Flowers On The Weekend
As Lock down entered the month of May, it was more of the same from me with some social distancing walks in the glorious may sunshine.
On one such walk I was met by a particularly tame Pheasant who allowed me to stalk him for quite sometime in a field of wild flowers. He would occasionally look up to see where I was, giving me the chance to get an image or two of him in all his glory.
Cock Pheasant - 400mm F/5.6
Cock Pheasant - 400mm F/5.6
Cock Pheasant - 400mm F/5.6
Cock Pheasant - 400mm F/5.6
Photographing a bird of prey has been a particular goal for me since acquiring the 400mm F/f.6 lens back in 2017 as it was seen as a particularly good lens for capturing birds on the wing. As I came to learn, capturing these birds is very difficult for a number of different reasons. The first is that they are quite skittish, and will depart the area pretty rapidly once spotted from below. The second is that when they are around, they are usually high up in the sky in total shadow. As well as this, finding focus and tracking a fast moving target is a skill in itself.
Luckily for me I was finally able to capture some images of a bird of prey (in this case a Buzzard) in flight when out and about this month. I could hear a Buzzard calling from the other side of a farmers field so slowly went over to investigate. I was greeted with a Buzzard circling a tree calling for her mate. I had time to lock focus, and tracked the bird as it flew low right above me, calling as it soared over my head.
I had paired my 400mm F/5.6 with my older cropped (X1.6) sensor 7D body which gave me an equivalent 640mm lens to get in as close as possible. The 7D can also shoot 8 frames per second giving me a great chance of getting some sharp, in focus images as the Buzzard flew over.
Buzzard calling in flight - 400mm F/5.6
Buzzard in flight - 400mm F/5.6
Buzzard in flight - 400mm F/5.6
As the Buzzard circled and heard my shutter firing it came down closer for a look at me before drifting off into the distance..
Buzzard in flight - 400mm F/5.6
Spotted - Buzzard in flight - 400mm F/5.6
Buzzard in flight - 400mm F/5.6
Buzzard in flight - 400mm F/5.6
It was an amazing experience and made all the failed attempts worth it.
Juvenile Long Tailed Tit - 400mm F/5.6
Female Common Linnet - 400mm F/5.6
No animal gets past my camera’s glare so when the small birds and Buzzards were nowhere to be seen, a field full of sheep provided some unlikely portrait subjects for the 400mm on the 5d MkII to photograph.
Lamb Portrait - 400mm F/5.6
Lamb Portrait - 400mm F/5.6
Ewe with stick in ear - 400mm F/5.6
Spring Lambs feeding -400mm F/5.6
Lamb Portrait - 400mm F/5.6
As well as animals and bird photography, I was also able to use my 400mm F/5.6 lens for some landscape images which give a unique compressed feel the final shot.
Wind Turbine - 400mm F/5.6
Lone Tree - 400mm F/5.6
I also finally managed to get the 100mm Macro lens out for the first real opportunity this year. I was a little rusty getting focus, but this bloody-nosed beetle was happy to walk about on the ground and get his photo taken. Hopefully more like this to come as we move into summer and the bugs come out.
Finally a few Drone images I was able to get while out doing my social distancing walks.
DJI Mavic Pro 2
DJI Mavic Pro 2
DJI Mavic Pro 2
DJI Mavic Pro 2
DJI Mavic Pro 2
I did also make it down to the Dorset coast when the lock-down restrictions had been eased slightly for a well deserved change of scenery. It was lovely to be by the sea and get the drone in the air over Chisel beach during the bank holiday sun. The beaches were not very crowded which helped with social distancing as well. Hopefully with travel restrictions starting to ease now this will be something I can do more of over the coming months.
DJI Mavic Pro 2
DJI Mavic Pro 2
DJI Mavic Pro 2
I do also have some upcoming news in regards to a new adventure I have been embarking on but this will hopefully be made more clear in next months post so fingers crossed and watch this space.
FIN
