COMPARING LENS PERFOMANCE

Swing railroad bridge across the Mississippi between Sabula, Iowa and Savannah, Illinois

One of my last pictures of the railroad bridge across the Mississippi River down in Sabula, Iowa, was a black & white photo, shot with the incredible Zeiss Distagon T* 2/35 ZF lens in March last year (feel free to have a look at that image right here: Sabula Bridge ). This prime lens with manual focus is the best standard I can apply to compare rendition and sharpness between other pieces of glass.

The question I tried to answer was, can the new Nikkor Z 24-70, f/4 S, that came with the Nikon Z6II mirrorless camera, outperformed the old Nikkor 24-120, f/4 AFS, which I traded in for the new lens. Shooting a well known subject, like the Sabula bridge, is my way to find out what can be done in regards of sharpness with a new lens. I looked at the original RAW files and compared them with some shots with the Zeiss 2/35 and also the 24-120 AFS from last year under similar light and weather conditions. And here is the verdict, the Z 24-70 is at least equal to the prime lens and quite a bit better than my old “walk around lens”, the Nikkor 24-120 AFS. This doesn’t make me a better photographer, but it is good to know that the new tool in the camera bag, the stunning Nikon Nikkor Z 24-70 f/4 S, is capable to deliver results that at the end help to become one.

Nikon Z6II, Nikkor Z 24-70, f/4 S,   @ 57 mm, 1/125 s, f/16, ISO 100

RETROSPECTS 2020 - #4

White-faced Ibis, Green island Wetlands, Iowa

April is another great month for bird photography. Many species use the Mississippi Valley as a migration corridor. One of my most memorable moments this year was a first sighting and an extensive shooting session with a congregation of eleven White-faced Ibises. I found them feeding along the banks of a dike in the Green Island Wildlife Area on a gray overcast day.

The Ibis probes with its long curving bill in the mud along shores and in wet soil, searching for earthworms and other invertebrates. This was probably one of the more difficult wildlife shootings I have done, although I shot from the comfort of my car, using it as a blind.

The “elements” were not favorable that day. Gray sky made for low light and muted colors. The worst thing to face was heat shimmer, very common at that time of the year in the wetlands. The water is still very cold while the air above is warmer and that creates heat waves, resulting in soft images and inaccurate autofocus. The long lens compresses this effect and if you are not aware about it, it makes you wonder why none of the pictures is sharp.

Although I made several hundred clicks that afternoon in April, the photo above is among my favorites. It is all about the gesture the ibis makes, with its eye turned up towards the sky and looking at a Bald Eagle. While the birds were busy probing their bills into the mud and feeding whenever they found something, every half an hour a Bald Eagle would circle above, probably looking for a good snack as well. When that happened the ibises would stop, freezing motionless for a little while, and finally take off and fly a circle to distract the eagle. After the eagle had enough and flew away, the eleven White-faced Ibises returned to the dike and continued searching for more food.

This year I had five first sightings of bird species that are now also part of my photo library, but the three hours I spent with the White-faced Ibises was one of the best times behind the camera. The Wildlife Management Biologist of the Iowa DNR for this area confirmed by email that they were very rare visitors in this area. I was back on site the next day but the birds had moved on.

NATURE CLICKS #455 - BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO (FIRST SIGHTING)

I hope you don’t ask me for a print of this photo 😉. It is at the edge between going to the trash and keeping for the records and I admit it is not very sharp. The reason I like to show it anyway is the fact that I never have seen a Black-billed Cuckoo before and didn’t even know that we were in its breeding range during the summer.

As often during my lunch break I took the dog for a little ride to a nearby location and today I checked a meadow to see if any Bobolinks were already present (found actually three males). At the edge of the prairie-like grasslands is a little grove of cottonwoods and that’s where the Black-billed Cuckoo was discovered. We are more familiar with the Yellow-billed Cuckoo, who is present in our woods during the summer season. Although this year we haven’t seen or heard one yet. Both species are not very common and it makes me happy to add another bird to my list of sightings.

IN CAPTIVITY, BUT STORYTELLING

Diamondback Water Snake, Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium, Dubuque, Iowa

There is at least one thing that any picture of an animal has to have in common, no matter if it was shot in the wild, or like this one, shot through the thick glass of a terrarium in the Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium. I’m talking about sharpness, in particular the sharpness of the eye. If the eye is not sharp the image goes to the trash can. Are there exceptions? Of course, as always in life. I have plenty of pictures in my library that will never see the eye of the public because they are not sharp, but I keep them for reference. The photo library is also a diary and can tell us, i.e. what day in late April or early May the migrating birds arrived from South America.

Back to this photo of a Diamondback Water Snake. Until tonight, when I sat in front of the computer screen, I didn’t realize that I had photographed this beautiful snake before in the wild but had mistakenly labeled it as a Northern Water Snake. The body part that reveals the pattern of a Diamondback is from another snake and beside that, I trust the naming of professional biologists still more than my own research. Not a big deal, that’s what museums are for, educational places not just for the young generation.

If you try to find out how the body of this snake is coiled in this picture you may get lost. What you see is the head of one, but underneath were three other snakes, hopefully enjoying location and climate as well. However, the composition of this photo is not an accident. I wanted to have the upper part of the body in a coil, knowing that the blue color of the background will still help to tell the story of a beautiful critter, even if displayed in captivity.

NATURE CLICKS #429 - BOBOLINK

Breeding male Bobolink

A year ago I wrote about my first sighting of a Bobolink at a patch of grassland at the outskirts of Dubuque, Iowa. They are in decline due to the loss of their habitat, large fields with a mixture of grasses and broad-leaved plants. Yesterday I saw at least two males and a female at the same location like last year and it looked like they were feeding their brood in a nest somewhere on the ground between tall grass and wildflowers. Bobolinks have a long journey behind them after they arrive here. They travel about 20000 km (12500 miles) from South America.

Female Bobolink. Non-breeding males look almost the same.

We had a light overcast yesterday. Beside the fact that it takes a little bit of light away, I really liked it because it allowed me to point the lens to the southwest in the afternoon. If you have tried to take a picture of a black bird you know already it can be a challenge to balance the black feathers and a light environment. While shooting again from the car I was able to get really close this time. Wind was probably the biggest problem. The grass and plants swayed the whole time and the birds don’t sit still either. With other words, lack of sharpness was the main reason for throwing out some of my photos at the end of the day.

FOCUSSING ON SANDHILL CRANES

Sandhill Crane, Green Island Wetlands, near Mississippi River, Iowa

Any time I go to the Green Island Wetlands in spring I see or at least hear some Sandhill Cranes. Two years ago we had about 200 cranes but this year I have not seen more than 20 at a given time. Getting close to them can be a challenge. They are not skittish, like for example most of the ducks, but they keep a distance to humans and cars that doesn’t always allow to make a decent photo of these birds. 

Last Sunday I was lucky and came close to a single pair that was searching for food. I didn’t get both cranes in the same frame but was nevertheless pretty happy about the results. Getting close is key for a sharp image. In this habitat, between the old grass and reeds, the Sandhill Cranes do not provide a lot of contrast to lock on focus all the time. The ground is still cold and the warmed up air above can lead to heat shimmer and make obtaining focus even more difficult. Going out late in the day, when the temperatures drop and the light gets warmer seems to be the best time for success.

LAST SUMMER VISIT IN THE GREEN ISLAND WETLANDS

Killdeer

I have been at least once every month during the summer in the Green Island Wetlands, next to the Mississippi River, and today was probably my last summer visit. Other events lie ahead of us this month and before we know it will be duck hunting season. Although part of the wetlands are a preserve, the access to these parts is limited and already today the dyke that has often the best photo locations was closed for cars. Sure, I don’t shy away from hiking, even with tripod and heavy camera and lens combination on my shoulder, but water fowl, egrets, or herons will most likely fly away before someone even comes close. The “mobile blind” is the best way to go, with other words, stay in your dam car if you like the make a photo that makes halfway sense ;-)

It was obviously a productive season. I saw quite a few juvenile Wood Ducks and dozens of Killdeer tried to find food in areas with short vegetation, like the parking lots of the wetlands.

Great Egret

The Great Egret is the easiest to spot but not every bird stays in place when a car gets relatively close. There was very little direct sun today, which is ideal for shooting these beautiful egrets while they stand in the water and hunt for fish, frogs, or aquatic insects.

Great Blue Heron

One of the easiest birds to photograph here in the Mississippi Valley is the Great Blue Heron. I think it is the perfect subject for someone who just starts with wildlife photography. Not that they all stay in place if you come close, but their large eye makes it easy to focus on. Even more important, the pattern on their chest provides great contrast for locking on the focus sensor. The eye has to be sharp or the picture goes to the trash can. Remember, the chest and the eye are almost in the same focal plane. If you can’t focus on the eye, use the chest to get a sharp image of the bird.

THE STORY ABOUT AN “ORDINARY”

Red-winged Blackbird, Green Island Wetlands -------   

I’m still smiling about my first sighting of a Short-eared Owl yesterday and just a few days ago I finally made some pictures of a pair American Black Ducks, as the avid reader of my blog may recall. It looks like I have already a good bird watching year. But more often we come back from a trip with photos of wildlife that is native to the area, stays all year long, or shows up in large numbers for the breeding season. Canada Geese, Ring-billed Gulls, Mallards, and of course the Red-winged Blackbirds belong into this group here in the Mississippi Valley.

So, how can we make the photos of the ordinary creatures special? First, they have to be sharp. If we don’t nail sharpness at least on the eye of a critter we can try it again and again. The “ordinary” birds are a great subject to improve our shooting skills. Second, light and color should play a role. Nobody wants to see, not even on Facebook, a photo of a gull, sitting still on a sheet of ice that reflects the gray from an overcast sky. This rule can be broken if there is a good story telling gesture involved. Gesture is the third ingredient to make an image of a bird that everybody knows more interesting.

I hear the photo-purists saying, Andreas, why didn’t you move a little to the side to get the swaying dried up plant out of the frame? Well, I did, I moved the “mobile blind”, as I call my car, a couple feet back. It was all good, sharpness, light, and color. The only thing missing in all the other shots was the great gesture of the male Red-winged Blackbird, when he spread his wings, called, and told all competitors around, this is my territory! For my friends in Germany and those who are not familiar with blackbirds, the appearance of this species in late winter and early spring is a good indicator that the warmer season will arrive soon. They are here probably by the millions. The males claim a territory and wait for the arrival of the females. This picture may not make it into a field guide about birds but I think it tells the story about what’s going on out in the wetlands, at the Mississippi River, and along the roads here in Iowa…

Nikon D750, Sigma 150-600mm / f5-6.3 DG OS HSM Sports Lens, @ 600 mm, 1/400 s, f/6.3, ISO 200

NATURE CLICKS #383 - ORANGE SULPHUR

An Orange Sulphur on a blooming Alfalfa plant is something pretty common here in Iowa. In order to make the picture stand out composition and background can’t be neglected. Color contrast helps to make the subject pop but sharpness has to be on the spot, no matter what.

Nikon D750, Sigma 150mm / f2.8 APO EX DG HSM, @ 1/4000s, f/4, ISO200

NATURE CLICKS #379 - PROTHONOTARY WARBLER

Prothonotary Warbler, Mississippi River, Green Island Wetlands, Iowa ------  

Another great day here in the Mississippi Valley today. Joan and I took again the kayaks out for a trip on the water. This time we paddled deep into the backwaters of the Green Island Wetlands. We had it all for ourselves and except for the occasional honking of a train far away it was all about listening to the sounds of nature. My excitement grew rapidly when Joan pointed out a small yellow bird on a log in the water. I have only seen and photographed a Prothonotary Warbler once before and that was several years ago.

As always, shooting with the long lens from a kayak, while the kayak is moving, is quite a challenge and the number of misses is of course much higher. The only reason I show the second image here in the blog is for identification. It shows the colors of back, wings, and tail better. The head and eye of the warbler are clearly out of focus and usually a picture like this has only one valid place, the digital trash can. Well, sometimes we need an exception from the rule…😉

RARE GUEST: RED-HEADED WOODPECKER

Red-headed Woodpecker, Little Maquoketa River Valley, near Durango, Iowa ------

It is an exiting time of the year for watching the birds, migrating ones or permanent residents. As already announced yesterday, we had a visitor in our woods that is supposed to be in eastern Iowa all year long, but we only have seen this bird four times during the month of May in the last 13 years. Well, it doesn’t matter, it is a beautiful woodpecker and making a few clicks yesterday early morning was a thrill. I saw the Red-headed Woodpecker again briefly today but wasn’t able to aim my lens at the bird again.

Making another click of a bird, days, weeks, months, or even years later bares always the question, was there any improvement? I knew from previous shootings that sharpness was kinda at the edge of acceptance in the past. This is a fact not so much visible in every picture posted on the world wide web, but the truth is revealed at the moment someone wants to print the photo on a larger scale. I know I made a step forward with yesterday’s photos, sharpness is a lot better than in the past, but as always, there is still room for improvement…

MISSISSIPPI RIVER STORIES 2017 #7 - ON THE OTHER SIDE

Great Blue Heron, Mississippi River, Potosi, Wisconsin --------

Someone may ask why I don’t shoot much on the east side of the Mississippi River in Wisconsin or Illinois? The main reason is that much of my shooting time is in the afternoon or evening and at many places where the river is accessible I would shoot towards the sun. This can be interesting and may lead to some great results but with birds and water involved it is not my first choice considering colors and contrast. However, last Sunday I went across the bridge to Wisconsin and checked out the area around the boat landing and public access in Potosi. I found large numbers of ducks, geese, and even Trumpeter Swans. My favorite of the day was finally this Great Blue Heron, who briefly interrupted its staring into the water for fish and gave me a nice pose. Although they are not much different in size from a Sandhill Crane, it is easier to get a sharp image of a Great Blue Heron. The better contrast on their breast makes it a breeze to lock the focus point. Why the breast? It is on the same focal plane as the eye and the eye has to be sharp.

OVERDUE VISIT

Grand Canyon, Arizona

I interrupt my stories about our trip to the Dakotas for a more actual photo. I’m stitching two business trips together into one right now. I’m in Arizona since Wednesday, spent the weekend here, and will will leave for Denver Colorado tomorrow morning.

The Saturday was used for a more than overdue trip to the Grand Canyon. I flew over it many times in the past but never had been actually in the National Park. I wished the big storm area that came through here last Thursday would have waited a couple more days but this is history and all what was left was a boring bald blue sky with not a single cloud in the air. Well, I deal with what is presented to me when it comes to weather and try to get the best out of it.

The Grand Canyon is magnificent and no words or photo can completely describe its beauty and vastness. 

I took a lot of pictures with the wide angle lens, the Nikkor 16-35, f/4. I love this lens for its incredible sharpness and relative small size and I have really embraced it during our trip in the Dakotas. It is a great tool for an outdoor photographer that needs to pack small and light and wants to come home with sharp images. More to come…