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Macro and Nature
Photography - XV
You can see the high resolution pictures by clicking on each thumbnail in the
table below. Please note that some of the files are really large
(even larger than 1 MB) so they may take a while to download. As always, your comments
are welcomed !
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Hawk
One of the birds which make you feel sorry when you see them in
captivity. When you see those proud eyes you immediately understand that
the position of this bird is high in the sky and not being an exhibition
bird. However, we have to admit that if the zoos didn't preserve and
breed them, we would hardly see any of them anymore. I would prefer not
to see that tree behind the bird but as with all shots presented in this
section by me, editing has been kept to a minimum.
Photo 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/3.2
Aperture priority mode
Flash: SB-800 in i-TTL mode
Image: JPEG edited in Photoshop CS2, levels adjusted, smart sharpening added and
resized.
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Erithacus rubecula (Family: Muscicapidae; common name:
Robin)
One cute little songbird which has the strange habit of
singing in the middle of the night as well as during
sunrise and sunset. A beautiful song coming from a
beautiful bird. It has the size of a sparrow which means
that in order to fill your frame you need very powerful
telephotos. This particular shot was taken from a
distance of 12 meters with the equivalent of an 750 mm
telephoto and still it only filled half the frame.
However, as you will see some photos below, Frank was
far more lucky than I was, with his robin.
Photos by George J. Reclos
Shooting Data:
Camera: Nikon D2X
Lens: Nikkor
ED 500mm f/4 P
Sensitivity: ISO 100
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/1000 sec, f/4
Manual
Flash: SB-800 in i-TTL mode
Image: JPEG edited in Photoshop CS2, levels adjusted, smart sharpening added and
resized.
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Pelecanus crispus
(common name: Dalmatian pelican) - taking a bath
A pelican taking a bath is an
interesting subject which can be shot in two ways. Using a fast
shutter speed will reveal all the details of the wings and the
shape they take as the pelican tries to dry them. A slow speed
will reveal less detail but will show the wings' movement
pattern. In those photos the first option was chosen. It was a
strange day as far as light conditions are concerned since
sunshine and clouds were dominating the sky alternatively,
causing a difference of more then 2 f/stops.
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: 1/1600 sec, f/6.3
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 @ 200 mm.
Sensitivity: ISO 200
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/640 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 D2X
Lens: Nikkor
AF 80-200 mm f/2.8 ED D @ 170 mm.
Sensitivity: ISO 200
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/750 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.
Photos
taken at the
Attica Zoological Park
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Five rivers (nature reserve in New York)
While walking with my friend Ken in his preferred place
for nice photos we saw this frog. sitting next to a
paddock. I had to lie on my belly to take some close up
pictures of the animal in its natural habitat. Lying
down served two purposes. First, it allowed me to get
closer and second, it didn't create a large shadow which
might have frightened the animal. Surprisingly, we were
able to take many photos of this particular frog despite
the use of flash which I thought would frighten it.
Photos 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/8
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 90 mm f/2.8 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: JPEG edited in Photoshop CS2, levels adjusted, smart sharpening added and
resized.
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Lake George (NY State, USA)
We reached this part of the lake during a 2 hour
storm during a hot and humid day. Heavy clouds were in the sky and the
rain was falling when the skipper (Roy) found a nice place to stop the
boat. This was a nice opportunity to take a photo of the lower branch of
a tree touching the water surface. e water had already started to
evaporate creating this kind of "clouds" amongst the dense vegetation.
The dull colors of that moment created a completely different picture of
the lake, which only lasted for a couple of hours.
Photo by George J. Reclos
Shooting Data:
Camera: Nikon D2X
Lens:
Nikkor
AF 50mm f1.8D
Sensitivity: ISO 100
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/60 sec, f/5.3
Aperture priority mode
Flash: SB-800 in i-TTL mode
Image: JPEG edited in Photoshop CS2, levels adjusted, smart sharpening added and
resized.
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Apis mellifera, Family:
Apidae (common name: honey bee)
Walking in Sao Jose dos Campos (Estados de Sao Paulo,
Brazil) I came across some nice flowers and was taking photos when this
bee decided it was lunch time. I went on shooting without taking it into
account so, I was nicely surprised to see that in one of the photos the
bee was in focus while approaching the flower. Bees are almost
everywhere, which makes taking a "different" photo of them very hard. I
believe this photo does just that.
Photo
by George J. Reclos
Shooting Data:
Camera:
Nikon D70
Lens: Tamron
SP AF 180mm f/3.5 Di Macro 1:1
Sensitivity: ISO 100
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/500 sec, f/11
Aperture priority mode
Flash: SB-800 in i-TTL mode
Image: JPEG edited in Photoshop CS2, levels adjusted, smart sharpening added and
resized. |
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Equus caballus
(common name: horse)
Among the last things you expect to see in the delta of
any river is horses. Yet, this is exactly what happened when we visited
the Evros Delta. Left there ages ago, they just bred and created a small
herd happily living there. Respected by humans, they live their own
lives adding a different feeling to the landscape. Despite the fact they
see people all day long, they will always keep a distance from them and
are ready to get further away if needed.
Photo
by George J. Reclos
Shooting Data:
Camera:
Nikon D70
Lens: AF
VR Zoom-Nikkor 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6D ED @ 400 mm
Sensitivity: ISO 100
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/750 sec, f/6.7
Aperture priority mode
Flash: SB-800 in i-TTL mode
Image: JPEG edited in Photoshop CS2, levels adjusted, smart sharpening added and
resized. |
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Streptopelia decaocto,
Family: Columbidae; common name: collared dove)
Those birds are very common indeed so you must take a
very special photo if your aim is to present a worthy image. This bird
was just cleaning its plumage and I was watching its moves through the
lens. After making sure which would be its next move, I pressed the
shutter release button in continuous mode. Three pictures were taken in
one second and I chose this one which shows the bird looking like a
piece of sculpture, full of curves.
Photo
by George J. Reclos
Shooting Data:
Camera:
Nikon D2X
Lens: Nikkor
ED 500mm f/4 P
Sensitivity: ISO 100
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/1250 sec, f/4
Aperture priority mode
Flash: SB-800 in i-TTL mode
Image: JPEG edited in Photoshop CS2, levels adjusted, smart sharpening added and
resized.
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Parabuteo unicinctus (common
name: Harris hawk)
This particular hawk has the habit of creating a "hood"
over its pray, something it readily did after getting its reward for a
nice flight during which it managed to catch its bate in mid-air. The
purpose of this "hood" is to hide the pray from its competitors which
may otherwise decide to go for it, since the small size of the hawk
permits this kind of thoughts.
Photo
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/4
Aperture priority mode
Flash: SB-800 in i-TTL 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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Loxodonta Africana (Common
name: African elephant)
An elephant is always an impressive animal, even in the
zoo. This photo was taken during our visit to the Sao Paulo zoo, hours
before flying back home.
Photos
by Kenneth A. Pass
Shooting Data:
Camera:
Nikon D70
Lens: Tamron
AF 18-200 mm F3.5 - F6.3 Di-II @ 200 mm
Sensitivity: ISO 200
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/800 sec - f/6.3, Aperture priority mode
Flash: None
Image: JPEG edited in Photoshop CS2, levels adjusted, smart sharpening added and
resized. |
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Camelus dromedarius (Common name:
Camel)
This camel was really tempted by the juicy flowers
planted out of its fence in the Sao Paulo zoo. After trying to get them
the normal way it found out that it needed a couple of inches more to
reach them. Thus, it decided to use only its back feet - and it worked.
Photos
by Kenneth A. Pass
Shooting Data:
Camera:
Nikon D70
Lens: Tamron
AF 18-200 mm F3.5 - F6.3 Di-II @ 120 mm
Sensitivity: ISO 200
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/500 sec - f/6.3, Aperture priority mode
Flash: None
Image: JPEG edited in Photoshop CS2, levels adjusted, smart sharpening added and
resized.
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Sarcoramphus papa (Family:
Cathartidae; Common name:
King Vulture or King Jan Kro)
During our visit to the Sao Paulo zoo with Ken, we
came across this gorgeous bird which was placed in a cage with very
small openings. Taking a photo from a distance was impossible since the
metal would show in the final picture, something which would be further
enhanced by the use of flash. Under these circumstances, there is only
one thing you can do. Stick the lens on the fence and take the photo.
With a long macro lens as the one used for this photo, the wires will
not show, if the animal is located even a meter away.
Photo
by George J. Reclos
Shooting Data:
Camera:
Nikon D70
Lens: Tamron
SP AF 180mm f/3.5 Di Macro 1:1
Sensitivity: ISO 200
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/125 sec - f/8, Aperture priority mode
Flash: SB-800 in i-TTL mode with plastic dome.
Image: JPEG edited in Photoshop CS2, levels adjusted, smart sharpening added and
resized.
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European Robin (Erithacus rubecula)
This series of photo's is a bit of a
story on it's own. I've been trying to take photo's of this cute
little bird for a while now. OK, they are not that nice as
the males show quite much intraspecific agression and defend
their territory quite fiercely, but these fellows are lovely to take
photo's of though. The 2 first shots were taken outside, but the
last ones are taken in our garden house. That poor Robin got trapped
in there, probably in a search for food. Obviously I discovered the
bird when I entered that place. I already had developed an instinct
for potential photo's, so I closed that door faster than I had
openend it. Loaded with my camera, lens and flash I went inside
again. Yes that were definitely the worst 10 minutes in the life of
this robin with flashes bouncing everywhere. After 30 shots I
decided to release the bird, so I opened the door. After flying up
and down the garden house a couple of times the Robin finally found
the exit and there it went. To my surprise I heard him singing high
in a tree just 2 seconds after it's escape. I guess there was no
time to waste to reclaim it's territory! I was happy to see this
and also because I had several super detailed pictures of this
"cooperative" fellow
Photos by
Frank Panis
Shooting Data:
Robin01: In the woods
on a tree branch. It not the sharpest picture, but I like the colors
and the scene very much.
Camera: Nikon D2x
Lens: AF-S 300mm f/2.8D IF-ED
Sensitivity: ISO 100
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/125 sec - f2.8
Flash:none
Image: RAW, converted in Nikon Capture 4.4.0
Robin02: An outside shot high in a birch tree
from the neighbours. Here it sings a while before moving on to
another strategic place in it's territory.
Camera: Nikon D2x
Lens: AF-S 300mm f/2.8D IF-ED
Sensitivity: ISO 100
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/750 sec - f5.6
Flash:none
Image: RAW, converted in Nikon Capture 4.4.0
Robin03: Head shot in
our garden house
Camera: Nikon D2x
Lens: AF-S 300mm f/2.8D IF-ED
Sensitivity: ISO 100
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/60 sec - f5.6
Flash: SB-800 I-TTL
Image: RAW, converted in Nikon Capture 4.4
Robin04: Ready to fly in our garden house
Camera: Nikon D2x
Lens: AF-S 300mm f/2.8D IF-ED
Sensitivity: ISO 100
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/60 sec - f8
Flash: SB-800 I-TTL
Image: RAW, converted in Nikon Capture 4.4.0
Robin05: Full view while resting on
the wood construction
Camera: Nikon D2x
Lens: AF-S 300mm f/2.8D IF-ED
Sensitivity: ISO 100
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/60 sec - f8
Flash: SB-800 I-TTL
Image: RAW, converted in Nikon Capture 4.4.0
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White dove (continued)
I learned very much in shooting flying birds lately. In a
discussion with George he insisted that we'd need 1/2000s at
least or even faster to freeze the motion of fast moving birds.
On a nice day I tried this with the white doves of my neighbour
and I like the result very much. I'm less reluctant of using
high ISO's after the D2x firmware update, and a properly exposed
high ISO shot is very clean and full of detail ;-)
Photos by Frank Panis
Dove02:
Shooting Data:
Camera: Nikon D2X
Lens: AF-S
300mm f/2.8D IF-ED
Sensitivity: ISO400
Shutter speed: 1/3000 sec f5.6
Flash:none
Image: RAW, converted in Nikon Capture 4.4.0
Dove03:
Shooting Data:
Camera: Nikon D2X
Lens: AF-S
300mm f/2.8D IF-ED
Sensitivity: ISO200
Shutter speed: 1/3000 sec f4
Flash:none
Image: RAW, converted in Nikon Capture 4.4.0
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Hippopotamus amphibius
(Common name: Hippo)
During our visit to the Sao Paulo zoo (Brazil) with my
Brazilian friends and Ken Pass, we
came across this large pond which was supposed to hold a trio of
Hippos.I say "supposed" because the animals were enjoying the underwater
world while the visitors could only see them for a brief moment every
4-5 minutes when they surfaced to take a short breath and dive again.
The cloudy sky didn't allow for a fast shutter speed - which was made
worse by the dark color of the animal and the muddy water. I decided to
go by the 1/focal length rule and opened the lens as much as needed to
get this speed. When I saw the Hippo coming up, I was ready. I managed
to take just two shots before it disappeared again. It is always
surprising to see how fast those animals are in the water, despite their
huge bodies.
Photo
by George J. Reclos
Shooting Data:
Camera:
Nikon D70
Lens: Tamron
SP AF 180mm f/3.5 Di Macro 1:1
Sensitivity: ISO 200
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/180 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.
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Cygnus atratus (Common name:
Black swan)
It was in the Sao Paulo zoo again when I saw this pair of
black swans, cleaning their plumage at the shore of a huge artificial
lake. This was one of the largest colonies I have ever seen. I liked the
symmetry of the two necks and how each photo changed as they moved them.
The overall green color brings out the two birds which is also what got
my attention there.
Photos
by George J. Reclos
Shooting Data:
Camera:
Nikon D70
Lens: Tamron
SP AF 180mm f/3.5 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.
Shooting Data:
Camera:
Nikon D70
Lens: Tamron
SP AF 180mm f/3.5 Di Macro 1:1
Sensitivity: ISO 200
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/350 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.
Shooting Data:
Camera:
Nikon D70
Lens: Tamron
SP AF 180mm f/3.5 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.
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Dahlia variabilis (Family:
Compositae)
During Christmas we received this bunch of flowers. Among
them was this dahlia which seemed so "different" in the sense that it
lacked the vivid colors of the orchids and the roses but was still
impressive combining a nice color contrast with a very interesting (and
complicated) construction as well as an almost perfect symmetry.
Photo
by George J. Reclos
Shooting Data:
Camera:
Nikon D70
ens: Tamron SP AF 90 mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1
Sensitivity: ISO 200
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/125 sec - f/8, Aperture priority mode
Flash: SB-800 in i-TTL mode with plastic dome.
Image: JPEG edited in Photoshop CS2, levels adjusted, smart sharpening added and
resized.
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Red diamonds in the forest (Five rivers - nature reserve in New York
State)
While walking with my friend Ken in his preferred place
for nice photos I saw those little red fruits in the
dark forest and I thought how nice it would be if they
could be hit by the sunlight. After walking for a couple
of minutes, there was a spot which showed exactly that.
The sunlight found an opening in the forest canopy and
hit those little red fruits from behind. There they
were, standing out from the green surroundings like
little gems.
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: 1/40 sec, f/10
Aperture priority mode
Flash:
None
Image: JPEG edited in Photoshop CS2, levels adjusted, smart sharpening added and
resized.
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Sunrise in Alexandroupolis
I woke up early in the morning and grabbed my camera
about 20 minutes before sunrise. The weather forecast called for a rainy
day so I wanted to take pictures of the cloudy sky during the sunrise -
which would create all sorts of interesting colors and shapes in the
sky. I decided to go next to the beach and include the water element in
the picture. Unfortunately, there was no way to take the sun and the sea
without including the umbrella and the chairs. At this point I thought
to myself : "Why not ?" I placed them in the left third of the picture
leaving more space to the natural elements. I used an ultra wide angle
lens for three reasons. It would include as much as possible in the
photo, it would also allow me to use a low shutter speed and finally, it
would give me a tremendous depth of field if I used a small aperture -
which I did.
Photo
by George J. Reclos
Shooting Data:
Camera: Nikon D2X
Lens:
Sigma 12-24 mm D, 1:4.5-5.6, DG HSM @ 12 mm.
Sensitivity: ISO 100
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/15 sec, f/22
Aperture priority mode
Flash: SB-800 in i-TTL mode
Image: JPEG edited in Photoshop CS2, levels
adjusted, smart sharpening added and resized.
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Streptopelia decaocto (Family: Columbidae; common name: collared dove)
Those doves were preparing to spend the night on a tree
about 20 m from the point I was standing. The sun was low on the horizon
and the birds knew they had less than 30 minutes to enjoy the last rays.
Sitting together they behaved like a young human couple in love. This
kind of pictures is the one I like most. Nobody knows if those birds
feel something equivalent to love but showing them behave this way
brings them closer to us. A long telephoto was used for this shot wide
open to get a high shutter speed which would show the details.
Photos
by George J. Reclos
Shooting Data:
Camera: Nikon D2X
Lens: Nikkor
ED 500mm f/4 P
Sensitivity: ISO 200
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/1600 sec, f/4
Manual mode
Flash:
None
Image: JPEG edited in Photoshop CS2, levels
adjusted, smart sharpening added and resized.
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Many thanks are due to Mrs. Eva Stets for the correct
identification of the birds
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