Posts in Category: Kennebunk
Diving Least Tern
Least Tern: York County, Maine, USA — The Least Tern is also listed as “endangered” in Maine, and its nesting sites are protected. And again, this year they are nesting on our popular tourist and fishing beach. Please give them space. This diving Tern was over the river, right above the heads of the fishermen…but after considerably smaller prey. This is composite of a series of shots of the same Least Tern diving on prey…taken at 25 frames per second, with the OM Systems OM-1 and the 100-400mm zoom at 800mm equivalent and assembled during processing in Pixelmator Pro. I could edit out the slight halos around the birds but I think in this case it adds to the effect, as though the tern was disrupting the air and carrying light with it. Taken in Program with my evolving birds-in-flight modifications. ISO 250 @ f6.3 @ 1/3200th.
Maine! Honey Bee
Honey Bee: SMHC Kennebunk, Kennebunk, Maine, USA, June 2023 — Busy bee! I am not sure what ate the petals of the flower, but it is not bothering the bee. Note the heavy pollen basket on the hind leg. This is a telephoto macro with the OM Systems 100-400mm zoom at 800mm equivalent, on the OM-1 body. Program mode with my evolving bird modifications (which work, as you see, quite well for bugs). Processed n Pixelmator Pro. ISO 200 @ f8 @ 1/1250th. -1EV.
Maine! Song Sparrow
Song Sparrow: Kennebunk, Maine, USA, June 2023 — Bobolinks were not the only singing birds along the road to our local beach. The Beach Roses are always a good spot for Song Sparrows this time of year. OM Systems OM-1 with 100-400mm zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my evolving bird modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro. ISO 200 @ f6.3 @ 1/640th.
Maine! Bobolink again…
Bobolink: Kennebunk, Maine, USA, June 2023 — I took my friend Stef looking for Bobolink the other day, and they surprised me by still being up and singing in the field where they are nesting this year. This one circled out to sit on one of the new saplings the Town planted along the road. He let us walk all the way around the tree to get his good side 🙂 OM System OM-1 with 100-400mm zoom @ 1600mm equivalent (2x digital zoom). Program mode with my evolving bird modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro. ISO 200 @ f7.1 @ 1/1000th.
Maine! Terns in flight
Least Terns: Kennebunk, Maine, USA — I am just beginning to learn to shoot birds in flight with my new OM Systems OM-1 and the 100-400mm lens. The camera makes it easier, but I don’t get enough chances to practice. These shots of Least Terns hunting over the mouth of the Mousam River here in Kennebunk were all underexposed, for the bird, as the camera did not fully compensate for the bright sky background. I had to bring up shadows in post processing. Still, for what amounts to a first try at small birds, I am pretty happy with the results. 🙂 I have attempted Least Terns with each new camera I have owned, and the OM-1 certainly makes it easier. Program mode with my evolving birds-in-flight modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro. 800mm equivalent. ISO 200 @ f7.1 and f6.3 @ 1/3200th.
Maine! Busted!
Raccoon: Kennebunk Maine, USA, June 2023 — We have been bringing our feeders in overnight for the past week, because of this bandit! During last evening’s rain, with Carol out and the kitchen empty, he evidently decided it was safe for a raid while the feeders were still up. The temptation of sunflower seeds was just too much for him as the chill of evening came on. The phone rang and I went to answer it, or I would not have known he was there. Busted! I got both the screen and the deck doors open for a few photos. He was very reluctant to leave any seed in that feeder and was determined to wait me out…but, since I was happy taking photos, I was not going anywhere. 🙂 OM System OM-1 with 100-400mm zoom. Deck shots at 200mm equivalent. Tree at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my evolving critter modifications. Processed in Pixomator Pro. ISO 25600 @ f5 @ 1/200th and ISO 25600 @ f6.3 @ 1/80th. -.3EV
Maine! Bobolink
Bobolink: Kennebunk, Maine, USA, May 2023 — Carol came back from her walk on the beach a few mornings ago with a mystery bird. From her description it took me two tries to identify the bird and show her a photo for confirmation, but I we got it. Bobolink. It is that time of year, when the males are up and singing. Even doing a bit of competitive singing and flight acrobatics (aerobatics?) Such a striking and handsome bird! OM Systems OM-1 with 100-400mm zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my evolving bird modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro. ISO 200 @ f8 @ 1/1250th.
Maine! Downy Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker: backyard, Kennebunk, Maine, USA, May 2023 — So we will stay close to home for the holiday today. This is one of our backyard Downy Woodpeckers, taken from my photo-blind out by the big pine on our property line. Looking just a bit disheveled. OM Systems OM-1 with 100-400mm zoom @ 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my evolving bird modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro. ISO 4000 @ f6.3 @ 1/640th.
Maine! Goldfinch, nothing so yellow
American Goldfinch: Kennebunk, Maine, USA, May 2023 — there is nothing so yellow as a fresh spring male Goldfinch. We suddenly have a small host of them in the yard. This one posed outside my pop-up backyard bird blind as I was learning the new OM-1 system. Olympus OM-1 with the 100-400mm zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my evolving bird modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro. ISO 320 @ f6.3 @ 1/640th. Minus .7EV
Maine! Tufted Titmouse
Tufted Titmouse: Kennebunk, Maine, USA, May 2023 — I am trying to find the best combination of focus settings on the OM-1 to allow me to pick the warblers out of the dense foliage at Magee Marsh in Ohio next week when I am there to give two Point and Shoot for Warbler workshops, so I am spending time in my backyard photo blind whenever the weather permits, practicing on the titmice, chickadees, chipping sparrows, and goldfinches. As you can see, this was a tricky shot, with foreground foliage and vines and a confusing background. I had the camera set to bird recognition and to the “small” focus target to give it a chance to find the bird in the brush and it worked quite well. Often with a larger focus target, which works fine in less obscured situations, the camera could not get close enough to focus to actually recognize the bird. But with the small target if I could get the target on any piece of the bird, the camera would focus, recognize the bird and move focus to the eye. Pretty slick! Still a lot to learn! Olympus OM-1 with the OM System 100-400mm zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my evolving birds modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro. ISO 320 @ f6.3 @ 1/640th. Minus .7EV. (to protect the highlights).