I was shooting the MA Audubon Bird A Thon this past weekend for the regional Joppa Flats facility...and just like every other year that I've done this the weather was horrible. Long underwear and gloves was the rule.
I had intended to shoot a lot of warblers but their food source appeared to be high in the trees as that's where they were and as fast as warblers move, there was next to no light anyhow.
Therefore.....I decided to take advantage of some very chilly, but well fed swallow groups at various times throughout the weekend.
I also forced myself to use a flash / Better Beamer combination (typically I hate using a flash) and I finally sort of figured it out. It's a amazing what 1/4" more in height will do for not blowing eyes out!
On top of this, I was shooting a replacement body that I'd never fired a shot with yet.
All shots were acquired with a Nikon D2Xs, 500 AFSII lens and TC14EII Converter.....Nikon SB-800 with a Better Beamer mounted on a Wimberly flash bracket.
Please offer your comments relative to the lighting....
Tree Swallows......
Cold at Dawn....
Mid Morning....in the rain...
Northern Rough Wing Swallows......
Early Morning.....
Afternoon.....
Near darkness due to the weather.....
Barn Swallows in the AM.....
Later in the afternoon and evening.....
In the rain.......
I had intended to shoot a lot of warblers but their food source appeared to be high in the trees as that's where they were and as fast as warblers move, there was next to no light anyhow.
Therefore.....I decided to take advantage of some very chilly, but well fed swallow groups at various times throughout the weekend.
I also forced myself to use a flash / Better Beamer combination (typically I hate using a flash) and I finally sort of figured it out. It's a amazing what 1/4" more in height will do for not blowing eyes out!
On top of this, I was shooting a replacement body that I'd never fired a shot with yet.
All shots were acquired with a Nikon D2Xs, 500 AFSII lens and TC14EII Converter.....Nikon SB-800 with a Better Beamer mounted on a Wimberly flash bracket.
Please offer your comments relative to the lighting....
Tree Swallows......
Cold at Dawn....
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Mid Morning....in the rain...
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Northern Rough Wing Swallows......
Early Morning.....
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Afternoon.....
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Near darkness due to the weather.....
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Barn Swallows in the AM.....
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Later in the afternoon and evening.....
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In the rain.......
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