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Just back from a 17 day boat trip to New Zealand and Australian subantarctic islands. They're nesting and feeding grounds for a significant proportion of the world's ocean bird species.
They're World Heritage listed and require permits to visit. Four we could walk on and the rest we saw from zodiacs. The operator was Heritage Expeditions and they did an excellent job. Between island visits there were briefings and lectures from naturalists and a geologist.
I've done day pelagic tours from Australia and the difference here was that we were in the birds' world, not just snapping them as they fly past. And taking pics on terra firma is a lot more enjoyable than on a rolling boat!
Focal length is always an issue in pelagic shooting and especially when shooting from a zodiac. I took a 400/2.8 with TCs, a 100-400mm and 24-105mm zoom. I'd probably swap the middle zoom for a 200-600 if going again, and take a pocket point and shoot for non-avian subjects rather than the phone.
We were lucky with the weather and had drizzle for only one landing (and waves prevented another). That's in the latitudes of the roaring forties and furious fifties (we got about half way down to Antarctica). I had decided not to take the waterproof covers and dry pack that I'd got simply because there was already so much kit (in an extra checked bag).
I took about 16,000 shots and culled them by 90% using a laptop each night.
Chatham Island Albatross
Royal Southern Albatross
Royal Southern incubating
Light-mantled Sooty Albatross
King Penguins incubating an egg on their feet
Royal Penguins preening each other. On Macquarie Island their colony runs to 160,000 pairs.
They're World Heritage listed and require permits to visit. Four we could walk on and the rest we saw from zodiacs. The operator was Heritage Expeditions and they did an excellent job. Between island visits there were briefings and lectures from naturalists and a geologist.
I've done day pelagic tours from Australia and the difference here was that we were in the birds' world, not just snapping them as they fly past. And taking pics on terra firma is a lot more enjoyable than on a rolling boat!
Focal length is always an issue in pelagic shooting and especially when shooting from a zodiac. I took a 400/2.8 with TCs, a 100-400mm and 24-105mm zoom. I'd probably swap the middle zoom for a 200-600 if going again, and take a pocket point and shoot for non-avian subjects rather than the phone.
We were lucky with the weather and had drizzle for only one landing (and waves prevented another). That's in the latitudes of the roaring forties and furious fifties (we got about half way down to Antarctica). I had decided not to take the waterproof covers and dry pack that I'd got simply because there was already so much kit (in an extra checked bag).
I took about 16,000 shots and culled them by 90% using a laptop each night.
Chatham Island Albatross
- ILCE-1
- FE 400mm F2.8 GM OSS + 1.4X Teleconverter
- 560.0 mm
- ƒ/5.6
- 1/1600 sec
- ISO 3200
Royal Southern Albatross
- ILCE-1
- FE 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 GM OSS + 1.4X Teleconverter
- 560.0 mm
- ƒ/8
- 1/3200 sec
- ISO 1000
Royal Southern incubating
- ILCE-1
- FE 24-105mm F4 G OSS
- 46.0 mm
- ƒ/11
- 1/800 sec
- ISO 320
Light-mantled Sooty Albatross
- ILCE-1
- FE 400mm F2.8 GM OSS + 1.4X Teleconverter
- 560.0 mm
- ƒ/6.3
- 1/3200 sec
- ISO 1000
King Penguins incubating an egg on their feet
- ILCE-1
- FE 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 GM OSS
- 400.0 mm
- ƒ/11
- 1/200 sec
- ISO 640
Royal Penguins preening each other. On Macquarie Island their colony runs to 160,000 pairs.
- ILCE-1
- FE 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 GM OSS
- 400.0 mm
- ƒ/10
- 1/320 sec
- ISO 1600
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