Posted by Tom Stermitz on August 15, 2011 at 8:52 PM
I like the way P-T-armigan rolls off the tongue. I get to see these lovely birds every few years. Hiked last week to Flattop above Bear Lake, and there were two adults and a handful of little guys peep-ing around on the tundra. Not very shy, so I had to back up to get them in the frame.
Love, love, love my new Pentax 300mm. I've taken plenty of good photos with a zoom, like the Nikon 70-300mm, but there is something special about a well-designed, prime tele; Creamy bokeh every time.
Posted by Tom Stermitz on August 15, 2011 at 9:00 PM
And then there is the nobel Pika!
See what I mean about creamy bokeh?
Posted by Tom Stermitz on August 15, 2011 at 9:02 PM
Pine tree ekes out a straggly existance on the cliff.
In terms of composition, this is pretty flat. I could have used a little more depth-of-field separation, but this was essentially a flat cliff and tree. The Pika and ptarmigan have a much more 3-D appearance.
What makes me care about this photo is that it captures three struggles of the tree: healthy power, recently fallen trunk, and an old, bleached-white gnarl.
Posted by Chris Martin on August 15, 2011 at 9:24 PM
Nice series Tom! The ptarmigan and pika shots are superb!
Posted by Tom Stermitz on August 15, 2011 at 9:26 PM
And, what is RMNP without a shot of Longs Peak... Silver efex pro conversion, but the clouds gave me the perfect vignette.
Posted by Dan Walters on August 15, 2011 at 11:49 PM
Very nice! Like the surrounding tundra for the ptarmigan image.
Posted by Joshua Hardin on August 16, 2011 at 1:54 AM
The ptarmigan is sweeet! The BW conversion looks great on the Longs image too.
Posted by Jeff Hackett on August 16, 2011 at 10:07 AM
Nice ptarmigan and curious pika. Also, b&w Longs shot is pretty cool.
Posted by John Mumaw on August 16, 2011 at 9:11 PM
Yeah, I'm a big fan of the lichen 'aurora' around the pika, and the b&w shot of Long's Peak is wonderful!
You might consider zooming in and selecting the ptarmigan's eye to bring out that subdued catch light a bit.
Well done, Tom!
Posted by Tom Stermitz on August 17, 2011 at 1:14 AM
Noble or nobel pika? I once had a college educashun.
@John Mumaw. The lichen aurora is a nice way to put it. I'm getting better at paying attention to the background, and adjusting my position to make it work. In the moment of excitement for the central object, it is so hard to remember the surrounding context. The 300mm (or larger) lens helps that process. Not sure what you mean by zooming in to select the ptarmigan's eye. Do you mean selective sharpening in photoshop?
Really, I urge everyone who does wildlife to try out a "real" telephoto. Even at 300mm you start getting improved isolation and bokeh. The f/4 300mm is quite capable of hand-holding. I've worked with the Nikon f/2.8 300mm; a wonderful lens but at that weight you start needing a tripod.
Posted by Doug Koepsel on August 17, 2011 at 10:02 AM
Tom,
I enjoy the ptarmigan shot with the slight head cock and raised foot. The mottled plumage really mimics the granite rock providing excellent camouflage. The dof really helps to separate the bird from the granite background.
Posted by John Mumaw on August 17, 2011 at 11:13 PM
" Not sure what you mean by zooming in to select the ptarmigan's eye. Do you mean selective sharpening in photoshop?"
Actually, I meant lifting the Curve to taste to brighten the eye and emphasize the catch light better.
Glad you liked the word 'aurora'. My first thought when seeing that image.
Discussion
12 repliesLove, love, love my new Pentax 300mm. I've taken plenty of good photos with a zoom, like the Nikon 70-300mm, but there is something special about a well-designed, prime tele; Creamy bokeh every time.
See what I mean about creamy bokeh?
In terms of composition, this is pretty flat. I could have used a little more depth-of-field separation, but this was essentially a flat cliff and tree. The Pika and ptarmigan have a much more 3-D appearance.
What makes me care about this photo is that it captures three struggles of the tree: healthy power, recently fallen trunk, and an old, bleached-white gnarl.
You might consider zooming in and selecting the ptarmigan's eye to bring out that subdued catch light a bit.
Well done, Tom!
@John Mumaw. The lichen aurora is a nice way to put it. I'm getting better at paying attention to the background, and adjusting my position to make it work. In the moment of excitement for the central object, it is so hard to remember the surrounding context. The 300mm (or larger) lens helps that process. Not sure what you mean by zooming in to select the ptarmigan's eye. Do you mean selective sharpening in photoshop?
Really, I urge everyone who does wildlife to try out a "real" telephoto. Even at 300mm you start getting improved isolation and bokeh. The f/4 300mm is quite capable of hand-holding. I've worked with the Nikon f/2.8 300mm; a wonderful lens but at that weight you start needing a tripod.
I enjoy the ptarmigan shot with the slight head cock and raised foot. The mottled plumage really mimics the granite rock providing excellent camouflage. The dof really helps to separate the bird from the granite background.
Glad you liked the word 'aurora'. My first thought when seeing that image.