Wildlife Photography across the Water: Japan trip thoughts

Friday, 18 March 2011

Japan trip thoughts

I have been home from Japan a couple of weeks and really lucky to have got out when i did looking at the devastation on the TV, It brings home just how fragile the Earth and those that live on it are, I dont know what would have happened if the Tsunami had hit whilst we were on the ice breaker just off of the Hokkaido coast, Its just doesnt bear thinking about, I hope that Japan gets sorted quickly but it doesn't look like its going to be that way for some time, I will return there one day and hopefully in the next year or 2 as its the best place i know for wildlife and in all that beautiful snow, I have been going through and processing some of the images from the trip and a few really stand out from the norm , i have printed some and i have to say-stunning, I had a couple of problems with the D7000 when i was out there but looking at my favourite images from the trip alot are from that camera, I still need to send it in and it will go back to Nikon next week as i am off to California next month and will need it then, The camera is capable of great image quality but i do have a nagging in the back of my head when viewing images from it that i do not seem to be getting consistency from it with images either very sharp or slightly off-reminds me of the dreaded Canon 1D MK3 in which i lost total confidence and that's one thing hat you dont want, The D3s shone as it always does-my favourite camera of all time without a doubt and when i was away if i knew that the shots were important like where we shot the white tailed eagles then the D3s was first and only choice, Now i know that the D3s is $5000+ and the D7000 is around £1200 but it should still be 100% consistent, I know that you cant expect every images to come out spot on and i except that but something just isn't right so i hope Nikon will give it a good going over and see if they can track down the cause and put my mind at rest, One things that came obvious was that manual metering is the way to go with it, One day i shot in AV and the metering was at best naff and inconsistent, Its a shame as it is a really good camera and it does show its limitations quickly, I can see why a lot of people who are not that experienced had struggled with it, I always planned to have it until the D400 comes out later this year but after all the problems in Japan i am sure that will all be put back
So here is my favourite D7000 image from the trip, I was a difficult shot as there was heavy snow and that really tests the AF, I know Pete had a few problems with the 1D Mk4 in heavy snow which i think is due to the quickness of the Canon AF system whereas the Nikon system is a tad slower to grab focus but then holds on well even in tough conditions like this, The Canon AF system worked very well with the eagles in flight and you could see the improvement over the MK3 version as when the eagles dropped out of the sky and into the tree line it kept with it and Petes eagle images are stunning to prove it

The image is full frame uncropped, The one thing i would have liked is for both cranes on the right to be side on, I do have that shot but not with the 3 on the left, I now have this printed at A3+ and its a stunner-nice and sharp, The snow adds the atmosphere and the birds position and behaviour add the interest

Dave

1 comment:

Kah-Wai Lin18 March 2011 at 19:22
Very nice capture!
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Bio's

David Courtenay, a self taught wildlife and nature photographer, has been capturing images for over 30 years. He has had a passion for wildlife since early childhood and remembers being glued to the television whenever Survival, Wildlife on One and other natural history documentaries were shown. In the 2006 he swapped his established career for the life of a wildlife photographer, such a move demands a measure of uncompromising passion and commitment.

David has travelled extensively throughout Europe as well as spending more than 7 months in India working with local guides and trackers in search of Bengal Tiger, Asian One horned Rhino and Asian Elephant. He has also photographed Wildlife in Australia, Malaysia, Thailand, Sumatra, Africa, Canada and America. Working closely with Conservation companies he tries to raise funds to help Wildlife that has been put on the endangered list by poaching and habitation loss

Martin Dyer has had a passion for avian wildlife since childhood, particularly raptors. Photography was also another keen interest and it was with the specific availability and control of the whole process that digital offers that Martin was then able to combine the two in 2003. Based in the UK, Martin is a regular visitor to Scotland, specifically the Isle of Mull to watch the Eagles resident there. Other trips to Europe and around the UK are usually part of Martin’s agenda in a typical year.

However, as a firm believer on making the most of the local patch, Martin has spent a lot of time and hard work creating a wildlife garden which is reaping the rewards with many new species and varieties of wildlife. A keen member of a number of wildlife photographic groups, Martin is keen to expand his portfolio into other areas of wildlife, and has already established a wide portfolio of images of fungi.