Nature Photography

[Pat]

RMorgan, Sorry I'm so late on this... Congratulations on your photo layout. Some of those shots are really superb. I'm jealous of your cardinal shot as I have not been able to get a good tight shot of ours, not enough tele. Well, I could use my 2000mm telephoto on one of my SLR that I use for astrophotography (AKA Celestron 8 inch reflector telescope) but haven't done much wet chemistry photo work since buying my wife a 4 meg pix digital. No adaptor for her camera to my scope. One day I will spring for a digital for myself but will wait for the breed to mature a bit and "struggle through" with her camera for a while.


Patrick

[TimSullivan]

You will find yourself with a large number of files soon. My advice is set up a good system to store your pictures. The digital camera will allow you to really enjoy the fruits of your efforts.

I have been shooting nature shots just on our land but already have a large collection. Please share some of you pictures.

[idaho04]

Good topic. I like to do nature photography as well. I have a digital camera, Canon 2.0 Megapixels, makes nice pictures but for the nature, the lens is not enough so I am using my Nikon SLR with 300MM lens. I wish I could afford the digital Nikon or Canon with interchangeable lenses so I can use my lenses from the SLR. But these cameras are at least $2,000. You did not get one of those, did you?

[Mosey]

Nature photography is fun and challenging. I used to be hunter, but gave that up when I realized that what I enjoyed about hunting was being outdoors and seeing the wildlife. What I didn't enjoy about it was the mess I had to deal with once I killed something. Gutting a deer just isn't fun! So, I switched to just observing and taking pictures. I still wear camouflage and use the same techniques I used to use for bow hunting deer, but now I just take pictures.

While I was still making the transition from hunter to observer/photographer I took a good close up picture of a deer about 2 weeks before bow season started (I always scouted for deer a few weeks before season started). I killed the same deer on opening day! So, I have a before (alive) and after (dead) picture of that deer.

I may take up hunting again if they eat any of my newly planted and tediously cared for white pine trees though!

[rmorgan]

Kilt--

What camera did you get, and have you gotten started with it yet? I went back to your original message and realized I hadn't absorbed your Galen Rowell comments fully. He certainly had a wide influence. Here's a Link to a nice article written in his memory by one of his students, Thom Hogan.

[Kilt]

rmorgan,

I got the new Sony F717. Haven't had time to play much with it yet, plus the weather has been absolutely Edgar Alan Poe-ish for days. Thanks for the link on Galen Rowell.

[frank_f15]

am a bit late and just new to this forum. but as digital camers go they are great. i have 2.1 mega pixel it is a nice camera but don't think it can replace my 35 mm slr, would love to have one of the digital slr's but at this time they are a bit to high. but digital is great, can take a shot just for the heck of it anf e mail it to a friend or take a shot and post to ans, a question. the biggest thing i miss with digital camera in my price rage is the loss of control and the loss of interchangable lens for wildlife i like a really big lens. very nice topic. and hope to see more post as the forum grows. [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

[Pat]

Does this fit in your idea of Nature?

That is my still unplanked footbridge in the background.

Patrick

[Pat]

Here is a sunset from my mom's back porch.

I have gigabytes of photos from last 18 months of using my wifes Kodak digital. Jillions of flowers, animals, scenics. MY personal photography runs to astrophotography (just more distant nature) with totaly manual cameras Olympus OM-1 (I have 3) and about 50-60 pounds of lenses and accessories. My longest tele is 2000mm, 8 inch reflector telescope. Will focus as close as 25 ft or so. Gets you up close to the shy and wary animals or difficult to get places where telephoto is safer than climbing. I have been intending to try my wifes digital with the telescope for more instant gratification.

I have done my own lab work including enlarging prints as well as processing and mounting my own color slides but find digital manipulaltion smells better and is way cheaper. Still, I like "REAL" photos with wet chemistry some of the time and it will be a while yet before digital cameras compete with fine grain color neg film for larger enlargements.


Patrick

Very nice picture. I like to take pictures of both nature and animals. I have a Minolta Maxxum 700si SLR and a Sony MVD_FD91 digital. I like the sony because I can take a picture and put the floppy disk in the computer and send emails. A picture will answer a multitude of questions.