![\"\"](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/american-avocet-9527b-ron-dudley.jpg\" "\\"american-avocet-9527b-ron-dudley\\"")
<\/p>\nAnd this year’s Antelope Island Spider Fest Photo Contest.<\/p>\n
Yesterday I mentioned that my Canon R5 has had several recent and unfortunate episodes of ‘independence’, when it changed my aperture to random settings without my knowledge or direction. Before I noticed the change I got one photo of an American Avocet chick at Bear River MBR that I like, even though the glitch had messed with my aperture, resulting in a much-reduced shutter speed and a very soft (moving) left leg of the avocet.<\/p>\n
I told readers that I might post that image anyway. This is it.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
1\/400, f\/20, ISO 800, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f\/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in<\/em><\/p>\n The chick was foraging for food in shallow water with its very protective parents nearby. Because it was foraging, its head was down nearly all of the time and I was desperate to time a shot when its head was up and I had good light on its face and a catch light in its eye. This photo was my only success.<\/p>\n But of course, its raised left leg was moving fast enough to make it very soft at that reduced shutter speed. I’m not happy about it but I can live with it because I like the photo otherwise. It isn’t unusual for me to cut some slack for photos of baby or very young birds.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n When I took this photo I was using a new homemade photography “gadget” and without it I’d have had no chance, none at all, to get the shot. So I’m very pleased with the prospects of the gadget serving me well in the future. It’s my intention to publish a post about the gadget, its construction and effectiveness in the near future.<\/p>\n If you’re a bird photographer who shoots from your vehicle even occasionally, you might want to watch for it.<\/p>\n Ron<\/p>\n <\/p>\n PS – My good friend Justina Parsons-Bernstein, Utah State Parks Heritage Resources Manager, has asked me to help publicize and promote the 2023 Antelope Island Spider Fest Photo Contest. Here’s all the pertinent info.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n If you’re thinking about entering the contest, here’s a tip. In my experience, the best part of the island to find and photograph spiders is the north end, especially near the marina and between the marina and Ladyfinger Point. Look for their webs amongst the sagebrush and other plants or structures. They’re usually easy to find, especially in morning or evening light. For some folks they can be too easy to find, if you know what I mean.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" And this year’s Antelope Island Spider Fest Photo Contest.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/spider-fest-photo-contest.jpg\" "\\"spider-fest-photo-contest\\"")
<\/p>\n