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Pica pica (common name: magpie)

I had seen the magpies flying many times and always admired the shape of their bodies in the air. A quite common bird on the ground, with an unpleasant voice, it becomes a beautiful animal when in its natural environment. Getting good photos of it in flight was always difficult because it is a rather small bird which never comes close to houses, at least at the suburbs of a large city. The main difficulty was always to focus quickly while the bird was already in flight. The acquisition of the really fast focusing 80-200 mm Nikkor made it possible. I woke up early on a Sunday morning (most birds are particularly active during that time) and waited till the magpies started their aerial dance. All shots were taken with the lens wide open since maximum speed was absolutely necessary to have a reasonable sharpness.

Photos by George J. Reclos
Shooting Data:
Camera: Nikon D2X
Lens: Nikkor AF 80-200 mm f/2.8 ED D @ 200 mm.
Sensitivity: ISO 100
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/1600 sec - f/2.8, Aperture priority mode
Flash: none
Image: JPEG edited in Photoshop CS2, levels adjusted, smart sharpening added and resized.

Camera: Nikon D2X
Lens: Nikkor AF 80-200 mm f/2.8 ED D @ 200 mm.
Sensitivity: ISO 100
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/2000 sec - f/2.8, Aperture priority mode
Flash: None
Image: JPEG edited in Photoshop CS2, levels adjusted, smart sharpening added and resized.

Camera: Nikon D2X
Lens: Nikkor AF 80-200 mm f/2.8 ED D @ 200 mm.
Sensitivity: ISO 100
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/2000 sec - f/2.8, Aperture priority mode
Flash: None
Image: JPEG edited in Photoshop CS2, levels adjusted, smart sharpening added and resized.

Sunset in Athens

Sunset and dawn are the times of a day which create a colorful palette in the sky. Since waking up early in the morning is not really my style, I prefer sunsets. The sky was full of small clouds but not cloudy, which promised an interesting sunset so I got my lenses and a tripod and walked to the nearby hill to take some shots. The light conditions, the shape and location of the clouds and the colors in the sky changed continuously so I decided to take one shot every 5 minutes during the last hour before sunset and 1 shot every 2 minutes when the sun was about to set. I chose minimum apertures for maximum depth of field since I wanted both the sky and the foreground to be in focus and ultra wide angle lenses. The camera was set to "mirror-lock-up" to reduce vibration while the exposure times ranged from 1/125 to a full 20 seconds. Two of these shots are presented here, one just before the sun sets and the other one about 15 minutes later.

Photos by George J. Reclos
Shooting Data:
Camera: Nikon D2X
Lens: Sigma 12-24 mm D, 1:4.5-5.6, DG HSM @ 12mm
Sensitivity: ISO 100
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/25 sec - f/16, Aperture priority mode
Flash: None
Image: JPEG edited in Photoshop CS2, levels adjusted, smart sharpening added and resized.

Camera: Nikon D2X
Lens: AF Fisheye Nikkor 10.5 mm f/2.8 G ED
Sensitivity: ISO 100
Shutter speed - aperture: 10 sec - f/22, Aperture priority mode
Flash: None
Image: JPEG edited in Photoshop CS2, levels adjusted, smart sharpening added and resized.

Rosa sp. (common name: rose)

Roses come in hundreds of colors and are regarded as the kings of flowers by many people. I have taken literally thousands of pictures of them under varying conditions, using as many different approaches as one can think of. In this series of photos four different types of photos of flowers produced by one single plant are presented. In the first photo a new flower was shot with fill in flash which revealed as much texture detail as possible but not all the color hues of the flower. In the second shot, the flash was not used, so all the pink color hues are visible. In the third photo I chose a large flower and shot it head on, with a fill in flash. Again, maximum texture detail is present but this time color hues are also there because of the high intensity of natural light. In the last photo another large flower was chosen but this time it was shot with the sun hitting if from the right side thus increasing the range of tones, the texture detail and, with the presence of shadows, the 3-D construction of the flower is shown in all its complexity and beauty.

Photos by George J. Reclos
Shooting Data:
Camera: Nikon D70
Lens: Tamron SP AF 90 mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1
Sensitivity: ISO 200
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/500 sec - f/5.6, Aperture priority mode
Flash: SB-800 in i-TTL mode
Image: JPEG edited in Photoshop CS2, levels adjusted, smart sharpening added and resized.

Camera: Nikon D70
Lens: Tamron SP AF 90 mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1
Sensitivity: ISO 200
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/90 sec - f/11, Aperture priority mode
Flash: None
Image: JPEG edited in Photoshop CS2, levels adjusted, smart sharpening added and resized.

Camera: Nikon D2X
Lens: Tamron SP AF 180mm f/3.5 Di Macro 1:1
Sensitivity: ISO 100
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/60 sec - f/8, Aperture priority mode
Flash: SB-800 in i-TTL mode
Image: NEF file, edited in Photoshop CS2, levels adjusted, smart sharpening added and resized, saved as JPEG.

Camera: Nikon D2X
Lens: Tamron SP AF 180mm f/3.5 Di Macro 1:1
Sensitivity: ISO 100
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/125 sec - f/16, Aperture priority mode
Flash: None
Image: JPEG edited in Photoshop CS2, levels adjusted, smart sharpening added and resized.

Nerium oleander (Family: Apocynaceae; common name: Oleander)

Oleanders are very common in Greece and are used as decorative plants everywhere - even in the highways. In the first photo the flower is lighted by the sun which is behind it, creating an aerie feeling. In the second shot the flower is lightened by the flash unit revealing much more detail but has less "warmth".

Photos by George J. Reclos
Shooting Data:
Camera: Nikon D2X
Lens: Nikkor AF 80-200 mm f/2.8 ED D @ 200 mm.
Sensitivity: ISO 100
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/250 sec - f/8, Aperture priority mode
Flash: None
Image: NEF file, edited in Photoshop CS2, levels adjusted, smart sharpening added and resized, saved as JPEG.

Camera: Nikon D2X
Lens: Tamron SP AF 180mm f/3.5 Di Macro 1:1
Sensitivity: ISO 100
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/60 sec - f/8, Aperture priority mode
Flash: SB-800 in i-TTL mode
Image: NEF file, edited in Photoshop CS2, levels adjusted, smart sharpening added and resized, saved as JPEG.

Cosmos sulphureus (Family: Compositae; common name: Yellow cosmos) and Centaurea cyanus (Family: Compositae; common name: Cornflower)

The place was Albany, NY and this is the local botanic garden kept in shape by volunteers like Shirley Stevens. They have done a remarkable job - no matter where you look, there is something to admire. The whole place speaks about the love, tender and care those people show to these plants. As I was walking around with Ken and Roy, I saw this bed of yellow cosmos and decided to take a picture of this isolated flower circled by the small blue flower and a number of buds, like a star and the planets orbiting around it. The bright orange color of the main flower further emphasizes this visual impression. A very small aperture was used to ensure there was enough depth of field while fill in flash was necessary to have a speed high enough to hand hold the camera. Many thanks to Shirley Stevens for identifying this flower.

Photo by George J. Reclos
Shooting Data:
Camera: Nikon D2X
Lens: Tamron SP AF 90 mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1
Sensitivity: ISO 100
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/60 sec - f/20, Aperture priority mode
Flash: SB-800 in i-TTL mode
Image: JPEG edited in Photoshop CS2, levels adjusted, smart sharpening added and resized.

Rana esculenta (common name: European green frog)

These frogs were resting next to a water reservoir at Dadia forest (Evros, North Greece). My first approach was too clumsy so all of them dove in the water within seconds. I decided to go for a walk and come back after 10 minutes to see if any of them had got out again. As you can see in these photos, they were sun bathing again which allowed me to take some nice pictures from a distance. I particularly like the first photo in which the frog appears to be "thinking" of something..

Photos by George J. Reclos
Shooting Data:
Camera: Nikon D2X
Lens: Tamron SP AF 180mm f/3.5 Di Macro 1:1
Sensitivity: ISO 200
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/125 sec - f/14, Aperture priority mode
Flash: SB-800 in i-TTL mode
Image: JPEG edited in Photoshop CS2, levels adjusted, smart sharpening added and resized.

Camera: Nikon D2X
Lens: Tamron SP AF 180mm f/3.5 Di Macro 1:1
Sensitivity: ISO 200
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/90 sec - f/14, Aperture priority mode
Flash: SB-800 in i-TTL mode
Image: JPEG edited in Photoshop CS2, levels adjusted, smart sharpening added and resized.

Dahlia hybrid (Procyon I)

The opening flower of this dahlia would be a temptation for every photographer. The flower is large enough to be photographed with a normal (non macro) lens while it offers the possibility of interesting close ups. The colors of the flower make it an eye catcher, while the symmetry will lead the eye to its center. A very small aperture was used to increase depth of field.

Photo by George J. Reclos
Shooting Data:
Camera: Nikon D2X
Lens: Tamron SP AF 180mm f/3.5 Di Macro 1:1
Sensitivity: ISO 100
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/60 sec - f/16, Aperture priority mode
Flash: SB-800 in i-TTL mode
Image: JPEG edited in Photoshop CS2, levels adjusted, smart sharpening added and resized.  

Grasshopper (Chorthippus parallelus ?)

This juvenile grasshopper was resting on a water pipe when I saw it but my camera was not with me at the moment. Being extremely careful not to frighten it, I went home and came back with the camera (I am always surprised by my speed at moments like this). The grasshopper was still there and, after shooting a couple of photos I decided to step down the lens to f/16 to ensure maximum depth of field since I was working pretty close to the subject. If it was a large grasshopper things would be far easier but with this one I had to work at less than 40 cm from it. After taking a couple of "classic" shots from of the side of the grasshopper I tried some different shots, one of which is shown here.

Photos by George J. Reclos
Shooting Data:
Camera: Nikon D2X
Lens: Tamron SP AF 180mm f/3.5 Di Macro 1:1
Sensitivity: ISO 200
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/60 sec - f/16, Aperture priority mode
Flash: SB-800 in i-TTL mode
Image: JPEG edited in Photoshop CS2, levels adjusted, smart sharpening added and resized.

Camera: Nikon D2X
Lens: Tamron SP AF 180mm f/3.5 Di Macro 1:1
Sensitivity: ISO 200
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/60 sec - f/16, Aperture priority mode
Flash: SB-800 in i-TTL mode 

Magnolia grandiflora (Family: Magnoliaceae; common name:  Laurel magnolia, Southern magnolia)

I had seen a magnolia tree across the road and waited for it to produce flowers. After taking some photos, I almost neglected the tree until recently when I saw some strange "fruits" growing on it. They were green at first but started developing a red hue over time. I kept on watching them on a daily basis and then I noticed that they were opening, exposing some red things resembling seeds. When they opened enough but before the seeds were released I knew that it was the right day to take some pictures.

Photo by George J. Reclos
Shooting Data:
Camera: Nikon D2X
Lens: Tamron SP AF 180mm f/3.5 Di Macro 1:1
Sensitivity: ISO 200
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/60 sec - f/10, Aperture priority mode
Flash: SB-800 in i-TTL mode
Image: JPEG edited in Photoshop CS2, levels adjusted, smart sharpening added and resized.  

Streptopelia  decaocto, Family: Columbidae; common name: collared  dove)

Collared doves are very common so one more picture is not something special. The three photos are shown here for some specific reasons. In the first picture, the fill in flash could (naturally) reach only the dove so it completely "isolated" it from the sky in the background. The natural orange color of the sky was enhanced a bit in Photoshop. In the second photo, a very high shutter speed was necessary to freeze the motion of the bird scratching its head with its foot. If you have seen them doing this move you know how fast it is done. To achieve this, the lens was used almost wide open. The photo at the bottom is another story. I recently acquired the Nikkor 500 mm f/4 which is a really bulky and heavy lens. After struggling for a week with tripods and monopods I found out that I could get sharp images at high shutter speeds (1/500 sec being the absolute minimum) but they were not the pictures I wanted. The supporting system was really limiting and I felt largely "immobilized". I then decided to handhold the lens and the camera (weighting more than 5 Kg) and use any available support (fence, tree, chair, table etc.) once I found something interesting, to reduce vibration which is extremely noticeable with this lens (effectively a 750 mm lens due to the cropping factor). When I saw this dove sitting on a street light I rested the lens on a fence, focused quickly and took three shots in rapid sequence while making minor adjustments in the focus to be sure one of them would be sharp enough. ISO setting was changed to 200 for those shots to allow for the maximum speed under these conditions.

Photos by George J. Reclos
Shooting Data:
Camera: Nikon D2X
Lens: Nikkor AF 80-200 mm f/2.8 ED D @ 185 mm.
Sensitivity: ISO 100
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/200 sec - f/7.1, Aperture priority mode
Flash: SB-800 in i-TTL mode
Image: JPEG edited in Photoshop CS2, levels adjusted, smart sharpening added and resized.

Camera: Nikon D2X
Lens: Nikkor AF 80-200 mm f/2.8 ED D @ 185 mm.
Sensitivity: ISO 100
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/2500 sec - f/3.2, Aperture priority mode
Flash: SB-800 in i-TTL mode

Camera: Nikon D2X
Lens: Nikkor ED 500mm f/4 P
Sensitivity: ISO 200
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/1250 sec - f/4.5, Aperture priority mode
Flash: SB-800 in i-TTL mode
Image: JPEG edited in Photoshop CS2, levels adjusted, smart sharpening added and resized.

Gyps fulvus (Family: Accipitridae;  subfamily: Aegypiinae; common name:  Eurasian Griffon Vulture)

It was the very first time I saw a flight show with predator birds and I was really fascinated. I knew that people at the AZP take their work very seriously and they have a keen interest for birds but when they announced the flight show some months ago I thought it was a project which would never materialize. However, I was wrong. They have done an excellent job up to now and we are going to present it in a full article in the near future. Back to the photos now. I went there with two cameras and four lenses but in the end this was too optimistic. You don't have time to change cameras or lenses. Actually, you don't even have time to focus. The birds will fly a 20-30 meter distance, heading to you (and your camera) so even framing is out of the question. What looks small at the beginning is too large at the end of the flight. All you can do is to be ready and take as many shots as you can. It is really disappointing but the truth is that you rely more on the capabilities of the camera and the lens you use and far less on your abilities as a photographer. I must admit that the selection of the 80-200 mm coupled on a 1.4 X Kenko teleconverter was a far shot. Ideally, all I needed was the zoom lens alone. I was lucky to have the right camera though, the D2X which proved - beyond any doubt - that you get what you pay for. I love my D70 but the only reason you can now enjoy those photos is because of two features of this camera : the continuous focusing with target lock and the fast shooting rate. The teleconverter was removed and the quality of the photos benefited dramatically. If you have an Exif reader you will see that the last six photos were taken within 2 seconds.. .Although the situation described sounds as a "preset" one, still there are some things you can do. Use your lens wide open and take a lens which is quite sharp even in this case. Not many lenses are and not many telephotos have this 2.8 as an f/stop. The first couple of photos were taken at 1/2000 sec but then I moved into manual mode, raised the ISO to 200 and used a preset speed of 1/4000 sec at f/2.8 which was taken from the grass area where the event was taking place (substitutes a grey card very nicely). This kind of speed will allow your camera to work on the maximum frame rate.  This particular bird became my favourite one from the beginning of the show. I was really impressed by its friendly attitude with humans and when it flew, its wingspan was fantastic. This species is one of the friendliest with humans and this was evident throughout the show. I must confess that I even considered getting one as a pet.. During the show, I was really taken by the "landing" procedure during which the bird used its huge wings to slow down, then turn its body almost vertical and move its feet in front to be ready for the touchdown. The first time it did that I was too impressed to take any shots but the second one I was ready for it. I set the camera to continuous / slow (3 frames per second) and gave it a try. I was amazed to see the small insect in front of the vulture frozen in mid air in the two first photos. Even if I wanted to do that, it wouldn't be possible..

Photos by George J. Reclos
Shooting Data:
Camera: Nikon D2X
Lens: Nikkor AF 80-200 mm f/2.8 ED D @ 200 mm
Sensitivity: ISO 200
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/2000 sec - f/2.8, Aperture priority mode
Flash: SB-800 in i-TTL/FP mode
Image: JPEG edited in Photoshop CS2, levels adjusted, smart sharpening added and resized.

Camera: Nikon D2X
Lens: Nikkor AF 80-200 mm f/2.8 ED D @ 200 mm
Sensitivity: ISO 200
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/2000 sec - f/2.8, Aperture priority mode
Flash: SB-800 in i-TTL/FP mode
Image: JPEG edited in Photoshop CS2, levels adjusted, smart sharpening added and resized.

Camera: Nikon D2X
Lens: Nikkor AF 80-200 mm f/2.8 ED D @ 200 mm .
Sensitivity: ISO 200
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/4000 sec - f/2.8, manual mode
Flash: SB-800 in i-TTL/FP mode
Image: JPEG edited in Photoshop CS2, levels adjusted, smart sharpening added and resized.

Camera: Nikon D2X
Lens: Nikkor AF 80-200 mm f/2.8 ED D @ 200 mm .
Sensitivity: ISO 200
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/4000 sec - f/2.8, manual mode
Flash: SB-800 in i-TTL/FP mode
Image: JPEG edited in Photoshop CS2, levels adjusted, smart sharpening added and resized.

Camera: Nikon D2X
Lens: Nikkor AF 80-200 mm f/2.8 ED D @ 200 mm .
Sensitivity: ISO 200
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/4000 sec - f/2.8, manual mode
Flash: SB-800 in i-TTL/FP mode
Image: JPEG edited in Photoshop CS2, levels adjusted, smart sharpening added and resized.

Camera: Nikon D2X
Lens: Nikkor AF 80-200 mm f/2.8 ED D @ 200 mm .
Sensitivity: ISO 200
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/4000 sec - f/2.8, manual mode
Flash: SB-800 in i-TTL/FP mode
Image: JPEG edited in Photoshop CS2, levels adjusted, smart sharpening added and resized.

Camera: Nikon D2X
Lens: Nikkor AF 80-200 mm f/2.8 ED D @ 200 mm .
Sensitivity: ISO 200
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/4000 sec - f/2.8, manual mode
Flash: SB-800 in i-TTL/FP mode
Image: JPEG edited in Photoshop CS2, levels adjusted, smart sharpening added and resized.

Camera: Nikon D2X
Lens: Nikkor AF 80-200 mm f/2.8 ED D @ 200 mm
Sensitivity: ISO 200
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/4000 sec - f/2.8, manual mode
Flash: SB-800 in i-TTL/FP mode
Image: JPEG edited in Photoshop CS2, levels adjusted, smart sharpening added and resized. Photos taken at the Attica Zoological Park  

Parabuteo unicinctus (common name: Harris hawk)

Far smaller than the vulture, the hawk needs far more attention to keep in focus. Apart from that, its flight is far more nervous and fast which doubles the problem. I wouldn't recommend anything below 1/2000 sec to capture this bird in mid flight and still you will need a lot of luck. The settings were the same as for the vulture above. A very beautiful bird, a true hunter, this hawk will amaze any serious bird lover. The only animal which is more majestic and efficient in the air is the eagle.

Photos by George J. Reclos
Shooting Data:

Camera: Nikon D2X
Lens: Nikkor AF 80-200 mm f/2.8 ED D @ 200 mm .
Sensitivity: ISO 200
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/4000 sec - f/2.8, manual mode
Flash: SB-800 in i-TTL/FP mode
Image: JPEG edited in Photoshop CS2, levels adjusted, smart sharpening added and resized.

Camera: Nikon D2X
Lens: Nikkor AF 80-200 mm f/2.8 ED D @ 155 mm .
Sensitivity: ISO 200
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/4000 sec - f/2.8, manual mode
Flash: SB-800 in i-TTL/FP mode
Image: JPEG edited in Photoshop CS2, levels adjusted, smart sharpening added and resized.

Camera: Nikon D2X
Lens: Nikkor AF 80-200 mm f/2.8 ED D @ 170 mm .
Sensitivity: ISO 200
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/4000 sec - f/2.8, manual mode
Flash: SB-800 in i-TTL/FP mode
Image: JPEG edited in Photoshop CS2, levels adjusted, smart sharpening added and resized.

Camera: Nikon D2X
Lens: Nikkor AF 80-200 mm f/2.8 ED D @ 200 mm .
Sensitivity: ISO 200
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/4000 sec - f/2.8, manual mode
Flash: SB-800 in i-TTL/FP mode
Image: JPEG edited in Photoshop CS2, levels adjusted, smart sharpening added and resized. Photos taken at the Attica Zoological Park  

Necrosyrtes monachus (common name: Hooded vulture)

This is a mid-sized vulture with the typical flight characteristics of the family, which is resumed in a predictable flight line and, once you focus on it you will have a large percentage of nice photos. The bird you see in the first two photos is the female and the one at the bottom the male. Males take longer to be trained and this one is still tied to a training rope so it won't escape. Their hearing is very poor but they have an excellent vision. They will prefer to fly against the wind which may help you to predict the course it will take. Camera settings were the same as described above. The name is formed from two Greek words, necros = dead and syrtes = the carrier. The local tribes have a myth about this bird in which it is thought to be responsible for carrying the souls of the dead to heaven.

Photos by George J. Reclos
Shooting Data:

Camera: Nikon D2X
Lens: Nikkor AF 80-200 mm f/2.8 ED D @ 200 mm .
Sensitivity: ISO 200
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/4000 sec - f/2.8, manual mode
Flash: SB-800 in i-TTL/FP mode
Image: JPEG edited in Photoshop CS2, levels adjusted, smart sharpening added and resized.

Camera: Nikon D2X
Lens: Nikkor AF 80-200 mm f/2.8 ED D @ 185 mm .
Sensitivity: ISO 200
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/3200 sec - f/2.8, Aperture priority mode
Flash: SB-800 in i-TTL/FP mode
Image: JPEG edited in Photoshop CS2, levels adjusted, smart sharpening added and resized.

Camera: Nikon D2X
Lens: Nikkor AF 80-200 mm f/2.8 ED D @ 200 mm .
Sensitivity: ISO 200
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/4000 sec - f/2.8, manual mode
Flash: SB-800 in i-TTL/FP mode
Image: JPEG edited in Photoshop CS2, levels adjusted, smart sharpening added and resized. Photos taken at the Attica Zoological Park  

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