p.49 #1 · Official Nikon Z 180-600mm f5.6-6.3 VR Image Thread
urbanwild wrote:
Do the seagulls not give them away? That might just have been my experience a few years back but we just watched the birds.....as they started congregating quickly around the water we knew they were after the herring.....and so were the humpbacks. I would focus on the birds and then just wait and fire. Orcas are much more predictable of course except for the breaches.
Hello Greg... I'll say yes and no to your answer.
If you've got a good baitball near the surface, this tells you where you might see something like a humpback. You will often get surface or lunge feeding in these locations. Lunge feedings are easy to capture, but I rarely make a lunge feeding shot that seems to capture the imagination like a good sounding with a nice tail.
Seagulls are not a predictor of a breach. A breach is when the entire body shoots out of the water and you either need a whales or whales that are "serial" breaching (something I've never experienced), or be fortunate to have the camera pointing in the right direction at the right time.
During the sunset shoot, I saw 3 breaches... thought I'd have predicted when and where the whale would emerge, but was in the wrong spot or didn't have the camera up to my eye.
Another key factor is the captain and boat. I do not like to shoot from large boats because this offers a top-down view. All of my shooting is from a zodiac or a boat with a low profile. This reduces your ability to catch some shots, but when you are successful, you are shooting from a perspective that few others get to enjoy.
p.49 #2 · Official Nikon Z 180-600mm f5.6-6.3 VR Image Thread
OwlsEyes wrote:
Hello Greg... I'll say yes and no to your answer.
If you've got a good baitball near the surface, this tells you where you might see something like a humpback. You will often get surface or lunge feeding in these locations. Lunge feedings are easy to capture, but I rarely make a lunge feeding shot that seems to capture the imagination like a good sounding with a nice tail.
Seagulls are not a predictor of a breach. A breach is when the entire body shoots out of the water and you either need a whales or whales that are "serial" breaching (something I've never experienced), or be fortunate to have the camera pointing in the right direction at the right time.
During the sunset shoot, I saw 3 breaches... thought I'd have predicted when and where the whale would emerge, but was in the wrong spot or didn't have the camera up to my eye.
Another key factor is the captain and boat. I do not like to shoot from large boats because this offers a top-down view. All of my shooting is from a zodiac or a boat with a low profile. This reduces your ability to catch some shots, but when you are successful, you are shooting from a perspective that few others get to enjoy.
cheers,
bruce ...Show more →
Hi Bruce.....you're correct with the breaching. I've only seen them from afar. It was the lunges that I was referring to. I spent 3 days out on a small boat with a couple of other photographers and it was a blast. The word "baitball" was used excitably many times those days. I need to get back out there....some of my most exciting days out with a camera. Glad you're out there enjoying these majestic creatures!
p.49 #3 · Official Nikon Z 180-600mm f5.6-6.3 VR Image Thread
urbanwild wrote:
Hi Bruce.....you're correct with the breaching. I've only seen them from afar. It was the lunges that I was referring to. I spent 3 days out on a small boat with a couple of other photographers and it was a blast. The word "baitball" was used excitably many times those days. I need to get back out there....some of my most exciting days out with a camera. Glad you're out there enjoying these majestic creatures!
FYI... Yesterday was a winner of a day, as I finally was able to photograph a breeching humpback. As I described in my prior message, it was a whale that was all into it. It breeched about 10 times over the course of 2 hours. I was in a small 6 passenger boat and managed to photograph the breeching action on a few occasions. I was using the 100-400 on this trip, as I wanted the lighter camera/body combo. I'll be posting a few shots of the breech sometime today in the 100-400 thread.
p.49 #4 · Official Nikon Z 180-600mm f5.6-6.3 VR Image Thread
OwlsEyes wrote:
FYI... Yesterday was a winner of a day, as I finally was able to photograph a breeching humpback. As I described in my prior message, it was a whale that was all into it. It breeched about 10 times over the course of 2 hours. I was in a small 6 passenger boat and managed to photograph the breeching action on a few occasions. I was using the 100-400 on this trip, as I wanted the lighter camera/body combo. I'll be posting a few shots of the breech sometime today in the 100-400 thread.
cheers,
bruce
Congrats! Just had a peek. I'm sure the 100-400 was perfect for that and a nice weight too.
p.49 #20 · Official Nikon Z 180-600mm f5.6-6.3 VR Image Thread
Just got back from a few days in the Smokies with my 180-600 and Z6iii. Figured I'd start it off with some landscape shots with the lens to change it up a little.
- Z9 with 180-600 @ 470mm, f8, 1/2000, ISO 3200
