I spent a couple of hours this morning at Falmer Pond. I wasn’t expecting much (I was really planning just to test out some new gear), but on arrival I spotted this beautiful cormorant perching on a rock at the edge of the water.
I think I may have been disturbing a private moment though…
Those were both taken with the 100-400 lens, but I was interested in getting familiar with my 500mm lens and a new tripod head (Flexline). The beauty of the Flexline is that you set it up so that the horizon is always level, even when you start moving the lens around. And even better, the lens doesn’t creep! This won’t mean much if you’ve not used tripods, but ‘creep’ is a big issue and means constant alignment and readjustment with most systems. Anyway, the remainder of the shots here were taken with the longer lens, from a tripod. Using the Flexline was a delight.
A couple more of the cormorant…
I did some gentle tracking (very easy and very smooth), including several shots of juvenile herring gulls.
The second species of gull at the pond is the black-headed gull, though most of them have now lost their chocolate brown breeding plumage and simply display a dark facial spot.
Back home the foxes were in and out of the garden this afternoon, including a visit by Pretty Vixen.
Camera note: all photos taken with the Canon 1DX Mark II and EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens or EF 500mm f/4 IS II USM lens.
Aurora Stone
15 Aug 2018Cormorants have very big feet. Love the one of Pretty Vixen. She’s a stunner!
Words
17 Aug 2018Thanks Aurora. I like cormorants so it was a treat to see one at the pond. Pretty is lovely!
Darko
16 Aug 2018It is obvious that your gear works just fine! And private moment is hilarious 😀
San got me a tripod for birthday, FotoPro X4i-E Tripod with FPH-42Q Ball Head – Titanium. It is not as high tech as yours but is light and easy to fit in my back pack so I can take it with me whether it is a day hike or multi day back country camping.
Words
17 Aug 2018Darko, I’m getting used to using a tripod. It changes so much of how I do things, but it’s fun learning new tricks and makes using the big lens a lot easier. And I have to work out what I want to photograph first! Good luck with your kit. It looks nice and very portable.