Nature Phone
Today marks a new photography adventure for me. I have decided to explore just how far you can push a phone camera in nature photography. This is my first attempt at serious phone photography with my modest iPhone SE 2020 and a Surui 18mm equivalent clip on lens. I used the ProCamera app to shoot and then process in HDR. I have a couple more Surui lenses to play with, and a small 50mm spotting scope for phonescoping on its way. We will see how this goes. This the forest across the road from our yard after Friday’s gentle snow. This new adventure needs a title, since I plan to chronicle my experiences on the web and maybe in at least an ebook. After long pondering, I think maybe “Nature Phone” will do. 🙂
Meal worm for lunch
Black-capped Chickadee: Kennebunk, Maine, USA. — this chickadee is about to carry off its prize from the mealworm feeder. I was experimenting with program shift to increase depth of field on these close shots…with at least some success. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications…but program shifted to f6.3 @ 1/200th @ ISO 800. +1 EV exposure compensation. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos.
caught with mealworm on her beak!
Tufted Titmouse: Kennebunk, Maine, USA — Though I put the mealworms out for our Bluebirds, who have been coming to our feeders for at least 4 years, I don’t begrudge the occasional mealworm to the chickadees, nuthatches, or titmice…they all enjoy them. (Starlings are another matter…as I had said in other places.) Still, this titmouse seems to know that the mealworms are not there for her, and to look just a little guilty when caught in the ace. Pure projection of course. Titmice always look a little guilty 🙂 Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. . +1 EV exposure compensation. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos. ISO 1000 @ f4 @ 1/500th.
What’s up with white stuff on my seed?
American Goldfinch: Kennebunk, Maine, USA — Another bird looking for spilled seed on the deck rail during the snowstorm. The Bluebird was pretty aggressive about kicking the snow out of its way, but the Goldfinch just seems perplexed by the white stuff…maybe a bit offended. Of course I am reading that in…I have no idea what the Goldfinch was thinking. 🙂 Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos. ISO 125 @ f4 @ 1/500th. + 1 EV exposure compensation.
Nuthatch
White-breasted Nuthatch: Kennebunk, Maine, USA — I have to replace the peanut suet twice as often as I do the high energy, mainly because both the Downy Woodpeckers and the Nuthatches prefer the peanut. We only have one pair of Down Woodpeckers but we have several pairs of White-breasted Nuthatches and they can go through a cake of peanut suet in no time. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos. ISO 800 @ f4 @ 1/500th. +1 EV exposure compensation.
clean up in aisle 3
Black-capped Chickadee: Kennebunk, Maine, USA — I filled the feeders yesterday before the current storm hit, and the clean-up crew was right behind me. Why fight a sunflower seed from the feeder port when they are loose on the deck? Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos. Not, for a change, taken through the glass of the door. I managed to get the door open a crack but I was still contending with the heat shimmer from the escaping air from the house, as well as the low, pre-storm light. ISO 2000 @ f4 @ 1/500th.
Classic Goldfinch
American Goldfinch: Kennebunk, Maine, USA — another shot of a Goldfinch in the snowstorm the other day. One of about a dozen around our thistle feeder. Not bad for being shot through double glazed door glass. 🙂 Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos. ISO 400 @ f4 @ 1/500th. +1 EV exposure compensation.
Happy Valentine’s Day
Cedar Waxwing: Laudholm Farms, Wells, Maine, USA — I dug back into the archives for this Valentine’s Day shot of two Cedar Waxwings courting. Seems appropriate. 🙂 Sony Rx10iv.
spilled mealworms in the snow
Eastern Bluebird: Kennebunk, Maine, USA — I spilled some mealworm bits (I put out dried mealworms for the Bluebirds) while filling the mealworm hopper during the last snowstorm, and this enterprising Bluebird spent a lot of energy finding them buried in the snow. Fun to watch. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos. Taken through the double glazing of the deck door. ISO 320 @ f4 @ 1/500th. +1 EV exposure compensation for the snow.
Goldfinch in the snowstorm…
American Goldfinch: Kennebunk, Maine, USA — Low light, snow falling, and lots of birds at the feeder. The most Goldfinches I have seen together this winter…at least a dozen at a time around the thistle and sunflower feeders. For this shot the camera had to contend not only with the light levels, which pushed the ISO into the upper reaches, but also with double layer thermopane glass in the deck door…and still did a reasonable job of capturing the image. Some noise reduction was applied in Polarr, but no specialized noise reduction was used. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos. ISO 2500 @ f4 @ 1/500th.