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Maadhatter

Family Swim

Mother Goose and her family!!
Canada Goose family on Loch Leven (Cypress Hills Provincial Park, Saskatchewan - 2018 June 11)...
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Mother Goose and her family!!
Canada Goose family on Loch Leven (Cypress Hills Provincial Park, Saskatchewan - 2018 June 11)
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NIKON D200

settings

Aperture 90/10 ISO 400 Shutter 10/1250 Focal Length 1850/10

upload_date

Jun, 2018

Views

225

Likes

Awards

Winner in Families in Nature Photo Challenge

Peer Award

Top Choice

Absolute Masterpiece

Superb Composition

Top Ranks

Top 10 rank

Top 30 rank

Behind The Lens

Location

I captured this photo in June 2018 - the last time my husband and I went camping in the beautiful Cypress Hills Provincial Park (located in southwest Saskatchewan, Canada). I hoped to get back to Cypress Hills that fall or the following spring but life and circumstances got in the way and we have not been able to return. Maybe we will be able to again someday.

Time

I shot this photograph at 7:18 PM CST (2018 June 11).

Lighting

The lighting wasn't great because, though it was a sunny evening, the sun was getting lower and the little lake the geese were on is surrounded by tall lodgepole pine forest. The sun was behind the forest (and me).

Equipment

I was shooting handheld with my trusty old Nikon D200 and a NIKKOR 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED AF-S VR Zoom Lens at 185mm Manual Exposure f/9 1/125 sec ISO 400 Aperture priority White Balance set at "Sunny" Exposure 0 eV step Spot Metering.

Inspiration

I am a birder so I enjoy watching Nature on the Wing and try to capture it whenever an opportunity presents itself. I sat quietly watching the little feathered family for several minutes before I was able to shoot them at a decent angle and before they got too far out on the water.

Editing

This photo was shot in JPEG format. The only post-processing I did was to do a slight crop along with a slight adjustment to the exposure using ACDSee Pro 6.

In my camera bag

I have my Nikon D750, D200 and D5100 cameras in my bags along with my Nikon AF-S 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II,a Tamron SP 24-70MM F/2.8 Di VC USD, a Tamron 18-400mm f/3.5-6.3 Di II VC HLD Lens, Nikon f/2.8 105mm Micro f/2.8 lens, and a Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM Contemporary Lens. I also always have my Samsung S8+ SM-6955W cellular phone with me (I like to use it when I want or need a wider angle photo.) If I am going to go for a drive to spend some time out and about shooting, I like to take all my cameras and lenses... you just never know what you're going to need. If I am going out to shoot something specific, I take my Nikon D750 along with the 70-200mm lens, 24-70mm lens, and depending what my shooting goal is, sometimes the 105mm lens.

Feedback

My advice for others is to shoot as often as you can .Keep the batteries charged up. If you are at home, on vacation, or just out and about, take your camera with you and keep your camera easily accessible. You never know when an opportunity to shoot will arise. If you are shooting wildlife of any kind, before you lift the camera to shoot, ensure you are giving the animal the respect it deserves. Keep your distance and use a long lens, and do not stay longer than a few minutes. Learn the habits of the animals you are shooting.... that way you can anticipate their moves to get a better shot and to recognize the animal's reaction to your presence. Take advantage of the lighting - when it is sunny or when it is cloudy or if rain or any other weather system is moving in, and play with your f stops. Take more than one photo... you can always delete it if it doesn't turn out. Try different camera settings and camera equipment as well. When you download your photos, don't discard the photo right away because the colour or composition isn't what you had wanted it to be. Try adjusting the lighting, exposure, cropping, etc, and also convert it to sepia or black and white... sometimes that may be the only adjustment you need to make to the photo in post-processing. Most important of all... always have fun!!!!

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Family Swim

Mother Goose and her family!! Canada Goose family on Loch Leven (Cypress Hills Provincial Park, Saskatchewan - 2018 June 11)... Read more

Behind The Lens

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Mother Goose and her family!!
Canada Goose family on Loch Leven (Cypress Hills Provincial Park, Saskatchewan - 2018 June 11)...
Read more

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Earn coins, get amazing rewards. Join for free.