Callaway Resort & Gardens
Relaxing on a Bench
Nikon Z6 II, Tamron 70-300mm f/4.5-6.3 Di III RXD, 1/320s, 300mm, f/6.3, ISO 800
Relaxing on a Bench
Tag Archives: wildlife
Birds of Prey
Callaway Resort & Gardens
I had been looking forward to the weekend. Although Sunday was supposed to (is) bring rain, Saturday held a lot of promise. I wanted to go back to Callaway Gardens. My previous visit was a little early for the azalea blooms. I was also hoping there would still be some tulips to capture too.
It was a great morning! I arrived as the park opened and immediately noticed the azaleas. This was going to be fun. My first stop was the Callaway Brothers Azalea Bowl. It wasn’t the explosion of color I had envisioned in my head but totally worth the stroll through the trails.
I managed to time my exploration so I could attend the Birds of Prey show at the Discovery Amphitheater. The last few visits I missed the first show at 11am and the second show isn’t until 3pm. I brought the long zoom lens for this very reason.
It was a very good show. They not only showcased a few of the birds they are caring for but did a good job educating the audience. For a photographer, there are a lot of opportunities to capture the birds in flight. I didn’t have my camera setup for the action shots but was able to get a few really nice close-ups.
I’ll be going back for the action shots… 🙂
Red-shouldered Hawk
Nikon Z6 II, Tamron 70-300mm f/4.5-6.3 Di III RXD, 1/250s, 109mm, f/8, ISO 100
Great Horned Owl
Nikon Z6 II, Tamron 70-300mm f/4.5-6.3 Di III RXD, 1/200s, 300mm, f/8, ISO 400
Red-tailed Hawk
Nikon Z6 II, Tamron 70-300mm f/4.5-6.3 Di III RXD, 1/800s, 232mm, f/8, ISO 400
Psst, buddy… over here
Frontierland, Magic Kingdom,
Walt Disney World
Psst, buddy… over here
Nikon Z6 II, Nikkor Z 28mm f/2.8, 1/30s, f/8, ISO 100
Escaping
Monochrome
Mohawk River Trail
Another nice day! I managed to leave work pretty much on time. I quickly went home, fed the boys (my cats), changed into comfortable walking attire and headed out for the Mohawk River Trail. The macro lens on the camera as I anticipated finding more floral subjects.
Quite a few people had the same idea as me, at least the walking part. The trail wasn’t crowded but definitely more people then I have encountered so far this year. I was playing hopscotch with two ladies as I kept passing them, stopping for a few images as they then passed me and then we would repeat…
On one section along the trail which is very close to the river they managed to startle a couple of geese. The pair were making a quick escape low to the river heading toward my location. I was luckily in front of an opening, so I aimed the camera at a spot I thought they would cross and tried to time my shutter click. I was a little slow as I only managed to get one of the two.
Not the greatest composition, but I’m calling this one a win for me… 🙂
Olympus E-M1 MK III, M. Zuiko 60mm f/2.8 Macro, 1/2500, f/2.8, ISO 200
Beachcomber
Cocoa Beach, FL
Olympus E-M1 MK III, M. Zuiko 12-100mm f/4, 0.6s, 100mm, f/11, ISO 400
The Three Amigos
Rosamond Gifford Zoo, Syracuse, NY
The Three Amigos
Olympus E-M1 Mark II, M. Zuiko 40-150mm f/4-5.6 R, 1/500s, 40mm, f/5.6, ISO 800
Friendship
Golden Lion Tamarin, Rosamond Gifford Zoo
Friendship
Olympus E-M1 Mark II, M. Zuiko 12-40mm f/2.8, 1/15s, 40mm f/2.8, ISO 800
Touch your nose
American Bison, Rosamond Gifford Zoo
It has been a couple of years since I visited the Rosamond Gifford Zoo in Syracuse. I typically went out in January for their annual photo contest. Now they do a contest every month but I felt I needed to stick to tradition and visit in the beginning of the year.
I thought by picking a weekend without an event it would lessen the crowds. I was even at the zoo as soon as it opened. My plans were slightly torpedoed. The zoo became crowded pretty quickly. I made the rounds outside first and by the time I was back to the buildings it was difficult to spend even a few minutes at each display alone.
I did manage to get to the American Bison before they were shepherded into their building so the employees could clean their paddock and refresh their food. I liked this one as he showed me how easy it is to stick out your tongue and touch your nose…
Touch your nose
Olympus E-M1 Mark II, M. Zuiko 40-150mm f/4-5.6 R, 1/250s, 150mm, f/5.6, ISO 800
MLCreations Photography 