P3230433
Nov, 2013Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
I was visiting a nature preserve in Mexico.Time
This was taken some time in the course pf the afternoon as I walked all over the preserve.Lighting
It was a typical sunny afternoon in Mexico. Fortunately all of the trres around this particular area helped filter what would otherwise have been impossibly bright sunlight.Equipment
In this case I used my Olympus TG2, a waterproof compact camera that I also used whole snorkeling that same day.Inspiration
My favorite pictures to take are of wildlife and nature in general.That day I had the opportunity to see quite a bit of wildlife that I don't get to see at home in upstate NY. I tried to capture as much of the unusual to me wildlife as possible. For this particular shot I liked that this bird had separated from the rest of the flock, thus giving me the opportunity to get a shot of a single one and a close up to boot.Editing
No, I didn't do any post-processing. In fact, the only post-processing I have ever done is a bit of cropping. I enjoy taking pictures but not post-processing.In my camera bag
I always have my Canon 40D and my Canon Mark 5 II D. Since 99% of my shots are taken outside I try to minimize lens changes so I usually use the Canon EF 100 - 400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM with the 40D and the Canon Mark 5 with my Canon EF 24- 70mm f2/8L II USM lens. I also usually carry my Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM and, if I'm traveling overseas, my Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM lens. I don't carry a tripod but rather make use of what I can find to stabilize the camera since wildlife doesn't usually wait for me to set up a tripod, etc. To that end I carry several trashbags to keep me and/or the cameras from getting dirty or wet.Feedback
Anyone eho has ever shot any kind of wildlife knows that birds and animals won't pose for you and tend to move around a lot. I start shooting as soon as I discover my subject. After each couple of shots I carefully move a little closer and take more shots. I repeat this until either the subject takes off or I have the shots I wanted in the first place. This method guarantees at least some picture and possibly the exact ones I want. At times I have managed to get far closer than I expected. It helps to know or learn as much as possible about normal wildlife behavior although that's obviously not possible when traveling in a country with unknown wildlife.
