photography – Page 6 – The Jersey Birder

Taking a flyer with a few extra photos

Before switching to digital cameras, I spent decades parsimoniously snapping shots on 24- or 36-shot rolls of film, not wanting to waste anything. But digital cameras have freed us from such restraints, which has been a particular boon to us photographers who delight in photographing swift-winged birds. As I walked at the Mercer Meadows PoleContinue reading “Taking a flyer with a few extra photos”

The magnificent blue jay

As ubiquitous as the blue jay is in much of this part of the world, I’ve taken relatively few photos of them in wild, especially when compared with many less common species. Early in my walk this morning at the Mercer Meadows Pole Farm, I spotted one sitting regally atop a tree and snapped away.Continue reading “The magnificent blue jay”

Catching common mergansers in flight

It’s mid-January, and as in much of the country, we are more often than not waking to leaden gray skies in my part of New Jersey. But Saturday dawned gloriously sunny, and I headed out with my camera anticipating excellent shooting conditions. I stopped first at Audubon’s Plainsboro Preserve, hoping there’d be a variety ofContinue reading “Catching common mergansers in flight”

More owls and an impressive murmuration

Back to the Pole Farm I went this afternoon, hoping to see more short-eared owls and Northern harriers flash about as the sun set. The cloud cover was heavy and the light low, not ideal for photography. Nonetheless, the Cold Soil Road parking lot was packed again (a sure sign of owl fever) as I pulledContinue reading “More owls and an impressive murmuration”

Nothing beats getting close to the birds with a zoom lens

I debate myself on whether I more enjoy birding itself or my photography while doing so. I’ve come to realize that for me, those two aspects are the yin and yang of my excursions. My enjoyment of birding increased considerably once I locked my Sigma 150-600 mm Contemporary zoom lens onto my Canon SL2 camera.Continue reading “Nothing beats getting close to the birds with a zoom lens”