Conversation with a Partner

“clack-clack-clack-clack-clack-clack-clack-clack-clack-clack

“Who’s going to edit all of these pictures? 

“Never mind, …don’t sweat it now. When are you going to see a pair of nesting ospreys so close again?”  

“Yeah, you’re right… this is really amazing! I can’t believe these two got booted from the first nest by a pair of owls”

“clack-clack-clack-clack-clack-clack-clack-clack-clack-clack…how do you think she’s doing?”

“Who, Tamy? …time of her life I suppose. You know she’s working the owl nest, right? Why would you distract me with a question like this? We agree’d, I shoot the ospreys and she’d tell me when I should head to the owls.”

“clack-clack-clack-clack-clack-clack-clack-clack-clack-clack… yeah, but you’ve been working this pair for an hour now, the light’s changing fast… you’ve got the goods… now’s the time to move on!”

Quiet, here comes the male coming with a branch.

“clack-clack-clack-clack-clack-clack-clack-clack-clack-clack”

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Osprey with nesting material (Pandion haliaetus)

Nikon D4 + Nikon 200-400mm f4.0VR / TC-E1.4x II

You need to come now… the light’s great over here!

“Okay… but I’m not quite done with these two!”

Hurry or you’ll…. 

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Great Horned Owlet (Bubo virginianus)

Nikon D7100 + Nikon 200-500mm f5.6VR / TC-E1.4x II

“clack-clack-clack-clack-clack-clack-clack-clack-clack-clack …move on Bruce, you don’t want to miss the owl nest”

“Right, but what about the ospreys, this is so amazing.”

“clack-clack-clack-clack-clack-clack-clack-clack-clack-clack” 

“Maybe I should move on, I can’t see Tamy, that means she’s on something good.”

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Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus) Ignoring Loggerhead Shrike (Lanius ludovicianus)

Nikon D4 + Nikon 200-400mm f4.0VR / TC-E1.4x II

“Holy sh… did you see that, I’ve never seen a loggerhead shrike and…”

“clack-clack-clack-clack-clack-clack-clack-clack-clack-clack … clack-clack-clack-clack-clack-clack-clack-clack-clack-clack…  you mis-focused you idiot and now you’re going to blame me like you always do. Slow it down.. clack—clack—clack—clack — clack — clack — clack — clack — clack — clack “

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Feigning disinterest (Bubo virginianus) Loggerhead Shrike - Attack Mode (Lanius ludovicianus)

Nikon D4 + Nikon 200-400mm f4.0VR / TC-E1.4x II

©2000-2016 BTLeventhal.com / Bruce & Tamy Leventhal. All rights reserved. No image on this site may be used without permission.

The $6200 Question…

When it comes to photography, I am all about the image. Whether I choose to create in the moment or have some pre-visualized intent, I strongly believe in the relentless pursuit of a personal vision. Faced with questions about my tools, you’d likely hear some flippant remark like, “it’s me... not the camera!” Having interacted with many serious amateurs and pros, I know that I’m not alone when it comes to professing the importance of “practice” and “being there.” However, this reality does not diminish one key fact, quality equipment is a pleasure to use and it increases the chance of realizing one’s vision.  So I now unapologetically admit that this pre-amble is a poorly veiled way of saying... today’s post is about gear.

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Burrowing Owl 1 (Athene cunicularia)

Nikon D7100 + Nikon 200-500mm f5.6VR (No Cropping Required)

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Burrowing Owl 1 (Athene cunicularia)

Nikon D4 + Nikon 200-400mm f4VR (Cropped to tighten the composition)

I am one of the lucky ones, as my wife and partner shares my obsession for nature, travel and photography. We spend the majority of our disposable income on adventures abroad and the gear we use to meet our photographic goals. Yet, we are not wealthy people, we are just a pair of worker bees. Often considered among the lowest ranking professionals, I am a biology teacher and Tamy is a nurse. While the work is personally fulfilling, we do it so we can afford to travel and make images of lesser-visited places. 

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Burrowing Owl 1 (Athene cunicularia)

Nikon D7100 + Nikon 200-500mm f5.6VR (Cropping Slightly)

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Burrowing Owl 1 (Athene cunicularia)

Nikon D4 + Nikon 200-400mm f4VR (No Cropping Required)

So, how do two middle income professionals allocate their resources so they can make compelling photographs of wildlife? Anyone who is a serious nature shooter knows that wildlife photography is among the most financially taxing disciplines in the photographic arts. Much like the serious sports shooter, the wildlife photographer is dependent on fast cameras, the best autofocus systems and ultra-expensive super-telephoto lenses. To some, it is the latter that is a key impediment to joining “the club.” 

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Burrowing Owl 1 (Athene cunicularia)

Nikon D7100 + Nikon 200-500mm f5.6VR (Cropped Vertical out of the Horizontal w/ pixels to spare)

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White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus)

Nikon D7100 + Nikon 200-500mm f5.6VR (Cropped Vertical out of the Horizontal w/ pixels to spare)

Because there are two of us, the price to play is quite prohibitive. Until recently, we both compromised by shooting lesser glass or shorter focal length lenses. This all changed when Nikon introduced their AF-S 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR lens. For the first time, there is a professional grade super-telephoto optic that can be had for less than $1500 US. Not only does this lens shoot at an impressive 500mm, but it is a zoom lens with a non-variable aperture. At f5.6, the lens is relatively fast and can be used under most shooting conditions. Tamy pairs her brand new 200-500mm f5.6 with a Nikon D7100. The D7100 is a 24mp DX camera (1.5 times crop) that creates a viewing perspective of 300-750mm with her lens. With 51AF points and a shooting speed of 6 frames per second, the lens and body can be had for about $2200 US. 

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Osprey Nest Building  (Pandion haliaetus)

Nikon D4 + Nikon 200-400mm f4VR... here AF speed and 10 frames per second help catch the peak moment

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Osprey Nest Building  (Pandion haliaetus)

Nikon D4 + Nikon 200-400mm f4VR... here AF speed and 10 frames per second help catch the peak moment

While $2200 US might seem to be quite expensive, let’s compare Tamy’s wildlife kit to the gear I use. At the time of this post, I shoot with a Nikon D4. The D4 is a 16mp full-frame (FX) camera capable of capturing 10fps. Introduced in 2012, I purchased mine in used condition for $3000 US. I pair the D4 with Nikon’s premium AF-S 200-400mm f/4G VR super-zoom. While the newest VR II lens can be had for about $7000, I found a relatively clean and older model for $3000. In order to approach the magnification of the less expensive zoom, I pair my lens with a Nikon AF-S TC-1.4E II tele-converter. With the additional optical elements, I can produce a 16 MP image at 560mm for the “low-low price” of $6250. 

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Great Horned Owlet (Bubo virginianus)

Nikon D7100 + Nikon 200-500mm f5.6VR (Cropped 24MP file at 750mm, not possible with the D4 and 200-400mm VR)

As I began writing this post two days ago, I intended to claim that one combination of body and lens was superior to the other. However, after processing the many images displayed throughout, I will leave that decision to you. As you examine each photograph, I would like to encourage you to read the the subtext added, as this should offer a bit context. While there is a definite benefit that accompanies the additional allocation of resources, it would be hard to justify busting a budget to buy a $6200 wildlife kit when $2200 can produce images like those illustrated here. 

©2000-2016 BTLeventhal.com / Bruce & Tamy Leventhal. All rights reserved. No image on this site may be used without permission.

Break some Rules

There are no rules in photography and no one person can be the “Rules Police.” Photographic “rules” are suggestions based on compositional patterns and exposure preferences that appeal to the average viewer. With names like the “golden ratio” and “rule to thirds,” it might be best to dispense with the dogmatic compliance of norms, and consider them to be accepted practices or guidelines rather than hard and fast rules. Let’s face it, rules can stifle creativity and promote complacency above risk. By occasionally challenging an accepted guideline, the unintended consequence just might result in a new perspective and elevate an average photograph into something more artful or poignant. 

Case in point, this photograph breaks from a cardinal rule of composition which suggests that appendages never be clipped. This edict applies to a variety of subjects. Clipped feet, antlers and antennae can leave the viewer confused and empty with the awkward feeling that something important is missing or has gone wrong. So here it is, not only did I clip some feathers, but this poor owl lost half its wings. Yet, the composition continues to be strong. In some ways the loss is a gain, as the head, eyes and feet of the owl are reinforced and the animal now appears to be so large that can not fit into the frame. The viewer (I hope) is now a part of the action rather than an passive observer

Fear of posting an imperfect image caused this one to languish in obscurity for months. Yet, it is the very imperfections throughout that now make it a compelling photograph to me. 

©2000-2015 BTLeventhal.com / Bruce & Tamy Leventhal. All rights reserved. No image on this site may be used without permission.

Has Spring Sprung?

The calendar suggests that winter is for retro’s and spring is for futurists. On March 20th at 5:45 PM CDT the Vernal Equinox has ushered in a new season. This day is one of two that occur within each calendar year; it is a period when the hours of daylight equal the hours of darkness at night. While the pre-glow of dawn and after-glow of dusk fudge the truth behind the definition, the equinox always is a harbinger for change. So while today continues to feel a bit like winter with the weather terrorists threatening a 6 inch snow, the promise of the Gregorian calendar gives me hope for longer days, warmer weather and a busy spring migration. 

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Skunk Cabbage - Kalaloch Rainforest, Olympic Peninsula

Nikon D700 + Nikon AFS 200-400mm f4.0 VR

©2000-2015 BTLeventhal.com / Bruce & Tamy Leventhal. All rights reserved. No image on this site may be used without permission.

Did You Know (29)?

The point might be an intuitive one to the experienced bird watcher, but it appears that morphological differences in an owl’s eye color might be an adaptation to foraging. Barn and barred owls have what seem to be opaque black marbles in their orbits and these, like other dark-eyed owls, prefer a nocturnal hunt. Possibly an adaptation for “invisibility” during moonlit evenings, the dark eyes reflect painfully little ambient light. The African eagle owl with its orange irises are crepuscular birds and thus prefer to forage at the break of dawn and dusk. While not true for all yellow-eyed owls, yellow irises are common to the agile daylight hunters. While it might be rare to see an owl hunt in midday, snowy owls, great grays and hawk owls will actively hunt even after the sun rises. 

©2000-2015 BTLeventhal.com / Bruce & Tamy Leventhal. All rights reserved. No image on this site may be used without permission.