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Monday in Nature Weekly Photo Dec 8, 2014


Laura Weishaupt

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<p><strong>Basic Guidelines</strong>: Nature based subject matter. Please, declare captive subjects. Keep your image at/under 700 pixels on the long axis for in-line viewing and try to keep file size under 300kb. Note that this includes photos hosted off-site at Flicker, Photobucket, your own site, etc. Feel free to link your image to a larger version.<br>

<strong><em>In the strictest sense, nature photography should not include hand of man elements. Please refrain from images with obvious buildings or large manmade structures like roads. A bird on the fence post or bug on your finger is fine. Try to minimize man made features, keep the focus on nature, and let common sense be your guide. Let's image per week. </em></strong><em>More details please <a href="/nature-photography-forum/00cgtY">check here.</a></em><br>

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<p>Monday Morning Greetings,<br>

More reach, need more reach. Gotta get closer. Need an invisibility net or a personal cloaking device so they won't see. Click, oh, right, they can hear that. Why are they always on the other side of the lake, no matter what lake or time of day. Then, there is the magic of the perfectly comfortable rock at streamside and a small group of feathered friends willing to tolerate a quiet photographer. It's bucolic until someone comes crashing through the area with other intentions. They're nice enough and wonder if you're catching anything because this is a great fishing spot. They have a cooler, you have a camera, and the feathered friends are gone. Other days are spent in the cold, waiting, and waiting.</p>

<p>Then there are times when the minimal gear gets the job done because a Cat Bird is curious about the black box. You sit in the car among rolling countryside, wondering where they are, and you hear them from a mile away. Thousands of snowies land in the field right there. Those moments take on incredible variation for bird photographers everywhere. It's easy to get a case of lens envy and each year brings another opportunity to improve. It's also easy to admire the skills of those photographers who know their subjects and locations and have honed their craft. Tip a lens cap to all the bird photographers who make it look so easy.</p>

<p>Even though the cold is here, so are many birds that will winter over in the area. Hooded Mergansers are always a challenge as they speed by. Anything whizzin' by your camera? Let's get Monday in Nature under way.</p><div>00czsL-553067784.jpg.967fe63869dea2170f4efdc926162de4.jpg</div>

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<p>The only thing whizzing by my camera this weekend was stuff not suited for this forum. I spent an afternoon exploring the right-of -way along a major road. A few young beeches that glowed golden in the afternoon sun a few days ago got me there. The beeches never worked out, but I discovered "Fearful Swamp" complete with nature trail, a beautiful hand-drawn map, plenty of cat tails, dead trees and a bunch of birds that were way too skittish to make for a good image with a 100 mm lens.<br>

Time to change the newspaper in my right boot once more - it was a swamp after all. Have a good week!</p><div>00czsQ-553068184.jpg.53425d16bffdd371f7ff71eacf237f7e.jpg</div>

Christoph Geiss
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<p>crop is my middle name, or is that crap.....anyway's, this red tail hawk whizzed by in front of me and then parked in this tree about 75 yds away....got off about 6 frames and as soon as i took one step forward it was gone</p><div>00czsX-553069584.jpg.5b479bf8650880986cf65b16c5d44f74.jpg</div>
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<p>Laura,</p>

<p>Very nice shot. Gorgeous birds. Yes, there never seems to be enough reach, especially for those of us with amateur budgets. But the crop is definitely your friend, and I'm generally happy as long as the shot is clear enough to identify the bird. Here are some Northern Shovelers, taken with the Sigma 150-500 @500, as usual - and cropped.</p><div>00czsm-553069784.jpg.38f5971b6a9f05122a7a3f177d321931.jpg</div>

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<p>Bill, that was taken yesterday at Green Lane Park, in the Deep Creek area. There's a nice mix of birds and many locations around the park have easy access. The park is at the northern end of Montgomery CO. It's a bit of a drive for you, probably 2 hours. Bring your best slogging boots as water levels are high. If you want more details, contact me directly.</p>
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<p>Nice Mergansers Laura!<br>

I'm sorry to say I am rarely a minimalist, I do only use one lens at a time though! ;)<br>

More from New Zealand this is from one of the most beautiful spots on the planet, Haast Pass on the South Island of New Zealand. Yes, you have to dodge an occasional 'slip' (mud slide) and it rains pretty constantly. But the payoff are spectacular waterfalls, this one right along the road.<br>

<img src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/17845135-lg.jpg" alt="" width="465" height="700" /><br>

Haast Pass Waterfall. Pentax K3, 15mm f4.</p>

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<p>I tried out the extra reach the 7D2 gives now that I can AF at f/8. As always, the action takes place on the other side of the lake, but now I can nail them...if I'm quick enough. 7D2 + EF 500mm f/4L IS II + EF 2x; 1/1250s at f/8 ISO 800, tripod.</p><div>00cztQ-553074184.jpg.ff58a6b7bb13bd79acc8fc9af6d7b92a.jpg</div>
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