Posts in Category: flight
Maine! Terns away
Common Tern: York County, Maine, USA, July 2024 — Common Terns were actively feeding at the river mouth the other day and I had some fun trying to catch them as they dove. I was surprised, when I got home, to see how many I had actually caught. Sony a6700 with Tamron 50-400 Di iii VC zoom at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my flight and action modifications. Tracking auto focus and Bird subject recognition. Processed in Photomator and assembled in FrameMagic.
New Mexico! Intension
Black-chinned Hummingbird: Randall Davey Audubon Center, Santa Fe, New Mexico, July 2024 — The western counterpart of the Ruby-throated Hummingbird we get in Maine, the Black-chinned Hummingbird is energetic and graceful. Sony a6700 with Tamron 50-400 Di iii VC zoom at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my evolving action modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! Dive bomb
Least Tern: York County, Maine, USA, July 2024 — Now this tern means business! He or she has been practicing and got 3 direct hits on me…one on my hat 🙂 and two right in my eyes (or way too close for comfort 🙁 Business all the way. Sony a6700 with Tamron 50-400 Di iii VC zoom at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my evolving birds in flight and action modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! Caught on the wind
Least Tern: York County, Maine, USA, July 2024 — I have taken over 20,000 shots of Least Terns in flight (or attempted at any rate) over the past month. I go out for a few hours and come back with 2500 exposures…of which I pick maybe 50 to process, and out of that 50 I might get 5 that somewhat satisfy me…and out of the 5, I might be happy enough with one of them to post. But that is just the way photographing Least Terns in flight goes…at least at my level of skill and with my equipment. In the month I have tried two different cameras and three different lenses. I bought a new camera and a new lens primarily because I was not happy with the results my current setup was producing. But of course the equipment is the least important thing about tern in flight photography. Mostly it is just practice and waiting on grace. Most of the keepers are pure gifts…they just happen if you are out there trying. Anyway. Sony A6700 with the Tamron 50-400 Di iii VC zoom at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my evolving birds in flight and action modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! Turning Tern
Least Tern: York County, Maine, USA, July 2024 — Terns will turn, and twist, and swoop…among the most acrobatic of flyers. And they are so fast! Catching them in the air is a challenge but also lots of fun. This was a cloudy day with sea fog still in the air so pretty much a nothing sky, and the terns came out of mist like winged rockets. Sony A6700 with the Tamron 50-400 Di iii VC zoom at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my evolving birds in flight and action modifications. Processed in Photomator. You can zoom in on that face. I was definitely in this bird’s sights.
Maine! Jump for joy
Ruby-throated Hummingbird: York County, Maine, USA, July 2024 — I sat in the open deck door and waited on Hummingbirds yesterday afternoon…with some success. This one is a keeper. 🙂 Lots of exuberance. He likes the hummingbird juice. Sony A6700 with Tamron 50-400 Di iii at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my evolving bird modifications. Processed in Photomator and TouchRetouch (feeder removed).
Maine! great white wings
Great Egret: York County, Maine, USA, July 2024 — I was photographing Least Terns and Plovers when this Great Egret flew toward me and then over and out toward the mouth of the river. Close over. I had just increased my minimum shutter speed to 1/4000th of a second to see if would work better for the terns in flight so this is pretty sharp 🙂 OM System OM-1Mkii with M.Zuiko ED 100-400IS zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my birds-in-flight and action modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! Drawing a bead
Least Tern: York County, Maine, USA, June 2024 — This Tern has me in its sights for sure! I was standing on its section of beach…though well outside the protected area and no where near its nest. Terns seem to have a compulsion to protect their territory and they lay claim to pretty much everything between their nest at the far edge of sand up against the dune, to the surf line no matter how far away that is. That is okay by me. OM System OM-1Mkii with M.Zuiko ED 100-400IS zoom at 614mm equivalent. Program mode with my birds in flight and action modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! winging it
Least Tern: York County, Maine, USA, June 2024 — I am still learning to photograph Terns in flight…I have a feeling that no matter how many I photograph I will always still be learning. 🙂 There are always tourists on the beach and there are always Terns in the air. I find that 600mm equivalent is the maximum I can currently handle and still occasionally get the bird in the frame. OM System OM-1Mkii with M.Zuiko ED 100-400IS zoom at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my birds-in-flight and action modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Maine: Bringing it
Least Tern: York County, Maine, USA, June 2024 — As I mentioned, there was lots of courting action on the beach the last time I visited. It was getting on for high tide and the terns were down along the surf line, catching and offering Rock Gunnel. Note the band on the leg of the bird in flight. The Least Terns in Maine are carefully monitored. OM System OM-1 with M.Zuiko ED 100-400IS zoom at 684mm equivalent. Program mode with my birds-in-flight and action modifications. Processed in Photomator.