Jump to content

Raptor Show. Need suggestion


simus

Recommended Posts

Hi,

 

Next week I am going to go to a raptor show, I do not know if my equipment suit the need i will be

involved in. I have a nikon d1X with the following lens, nikon 50 /1,8, Tamron 90 Sp macro, nikon

180/2,8 and nikon 300 / 4,5 Ais, and I hope to minimize the weight I will havo to carry on,as i also will

bring with me a Leica m6 with 15mm, 50, 90 and 135 lens.

 

I wish to take some portrait of the birds, and some in flight scene, any suggestion?

 

thanks for looking / helping,

 

 

Antonio

Link to comment
Share on other sites

For the portraits the lens choice depends a lot on the working distance and whether you

want a tight portrait or one that includes the show environment. My preference in this

situation has been tight portraits:

<P>

<CENTER>

<IMG SRC="http://www.wildlightphoto.com/birds/falconidae/amke01.jpg"><BR>

<B>American Kestrel</B> 280mm lens with 1.4x extender, 1.37x crop factor

<P>

<IMG SRC="http://www.wildlightphoto.com/birds/accipitridae/coha03.jpg"><BR>

immature <B>Cooper's Hawk</B> 80-200mm zoom @ 200mm, film

<P>

<IMG SRC="http://www.wildlightphoto.com/birds/strigidae/eeow02.jpg"><BR>

<B>Eurasian Eagle Owl</B> 80-200mm zoom @ 180mm, film

<P>

<IMG SRC="http://www.wildlightphoto.com/birds/accipitridae/nogo03.jpg"><BR>

immature <B>Northern Goshawk</B> 560mm lens, 1.37x crop factor

<P>

<IMG SRC="http://www.wildlightphoto.com/birds/accipitridae/haha00.jpg"><BR>

<B>Harris' Hawk</B> 280mm lens, film

<P>

<IMG SRC="http://www.wildlightphoto.com/birds/falconidae/pefa02.jpg"><BR>

<B>Peregrine Falcon</B> 280mm lens, film

</CENTER>

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've done these shows as well. I too like the tight crop; be very mindful of your backgrounds. Try and get an angle on the bird that doesn't have any obvious 'human' elements. Soft greens and browns are usually the best way to go if you can position yourself in this way.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

For flight shots, ask where the birds are going to land and position yourself near the landing spot for the flight shot you want. Most of the shooters will be where the bird takes off--I try and avoid these locations. Too many people,no way to control backgrounds, etc. Joe Smith
Link to comment
Share on other sites

As you can see great images can be made at these events. On my D300 I had 70-200 VR and the 300 f/4 with 1.4 extender. Really worked well, I even shot off a tripod at times. One key tip- get on the raptors level. So many folks were shooting down on the raptor rather than eye to eye. Douglas's photos are great examples of being on the eye level.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

There's a raptor show at the Desert Museum here in Tucson that I enjoy photographing on occasion. I agree totally with the advice above. I use my Canon 20D with 300mm f/4 lens exclusively and that has worked out well for me. I tried using a tripod, but I prefer handheld when I'm trying to capture a bird in flight. For flying birds, I get a better result when I have the camera set to "AI Servo" autofocus, and keep the focus point on the bird as I decide when to press the shutter. As far as flash goes, I prefer to not use it (because I lack the proper skill), but in the case of the Desert Museum I can see where fill flash would be nice, as the light is typically harsh and in the mornings the birds are backlit relative to the spectators.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...