Brew's Photography Images for 2012....2014

[Second Hand Pat]

Al, quite often the sand hill cranes are quite tame. I have a pair which nest in the front pasture pond and raise the chicks on the property. Quite often you have to stop your car in my neighborhood to let them cross the road. One cool aspect is when they gather in large groups for pairing purposes. A pair will take turns jumping and flirting with each other.

Something like this

[terps]

Those are very nice photos Al. You should think about selling them online. I posted a good article link on this subject a few years ago.

http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showth...-Photos-Online

I'm going to join Shutterstock.com next month and see if I can get 10 photos accepted to become a photography seller on their site. It's always nice if you can make extra cash with your hobbies.

[Crystalwaters]

Thanks for sharing the photos. You have a gift

[Rummy]

Al, those are beautiful shots. I cannot pick out my favorite. Were they all taken with a telephoto lens?
You are smart to have taken the camera with you. We recently went to Florida. I didn't take my camera nor binoculars. I did not know we would be staying in a bird sanctuary. You can imagine how any times I wanted to kick myself for overlooking that detail!

[Discus-n00b]

Really nice Al, the bird shots are great....all really sharp and clear. What camera/lens did you use?

[Trier20]

Very nice Al! I like your framing leaves your eyes focused on what you want them to look at.

[brewmaster15]

Those are very nice photos Al. You should think about selling them online. I posted a good article link on this subject a few years ago.

http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showth...-Photos-Online

I'm going to join Shutterstock.com next month and see if I can get 10 photos accepted to become a photography seller on their site. It's always nice if you can make extra cash with your hobbies.

Thanks Terps, I have thought of doing That myself..maybe someday... what do you photograph?

Thanks for sharing the photos. You have a gift

Thanks Crystal. Its been a hobby of mine for many years...

Al, those are beautiful shots. I cannot pick out my favorite. Were they all taken with a telephoto lens?
You are smart to have taken the camera with you. We recently went to Florida. I didn't take my camera nor binoculars. I did not know we would be staying in a bird sanctuary. You can imagine how any times I wanted to kick myself for overlooking that detail!

Anik, Where did you stay there? The majority of the bird shots as well as the alligator were taken at JN DING Darling Wildlife Refuge on Sanible Island....If anyone wants a great place to see alot of birds and not have to hike about the wildlife drive there is excellent. My son and I shot there a few mornings.

Very nice Al! I like your framing leaves your eyes focused on what you want them to look at.

Thanks Brandon, sometimes a little post edit cropping makes an okay photo better....But sometimes you just are in the right place, right time and Picture is there as you would like to see it.

-al

[brewmaster15]

Great photography Al! I see Matt has some competition!Where is that beach?
Barb

Thanks Barb,
The beach is at Sanible Island, Fl. WE stayed at the Island Inn, historically one of the first resorts theres...small yet friendly. My wife and I had gone there for our honeymoon years ago and we got hooked.

-al

[Rummy]

We stayed at Ana Maria Island. The whole island is a bird sanctuary. We were there during TS Debby in June. We stayed on the beach and there were shore birds everywhere seeking refuge among the dunes. We had to walk through these flocks to get to the beach. For anyone that likes birds, it feels like a kid in a candy store. And NO camera. Grrrr. I've resolved that that trip must be repeated.

[Rummy]

I've heard about Sanibel. Now I really want to see it. Looks like a nice place for wildlife viewing.

[brewmaster15]

Really nice Al, the bird shots are great....all really sharp and clear. What camera/lens did you use?

Thanks Matt!

I use Pentax gear..Its what I started with years ago when in college, and since all pentax lens from film era work on digital SLRs, I went with Pentax when I moved to digital. I shot the birds with my film era pentax lens..300 mm F4.5 ED IF and the camera bodies I use are K20D 14.6 mp pentax Digital SLRs. The K20D is a decent model, I like it alot, but its a few years old now and has been superceded by better ones that are out my reach for a while. The 300 mm lens is still even decades latter rated as one of pentax best. I bought it second years ago and its been my absolute best and most productive lens, especially for birds.

The spiders were shot with several lens, it was a rainy day and I had to really bump up the ISO, but the black and yellow argiope was taken with my second favorite lens.. its a Pentax FA 50 mm 2.8 macro. First lens I ever bought new.Its been a great macro for years for me...and is highly regarded as well.

The bats and beach shots I believe I shot with my 28-300 or 28-200 mm Tamron aspherical xr LD (IF) lens. These are my general purpose lens, they do a great job , though they get a little soft in the 300's case at the 300 mm mark. Whats nice about them is they are remarkable compact and lightweigh. .. My 300 Prime pentax is a tank and weighs a ton by comparison.

The Sandhills were shot with several lens as well...But my best shots there came from my Tokina 70-210 AF lens...Its a heavy one too but decent to shoot with.

I tend to not Use AF for general shots, and switch to manual focus for the birds, and its just seems to produce a better shot for me.

thanks again,
al

[brewmaster15]

We stayed at Ana Maria Island. The whole island is a bird sanctuary. We were there during TS Debby in June. We stayed on the beach and there were shore birds everywhere seeking refuge among the dunes. We had to walk through these flocks to get to the beach. For anyone that likes birds, it feels like a kid in a candy store. And NO camera. Grrrr. I've resolved that that trip must be repeated.

WE drove down in a compact car,and the trunk was packed to the gills...My normal camera bag is a huge Tamron expedition. It has just about everything you can imagine in it...I was all set with that..until I packed the car...It didn't Fit!!!! no matter how I tried..So I had to downsize and leave some stuff behind...I did manage to squeeze in a few lens here and there. My biggest disappointment was a I could only fit my medium weight tripod. I have a massive tripod for when I shoot with my old 500 mmF4.5 SMC lens. I had to leave it out..I brought the lens and hoped I could stabilize it well enough on my medium tripod..no good though...it just had too much shake and movement. It was frustrating as I missed some great Osprey shots....Next time I leave my clothes and take all my gear!!!
-al

[nc0gnet0]

Al,

Love the bats! As a Koi owner myself Heron's make me real nervous, but beautiful none-the-less!

Rick

[brewmaster15]

Al,

Love the bats! As a Koi owner myself Heron's make me real nervous, but beutiful none-the-less!

Rick

I had Koi for years here Rick.. took them in everywinter..and inthe spring they went back out into the pond. I babied them. The pond was deep enough so I got lazy one year and left them out...All was well until the trees over the pond lost their leaves. A great egret flying by must have seen them and in a matter of days they were Gone. I was having a discus meeting here at the time and a few of us were standing in the driveway when my buddy Mark Says" Hey Al, whats that big white bird doing with your KOI?" So I switched gears...go thru it again or net the pond....I opted for neither.. I turned it into a frog pond..Its been carefree and extremely entertaining to watch now.
-al

[Rummy]

WE drove down in a compact car,and the trunk was packed to the gills...My normal camera bag is a huge Tamron expedition. It has just about everything you can imagine in it...I was all set with that..until I packed the car...It didn't Fit!!!! no matter how I tried..So I had to downsize and leave some stuff behind...I did manage to squeeze in a few lens here and there. My biggest disappointment was a I could only fit my medium weight tripod. I have a massive tripod for when I shoot with my old 500 mmF4.5 SMC lens. I had to leave it out..I brought the lens and hoped I could stabilize it well enough on my medium tripod..no good though...it just had too much shake and movement. It was frustrating as I missed some great Osprey shots....Next time I leave my clothes and take all my gear!!!
-al

I know what you mean. It is even worse when flying.