Photography Minute » Camera

Black Necked Stilt

Eric D. Brown — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 00:40:13 +0000

Here’s a Black Necked Stilt from the Village Creek Drying Beds this weekend. Captured with Canon 7D and Canon 400mm 5.6 L with my 2x converter on my induro ct 314 tripod.

Butterfly and Friend with Canon 400mm 5.6 + Canon 2x Extender

Eric D. Brown — Wed, 26 May 2010 00:35:50 +0000

While out playing around with my new Canon 2x Extender on my Canon 400mm 5.6 L, I saw this butterfly on a flower. He was kind enough to stay still long enough for me to focus and get a few shots off. PLUS…there’s a bonus….I got a fly in the photo as well! The extender is working well.

Captured with Canon 7D and Canon 400mm 5.6 L with Canon 2x Extender sitting on my Induro CT314 tripod.

Gold, Red & Pink – Antelope Slot Canyon

Eric D. Brown — Sat, 22 May 2010 01:32:45 +0000

Another shot of the Upper Antelope Slot Canyon in Page AZ.. Taken with Canon 5D and Canon 17-40 L sitting on an induro ct314.

Singing Wren – Zion National Park

Eric D. Brown — Fri, 14 May 2010 23:43:18 +0000

I caught this Wren singing the first day we were in Zion – Beak is a bit blurred as I didn’t have the shutter speed high enough,. Captured with Canon 7D and Canon 400mm 5.6 L on my Induro CT 314 Tripod.

Mockingbird with damaged (deformed) wing

Eric D. Brown — Tue, 11 May 2010 01:08:05 +0000

The wing on this mockingbird was either deformed or damaged. Whenever standing still, the wing on opposite side of body) was held at a strange angel. He was able to fly just fine though.

Captured with Canon 7D and Canon 400mm 5.6 L.

Photography Links for May 9 2010

Eric D. Brown — Sun, 09 May 2010 14:53:56 +0000

Survival Strategies for Photographers: Using Facebook | Black Star Rising
In this post in my video series on survival strategies for photographers, I offer a few tips for using Facebook as a low-cost marketing tool for your photography business.
How to Clean Your Digital SLR Camera and Lens – PictureCorrect
Quote: It is very important to maintain your digital SLR camera which involves cleaning it along with its related components. This article will assist you and provide some information on how to carefully clean the most important items. The cleaning process may sound simple but you really have to be careful. A clean camera is a happy camera. You’ll take better photos with a clean camera so plan to clean it regularly.
Tapping Into Your Creativity « Photofocus
Creativity is a way of thinking and a way of life. It requires loads of passion, motivation and dedication. Looking at something in a way that reflects your thoughts, ideas, and views is the start. The ability to express what you see and what you think takes patience and constant practice. Above all it’s using your imagination without bounds and having fun while doing it.
So You Want to Get Published?-Going Pro 2010
Quote: There’s no singular secret to getting published. It’s a combination of networking, quality, timing and patience.
How Hard Are You Working On Your Next Photo Project? « Photofocus
Quote: It’s fun being a photographer. But it’s also hard if you do it well.

Searchlights – Antelope Slot Canyon

Eric D. Brown — Sat, 08 May 2010 01:37:05 +0000

Look at the color. This was the only two light beam area in the Upper Antelope Slot Canyon.

Captured with Canon 5D and Canon 17-40 L.

Cavernous Room – Antelope Slot Canyon

Eric D. Brown — Wed, 05 May 2010 01:20:07 +0000

Another shot of the Upper Antelope Slot Canyon in Page AZ. Notice the log at the bottom of the photo….it was about six inches in diameter…just a way to show how large this room really is.

Taken with Canon 5D and Canon 17-40 L on my Induro CT314 Tripod.

Moose Peterson’s Guide to Wildlife Photography – Book Review

Eric D. Brown — Tue, 04 May 2010 12:07:59 +0000

I’m a huge Moose Peterson fan and recently found “Moose Peterson’s Guide to Wildlife Photography: Conventional and Digital Techniques (A Lark Photography Book)” at the local Half Price Books store.

I was a little hesitant to buy it since it was printed in 2003, which is a quite a long time ago in photography equipment years. I bought the book anyway (because I’m a huge fan, remember/) and I’m glad I did.

I love this book.

In this book, Moose provides a great deal of knowledge gained in the field by a working wildlife photographer. He provides great tips for choosing equipment, tips for working in the field and really provides a great deal of insight into what its like to do what he does.

There are 2 great tidbits of knowledge provided by Moose in this book. Both are clever, simple and different than most other wildlife photographers out there. These 2 nuggets of knowledge are provided below.

Lens Selection for wildlife and bird photography

I’ve read many blogs, magazine articles and books on wildlife and bird photography and most say the same thing: Buy the longest lens you can and get as close as you can. Not bad advice…and it’s pretty much true. If you want to get the best detail in the feathers of a bird, you’ve got to have a great super telephoto lens.

Moose’s advice? Pretty much the same except he changes ‘longest lens’ to ‘best lens for you’. What does he mean by this?

It’s simple. Buy the lenses that let you tell your story.

Perhaps the Canon 800mm L is the perfect bird lens. Scott Bourne. another photographer I admire a great deal says it is in a post titled “Wildlife Shooting Tips / Workflow“. Bourne also says that the 600mm (I love the Canon 600mm L) is the perfect wildlife lens. I’d love to have either of those lenses.

That said, are those the perfect lenses for everyone and every situation? Not at all.

Personally, I’m looking at the Canon 500mm L lens as my perfect Bird & Wildlife lens as it is super portable (when compared to the Canon 800mm L and Canon 600mm L), takes an extender extremely well and can be used quite easily for birding and wildlife photography.

Back to Moose’s equipment selection advice: Pick the lens that fits you and the situation.

Perhaps the best lens for your wildlife photography is a 14mm (Moose carries one with him all the time…at least at the time of the book publication). Perhaps your perfect lens is a 300mm (i drool when I see Canon’s 300mm f/2.8 L lens…it takes an extender wonderfully).

As Moose says, the perfect lens is the one that works for the situation you are in…and perhaps the one that you have with you at the time

Defining a Good Photo

Moose’s seconddsalla really insightful tip has to do with taking a ‘good’ photograph…and defining what ‘good’ is.

Moose’s advice?

A ‘good’ photo is one that you like and one that tells the story that you want to tell.

Amazingly simple isn’t it? Sure the technical details of taking a ‘good’ photo are important, but they aren’t THE important thing. THE important thing is that the photo tells the story that YOU want it to tell.

Conclusion

Did I mention that I love this book?

Moose Peterson is a great photographer and this book sheds some light on his techniques and approach to his craft. If you can find a copy, I’d highly recommend it.

Moose has a new book coming out later this year titled “Captured: Behind the Lens of a Legendary Wildlife Photographer (Voices That Matter)” that I plan to pick up when released…look for it too as it looks like its going to be a good one.

Red Winged Blackbird – Birding in Dallas

Eric D. Brown — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 01:13:20 +0000

I’ve always wanted to get a photo of a Red Winged Blackbird in this type of environment. I captured this one a few weeks ago at White Rock Creek in Dallas.

Captured with Canon 7D and Canon 400mm 5.6 L sitting on my Induro CT314 Tripod.