snowy Egret is perched in one of the trees above Shorebird Way.
A few streets down, I spotted this egret hanging out in the Microsoft building.
At first, I wasn’t sure what was going on. One photo would be too bright. The next one would be pitch black. The exposure was all over the place. The correct response would have been to turn off the bracketing settings from the previous photo session.
I was looking for hummingbirds again, but this western bluebird demanded my attention instead. This bird is going to be eating well.
Nikon D800, Nikkor AF-S 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR, ISO 900, 300mm, 0 EV, f/5.6, 1/1,600s
During lunch, I like to roam about with the camera. Sometimes, I get rewarded, like during this encounter with a hummingbird. While it’s easier to photograph a hummingbird sitting on a tree branch, capturing a small bird in flight is a lot more challenging and fun.
Nikon D800, Nikkor AF-S 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II, ISO 720, 195mm, 0 EV, f/8, 1/1,600s
In children stories, the owl is always perched on a tree asking “Who?” I saw this owl during a lunch time walk. Not its first encounter with a human since its leg is already adorned with a metallic band. It looks like a burrowing owl to me.
Nikon D800, AF-S Nikkor 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR, ISO 360, 300mm, f/8, 1/800s
Later, I spotted several turkey vultures hovering over air currents.
Nikon D800, AF-S Nikkor 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR, ISO 450, 300mm, f/10, 1/1,600s
Finally, a hawk to round out the lunch hour.
Nikon D800, AF-S Nikkor 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR, ISO 800, 300mm, f/10, 1/1,600s
I took the Nikon 300mm lens and TC-20E III 2x teleconverter to photograph some birds yesterday. At sunrise, I could hear the birds chirping their morning melody.
Nikon D800, AF-S Nikkor 300mm f/2.8G ED VR II, ISO 450, 600mm, 0 EV, f/8, 1/1,600s
I saw a lot of hummingbirds.
Nikon D800, AF-S Nikkor 300mm f/2.8G ED VR II, ISO 450, 600mm, 0 EV, f/8, 1/1,600s
Although it was low tide, I did see a handful of birds still around, including this American Avocet with two chicks in the background.
Nikon D800, AF-S Nikkor 300mm f/2.8G ED VR II, ISO 1250, 600mm, 0 EV, f/8, 1/1,600s
I like how the colors of the hummingbird’s head really came out. I didn’t notice the distracting branches until I was viewing the photo on the computer. 🙁
Nikon D800, AF-S Nikkor 300mm f/2.8G ED VR II, ISO 800, 600mm, 0 EV, f/8, 1/2,000s
The 28-300mm is a convenient lens. At Safari West, I was at the 300mm end a lot, especially while in the aviary. Good for getting that close-up shot of a bird (or other animal) without having to spook them by getting too close.
I wanted a fast enough shutter speed because these birds were moving around. f/5.6 was the fastest aperture at 300mm. Auto ISO yielded ISO 6400. There’s a bit of grain in the background, but it’s all about compromises and trade-offs.
Nikon D800, AF-S Nikkor 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR, ISO 6400, 300mm, 0 EV, f/5.6, 1/1,000s
Flamingos are instantly recognizable from their pink plumage and their one-legged stance. Only when you look up close will you notice their piercing orange eye and the distinct shape of their beak. When the flamingos are feeding in water, their bottom bills are now on top.
Nikon D800, AF-S Nikkor 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR, ISO 400, 300mm, 0EV, f/13, 1/800s
