quiet images: wildlife

Showing posts with label wildlife. Show all posts

Tuesday, January 27, 2015

Holy Hannah!

image of nikon camera with sigma 150-500mm lens attached

Time for an update ... Recently I rented a wildlife/nature lens for a trial run -- a Sigma 150-500mm f5-6.3. The camera shop told me it was an excellent choice for birding. And, indeed it was. I had it for 10 days, and tried it out in a variety of environments: nature preserve, county park, local zoo, and around home.

Thoughts & IMOP...

This is a beautiful lens. It offers excellent clarity and minimal chromatic aberrations. The optical stabilization is superior, allowing for hand-held functioning despite weight and length of the lens. It features both auto-focus and manual focus with a rear focus ring. The rear focus is a great help for maintaining control over the lens.

On the plus side, my images came out clear with excellent color. I made very few adjustments to the images in post-processing. I was able to shoot some excellent close-ups of wildlife without getting too close or disturbing the animals. It handled nature's smallest creatures as well as the larger variety.

For me the lens was heavy but manageable for hand-held shots. I used both hand-held and tripod with equal effectiveness. At f5-6.3 it's a bit slower than the Nikon 80-400mm f4.5-5.6, but that wasn't an issue for me. Because of the length of the lens I needed room to maneuver comfortably. Not a good lens for a crowd.

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Big Cats

Caught Napping
copyright 2014, Stephanie Maatta Smith

Over the weekend I had the opportunity to visit Big Cat Rescue in Tampa, FL. Big Cat Rescue is a sanctuary for exploited, abandoned, and abused exotic cats. I hate that they are in enclosures, but the cats are now in a safe, healthy environment where they are cared for and given back their dignity. When the cats are rescued the sanctuary becomes their last home and final resting place. Most of the cats are older and all of the rescues live out the remainder of their days in peace.


Big Cat Collage, copyright 2014, Stephanie Maatta Smith

Photographing the cats posed some challenges. Because they are in enclosures, which are then surrounded by retaining fences, it was near impossible to eliminate the fence in most of the photos. Many of the cats are shy or afraid of people and tended to stay further back in their enclosures. And, of course, everyone wants to get photos, so there's a lot of jockeying for the best position.

Each of the cats has its own story. Some were bred to be house pets; others were "retired" from performing. Many were physically abused. Those that were cross-bred, such as the ligers and white tigers, have serious health problems. With the exception of some native Florida cats, none of the animals are rehabilitated and returned to the wild; nor are they used for breeding purposes.

I'll visit the big cats again. Next time it will be the private photography tour. I'll bring a longer lens and tripod, and a very large container of catnip.

Thursday, May 8, 2014

365 Project Update

As you may recall, I started a 365 project at the beginning of the year. Technically speaking I'm doing two projects simultaneously -- one on Flickr and one on 365project.org. It's been great fun thus far, and I've met a lot of fellow photographers from around the world, including the U.K., Australia, South Africa, and Russia. This is bringing fresh perspective to my photography.

For this entry I'm sharing a few of my images that have been the most popular and viewed between my two projects. Seems to be a theme here for what my photography friends like: birds of all types.

January - Homosassa Springs Wildlife Park


Ibis Patrol, copyright 2014, Stephanie Maatta Smith

A trio of ibis were lined up on the fence where we waiting to catch the boat. It was a cold, misty day, and the lighting was difficult to work with.

February - Kensington Metropark

It turned out to be a reasonably warm Sunday in late February, and it was a bit on the melty side. This little sparrow was quite tolerant of my foolishness with a camera. It was singing away and waiting for its mate. I love how the snow, while dirty, was sparkling in the sun.

March - The Florida Aquarium

Fluffing Her Feathers, copyrigh 2014, Stephanie Maatta Smith

This little tease was floating along in the Wetlands Exhibit, fluffing her feathers and preening for the males. She was quite adept at ignoring the kids who were trying to touch her, and my attempts at composing a good image.

April - Michigan Welcome Center, Saint Ignace, MI

This bright-eyed seagull was perched on the hood of my vehicle when I stopped for lunch. It was peering in the windshield at me, hoping for a bite of my sandwich. This was shot through the windshield; I was amazed at how clear the image is.

Late April and early May have lent themselves to interesting photographic opportunities. You've already had a glimpse at my newest project. Baseball photos are sure to follow in the near future.

Sunday, February 23, 2014

Winter at the Zoo

It's been more than 30 years since I visited the Detroit Zoo. The zoo was always someplace to go during the spring and summer when the weather was warm and cooperative. Winter gives the zoo a completely different look and feel when the cold-weather animals are out and active. I was both surprise and pleased by the very positive changes at the park.

Wildlife Interpretive Center at Detroit Zoo

Detroit Zoo opened in 1928 and has undergone many changes, facelifts, and renaissances throughout its history. It's accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and participates in the Species Survival Plan. The Wildlife Interpretive Center, featuring the tropical butterfly house and the aviary, is the oldest building at the zoo. The zoo also houses the National Amphibian Conservation Center.

For me, the zoo is all about the animals. Despite the cold and sunny day, I wandered happily around the park watching animals and people alike. The barn owl was tucked in the rafters above the Scottish Highland steer, keeping warm. The giraffe and rhinos were confined to their enclosure because the weather was too cold for them to be outside safely.

The highlights of my day were spent, first, in the Primate enclosure watching the new chimpanzee baby with her grandmother and mother. Then I strolled over to the tiger enclosure to admire the Amur tiger. He was quite aware of activity around his enclosure and was watching the human animals very closely.