Scenic Aperture

Every spring, hundreds of thousands of Sandhill Cranes rest and feed for several weeks on the Platte River between Kearney and Grand Island as they migrate north to their summer nesting sites. Strangely, they usually do not stop in Nebraska on their return flight south – except for a few thousand hardy souls who dropped in before Thanksgiving this year and are still hanging around today.

The folks at Rowe Sanctuary have been quite excited about their presence and so I thought I would take a look for myself. I scoped out the area south of the Platte and east of Highway 10 late yesterday and located a flock of a thousand or so birds. This morning they were still there and the light was pretty sweet . . .

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The fall migration through the Missouri River flyway is wrapping up once again. The lakes and streams are mostly frozen after last week’s snow and cold snap. Once open water is gone, the huge flocks of geese, pelicans, hawks, eagles and other birds that use this flyway must move on to warmer climates.

There are a few stragglers, mostly snow geese, and a lot of bald eagles still hanging around. I enjoy shooting eagles this time of year. They are abundant now (it is amazing how common they are around here compared to just a few years ago) and the cold weather seems to make them a bit more tolerant. I went out before sunrise this morning despite the frigid temperatures, wind, and fog. Surprisingly, there were a lot of other photographers out too. The eagles put on quite a show for us. Too bad the light wasn’t a bit better.

All images shot with Canon 7D and Canon EF400mm f/5.6L:

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1/250s at f/5.6 +1EV ISO200

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1/2500s at f/5.6 +1 EV iso800

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1/2500s at f/5.6 +1 EV iso800

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1/5000s at f/5.6 +1EV iso800

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I must not be the only nature photographer whose wife needs periodic check-ins for peace of mind. I frequently find myself off the grid in places where my iPhone serves only as a mediocre flashlight or paper weight. So when I’m shooting in areas with no cell phone service where I cannot be reached, my wife imagines the worst. Throw in a later-than-expected return home and she is ready to call out the Marines as she is sure I’m freezing to death at the top of a mountain with a broken leg while being stalked by a rabid porcupine.

All kidding aside, as nature photographers we occasionally take some risks to get the shot. Just stepping off the curb is risky. Add the inherent risks of being isolated in remote wilderness areas and a relatively minor accident can quickly become serious or even life threatening. To help mitigate these risks and to help my wife’s peace of mind, I’ve just acquired a new gizmo that will provide a life line when standard technology is useless.

SPOT Connect turns your smart phone into a satellite communicator. This very cool device uses bluetooth and a smart phone app to  send messages to contacts or to emergency response personnel.

From the SPOT web site, “Simply pair your smartphone with SPOT Connect, and get connected to a global satellite network that lets you send messages and GPS coordinates from virtually anywhere on the planet. Update Twitter and Facebook. Send email and text messages. Request non-emergency help from professional service providers. And in the case of a critical emergency, send an SOS message requesting emergency assistance.”

SPOT offers three levels of messaging. Which one to use depends on your circumstances:

• SOS sends your GPS location to the GEOS International Emergency Response Coordination Center (IERCC) for emergency assistance in life threatening situations.
• HELP sends either custom Type & Send or Predefined messages to recipients in your contact list for assistance in non-life threatening situations.
• CHECK-IN/OK sends your messages and your location to friends and family for casual updates. These messages can also be simultaneously sent to your Facebook and Twitter accounts.

However, assuming this thing works as advertised – and I have no reason to doubt that it will – it seems like a pretty cheap insurance policy and essential camera accessory for the serious nature photographer. At a minimum, it will provide my wife peace of mind. Worst case (or would that be best case) it might save my life. I hope I never have to use the SOS button.

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I am always looking for new ways to display, promote, and share my photos on-line. I’ve recently discovered an on-line tool, Animoto, to do just that. Animoto automatically produces beautifully orchestrated, completely unique video pieces from your photos, video clips, and music. There are four annual subscription pricing plans including a free option (although you can only make 30 second videos unless you upgrade to a paid level). Of course to get the really cool features you have to upgrade to the Pro version which might be a little expensive for the casual user.

After creating an account, you simply upload your photos, select from several pre-made themes, choose an audio track, and then click “produce your video”. It all happens on-line, including storing your photos. It takes several minutes after you click “produce” for your video to be made. When finished, you are notified by e-mail. Your video is then hosted on Animoto’s web site from which it can be viewed, downloaded, exported to YouTube, shared to social networking sites, or embedded on your website.

It’s definitely worth a look. Check out my first Animoto. . .

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Here is a detail shot of Mineral Creek near the entrance to the Alpine Loop Scenic Byway just south of Ouray, CO. I made this photograph in early October at the peak of autumn color. If you look close you can see a few yellow aspen leaves in the water and on the rocks.  I’m sure it is quite a different scene today. The weekend weather forecast for the Ouray area included 20 inches of snow by midnight tonight.

I made this image with the Canon 5D Mark II and EF24-105mm at 40mm f/4.0L IS USM at f/13.0 0.4s iso100. To control the light a Lightcraft Fader ND adjustable neutral density filter was mounted to the lens and set to reduce the light by about 4 stops. This filter let me precisely control the light to maintain just the right amount of detail in the moving water. The Fader ND is a must-have accessory for shooting waterfalls and cascades.

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Mineral Creek - Alpine Loop Scenic Byway

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