Nikon News (Page 16)

Adding close focusing capabilities to an otherwise useful focal length and max aperture combination adds versatility — and fun. The Canon RF 24mm F1.8 Macro IS STM Lens is one such lens.

Here, the RF 28 gets close to a honeybee, with a bright cloudy sky creating a high key background.

From a composition perspective, besides getting close, an overall balance was the goal for this (and most) images. The sunflower was itself worthy of being photographed, but the honeybee added another point of interest to the composition.

Bees will often work their way around the flower. Figure out their plan and make yours accordingly. While the bee was farther back on the flower, I positioned the lens for what seemed the optimal composition and timed the shot when the bee arrived.

This bull was protecting a herd of cows during the rut in Rocky Mountain National Park. While he appears to be looking directly at me, he didn't care that I was there. The shot was timed as he was watching distance competitors.

One of the reasons I prefer high-resolution cameras is that their images can be cropped significantly and still have sufficient resolution for many uses. In this case, a vertical crop was created from a horizontally oriented Canon EOS R5 image. Despite that heavy cropping, the image is still 17 MP.

Join me in RMNP this September. I have a couple of openings for the Elk Rut in Rocky Mountain National Park Instructional Photo Tour.

A larger version of this image is available here.

This big bull, prancing and showing off his antlers, was heading back to his herd of cows after fending off an adversary.

Where is the best place to be in mid to late September? Rocky Mountain National Park is high on my list of answers. Elk are one of my favorite animals, and the rut behavior makes this time of year optimal for photographing them.

So, why don't you join me in RMNP this September? I have a couple of openings for the Elk Rut in Rocky Mountain National Park Instructional Photo Tour.

A larger version of this image is available here.

Always look for new camera locations while working a scene. That process at The Charleston Place's zero edge pool determined that the camera practically in the water produced my favorite image.

Seldom do water reflections let us down, and in this case, they add intrigue. The Canon EOS R5's vari-angle LCD made the precise alignment of this handheld composition possible.

General purpose focal lengths in a compact, lightweight package make the Canon RF 24-50mm F4.5-6.3 IS STM Lens a great option for travel and other portable needs. This lens's low price is a highly attractive feature, and initial image quality impressions are good.

A larger version of this image is available here.

When I learned that the shooting opportunities were models in an old house, I grabbed three lenses.

The first two, the Canon RF 85mm F2 Macro IS STM Lens and RF 135mm F1.8 L IS USM Lens, are frequently associated with portrait photography and obvious choices.

My third chosen lens may not seem like an optimal indoor portrait lens, but the Canon RF 14-35mm F4 L IS USM Lens was selected to take in the old house in addition to the people — environmental portraits. The models were still, and the in-lens optical image stabilization made up for the not-so-wide f/4 aperture (and f/4 provided a nice depth of field).

All handheld images from this scene were sharp, but there was a bigger challenge.

When composing an image with straight lines running along all frame borders, a perfectly centered and leveled camera is often the best choice. Gaining that perfect alignment for this picture was a challenge.

A larger version of this image is available here.

Put the Canon RF 85mm F2 Macro IS STM Lens on the EOS R50, and you have an impressive portrait kit in your hands. The images produced by that combination belie the cost, as the R50 and RF 85 F2 are priced at the bottom of their class.

Support columns often provide a great portrait background. Their subtle toning and (usually) white color do not compete for attention. In this case, the model's head was framed within one column, with two additional columns completing the backdrop.

Add a background-matching white coat and the 85 F2's background blur to make the model's hair and face grab the viewer's attention.

A larger version of this image is available here.

The Canon RF 135mm F1.8 L IS USM Lens delivers jaw-dropping imagery, and with portraiture on the schedule, this lens was my first choice for testing the Canon EOS R8.

The location was the Magnolia Plantation near Charleston, SC., where the Spanish moss and its reflection provide a beautiful, non-distracting foreground and background that emphasize the bridge and model. Even at a relatively long distance, the 135mm focal length and f/1.8 aperture combination on a full-frame camera creates nice background separation, especially making the subject pop.

The R8 brings Canon's outstanding AF system and full-frame image quality to an affordable price.

A larger version of this image is available here.

You can try searching, but there are no marmot photography workshops available. At least, I didn't find one.

Certainly, you could talk someone into providing a custom marmot photo tour, but there is a reason (or multiple reasons) why such tours are not readily available. I'll start the list. We don't value marmots and marmot photos enough to spend our time and funds chasing them.

However, these small animals are fun to hang out with, and they are easily cute enough to be photo-worthy.

I photographed these creatures in three national parks last year. This marmot was a Rocky Mountain National Park resident. However, a couple of coyotes were attempting to end that residency. Thus, survival was at the top of this wary marmot's priority list, and the high rock perch advantaged the marmot in this competition.

Marmots, and animals in general, vary on their minimum people distance. In relation to close shooting distance, experience, observation, and acclimation are the photographer's keys to getting the best wildlife images. Marmots in people-frequented areas of national parks tend to be quite tolerant of people.

However, getting too close is not good for photos or the critter being photographed — the subject departs.

When an interesting subject is discovered, photograph it for the insurance shots. Then, if the situation warrants, slowly move a bit closer, perhaps not directly toward the subject. Repeat until, or better yet, just before, the animal shows the least discomfort with your presence.

This image represents what I felt was near this marmot's minimum people distance. It is alert and wary, but his concern is not me.

The marmot presented a variety of poses, but most were looking toward the sides. Composition involves many factors, but the simple one in this scenario was that the critter should be looking into the frame. Placing it high in the frame helps convey the lookout role.

Sorry, I'm not opening a marmot-specific photography tour this year. But, I may have a couple of openings in my elk rut instructional photo tour in September.

A larger version of this image is available here.

The Yellow Mounds make all the Badlands National Park top photography locations lists. They are beautiful, intriguing, and worthy of their position on those lists.

However, creating great images that include these mounds is not easy. Of course, lighting changes everything, and dramatically reducing the image quality challenge on this day was natural spotlighting that, incredibly, illuminated the feature highlights of this scene.

As is often the case, the Canon EOS R5 and RF 24-105mm F4 L IS USM Lens combination was outstanding for this landscape photograph. The RF 24-105 is relatively compact, has an excellent general-purpose focal length range, consistently produces impressively sharp images, and was my primary lens for over two weeks in this park last year.

A larger version of this image is available here.