Blue Heron keeps me company.

I'm very spoiled here in Kingston. I can choose any one of a number of locations to pull over for a quick bite and not be alone. On this day, I have a Crispy Chicken to wolf down during a 20 minute respite on my runs, and I have this Great Blue Heron standing on the end of a dock at a nearby canoe club.

Equipment used was my trusty Canon Ef 400mm 5.6L series lens on a 60D, tripod mounted. Image is a 100% crop.

Cheers!

IMG_9796-2

IMG_9796-2, a photo by Michel (Mike) Soucy on Flickr.

Great Blue Heron takes off from it's perch once it saw our brigh yellow canoe approaching.

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IMG_9867, a photo by Michel (Mike) Soucy on Flickr.

Turkey Vulture spreading it's wings as we canoe past it. It seems that it does this to warm it's body before it flies.

My wife and I fianlly took the canoe out for the first time this summer. I brought two camera bodies (T1i & 60D) with my 400 and the 18-85 IS 5.6, but the wrong size drybag for the bigger lens. The idea is to keep one body/lens in the drybag, secured to the canoe as I'm shooting with the other.

Should we capsize, I lose one and not both. The trick though, is to not capsize! :)

We have a 16' kevlar (Elite 16) from Scott's Canoe. Handling is really nice, weighs only 48lbs which makes handling really nice and easy when I go solo.

I find that a monopod is easier to handle than a tripod from inside the canoe, reaction time is a bit slower though, don't want to start the canoe rocking...been there before. :)

We hope to get out some more this summer and do some exploring.

Cheers!

IMG_9743

IMG_9743, a photo by Michel (Mike) Soucy on Flickr.

On a recent visit to Bluffers Park in Scarborough, had a chance to see this Northern Mockingbird.

As with most...this was shot on a tripod.

Immature Red Wing Blackbird

This immature Red Wing Blackbird found in the cat-tails waiting for a parent to show up.

IMG_0687, a photo by Michel (Mike) Soucy on Flickr.

New storefront for Prints and Greeting Cards!

Hi everyone,

I've a new storefront for prints and Greet Cards with great prices!

Greeting Cards start at $4.55 each, a pack of 10 for for $2.70ea, or a pack of 25 for $2.25 each!
Prints can be bought framed or unframed. Drop in for a visit!

New Book!

The Birds of Lemoine. by Michel J.S. Soucy | Make Your Own Book

Rose Breasted Grosbeak and Baltimore Orioles

Lemoines Point Conservation Area in Kingston rarely fails...this Grosbeak was photographed on my lunch hour just before it started to rain. I had a choice of three of these birds to shoot, then was spoiled by Baltimore Orioles before I had to head back to work. Both were taken on Canon 60D with the EF 400 5.6L series lens on a tripod.

 



Savannah Sparrow.

This is a good example of the benefits of being up with the sun. The lighting quality within the 1st 2 hours is, simply put, magical. The birds have been active long before the sun breaks the horizion, but those first rays of sunlight really bring them to life!

Knowing that this small country road see's very little vehicular traffic, I'm comfortable when I arrive to my spot, to pull over onto the shoulder, and turn off the ignition. Then, I roll down both front widows 3/4, leaving enough to sit my 400mm on for support. The rest is to just be patient, and be ready...they'll come on a fence, bush, or rest on one of the fence posts and invite me to take a few shots.

Then it's off to work...I do need my day job! :)

Cheers everyone!

Tulip...

IMG_6773, a photo by Michel (Mike) Soucy on Flickr.

These tupilps were taken on the side of our house mid afternoon. The light was filtering through a nearby bush, hence the light streaks on the cement wall behind the flower.

Shot taken with a Canon EOS REBEL T1i set on Shutter priority using an EF-S17-85mm f/4-5.6 IS USM lens. The exposure was taken at 53 mm for 1/750 sec at ƒ / 8.0 using digital film with a speed rating of ISO 400.

Florals...

IMG_6773, a photo by Michel (Mike) Soucy on Flickr.

The time is here for the flowers! Florals can be exciting, the colors, shapes, lines, curves, and experimenting with wonky compositions!

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IMG_0394, a photo by Michel (Mike) Soucy on Flickr.

These Cormorants were a real treat to shoot. I'm aware they they're not welcomed by a lot of folks, but for a photographer, they can be quite comical (and colorful).

The early sunlight worked really well to bring out their bills and turquoise colored eyes.

These were shot with straight 400mm, I'll start working my Kenko Pro 1.4tc next time I get out for a bit more range for close-ups.

Cheers!

(c) Copyright Michel (Mike) Soucy.
Shot taken with a Canon EOS 60D set on Aperture priority using an EF400mm f/5.6L USM lens. The exposure was taken at 400 mm for 1/750 sec at ƒ / 8.0 using digital film with a speed rating of ISO 400.

THATAWAY!!

IMG_0388, a photo by Michel (Mike) Soucy on Flickr.

Double Crested Cormorants on a dock. The sunlight was absolutely terrific at this time of day and made for some great captures.
All of these we're taken on tripod.

(c) Copyright Michel (Mike) Soucy.
Shot taken with a Canon EOS 60D set on Aperture priority using an EF400mm f/5.6L USM lens. The exposure was taken at 400 mm for 1/1000 sec at ƒ / 6.7 using digital film with a speed rating of ISO 400.

IMG_0018

IMG_0018, a photo by Michel (Mike) Soucy on Flickr.

This little beauty was keeping an eye on me. The day was overcast with a light drizzle.