outdoor photography

Canon EF 400mm f/5.6L For bird wildlife photography, having a long telephoto lens is a tremendous advantage.  It allows you to you to have your subject large in your frame while keeping your distance. Most wildlife photographers occasionally crop their images significantly, since wildlife usually stays pretty far away. So sharp lenses also give you a huge advantage. There are basically three classes of Canon lenses that are available to you. Consumer G rade telephoto zoom lenses are the most affordable, but unfortunately, consumer grade telephoto zooms are often pretty soft at the telephoto end of the zoom.  I have friends that shoot with these lenses, and I often hear them express frustration that they aren't able to come home with sharp pictures.  Part of the reason for this is simple lens quality  On the other end of the spectrum are what we might call  High End Professional Grade telephoto prime lenses.  These lenses are extremely sharp and fast, ...

Canon EF 180mm f/3.5L It may surprise you that I believe Canon's 180mm macro lens to be the best macro lens for nature photography. After all, a few years ago, Canon released a new macro lens, the EF 100mm f/2.8L.  It's smaller, lighter, cheaper, auto-focuses faster, has a wider maximum aperture, and it even sports a new hybrid form of image stabilization. And, whatever differences there may be in image quality, they are probably imperceptible in real life situations. So why would I recommend the the 180mm f/3.5L over the 100mm f/2.8L? Well, I should concede that the 100mm f/2.8L is probably the better lens for some people.  Those needing IS will likely benefit from it; those who would also use this lens for portraits and other uses may also have good reason to opt for this lens over the 180mm f/3.5L.  But I'm concerned here with using this lens as a macro lens for nature and wildlife photography--flowers, insects, spiders and other small things in nature.  There...

Canon EF 180mm f/3.5L I frequently get asked about lens recommendations for nature photography, so I thought it would be good to offer what I consider to be wonderful choices all in one post.  Before beginning, though, I do have a few caveats.  First, I'm limiting myself to Canon simply because that's what I know best.  I'm sure you can find comparable lenses to those mentioned here made by Nikon and other manufactures.  Second, there's no one way to build your arsenal of lenses.  Often the best lens to buy next depends on what you already have in your camera bag. We all have different habits and shooting styles, and so there's no one set of lenses that will be perfect for every nature photographer. Third, lenses can be very expensive, and my blog is generally designed for those on a modest budget--that is, cameras under $1800 and lenses under $1200. Wildlife (Long Telephoto) For wildlife photography, you often want to have your subject large in your fram...

Green Heron There's something about the serene reflections on water that I find captivating.  Especially when they make the water green.  Wildlife with backgrounds like this are perhaps my favorite of all.  Sometimes you have to work a little to get this to happen.  That is, in order to make it work, you may have to adjust your position by moving around your subject or moving your camera up or down.  But to me the results are worth it.  I have no problem with blue water, but green reflections to me are always worth the effort.  All three photos below were taken at one of my favorite little spots at Mead Gardens.  There are some branches that come out of the water, and turtles and wading birds take turns on the branches.  If you stand at the right place, the green reflections are wonderful, at least to my colorblind eyes. Red-eared Sliders Tricolored Heron Anhinga