So says Outside Contributing Photographer Pat McKay, and it’s easy to see why he’s so enamored of his Canon G-11. Just take a look at some of the shots Pat’s taken with the little camera. But now there’s a new chapter in the G-11 story, illustrated by the first photo below. Here’s how Pat tells the tale:

The composition may not be all that interesting, but I like this picture (Eagle Taking Flight) as much as any other wildlife shot that I’ve ever taken. I spotted the eagle on today’s bike ride while it was preoccupied taking a long drink from a puddle that had formed along a farm lane. I didn’t have my DSLR camera with me, but I did have my trusty Canon G-11, so I decided to see how close I could get to take a shot before the eagle flew away. I got off my bike and began walking ever so slowly toward the eagle, stopping whenever it raised its head and looked in my direction. It reminded me of that old game “red light” that we used to play as kids. Much to my surprise, after about five minutes or so, I got within 30 feet of the eagle when it finally decided that enough was enough and took to flight.

This must be the time of year to spot eagles, I was able to get another nice pic (Eagle on the Wing) last week when I happened upon one that was working a deer carcass. That shot was taken with my Canon 7D and my Tammy 70-300mm lens. Perhaps a “better” image, but I feel like I accomplished a bit more with the stalking shot!

And here it is, “Eagle Taking Flight”:

Eagle Taking Flight

That’s one impressive bird—and an outstanding performance from a point-and-shoot camera, into the bargain. The shot Pat took with his DSLR and Tamron telephoto lens is below. (Right-click on the pictures to open enlargements in new windows.)

Eagle on the Wing

Would Pat have gotten as close to the first eagle if he’d been driving a car instead of riding a bike? I doubt it. And his first trophy shot reminds us that you don’t need the most expensive kit to capture great photos. Good luck plays a role, of course. There’s no substitute for being in right place at the right time. But like a famous man once said, “Fortune favors the prepared mind.” And the rest? Put it down to skill.

Thanks for the reminder, Pat!

Send a Comment

Winter’s long, dark evenings are a good time to go over old trip journals, sketchbooks, and photographs, reliving past treks in the process. Earlier this winter, I suggested ways to rework this material in a home studio, creating new images from old with pencil and brush. Now I’m revisiting the source, so to speak. In other words, I’m taking another look at digital photography as a creative outlet. Why? Because I shoot thousands of photos a year, and — since there are only 24 hours in my day — a lot of these images gather digital dust on my hard drive till winter, when I have the leisure to give them more than a perfunctory look. You could say that the dark of the year is the time when I catch up on the previous summer, I suppose. And I was doing just that a couple of weeks ago, when it dawned on me that I’d given short shrift to one very important subject in my previous “Backcountry Photography” series. I said almost nothing about photographing action scenes…Read more…

Send a Comment

What better way to celebrate an unexpected warm spell in midwinter than to get outside to enjoy it in the company of wild birds? That’s just what photographer and Outside contributor Pat McKay did when, a little over a week ago, gusty southerly winds sent temperatures along the Delmarva Peninsula soaring well into the 50-degree range. His destination? Chincoteague Island. But Pat had other things on his mind than enjoying the balmy weather. He had a new lens to put through its paces, too, a Tamron AF 70-300mm f/4.0-5.6 SP Di VC USD XLD. That’s quite a mouthful, and since Tamron lenses are better known to shutterbugs as “Tammys,” that’s how I’ll refer to it from here on out. In any case, Pat mounted the new lens on his Canon EOS Rebel XSi digital SLR and headed out to put it through its paces. The results? See for yourself:

Tammy certainly did justice to this stylish couple, wouldn’t you say? Sharp image, superb color, and captivating bokeh—they’re all there. (Right-click in this and any other photo in this article to see a larger image in a new window.) You can even make out individual water droplets on the ducks’ backs. Of course, the Canon EOS Rebel did its part, too, even at an ISO of 400.

Now here’s a shot of an unattached mallard drake, resplendent in his breeding plumage:

A handsome fellow, isn’t he? And the setting is striking, too, suggesting as it does the subtle intricacy of an Impressionistic painting. Quite a challenge for any photographer, what with the brilliant light making for tricky metering. But Pat (and Tammy) were up to the job.

And they didn’t stop there. Here’s another demanding subject, a great egret:

A rising breeze tousles the egret’s downy plumage, but the 1/400th-second exposure stops it in mid-flutter. Of course, the real challenge for any wildlife photographer’s is capturing a bird in flight. And here, too, Pat and Tammy come through:

This is a particularly fine shot, given the shallow depth of field required by the 1/1000th-second exposure. Only the slight blurring at the wingtips gives the game away. And while you’re inspecting the wings, be sure to take note of the subtle colors imparted by sunlight filtering through the feathers.

It’s no cause for egret, however, that Pat was able to turn his attention to a hunting heron:

Great blues have big feet, don’t they?

All the better for stalking in muddy streams. And then there’s the lethal spear waiting at the other end:

Yes, spring is in the air! At least it is on the Delmarva peninsula. And who could ask for a better day to test a new lens. Pat’s verdict? His new Tammy is a great lens at a good price, one that would serve any wildlife photographer well.

Thanks for sharing your photos with the rest of us, Pat! (You couldn’t share some your weather, too, could you? Just asking…)

Send a Comment