Greg Schneider Photography: The Blog

Wilson’s Plover family

Greg Schneider — Mon, 14 May 2012 02:25:18 +0000

I can’t help but think how appropriate this photo is for today: a female Wilson’s Plover “brooding” her 3 chicks on a Florida beach. This process is used to regulate the chicks’ body temperatures, especially when they are very young. For comparison, the mother is about the size of a robin, and the chicks are literally little fuzz balls.

Wilson's Plover female brooding her chicks

Canon 5D Mark III: The Real Deal

Greg Schneider — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 19:47:48 +0000

I recently acquired a 5D Mark III, and like many, have been very impressed. Finally we have a solution for the long awaited digital form of a “3D”. While I haven’t been able to put it through extensive testing, here are some initial thoughts and sample images:

Build: it feels very similar to a 7D, which comes as no surprise as the body shape and buttons are nearly identical. That said, the weatherproofing is an improvement, and the camera feels very solid in hand. The shutter sound is a huge improvement over the 5DII, and it feels like a “quick” camera.
AF system. This was my biggest concern with the 5D II, and the new AF system takes all those worries away. I would place it in the same league as the 1D Mark IV, equally as good or perhaps even better. Some differences (apart from the 7D-like focus modes) are smaller AF points, less coverage due to the full frame sensor, and less raw drive speed on initial focus acquisition. One issue I do have is that I cannot quickly select an AF point using the joystick as I can with a 1 series body. Having to press the AF button first is hugely cumbersome if you need to do so quickly. EDIT: this can be enabled using a custom function by assigning the joystick to direct AF point selection. There are many new AF settings and tracking modes, which may prove valuable in certain situations, and it’s great to see the menus have been improved with proper descriptions of what each setting does, and what scenarios to use them in.
Buffer. Rated at 13 images in RAW, I saw about 18 shots at lower ISOs with a 400x card, before it started to slow down. At 6fps this is about 3 seconds of shooting, which is nearly identical in terms of time as the 1DIV buffer, and I don’t see it being a major issue, unless you are shooting at high ISOs and/or with a slower card and frequently hitting the buffer limits. Of course, a larger buffer would be welcome, and Canon has much work to do in catching up to the D4 here.
Exposure and WB appear solid. I’ve never had major gripes in this regard, and the colour out of camera is far more pleasing than the 5DII, which usually needed extensive correction to look similar to my other bodies. That being said, my initial thoughts are that AWB is a touch cool when outdoors.
Image quality: It’s hard to quantify this yet. What I can say is the banding that frequently plagued 5DII images is gone, or at least remarkably diminished. I would agree that the noise is lower than either 5DII or 1DIV, but won’t commit to a value. Processing plays a huge role in this, so check out the same images and decide for yourself!

Overall I see the 5DIII as a solid complement to the 1DIV. Due to the greater crop factor, higher fps and f8 focusing ability, I will continue to use the MkIV as my primary bird camera, unless I am not focal length challenged or need better ISO performance, but the new 5DIII is just as competent for everything else. One thing is for certain – you can no longer blame the camera for your shortcomings.

What I should note is there appear to be issues with the IS systems on the 200 f2 IS and 800 IS. Those lenses are seeing more IS vibration and feedback noise when used with the 5DIII, which I quickly noticed. Canon is working on a fix, but until then, it is likely to affect image sharpness at low shutter speeds.

I took some photos of gulls and geese flying around, and the camera tracked beautifully in a variety of AF modes. While these are not overly complicated targets, I do not have the same faith in the 5DII’s AF system. Additionally, I tracked someone jogging towards me for about 15 shots, and the AF was glued until the subject was close to MFD and thus could no longer compensate quickly enough.

Publication in Outdoor Photography Canada

Greg Schneider — Sun, 25 Mar 2012 03:14:49 +0000

I’m pleased to announce that my photo of two moose calves has been published in the spring/summer 2012 issue of Outdoor Photography Canada! Look for it the next time you’re browsing the magazine rack. This is at least my third full page photo that has been published with OPC.

Outdoor Photography Canada Hot Shot Spring/Summer 2012

Here’s the original photo on my website.

Skyscapes

Greg Schneider — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 15:39:48 +0000

From time to time I’ve come across intriguing “skyscapes”, often in the form of cloud formations or other interesting patterns. A long focal length helps to compress details and focuses on a smaller area of detail in the sky, allowing for more drama in the image than a wide angle photo. I find that in winter there are more opportunities for this, often due to low, scudding clouds, frequently with the sun partially visible from behind.

This particular photo was taken at night as a very large full moon began to rise, with an 800mm lens.

Full Moon behind partial cloud- Canon 1DIV - 800/5.6IS

View more, or order a print at my gallery!

One for Valentine’s Day

Greg Schneider — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 02:45:32 +0000

This is the best photo I could find for today…wish I had some avocet photos in my collection, as they would be even more appropriate!

Common Tern courtship flight - Canon 7D - 800/5.6IS

View more, or order a print at my gallery!

Signs of spring: Tundra Swans

Greg Schneider — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 03:21:57 +0000

With reports of early migration of tundra swans, I went back to process some of my photos of them. They are a species we typically only see in early spring, as they pass through. Present year round in Southern Ontario are Mute Swans, a non-native bird which is the most common swan. Less common, but still present in large numbers in winter are the trumpeter swans, the largest of the native swans. They can still be found throughout the summer, but mostly in marshes (such as Wye Marsh) in central Ontario where they breed.

I hope to add some more photos this year!

Tundra Swan Portrait - notice the distinctive yellow mark - Canon 1DIV - 800/5.6IS

Tundra Swan (foreground) and Trumpeter Swan (click to enlarge) - Canon 1DIV - 800/5.6IS

Tundra Swan on calm water (click to enlarge) - Canon 1DIV - 800/5.6IS

View more, or order a print at my gallery!

Updates

Greg Schneider — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 06:03:22 +0000

With 2011 wrapped up, it’s high time I updated my blog again. 2011 was personally a great year for photography, with trips to Algonquin Park, Banff NP, and a month-long road trip that took me to Florida, WV and various other locales. In many ways I felt I improved my technique, shooting productivity, general vision and became a much more effective photographer this year, which I’m really happy about.

I’ve uploaded a new batch of photos over the last few weeks, and I’ve also launched a Facebook page. I expect it will a better way of connecting with the public, and encourage you to check it out and ‘like’ the page! Updates will almost certainly happen more often on that page.

All the best!

More photos uploaded

Greg Schneider — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 23:20:15 +0000

I’ve been working on getting more photos processed, and have been busy uploading lately. There is lots more to come, including more photos from a recent trip to Banff NP and area.

View the updates page HERE

Bull Moose

Greg Schneider — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 20:10:13 +0000

Algonquin Provincial Park, in Ontario, Canada is a fantastic destination for moose viewing. This is especially true during the spring, when moose are attracted to the slightly salty water near the highways, caused by runoff from the winter’s salting operations. I was able to photograph this large adult bull last spring, as he munched away beside the highway, seemingly oblivious to the surrounding crowd. So far this is the largest moose I’ve found, and it would be wonderful to meet him again (at a safe distance!) in the fall when he has shed the velvet.

Bull moose chomping down on vegetation (click to enlarge) - Canon 5DII - 800/5.6IS

Side profile view of a bull moose in a beaver pond (click to enlarge) - Canon 1DIV - 300/2.8IS

See more moose photos at my website (more photos to come)

Birding with technology

Greg Schneider — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 14:15:23 +0000

As technology has advanced, the methods used in modern birding have changed greatly. Primarily, online birding lists or forums give instant access to recent sightings, and result in many more people seeing a one day rarity, or being able to discuss birding topics with a large number of people at once.

Personally, I heavily use weather radar and other maps while in the field. It’s very helpful to know if the clouds on the horizon are simply a small shower, or a storm serious enough to warrant a retreat. Additionally, Google Maps is fabulous for making custom maps with bird locations or markers, and then being able to access it on your smartphone in the field. Satellite view is also very helpful, and as long as you have cell and GPS coverage, makes navigating through areas of forest with no distinct trails much easier and safer than without. With wireless email and internet, there have been times where I’ve seen a report of a rarity nearby, and have abandoned my current plans to go “chase” that bird. This is without even mentioning the bird identification and song playback apps available. I am content with my paper guides for now, since I don’t relish re-paying for something in electronic format, especially since I’m quite comfortable with the eastern birds and have little use for a field guide while birding in my area.

I’m curious to hear how others use technology with respects to birding – please do leave a comment!