Oryx Patrol

This was taken from aboard a microlight airplane during this year's

Namibia tour. We left at sunrise to scout the area for oryx, a very

photogenic desert antelope. Photographing from a microlight is not

like shooting from a regular airplane or a balloon, it's quite an

experience. In a regular airplane you are inside, in a microlight

you're not. The obvious advantage is that you don't have to shoot

through glass and that you can shoot in all directions, and, contrary

to shooting from a balloon, you have full control over where you want

to go. The wind however takes some getting used to. Shooting straight

forward for instance, your lens hood turns into a little sail, making

it very difficult to keep your camera still. Shooting sideways is a

lot easier, which is what I did here. Some areas show a hint of flare

that I was about to remove, but then decided not to. O, and we found

the oryx.

D3, AF-S VR 70-200/2.8, 1/2000 @ f/5.6, ISO 400, handheld

Stunning.... an absolutely beautiful shot... Mike