Pohjoista valoa etsimässä

I’m so happy, I’m so happy, I have something to shoot :)) I met these cute fellows on our yard, so not that long search after good opportunities. I shot both of these pictures with my Tamron 90mm + Kenko 1,4x extender and flashgun. D200 works as a commander unit, and in the first picture I shot wirelessly and I’m quite pleased with the results.

The second picture is a straight pose of another species of spider. This time the flashgun was attached to the camera, so not that soft shadows. Sharpness seems to be ok.

All the snow we had for this winter is now gone. It melted away in just one week.

*sigh*

There’s still plenty of light available after my working hours, but – quite problematically – there’s very little to shoot. Of course I can drive to Reposaari fishing harbor and shoot some gulls, but that is a bit boring. I miss insects and spiders – strange me. I also miss flowers and blossoming trees. I miss butterflies and beetles, all the essential elements of my way of shooting.

I was desperate enough to buy myself a pair of skis. They are quite unused swedish army (what army, finns have always fought their wars :p) skis, and very broad. I planned to do some research and perhaps a little landscape shooting on the Isoneva marshland, but maybe next winter then.

Willow catkin. 300mm, cropped from the original

It has begun: The Spring. Willows are opening their catkins and the gulls are filling the air above the ice-free waters. The Season is on our doorstep; it is right behind the corner.

Herring gull on the fly. 300mm + 1,4x

I recently purchased Kenko 1,4x DG Pro converter and today I had the possibility to test drive it for the first time. I have to say that I’m impressed of the quality this low-cost converter produces! Thank you Minna, for tipping me about this excellent device.

Two kinds of wind power. 300mm + 1,4x

The autofocus speed suffers from the added optical element, but it is still very precise. Most of my shots were keepers, it was only the birds position which ruined the picture.

Yet another Herring gull posing on the fly. 300mm + 1,4x

420mm is quite enough for bird shooting purposes, but if I had money, I’d buy 500/4 Nikkor :p

The light was gentle and the gulls willing to show their flight skills.

I have been watching birds for twenty years now, and as long has the Glaucous Gull been avoiding me. This race is finally over now, because there was a twitchable individual at Reposaari today! Many thanks to my dear friend for giving us the tip!

There’s nothing fancy in this picture because the light was hard and direction wrong – It still is an evidence, isn’t it?

Gear update: I decided to give the teleconverter a try and ordered Kenko DG Pro 300 1,4x. Hopefully it’s ok with my Nikkor!

Yesterday was a bad day what comes to nature photographing, but luckily there was something happening on the sky instead! Over and out, no further explanations this time.