pics & clips from a geezer with a camera
Uncle Sam was pointing at me.
So I volunteered.
But it was the summer of ’67. I wasn’t going to leave my peace symbols at home.
🙂 🙂 🙂
Drafted or enlisted, during war or peace, we owe respect and a huge debt of gratitude to all who served.
And none of us should forget that our former President was a draft dodger who taunted POWs as “losers.”
The thing about Wildlife images is that photographers routinely hit the delete button if the eye is not tack-sharp. And trying to keep the tiny little focus point on the tiny little eye of an erratically moving subject is near impossible.
And yet, the eye is the one thing that can’t be out of focus.
The thing about Nikon’s new autofocus system – which is causing backflips and high-fives among wildlife photographers – is that the camera automatically locks onto that tiny little eye for you.
Take a look at what’s in focus on the Great Horned Owl below. (I took this image Tuesday, Tzuri’s last day, with her on a leash but stretched out patiently at my feet.)
See what’s not in sharp focus? The area on the body below the eye?
That shows how precise the focal point needs to be, and how well the camera finds it. Slip a few millimeters one way or the other and depth of field changes. But a little fuzziness elsewhere doesn’t matter as long as the eye is sharp.
What hoot, huh?
And speaking of hooting, that’s what this little guy in the nest was doing with his mouth open. Probably calling for his mom, who was out hunting.
Still lovin’ my new Z8!
🙂 🙂 🙂
My camera jumped off a table and crash-banged to the floor. (Okay, so maybe some clumsy old fool bumped it, but my lips are sealed!) I had to buy a new one and after research and comparisons decided to switch from a Fujifilm Xt4 back to my first love, Nikon.
The thing about today’s full-frame mirrorless cameras with all their new technology is that they are super complicated. I spent 10 days reading the manual, outlining and jotting down notes, and watching YouTube tutorials before I even put my finger on the shutter button. (I’m not a point-and-shoot guy but insist on full manual control.) Doing my homework before taking it for a test drive has paid off, and I’m lovin’ my new Nikon Z8.
How’s the quality? Glad you asked. Here are three birds all shot while sitting on my front porch.
It’s fun to dive back into bird photography after several years prioritizing video.
🙂 🙂 🙂
giblets & flapdoodle 