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This image was created by Tim Kaufman with the hand held Canon 300mm f/2.8 L IS II lens, 1.4X III TC, and the Canon EOS-1D Mark IV. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1 stop off the water: 1/800 sec. at f/4 in Manual mode. |
ER Doc Scores Big Time!
I first met Tim Kaufman when he attended a seminar that I conducted in Dayton, Ohio a few years back. My recollection is that he volunteered to pick me up at the motel and chauffeur me around with my boxes of books and CDs. A few weeks ago he contacted me about joining me as assistant/apprentice on the SW FLA IPT. The first applicant could not make it so Tim was elected to carry my 800 around on the longer walks. Within a day we had designed a great system so that I could get my needs met and Tim would have more than a few chances to make some images. On our second morning we wound up at Blind Pass Beach. It was pretty good. We were headed down the beach to do some Royal Terns when I looked behind us and saw that a g Great Blue Heron has grabbed a Southern Whiting that a fisherman had tossed back into the Gulf (but not quite far enough…)
I had been carrying the 800 at the time and Tim was carrying both the 200mm and the 300mm f/2.8L IS II lenses on his shoulder. Each had a 1.4X III TC mounted. He had been using the 300. When the heron flew by us he made seven images. Four of them were sharp and of those, three featured nice wing positions. This was the best. They guy has potential.
I often say that if you want to photograph flight and action that you are far better off walking around with an intermediate telephoto lens than with big glass. Q.E.D.: quod erat demonstrandum.
In his first career, Tim Kaufman was an aeronautical engineer. He worked for McDonnell-Douglas Aircraft Corporation in St. Louis, MO helping to design a variety of weapons of mass destruction including Tomahawk cruise missiles & the F-18 fighter. He was amazed by medicine when both his Mom and sister were treated for leukemia. He quit his job, enrolled in med school, and in fairly short order became an emergency room doctor. He did not and does not watch he television show ER.
As my assistant he has been amazingly helpful often volunteering for a great variety of tasks that have made my life easier. With Peter Kes, my web man from Switzerland here as my guest doing the driver, and Tim as my assistant, I am living the life of Riley. I just might get used to it….
Please Leave a Comment
Feel free to leave a comment and let Tim know what you think of his image. And why. Processed by yours truly in CS-5 with an 80% round of NIK Color Efex Pro’s Tonal Contrast.
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Shopper’s Guide
Below is a list of the gear that Tim used to create the image in today’s blog post. Thanks a stack to all who have used the Shopper’s Guide links to purchase their gear as a thank you for all the free information that we bring you on the Blog and in the Bulletins. Before you purchase anything be sure to check out the advice in our Shopper’s Guide.
Canon 300mm f/2.8 L IS II lens. The 300 f/2.8 L IS II with the 1.4X III TC is a killer flight combination.
1.4X III TC. The new Series III 1.4X was designed to work best with the new Series II super-telephoto lenses.
Canon EOS-1D Mark IV professional digital camera body. My two Mark IVs are my workhorse digital camera bodies.
And from the BAA On-line Store:
LensCoats. I have a LensCoat on each of my big lenses to protect them from nicks and thus increase their re-sales value. All my big lens LensCoat stuff is in Hardwood Snow pattern.
The Lens Align Mark II. I use the Lens Align Mark II pretty much religiously to micro-adjust all of my gear an average of once a month and always before a major trip. Enjoy our free comprehensive tutorial here.
Canon EOS-1D Mark IV User’s Guide. Learn to use your Mark IV the way that I use mine. Also available for the 7D and the Mark III here.
BreezeBrowser. I do not see how any digital photographer can exist without this program.
Thanks for all the kind words. I just got back to Michigan after this awesome IPT. I had a ball and learned a ton helping Artie out as his assistant. I think I got the better end of the deal, as I was there to see close-up what he was doing setting up his shots, and though it was a lot of work, it was a lot of fun. I have to say I was lovin’ the 300/2.8 lens, and this was just one shot of many that proved how potent a weapon it is, particularly combined with the 800/5.6 for the close-ups. I’ll see everyone on BPN! –Tim
So your caddy/porter worked out very well. And he can take great shots. That GBH is very nice.
Sounds like you had a great time and only needed a staff of two to make you happy. I didn’t know there was a driver position open for the SW FLA IPT. I could have signed up for that but carrying your 800, 1D4, Gitzo & Mongoose setup sounded like too much for a senior like me 🙂
Artie, I really enjoy your blog posts about the various sites you visit and photograph. Thanks.
Hi Jim, Peter Kes, who has done a ton of work for me on the blog, the website, and the Bulletins is my driver/guest. If he were not here, Tim would be my driver/assistant/apprentice. artie
That sounds like too many jobs. But the pay was generous. Safe trip home.
Terrific capture Tim very well done.
Terrific image, Tim! Even the fish is sharp.
Yes, those unfeathered areas are normal for GBH. From the body outward: “shoulder” (proximal articulation of humerus), “wrist”, digits # & 4 (like fingers).
Tim, Great shot. I’m curious about the reddish-brown on the wings…is it blood? Although you are an ER doc for people, I’m curious what the biology of the heron’s condition might be.
I wondered about that too, it’s normal colouration. Mind you, I had to search Wiki for Herons, then find this type of bird, then google images for Great Blue Herons. They all seem to have it. 🙂
Yes, the reddish brown markings are 100$ normal.
Great image Tim. What a beauty to have in your library of images. What a great job you have, I am referring to the one carrying Artie’s gear for him!!
Ted
What a super image! This blog has taught me that being in the right place at the right time with the right equipment is jolly important. And a good dollop of talent really helps too. That’s a nice meal for a Great Blue Heron. Fries with your meal sir?
Artie
Of course Physicians do great things
Myer