[luftfluss]

The Milkweed begins to wither. KP, A/400

Very nice. I enjoy using my A400 for butterflies.

[lukulele]

Very nice. I enjoy using my A400 for butterflies.

Thanks luftfluss. The handheld shots take some practice going from K-3 to KP to a first time on an old MX tomorrow’.

[str8talk83]

[WPRESTO]

In the third image, wing up. it almost seems he's strutting the runway for you.

[luftfluss]

Following @lukulele 's lead, some butterfly pics with the A400...












BTW, the photo of the common buckeye was the first - and so far only - time I've ever seen one.

[rod_grant]

Australian King Parrot - KP Sigma 150-500 - #1 @ 500mm, #2 @270mm
Both taken through window glass.

[str8talk83]

Following @lukulele 's lead, some butterfly pics with the A400...












BTW, the photo of the common buckeye was the first - and so far only - time I've ever seen one.

Great butterfly series!

---------- Post added 08-05-2019 at 06:44 AM ----------

In the third image, wing up. it almost seems he's strutting the runway for you.

I would show off if I looked that good too...

[northcoastgreg]

Shorebirds, with the DA* 300 + DA 1.4x converter:

[luftfluss]

Great butterfly series!

Thank you.

How do you find your 500 PF's image stabilization in the kayak? I know a guy in Texas who shoots Oly with the 300/4 from his kayak and the I.S. performance is impressive. Both you and he make gorgeous photos, really a pleasure to look at for those of us who don't get to see those types of animals in person.

[str8talk83]

Thank you.

How do you find your 500 PF's image stabilization in the kayak? I know a guy in Texas who shoots Oly with the 300/4 from his kayak and the I.S. performance is impressive. Both you and he make gorgeous photos, really a pleasure to look at for those of us who don't get to see those types of animals in person.

I have had the best luck with "sports" mode stabilization. It is helpful to keep the viewfinder more steady, but can't remove all movement. Wildlife photography from a kayak is really challenging in windy conditions or in any kind of wake and I don't feel like the stabilization helps a whole lot in those scenario's. My understanding is that the M 4/3 systems have the best stabilization, but I don't have first hand experience.

It takes some practice to learn and I recommend becoming a decent paddler first, since you need to know how to control your kayak properly to be "lined up" correctly for shots. An anchor can also be helpful if in an area with a lot of wildlife activity nearby. I also try to shoot in low tide, since the birds feed the most then. The lower water also tends to have less motion and the sandbars can be a nice place to pull into for a brief stop.

[WPRESTO]

I have had the best luck with "sports" mode stabilization. It is helpful to keep the viewfinder more steady, but can't remove all movement. Wildlife photography from a kayak is really challenging in windy conditions or in any kind of wake and I don't feel like the stabilization helps a whole lot in those scenario's. My understanding is that the M 4/3 systems have the best stabilization, but I don't have first hand experience.

It takes some practice to learn and I recommend becoming a decent paddler first, since you need to know how to control your kayak properly to be "lined up" correctly for shots. An anchor can also be helpful if in an area with a lot of wildlife activity nearby. I also try to shoot in low tide, since the birds feed the most then. The lower water also tends to have less motion and the sandbars can be a nice place to pull into for a brief stop.

VAV working on the water. Decades back a good friend who was a professional wildlife photographer made his own floating photo-platform as follows. Fishermen sometimes wear chest-high waders plus an inflatable flotation ring that they sit into, their feet deep in the water and the upper surface of the flotation ring a bit higher than their waist. He built a flotation device out of layers of Styrofoam house insulation sheets, gluing them together (white "Elmar's" works well). Uppermost went a ring of plywood, He layered up several blocks of wood attached to the plywood at the front, with a hole sized to fit a short center column from a tripod (wood blocks built up so the column + tripod head + camera came to convenient eye level). He also cut openings in the plywood and down into the Styrofoam for waterproof plastic boxes for film and other materials, and also for batteries to run a small electric trolling motor attached on a wood block attached behind his back on the plywood. He attached a lot grass (phragmites?) for camouflage around the sides. When the motor was turned off and he was moving along stealthily using his feet, he said he could sometimes approach waterfowl to within 15 feet and they seemed to regard his thing as just some loose bit of swamp grass pushed along by the wind. Hope that's enough description to give you the idea. BTW, the major problem: The best time for waterfowl, males in their brightest plumage, is of course early Spring, but the water is near freezing cold here in New England, so thermal underwear inside the chest-waders, and multiple pair of very warm socks are a necessity.

[boriscleto]

[ZombieArmy]

Now what would a goose/duck/thing need a bazooka for?

[Ducatigaz]

Red Kite [juvenile I think] K-3ii/FA*600mm F4 ED [IF]/ Kirk window mount.

[garywakeling]

Red Kite [juvenile I think] K-3ii/FA*600mm F4 ED [IF]/ Kirk window mount.

That first shot is just soooooooo nice, magnificent