Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2003/06/25
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]These photos are IMHO more a record of the species than anything else. The first is the Black-backed Woodpecker, http://www.wildlightphoto.com/birds/bbwo00.jpg an uncommon bird of northern and mountain forests. This is the male of a pair that was excavating a nest hole. The lighting in this photo presented a lot of technical challenges: first, lighting in a forest is extremely high-contrast consisting of spots of intense sunlight surrounded by areas of deep shade with not even blue sky to provide light; second, the bird itself is a study in contrasts, with a black back and white details on its face. On top of this the tree's bark next to the nest hole had fallen off, exposing very bright raw wood. To get reasonable shutter speeds (it's an active bird) I needed sunlight on the bird, but I also wanted a spot of sunlight in the background so the bird's back wouldn't merge with a shadow area, and I also wanted partial shade on the bare wood next to the nest hole. I waited more than an hour for the light and shadows to move through the forest, then as I watched the lighting change I waited a few more minutes for the woodpecker to quit digging inside the hole and come out for a break. Once the bird was in position in the right light I waited for him to turn his back just enough to let the irridescence of the black feathers show some detail. Technical stuff: Leicaflex SL, 560mm f/5.6 Telyt, K64, ~1/125 sec @ f/5.6 The second photo is a Cooper's Hawk, also in a dense forest. The light was really dismal! I consider this photo a work in progress: http://www.wildlightphoto.com/birds/coha01.jpg I had been searhing for this hawk's nest for several years. A couple weeks ago, when this photo was made, I found the hawk in the suspected nest area and made a few photos. I wasn't prepared for forest conditions but I made a few expsoures anyway with SL, 400 f/6.8, monopod & shoulder stock, wedged into a handy tree. 1/30 sec @ f/6.8, K64, cropped from horizontal. Last Sunday I returned to the suspected nest area and found the nest. Two scrawny half-grown chicks made the nest crowded enough that the adult on duty preferred to hang out in a nearby tree. This time I was better prepared with tripod and 560mm f/5.6. More photos in a few weeks. Doug Herr Birdman of Sacramento http://www.wildlightphoto.com - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html