Me, not the curlew.
I was pretty discouraged at the beginning of my trip to Bear River MBR three days ago. From watching the sun relative to the clouds as I was arriving at the auto tour loop, I knew that I’d only have about 10 minutes of light before much of the rest of the morning would be heavily overcast. And at that point I hadn’t yet taken a single photo with any potential merit.
1/1600, f/5.6, ISO 1000, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
As I was driving slowly west on the beginning of the deserted, one-way dirt road with my tail between my legs, this Long-billed Curlew flew up from behind me and to my left. I didn’t even see ‘him’ until he was nearly parallel with my pickup window so the bird would be past me in just a couple of seconds. But I had my camera on my lap with the end of my lens poking out the window so I went for the gusto, raised my lens and fired off a few shots while I was still driving.
In those conditions I had almost no chance of getting any decent photos but my attempt at a Hail Mary kept him in frame for 13 shots and two of them were ‘sharp enough’, whatever that is, even with a shutter speed of only 1/1600. This is one of them.
1/1600, f/5.6, ISO 1000, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
Here’s the other one. I think I prefer this one, although neither is what I’d call a great shot.
I’ve attempted photographing birds in flight while I was driving slowly on deserted dirt or gravel roads a few times before but in the past I’ve always forgotten to glance at my speedometer to see how fast I was going. This time I remembered. My driving speed was 14 mph on a rough, although recently graded, dirt road. I have better curlew flight shots but for me when I’m evaluating my photos, DOD (degree of difficulty) matters.
I dunno, maybe it takes a seasoned bird photographer with a super telephoto lens to fully understand the challenges of that shooting situation.
I’ve never bought a lottery ticket in my life and strait-laced Utah doesn’t allow them anyway, but if they did I’d have stopped and bought a few on my way home.
Ron
I’m glad that my photographer father taught me how to pan a moving object with my old Brownie when I was young. I still can get good pix of flying birds and running horses to this day. It’s just a bit more difficult with a long lens-autofocus is helpful, too.It looks like you got lucky with a solid roadbed under your truck, so you could pan along with the curlew.
Sensatonal!
Charlotte Norton
Thanks, Charlotte.
You caught Ol’ Murph asleep at the switch! Woo Hoo! For shooting “off-the-lap,” these are fantastic — heck, even with a tripod I couldn’t come close to these shots!
Want me to buy a Lotto ticket? Just email me your numbers and I’ll go to our local “lucky retailer.”
Thanks for the offer Marty but I don’t want to break my string of never buying them. I’m one of the few, around here at least, that doesn’t buy lottery tickets for reasons other than “moral/religious” reasons. I don’t buy them just because the odds are against me. And I’m trying to live on a retired teachers pension.
You’d get a kick out of this – even though lottery tickets are banned in Utah (you know, the dominant church and all that), just as many Utahns buy them as folks in other states. They just go to Idaho. Or Nevada. Or Colorado. Or Wyoming. And they go in droves!
I’m with you. I haven’t bought a Lotto ticket in at least 20 years and even before that, it was a rare occasion — maybe 2 bucks on a birthday or something. It’s like gambling in Vegas. I’d much prefer to have something to show for my money. (Although, I may drop a quarter in a slot machine every few years just for sh!t$ and giggles.)
What a lovely combination of luck being a lady (for a change), serendipity, experience and skill. I suspect your expression/mood changed a LOT faster than 14mph.
I suspect you’re right, EC. The next two hours were overcast with poor light but getting these shots helped me get through it with a better attitude.
Well, the unphotographed image of the photographer here made me laugh!
Fading light, clouds moving in, grumpy face, big truck being steered by the knee, rolling at 14 MPH on a rough dirt road, camera/lens poking out the window capturing more-than-adequate (read gorgeous!) photos of the only bird around – just PERFECT!
I especially like #2 – sort of a purposeful “A lot to get done today” feeling to it.
Your vision of the scene is pretty darn accurate, Carolyn. The sound of my tires on the road is about the only thing you missed.
Ah, I can hear them – that great crunchy sound!😄
Love both of these shots. Though the second one feels like the bird is looking right at the camera.
Agreed, Michael. That head turn makes a big difference.
“…it takes a seasoned bird photographer with a super telephoto lens to fully understand the challenges of that shooting situation.” I would add accomplished to the seasoned.
Everett said it better than I could, but describing the process is certainly interesting and adds to the appreciation of the photo. Especially when the photographer survives. 14 MPH is over 20 feet per second. Plenty of time for me to end up in the ditch.
“14 MPH is over 20 feet per second”
Straight roads and your knee on the steering wheel helps. Thanks, Lyle.
In my best efforts to take an in-flight shot of any bird it would not be as good as your “Hail Mary” shots of this Curlew. Degree of difficulty certainly does matter although a viewer has no idea what took place unless the photographer gives the details. I think that is one of the things that make Feathered Photography so interesting. Any photographer can post their excellent photos and we can admire them, but knowing how the photos were taken and the degree of difficulty very much influences our perception.
“knowing how the photos were taken and the degree of difficulty very much influences our perception”
Well said, Everett. The backstory, sort of…
If you’d bought those lottery tix, they absolutely would have been winners!
I love the overall golden light on #1, and in #2, I guess it’s the raking angle of the light which really “stands up ” the texture and markings of the feathers.
The soft band of pale gold at the horizon adds a nice color echo to the curlew’s
coloring ,too……you won !
“The soft band of pale gold at the horizon adds a nice color echo to the curlew’s coloring”
Kris, the fact that the backgrounds in both of these shots includes something other than blue sky (white clouds in one, out-of-focus phrags in the other) helped me to mostly overlook some of their shortcomings.
“Raking angle of the light” – since I’m a habitual morning shooter, I plan on stealing that phrase for future use. 🙂
You’ve got a lot more than luck going for you! Super flight shots!!
Thanks, Burrdoo. Maybe, but luck was a major component.
“Good enough” indeed! 🙂 Beautiful! Luv the cinnamon under wing and the great detail on the upper wing including the deep brown of the primary coverts (?)
Thank you, Judy.
Love this shot! Light on the curlew’s back and head is perfect to catch the highlight in the eye.
Thanks, Justine. That’s why I prefer #2.
Unbelievable feat! Please don’t try this on a two-lane highway, especially if I am driving the other way1
Have no fear, Kenneth. I never do. Not ever.
Beautiful shots!
Thanks, Terri.