p.278 #6 · Sony RX1, RX1R, RX1R II and RX1R III Image Thread
A few recent RX1r II pics:
It is just amazing to see Joy streaking across a field at full tilt. She does this all day long and never seems tired. Here her rear end is trying to outrun her front end because no one else can outrun her:
And then more amazing to see her slamming to statute-like stillness when she catches bird scent and realizes she’s close enough to the bird to hold it. Joy pointing what turned out to be a woodcock:
Joy is only two years old, but this is her third full season and she has really come into her own this year. She has learned not to get too close to a bird to cause it to flush, but not to lose it either; and, on occasion, to break out of the cover and run around in front of where a bird is heading to cut it off instead of just tracking to from behind and risking a flush out of range.
Leaping off a 6’ cliff – I think her ears are spread for Dumbo-like aerodynamic stability:
Bespoke 28 gauge sidelock with a brace of birds:
My dear friend Chase is 14 now – quite elderly in birddog terms and stone deaf, but he has been out with us every day and has been very happy to be there. He knows his limitations and generally keeps me in sight to avoid getting lost. Here Chase is working a vast field of sorghum and timothy – lots and lots of winter food in there for the wild critters.
Joy covers much more ground than he does, but now and then Chase will find and point a bird that she missed. He found a rooster pheasant in this fence row:
Mostly, Chase’s forte these days is retrieving. He is tenacious and relentless. We have not lost a single bird this year and they are usually dropped in such thick cover that a person could search for weeks and not find the bird.
The bird being delivered to me by Chase in the image below was one that Joy had worked for at least 15 minutes and several hundred yards. She would point it and I would start to make my way through the thorn jungles to where she was pointing, then the bird would run and she would track it and eventually get it to hold for another point 50 yards or so away; it would run again, she would pin it again and so on – all without getting too close to the bird or upsetting the bird enough to cause it to flush out of shotgun range and all done by scent – Joy never actually sees the bird.
Joy must have gotten ahead of it because she finally got it to hold for a point in a deep wooded ravine long enough for me to get to within about 40 yards of the ravine. The bird must have heard me coming because it flushed down the length of the ravine – cackling, sun glinting on its colors and long tail as it went through shadow and light on its way through the trees. 40 yards is a bit of a stretch for the little 28 gauge I was carrying, but I decided to try to thread a shot through the trees. The big rooster rocked at the first shot, but kept flying. When I fired the tightly choked left bbl, it came down like a lead balloon, but its momentum carried it to the far side of the ravine, which was filled with fallen dead trees and a 15’ high tangle of green briar and rose.
I was stripping off my vest, putting on leather gloves, etc, in anticipation of literally crawling through that stuff to try recover the bird, when Chase appeared and looked me in the eye as he handed me the bird - proud as could be.
How Chase got through all of that to get to the bird and then somehow managed to get the bird back out with all of those thorns trying to yank it away from him, I will never know. He was very pleased with his accomplishment. Needless to say, he received major accolades.
We run across all sorts of odd things in our rural travels. If you know anyone who needs some cast iron balls, this guy has them for sale:
Joy point, Chase honoring:
Another retrieve by Chase:
The little 28 gauge and bird. Unfortunately, a passion for "fine" guns makes photography look like a dirt cheap hobby.
Quittin’ time on the last day of the regular season.
p.278 #7 · Sony RX1, RX1R, RX1R II and RX1R III Image Thread
Hi Greg,
Another wonderful PE with a great story and beautiful photos as usual. Really amazing how versatile the little RX1Rii is in your capable hands. Loved the action shot of Joy flying through the air- great capture! Another favorite was Chase retrieving with bird in mouth looking at you so proud of himself!
Always enjoy your posts. Thanks for taking us along on your adventures!
p.278 #11 · Sony RX1, RX1R, RX1R II and RX1R III Image Thread
mspencer1 wrote:
Hi Greg,
Another wonderful PE with a great story and beautiful photos as usual. Really amazing how versatile the little RX1Rii is in your capable hands. Loved the action shot of Joy flying through the air- great capture! Another favorite was Chase retrieving with bird in mouth looking at you so proud of himself!
Always enjoy your posts. Thanks for taking us along on your adventures!
Margaret
Thank you so much for the gracious thoughts!! Here are a few gratuitous shots with the RX1r II from yesterday:
The cold rain just stopped, so we'll be heading out again today.
p.278 #19 · Sony RX1, RX1R, RX1R II and RX1R III Image Thread
Just bought myself an early Christmas present Still working on getting used to the autofocus functions of the camera. Pictures where taken handheld with the RX1r2 on my road to work.
One question… What is the circles around the brigde in the first picture? Is it JPG compression? or Sony RAW compression? I do not see the circles in Lightroom, just when I export the picture to Photoshop (tif) or to JPG.
Still working on getting used to the autofocus functions of the camera. Pictures where taken handheld with the RX1r2 on my road to work.
