Whitetails of Shenandoah

Motherly Love

Nikon D4 Nikon 600f4 @ f7.1 1/400 ISO7200 EC+.67

Joan and I spent Friday and Saturday in Shenandoah Park looking for and photographing deer and butterflies and scenery.  The weather was predicted to be partly cloudy and warm, but it was heavily overcast and we experienced some rain and heavy fog.  I welcomed the overcast skies as it provides even filtered light for photography.  We had fun on Friday with a couple of very large bucks and then in the evening we watched and photographed a number of does and fawns. 

Handsome Dude

Nikon D4 Nikon 300 f2.8 @ f6.3 1/500 ISO2000 EC+.67

The above buck was one of a pair that we found in one of our favorite spots.  I followed the two through the woods for a couple of hundred yards as they fed along. the second one is below and I believe I photographed him last fall in the Meadow.  He has distinctive brow tines.

Photogenic One

Nikon D4 Nikon 300f2.8@ f6.3 1/400 ISO1000 EC+.67

One doe and fawn spent quite a bit of time in front of me and actually almost walked right up to me. 

Curious Deer

Nikon D4 Nikon 600f4 @ f7.1 1/400 ISO1000 EC+.67

Until Next Time

Jim Borden

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Shooting the Moon

Nikon D4; Nikon 600 f4@ f4, 1/60s, 200 ISO

I have always enjoyed observing the moon and stars and quite often I have taken pictures of the full moon.  Last evening I decided that the crescent moon deserved a chance.  The first image was taken in good light at about 7:15 PM.  I was in the house later and looked out and saw the crescent glowing orange just before it dropped below the horizon.  I could not resist capturing it.  I had to use higher ISO to keep the shutter speed up to avoid movement and to also avoid getting earth and moon movement.  The trailing edge is ragged looking due to the environmental effects of diffracted light as it was close to the horizon

Nikon D4; Nikon 600 f4@ f4, 1/80s, 10,000 ISO

Until next time

Jim Borden

Deer at High ISO

Nikon D4 Nikon 600 f4 @ f5; 1/400 ISO10,000

The development and marketing of the newer digital cameras has changed how wildlife photography is done.  The quality of images surpasses what was achieved with film and we are able to capture images we never dreamed of getting with film. The pro and semi pro bodies have taken the ability to take images in the very early and late evening hours to a new level.  The image of the buck above was taken right a at sunset behind our house.  It was taken at ISO 10,000 which is over 10 times what we even dreamed of doing with film.  With digital graininess has been an issue as it was with film.  However, developments of sensor technology has allowed Nikon and Canon to develop cameras that can push the ISO 12,800 level and still produce salable prints.  

Nikon D4 Nikon 600 f4 @ f5; 1/400 ISO10,000

Nikon D4 Nikon 600 f4 @ f5; 1/640 ISO5,000

Until next time

Jim Borden

Great Horned Owl

Nikon D4 600F4 with 1.7 TC @F8 1/1250 ISO 1000 +.67EC

I am usually not a fan of using Teleconvertors on lens as it normally softens the image.  I did not have much choice tonight as I did not want to disturb this owl and it was all open ground between it and me and a stalk was pretty much out of the question.  I switched to using Auto ISO with ISO200 as minimum and ISO 10,000 as maximum with threshold shutter speed of 1/1250s. 

Until next time

Jim Borden

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