Glen Webber ~ NZ Wildlife Photography. - Action Photo's

NZ White-capped Mollymawk Photograph

nospam@example.com (Glen) — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 16:49:03 +1200

Picture of a New Zealand White-capped Mollymawk flying. Stewart Island, New Zealand.

[nz white-capped mollymawk photo]

New Zealand White-capped Mollymawk photo.

So I'm well and truly overdue for a new update. As I mentioned a couple of weekends ago we went bird stalking in Tongarero National Park. In particular looking for Whio or Blue Duck. Photographically speaking it was a bit of a bust with terrible weather the whole time. You get that with alpine conditions in winter. However Whio was seen in the wild, a first. I also managed to see rifleman another first for me. Additionally we managed to photograph Kotuko or White Heron along the Miranda Coast on the way home. I'll have to get a picture of the bird up soon.

Today's photograph is of a Shy Mollymawk from the "to review" stack from last years Stewart Island trip. This being the New Zealand White-capped Mollymawk subspecies. Actually the White-capped Mollymawk may be a full species now, my references aren't 100% up to date. Mollymawk along with Albatross, Gannet and Boobies are the most incredible looking seabirds. They almost look fake. Like their faces and bills have been carved out of wood then hand painted. Just amazing. Unfortunately you miss that a little bit in this photograph. But I wanted to give some sense of the wingspan of these awesome birds.

The White-capped Mollymawk bread on the NZ subantarctic Auckland Islands. So while easily within its range this bird is still a long way from home. I think this bird is an "almost adult". It doesn't seam to have its complete adult colouring.

Related NZ seabird photographs : Australasian Gannet flying, Gannet colony, Red-billed Gull.

This is digital photography post #28 for 2010.

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Shy Mollymawk Information.

Abundance : Common.
New Zealand Status : Protected Native.
Found (in NZ): Over waters of most NZ Islands.
Subspecies photographed : Diomedea cauta steadi. New Zealand White-capped Mollymawk.

New Zealand White-capped Mollymawk Photograph.
Image Description:	Picture of a Shy Mollymawk flying. Taken at Stewart Island, New Zealand.
Camera Make:	Nikon Corporation.	Camera Model:	Nikon D300 Digital SLR (DSLR).	Date:	23rd October 2009.
Focal Length:	500mm	35mm Equiv Focal Length:	750mm	Aperture:	f/6.3
White Balance:	Manual.	Flash Used:	No.	Exposure Time:	1/6400th second.
Light Source:	Fine Weather	Metering Mode:	Spot.	Exposure Mode:	Manual.
ISO:	500		Lens Used:	Sigma 150-500mm OS APO.
Accessories Utilised:	Manfrotto 055x Pro-b tripod and 486RC2 head. Nikon MB-D10 battery grip, Scandisk Extream IV CompactFlash, Nikon EN-EL3e Li-ion battery pack.
Software:	Converted from RAW with Nikon Capture NX. Post edited with The Gimp 2.6.
Photo edits:	Crop. Removed a couple of small blemishes caused by dirt on lens from sky. Small levels. Selective sharpen. Border and scale.
Photographer Comments:		I so like Mollymawk.
Model Credit:	NZ White-capped Mollymawk.	Photograph Copyright: ©	Glen Webber 2009. All rights reserved.

Yes there will be another NZ wildlife photograph posted soon.

Want to see more of my photos? Click the subject links on the left.

Cheers,
Glen.

Can't find something? Try the search box top left!

Like my photography? Follow me on twitter @glen_co_nz.

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Weka picture

nospam@example.com (Glen) — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 16:09:58 +1200

Photograph of a coffee drinking Weka. Ulva Island, New Zealand.

[weka drinking coffee photo]

Weka photograph.

So its been a while since I last updated GCN. Mainly due to having a nasty case of the flu. So here is another older pic. Its from Ulva Island last year. Ulva is a wildlife sanctuary of the coast of Stewart Island in New Zealand's south. I mentioned Ulva briefly in my Kakapo post. Ulva is a great place and well worth a visit if you're in that part of the world.

This photo was taken when we had stopped for a coffee on one of the Island's beaches. A NZ robin had flitted down in to some near by tree branches. So we turned our attention to it, and tried to grab a decent shot. Meanwhile one of the Weka on the beach decided to take the chance to investigate our stuff. As you can see this included sampling the coffee. As I had to scare the bird off to reclaim our coffee I guess it liked the taste. Weka are such opportunistic birds this behaviour doesn't surprise me. I'm not sure if this really falls under "modified behaviour". It was a great chance to get a different Weka photograph for once.

Related photographs : Takahe, Red-billed Gull, Sirocco.

This is photographic post #19 for 2010.

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Weka Information.

Other name(s) : Woodhen.
Abundance : Considered locally common, although this is a little misleading.
New Zealand Status : Protected threatened endemic (Only found in NZ).
Found : Small parts of North Island NZ, some parts of the South Island, and several offshore Islands. Also Chatham Islands.
Subspecies photographed : Probably Gallirallus australis scotti. Stewart Island Weka.

Weka Photograph.
Image Description:	Weka drinking coffee. Photographed on Ulva Island, New Zealand.
Camera Make:	Nikon Corporation.	Camera Model:	Nikon D300 Digital SLR (DSLR).	Date:	25th October 2009.
Focal Length:	50mm	35mm Equiv Focal Length:	75mm	Aperture:	f/1.8
White Balance:	Manual.	Flash Used:	No.	Exposure Time:	1/250th second.
Light Source:	Cloudy	Metering Mode:	Spot.	Exposure Mode:	Manual.
ISO:	200		Lens Used:	Nikkor 50mm AF.
Accessories Utilised:	Nikon MB-D10 battery grip. Scandisk Extream IV CompactFlash. Nikon EN-EL3e Li-ion battery pack.
Software:	Converted from RAW with Nikon Capture NX. Post edited with The Gimp 2.6.
Photo edits:	Small crop, levels and selective sharpen. Border and scale.
Photographer Comments:		My 1st Weka photo posted.
Model Credit:	Weka.	Photograph Copyright: ©	Glen Webber 2009. All rights reserved.

And yes now I'm back at it there will be some more NZ photographs posted tomorrow.

Want to see more of my photos? Click the subject links on the left.

Cheers everyone,
Glen.

Like my photography? Follow me on twitter @glen_co_nz.

Thoughts or opinion? Leave a comment below, by clicking the comments link.

Australasian Gannet colony photo

nospam@example.com (Glen) — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 17:14:06 +1200

Photograph of Australasian Gannet colony. Muriwai, New Zealand.

[gannet colony photograph]

Australasian Gannet colony photograph.

Another quick photo post while I have a few free moments. This photo of the Gannet colony at Muriwai has been the background on one of my laptops for some time. Although I like the picture a lot, it hadn't occurred to me to post it. So here you go. This photo was taken on the same trip as my last flying Gannet photograph was taken.

This is photographic post #12 for 2010.

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Australasian Gannet Information.

Maori Name(s) : Takapu.
Other names : Gannet.
Abundance : common.
Status : Native, protected.
Found : Coastal areas around New Zealand and parts of south east Australia.

Australasian Gannet Colony Photograph.
Image Description:	Photo of the Gannet colony. Muriwai, New Zealand.
Camera Make:	Nikon Corporation.	Camera Model:	Nikon D300 Digital SLR (DSLR).	Date:	6th September 2009.
Focal Length:	105mm	35mm Equiv Focal Length:	157mm	Aperture:	f/7.1
White Balance:	Manual.	Flash Used:	No.	Exposure Time:	1/1000th second.
Light Source:	Fine Weather	Metering Mode:	Spot.	Exposure Mode:	Manual.
ISO:	400		Lens Used:	Nikkor 18-105mm VR.
Accessories Utilised:	Nikon MB-D10 battery grip. Nikon EN-EL3e Li-ion battery pack. Scandisk Extream IV CompactFlash.
Software:	Converted from RAW with Nikon Capture NX. Post editing with The Gimp 2.5.
Photo edits:	Small crop and align. Slight levels. Border and scale.
Photographer Comments:		Gannet photo #2.
Model Credit:	n/a.	Photograph Copyright: ©	Glen Webber 2009. All rights reserved.

See another bird photograph posted already.

Want to see more of my photos? Click the subject links on the left.

Cheers,
Glen.

Like my photography? Follow me on twitter @glen_co_nz.

Thoughts or opinion? Leave a comment below, by clicking the comments link.

North Island Kokako bathing photograph

nospam@example.com (Glen) — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 15:35:06 +1200

Photo of a North Island Kokako bathing. Tiritiri Matangi Island, New Zealand.

[north island kokako photo]

North Island Kokako bathing photograph.
See folks I said I'd find a much happier Kokako picture for today. (See yesterdays post of Kokako remains if you missed it.) As you can see its a Kokako having a bath. This picture was taken early morning during our last trip to Tiritiri Matangi Island. There are several water troughs like this one around the island. They were originally put in place by DoC rangers and volunteers to help the wildlife in times of drought. However more often than not they are used as giant bird baths. Which also makes them a good place to take photos. Especially in summer. This is the one by the visitors centre. Usually you find Bellbird and Tui there. It was cool to see a Kokako mucking about.

Given that I've been regularly posting photos on GCN for a couple of weeks; I've decided to start counting them.

This is photograph post #9 for 2010.

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North Island Kokako Information.

Other names : Blue-wattled Crow.
Abundance : Very rare.
New Zealand Status : Native, protected.
Found : Isolated areas of bush in NZs North Island and protected offshore Islands.
Subspecies photographed : North Island Kokako.

North Island Kokako Bathing Photograph.
Image Description:	Photo of a North Island Kokako bathing. Tiritiri Matangi Island, New Zealand.
Camera Make:	Nikon Corporation.	Camera Model:	Nikon D300 Digital SLR (DSLR).	Date:	6th April 2010.
Focal Length:	200mm	35mm Equiv Focal Length:	300mm	Aperture:	f/5.6
White Balance:	Manual.	Flash Used:	No.	Exposure Time:	1/250th second.
Light Source:	Fine Weather.	Metering Mode:	Matrix.	Exposure Mode:	Manual.
ISO:	250		Lens Used:	Nikkor 18-200mm VR.
Accessories Utilised:	Nikon MB-D10 battery grip. Nikon EN-EL3e Li-ion battery pack. Scandisk Extream IV CompactFlash.
Software:	Converted from RAW with Nikon Capture NX. Post editing with The Gimp 2.6.
Photo edits:	Crop. Small amount of levels. Selective sharpen. Border and scale.
Photographer Comments:		A happy Kokako photo.
Model Credit:	Kokako.	Photograph Copyright: ©	Glen Webber 2010. All rights reserved.

Yes I will have another photograph up tomorrow.

Want to see more of my photos? Click the subject links on the left.

Thanks everybody,
Glen.

Like my photography? Follow me on twitter @glen_co_nz.

Thoughts or opinion? Leave a comment below, by clicking the comments link.

North Island Kokako remains photo

nospam@example.com (Glen) — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 17:19:17 +1200

Photograph of Kokako remains. Tiritiri Matangi Island, New Zealand.

[remains of a north island kokako]

Remains of a North Island Kokako photo.
As some may have noticed, I'm in the process of playing with the layout of GCN. There are now less photographs displayed on each page, but no content has been lost. You can still scroll through each pic using the pager links at the top or bottom of each page, or the subject links on the left. Please do leave a comment and let know what you think.

Now on to today's photo. It is of the remains of a North Island Kokako. A rather sad photo I admit. Especially given how rare the Kokako is. Its estimated there are only a few hundred pairs left in the world. (The South Island Kokako is now officially extinct.) This photo was taken on Tiritiri Matangi Island a couple of months back. As you can see there is not much left of the poor bird. As Tiri has had all pest species removed the most likely culprit is a Australasian Harrier (Kahu). This does raise one of the ethical questions those working in conservation have to deal with. What do you do when one native is killing off another? Generally in NZ if a threatened species is involved, least threatened gets killed. Kahu are an abundant native. Kokako are a very rare endemic. While Kahu is a protected species in NZ, Tiri is one of the few places where DoC rangers are authorised to kill Kahu if required. I don't know the exact outcome in this situation, but it doesn't take a genius to work it out.

I will come up with a much nicer photograph of a Kokako for everyone very soon.

Like my photography? Follow me on twitter @glen_co_nz.

North Island Kokako Information.

Other names : Blue-wattled Crow.
Abundance : Very rare.
New Zealand Status : Native, protected.
Found : Isolated areas of bush in NZs North Island and protected offshore Islands.

North Island Kokako Remains Photograph.
Image Description:	Photo of the remains of a killed North Island Kokako. Tiritiri Matangi Island, New Zealand.
Camera Make:	Nikon Corporation.	Camera Model:	Nikon D300 Digital SLR (DSLR).	Date:	5th April 2010.
Focal Length:	200mm	35mm Equiv Focal Length:	300mm	Aperture:	f/5.6
White Balance:	Manual.	Flash Used:	No.	Exposure Time:	1/160th second.
Light Source:	Cloudy.	Metering Mode:	Spot.	Exposure Mode:	Manual.
ISO:	500		Lens Used:	Nikkor 18-200mm VR.
Accessories Utilised:	Nikon MB-D10 battery grip. Nikon EN-EL3e Li-ion battery pack. Scandisk Extream IV CompactFlash.
Software:	Converted from RAW with Nikon Capture NX. Post editing with The Gimp 2.6.
Photo edits:	Small crop. Small amount of levels. Selective sharpen. Border then scale.
Photographer Comments:		Sad this is my first posted Kokako photo.
Model Credit:	n/a.	Photograph Copyright: ©	Glen Webber 2010. All rights reserved.

Happier another photo tomorrow.

Want to see more of my photos? Click the subject links on the left.

Cheers,
Glen.

Like my photography? Follow me on twitter @glen_co_nz.

Thoughts or opinion? Leave a comment below, by clicking the comments link.

Gannet flying photograph

nospam@example.com (Glen) — Mon, 24 May 2010 16:24:28 +1200

Photo of a flying Australasian Gannet. Muriwai, New Zealand

[flying australasian gannet picture]

Australasian Gannet in flight photograph.
I've started to go over the obscene backlog of photos I have to review. Happily I'm finding heaps to edit and publish. My reasons for publishing each differ. Some are simply "that was a cool shot", others are pics I intended to publish but forgot and others (like last weeks Furnbird picture) I just like the subject. There will be some fluctuation in time frame and quality of each photo. But why not. I still get to post photos I like.

Today's photo is of an Australasian Gannet flying. Yes more New Zealand native bird photos. I'll explain why tomorrow. This was photographed at the Muriwai colony September last year.

Australasian Gannet Information.

Maori Name(s) : Takapu.
Other names : Gannet.
Abundance : common.
Status : Native, protected.
Found : Coastal areas around New Zealand and parts of south east Australia.

Gannet Flying Photograph.
Image Description:	Photo of a Australasian Gannet flying. Muriwai, New Zealand.
Camera Make:	Nikon Corporation.	Camera Model:	Nikon D300 Digital SLR (DSLR).	Date:	6th September 2009.
Focal Length:	105mm	35mm Equiv Focal Length:	157mm	Aperture:	f/7.1
White Balance:	Manual.	Flash Used:	No.	Exposure Time:	1/1250th second.
Light Source:	Fine Weather.	Metering Mode:	Spot.	Exposure Mode:	Manual.
ISO:	320		Lens Used:	Nikkor 18-105mm VR.
Accessories Utilised:	Nikon MB-D10 battery grip. Nikon EN-EL3e Li-ion battery pack. Scandisk Extream IV CompactFlash.
Software:	Converted from RAW with Nikon Capture NX. Post editing with The Gimp 2.6.
Photo edits:	Align and crop. Levels, then selective sharpen. Border then scale.
Photographer Comments:		Probably sharpened the bird too much.
Model Credit:	Australasian Gannet.	Photograph Copyright: ©	Glen Webber 2009. All rights reserved.

More pictures tomorrow!
Cheers,
G/.

Like my photos? Follow me on twitter @glen_co_nz.

Thoughts or opinion? leave a comment below, by clicking the comments link.

How to photograph lightning with your Nikon D300 DSLR

nospam@example.com (Glen) — Tue, 11 May 2010 17:54:18 +1200

Lightning photos. A how-to.

[lightning photograph]

How to take photographs of lightning with a Nikon D300 or Nikon D300s DSLR camera.
Wow two photoblog posts in two days. That must be some kind of a record. Today's photo is one I shot last year, edited and then forgot about. So I figured I might as well get it online.

Also since posting some earlier lightning photographs I often get asked "how do you take photos of lightning?" So here's a basic how-to. Using the above photo of lightning hitting Sky Tower as an example. As per normal shot with my Nikon D300 SLR.

Note: this guide should work just as well for a Nikon D300s DSLR, and many other Nikon SLRs. If you're prepared to read your camera's manual, then the bulk of this guide will work for almost any DSLR.

Step 1. Get a storm.
Easy enough if you live somewhere that has regular storms passing through. If not you might want to consider it when planning your next holiday. Auckland gets a few each year... More often than not lightning photos work best att night. But sometimes the storm itself will naturally darken things enough. So don't rule out the possibility of getting a shot just because its day time.

Step 2. Find a safe location to photograph from.
Get somewhere dry for yourself and your camera gear. Preferable out of the wind to avoid camera vibration. You must always keep in mind being safe yourself. You are after all out and about in a lightning storm. Use your brain. Don't set up under trees. If you can see lightning hitting buildings around you, don't sling your tripod over your shoulder and go for a walk in it. When I shot the lightning photos in Wisconson I used building entrances and bus shelters as cover. In the example above I simply setup on the balcony off our bedroom.

Step 3. Set up your camera.
A tripod is essential for this sort of photography as long exposures are needed. The biggest and heaviest you can carry is best. Then frame your shot. Try to include some foreground of some sort. A shot of lightning against a black sky can wind up rather boring. Also a wide angle zoom lens will be very useful here. A big prime might be tempting, but these are not ideal conditions to be shooting under. You might not be able to "just move the tripod forward a little". I don't own a wide angle zoom, and my 10mm prime was way too wide for this shot. Instead I used a Nikkor 18-105 VR. The kit lens that comes with the D90. It worked fine for this shot.

Lightning photo tip : As in the case of Sky Tower (above) big tall structures get hit most often during lightning storms. So they can be a good subject to start with.

Also once you have your shot framed turn the lens focusing motor off. Once set you don't want the lens adjusting itself between photographs. I've seen several people recommend turning any stabilisation off. I've experimented with this and found no discernible difference in results.

Step 4. Camera settings.
As always with camera settings you'll want to adjust things to get everything you want in your shot. A general rule of thumb with lightning is, less light is better. The lightning itself will provide more light than you need.

Exposure length: This is the most important element in getting a lightning photo. Obviously lightning flashes happen very quickly. Too quickly to snap off a frame and capture it, and trying to guess when its going to happen is pointless. So the trick is to use a long exposure times. Have the shutter open "watching" the sky for as long as possible. Exactly how long an exposure will very. While taking shots of distant slow moving storms I've found 2 minutes or more just fine. Yet when right under a fast violent storm anything more than 5 to 10 seconds was too much. Start at 30 seconds then adjust accordingly. Also turn any long exposure noise reduction off. This function will otherwise cut your "watching the sky" time in half.

Note : Most cameras will require the use of an advanced remote control with the your shutter speed to set to "bulb" for automated exposures of greater than 30 seconds.

ISO setting: Use the lowest ISO setting your camera has available. In most DSLRs this will be 50 to 100 ISO. This is not just reducing the light being recorded, but also helping to reduce noise in the frame. In the example above it was set to ISO 200 as I forgot to change it.

Lens speed: You want to use the slowest lens speed (the highest f-stop number) you can get away with, while still retaining any additional scenery in your frame. Again reducing the amount of light entering the camera. Since you'll be working with long exposures, you can wind it right out to start with. My example above was shot at f/22.

Automatic exposures: Next make things easy for yourself. You could of course press the shutter yourself every 30 seconds. But this gets tedious and even using a remote you risk introducing vibration. Fortunately the D300 (and many other cameras) have a build in solution. Nikon calls it "Interval timer shooting" and its found under the shooting menu. It allows the camera to automatically take an exposure every so many seconds. So if you're taking 30 second exposures set it up to take one every 31 seconds, etc. This means you can virtually "watch the sky" for the entire duration of a storm if you desire.

For my above shot I setup the camera to take a very large number of shots then went downstairs and watched TV.

Step 4. Rinse and repeat.
Once you've got all that done you wait ... and wait ... and wait ... until you see lightning where you're shooting. All going well you got it in your frame. Stop the camera shooting and check your results. Adjust as you think best and try again. There is always a bit of luck involved.

Step 5. Edit your photo.
Theres not really anything special needed for editing a lightning photo. However one thing that can product great results is merging multiple shots. If you have several lightning strikes all photographed from the same position, you can combine them into a single image. I've never managed to get the frames to successfully do this, but there are some great examples out there if you hunt around a bit.

And thats really it. Good luck!

Got a great tip on photographing lightning or your own lightning photo?
Add a comment by clicking the comments link at the bottom of this post.

Photo of lightning striking Sky Tower, Auckland , New Zealand.
Image Description:	Lightning strike on Sky Tower, Auckland, New Zealand.
Camera Make:	Nikon Corporation.	Camera Model:	Nikon D300 Digital SLR (DSLR).	Date:	26th August 2009.
Focal Length:	18mm	35mm Equiv Focal Length:	27mm	Aperture:	f/22
White Balance:	Manual.	Flash Used:	No.	Exposure Time:	30 seconds.
Light Source:	Cloudy	Metering Mode:	Spot.	Exposure Mode:	Manual.
ISO:	200		Lens Used:	Nikon 18-105mm VR DX.
Accessories Utilised:	Nikon MB-D10 battery grip, Scandisk Extream IV CompactFlash, Manfrotto 055x Prob tripod and 486RC2 head. Nikon EN-EL3e Li-ion battery pack.
Software:	Converted from RAW with Nikon Capture NX. Post editing with The Gimp 2.5.
Photo edits:	Minor crop. Levels and sharpen. Add border and scale.
Photographer Comments:		OK, if a little boring lightning photograph.
Model Credit:	N/A.	Photograph Copyright: ©	Glen Webber 2009. All rights reserved.

And yet another photograph up. See I told ya.
Cheers,
Glen.

Like my photos? Follow me on twitter @glen_co_nz.

Thoughts or opinion? leave a comment below, by clicking the comments link.

Little Blue Penguin swimming photograph

nospam@example.com (Glen) — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 15:51:50 +1200

Photo of a Little Blue Penguin swimming at Gulf Harbour, Auckland, New Zealand.

[little blue penguin swimming picture]

So ummmm yes it has been a while since I last photoblog'd.
Actually its been something like 9 months. :-) I have been taking photos during this time. Lots in fact.
About a 15,000 shutter count over the nine months taken in 7 different countries.

Its just the whole looking after my photoblog, and posting photographs I've been having trouble with.

Still onwards and upwards. So here is my first new photo. Its a nice little photograph of a Little Blue Penguin swimming.
It was taken in Gulf Harbour last Wednesday evening, about dusk. We had just returned from our trip to Tiritiri Matangi Island.
The penguin was swimming in the entrance to the marina. The wind was up, and the waves were a little big. I suspect it was just taking a brake before heading back out in to the sea.
Photographed of course with my wonderful Nikon D300 DSLR.

Some information about the Little Blue Penguin.

The Little Penguin (Eudyptula minor) is the smallest species of penguin. The penguin, which is about 43 cm (16 in) tall, is found on the coastlines of southern Australia and New Zealand.

Apart from Little Penguins, they have several common names. In Australia, they are also referred to as Fairy Penguins because of their tiny size. In New Zealand, they are called Little Blue Penguins, or just Blue Penguins, owing to their indigo-blue plumage, and they are called Korora in Maori. These birds feed by hunting fish, squid and other small sea animals, for which they travel and dive quite extensively. They are generally inshore feeders.

The Little Penguin breeds along the entire coastline of New Zealand, the Chatham Islands, Tasmania, and southern Australia. Little penguins have also been reported in Chile. It has been suggested that there might be a yet undiscovered breeding population in the Chilean part of Patagonia. In 2005 the first record of a living Little Blue Penguin has been reported from Ichaboe Island, Namibia.

You can read more over at Wikipedia.

Little Blue Penguin data. (NZ).

Maori Name : Korora.
Abundance : Common.
Status : Native, protected.
Found : Around New Zealand's entire coastline.
Both the Northern little blue penguin and Southern little blue penguin have a NZ conservation status of "Chronically Threatened". Threat classified as being in gradual decline.
Check out the Department Of Conservation's Penguin pages to learn more about what you can do to help.
http://www.doc.govt.nz/conservation/native-animals/birds/sea-and-shore-birds/penguins/

Little Blue Penguin swimming photograph information.
Image Description:	Little Blue Penguin swimming, Gulf Harbour, New Zealand.
Camera Make:	Nikon Corporation.	Camera Model:	Nikon D300 Digital SLR (DSLR).	Date:	15th April 2009.
Focal Length:	105mm	35mm Equiv Focal Length:	157mm	Aperture:	f/5.6
White Balance:	Manual.	Flash Used:	No.	Exposure Time:	1/800th of a second.
Light Source:	Cloudy.	Metering Mode:	Spot.	Exposure Mode:	Manual.
Software:	Converted from RAW using Nikon ViewNX. Post editing with The Gimp 2.4.
Accessories Utilised:	Nikon MB-D10 battery grip. Nikon EN-EL3e Li-ion battery pack. Scandisk Extream IV CompactFlash.
Photographer Comments:	None at this time.		Lens Used:	Nikkor 18-105mm VR DX lens. Yes the "kit" lens from the D90. Yes its a good lens.
Model Credit:	Little Blue Penguin.	Photograph Copyright: ©	Glen Webber 2009. All rights reserved.

GCN News:
I have made a number of small improvements in the background for this site. So it should be easier for me to post. Meaning that I should post more often.
We'll see if that works or not.
Also you'll see above that I've added a nice border to this photograph. This lets me display things nicely, while also retaining my copyright info and website URL.
Much better than the nasty was I was doing it before.
Also you'll see I've filed this under my New Zealand native bird photographs section. All going well I'll be adding more NZ sections as I add more pics.

Thats all for now. The Grand Prix is on soon and I'm off to watch that.
Cheers,
Glen.

Like my photos? Follow me on twitter @glen_co_nz.

Thoughts or opinion? leave a comment below, by clicking the comments link.

Lightning over capital building in Madison Wisconsin

nospam@example.com (Glen) — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 14:43:48 +1200

Lightning over capital building and church in Madison, Wi. USA.

[lightning photograph]

Yes its been a while since my last post..
The last couple of weeks I've had that dreaded photographic problem of not being happy with any photos I've taken. I only remembered today I had this picture of a massive lightning clap over the capital building and square in Madison sitting around. Even Olli, has been posting more often than me.

The photo is an exposure blend of a shot with cloud and no lightning, and one containing the massive lightning strike.
I did this to help over come a large part of the frame that was over exposed due to just how powerful this lightning was. Once again HDRsoft's Photomatix Pro 3 was very useful. Even though this is an exposure blended image, its not a HDR shot.

Those who have been here before will recognise the church on the right from my earlier lightning in Madison picture.

Photograph Information
Image Description:	Lightning over capital building in Madison Wisconsin USA.
Camera Make:	Nikon Corporation.	Camera Model:	Nikon D300 Digital SLR (DSLR).	Date:	26th May 2008.
Focal Length:	18mm	35mm Equiv Focal Length:	27mm	Aperture:	f/3.5
White Balance:	Auto	Flash Used:	No.	Exposure Time:	1 second.
Light Source:	N/A	Metering Mode:	Spot.	Exposure Mode:	Manual.
Software:	Converted from RAW using Nikon ViewNX. Exposure blending with HDRsoft's Photomatix Pro 3, Post editing with The Gimp 2.4.
Accessories Utilised:	Velbon DX tripod, Nikon MB-D10 battery grip. Nikon EN-EL3e Li-ion battery pack. Nikon lens hood, Scandisk Extream IV CompactFlash.
Photographer Comments:	This clap of lightning was right on top of me!		Lens Used:	Nikkor 18-200mm VR DX lens.
Model Credit:	N/A.	Photograph Copyright: ©	Glen Webber 2008. All rights reserved.

Till next time,
G/

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Baby Muskrat eating

nospam@example.com (Glen) — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 18:15:39 +1200

Photograph of a little baby Muskrat eating lunch.

[baby Muskrat photo]

Woohoo another photograph is up.
This time its a baby Muskrat eating in the sun. I noticed this little one by the waters edge of Lake Monona in Madison. There were actually about 3 of them this size running round.
I don't know if Muskrats have litters or not??

Muskrats are related to voles and lemmings, and are not part of the genus Rattus.
When you see them swimming they look a bit like beavers.

Picture taken with my trusty Nikon D300 digital SLR camera.

GCN news: I'm at home sick as a dog today. So I'll review the editing of the picture when I'm a bit more "with it".

Photograph Information
Image Description:	Muskrat, Madison, Wisconsin. USA.
Camera Make:	Nikon Corporation.	Camera Model:	Nikon D300 Digital SLR (DSLR).	Date:	1st June 2008.
Focal Length:	170mm.	35mm Equiv Focal Length:	255mm.	Aperture:	f/5.6.
White Balance:	Auto.	Flash Used:	No.	Exposure Time:	1/100th of a second.
Light Source:	N/A.	Metering Mode:	Spot.	Exposure Mode:	Manual.
Software:	Converted from RAW using Nikon ViewNX. Post editing with The Gimp.
Accessories Utilised:	Nikon MB-D10 battery grip. Nikon EN-EL3e Li-ion battery pack. Nikon lens hood, Scandisk Extream IV CompactFlash.
Photographer Comments:	None.		Lens Used:	Nikkor 18-200mm VR DX lens.
Model Credit:	N/A.	Photograph Copyright: ©	Glen Webber 2008. All rights reserved.

I hope everyone is warm and cold free.
G/

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More lightning photography

nospam@example.com (Glen) — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 13:32:08 +1200

Lightning photography v2.0.

[lightning and trees picture]

As promised another lightning photograph.
I was going to write a bit of a how to article, but I've run out of time.

Yes that is the Wisconsin capital building in the background behind the trees.

The D300 is a great digital camera for these sorts of photos.

GCN news: I've re-looked at the previous pictures posted and they look good.

Photograph Information
Image Description:	Lightning at night. Trees and capital building. Madison Wisconsin, USA.
Camera Make:	Nikon Corporation.	Camera Model:	Nikon D300 Digital SLR (DSLR).	Date:	30th May 2008.
Focal Length:	18mm.	35mm Equiv Focal Length:	27mm.	Aperture:	f/5.6.
White Balance:	Auto.	Flash Used:	No.	Exposure Time:	3 seconds.
Light Source:	N/A.	Metering Mode:	Spot.	Exposure Mode:	Manual.
Software:	Converted from RAW using Nikon ViewNX. Post editing with The Gimp.
Accessories Utilised:	Velbon DX tripod. Nikon EN-EL3e Li-ion battery pack. Nikon MB-D10 battery grip. Nikon lens hood, Scandisk Extream IV CompactFlash.
Photographer Comments:	Use of interval exposure setup to obtain this frame.		Lens Used:	Nikkor 18-200mm VR DX lens.
Model Credit:	N/A.	Photograph Copyright: ©	Glen Webber 2008. All rights reserved.

Have a great weekend all,
G/

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Lightning and church picture

nospam@example.com (Glen) — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 10:23:43 +1200

Lightning photography v1.0.

[lightning and church photo]

I've tried so many times to get a photograph of lightning that I've actually lost count.
Before a week ago, I'd succeeded in getting a grand total of 2 frames with actual lightning.
Twice in the past week there have been great storm sets come rumbling through Madison.
I've had a lot more changes to get a good shot and now have a total of about 10 photos showing lightning.

This is the first of a few Lightning pictures I'm going to post in the next few days.
So this is lightning v1.0. It was taken on the square by the capital last Sunday night.
One second exposure. Nikon D300 DSLR camera, tripod mounted.
More to come.

GCN warning: Another picture that was edited on a badly calibrated laptop monitor.
So I may need to correct at a later date...

Photograph Information
Image Description:	Lightning above church in Madison Wisconsin USA.
Camera Make:	Nikon Corporation.	Camera Model:	Nikon D300 Digital SLR (DSLR).	Date:	26th May 2008.
Focal Length:	18mm	35mm Equiv Focal Length:	27mm	Aperture:	f/3.5
White Balance:	Auto	Flash Used:	No.	Exposure Time:	1 second.
Light Source:	N/A	Metering Mode:	Spot.	Exposure Mode:	Manual.
Software:	Converted from RAW using Nikon ViewNX. Post editing with The Gimp 2.4.
Accessories Utilised:	Velbon DX tripod, Nikon MB-D10 battery grip. Nikon EN-EL3e Li-ion battery pack. Nikon lens hood, Scandisk Extream IV CompactFlash.
Photographer Comments:	None.		Lens Used:	Nikkor 18-200mm VR DX lens.
Model Credit:	N/A.	Photograph Copyright: ©	Glen Webber 2008. All rights reserved.

CYas,
G/

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Is it a UFO

nospam@example.com (Glen) — Thu, 15 May 2008 15:55:26 +1200

A UFO .... or maybe not.

[car in mist at night]

Night time picture of a car in mist, from last month.
I like this photo more than anything because it reminds me of Close encounters of the third kind.
:-)

Photographed with my Nikon D300 digital camera.

GCN news: Still playing with HDR. Got to say I'm enjoying it.
I almost want to shoot everything in HDR at the moment.

CYas,
G/

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Playing With Lasers Again

nospam@example.com (Glen) — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 12:25:52 +1200

Electric pillow, or playing with lasers again.

[electric pillow picture]

While playing on the weekend, I pulled out the green laser again.
Using a long exposure at night I was able to create this little bit of fun.

Tip:
I was able to keep the colour in the picture by leaving the lights in the room on for the first couple of seconds of the exposure.
Then I just killed the lights and painted the pillow with the laser as per normal...
Pic taken with my D300 DSLR of course...

See also my earlier photograph resulting from me playing with a green laser and a chess set.

Anyway thats it for today,
CYa's.
G/

F18

nospam@example.com (Glen) — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 16:03:19 +1300

F18 Fighter Jet Photograph.

[F18 fighter jet]

Again an extra photo for today to help make up for the lack of 'em last week.
Also check out my Tennis ball photograph also posted today.

Picture of a F18 over Melbourne, during last years Grand Prix.
Photograph taken March '07 - Melbourne, Australia using my S5600 digital camera.

Repost #10 of ~~20.

CYas,
G/