Post Your Best Nature Shots!

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...a21c8032_b.jpg

2G2A1803 by dfwatsoneuro, on Flickr

I have been trying to practice shots with movement of the subject. This fellow obliged. Obviously his fur blends well with the background.

Seems like we are working on similar things. For me it's birds in flight.

If I may, the rabbit looks a bit soft here. I think your sharpest point of focus is behind it. The rocks look pretty clean.

At 1/1600 I don't think it's a shutter speed issue.

I agree more sharpness would be nice. In part the DOF does not include the whole rabbit. I perceive the focal plane is near the eye, but just beyond. For sure, MY best nature shots are not on par with some of the others posted here, but I still benefit from the effort and from helpful comments like yours.

was crossing a bridge when i saw these little guys getting a little sun and thought i'd get a pic

https://i.imgur.com/tQkGS9Yh.jpg

saw this big fella and was lucky to get a shot before he ran off

https://i.imgur.com/midHCBg.jpg

Great looking fella...but what is that and why is it in Texas??

it's a Fallow Deer, it was introduced to Texas in the late 1980's i think.

Thanks. I didn't realize they had introduced them into the US.

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Originally Posted by Kayaker72

Thanks. I didn't realize they had introduced them into the US.

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Reminded me right away of this:

https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-.../i-PjSw9Wf.jpg

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Jonathan Huyer

Reminded me right away of this:

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Ha.....right back at you....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rus_3VjMf0s

Quote:

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Originally Posted by kayaker72

ha.....right back at you....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rus_3vjmf0s

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;););)

I'm back from a repeat visit to my favourite bear viewing spot in central British Columbia, and as always the photo opportunities were spectacular. This time I brought two 1DX III bodies, mated to a 500 f/4 and a 100-400. I'm still going through the 23,000 images I took in the week, but here are some of the better ones:


https://photos.smugmug.com/Nature/Gr...76-Edit-XL.jpg


A very rare white cub!

https://photos.smugmug.com/Nature/Gr...32-Edit-XL.jpg



The stuff nightmares are made of...

https://photos.smugmug.com/Nature/Gr...-2-Edit-XL.jpg


Sad to see me go?

https://photos.smugmug.com/Nature/Gr...82-Edit-XL.jpg


Bald Eagle posing nicely

https://photos.smugmug.com/Nature/Bi...-Edit-2-XL.jpg


I loved using the AF-ON trackpad focus control on the 1DX III, and so I kept in single-point focus mode for most of the time. When I tried the full-spread focus points with auto tracking, it would tend to wander across the bear instead of staying on the head. So that wasn't the best. One guy on the trip had a R5, and he was having fabulous success with the eye AF tracking. Still, I'm quite delighted with how the 1DX III worked, and the fast shutter speed and infinite buffer were gold when action was happening. Also I didn't bother with a rain cover when we had light rain, and it carried on just fine. All shooting was done from small flat-bottom boats, so everything is hand held (although I typically used my camera bag as a support for the 500 as I kept low in the boat).

Thanks for viewing!

Absolutely spectacular Jonathan. Great shots.

Wow

Fabulous shots Jonathan!

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Originally Posted by Jayson

Fabulous shots Jonathan!

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Thanks everyone! You can't go wrong at this spot --- it was my third visit there and you get unique stuff everytime. I sure love the adrenaline rush when a scene comes together. There is also a bit of stress involved, since you desperately do not want to screw up! Focus, exposure compensation, shutter speed, ISO, focal length, composition ---- all these requirements are flying through your head while you're leaning hard on the shutter button. Each of the shots above came from scenes that lasted for a few seconds at most (or a split second, in a couple cases). I think it's this huge rush that keeps me coming back --- yes I must be a junkie :o.

I entered a few pics of this waterfall in the weekly contest. Here are a few other compositions that I liked. A great waterfall.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...f3406975_h.jpg6S0A0923 by kayaker72, on Flickr

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...967a1e01_h.jpg6S0A0973-Pano-2 by kayaker72, on Flickr

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...d55d5c66_h.jpg6S0A0988 by kayaker72, on Flickr

Thanks for viewing...Brant

caught this little fella out before dark, was able to get a couple before he ran off!

https://i.imgur.com/l3wZf1l.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/8rXdE4V.jpg

This all unfolded pretty quickly. I saw them go after each other and land. I pivoted, then they did it again. Fortunately I was evaluating 20 fps on the R5. I got 14 frames, 12 of which are in pretty reasonable focus. But, it was all over in less than a second maybe two seconds....

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...53bfafff_h.jpg537A8240 by kayaker72, on Flickr

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...ce5605dc_h.jpg537A8243 by kayaker72, on Flickr

Attachment 2889

Attachment 2890

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...b7a34e74_h.jpg537A8249 by kayaker72, on Flickr

Attachment 2891

Thanks for viewing...Brant

These are wonderful, especially #3 and #4

What shutter speed did you use? I'm guessing 1/2500 or faster.

I seldom have enough light to allow the needed shutter speed for shots like this as my set up is shaded most of the time.

Cool shots!

Thanks Joel. Looking back, they are 1/2000, f/5.6, ISO 500. Ideally, I would have increased the shutterspeed. Next time....

Currently seeing 147 pages while viewing this thread, but only 146 pages on the forum view. Trying to go to page 147 doesn't work, and thread remains permanently "unread". This post is just an attempt to get this thread unstuck.

edit: Post appears to have fixed it. Yay!

three shots of the same sunset from different spots and at different times

thoughts are welcome

https://i.imgur.com/68JFjHzl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/jn4bMtc.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/laTRt5n.jpg

Visited a few waterfalls last weekend:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...f1dde544_b.jpg537A7243 by kayaker72, on Flickr

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...ed7cf37c_b.jpg537A7313 by kayaker72, on Flickr

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...c2eef2c9_b.jpg537A7324 by kayaker72, on Flickr

Thanks for viewing...Brant

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Kayaker72

Visited a few waterfalls last weekend:

537A7243 by kayaker72, on Flickr

537A7313 by kayaker72, on Flickr

537A7324 by kayaker72, on Flickr

Thanks for viewing...Brant

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Those are all very nice but the last one is serious stunner ..... wow!!!! That would make an amazing large print. Great image!

Thanks Joel!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I watched the Osprey work the coast in RI. Lots of hovering, flying....but finally a successful dive:
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...485a6b43_b.jpgSmall-2326 by kayaker72, on Flickr

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...dd995c53_b.jpg537A2328 by kayaker72, on Flickr

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...64f643b3_b.jpg537A2340 by kayaker72, on Flickr

Thanks for viewing...Brant

Banff National Park never disappoints. First two were taken with Jonathan. Second two with a co-worker (there is an annual conference I attend in Banff).

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...8669dc66_b.jpg537A5410 by kayaker72, on Flickr

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...476b29a2_b.jpg537A5963 by kayaker72, on Flickr

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...197a74bb_b.jpg537A6265 by kayaker72, on Flickr

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...a4e5f27e_b.jpg537A6289 by kayaker72, on Flickr

Thanks for viewing! Brant

Perhaps it being a cold drab last couple of days made me think about Costa Rica....but in the back of my mind, I always knew I hadn't posted pics from a day from the 2017 trip where we hired a guide to take us places other than Carara National Park. "Local" places. And sure enough, it got local fast. I'll probably post a few more pics from that day, but in thumbing through those pics, the Scarlet Macaws stood out as the trip ended in a grove of trees with the Macaws feeding and screeching around us....

Back to the days of the 5DIII, and its 22 MP, and Sigma 150-600S.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...ba5680e8_b.jpg1L0A1089 by kayaker72, on Flickr

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...5b64b01d_b.jpg1L0A1106 by kayaker72, on Flickr

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...989b5199_b.jpg1L0A1128 by kayaker72, on Flickr

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...3ee773d0_b.jpg1L0A1170 by kayaker72, on Flickr

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...a73e762b_b.jpg1L0A1177 by kayaker72, on Flickr

Thanks for viewing...Brant

One of my goals from this recent trip was to get a good picture of sloths. I am more than happy with these:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...77f8b430_h.jpg537A3920 by kayaker72, on Flickr

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...37b3fb1c_h.jpg537A3892 by kayaker72, on Flickr

Thanks for viewing...Brant

I am behind on my posts from Costa Rica. Actually, I still have a day and a half of pics from Costa Rica I haven't looked at.

But, a few pics of a Two-Toed Sloth Mother and baby. I wish I could say much effort was extended in getting these shots, but truth be told, they were in a tree above the beach bar at the hotel.

I'll take easy. :)

Baby was a bit restless...Mom just wanted to sleep....

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...74b5a4ee_h.jpg537A3468 by kayaker72, on Flickr

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...d801335d_h.jpg537A3557 by kayaker72, on Flickr

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...c99f2faf_h.jpg537A3573 by kayaker72, on Flickr

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...66a9510e_h.jpg537A3666 by kayaker72, on Flickr

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...3f281c1b_h.jpg537A3629 by kayaker72, on Flickr


Thanks for viewing....Brant

Another year and another trip to Costa Rica and photographing sloths.

These are Two Toed Sloths. Different location, these were taken at Le Perica Sloth Garden on the Osa Peninsula. Which is a great place, and I do love what they are doing. But it a stretch of property set between a cattle farm and a Palm oil farm (Palm trees). Same farmer developed both and, as the story goes, his wife wanted to leave the forest along the creek near their house undeveloped. Then, she wanted a path system so she could take walks. They are both older now (they are the grandparents of the guide), but sloths seem to really like that smaller stretch of land. We saw 9 sloths, 8 Three toed and 1 Two toed. I just posted one picture, here are a few others:


This sloth was moving between trees and paused for a second to check me out.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...968794ef_h.jpg537A2225 by kayaker72, on Flickr

While I do like this image, I had my 500 mm f/4 on my R5. So I couldn't get the whole body in.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...62efa13e_h.jpg537A2280 by kayaker72, on Flickr

But, and I might start trying this, on these next two images, even though I was too close (and couldn't back up) I took multiple images and did a pano-merge in LR. Insert jokes about Sloths being slow enough to be part of the landscape, but there was movement, and LR did a nice job of merging the images so you don't see it.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...101f508e_h.jpg537A2138-Pano-2 by kayaker72, on Flickr

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...36bf434e_h.jpg537A2363-Pano by kayaker72, on Flickr

Thanks for viewing!

Brant

Excellent Sloth set. Very cool creatures!

Thanks Jayson....I enjoy them a lot....maybe some sort of kindred spirit thing ;-).

But, watching them move, I would describe more as methodical rather than slow.

Great afternoon of shooting. I am actually just about to finish going through them all but I am behind in posting here.

We had a troop of 50-60 squirrel monkeys go over us at two different locations. Here are a few favorites:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...3f91f791_h.jpg537A2526 by kayaker72, on Flickr

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...f88de015_h.jpg537A2534 by kayaker72, on Flickr

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...0cbeea81_h.jpg537A2738 by kayaker72, on Flickr

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...367fea17_h.jpg537A2766 by kayaker72, on Flickr

Thanks for viewing....Brant

Going through shots from earlier this year...

From Watkins Glen in Upstate NY:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...a86c78b2_h.jpg537A7102-2 by kayaker72, on Flickr

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...560d5830_h.jpg537A7123 by kayaker72, on Flickr

From the Glen behind Buttermilk falls:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...f21dc0d4_h.jpg537A7217-2 by kayaker72, on Flickr

Thanks for viewing!

Some more monkey pics from Osa Peninsula in Costa Rica:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...7ac146d9_h.jpg537A3229 by kayaker72, on Flickr

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...b0ca8ec9_h.jpg537A3378 by kayaker72, on Flickr

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...d1993732_h.jpg537A4361 by kayaker72, on Flickr

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...713ea8b6_h.jpg537A4399 by kayaker72, on Flickr

I do not think I ever posted them here....sorry if repeats....

Thanks for viewing...Brant