In this week’s video, we take our wildlife photography adventure to the North Carolina coast to photograph birds at a nature preserve that is next to a salt marsh. It was a very hot and humid afternoon, one of the most uncomfortable outdoor photography experiences I can recall! The birds, such as the Great White Egrets, were plentiful and so were the mosquitoes! While I am only rocking the Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 lens with my Nikon Z6, I still managed to make the best of my wildlife photography adventure. Maybe someday I will up my wildlife photography lens game and purchase a super telephoto lens with a bit more reach, but for now, I will make the 70-200mm lens work.
In this week’s video, we take the outdoor photography adventure
What’s In My Camera Bag in this week’s video?
Nikon Z6 Mirrorless Camera body only: https://amzn.to/3sSukhz
Nikon Z 70-200mm f/2.8 lens: https://amzn.to/3IGna8K
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~Acacia~
#wildlifephotography #wildlife_seekers #naturephotography
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8 Comments
Here in Manitoba Canada we're covered in 3ft of snow right now but in the summer we also get the 30c with high humidity…and the mosquitoes. I feel your pain. Enjoyed the video. Thanks!
Love this video Acacia and thanks for braving the brutal heat!! The Egret and Blue Heron have become my favorite large birds to shoot, but they are sneaky and sometimes hard to get close enough for a good shot. I was lucky this year with my 55-200, but my goal is to get a lens with more reach, 400/500. By the way, I grew up in Wilmington (left when I was 9) and really enjoyed my childhood going to Wrightsville Beach and Carolina Beach and I’m sure I wouldn’t recognize it now, but I bet it’s still beautiful😀.
A diet of wildlife causes GAS… just saying. I traded in a few less often used lenses for a relatively inexpensive Nikon 200-500mm F/5.6 and with a 1.4 teleconverter it is a 700 f/8. It is not the sharpest tool in the shed but at a decent price and very versatile for the frequency I use it. My other walkaround tele lens is the 70-300 4.5-5.6 AF-P … it is much lighter than my 70-200 f/2.8. A much less expensive and lighter tool is an umbrella. They work for the sun as portable shade. Thanks for all of the videos in 2022 and hope you have a great 2023.
I am also in NC, Birding can be a challenge compared to Florida, A longer lens is needed or at least a 2x, I shoot with a 600 and just got my 800mm lens and unless you shoot from a blind its pointless also the polorizer is not really needed for birds and will rob you of 2 stops, look forward to more, Also its better/easier to track a bird using the viewfinder rather than the screen especially on a sunny day
BTW I use a 500mm most of the time when seeking bird photos… Not an easy task.. Yet my bird photos have made me a much better photographer over the years. I like to be able to see their eyes as clears as a bell and their claws just as clear.. while in flight.. I've managed to get some amazing shots at Brookgreen Gardens … and Huntington Beach State Park area south of Myrtle Beach.. Great place during migration periods both spring and fall..
I often carry three cameras, one with a 100mm macro on it so I can get those spider shots… nice and tight.. and close 🙂 close enough to count the hairs on their legs… and see the white or black of their teeth … seriously !
I have a trick you may want to try, I often carry my D800 with a 500mm lens on it, I mount the camera on the tripod and carry it that way… I leave the legs of the tripod together, if I see a shoot I want to take I can quickly set the rig down and I have a remote in one hand so I can frame the subject and as I frame it I am focusing… and ready to fire… It all takes me less then a few seconds to do. Less camera shake more stability easier to relax not having to balance the camera with that long lens on it… it also allows you to pivot and shoot in a 360 degree range with a huge horizontal range as well.. It works great… if you've not tried it before try it.. You may find you like..
Those darn mosquitoes!!
Loving the images you got and I feel your pain on the lenses.. we invested into our gear when we were doing wedding so never had the need for a 500 or bigger… someday we’ll get a long lens! I love filming on our 70-200 though