Clovis' 2025 images

[BrokenolMarine]

The pics keep coming, and the images you capture are amazing. Some beautiful, some stark, some could lead in a Stephen King movie. I love it. Thanks for sharing.

[clovishound]

The pics keep coming, and the images you capture are amazing. Some beautiful, some stark, some could lead in a Stephen King movie. I love it. Thanks for sharing.

Well, I've spared you some of the gorier bug eating bug shots.

[BrokenolMarine]

The pics keep coming, and the images you capture are amazing. Some beautiful, some stark, some could lead in a Stephen King movie. I love it. Thanks for sharing.

Well, I've spared you some of the gorier bug eating bug shots.

I have a couple of those myself. A praying Mantis eating a roach, a lizard having lunch. An otter eating a snake. I LOVE Those shots. Circle of life brother. Keep shooting... your equipment and skill level puts you in the PRO class.

I take off my hat and sweep it wide in a salute.

[Ernie]

Thanks again for the pictures. Well done.

[clovishound]

Well, I went back to Cypress this morning with the CNPA outing. I tried some different settings and a different lens. Some things worked out, and others didn't. I got some sharper images for some of the in flight pictures. The big thing holding these images back is the background. I was too focused on getting the dragonflies sharp that I didn't really pay attention to the background properly. I assumed it would be blurred enough not to matter. Well, there's always next time. It's always a learning experience when you start something new.

These two were decently sharp. I need to get a little closer with this lens, as I had to crop more than I would like to. Thank goodness for the high resolution sensor. I never could have gotten by with this with 24 MP.

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This one was a static shot, but I liked the color of the dragonfly, and the detail, so I included it.

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[clovishound]

The stuff of nightmares:

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I sure am glad these guys aren't the size of a pony.

[clovishound]

I've been taking advantage of the opportunity to shoot these two praying mantises in my back yard the last couple days. Been playing around with flash, available light, using a scrim, and different flash settings to bring out the background.

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I actually saw this mantis grab this bee out of the air. Unfortunately, my camera was on the tripod pointed at another mantis nearby. I did manage to get over and snap a few while he was chowing down.

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[clovishound]

Made it out to Cypress Gardens this morning. Not much happening. Dragonflies were nowhere to be seen. Then it started to rain. Thank goodness I had one of my disposable rain covers for the camera/lens. This was my first opportunity to actually use one in the rain. I took about 4 or 5 really ho hum pictures just to take something. The Pup and I decided to leave. On the way out, we noticed there were a few hummingbirds on the feeders, which had recently been moved to a more accessible location. I set up the tripod and shot a bunch of pictures even though the light levels were low. Keep in mind I have little experience shooting hummingbirds. They can be quite challenging.

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[clovishound]

I went back over this morning. Light was still not what I wanted, these high ISOs are killing me! Still, I was able to apply a few learned lessons from yesterday. There were almost too many birds there this morning. They spent more of their time fighting than feeding. I would have loved to have gotten some pictures of their confrontations, but they are WAY too fast for me to follow them. I also noticed that my camera managed to follow focus on the birds fairly well when they took off from their perch. I didn't think it would be able to keep up. Those little suckers are fast!

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[BrokenolMarine]

Amazing shots as always. Love the hummingbird shots my friend.

[clovishound]

Thanks, I'm obsessing a little with the lack of detail in these due to the high ISOs. For the non photographers, that is the sensitivity setting for the sensor. With lower light levels the higher sensitivity results in "grainy", or noisy images. There is great software that will take care of this noise, but the original image just won't have the same level of detail as one shot with more light. These little guys are fast, so I have to use high shutter speeds to capture them without excessive blurring. I'm using 1/3000 sec to 1/8000 sec to stop that motion. The wings are moving at incredible speeds.

My plan is to try and get over there before the birds migrate south for the season and try and get some shots with more light on either a cloudless, or light overcast day. The lack of detail is less apparent in the smaller sized images uploaded to the forum here, than the full sized ones I have on my computer.

[clovishound]

This first picture is proof that a state of the art Nikon camera will inspire fear and awe in the local wildlife.

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The rest are just the latest in my attempts to photograph hummingbirds.

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[CT_Shooter]

Is that Hummingbird poop? Wow! It's clear, and I don't just mean the photograph, which is also clear!

[clovishound]

Is that Hummingbird poop? Wow! It's clear, and I don't just mean the photograph, which is also clear!

I did a little reading online about their poop. I assumed that because they mainly eat nectar, their poop would be almost all water. Apparently that is not necessarily so. However, they have a very short digestive system and things pass through in a mater of minutes. I would think it's not unusual for their poop to be clear if they are eating artificial nectar, which is nothing more than sugar and water. Hummingbirds do eat small insects on occasion, and may also eat fruit, although nectar is their primary food source.

You probably know they don't have a separate digestive and urinary tract, but instead the urine is mixed with their poop and it all exits through a cloaca. Also they will starve in 3 to 5 hours without food, unless they go into a state of torpor.

[markiver54]

Wow, a lot of information to "digest". Interesting.
Good info, as I do feed them.

[clovishound]

Went out in the backyard after the rain stopped today. Nice soft light, so I thought I would try a few available light macro shots. Lots of blurry shots due to movement.

I think this is the best of the batch. Nice soft colors and background. I usually don't care much for caterpillar images, but I kind of like this one.

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This one seems a little soft, but I guess I'm used to the crisper flash shots.

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The lizard seems unimpressed.

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[The Wiz]

The title for the for the second shot should be " Go ahead, make my day "

[clovishound]

One last batch of hummingbirds from this morning. Full sun, but had areas of shade, and dappled sun. Made things very challenging, but gave a different look. Think I will give the hummingbirds a rest for a while.

Here's the best of the batch:

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And here's the rest:

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[CT_Shooter]

I love the various tail positions you've selected for these latest photos, CH. Especially 2926 with tail fanned wide and it's little feet curled and tucked up. Very nice.

These look like Ruby Throated Hummingbirds, which is the only kind we have in CT. I keep a feeder within ten feet of my front window; I attached a tall one inch thick bare branch with several thin limbs that stands six or seven feet above it. There's one male bird that shows up each morning like he's punching a clock and perches there, high above the feeder. He's the gatekeeper for several other males and females. It's always a show, and sometimes, it's an amazing one.

[clovishound]

There's a lot of squabbling at the feeders. I would love to get some good shots of them going at each other, but all I seem to manage is maybe one in focus and the other a blob.

Something like this unsatisfying image:

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And of course, there is sometimes the ugly feeder to be dealt with.

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