Low and Poor Light High ISO experiments

Saturday Jan 23, 2010 - Wakodahatchee Wetlands once more. I did not see what the forecast was but was the light poor - dark clouds with an occasional break. Time to test the 7d as I wanted to yesterday. I will post my ISO 3200 image in a subsequent blog - a straight conversion from RAW to JPEG.

Came across a family of Black Crowned Night Herons at the entrance - too separated for a good family portrait. Shot a few individuals. There is a lot of nesting activity and this female flew by just as I had put a card into my 1D. 

 

Female Anhinga with Nesting Material

EOS 1D Mk II (my old faithful) 70 - 200 IS, 1.4x, 1/1000 at f 5.6 ISO 400

This big male gator comes swimming under the boardwalk and gets up on the island - boring - ok so after a while ......... a big yawn.

 

Gator Yawn

EOS 7D - 500 mm IS, 1/640 at f 8.0, ISO 1000

There has been a single spoonbill in the wetlands for a few days - always beyond the reach of my 500 and 1.4x combination. This morning this spoonbill flies over - a few flight shots (rear end mainly) but then it lands toward the entrance to the complex. As usual - one hour of him on one led head and bill tucked into his wing. An eternity and then some movement. A pick up my gear and head toward this specimen. What a display - bathing, splashing, preening, strutting - the works. Full breeding plumage - BEAUTIFUL - a mate is needed. The next three images are all the same bird.

I shot some video footage that I will try and post later.

Roseate Spoonbill Bathing

EOS 7D - 500 mm IS, 1/640 at f 5.6, -2/3 EV ISO 500

 

Roseate Spoonbill Preening

EOS 7D - 500 mm IS, 1/250 at f 7.1, -2/3 EV ISO 500

 

Roseate Spoonbill on the move

EOS 7D - 500 mm IS, 1/800 at f 5.6, -2/3 EV ISO 1000