Jump to content

mike f

Members
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    252

  • Joined

  • Last visited

 Content Type 

Posts posted by mike f

    Winter Eagles Photo Shoot

    in Nature

    Posted

    Dennis,

     

    I have been there several times and the best spot is the Easter Seal Camp levy. You stand on top of the levy and the eagles fly up and down the river. Morning is best in that the sun is to your back and no one except photographers are on the levy. To shoot across the river I have used my 600 plus a doubler with a 1.6x factor in my camera (=1,9200mm) and still had problems filling the frame. You could use a 1.4 extender and get a few shots but it really slows everything down in my opinion. The one saving factor is that every now and then an eagle does fly over head or close along the river. Try shooting just north of the little coffee shop on the levy. If need be put a fish on the point just across the little creek there. You will have to walk a way up (north) the levy to cross the creek and then come back down to the river. The eagles seem to prefer their fish on that little point even though there are hundreds of fish elsewhere. It is a wonderful place to see eagles but except for Homer, they are at their natural distance.

    camera clubs

    in Nature

    Posted

    Face it, it is a club - it is a social animal. It is made up of artists - it will not be "practical", and technicians - who can be limited in vision. It is made up of people - who have egos and a need for power. Many times it reflects who you are since you will gravitate to those you are comfortable with or desire to be.

     

    In general with a camera club your learning curve will be very steep, and dramatic. You can only learn quicker in a academic setting. It is a continual growth experience if embraced. Once at your creative peak inside this organization you will have to practice outside of the group to advance again. Being critiqued by a different club will bring about an entirely different learning program.

     

    Clubs are wonderful. Are they for you? Attend a few meetings and see how you feel. They may teach you lots of things or you may be the leader. Yes, there will be "spats" within the group. Gonna happen, accept it. Thats life, not the club. There will be the leader, benevolent or not, accept it. If you don't like the atmosphere, get on the board of the club and change it.

     

    Why would you consider joining a club? Determine the need an find a group that will deliver it.

    Eagles and Waterfowl in Lower Klamath Falls Refuge

    in Nature

    Posted

    I haven't been down there this season. You might be a few weeks too soon but there has been plenty of water. The highest concentrations we have found over the years is the loop that runs around the "lake" towards the western end of highway 161 that devides Oregon and California. That would be south and west of Merrilland about 5 miles (?) east of highway 97. Find the oneway (dirt) road section through the refuge that leads back out to highway 161 (you will be headed roughly north). You wind up on the east bank of the canal and there are a lot of trees on the west bank. The eagles sit in the trees and you can get some decent shots from your car. Some days they could care less if you set up on the road. Wish I could give you a better description. I have never had very good luck in the Tule Lake section that is south and east of Merrill.

    Southern Utah - Winter?

    in Nature

    Posted

    I am contemplating a trip into the Southern Utah area in the winter

    and I have three questions;

     

    Which is best at that time, West or East? (not enough time to do both)

     

    What is the best week/month in the winter (2007) to be there?

     

    Are the road conditions acceptable for a motorhome?

     

    Thanks for any input

    RMSP Oregon Coast

    in Nature

    Posted

    I have taken RMSP workshops and they are excellent. Is August the "right" time? If there wasn't something there RMSP wouldn't do the workshop. Is there a better time? There are different subjects at different tiems. Oregon is always good :) I have been on the Darrell Gulen workshop in the spring and it is very good.(no lighthouses) Even though I live in Oregon I learned things and places I didn't know. He is also a very patient (non shooting) instructor. If you want to try Oregon on your own check out "photo opps" and Oregon at http://www.ordata.com/~lmforbes

    Yellowstone in February 2006

    in Nature

    Posted

    There are two ways you can go with this. If you want a great guide I recommend Jess Lee. You can Google his website for an official address. He has tours and does private groups also. Another way that I have done is just drive between Gardiner and Cooke City through Mammoth Hot springs. It has wonderful wildlife and scenics. The rest of the park (that I have seen in the winter) for me, is not as good as the Mammoth to Cook City areas. There are no guide restrictions, you can stop anywhere along the raod and in some cases you need to duck out of the way of the wildlife since they use the plowed road to travel on. Bighorn, coyote,eagles,elk, bison and even (way far off) wolves.

    SW Florida Question

    in Nature

    Posted

    I have a number of locations for SW Florida on my website. Look under "photo opps" at http://www.ordata.com/~lmforbes. Each location can be hot one year and cold the next. The Little Estero area could keep me busy for days - when it is good. The light house fishing pier is a great spot when at Sanibel. Your 500mm with tele-extender would be good at the Venice Rookery which I consider a MUST!

    Yellowstone in Winter

    in Nature

    Posted

    I have been to Yellowstone twice in the winter. It is wonderful! If you want animal shots the ONLY place to get them is between Mammoth HS and Cooke City. Rent a car at the airport. Stay in Gardiner, drive between there and Cooke City. If you want scenics go in a coach to Old Faithful for a day but their schedule will not be yours and you will be disapointed. (I wish this thing had a spell checker)Dress warm but each winter is diferent. One time it was -20. THe next was in the 30's. The roads are passable without tirechains but drive carefully. Take lots of film/chips. It is a roll a minute.

    Pointers for Tidal Pool photography

    in Nature

    Posted

    It takes a large black umbrella or a friend with a black blanket or equivalent. You need the "reflection" of the black object in the water between you and your subject. The polarizer is still helpful but your reflection problem goes away!

    inflight shots of fast moving birds with long lens - impossible?

    in Nature

    Posted

    Face it, it can be done, and if you practice a lot you will be doing it---BUT, not with every shot! You have a very good camera for action shooting. Is the 1DmkII better? Yes, but you can and will get a good number of excellent shots with the 20D. Just not as many as with the more advanced camera (sometimes) You need to have you camera set up for action shooting. Check here for some recomendations from Sports Illustrated. http://www.siphoto.com/?canon20D.inc

    1D Mk II USB/Firewire?

    in Canon EOS Mount

    Posted

    My old EOS 3 would do remote shooting with interval timing connected

    to my laptop using a USB cable. Reading the instruction book on the 1D

    Mk II it will only take the firewire to accomplish the same thing?

    Since my laptop doesn't have firewire I am out of luck? Is there a

    workaround?

    Thanks for any assistance.

    Do your 'tastes' ever change abruptly?

    in Nature

    Posted

    Set aside that horrible period and photography for a moment and look at your paintings. Aren't you a better painter now than you were five years ago? Don't you kinda of feel like your old stuff is not your best work? There is part of your answer. Another aspect is we always have a vision, a feeling that we are trying to capture. The medium/large format, or a different lens, or going digital sometimes can bring the artist in us closer to our conquest. Art is not a science, it is a feeling more than anything. Of course the horrible period will be part of the feeling connected with work created at that time in your life.

     

    Just remember though, those of us groveling at your feet to learn the path to perfection aspire to create images as good as your rejects. ;)

    Oregon in September

    in Nature

    Posted

    As a resident of Oregon for over 50 years - all of the above. Whatever Don Baccus says is gospel. I love Bandon when it has a good sunset. There will be little water in the falls this year due to the dry winter. The Steens mountains can be wonderful but too far for you to do them and the coast. Check out "photo opps" on my web site for some more ideas. But, if it is a first trip, I would say the coast will make you come backagain and again.

     

    http://www.ordata.com/~lmforbes

    Gold Beach, Oregon

    in Nature

    Posted

    Being nearer to the middle of Oregon than the southern part I haven't shot that much around Gold Beach. There was a wonderful old abandoned ship in the small harbor at Gold Beach but it was a little hard to set it up for a shot. My jet boat, and float raft trips on the Rogue haven't been the most productive but most likely because of the weather. You might be a little early for the wildflowers yet we have had a very mild winter and things are coming up early. Be prepared for macro shots as well as gray days and rain. There could be a lot of places I have forgotten so go to my website and check under "photo opps" and see what there is.

     

    http://www.ordata.com/~lmforbes

    Shopping for Packs

    in Nature

    Posted

    Hi Gloria,

     

    I have one of the big Lowepro Super Trekker All Weather back packs that might hold all of your stuff. I know at one time it held about 70 lbs. of my camera gear. I now carry everything around in a motorhome! (Much easier) The pack is sitting in the attic, slightly dusty but not worn. If interested let me know.

×
×
  • Create New...