Every time I fumble with my settings to shoot wildlife, my respect for birders/wildlifers grows.
I was at an extended family getaway in northern Wisconsin, and my father-in-law always reminds me to bring my gear when we go for a boat ride. This year we had some luck and came across three bald eagles in the tree tops.
I was rocking the absurd 70-200 f/2.8L IS II + 2x T/C combo on my 5D3 and did the best I could without a monopod from the boat. At best, the eagles were only 1/5 the vertical height of the frame at 400mm. It was a hot mess to shoot: the lighting was glaring, even with the center AF point and quick shutters my in-focus hit rate was poor, I had the camera set for BiF shutter speeds / ISO when the birds were stationary, etc.
But I did nab one decent one, though heavily cropped.
Birding will never be my calling, but I'll continue to hamfistedly suffer through the experience and share it here on CR.
- A