Galapagos Islands report

Hi everyone -


We got back a week ago from an outstanding trip to the Galapagos Islands in Ecuador. It certainly lives up to its billing as one of the best places for photography on the planet. Not only do you get an enormous variety of subjects that you can't see anywhere else, you are also able to get incredibly close to all the wildlife. They simply don't care about you at all! On more than one occasion I had to step back to get a good bird photo... where else do you run into that problem?


I've been pretty much glued to my computer for the last week, sorting through the nearly 4,000 shots I took during the week. I've posted 33 of my favourites on my website: www.huyerperspectives.com


Meanwhile, here is a summary of the equipment I brought and how useful it was:


SLR Cameras: Canon 1D3 and 5D2. Obviously no complaints with these toys... they worked great. I carried both of them with a Black Rapid dual strap system, and it worked brilliantly. Many people asked me about the Black Rapid strap when they saw how well it worked for hoisting two cameras.


Point and Shoot: Canon G12 with underwater housing for snorkeling - worked incredibly well. Excellent camera to carry around at all times. I pulled it out for 'snapshot' photos on regular occasion too. I carried it in a Think Tank belt system.


Lenses:


300 mm f/2.8: I usually had this on my 1D3, and it generated about a thirdof my favourite shots. I was glad to have this focal length available, but you could get the same results with a smaller lens (like the 300 f/4, or perhaps the new 70-300 zoom).


70-200 f/2.8: My most used lens. I usually had this on my 5D2. If the 300 was too much length, I'd grab this instead.


24-70 f/2.8: I typically carried this lens in my Think Tank belt pouch, and used it quite a lot.


16-35 f/2.8: I didn't use this lens much at all. Maybe because I have the 5D2, and found that 24 mm focal length was more than wide enough when I needed it.


1.4 TC: I carried this but didn't use it much.


Filters:


The polarizer is your best friend. I usually left it on at all times (except the 300, which I don't filter). The lighting can be very harsh, with the sun traveling directly overhead.


Tripod:


My wife was very kind to carry my Gitzo traveler tripod for me, and I did grab it on several occasions when there was ample time to compose shots. It allowed me to get extra-sharp images with the 1D3 / 300 mm lens arrangement.


Other:


We were lucky to be on an air-conditioned boat, but since it is so humid out there your camera would fog up as soon as you went outdoors. So I eventually learned to bring the camera out well in advance to avoid that problem. A lot of you are probably thinking, "well, duh". But hey, I'm from Canada... heat and humidity are quite a novelty for me..!


Let me know if you'd like any more information on the Galapagos. We also spent 4 nights at a lodge in the rainforest, and I'm just starting to sort through those pictures now. Way too fun.


Jon Huyer


Calgary, Alberta

Jon,


Just wanted to say great shots. The sea lions on the beach is my favorite of the 33.


I cant wait until the day I get to go there, until then I will just look at your photos and dream about it.


Nick

Really beautiful photos! Your website is top class as well. Thanks for sharing your experience.

Truly looks like you visited paradise! Very nice photos, Jon!!


I will probably never get the chance to visit myself so thank you very much for sharing thise beautiful place in your photos!!


Denise

Greath Shots there, Jon. I know it must have been hard to pick from all the images you have taken! Some very interesting critters there.


Thanks for sharing


Dave.

Thanks very much! It is really an amazing shooting gallery out there... so much to choose from. I forgot to mention my experience with carry-on baggage. One of the things I was most worried about was how I was going to get all my equipment on board, without having to check anything fragile. I used a Think Tank "Airport Addicted 2.0" bag, which is the largest legal carry-on bag you can buy. It has backpack straps rather than wheels, to maximize internal space. It was way overweight (35 pounds) and I was ready to pull out a couple items if I had to. But it never got weighed, on any of the 6 flights we did. I just made sure to line up in front when the plane was boarding, to ensure I could find space to put the bag overhead. After that it was not a problem at all.

35 lbs?...yikes. i

Such amazing pictures, I really love them. My favourite one is the juvenile Galapagos hawk, allthough the Sally Lightfoot Crab (munching on a caterpillar) comes in really close. You made me jealous in two ways: I want to go there too, and I want your gear. (And yes, ofcourse a girl that will carry a tripod). What did it took you to make her do that;)?

Beautiful pictures Jon, breathtaking. Your processing and composition is first class.


You

Wow that's so kind of you. I'vealways been hugely inspired by the photos on this site and I am definitelya better photographer because of all of you. The Galapagos Islands are really beyond belief when it comes to photo opportunities, to the point that it's almost completely unfair. It's really hard not to get good results. I'm so spoiled now, it's going to be hard going back to the usual routine at home of searching hours for bird and wildlife shots.


My lovely wife carried my tripod on her daypack, so I was able to reach for it easily whenever I needed it. The Gitzo traveler tripod is super light, and it handled my 1D3 with the 300 f/2.8 lens quite acceptably (even though it's not rated for it). Without the tripod Ihad some difficulty in achieving 'tack sharp' images, even though there's lots of light available and usually you can get pretty high shutter speeds. So the heavy lens was probably a detriment when hand-holding, and something like the new 70-300 zoom would have been better. But I was glad to have the big aperture when we were in the jungle earlier, where the available light is much lower.


Thanks again,
Jon