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Macro and Nature
Photography - VIII
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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Nymphicus hollandicus (Order:Psittaciformes;
Family: Cacatuidae)
A
pair of those parrots was playing and displaying to each other when I
approached them. They were so absorbed by their play that they didn't
pay any attention to me which allowed for those close up shots.
Photo
by George J. Reclos
Shooting Data:
Camera:
Nikon D70
Lens: Tamron SP AF 180mm f/3.5 Di Macro 1:1
Sensitivity: ISO200
Shutter speed: 1/180 sec (top) 1/250 sec (bottom), f/8, Aperture priority mode
Flash: SB-800 in i-TTL mode
Image: RAW, converted in Photoshop CS, sharpening and contrast adjusted,
saved in JPEG, levels adjusted, cropped + USM added. Photo taken at the
Attica Zoological Park |
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Turdus merula (common name: Blackbird)
Taking
a picture of a bird at large is far more difficult. Birds are always
alert and ready to flee when they feel threatened, which includes sudden
moves, the sound of the mirror or the light from a flash unit. Sometimes
you just have the time for one shot. Once the flash fires the bird will
usually fly away. This blackbird didn't. While always ready to fly it
decided to stay there and see what was going on - birds are definite
curious some times.
Photo
by George J. Reclos
Shooting Data (top):
Camera:
Nikon D2X
Tamron SP AF 180mm f/3.5 Di Macro 1:1
Sensitivity: ISO100
Shutter speed: 1/250 sec @ f/6.3
Flash: none
Image: JPEG edited in Photoshop CS, level adjustment, resized + USM added. |
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Poicephalus senegalus (Order:
Psittaciformes; Family: Psittacidae; common name: Senegal parrot)
These
parrots are amongst the most active birds in the zoo. When they are not
eating or playing they will come to the front of the cage and look at
the visitors. The contrast of the black coloration with the colours of
the second parrot made this jaw lock a moment to capture. The same
contrast of colors is seen with the orange in the second photo
Photo
by George J. Reclos
Shooting Data (top):
Camera:
Nikon D70
Lens: Nikkor AF-S VR 80-400mm 1:4.5-5.6 D @ 400mm
Sensitivity: ISO200
Shutter speed: 1/60 sec, f/8, Aperture priority mode
Flash: SB-800 in i-TTL mode
Image: JPEG edited in Photoshop CS, levels adjusted, USM added and
resized.
Shooting Data (bottom):
Camera:
Nikon D70
Lens: Tamron SP AF 180mm f/3.5 Di Macro 1:1
Sensitivity: ISO200
Shutter speed: 1/250 sec, f/8, Aperture priority mode
Flash: SB-800 in i-TTL mode
Image: JPEG edited in Photoshop CS, levels adjusted, USM added and
resized. Photos taken at the
Attica Zoological Park |
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Macaca sylvanus
Apes and monkeys are always a big attraction in any zoo. This is mainly
because they look like humans and they behave like us - or at least this
is how we perceive their actions. The male at the top photo was not a
friendly animal. While I was close to its cage it made everything
possible to make sure that I would keep a distance. I wondered why he
was so hostile when I noticed a female carrying a newborn in the back.
Since the male wouldn't allow me to get closer, I decided to take a
longer shot with the use of flash which would show the wires of the cage
and - hopefully - frame the carrying female. The second photo shows the
results... this is as good as it gets. Some minutes later, the happy
family was resting in the shadow allowing for a closer shot (bottom
photo)
Photo
by George J. Reclos
Shooting Data (top photo) :
Camera:
Nikon D70
Lens: Nikkor AF-S VR 80-400mm 1:4.5-5.6 D @ 400mm
Sensitivity: ISO200
Shutter speed: 1/500 sec, f/8, Aperture priority mode
Flash: SB-800 in i-TTL mode
Image: JPEG edited in Photoshop CS, levels adjusted, USM added and
resized.
Shooting Data (middle) :
Camera:
Nikon D2X
Lens: Tamron SP AF 180mm f/3.5 Di Macro 1:1
Sensitivity: ISO100
Shutter speed: 1/180 sec, f/8, Aperture priority mode
Flash: SB-800 in i-TTL mode
Image: JPEG edited in Photoshop CS, levels adjusted, USM added and
resized.
Shooting Data (bottom) :
Camera:
Nikon D2X
Lens: Tamron SP AF 180mm f/3.5 Di Macro 1:1
Sensitivity: ISO100
Shutter speed: 1/100 sec, f/8, Aperture priority mode
Flash: SB-800 in i-TTL mode
Image: JPEG edited in Photoshop CS, levels adjusted, USM added and
resized. Photos taken at the
Attica Zoological Park |
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Pavo cristatus (Family:
Galliformes;
common name: Indian Peafowl; Peacock)
Those
photos were not taken at the same time or the same visit to the zoo. The
two peacocks at the top photo could well be used to promote "Love
Story". Then follow pictures of the male, the female and finally the
young pigeon following its mother at the bottom picture.
Photo
by George J. Reclos
Shooting Data (top):
Camera:
Nikon D2X
Lens: Tamron SP AF 180mm f/3.5 Di Macro 1:1
Sensitivity: ISO100
Shutter speed: 1/250 sec, f/8, Aperture priority mode
Flash: SB-800 in i-TTL mode
Image: JPEG edited in Photoshop CS, levels adjusted, USM added and
resized.
Shooting Data (middle):
Camera:
Nikon D2X
Lens: Tamron SP AF 180mm f/3.5 Di Macro 1:1
Sensitivity: ISO100
Shutter speed: 1/250 sec, f/8, Aperture priority mode
Flash: SB-800 in i-TTL mode
Image: JPEG edited in Photoshop CS, levels adjusted, USM added and
resized.
Shooting Data (middle bottom):
Camera:
Nikon D70
Lens: Tamron SP AF 180mm f/3.5 Di Macro 1:1
Sensitivity: ISO200
Shutter speed: 1/250 sec, f/13, Aperture priority mode
Flash: SB-800 in i-TTL mode
Image: RAW, converted in Photoshop CS, sharpening and contrast adjusted,
saved in JPEG, levels adjusted, cropped + USM added.
Shooting Data (bottom) :
Camera:
Nikon D2X
Lens: Tamron SP AF 180mm f/3.5 Di Macro 1:1
Sensitivity: ISO100
Shutter speed: 1/60 sec, f/8, Aperture priority mode
Flash: SB-800 in i-TTL mode
Image: JPEG edited in Photoshop CS, levels adjusted, USM added and
resized. Photos taken at the
Attica Zoological Park |
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Eupeodes corollae (common
name: hoverfly)
This
photo was not meant to be part of this section. I was impressed by the
way this insect stood still in mid air before visiting a flower and took
a shot of it when it landed in one, just to identify it later and learn
what kind of insect it it. Fortunately, one of the pictures turned out
really good but, unfortunately, identification was not that easy. I am
still not sure if it should be regarded as a fly or a wasp.
Photo
by George J. Reclos
Camera:
Nikon D2X
Lens: Tamron SP AF 180mm f/3.5 Di Macro 1:1
Sensitivity: ISO100
Shutter speed: 1/125 sec, f/5.6, Aperture priority mode
Flash: SB-800 in i-TTL mode
Image: JPEG edited in Photoshop CS, levels adjusted, USM added and
resized. |
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Apis mellifera, Family: Apidae (common name: honey bee)
One
more bee in one more flower, yet every picture of this insect seems
different in many ways. This was shot on a windy day and made my life
miserable since it was constantly on the move. At one moment the wind
stopped and so did the insect - perhaps waiting to see what happened. At
this moment I managed to get two almost identical shots of it.
Photo
by George J. Reclos
Shooting Data:
Camera:
Nikon D2X
Lens: Tamron SP AF 180mm f/3.5 Di Macro 1:1
Sensitivity: ISO100
Shutter speed: 1/250 sec, f/18, Aperture priority mode
Flash: SB-800 in i-TTL mode
Image: JPEG edited in Photoshop CS, levels adjusted, USM added and
resized. |
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Balearica regulorum (common name: Golden crown
crane)
Cranes are usually impressive birds but the crown crane
is definitely the most impressive of them all. The golden crown, the
blue eyes, the contrasty colors all make up a beautiful bird and a nice
photo. The birds don't like the human presence so you need either a very
long lens (300 mm or longer) or, alternative, a fence which will hide
you from them. I chose the second and managed to take some pictures of
them standing just 4 meters away from me.
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: 1/640 sec - f/8, Aperture priority mode
Flash: None
Image: JPEG edited in Photoshop CS, levels adjusted, USM added and
resized. Photos taken at the
Attica Zoological Park |
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Saimiri sciureus (Common name: Common squirrel
monkey)
With a body not exceeding 30 cm (one
foot) in length this monkey is one of the highlights of any zoo. They
are left in the open (no bars between them and the visitors) so you can
get really close to them. Very curious animals (and quite aggressive)
they will try to lay their hands on anything that seems strange to them.
This one had just seen the flash firing at it and stood still wondering
which his next move should be. Minutes later he tried to catch the flash
unit.
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: 1/160 sec - f/8, Aperture
priority mode
Flash: SB-800 in i-TTL mode
Images: JPEG edited in Photoshop CS, levels adjusted, USM added and
resized. Photo taken at the
Attica Zoological Park |
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Leucospar rothschildi (common
name: Rothchild mynah)
A
beautiful and extremely rare bird (it is estimated that only 6 pairs
live in the wild now; most of the ones exhibited in zoos are captive
bred) it is also a species showing a high degree of intraspecies
aggression. On a hot Sunday morning, I saw two males displaying to each
other (bottom photo) over the body of a dying one. Not a nice sight but
nature can be really hard some times !
Photo
by George J. Reclos
Shooting Data (top photo):
Camera:
Nikon D2X
Lens: Tamron SP AF 180mm f/3.5 Di Macro 1:1
Sensitivity: ISO100
Shutter speed: 1/125 sec, f/8, Aperture priority mode
Flash: SB-800 in i-TTL mode
Shooting Data (bottom photo):
Camera:
Nikon D2X
Lens: Tamron SP AF 180mm f/3.5 Di Macro 1:1
Sensitivity: ISO100
Shutter speed: 1/250 sec, f/8, Aperture priority mode
Flash: SB-800 in i-TTL mode
Images: JPEG edited in Photoshop CS, levels adjusted, USM added and
resized. Photos
taken at the
Attica Zoological Park |
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Chrysolophus amherstiae
(common name: Lady Amherst's pheasant)
I was nicely surprised to see this
small pheasant next to its mother. I had the opportunity to watch the
display of the male a couple of weeks ago with Johnny and we were
wondering if the pair would be able to lay eggs in captivity. Of course,
the sheer size of the cage (almost 1.000 sq. meters) and the dense
vegetation looked to us as a nice environment. Two weeks later, this
young was exploring the world under the close surveillance of its
mother.
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: 1/125 sec - f/8, Aperture
priority mode
Flash: SB-800 in i-TTL mode
Image: saturation and levels adjusted in PS CS, USM added. Photo taken
at the
Attica Zoological Park |
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(? awaiting identification )
A
lovely and curious bird which has been very well acclimatized with
people. Taking a nice picture is quite difficult because of its rather
small size and the fact that is is usually on the move.
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/8, Aperture
priority mode
Flash: SB-800 in i-TTL mode
Image: saturation and levels adjusted in PS CS, USM added. Photo taken
at the
Attica Zoological Park
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Cuvier's toucan (Ramphastos
tucanus)
This toucan is less impressive than its
biggest cousin but shows a sexual dimorphism which allows to tell
makes from females. In the bottom photo, the pair is seen to have
their mouths open in an effort to cool down. It was an extremely hot
day !
Photo
by
George
J. Reclos
Shooting Data (top photo) :
Camera: Nikon D2X
Lens: Tamron SP AF 180mm f/3.5 Di Macro 1:1
Sensitivity: ISO100
Shutter speed: 1/80 @ f/8, Aperture priority mode
Flash:
SB-800
in i-TTL mode
Image: RAW, converted in Nikon Capture editor, sharpening none, USM
100-3-7 cropped and saved.
Shooting Data (bottom photo) :
Camera:
Nikon D2X
Lens: Tamron SP AF 180mm f/3.5 Di Macro 1:1
Sensitivity: ISO100
Shutter speed: 1/60 sec, f/8, Aperture priority mode
Flash: SB-800 in i-TTL mode
Image: JPEG edited in Photoshop CS, levels adjusted, USM added and
resized. Photos
taken at the
Attica Zoological Park
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Dahlia hybrid (Procyon I)
These three photos tell a small story which would have gone
unnoticed if there was no camera to capture the images. A really
beautiful and extremely colorful dahlia flower opens, blossoms and
then starts to die. This "cycle" is completed in less than two weeks
while the "dying" flower creates a feeling of sorrow.
Photo by
George
J. Reclos
Shooting Data (top):
Camera: Nikon D2X
Lens: Tamron SP AF 180mm f/3.5 Di Macro 1:1
Sensitivity: ISO100
Shutter speed: 1/250 sec f/8,
Aperture priority mode
Flash:none
Image: JPEG edited in Photoshop CS, levels adjusted, USM added and
resized.
Shooting Data (middle):
Camera: Nikon D2X
Lens: Tamron SP AF 180mm f/3.5 Di Macro 1:1
Sensitivity: ISO100
Shutter speed: 1/100 sec f/9,
Aperture priority mode
Flash:none
Image: JPEG edited in Photoshop CS, levels adjusted, USM added and
resized.
Shooting Data (bottom):
Camera: Nikon D2X
Lens: Tamron SP AF 180mm f/3.5 Di Macro 1:1
Sensitivity: ISO100
Shutter speed: 1/90 sec f/11,
Aperture priority mode
Flash:SB-800
in i-TTL/FP mode
Image: JPEG edited in Photoshop CS, levels adjusted, USM added and
resized.
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Macropus rufogriseus frutica
(common name: Bennett's Wallaby)
When I first saw this wallaby in the
shadow of the nearby tree I thought there was something unusual
about it since it seemed much fatter than the rest. On closer look I
saw two little legs and then a cute face. With the male resting just
behind them, the mother and its baby searched for food remainders.
Photo by
George
J. Reclos
Shooting data:
Camera:
Nikon D2X
Lens:
Tamron SP AF 180mm f/3.5 Di Macro 1:1
Sensitivity: ISO100
Shutter speed: 1/180sec @ f/8,
Aperture priority mode
Flash:
SB-800
in i-TTL mode
Image: JPEG edited in Photoshop CS, levels adjusted, USM added and
resized. Photo
taken at the
Attica Zoological Park
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Tadorna tadornoides (common name: Australian shelduck)
A duck is stretching its feathers and waves them
frantically to remove water from them. In order to freeze them you
need a really high shutter speed and if your ISO setting is 100 for
maximum detail this means using your lens wide open. In my
experience very few lenses could deliver this kind of detail while
wide open and the Tamron was one of them.
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: 1/2000 sec @ f/3.5,
Aperture priority mode
Flash:
SB-800
in i-TTL mode
Image: JPEG edited in Photoshop CS, levels adjusted, USM added and
resized. Photo
taken at the
Attica Zoological Park
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Crocodylus niloticus (common name: Nile crocodile)
Motionless, fearless and deadly this crocodile is
a living fossil. This prehistoric animal has no enemies in the
wild with two notable exceptions : hippos and man. The fine
details on its head are revealed in this picture. I got about 10
pictures of it and it didn't move an inch, despite the use of
the flash.
Photo by
George
J. Reclos
Shooting data:
Camera:
Nikon
D2X
Lens:
Tamron SP AF 90 mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1
Sensitivity: ISO100
Shutter speed: 1/250 sec @ f/8,
Aperture priority mode
Flash:
SB-800
in i-TTL mode
Image: JPEG edited in Photoshop CS, levels adjusted, USM added and
resized. Photo
taken at the
Attica Zoological Park
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Lama guanicor (common name:
Lama)
A female lama allows its newborn to feed. The 90 mm
lens was hardly the best lens for this kind of shot (an 180 mm would
be much more appropriate) but luckily, after spending some time
around them, they decided to move closer so I could get a full frame
picture of this event.
Photo by
George
J. Reclos
Shooting data:
Camera:
Nikon
D2X
Lens:
Tamron SP AF 90 mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1
Sensitivity: ISO100
Shutter speed: 1/200 sec @ f/8,
Aperture priority mode
Flash:
SB-800
in i-TTL mode
Image: JPEG edited in Photoshop CS, levels adjusted, USM added and
resized. Photo
taken at the
Attica Zoological Park
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Many thanks are due to Mrs. Eva Stets for the correct
identification of the birds
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