Wildlife shots from this morning

[terrib]

Well sometimes you plan and then some nice opportunities pop up in front of you. I've been back in Colorado for a couple of weeks now and I had located 3 different fox dens. It's the mountains, so sunrise/sunset doesn't actually coincide with available light so I've been scoping out all 3 to find the time of day that each receives the best light. I got up very early this morning in hopes of seeing other wildlife while waiting for the light to find one of the dens. I spotted a Great Blue Heron but before I could set up, he flew across the lake and landed in the tree. I was so intent on him that it took me a bit to realize that what he kept looking at down below him was yet another fox den. I sat for a while until they became comfortable with venturing out and got the below shots. I then travelled to my intended den and those kits were nowhere to be found. After waiting, doing another round of shots at the first location, and checking back I gave up, satisfied with the alternate shots. And as I was leaving, I spotted the pair of Red-Tailed Hawks. Sometimes, these trips do turn out ok!

C&C is always welcome. All except the hawk shots are shot at 6400 ISO. All shot at 600mm, F6.3, various SS, Canon 7D.

[Digital]

Very nice images.



Bruce

[John 2]

Lovely series Terri.

[FootLoose]

all good shots, Terri, but I particularly like the first shot. The drooping foliage on the pines, the downward angle of the bare branches under the heron, and the bird's hunched posture all work harmoniously. For some reason, it makes me think of a Dickens character - perhaps one of his lawyers...

[chauncey]

Terri, with those kinds of subjects, I would be spending a lot of time out there...great shots!

[Shadowman]

Nice series.

[terrib]

Thanks for taking the time to comment everyone!

Greg, I like your reference to a Dicken's character for the Heron. I see that!

Chauncey, it's the reason I love spending time in Colorado. Such diversity of subjects and I haven't even gotten to landscapes and wildflowers yet.

[bnnrcn]

Lovely shots Terri . You are lucky to be there . I really can't say which one is good, they are all nice

[Otavio]

Very nice series, Terri. I think #2 is a wonderful image, for the moment captured and great composition. Thanks for sharing!

[Kaye Leggett]

Your early morning was well worth it - all great shots. Particularly like the third.

[vaez]

very nice image

[Kyle]

All great shots! The fox is adorable.

[jeames]

The two pics of the fox are great. I especially like the second one with the fox looking straight into the camera and the slight shimmer in the reflection.

[FlyingSquirrel]

Nice shots. I like the fox and reflection images most. I am still trying to comprehend that you shot with a 7D at ISO 6400. Don't you find the noise to be out of control at that setting? How do you handle post processing?

[Mike Buckley]

Nice shots. I like the fox and reflection images most.

Agreed! Well done, Terri!

[deetheturk]

Lovely series Terri!

[jamn4ex]

Just awesome!

[terrib]

Thanks for all your kind comments, everyone.

Matt, I had never really pushed the ISO so much before and decided to try it since the light in those trees was so low. Looking at the images full screen on my monitor, the noise is not noticeable. There is very little or no cropping on these images and I was careful to make sure that I didn't underexpose them when I was shooting. When I look at the images at a 1:1 ratio, the noise is then noticeable so I'm not sure how well these would print. The only noise reduction I did was in Lightroom.

I will try this den at some point a little later in the morning when it might be a bit brighter but the water still calm. In the evening, the light will be toward this den I think but so far every time I've been out in the evenings, the water has been rough.

[jordand]

Like #2 the best.

[FlyingSquirrel]

Thanks for all your kind comments, everyone.

Matt, I had never really pushed the ISO so much before and decided to try it since the light in those trees was so low. Looking at the images full screen on my monitor, the noise is not noticeable. There is very little or no cropping on these images and I was careful to make sure that I didn't underexpose them when I was shooting. When I look at the images at a 1:1 ratio, the noise is then noticeable so I'm not sure how well these would print. The only noise reduction I did was in Lightroom.

I will try this den at some point a little later in the morning when it might be a bit brighter but the water still calm. In the evening, the light will be toward this den I think but so far every time I've been out in the evenings, the water has been rough.

Hi Terri, thanks for the reply. Sorry I'm a bit late to get back to you. I appreciate the explanation you gave regarding the noise. I can see how a non-cropped image could possibly be usable, but when cropped, yes, you will lose a lot of detail. I'm looking forward to the 7Dmk2....no specs are official on it yet, but I have a feeling it will be a killer camera for wildlife shooters