I’d travelled to photograph the raptors at the Carolina Raptor Center with a very conservative camera gear kit — my Nikon D700 with a AF-S 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6 G VRII lens mounted and a 24-70mm f/2.8 G ED lens in a bag as a secondary choice. That was everything, and the 24-70mm lens never left the bag. I call this my lets see what’s going on camera kit. :-)
I may have been somewhat unprepared. And if you judged by what some of those who I assume to be professional photographers were carrying I most certainly was. Some had two professional grade cameras with long lens mounted on each, as well as full tripods with off camera flash/reflector units. I believe there was a Nikon 400mm f/2.8 ($9k) lens and possibly a Canon 600mm f/4 ($13k) being used as well as a number of longer zoom lens. I hope they got some great photos…they certainly worked for them.
I admit I would have liked to have had a longer and faster lens but I can’t justify spending that kind of money when I only occasionally shoot wildlife photos. The advantage of my light kit was it allowed me to quickly move with the raptors and the changing morning light condition.
The disadvantage was the lighting was dim until fairly late in the morning. To get fast enough exposure times to freeze most movement I was having to shoot at ISO 800-1600 for posing and ISO 3200 during the flight portion. This gave more noise then I would have liked, but I was okay with what I got.
If I go back, the only changes I’d make would be to take my old 300-500mm zoom instead of that 24-70mm and my tripod.
Damn! That’s a fine shot and some great processing. I miss this event every year :( I hope to be there one year. I need to put it on my calendar for next year so that I don’t forget. Where is it announced? Maybe I need to follow the Raptor Center on Twitter! :D
Paul, Thanks. I got onto this one through a friend of Bonnie’s that works there and mentioned it. Tom D. mentioned they have one in the Spring as well…we ought to all go to the next one.
I agree with Paul that this is a very nice portrait of Ms. Eagle. Big glass or not, it looks like you were properly prepared.
By the way, I seriously doubt that any of the other photographers you mentioned were actual working pros. There are a large number of enthusiasts who have better (or at least more expensive) gear than a lot of the pros I know. But they don’t get photos like this one. :)
They’ll do this event again in the spring. Let’s watch for the dates and plan to go. I’ll even bring my Better Beamer so I can look like a pro, too! :)
Tom, Thanks! I guess it’s how you use it, not how big it is. :-)
Well there was certainly some “pro gear” there and a lot of hobby fun shooters as well, which was nice.
I’d like to do the Spring PhotoWILD and Paul L. mentioned above he’d like to do one as well. Let’s watch for it and all go! :-)
That is a terrific portrait, Earl. I suppose if you shoot wildlife or sports professionally, expensive fast glass is a definite advantage. For anyone else it’s probably overkill.
Thanks, Ken. Yeah, shooting in the wild there would be a need for this type of glass and for those that can afford it it’s great. But, I don’t see it in my future.
This is a fine, highly detailed image of this fierce looking fellow. I enjoyed reading of your kit and the problem of trying to be prepared and keeping the weight controlled. I have that 28-300 lens and like it very much.
Hi Don, thanks. Yes, that lens is a very capable and versatile lens — in new situations where I’m not positive what I’ll need it covers most bases.
Wow!, this is definitely a “keeper.” My “lets see what’s going on camera kit” would have included a the 70-300mm VR lens and possibly an 85mm f1.8. Along with your 28-300mm lens that’s what most of us pros use and can afford. :-) Again, this is an awesome image, Earl!
Hey, thanks much, Monte. It’s nice to know “us pros” use many of the same lens. :-)
That’s a fabulous shot, Earl! I don’t think the eagle cared that you used the lens you used – it’s the end-product that counts and you’ve probably got one of the best shots of the day right there. Why? What an expression! It’s like he’s thinking “He’s going to shoot me with THAT lens? What am I, a Magpie?” . ;-)
Nice! :)
A fine shot Earl. Many of these portraits come down to very subtle things like head position in differentiating the better ones from the rest. I’d say you nailed it here as I really like the one eye giving you the ‘make my day’ look.
There is a raptor center up here that I have been to a number of times. The nice part is that you can really use a wide variety of lenses and don’t need the big guns.
Mark, thanks and I totally agree about subtle things making the shot. I noticed with a lens less then 400mm on a FF camera you had to crop to get tight head shots from the distance they allow us to approach. Now that probably wouldn’t be a problem if say I had a camera with 36mp of high quality detail. ;-)
Yeah, what you don’t have in focal length you can make up with MP! :-)
What a fabulous shot, Earl. I love how beautifully you’ve captured his questioning expression. Shallow depth of field and framing are excellent too – great work!
Martina, Yes, I think that expression was perhaps letting me know I was indeed close enough. Thanks.