I love to PAN.

Some birds fly faster than others.  Some pretty much fly in straight line.  Others like the swallow are constantly turning and going up and down.  The f-16′s of the bird world.  Or the Flycatcher.  Fast and unpredictable flight.  As I have watched the American Avocet I’ve noticed some routines in their flights.  At Farmington they often between ponds.  Back and forth. And pretty much in a straight line.  So I set up. Put the long lens on the D3s and waited between the ponds.  I almost always shoot in aperture priority.  Gives me control over the depth of field.  Though most of the time I shoot wide open to isolate the subject.  It is a look and feel in a photograph that I like.  So I am shooting wide open (f/6.7 on the 600 with a 1.7 teleconverter).  The long lens allows me the distance I need from the Avocet so they will fly directly between ponds.  And not be deterred by my presence.  I am 90 degrees from the birds as they fly by.  Panning right then left.  Fortunately I have a great Gitzo tripod with the gimbal head.    Makes the panning a little easier and smoother than hand holding.  Besides that, I would have to look like the hulk to hand hold a 600mm lens successfully.    After about 800 or so frames I was done (sunset).  Ended up with a couple of keepers……

I did take the liberty to convert to black and white and erase the original colored layer of the Avocet back in.  The full color photo was a little bland.

As photographers we dream about certain shots.

We hope to get that one shot.  I am no exception.  The White Faced Ibis is a beautiful bird.  Unless you have seen an Ibis through binoculars, a 600mm lens or in a cage you would never know of it’s beauty. Flying by or from a distance it looks like a black bird with a real long bent beak.   They stop in Utah for a bit this time of year.  I have tried for many moons and seasons to get a shot with the extended wings of an Ibis. And in decent light.  Patience payed off!!!!!  I waited and waited.  Watched and learned about the behavior of this animal.  After preening they walk a bit with their wings extended.  To dry?  Don’t know.  Just real darn happy with the shot.

For you fellow photographers here is the Meta….

ISO – 1000,  1000mm (600mm with 1.7 extender), 1/1000 sec @ 6.7.  (No kidding 1000 across the board except the f-stop)

For the most part I have a camera is near me.  It was cloudy (again) today.  Some sprinkles.  No sunshine.  As I traveled I noticed off in the distance a fight.  Geese fight to be exact.  Had to push the ISO up to 3200.  Shot wide open at 6.7 (includes 1.7 extension compensation).  Even with the limited noise the shot is pretty sharp.  What was amazing is the two birds chased each other for a while.  Even as I drove off…..

My first PET CEMETERY!

Real serious stuff!

Cats, dogs, elephants, and tigers….yep there all here.

Over one hundred humans cremated/buried with their beloved animals.

I was amazed  at the amount of effort and cost people have put forward for their pets.  Never seen anything like this before.

Even K-9′s are buried here. Not sure if I will see this type of cemetery again. Just my humble opinion….seems a little extreme.

This country is a little tattered right now.  I believe it is the greatest country in the world.  The American FLAG.  A symbol of our greatness, freedom, history and resources.  We respect our flag.  Or least we are supposed to.  Have we forgotten?  Has our effort just to survive in this crazy world made us forget how to respect the symbol of our freedoms?  Today I saw this in Las Vegas…….

A worn, torn tattered flag.  Respect?  I think not.  Has Terribles Stores in Las Vegas forgotten what the flag stands for?

Pahrump Nevada – a brothel town.  Building a store there.  Quite a place.   I hope that the relationship depicted here between the construction equipment at the job and the Gentleman’s club across the street is as close as the two get.

In Las Vegas tonight.

Brought my new Apple MacBook Pro.  And my camera.  Oh.  I am working.

Since my last visit here they finished the bridge in front of the Hoover Dam.  Just before sundown I sped over to the Dam and had some fun.  Processed all the shots in Photomatix Pro.  Lightning fast computer, incredible software and Dam good subject.

Had to get the artsy farsty shot tonight.

Shot this guy Sunday morning.  Can’t find him in my Bird’s of Utah book.  Incredible landing technique don’t you think?

Got up early today!

There really is not anything better than early Sunday morning with the camera and wildlife.  Today was one of the best.  It’s spring.  Love is in the air.  Birds procreating.  Eggs a lay’in.    Bird enthusiasm everywhere.  A great time to enjoy being out.  A better time to get incredible shots of unique characteristic’s and behavior’s.    A Great Blue Heron landed in a body of water (pond).  Fishing for it’s young about a 1/4 mile away in a Heron rookery.  Out of nowhere a Goose swooped in and chased the Heron out.  I watched this same exercise several times.  The goose was protecting a nest that it’s life companion was roosting on.  The Heron was probably coming to it’s favorite fishing hole.  The goose would have none of that.  This went on for some time.  I was startled at the size of the Goose.  I have never seen the two flying near each other.   I always thought the Blue Heron was a larger bird.  This photo of the Goose chasing the Heron shows otherwise….

“Hey we don’t make fun of you!”

I tell people all the time that very little of my time is spent in front of a mirror.  For obvious reasons I’ll bet this guy feels the same!