A beautiful cold day for a walk by the Falls. We live 10 minutes away and forget how majestic the area is. Enjoy some images that are not the typical ones you normally see from here.
Thanks for looking
Great photo of a boreal owl. This is a species that we get to see once every 5 to 8 years in MN. They always seem to give photographers the most curious look.
What lens were you using, as this is a pretty tight shot of a very small owl.
Thank You @owlseyes! It is a really rare birds for us too! It was a lifer for me. She landed on the perfect spot, nice background with some little snow falling. For this shot I was using my 600mm f4e fl lense+ my 1.7TC. I was at 1020mm F8.0 and this picture was cropped. I do miss the resolution of my d850 but I prefer my z6II files for the better colors and less noises.
Like I said, I can count the number of times I have seen and photographed boreal owl on one hand... actually, on a deer's foot, that's right... twice
They are such a beautiful species with more eyes than head.
Your subject was on the perfect perch, as it is super clean. I completely understand your desire to shoot with the Z6II, the files are beautiful. Because my longest lens is 500mm, I have not sold off my D500... the 1.5x DX produces a clearer file than using a converter. I am contemplating a Z7II, but am hopeful that Nikon just might introduce a "pro" DX mirrorless when they introduce their pro FX camera later this year.
Most people did not expect the D300 to be released with the D3, and nobody knew about the D500 when they released the D5. Past history suggests that Nikon might drop a pro FX and DX camera on the market at the same time.
A few from yesterday...
The conditions were extreme yesterday morning (-15 deg F and heavy river mist). I was using my D500 w/ 500PF and Z6II w/ 70-200 f/2.8S + 1.4x Z-converter.
The two flight shots were from a burst of 10 images of which 9 were in focus. The rouse was part of a burst series, the image presented had the best wing spread and fewest distractions (like the mallard in the foreground).
I am really liking the Z6II for this type of photography. I shot 350 pictures on a frigid morning w/ a 1/2 filled battery. The battery still had some charge when I left. Using an S lens maintains a longer battery life compared to when I was shooting the 200-400 w/ the FTZ.
More owls...
I have been using my Z6II for wildlife landscape images and relegated my D500/500PF for tighter work.
Here's a collection of some recent great grays.
Rick... Once more,... just got to compliment you on those boreal owl shots. I love the tight look into the eyes. I also like that first barred owl with the wing stretch. Lovely stuff!
(makes me want a 600mm f/4... a lens I would love to own, but not want to buy )
OwlsEyes wrote:
More owls...
I have been using my Z6II for wildlife landscape images and relegated my D500/500PF for tighter work.
Here's a collection of some recent great grays.
These are wonderful, Bruce. Great backgrounds and exposures. Are they from Sax-Zim? I didn't make it up there this year like I usually do.
ahamp wrote:
These are wonderful, Bruce. Great backgrounds and exposures. Are they from Sax-Zim? I didn't make it up there this year like I usually do.
Thanks for the comment... These are from the bog. I live near the Twin Cities, so I manage to make it out there a few times each year. I hit a pretty good day in late December/Early January. There was winter fog that froze on the trees, and I had soft light for the 10 hours I spent looking for birds on foot and in the car. I also managed to hit the area as a flock of evening grosbeaks were working their way through.
It wasn't my best day in the bog, but its a great day any time you can to photograph an owl in that boreal forest
)