[skierd]

Two examples of 'natural' habitats came to mind, both shots I took this summer.

Want to know how to stop every single yahoo with a camera on the Denali Park road? Set up your bazooka (I don't think the camo is working).


To be fair there were a couple of enormous bull moose about 100 yards off the road in the brush. They were still there several hours later when I came back through.


How close is too close? This is too damn close.


There were four or five other moose in the brush further off the road, and it was near the beginning of rut. Hell I was too close too, but was also standing next to my open car door not looking through a damn tripod mounted camera.

[zzeitg]

DA560

[WPRESTO]

Many photographers are that way. Your photographic life is an open book, their life is a secret. What's becoming a trend these days, a guy who photographed foxes where I was back in the 90s, is claiming today's photographers are less than he was, because the animals were "wild" then (the Resort, the Summer Camps and the hiking trail were all there, same as today, and claims today's folks who did what he did, are cheating and somehow not worthy of respect, and really shouldn't even be there. There's the "once I get my shot, no one else should ever know about it" thing. Coupled with "It's OK if I do it but not if you do it" thing, as championed by the park staff.

1) It's likely some wildlife in national/state parks are more difficult to photograph now than in the past because of the rigorous, sensible prohibition about feeding, even of crumbs to birds.

2) And then there's the guy who has found a tiny, rare flower, has been down on his belly getting a shot, and as he arises, casually but purposefully steps on the plant as if stuffing out a cigarette to cut down on any competition. It's been done.

3) And several times I've come across "Do Not Cross This Line" or similar signs and seen a photographer on the other side, memorably along a stretch of the CA coast where there were dangerous and somewhat crumbly sea cliffs, with a low barrier and "keep back, do not walk on cliffs" warnings, and there's a guy with a tripod and view camera way out at the farthest point you could possibly walk.

4) And don't get me started on paparazzi.

[UserAccessDenied]

2) And then there's the guy who has found a tiny, rare flower, has been down on his belly getting a shot, and as he arises, casually but purposefully steps on the plant as if stuffing out a cigarette to cut down on any competition. It's been done.

I guess you could almost call that photo poaching

That is just sad.

Before getting into photography I'd go for hikes through parks, beaches, woods, forests; admire and observe the wilderness.
Before getting into photography I would share my experiences and welcomed others to join me.

Now that I have a camera and a bag full of gear, it allows me to share my experiences with more detail. Nothing has changed though, in fact I share my experiences more so than ever before and still encourage others to join me, camera or not.

Photography is like hunting, except that which is shot lives forever.
There should be a high level of respect for nature.

[dadipentak]

And don't get me started on paparazzi.

No, I won't. ;~)

[Cold Iron]

Two examples of 'natural' habitats came to mind, both shots I took this summer.

Want to know how to stop every single yahoo with a camera on the Denali Park road? Set up your bazooka (I don't think the camo is working).


To be fair there were a couple of enormous bull moose about 100 yards off the road in the brush. They were still there several hours later when I came back through.


How close is too close? This is too damn close.


There were four or five other moose in the brush further off the road, and it was near the beginning of rut. Hell I was too close too, but was also standing next to my open car door not looking through a damn tripod mounted camera.

Yeah that is too close... PBS just had a great show on Moose:Life of a twig eater Filmed in Jasper National Park in Alberta, and also in Mn. in an area I frequent. It was to document the decline of the Moose herds in North America especially the death of calves the first year. The photographer was able to spend enough time with them that they allowed him to get very close. One of 2 calves died, by wolves. Wolves are a huge problem here, especially now that they are protected again but that is another story. A lot of Moose right now in Mn. are on the roads licking the salt on the few roads that go through Moose country and actually get plowed in the winter.

I no longer hunt big game with a gun or bow but instead use a camera, but still bird hunt with the dog for ruff grouse in the Northwoods and pheasants and sharptails on the prairie with a small group of other retired Navy guys in the fall. For ruffies I hunt and camp on the North Shore of Lake Superior and through the Arrowhead including the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Once in awhile I do stay at a State campground near the Lake that has electricity and it is common for a red fox to sit at the edge of the campsite even with the dog with me. They seem to have learned that the dogs are leashed inside the campground and are no threat to them. I had a bear move my off road trailer about 6 feet one night, I had the dog food in it. Which is why you never have food inside your tent. The dog was in the tent with me and going crazy but the bear still hung around for about 5 minutes. Not a big fan of organized campgrounds in part because of how wildlife acts, but a lady friend that I take sometimes always insists on "civilized comfort".

Ruff grouse are normally shy of humans and dogs and flush often too far away. But when you get far enough North where they are not used to human contact they often just jump up into a tree branch. Those would be considered limb chickens to me and I'm not into it for the meat so leave them be. Human interactions can cause strange behavior in wildlife. I prefer the interaction where they are not used to it and are more curious than anything when they do see a human. Wish I could convince a pine marten or wolverine of that but they are usually just a flash and gone no matter where I am.

[Weevil]

Would you buy the K-1 for Wildlife photography ? (let's say money is not a factor)


Sure the K-1 has very interesting features, but I think I will wait because on long range optics, we will lose the resolution (15mp in apsc mode, compared to what you get 24mp with a k3/K3II)... also losing the fps, at 4.4fps or 6.5 in crop mode, compared to what we have in the K-3,

However, I'd like to get one for Landscape, night sky or studio photography...




I think I'll stick to it waiting for a future upgrade... with more fps at FF size at the least.


What would you like to see in a future upgrade for Wildlife photography?

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Last edited by Weevil; 02-19-2016 at 10:51 PM.

[kengoh]

Would you buy the K-1 for Wildlife photography ? (let's say money is not a factor)


Sure the K-1 has very interesting features, but I think I will wait because on long range optics, we will lose the resolution (15mp in apsc mode, compared to what you get 24mp with a k3/K3II)... also losing the fps, at 4.4fps or 6.5 in crop mode, compared to what we have in the K-3,

However, I'd like to get one for Landscape, night sky or studio photography...




I think I'll stick to it waiting for a future upgrade... with more fps at FF size at the least.


What would you like to see in a future upgrade for Wildlife photography?

I will get the K1 for birding.
There are cases that I can't get the best shot with K3 on birds like kingfishers, pittas, rockthrush etc under low lighting which usually high iso, distance is not an issue as these birds that I encounter are quite friendly, so with a full frame camera I can still shoot them closer without losing out in resolution. Glad that DA*300 and Sigma 500 F4.5 both support full frame.

eg: this kingfisher was shot with iso 6400, with K1, a much bigger sensor, it will not be so noisy.

[SteveM]

I will get the K1 for birding.
There are cases that I can't get the best shot with K3 on birds like kingfishers, pittas, rockthrush etc under low lighting which usually high iso, distance is not an issue as these birds that I encounter are quite friendly, so with a full frame camera I can still shoot them closer without losing out in resolution. Glad that DA*300 and Sigma 500 F4.5 both support full frame.

eg: this kingfisher was shot with iso 6400, with K1, a much bigger sensor, it will not be so noisy.

Good point,

The K3 has amazing reach under the right conditions, but I do struggle with noise. I am looking forward to using both....

[normhead]

One of 2 calves died, by wolves. Wolves are a huge problem here, especially now that they are protected again but that is another story.

Since the end of the last ice age, 15,000 years ago wolves and moose have shared the same ecosystems here. Right up until the arrival of Europeans. Then all the sudden, wolves became a problem. Here in Algonquin up to 80 moose a year are hit on the highways, but that's apparently not a problem. The MNR (Ministry of no result) continues to issue far more Moose tags than the number of moose that could actually be taken, even while their own numbers show moose declining, because it generates revenue for them, yet that's not a problem. So, yes I hear this story from the locals here all the time. The same locals who admit they would (and do) poach any animal they could if they knew they wouldn't get caught. We find moose kill out behind our place all the time, our dogs bring us legs etc. Most of them are sawed. Just from a rough straw count, poachers outnumber wolves in out of season kills about 10:1. So who makes up these stories about wolves being a problem? Usually poachers in my neck of the woods. Who makes them up in your neck of the woods?

The rangers here radio track wolves and keep up with what they kill. You can say moose kill waves , fine, but about 40% of wolf deaths are caused by being kicked by a moose, it's not like they are just helpless out there. As in any ecologically balanced system, wolves pray on the aged and weak. It's a bad day for them when they take on a healthy moose.

[dadipentak]

Sadly, no.

[r0ckstarr]

Would you buy the K-1 for Wildlife photography ? (let's say money is not a factor)

I've been thinking about this as well, and I am going to say no. I cannot see it replacing the K3 for me at this time. For the reasons you mentioned about fps and resolution, and because a longer lens (560) would be more beneficial to me at this point. Plus, I already have more than one K3 that I got with intentions of using until they are no longer worth selling. If I get a K1, it will be a compliment to the K3's that I already carry, but it won't be anytime soon. I'll let the first batch have it's run and let any of the problems get sorted. Then, I will wait and see how others are doing with theirs and decide if I want one then. It would be fun, but I would have more fun with longer glass.

[Cold Iron]

Since the end of the last ice age, 15,000 years ago wolves and moose have shared the same ecosystems here. Right up until the arrival of Europeans. Then all the sudden, wolves became a problem. Here in Algonquin up to 80 moose a year are hit on the highways, but that's apparently not a problem. The MNR (Ministry of no result) continues to issue far more Moose tags than the number of moose that could actually be taken, even while their own numbers show moose declining, because it generates revenue for them, yet that's not a problem. So, yes I hear this story from the locals here all the time. The same locals who admit they would (and do) poach any animal they could if they knew they wouldn't get caught. We find moose kill out behind our place all the time, our dogs bring us legs etc. Most of them are sawed. Just from a rough straw count, poachers outnumber wolves in out of season kills about 10:1. So who makes up these stories about wolves being a problem? Usually poachers in my neck of the woods. Who makes them up in your neck of the woods?

The rangers here radio track wolves and keep up with what they kill. You can say moose kill waves , fine, but about 40% of wolf deaths are caused by being kicked by a moose, it's not like they are just helpless out there. As in any ecologically balanced system, wolves pray on the aged and weak. It's a bad day for them when they take on a healthy moose.

The system is not ecologically balanced here, the wolf numbers are steadily increasing at an alarming rate. And not only do they prey on the aged the weak includes calf moose which is where the problem lies. The DNR (Do nothing right, or dept. of natural resources) stopped moose hunting because at the current rate moose will be gone in 50 years in Mn. In the beginning they refused to admit that wolf predation was a factor but to be fair they waited several years until enough data came in. When it did they account for at least 50% or more of the moose calf deaths. I purchased the K3 2 years ago to document the kills and right after I did they finally released the results LOL. Whenever I see a moose especially a cow and a calf they are running and after a minute or so there is a wolf running behind them. Everywhere I have ever seen moose droppings there is always wolf scat in the pile too, they are never far behind the moose.



Grand Marais Mn. has a population of 1,300 and it extends 60 miles from the actual downtown. They are loosing dogs to wolves at the rate of 1 a week. That goes all the way down the shore to Duluth. Often it is done right in front of the owners. Last week a wolf killed a dog right in the city limits of Duluth in front of the owner. They have little fear of humans here anymore. When I first got my camera and still figuring out how to work it had a wolf kill a deer in the parking lot of the restaurant that has cabins near it that I stayed at. This was immediately after.



About 2 AM the rest of the pack showed up. I couldn't figure out how to get the flash to go off and focus, but figured out using a flashlight it added enough additional light for things to work. But trying to hold and operate the camera and also a flashlight never did get a shot of any of the wolves, there was somewhere around a dozen circling me. Not so worried about a wolf attacking me but a few years ago a wolf did attack someone in Mn. so it does happen which is a new situation but still rare.

If you're a deer, moose or dog they are a problem. It is a federal offense to shoot a wolf in Mn. Wi. or Mi. so if poachers do shoot they don't talk about it. It is called SSS, shoot shovel and shutup. I never have and don't know anyone that does. Have had a number of wolves close to me and the dog and not about to drop the gun for a camera.

[ChipB]

Taken with the Sigma 150-500mm at 500mm. Not sure what type of flower this is - several of them have sprouted under one of my bird feeders.

[micromacro]

Finally got them!