A whole day spent outdoors taking pictures! A first in the photo safari department for me.
I went with a friend, another novice in photography, and for both of us, it proved enjoyable and challenging. There is nothing worse than going out to shoot pictures with someone not doing the same – you know who I mean . . . the person who “patiently” waits for you to do whatever, “sneaking” glances at the wrist watch, sighing, texting.
The first stop was the Ventura Marina, and a walk south toward McGrath State Beach and the estuary of the Santa Clara river. The tide was out, halfway between high and low; the beach was broad and long, mostly deserted except for a few strollers and fishermen. The estuary is home to many birds, and provides breeding and feeding grounds. Gulls, terns, pelicans all roost here, and others I cannot identify. We set up our cameras on tripods, used long and short lenses, and played a bit. In particular, we enjoyed the pelicans, out on patrol, flying in groups or in pairs, toward Ventura itself. Often, they head out in the morning, after the first cup of coffee (some sleep in), and then return later in the day.
This really was my first attempt to catch birds in flight. I used my Tamron SP 70-300 f/4-5.6 Di VC lens – yes, long name – but it is a great lens! The VC stands for “vibration control.” This element, combined with autofocus and a short, short exposure time gave me the opportunity to catch the pelicans in flight, still and unblurred. The Nikon also can shoot up to 6 frames / second (I think); this also helped to catch them in flight, swooping in and out of the waves. Even with my camera mounted on the tripod, I was pretty pleased by being able to pan and shoot at the same time.
When we got back to the car, we tucked all the photo gear back into the car, and went to eat lunch. 3 hours on a chilly, windy beach, trudging through the sand, makes you work up an appetite. Some of the best fish and chips is to be had at Andria’s Seafood, so off we went a pile of fish. Then, back to the car to change lenses – I put on a 17-50mm lens – a wander around the marina itself, into the boat yard where numerous fishing boats are up on blocks for repair and repainting. Other areas explored were the commercial fishing area, tourist boat rentals, and down to the local museum for the Channel Islands National Park. Fishing boats are big, some very ugly, but always fascinating as far as I am concerned. I don’t like sailing unless doped up on scopolamine patches, or out in a brisk and wild wind on a sail boat – I get v-e-r-y seasick otherwise.
The little museum has a wonderful section of books, as well as a saltwater open aquarium which replicates tidepools, and there are windows on the floor you can peer into, meeting lobsters and flounders face-to-face, as well as looking in from above at starfish and urchins and barnacles. Behind the museum is a small garden of plants found on the Channel Islands. My favorite one is the coreopsis, which is odd as it has a thick trunk from which many bright yellow flowers erupt – it really looks like something Dr. Seuss might draw!
Finally, a decsion: head to a local beach park, or out to the pier. The pier won, hands down. Here, just a prime 100mm macro lens for me. I wanted the challenge a prime gives, as well as the macro element in case I saw something I really found interesting to look at close up. (I did . . . ewww! . . . someone’s used condom.) Once up on the pier, though, I had wished otherwise as the surfers and parasailing surfers were out in numbers. Despite that, there was a lot to see, above the pier and below.
Gosh, I love digital! I took about 300 pictures, just because I could! Some had to be shot fast, such as gulls and pelicans in flight, as well as sailboats flying before the wind. Overall, I was really pleased with the lenses and their responsiveness. The Tamron 70-300 was fantastic in its response to distance and time and focusing. It was the first time I really put it through some jumps, and I am really glad I got it. The 17-50mm is also a Tamron, while the 100mm macro is a Tokina. I have some manual focus lenses, but I doubt I could have gotten some of what I did of the birds without automation.
Ink, Yarn & Beer 