A MORNING WITH THE SMALLEST

Immature male Ruby-throated Hummingbird

Sitting on the porch with a cup of coffee and behind the camera after a busy week on a Sunday morning is hard to beat. We still have a number of Ruby-throated Hummingbirds around and as far I have seen it, they are all juvenile males. These young rowdies have the endless battle about the best feeders and bully each other whenever they can. Their ruby throat is not fully developed yet but the first feathers that look almost like scales start to peek out.

This summer the tiny hummingbirds have nested relatively early here and have probably already left towards the tropics some time ago. What we see are immature birds that have only recently hatched further north and that are now on their first journey to the south.

It had rained overnight again and an overcast still covered the sky this morning. I like this kind of soft light for my hummingbird photography. The MAGMOD MagBeam flash extender was used to throw some extra light at the birds and use the reflection of the feathers to bring out some colors.

There were many keepers on the memory card today but I always look for the special pose or gesture that makes the difference between a good picture and a photo that tells a story.

All images: Nikon D750, Sigma 150-600mm / f5-6.3 DG OS HSM S, Induro GIT 404XL tripod, Induro GHB2 gimbal head, Nikon SB 800 speed light, MAGMOD MagBeam flash extender

DEPENDING ON INSECTS

Eastern Wood-Pewee, Mississippi River, Mud Lake Marina, Iowa

I have been out of town for a few days but I guess I didn’t miss much in regards of wildlife photography. It was rainy and cold here. It warmed up today and this evening, after my return, I took our dog for a much needed exercise down to the Mississippi River. The water level is almost back to normal and Mud Lake Park is open again. Some dirt and debris is still evidence from the recent weeks of flooding.

The month of May was relatively cold overall and I had already concerns about the many flycatchers species, who spend the summer here and depend so much on flying insects. It was nice to see an Eastern Wood-Pewee, catching insects mid-air. Knowing the feeding and foraging habits of birds has helped me many times to find them. The pewee was very busy between the stranded logs the river had left along the shore he and returned quite often to the same perch after catching an insect. I used the car for cover and after getting the MAGMOD MagBeam flash extender out of the bag my results improved while the sun was hiding behind a cloud.

WARBLER DAY

Yellow Warbler ------------

I have 3 photos of warblers for you today. All have the word “yellow” in the name but each is of course from a different species. As always, you can click on each photo for a larger image on your screen. It was a gray Sunday but the temperature started rising again. Early in the morning I saw a couple warblers here near the house and with warmer temperatures insects started flying again. I figured out it would be a good day looking for migrating or mating warblers around the Deere Marsh at the Mississippi River in Dubuque and at the end of the day I was not disappointed with my encounters.

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Taking pictures of birds against a gray sky or with water in the background that reflects the sky is usually a no-no, but rules are there to be broken sometimes…😉 To bring out the colors of these little neotropical birds requires to send a hint of flash in their direction. The light will be reflected and this takes care of the dull appearance under an overcast. I used the trusted MAGMOD MagBeam flash extender (click the link if you like to see it http://www.exnerimages.net/gear ).

Common Yellowthroat

Some of the pictures were made from the tripod and a flash arm was used. Others were made out of my car and in this case I mount the flash directly to the hot shoe of the camera. This is a little awkward at times because of the limited height of the car window but I haven’t found a better way yet. Don’t take me wrong, I still think a gray background does not lead to a real good photo but going out shooting beats the alternative, staying home… 😊

GEAR TALK: MAGMOD MAGBEAM WILDLIFE KIT

MAGMOD MagBeam Fresnel flash extender -------

Well, I haven’t done any gear talk in a long time and after over ten weeks of testing I’m ready to write a little blog post about a new piece that made it into my photo bag. The MAGMOD MagBeam Wildlife Kit is a fresnel flash extender that has replaced the good old ‘Better Beamer’. Technically it works the same way, a fresnel lens collimates the light from the speedlight and extends the capabilities of the flash light by 2-3 extra stops. This is a big deal for my wildlife photography and I use the MagBeam usually with the long lens, the Sigma 150-600. There are two reasons to use the flash extender. First it allows to increase the depth of field, especially under low light conditions, but more important for me is to improve the quality of light for bird photography. Flash fill makes a big difference for the colors.

Now retired: Better Beamer flash extender

So why did I give up the old Better Beamer for the new MagBeam? Mounting the Better Beamer to the SB 800 speedlight has been always an awkward procedure, especially if someone is in a hurry. The flimsy plastic parts are held together with velcro and if you don’t secure the Better Beamer with gaffers tape, there is always a chance that the whole unit falls off while moving around. The MagBeam has a rubber part that fits tightly over the speedlight, called the MagGrip. It has a couple strong permanent magnets embedded that hold the actual flash modifier with the fresnel lens. When you need the MagBeam in the field, you just snap the modifier onto the MagGrip and start shooting. This is a big plus in my books and one of the main reasons why I like the MAGMOD MagBeam a lot. The modifier is made out of rubber and is collapsable for smaller packing.

Mourning Dove, photo made with MAGMOD MagBeam flash extender

In direct comparison of both flash extenders I would say the MagBeam delivers a slightly softer light, and this is a good thing. This may have to do with its oval shape, but I’m not sure. The only downside I can see so far is the little heavier weight of the new tool over the old Better Beamer. This is not a problem for me. The faster mounting time and softer flash fill outweigh the extra weight and the MAGMOD MagBeam will definitely stay in my photo bag.