Shooting Silhouettes

Words and pictures by Paul Randall (wingsonwire.com)

Karl with his set up on a crisp Melbourne morning

Silhouettes can be extremely powerful images. They allow us to concentrate on the form of a subject instead of cluttering our minds with detail and depth. Normally when the sun gets too low for normal bird photography you will find me running around (literally ) looking for good subjects to capture in silhouette.
It does’nt matter if the sky has much colour in it, there are always good silhouette opportunities as long as there is enough light to contrast your subject against. The sky or water will normally be your canvas but finding a good subject is quite often the real problem.
What you are really looking for is a subject with an interesting shape or one that has assumed an interesting posture (a cormorant drying its wings is a good example).
It is always best to be somewhere flat when taking silhouettes as you will have more opportunities. The beach is the best place to be, especially near a communal roost of some sort or a flight path for homecoming birds, but silhouette opportunities can be found just about anywhere if you have got your eyes open.

There was not a whole lot of colour in the water in this image but it still has impact as a back drop

SETTINGS FOR SILHOUETTES
I would suggest that the best way to shoot silhouettes is in manual exposure mode. Your aperture can be wide open as you are not looking to capture detail, just an outline. As you approach a subject try experimenting with shutter speeds. I normally start with 1/500th. This normally gives me an idea of how fast I am going to have to shoot to capture the subject in silhouette and whether I have to add or subtract light.
Be sure not to get too close because you may miss that magic moment when the bird stretches its wings or preens its tail feathers etc.
In silhouette your subject will dominate the composition even if it is small in the frame so getting super close should not be your aim (unless you are trying to capture a head profile silhouette or something similar.)
Don’t let your selected focus point dictate how you compose the image. If the subject is static(still) try using One shot focus so that you can focus and then recompose the image to your liking.
If you are shooting flight silhouettes Servo or Continuous focusing will be required but you should have enough contrast in the overall image to try out off centre focusing points with a fair bit of accuracy.
If it is a flock or a small group of flying birds you are shooting you may want to adjust your aperture if you have enough light so that you have sharp edges on all of the subjects. Experimentation is definitely the name of the game when it comes to silhouette shooting. You’ll soon find yourself setting the correct speeds just by judging the amount of light in the sky/water.

You may have to wait a while for the subject to do something interesting or for the sun to fall/rise into a good position

SHOOTING INTO THE SUN

When shooting towards the sun you may run in to several problems.
Firstly, if you have the sun or a very bright reflection in the frame, your camera may not be able to focus on your subject. Again,(if the subject is static) use One shot AF to focus accurately or use manual focusing if you have real problems.

If using AI servo or continuous focusing to silhouette moving subjects (flight etc) with the sun in the frame, it is best to attain focus on the subject before it reaches a point where the sun will be in the image. If you wait until the moment when the sun is behind your subject to start shooting/focusing you are going to have a real problem getting a sharp silhouette.
Try to remember roughly where the sun is before you put your eye in the viewfinder, track and focus on your incoming subject and hit the shutter just before you get to the point where you know the sun to be.

The sun can be an awesome addition to any silhouette if you can get focus before the sun enters the frame

Secondly, you may not be able to shoot fast enough (1/8000th sec. is about the limit on most DSLRs) to get the image that you are after.
If shooting into the sun it is best normally to set your cameras lowest ISO setting (ISO 100 is normally low enough).
This will insure that you can shoot at your fastest shutter speed if you need to. The images shown in this essay were taken at shutter speeds of 1/2000th to 1/8000th of a second and at ISO setting 100 and 200.
When I know I’m going to be shooting silhouettes with the sun in the frame I will normally go straight to spot or centre weighted metering (with ISO 100 already set) and take a reading from the sky directly next to the sun. This will give me a pretty good idea of the speed that I will have to use to get a nice black silhouette against the bright sky. Take heaps of experiment shots if you have the time and remember that you may have to change your shutter speed slightly as the sun goes down/up or if affected by clouds.

Even subjects with fairly plain outlines can look great in silhouette

An important thing to realise is that looking through your lens at the sun is very bad for your eyes and in some cases your camera.
In the case of the above shot with the pelican on the pole with the full sun behind it, I was waiting for this pelican to preen or wing stretch with my eye in the view finder for extended periods. After I had finished shooting my eye sight did not go back to normal for about an hour after I had left the site (and I had to drive home very scary) so keep this in mind!!
Also remember that you dont have to shoot with a black silhouette. Try leaving a bit of detail if you like, it sometimes adds a great effect to the image.
Other than that EXPERIMENT…EXPERIMENT…EXPERIMENT!!
Its the only way to go when shooting into the sun.

So when you see that sun going down and you are about to pack up, look around for any silhouette opportunities. You’ll be surprised.

Cheers and happy shooting, Paul Randall

Photographing Birds Of Prey

This article was written by Paul Randall of our forums.

Full topic available here: http://www.birdingoz.com.au/forums/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=950

Hi all, certainly not an expert in this field but thought I would write a bit about the techniques that I find successful.

To me there is nothing more aesthetically pleasing than a beautiful raptor sitting atop a cool perch (natural or otherwise), or banking,wheeling, fighting, hunting or anything else they do for that matter!!

Forgive me if I get a bit basic for some of you but thought I would write this for beginners and up and also my experience is limited to south eastern Australia so please keep that in mind.

FINDING BIRDS OF PREY

Where to look for birds of prey? Well, odds are you can just take a walk around your local park or garden and you would have a good chance of seeing something. Hobbies don’t mind suburban areas, Sparrowhawks may take up residence anywhere there is sufficient strands of dense trees and birds like Kestrels can be seen almost anywhere that may harbour mice or large insects.

Some birds of prey are pretty easy to find as they will sit conspicuously on fence posts and roadside signs but many are very hard to find when sitting still. The most important tool I use for spotting birds of prey is my ears. The alarm calls of other birds is the first thing you should be familiarising yourself with. Countless times I have used the alarm calls of alert honeyeaters to locate and photograph some raptor tearing through an avenue of gums fast as a bullet.

Honeyeaters are great for raptors on the move but there are other species that will alert you to the presence of birds of prey at rest or hiding. Learn to listen for the aggravated chatter of Willie Wagtails and the alarm call of Blackbirds as well as the defensive calls of much smaller birds like Thornbills and the like. Your eyes are of course valuable tools too, so learn to recognise the silhouettes of different species of raptors as well as those birds that may be confused with raptors at a distance eg. magpies, ravens etc.

Breeding times are a great opportunity to see more birds of prey as contact calls between male, female and fledglings will help to alert you to there presence as well as giving you the chance to watch there preferred flight path for coming to a nest or selected perch for food transferral, mating etc.

APPROACHING BIRDS OF PREY

Slow and low is the best way to approach most raptors perched on fence posts etc. Try to keep something behind you to break up your outline or something in front of you if possible. Walking the line of a fence helps as does zig zagging slowly towards the bird with your eyes to the ground to give the impression that you yourself are scanning for something in the grass or dirt and are not at all interested in what the bird is doing.

I have found that making any noise on approach (ie imitating raptor calls etc) will just cause the bird to take flight but soft squeaking noises will get the birds attention when you need it (for head turn or eye contact).

Take your time, these birds have great patience and so should you. Most raptors will accept you into their space if you do so slowly so make sure you watch for any signs that the bird is unhappy with your presence (tail flicking, wing twitching, head bobbing/tilting).

This is the bird letting you know that it is about to take off so if the wind is coming from your direction (birds will mostly take off into the wind) get ready to shoot because this is going to be the only shot you are going to get unless you hold your ground or back off.

Cars can also make good rolling hides but you must also take your time with this method too as they do of course associate cars with people.

Don’t be too discouraged if you can’t get too close to start with. These are extremely clever birds with extreme senses so being out smarted by them

is not too embarrassing!!

ATTRACTING BIRDS OF PREY

I probably should’nt comment on this as I have never used these tactics, but they are things I have thought about.

I imagine road killed rabbits could be used to great success with species like Swamp harriers. I have thought about collecting one a day (there are plenty around my area) and leaving them in the same place each day to attract these birds but I cant really bring myself to go out looking for poor dead rabbits while I could be spending my time taking photos of living things.

Another tactic I have thought about is using either road killed birds or perhaps just a pile of feathers to entice Goshawks and Sparrowhawks down from their faraway perches, but I suspect that these are just things that I think up while lying in bed after a hard day of missing every normal and natural bird of prey opportunity that was thrown my way.

FLIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY

Flight photography is a whole different discipline to all other bird photography. You need to be ready and alert all the time, you need to be quick to react and you need to have steady hands and smooth panning skills whether you’re shooting handheld or not.

These can all be attained with practice but nothing can match the skill of knowing your quarry. Birds of prey are creatures of habit and will often use the same flight path or perch so be watching out for this behavior. When you are shooting a bird of prey in flight try to take note of where the exposed branches and other perches are in the immediate area and be aware of when the bird may be getting close to these perches as photos of a bird of prey braking and about to land are some of the most spectacular you can get.

The best conditions are when the sun is low and coming from the same direction as the wind as this will see the bird landing, wheeling, hovering and even diving, fully lit and into the breeze.

SETTINGS AND EQUIPMENT

I pretty much use a 400mm f5.6 exclusively but I do feel that this is the perfect lens for bird of prey flight photography. The birds are big enough in frame to be easily tracked and the length and weight is just enough to be held steadily as well as being light enough to take anywhere.

I use the centre focus point on servo mode (sometimes employing the extra sensors custom function on my 5D) , but off centre AF points can be used to create pleasing images also but with less accuracy.

I use aperture priority with my lens wide open at f5.6 most of the time but if there is enough light by all means try using smaller apertures. The larger depth of field may help to capture legs and wings in sharper focus.

Metering mode will depend on the available light and perhaps the colour of the bird (midtone, white, dark etc) and the ISO will be determined by these same factors also.

Another thing I have learned is too shoot 1/3 to 2/3 (exp. comp) faster than the metered speed just to ensure that I can get a fast shutter speed.

If it is too dark it is normally not by much and can be fixed in post production.

IN SUMMARY

I am sure there are heaps of things that I have not gotten to so please add any comments that you think are worth mentioning.

But as an overview – Keep low, go slow, be patient and get to know your quarry and most of all have fun!!!

Cheers Paul Randall

Bird Photography Around Sydney

This is a list of top spots for bird photographers around Sydney. I have tried to distinguish between spots which are good for birders and those which are good for bird photographers and concentrate on the latter. Naturally, when anyone prepares a list like this it carries their own preferences and biases. My biases are that I am attracted to the exotic and don’t have much interest in photographing common species no matter how artistic it can be, and that I shoot with a 300mm lens so I need to get close. I should also point out that I have been wandering around these places for about 20 years, but only with a camera in the last 18 months. The usual caveat applies, if you go to a place I mention and have a dud visit, well you are dealing with wild animals so expect unpredictability.

The first 6 are my top 6. The remaining 10 are my second level preferences, in no particular order.

Audley Weir. Many experienced birders regard Royal National Park as our premier location, and it is the one most overseas birders coming here seem to know about. When birders say RNP it is most often the Audley area they are talking about. There are four basic areas here. The weir itself is quite good habitat and has good birdlife on it and in the streamside vegetation. A specialty here is azure kingfisher, and it is the only place I know of where they are reliable and in multiples. The picnic grounds have large trees and a surprising variety of birdlife, especially if you can get there before the hordes of picnicers and daytrippers. Naturally, they are inclined to allow a close approach. Lady Carrington Drive leads away from the picnic area through forest on the true right, and is justly famous for birds. Its specialty is the many lyrebirds that are familiar with people and quite confiding. The last area is Wattle Flat, which is on the true left. It is another picnic ground but a bit different because, being a little more remote it is much less popular with the daytrippers. It is mostly surrounded by dry sclerophyll, but there are patches of degraded rainforest along the waterway. All up, it’s a wonderfully diverse environment that is hard to beat for variety and numbers of birds. Photography is easy, you can get away from the picnicers quite easily, and being able to choose either bank of the weir makes it work through all parts of the day.

Mitchell Park. MP is a wonderful spot for reasons I can never fully explain. I have been coming here for 10 or so years and on only a couple of occasions have had a dull trip or left without seeing something exciting. Perhaps its bird numbers and variety come about because it packs a wide variety of habitats into a small area, and as we know birds are most numerous in the boundary between two habitats. Nonetheless, plenty of other parks provide the same without approaching MPs reliability. I have seen powerful owls here on several occasions, black bitterns are regularly reported, and there is a long standing nankeen night heron colony which is widely believed to have failed but has simply moved up the Cattai Creek to a less accessible area. Otherwise, its mostly a bush bird spot. I prefer to photograph it stalking, though I venture that to do really well you need to be good at recognising birds from their calls.

Ash Island. A place of relentlessly ugly scenery but outstanding birdlife. The hotspot is the large shallow enpondment at the southeastern end (centred at 32 51 49.56s 151 43 24.09e , just copy and paste into the Flyto bar of Google Earth), immediately below the rail line. This is justly famous for waders, waterbirds and raptors. On the west, this is bounded by a power line service road called ‘wagtail way’. Each year, for the past ten or so years, one or more yellow wagtails have migrated from somewhere in the northern hemisphere to spend our summer at this point. Go figure? At the end of this road, effectively at the northern tip of the empondment, is ‘crake corner’. It used to be a hotspot for crakes, though recent drought events have knocked it around a bit. On one visit there were no crakes but a very confiding Lewins rail was good consolation. Be aware that wader number here can vary greatly, depending upon tides elsewhere and the condition of the water. On my last visit in January 2009, green algae was extensive and bird numbers were very low. My best sightings here to date are banded stilts, black necked stork and a lesser yellowlegs. Photography should be good, especially from a car on wagtail way, though in recent visits the birds have tended to hug the opposite boundary, a characteristic that can change at any time as the water conditions change. It is possible to drive right around the enpondment, though the vegetation is close and duco-scratches will occur. Elsewhere on Ash Island there are numerous ponds, wet patches and rank areas, each of which has its own characteristics. There is even a so-called rainforest patch. If you are a lister desperate for a tick, stop at 32 50 24.47s 151 42 29.87e – the wild chooks there must surely have passed the 10 generation boundary.

The dykes. You will need a boat or canoe for this one. On the true right hand bank of the Hunter, just upstream from the boat ramp under the Stockton Bridge, is a series of low rock berms. These can be seen in Google Earth at 32 52 42.98s 151 46 56.43e . At high tide they become a magnet for waders, and I have seen them here in the thousands. This is significant because, appealing though our bird fauna may be, what we don’t have here in the south east is large-number events – by which I mean places where we can see birds in really large numbers. There is quiet a good variety on the dykes too and this remains the only place in the south east where I have seen terek sandpipers or black tailed godwits. I always look out for rarities like broad-billed sandpipers, though with such large numbers doing so does get old quickly. Photography is easy, though of birds in large numbers not birds alone. There are passages through the berms that allow you to travel up either side – allowing shooting in morning or evening sun. Remember though, waders lead a hard life and they need good rest, so make sure you never get close enough to put a flock into flight. Paddling quietly around the pools created by the dykes can yield surprises like whiskered terns. There is also a waterbird refuge beneath the Stockton Bridge on the true left, though it is rather far from the bank and I doubt you could get a decent photo there without becoming a menace by walking out into the habitat.

Strickland State Forest. Most of SSF is dry sclerophyll production forest, although there is a rainforest reserve that can be reached off Mangrove Road. This is one of the ‘Gosford Rainforests’, and I think the best one when access is factored in. None of the Gosford rainforests are particularly large, and probably never were very big as rainforest hereabouts is limited to the deepest and wettest gullies. Nonetheless the Strickland rainforest is a wonderful spot with great diversity and bird numbers. The species mix here is more reminiscent of rainforests further north, and in fact it marks the (arguable) southern limit of many species. The carpark at the road terminus is right inside the rainforest, and it creates a wonderful sense of anticipation to be driving into the car park in the early morning, hearing the rainforest sounds overhead, scaring the wongas out of your parking place and hearing catbirds call as you open the car door. Like any dense forest though, and especially one that has been cutover so that the biggest forest trees are missing, photography is difficult because of the low light and dense vegetation. Using a hide and recorded calls can even the odds, though one should consider the ethical side of using recordings against iconic species such as catbirds or bowerbirds in a well-frequented place such as this.

McGraths Hill Treatment Works. Public access to this location was terminated about 5 years ago. I include this spot simply so we don’t forget what we have lost, in the hope that if pressure continues reason will prevail and we will once again be allowed access. You used to be able to push through a small gap in the fence and wander freely among the various settling ponds. At the time it was a premier locale, and certainly in anyone’s list of the top 5. The first pond you came to was a small one called crake pond, and I remember sitting quietly here watching five crake/rails of three different species within easily photographic distance – before I owned a camera. Walking further it was not unusual to put up a bittern. The vivid greenness of the vegetation would make for good backgrounds and all the ponds could be approached from any angle. Raptors were common too, especially swamp harriers. A single square-tailed kite used to be a regular here, and on several occasions I saw peregrines and hobies harassing the large flocks of pigeons that are inadvertently supported by a local farm feed merchant. As small compensation to birders, a viewing area has been set up beside Windsor Road, which is all but useless for photography.

The Continental Slope. I have heard it said that the migration of sub-Antarctic seabirds to our waters that occurs every winter is one of the great animal migrations of the world. The species concerned are largely albatross, petrels, skuas and shearwaters. The best way to see these species is to take a day trip on one of the boats which specialise in following pelagic seabirds. The fast and (relatively) stable catamaran Halicat runs out of Sydney once per month, look here for the details http://users.bigpond.net.au/palliser/pelagic/ . The usual strategy is to proceed to a seamount such as The Peak or Browns Mountain and investigate fishing boats or set up a chum line. The Halicat is a reasonably stable photography platform, and if the birds respond to the chum they will come close. Be aware of one problem, however, if the weather is rough the birding will be at its best but sea-sickness is the order of the day. If its calm, you will have a pleasant trip but bird numbers will be less. I think September or October is the best time to go as there are still migrants around but the chance of settled weather is greater.

Lake Wallace (Lake Wallerawang) The thing that is special about this lake is that it is the only sizeable inland lake near Sydney (that I know of) that has a stable water level and shallow edges. This makes it ideal for the growth of riparian vegetation and therefore birds. Other lakes like Lyell or Windamere have wildly erratic water levels which prohibits the growth of life-promoting vegetation, so you get extensive muddy wildlife-unfriendly banks. Extensive public parklands on the western side of Wallace allow you to park up close to the water and use your car as a hide. Generally you’ll get a nice background in the frame as well. Musk ducks and great crested grebes are common here. Like any of our waterways though, waterbird numbers are dependant upon rain elsewhere as the birds will disperse when more ephemeral catchments fill.

Penryhn Road Inlet. A small inlet on Botany Bay’s northern shore, there is some redevelopment going on here that might put this spot out of action for a while. Waders are the specialty, and there isn’t a great number of them here, but two things make it stand out. Firstly, the waders are very used to human disturbance, in fact it is occurring almost constantly due to the walkers, dogs and fisherman. Therefore they are relatively approachable. Secondly, they roost on clean white sand with blue water behind, so you have a good chance of getting a pretty background. If you want that picture of a godwit on something other then dismal mangrove mud then this is the place to get it.

Magic Point. The southern headland at Maroubra Beach. If you won’t or can’t do a pelagic boat trip, you can see many of the same sub-antarctic migrant species from various headlands around Sydney. Go to the headland on a winter’s day when a strong southerly or (even better) easterly is blowing, to see albatross, shearwaters and petrels. These birds come in close when a big inshore swell creates ocean turnover, forcing food to the surface. Even with a long lens you will be lucky to get anything other then a record shot, however. The reason I prefer Magic Point to other land-based pelagic spots is because the walk out to the point is through a rich heathland with good birdlife. Rarities are reported here regularly, including a ground parrot and even an orange chat in recent years.

Bushells Lagoon. One of the Hawkesbury Lagoons. If you have an interest in raptors, try this place. In recent visits here I have seen sea eagles, whistling kite, wedgetailed eagles, Pacific bazza, swamp harrier, spotted harrier, peregrine falcon, Australian hoby, black winged kite, nankeen kestrel, grey goshawk, brown goshawk and/or collared sparrowhawk. As is usually the case with flying raptors, it will be record shots in the main, but you will get lucky from time to time. On my last visit a peregrine took a tilt at a cormorant right above the causeway. It only managed to snip off a few wingfeathers so I guess its heart wasn’t really in it. My camera isn’t good for BIF shots so I didn’t even try but it would have been an easy shot for a more competent photographer as the cormorant was lumbering upwards when the pf flew into view so it was possible to predict where and when the action was to take place. There is always plenty of waterbirds on the lagoon and the odd crake or kingfisher.
For other species, the area around the lagoon is remarkably birdy. Before you walk down to the lagoon, check out the area around the intersection of Blacktown Road and Brewers Lane, there are always surprises here and you can shoot from your car. The walk down to the lagoon always produces a few surprises too.

Long Neck Lagoon. This is part of Scheyville NP. The lagoon itself has been mismanaged for years and has very little birdlife. This is a shame, as I have seen old records that suggested a rich waterbird fauna that even included jacana. The bushland around the lagoon, however, has a wonderful variety of birdlife. I usually walk around the eastern side of the lagoon, setting up a hide or just stalking. Painted button quail and speckled warblers are resident here. The other part of Scheyville, near the park headquarters, is hopeless.

Castlereagh State Forest. This is one of the better-preserved bits of grey box woodland. I think it is unredeemingly dreary country, but there is a rich variety of birds here that are less then common over the rest of the Sydney area. Bird densities here can be remarkably low, and the birds tend to come in ‘bird waves’ that can be short-lived and difficult to get onto. The light is harsh and patchy because the canopy is usually sparse, and the backgrounds are rarely attractive. Despite the negatives, it has produced some wonderful sessions with painted button quail, weebill, scarlet robin, speckled warbler, buff rumped thornbill and fuscous honeyeater – scarcely sounds like you are in Sydney, does it? Its probably best approached using a hide and recorded calls.

Mason Park. A small reserve in Homebush with a wetland area that is great for waders. The stand-out features of this reserve are the variety (rather then numbers) of waders and how close you will get to them – though please be careful not to trample the waterside vegetation as it took way too long to get it established. A negative feature of this place that has arisen in recent years is the number of noisy black-winged stilts which will harass a photographer when breeding. If you park in the carpark and head due east down the track stop immediately you enter the treed area. This small and undistinguished area has regularly and inexplicably been a bushbird hotspot – I have seen pallid cuckoos, goshawks and even an owl here. On one visit, it had become white winged triller heaven, no idea why. Nearby Bicenetennial Park has a very much larger wader refuge which is good for birders but not much good for photographers because of the distances from shore to bird.

Mount Bass Fire Trail. This is in Royal National Park not far from Audley Weir. My choice of this as a heathland location is probably made because I go there a lot and always get good results, but in truth there are probably many other walks just as good. All the heathland specialties are here in good numbers, such as beautiful firetail, chestnut rumped heathwren, emu wren and tawny crowned honeyeaters. Like any heathland area, results are probably best early in the season when there is plenty of nectar on the heath. Results will also be better early in the day, as you would expect of an area with limited shade. Mount Bass FT is sufficiently far from the coast to have patches of mallee, so technically its not pure heathland, but this probably adds to the birdiness. As you walk down the track from the road gate, keep a lookout for a sharp left hand turn, a permanent creek flowing under the track, and then a sharp right hand turn. You can hear the creek even if you don’t see it. Look on your left back towards the road and you will see a small hanging swamp following the creek – marked by very well developed old-man banksias. This is a noted biodiversity hotspot that is used by the Sydney Universities for study of various native animals. Please keep out of this rich but fragile area. If you walk far enough down the track you start to descend off the heathland plateau into forest dominated by scribblygum wherein the species composition will change again. Meadow flat is another heathland firetrail even closer to Audley and probably just as good.

Cattai National Park. CNP technically also includes Mitchell Park but here I am talking about the remainder, that part that includes the park headquarters. Cattai is a wonderful birding and photography location that over the last 10 or 15 years that I have been visiting it has seldom failed to produce a good variety of birds, and always several in the ‘you don’t see that every day’ class. I have made a previous post on this park so wont repeat myself here.

Mount Kembla Ring Trail. The rainforest areas around Bulli and Wollongong are all good but this one I have found to be the best. Like any rainforest area, photography can be difficult with the light low and the birds almost always partially obscured by vegetation. One thing I like about this location is the steep start to the track which allows you to sit and watch (and perhaps photograph) rainforest birds as they break out above the canopy. The various species of pigeons are prone to doing this. The steep start also means you are eye-level with the canopy for much of the walk. This is good because I think most people never realise how densely populated the rainforest canopy is with species like rose robin and satin flycatchers, which seldom reveal their presence to ground based observers. Again, the density of vegetation in the canopy mitigates against photography. There was a good variety of birdlife there including logrunners and pilotbirds and plenty of leeches. I found the logrunners quite approachable in my pre-camera days.

That concludes the list.

I have a gallery of photographs with at least one species taken at most of these places. I have tried to concentrate on the ‘specialty’ birds at each location. These can be seen at http://www.flickr.com/photos/25163113@N08/

This article has been provided courtesy of Arron on our forums. For the full thread click here.

1.4x Teleconverter Comparison

I have been trying to work out for the last few weeks if the Kenko converter ($229) is as good as the Canon ($479). With $250 price difference I thought I would take a set of sample images in a controlled environment to directly compare the two.

Check out the results;

N.B: I am in no way affiliated with either of these companies.

The following is a set of images shot using the Canon 300mm f/2.8 L IS USM Lens to compare quality of 1.4X converters both Kenko and Canon.

All images taken from tripod with IS enabled, ISO800 and 1/400th in RAW.

300mm f/2.8

300mm f/2.8 – 100% Crop

300mm f/4

300mm f/4 – 100% Crop

300mm f/5.6

300mm f/5.6 – 100% Crop

420mm f/4 – Kenko TC

420mm f/4 – Kenko TC – 100% Crop

420mm f/5.6 – Kenko TC

420mm f/5.6 – Kenko TC – 100% Crop

420mm f/4 – Canon TC

420mm f/4 – Canon TC – 100% Crop

420mm f/5.6 – Canon TC

420mm f/5.6 – Canon TC – 100% Crop

Welcome

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