landscape, nature, photography, travel, wildlife

PINS selects

Elle and I traveled to Padre Island National Seashore this weekend to enjoy the ocean.

Beach camping proved a bit more difficult than our usual locations… but it was great prep for the Everglades.

Too much sun, sand, and wind were the low points, for sure. However, the good certainly outweighed the bad.

And as I prepare to leave today for my trip, I am very glad we had the time together.

Here are a few of my favorites from the long weekend….

–andrew

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If you are interested in learning more about photography, taking your art to a new level, and/ or Big Bend photography tours and workshops, please check out my new workshop dates:

B ig Bend Photographic Tour/ Workshops 2013-2014

More Destination Photo Tours/ Workshops 2013-2014

If you are interested in licensing any of the images/ video from this post, please visit my stock agency:

Tandem Stills + Motion // andrew r. slaton

If you are interested in purchasing prints from this post, please check my prints for sale, or email me directly for a custom request:

andrew r. slaton // photographer // prints

For assignment work requests, please email me: andrew@andrewslatonphoto.com

Thanks for visiting AndrewSlatonBlog.com!

all images and content © andrew r. slaton | photographer 2013

landscape, nature, photography, random thought, travel, wildlife, writing

flashback | everglades

It was thirteen years ago…. I sat at a crappy, college-student computer, playing around on a new website called “Priceline”.

Back then, all you could do was bid on flights.

And so it was, a 19 year old aspiring photographer and travel junkie, bidding (really low) on random flights.

Well, I didn’t realize that if they accepted my bid, that I would have actually purchased my first solo trip.

And they did.

I think the winning bid of Austin, TX to West Palm Beach, FL, round trip was around $120.

I was going to the Everglades.

The next few months were marked with frustrating phone calls, trial and error planning, and no luck finding a reputable rental car company to rent an out-of-state nineteen year old a car.

But eventually I found a shady car company, and I was on my way.

With only a hand-me-down Canon AE-1, two lenses, and about 35 rolls of film (Fujichrome Provia 100F and hand-rolled Kodak T-max 100/ 400 b+w), I set off on my first solo photo adventure.

I know that I have already attached several of these Everglades images to earlier posts, but I thought it would be fun to see them again in light of the flashback…

I have SO many more images from this trip, tucked away in dark closets, nested within box after box, like Russian dolls.

Perhaps someday I’ll dig them back up and share them. But until then, these will suffice, as will the new ones I bring home in just a few weeks…

I’m getting really excited!

— andrew

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

If you are interested in learning more about photography, taking your art to a new level, and/ or Big Bend photography tours and workshops, please check out my new workshop dates:

B ig Bend Photographic Tour/ Workshops 2013-2014

More Destination Photo Tours/ Workshops 2013-2014

If you are interested in licensing any of the images/ video from this post, please visit my stock agency:

Tandem Stills + Motion // andrew r. slaton

If you are interested in purchasing prints from this post, please check my prints for sale, or email me directly for a custom request:

andrew r. slaton // photographer // prints

For assignment work requests, please email me: andrew@andrewslatonphoto.com

Thanks for visiting AndrewSlatonBlog.com!

all images and content © andrew r. slaton | photographer 2013

advanced, art, equipment review, nature, photography, travel, wildlife

canon 500 f/4L IS II // field review

I have been itching to get my hands on the new Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM(US $10,499).

I’ve shot several times with the version one 500 f/4 and 600 f/4, and loved them, but I must admit, I was excited to feel the improvements in weight, sharpness, and features firsthand.

And what better time to put a super-tele to the test than on a trip to Rocky Mountain National Park!?

So, thankfully, a few days before my road trip, I received a huge 22 lb. box from Canon… woo hoo!!

Below are a few examples of photographs I made on the trip with the new lens. All technical info is also listed below each photo.

Overall, what I noticed most was the amazing reduction in weight. I hiked dozens of miles with this lens (along with all my other equipment), and let me tell you… it was leaps and bounds better than hiking with its predecessor.

They were able to shave off over 1.5 lbs thanks to magnesium and titanium construction elements.

Photo courtesy Canon

The difference in weight was so noticeable, in fact, that it wasn’t even too difficult to hand hold. Though I did prefer using this lens with a monopod :)

The sharpness and clarity are better than any other super tele I’ve evaluated so far. And in my opinion, I would have found it hard to improve on the original version. But somehow, Canon did.

Rocky Mountain Bull Elk, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM, Canon 5D MKII, 1/160 @ f/8, ISO 100, with Canon Extender EF 2x III

Fly Fishing Dream Lake, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM, Canon 5D MKII, 1/200 @ f/4, ISO 400

unidentified bird (please help if you know!), Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM, Canon 5D MKII, 1/200 @ f/16, ISO 250

Rocky Mountain Bull Elk Silhouette, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM, Canon 5D MKII, 1/2000 @ f/6.3, ISO 500

I wasn’t able to play around much with the 3 different IS (Image Stabilization) settings, but I have found an excellent review that will certainly fill in some of the blanks that I’ve missed, from the good folks at the-digital-picture.com.

They also have a very helpful side-by-side review function that I have included, if you like looking at specs… Canon 500 f/4L vs. Canon 500 f/4L II

Cow Moose, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM, Canon 5D MKII, 1/200 @ f/8, ISO 800, with Canon Extender EF 2x III

Moose Calf, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM, Canon 5D MKII, 1/200 @ f/8, ISO 800, with Canon Extender EF 2x III

Cow Moose with Calf, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM, Canon 5D MKII, 1/125 @ f/8, ISO 800, with Canon Extender EF 2x III

Sparring Marmots, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM, Canon 5D MKII, 1/640 @ f/4, ISO 640

Rocky Mountain Bull Elk, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM, Canon 5D MKII, 1/40 @ f/4, ISO 3200

White-Tailed Doe Deer, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM, Canon 5D MKII, 1/200 @ f/4, ISO 400

Mountain Bluebird Pouncing, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM, Canon 5D MKII, 1/500 @ f/8, ISO 200, with Canon Extender EF 2x III

Mountain Bluebird Flight, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM, Canon 5D MKII, 1/500 @ f/8, ISO 200, with Canon Extender EF 2x III

This new version also significantly reduces the minimum focusing distance, thereby making it way less difficult to shoot wildflowers while on the trail.

Dual Columbines, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM, Canon 5D MKII, 1/200 @ f/4, ISO 400

White Tailed Ptarmigan, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM, Canon 5D MKII, 1/200 @ f/4, ISO 400

Bighorn Ram, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM, Canon 5D MKII, 1/1600 @ f/8, ISO 400, with Canon Extender EF 2x III

Three Bighorn Rams In A Row, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM, Canon 5D MKII, 1/400 @ f/8, ISO 400, with Canon Extender EF 2x III

Cow Moose In A Creek, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM, Canon 5D MKII, 1/100 @ f/8, ISO 800, with Canon Extender EF 2x III

American Robin, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM, Canon 5D MKII, 1/800 @ f/4, ISO 500

Alpine Wildflowers, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM, Canon 5D MKII, 1/640 @ f/4, ISO 500

I was really happy with the overall construction and performance of this lens. It held up against foul weather… when hiking, I was rained on several times, and I truly didn’t worry about the moisture affecting this lens. The image quality is outstanding, even with the Extender EF 2x III. The weight and size are more manageable than other huge lenses.

And though my biggest complaint (always) with super telephoto lenses is that the AF is slow and difficult, the 500 f/4L II performed far better than any other lens of this magnitude.

There are only 2 real downsides to this lens, and for someone like me, who hikes a lot, the first is its sheer size and (though much lighter) weight. But considering any alternative of which I’m aware, the 500 f/4L II is the best option. The second con is the expense. At just over $10k, it is not an easy purchase to make. Unless your primary source of income is shooting wildlife or sports, it is not necessary… it’s a luxury. I will admit, I’m not a lavish living or spending kind of man… but I sincerely want this lens :)

andrew

advanced, art, film, film making, landscape, nature, photography, travel, wildlife

rocky mountain np // motion

For fun, I decided to make a short video of some of my time-lapses and motion captures from the trip.

And yes, I just had to sneak some marmots in for a cameo or two….

I hope you enjoy! For best results, watch in HD.

All motion clips are available for commercial and editorial licensing through Tandem Stills + Motion.

art, landscape, nature, photography, random thought, travel, wildlife, writing

rocky mountain national park // pictures

Well, after 3 weeks and 4300 miles, I’m finally back home.

It was an epic road trip and I am so pleased with the work I had the chance to produce in 5 National Parks!

The first of which being, of course, Rocky Mountain National Park.

I spent 9 days exploring and photographing this phenomenally beautiful place. Most noted subjects of this park are the fast flowing creeks, abundant wildlife, and majestic peaks.

It was certainly a challenging experience; waking up before the sun to shoot all morning, hiking 10+ miles during the middle of the day (with 30 lbs of gear) to scout locations, and then shooting until after dark, going to bed and doing it all over again. Needless to say, I wasn’t getting a ton of sleep, and I lost a few pounds of excess belly :)

It was a ton of hard work, but it’s the kind of labor that I really live to do.

So, here are a handful of my favorite images from the first leg of my three week trip!

In the next week or two, I will post more images, videos, time-lapses, and as promised, equipment reviews…

Please feel free to ask any questions you may have, technical or aesthetic, leave comments/ feedback, but most of all, I hope you enjoy the beauty of Rocky Mountain National Park!