Anhinga in Flight with Nesting Material

[Don Cohen]

Another shot from a recent trip to Florida.

Anhingas can be somewhat 'plain' birds, but they can gain some decent color during mating season. They extremely active in nest-building while we were there, going back and forth grabbing branches and vegetation, sometimes in fairly large clumps. I probably took a hundred frames trying to capture them, with this among my favorites.

Canon 1D Mark IV
Canon 600L/f4 IS
ISO 400, 1/2000 second, f/5.6

 

[Asher Kelman]

Another shot from a recent trip to Florida.

Anhingas can be somewhat 'plain' birds, but they can gain some decent color during mating season. They extremely active in nest-building while we were there, going back and forth grabbing branches and vegetation, sometimes in fairly large clumps. I probably took a hundred frames trying to capture them, with this among my favorites.

Canon 1D Mark IV
Canon 600L/f4 IS
ISO 400, 1/2000 second, f/5.6

Beautiful capture of BIF! Love the panned b.g. Are you using a gimbal or this is handheld?

Asher

 

[Don Cohen]

Hi Asher,

Definitely not hand-held. The combination of the big 1D Mark IV, with the huge 600L/f4 IS is too big for handholding for more than a few minutes at a time (for me, anyway), for an emergency, quick-grab shot.

Most people with gear this size use the full Wimberley Head, but I've used a combination of a Arca Swiss Ballhead with the Wimberley 'Sidekick,' both of which provide the 'gimbal' type of maneuverability. I have that mounted on the Gitzo 1325 Tripod, and it provides great stability.

 

[Chris Calohan II]

I shot a Blue Angles Practice session the other day with an 80-400 4/5.6 and by day's end I was hurting but shooting a plane at 300-650knots isn't easy with a gimbaled head or for that matter using a monopod. I am not sure this forum is a good place to showcase that kind of photography but I understand Don's problem with a lens of that size. Anhinga's are really neat birds to shoot.

 

[Don Cohen]

I didn't clock them, but I suspect the Anhingas were flying at a little bit under the 300-650 knot speed!

But seriously, even at sub-sonic speeds, it can be difficult, even with a gimbaled head, to keep up with something moving real fast. I've never used one, but know of some photographers who use a shoulder/chest type mount so they get the benefit of hand-holding, in terms of quick maneuverability, but not having to support all the weight with their arms. I'm not sure that would work with a lens the size of the 600L/f4, but it is an intriguing option.