Fanshawe Photography Course - Causeway Marsh Overlook

 

We drove next to the trail and lookout platform on the Causeway.

Right in the water in front of the lookout platform, A Great Blue Heron, fishing.

They do look prehistoric.

He was very co-operative, giving us plenty of time to play with angles and reflections.

A quick opportunity to try a bird in flight again. The shutter speed was right but they are still very difficult to follow and soon it was flying away

and I went back to photographing non moving nature.

as we walked the trail to the next platform.

When we reached the platform at the end of the trail we were rewarded with this beautiful yellow island.

We all stood on the platform, searching for subjects.

In the distance, Egrets and Herons and

a Kingfisher.

In the water below; a Muskrat.

We saw a bird fly to the yellow island but it was so well camouflaged I could only tell where it was by watching the reflection. Pedro thought it was a Lesser Yellow Legs.

We were so focused on the distance that we nearly missed a snake lounging next to us.

We hurried back to the cars as we realized that the bird banding, our next stop, would be ending soon.

The Heron was still there

A couple more shots and

back to the cars.

Fanshawe Photography Course - Port Rowan Harbour

 I occasionally use  a Digital Single Lens Reflex Camera but usually its just my little "Point and Shoot". It has its limitations and I tend to use the Automatic setting. It is easy and usually produces OK pictures. When I saw, in the Fanshawe brochure, that they were offering a wildlife and landscape photography course (that included a day of photography at The Raptor Conservancy), I signed up.

The first evening (6 to 9, on campus in Simcoe) was more technical. All those numbers, in my camera's menus that I have never understood. Very informative, but there was also a huge disappointment. The Raptor Conservancy had to cancel. Pedro, our instructor, informed us that we would still do a field trip and that we would reschedule the Raptor Conservancy as well.

So today, I set my alarm

and woke in time

 

to see the sunrise.

We met at the Port Rowan harbour.

My whole focus today was photography, learning to use the aspects of my camera, concentrating on composition, developing an "eye".

While waiting for the others to get there I just wandered around, taking random shots.

Usually, before I put photos up on my blog I may make some adjustments - crop, straighten, brighten, enhance colour, increase contrast. Because I am trying to improve my "pre-adjustment" photos, the only adjustments I have made to this series of photos is straightening (sloped horizons just bug me) and cropping.

Gradually

the rest

of the participants

arrived and we all wandered around, photographing whatever appealed to each of us.

Aside from myself and Pedro, our instructor, there were 6 others. A gentleman who had been photographing for 35 years, a 17 year old who loved to photograph muscle cars, a woman embarking on a trip to Churchill to photograph Polar Bears, and others with varying experience, education and interests.

It was an interesting bunch

and as each one turned to photograph something that interested them, we each in turn considered if that also interested us. I was drawn to subjects and angles that I might not have otherwise considered.

Duck hunters preparing to set out

with their companion, already wet, anxious to get going.

One of the things I had mentioned in class was a desire to improve photographing birds in flight. Pedro supervised me increasing my shutter speed and suggested I practiced on a seagull.

So first you have to be able to track them, but my camera wont focus until its in the viewfinder, and I cant get it in the viewfinder if its not in focus!!!!!!

Swans in the distance .... much easier.

Static subjects - also easier

Then Pedro spotted an Osprey  and all the shutters started clicking.

back on to Shutter Priority (rather than Auto) I was tracking and clicking

as it swooped overhead and then 

away.

We headed back to our cars and on to the next stop.