We just arrived back home from our photo tour in Glacier Bay. It was an amazing trip with a great mix of weather, and wildlife. Whales, Orcas, grizzly bears on whale carcasses, puffins, kittiwakes, glaciers, icebergs, and more. The group was terrific – enthusiastic and talented – thanks to all of you who joined us!
I had a lens problem that limited me to a fixed 300mm or a 24-105mm as my ‘longer’ lenses. Yikes, that was a challenge! The range of 100-300 is a much-used range on the boat trips. My 100-400mm was not performing properly so it got retired quickly. But I managed and built up a few arm muscles handling the 300mm 2.8 that I borrowed from Canon. I had sold my 500mm f4.5 and planned to buy a new long lens but hadn’t decided on the focal length so it was great to try the 300mm f2.8. It’s an amazing lens!!!
This image was made using that lens. It’s a mother Orca and frolicking young calf, in beautiful glacial water. It takes a lot of images to get just the right one. I had borrowed the Canon EOS Mark IV as well and the rapid frames per second enabled me to capture the moments as they were unpredictable with whales and Orcas!
I’ll have a lot more to process and post here over the next week, with stories.
Other News:
This trip to Alaska made me think about Iceland – being in beautiful, dramatic scenery with ice, icebergs, waterfalls, and more. I can’t wait to go in August for the photography workshop. You really don’t want to miss this one, do you? I know I don’t and I hope you’ll join me there.
Thanks, Bob – it’s true, so many times the power of an image is what’s left to the imagination, not the whole thing in the picture. I feel that same way. Yes, the F4’s are a good solution when not on the tripod. Boy, did I need an on-board masseuse every day on that trip!!
On this image, I find the simplicity of it really drawing me in. Just a few percent of large mammal showing. I like having to imagine them under the water. Whale photography is certainly very challenging.
I stick with the F4’s for those long lenses! I think a 2.8 would be fun out of the car and right onto the tripod, but not on a boat!
Way to go on a great image. Glad you had such a good time.
A prime telephoto are great. A friend of mine used this same Canon lens at Walt Disney World and got beautiful images. Not to mention the creamy bokeh lens like this can produce which is perfect for a crowded theme park.
Not bad for a quiet Alaskan bay either. 🙂
Yes, my 500mm f4.5 prime was a good lens but older technology and slower aperture than the newer 500 f/4, so I had sold it. But I missed not having a longer lens to take to AK so I was grateful to borrow this one from Canon.
Brenda, I hope you had tele-extenders to try with the 300. That lens is tack sharp with even the 2x! I have one and love it — I call it my 300-600 zoom.
Hi Diane –
Yes, I was using the 1.4 mostly, because I was having to hand-hold on the boat – and didn’t trust that I could manage with the 2x being so powerful. My shutter speeds as it were were around 1000 and 1250 – with everything from 250 to 800 ISO when needed. But what a lens I loved it!!