You know, I think your style of video, unique in what I've seen so far, has captured the reason that all of us are spending tons of money and time perfecting a hobby - curiosity for and a love of the world around us.
Good one Mark, nice landscape of the Oak tree at sunset with sunflare. I was on holiday in Canada last month and dragged my D7200 and Nikon 200-500 with me. I'm glad I did, got to get some shots of these Wood Ducks in Stanley Park, Vancouver. They are rather spectacular to say the least. I first saw a female with three ducklings, then later a couple of males and females without ducklings. The males were happy just posing for me on branches in the Lost Lagoon, they certainly know they are pretty boys. It was great birding in another country (did an 8 day Alaska cruise as well), every bird is a "lifer".
Thanks for the compliments! Your trip sounds awesome! I am envious. I recently did a trip to the Dry Tortugas during spring migration. It was incredible. So many birds I have never seen. I hope to get that video uploaded soon.
I love your pics. I have purchased the D500 recently to upgrade from my D7100. I use the newer nikon 80-400 glass but I have not quite captured as great of pics as yours yet. we have several pairs of wood ducks here where I live in Montana and I agree that they are very impressive looking. keep up the great work!
Thanks! I am glad you enjoyed the video. The D500 is very impressive. I'm sure you are getting some really good stuff with your combo. Lucky you having several pairs of wood ducks. I'm sure there are more around here, I just need to find them!
It took me 3 years to get a shot of a male wood duck. It's weird how others will see them at numerous places and I always somehow missed them. But this past spring and summer I got shots of them several times. I really enjoy your channel. Keep up the great work. I also have the 200-500. And my dream camera is the D500. But being on disability makes it hard to save that much money. I sold a bunch of stuff to buy the lens, and now I don't have much worth anything to sell for the camera. LOL Someday maybe the Lord will bless me with a D500. God bless.
Thanks for watching. I found the same pair of wood ducks just a few days ago and got a few great shots before they scampered away into the over growth on the side of the bank.
We have them all year round in Southern Indiana. Probably the most skittish bird I've ever seen. I sat for hours near a Ohio River slew in full camo to get a male at about 15 feet. When they're mating they are very vocal and the treetops will be filled with red-tailed hawks looking for a duck dinner.
It took me years to get shots of wood ducks. Worth the wait. The D500 is my dream camera. Your colors in your wood duck shots are amazing. The sensor in the D500 is awesome. Keep the videos and awesome images coming.
Mark, your videos are unique. You come across as a sincere lover of nature as opposed to a gear head. And, your shots are fantastic! If I ever get another camera, it will be the D500!
Another great video Mark. Those are some awesome shots. Especially the Wood Duck surrounded by flowers. Like you've I've been wanting to get a shot of a Wood Duck for a very long time and finally got one a couple of months ago. Lol, I had to sneak up on it as well but in the end it was worth it. They are very skittish for sure. To me they are one of the prettiest and most unusual looking ducks. Another one I'd like to get is a Harlequin Duck.
+aklsarratt Thanks so much. Its nice knowing I'm not the only one searching for these birds. Glad you got your shot. The Mandarin duck is another pretty amazing looking duck. Ive never seen a harlequin duck. They are very impressive too.
Nice going Mark. We have the same problems with birds. Never there when you are. But, we like you, just keep at it. You have my wife's camera and my son's lens, so I sent your video to them.
Another great video Mark!! I am fortunate enough to live in an area (Vancouver Island) that has an abundance of Wood Ducks, they are one of the most beautiful ducks and can give you so many variations of colors depending on the lighting. Even the Hen Wood Ducks make a great photo subject. Thanks for your videos and keep up the great work.
+Keith MacDonald Thank you. I am envious of your wood duck opportunity! I noticed the male's head changes color with the light. They have that iridescent quality.
Love your videos! I'm still waiting to get the 200-500mm lens. Every time I think I have the money, I need it for something else around the house! Coming down to Fort Lauderdale in August and then Captiva in December. Really looking forward to Captiva. It will be my first time there with the D500. Lots of birds there.
I am glad you are enjoying the videos! You will have a lot of fun with the D500 in Captiva. I hope you can get your hands on a 200-500 for the trip. You will love it!
Mark, Nice job. Love the pictures. Funny thing is I love wood ducks too and we have some near here that could care less if they saw you. It is a flip for FLA because I always hear the birds are less skittish there. Jim P.S. Love the tree shot too!
Another fantastic video, If you like wood ducks you should get yourself a kayak, you can get pretty close that way and you are pretty much on same level.
Thanks! I do have a kayak but this pair were the only wood ducks I have seen in the area. I have been thinking about using my kayak but I don't want the D500 or the 200-500 to go for a swim! I need to give it a try for sure. I bet the viewing angle would be so much better than ten feet up on a hill!
Great video again Mark, great images! I chase two of the same species here in Missouri, the Kingfisher and Wood Duck. Both are very challenging! I really the enjoyed the Loggerhead photos and story as well. Keep up the good work!
Thanks so much. I have managed to get shots of Kingfishers in other areas but they are tough to get close to. The Loggerheads are interesting birds too. Thanks for watching.
Hi Mark. I just found your channel a few days ago and I am loving it. I just bought a D500 and plan on getting the Nikon 200-500 when I can afford it. (that may be never, lol) Currently for wildlife I use my Nikon 70-200 2.8 VRII with a 2x tele. Regarding the Loggerhead Shrike you can scratch the 3rd theory for impaling food. We have Loggerhead Shrike (they are endangered though) here in Ontario Canada where that toxic grasshopper does not exist. They still impale their prey here. Keep up the great work.
So, I'm late. I know. Late by over a year. Yeah yeah. But, to put some insight on the Butcher Birds. At least the Butcher birds that I'm familiar with in the desert, will claim a tree, and skewer animals, including lizards, other birds, insects, and small mammals into the leaves and sticks. This dries them out and keeps them away from scavengers. They can then eat them in the dry months or cold months when food is rare. But pretty cool about the Florida one. Pretty neat stuff.
Just discovered your channel and really love your videos! Great information about the animals plus very cool to see the settings of the pictures taken. Keep up the awesome work :-)
Love your videos Mark. Keep up the good work. Thanks for using this lens on the D500, I've been thinking about purchasing the D500 and am thinking about what lenses to get with it. Your videos are certainty helping me make that decision.
Hi I would just like to say you have a superb channel and photography skills really enjoying your work. I have just bought myself a new D500 also like the fact that you incorporate the technical information into your photos. I am a complete beginner hopefully I will get to grips it...
Thanks so much for the great compliments! I am glad you are enjoying the videos. If you have any questions, feel free to ask. I'll always do my best to answer.
Nice video Mark. I have the same camera/lens combination. You could have whacked the ISO up a lot higher to get a faster shutter speed, the D500 would have handled it OK. We get a similar duck here, the Mandarin duck, very colourful.
Thanks for the compliments and the info on the ISO. I'll have to give that a try if I see the ducks again. I have seen images of the Mandarin Duck, beautiful!
Nice pic of the kingfisher. man, are they hard to get sitting still lol, i've never gotten one. i live in charleston,sc., you should come up i could show you magnolia gardens, they got a great audubon swamp with ducks, not sure if woods ducks but you would love it and donnely wildlife management is awesome, tons of gators, eagles etc...
Thanks! Kingfishers are really difficult to photograph. They always seem to take off right when I press the shutter button. If I am ever up in Charleston, I would hold you to that offer. It sounds like a great place.
Sorry you had to work so hard. Here (Denver area) there is a pond that has many Wood Ducks and in the Fall you get the ducks with beautiful gold water. They may have decreased in number the last few years, less people throwing leaves of bread at them thankfully. Haven't seen many young lately. The other place I have commonly seen them is the ABQ Botanic Gardens (BioPark). The only thing I have photographed prettier was; we had a feral Mandarin Drake for a couple of years. Thousands of photos later (just mine 😎) it was gone.
I since a hint of sarcasm in that first sentence. I could imagine a pond full of them with nice beautiful gold water. I'm going to Colorado eventually but I will be on the west side. I have seen images of Mandarin Drakes. They are beautiful! I'm sure you have plenty of great shots.
Mark Smith Sometimes hard work increases the value. With a little research you can probably find them on the Western Slope. They are one of the most fun duck to shoot. In my book, the Hooded Mergansers are up there partly because I have seen lees of them. Hard work 👍
I'm hoping for some humming birds or eagles depending on when I go. I know of two excellent locations for each not to mention the incredible beauty that is the Western Slope. Telluride is my fav! That place is pure magic.
Mark Smith Yea. You watts see a Hummer set up check out stevegettle.com. Just had him in for a presentation to our Mile High Wildlife Photo Club, a top ranked club. Came in from MI for us. His hummer setup is more than I could handle. When you come, come through Denver on a 2nd Wednesday and give us a talk. That's an official invite we have about 130 members and can draw from other clubs. Try mhwpc.org We also have a Facebook page. We have several great local site too.
Thanks for the info on Steve. I will check out his stuff. Always eager to see and learn. I'll hold you to that when I get more solid info on heading that way.
Mark, I just happened to come across you while searching for bird photography. I'm so glad I did because you are doing some amazing stuff. I can appreciate your stuff because I am a South Floridian too living in Port St Lucie. I'd love to get together with you to maybe go shooting together once in a while. Not too often because I'm severely handicapped and am stuck in a wheelchair/scooter. I have so much equipment it's not funny. I've been shooting since I was a kid in Yonkers, NY back in the mid to late '50's. I'm nearly 70 years old and would hold you back on a shoot but I would really like to get together at some time to exchange brain cell stuff. Love to talk to you, Richard.
Thanks for the compliments. I would love to go out shooting with you. Are you able to drive? Perhaps we could shoot Merritt Island Black Point Drive together or Viera Wetlands. I know both of these locations can be shot from the comfort of a car. Shoot me an email at marksmithphotos@gmail.com and we will see what we can work out.
Hi Mark, fabulous video on the Wood Ducks and the tree shot is stunning. I notice that your ISO settings change around between shots -- are you using the Auto ISO setting on the D500 for your photos ? Many thanks.
Great video, your photos look great. Love the one of the oak tree, very nice. How do you find the D500 handling noise with high ISO settings? And do you think the Nikkor 200-500mm is as sharp or sharper than the 80-400? Thanks.
+Gualberto Becerra Thanks so much. The d500 handles noise great if you nail the exposure. With that said, I prefer to always use the lowest iso as possible. I haven't used the 80-400 so I can't compare. I do know that the 200-500 is super sharp!
Mark Smith Yeah he was, being an Aussie myself you just somehow reminded me of him. I'm also into photography ( not so much animal photography) but always watch your videos. You seem to have a great knowledge on the wildlife you shoot. Great stuff.
Thanks so much. That really means a lot! I watched him almost daily and my son grew up watching him. It is great to see his family carrying on his legacy!
Thank you sir for another amazing video. Quick question if you only have the Nikon D500 what lens would you had use to photograph the tree and what settings? I know that the Nikon D810 is an awesome camera, but I would have love to see that same photo taken with the D500. Thanks for all your videos.
You are welcome and good question. I'm not too sure the D500 would be able to capture the dynamic range that the D810 can but I could be completely wrong here. You would have to try something like a 10mm lens to get all of that tree in the shot and you might end up with some distortion. I should go back to this area and see what I can capture with the D500 and the same 20mm lens. I would just have to stand further away to get the entire tree in the shot and it wouldn't have as much detail because the D500 doesn't have as large of a sensor.
Those are both excellent lenses. I had the Tokina for a while and dropped it. Found out it was a grey market lens even though I purchased it on Amazon and the cost to repair it was more than the lens. Other than that, it was an excellent lens for landscape and astro. I have no experience with the Nikon but I would bet it is great.
I live in Vancouver, B.C. and the Wood duck is very common here almost like the Great Blue Heron which I see everyday. The really young Wood ducks are very cool. Check out some of my shots at plus.google.com/u/0/collection/Yy03SB.
Mark , this is the guy that was going to meet up with you to go shoot some bids maybe at Merritt Island. I hope you remember me. I can't email you because my computer went down. No internet. I will email you as soon as I can get it back up again. Sorry to contact you this way but it's all I could figure out.
Hi Mark, I love your videos a lot. Your enthusiasm is inspiring. I was wondering if you ever use or have heard of ebird.org? It helps you to locate hotspots for the birds you are looking for. A very useful tool! Simply search for the species you are looking for and it will show you on a map where others have recorded that species.
I am glad you are enjoying the videos. I do have an ebird account but I need to download the app and see what it tells me. Thanks for the info. Do you know if you get updates via mobile through ebird?
Mark Smith I receive email alerts for rare species in my area. You have to go to the site and opt in for those. The app is useful for logging your finds and keeping track of your own lists but I don't think you can do much else with it.
I'm not sure if they are still there or not. I would imagine they have moved but I could be wrong. www.google.com/maps/place/Vero+Beach,+FL/@27.6319811,-80.4544873,17z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x88de5ee460d0c2a5:0xbce1aea5a8f725a4!8m2!3d27.6386434!4d-80.3972736 If you look on this map, you'll see atlantic blvd.This is a dirt road. On the north side of this dirt road is a canal. That's where they were. Almost directly behind the Indian River Charter High School.
I went to your spot this morning. A dozen black vultures were in that special tree. I made a few shots. I call them Buzz and Buddies. I'm thankful that the tree was spared. lc
You know, I think your style of video, unique in what I've seen so far, has captured the reason that all of us are spending tons of money and time perfecting a hobby - curiosity for and a love of the world around us.
I love being out there. I'm happy to take everyone along for the ride.
Good one Mark, nice landscape of the Oak tree at sunset with sunflare. I was on holiday in Canada last month and dragged my D7200 and Nikon 200-500 with me. I'm glad I did, got to get some shots of these Wood Ducks in Stanley Park, Vancouver. They are rather spectacular to say the least. I first saw a female with three ducklings, then later a couple of males and females without ducklings. The males were happy just posing for me on branches in the Lost Lagoon, they certainly know they are pretty boys. It was great birding in another country (did an 8 day Alaska cruise as well), every bird is a "lifer".
Thanks for the compliments! Your trip sounds awesome! I am envious. I recently did a trip to the Dry Tortugas during spring migration. It was incredible. So many birds I have never seen. I hope to get that video uploaded soon.
Keep 'em coming Mark, enjoying your work. I must look at doing something similar on my stumbles around my local haunts.
I love your pics. I have purchased the D500 recently to upgrade from my D7100. I use the newer nikon 80-400 glass but I have not quite captured as great of pics as yours yet. we have several pairs of wood ducks here where I live in Montana and I agree that they are very impressive looking. keep up the great work!
Thanks! I am glad you enjoyed the video. The D500 is very impressive. I'm sure you are getting some really good stuff with your combo. Lucky you having several pairs of wood ducks. I'm sure there are more around here, I just need to find them!
I just love the feel and smell of a South Florida sunrise. Here in Oregon, Wood Ducks seem to move around every year.
Me too!
I appreciate how you include information on what else you see while out, especially since sometimes the unexpected can be the best part. Thank you.
You are welcome and thanks for watching!
It took me 3 years to get a shot of a male wood duck. It's weird how others will see them at numerous places and I always somehow missed them. But this past spring and summer I got shots of them several times. I really enjoy your channel. Keep up the great work. I also have the 200-500. And my dream camera is the D500. But being on disability makes it hard to save that much money. I sold a bunch of stuff to buy the lens, and now I don't have much worth anything to sell for the camera. LOL Someday maybe the Lord will bless me with a D500. God bless.
Thanks for watching. I found the same pair of wood ducks just a few days ago and got a few great shots before they scampered away into the over growth on the side of the bank.
I've been binge-watching your videos all weekend. Thanks for taking us on these journeys. I'm really enjoying it and learning a lot!
Awesome! I'm glad you are enjoying the videos. I am having a great time making them!
Great tips for photographing birds, yet your narrative adds even more interest. Thanks.
Thanks!
We have them all year round in Southern Indiana. Probably the most skittish bird I've ever seen. I sat for hours near a Ohio River slew in full camo to get a male at about 15 feet. When they're mating they are very vocal and the treetops will be filled with red-tailed hawks looking for a duck dinner.
Nice
It took me years to get shots of wood ducks. Worth the wait. The D500 is my dream camera. Your colors in your wood duck shots are amazing. The sensor in the D500 is awesome. Keep the videos and awesome images coming.
Thanks. The d500 is a great camera.
@@MarkSmithphotography Yes it is. Would be a huge upgrade from my D300.
Mark, your videos are unique. You come across as a sincere lover of nature as opposed to a gear head. And, your shots are fantastic! If I ever get another camera, it will be the D500!
+Southern Biscuits Thats really nice of you to say. Thanks so much. The D500 is a great camera.
Those woodducks are plentyful over here. They look amazing.
Thanks!
Excellent video. Keep it up!
Thanks!
awesome shots!! I love wood ducks too but my favorite duck to go birding for will always be the Hooded Merganser.
Thanks! The Hooded Merganser is impressive too!
Outstanding wood duck images! Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for watching.
Another great video Mark. Those are some awesome shots. Especially the Wood Duck surrounded by flowers. Like you've I've been wanting to get a shot of a Wood Duck for a very long time and finally got one a couple of months ago. Lol, I had to sneak up on it as well but in the end it was worth it. They are very skittish for sure. To me they are one of the prettiest and most unusual looking ducks. Another one I'd like to get is a Harlequin Duck.
+aklsarratt Thanks so much. Its nice knowing I'm not the only one searching for these birds. Glad you got your shot. The Mandarin duck is another pretty amazing looking duck. Ive never seen a harlequin duck. They are very impressive too.
Congrats on some very nice shots of the wood ducks. Great video Mark.
Thank you very much!
Wow, excellent photos!
Thank you for the great tipps on how to approach wild birds.
Thank you so much! Thanks for watching.
Nice going Mark. We have the same problems with birds. Never there when you are. But, we like you, just keep at it.
You have my wife's camera and my son's lens, so I sent your video to them.
They need to combine them for the ultimate combo! Thanks for watching.
You do FANTASTIC work.
well worth the wait to get the wood ducks brilliant photos very informative as usual thank you mark
Yes it was and thanks!
Another great video Mark!! I am fortunate enough to live in an area (Vancouver Island) that has an abundance of Wood Ducks, they are one of the most beautiful ducks and can give you so many variations of colors depending on the lighting. Even the Hen Wood Ducks make a great photo subject. Thanks for your videos and keep up the great work.
+Keith MacDonald Thank you. I am envious of your wood duck opportunity! I noticed the male's head changes color with the light. They have that iridescent quality.
Awesome shots. Great patience!
Thanks
We get a nice assortment of ducks on the pond this time of year but they're tough to get good shots of ...
I really think that if you have a second life, you will come back as a kind of bird ! Wonderful video !
Another Lovely video Mark! Thank you .
Thank you so much!
Love your videos! I'm still waiting to get the 200-500mm lens. Every time I think I have the money, I need it for something else around the house! Coming down to Fort Lauderdale in August and then Captiva in December. Really looking forward to Captiva. It will be my first time there with the D500. Lots of birds there.
I am glad you are enjoying the videos! You will have a lot of fun with the D500 in Captiva. I hope you can get your hands on a 200-500 for the trip. You will love it!
Great video, and thanks for posting the exif data as well. And that is a cool looking duck!
Thanks for watching!
Great video and photos. Its hard work to do the ducks justice which you did. keep it up!
Thanks. They were hard to follow!
Hi Mark, really enjoyed your quest for the Wood Ducks, glad you were successful. Best wishes from the U.K.
Thanks!
Mark, Nice job. Love the pictures. Funny thing is I love wood ducks too and we have some near here that could care less if they saw you. It is a flip for FLA because I always hear the birds are less skittish there.
Jim
P.S. Love the tree shot too!
Thanks! This pair was really skittish. I think it was because they had a nest nearby. I never get tired of those big old oak trees!
Mark , this is a wonderful video. I would very much like to see a video explaining how you achieved the sharpness and vibrant colors. Thanks.
Thanks! I think a lot of that is lens camera combo.
Another fantastic video, If you like wood ducks you should get yourself a kayak, you can get pretty close that way and you are pretty much on same level.
Thanks! I do have a kayak but this pair were the only wood ducks I have seen in the area. I have been thinking about using my kayak but I don't want the D500 or the 200-500 to go for a swim! I need to give it a try for sure. I bet the viewing angle would be so much better than ten feet up on a hill!
Yup I added my D500 to an insurance policy just in case my kayak went over.
Good idea! I need to look into that.
Nicely done video and I like your patience.
Thanks for the compliments. My patience was rewarded.
Thank you for this video!! Keep making great videos like this it’s always a pleasure!
Thanks for watching. It is my pleasure!
Thank you for all of your hard work. Your videos are great stuff. Keep up the good work!
Thanks for watching!
Great video again Mark, great images! I chase two of the same species here in Missouri, the Kingfisher and Wood Duck. Both are very challenging! I really the enjoyed the Loggerhead photos and story as well. Keep up the good work!
Thanks so much. I have managed to get shots of Kingfishers in other areas but they are tough to get close to. The Loggerheads are interesting birds too. Thanks for watching.
Hi Mark. I just found your channel a few days ago and I am loving it. I just bought a D500 and plan on getting the Nikon 200-500 when I can afford it. (that may be never, lol) Currently for wildlife I use my Nikon 70-200 2.8 VRII with a 2x tele.
Regarding the Loggerhead Shrike you can scratch the 3rd theory for impaling food. We have Loggerhead Shrike (they are endangered though) here in Ontario Canada where that toxic grasshopper does not exist. They still impale their prey here. Keep up the great work.
Thanks for the great info! Glad you are enjoying the videos! Thanks for watching!
Another great vid! You should do a shoot at Homosassa Springs, all kinds of birds/wildlife there!
That is a great place. I know the manatees there are supposed to be all over the place too!
Oh yea! And there was quite a few wood ducks there also!
I'll have to plan a trip over there then!
Beautiful video with a lot of interesting info
Thanks!
Many Wood ducks in Albuquerque. But then you seemed to enjoy the hunt.
I sure did!
So, I'm late. I know. Late by over a year. Yeah yeah.
But, to put some insight on the Butcher Birds.
At least the Butcher birds that I'm familiar with in the desert, will claim a tree, and skewer animals, including lizards, other birds, insects, and small mammals into the leaves and sticks. This dries them out and keeps them away from scavengers. They can then eat them in the dry months or cold months when food is rare. But pretty cool about the Florida one. Pretty neat stuff.
Thanks. They are awesome birds.
Just discovered your channel and really love your videos!
Great information about the animals plus very cool to see the settings of the pictures taken.
Keep up the awesome work :-)
Awesome. Glad you are enjoying the videos and thanks!
My favorite channel.
Love your videos Mark. Keep up the good work. Thanks for using this lens on the D500, I've been thinking about purchasing the D500 and am thinking about what lenses to get with it. Your videos are certainty helping me make that decision.
Nice shots! Hope someday to get myself a D500 with the 200/500 zoom lens.
Pueblo, Colorado has tons of wood ducks.
Nice images Mark.
Thanks!
Hi I would just like to say you have a superb channel and photography skills really enjoying your work. I have just bought myself a new D500 also like the fact that you incorporate the technical information into your photos. I am a complete beginner hopefully I will get to grips it...
Thanks so much for the great compliments! I am glad you are enjoying the videos. If you have any questions, feel free to ask. I'll always do my best to answer.
Just watched this very enjoyable video, great info and photos!
Thanks and this is an older one!
love that first shot of the pair of wood ducks, well done!!
Thanks!
Nice video Mark. I have the same camera/lens combination. You could have whacked the ISO up a lot higher to get a faster shutter speed, the D500 would have handled it OK. We get a similar duck here, the Mandarin duck, very colourful.
Thanks for the compliments and the info on the ISO. I'll have to give that a try if I see the ducks again. I have seen images of the Mandarin Duck, beautiful!
Nice pic of the kingfisher. man, are they hard to get sitting still lol, i've never gotten one. i live in charleston,sc., you should come up i could show you magnolia gardens, they got a great audubon swamp with ducks, not sure if woods ducks but you would love it and donnely wildlife management is awesome, tons of gators, eagles etc...
Thanks! Kingfishers are really difficult to photograph. They always seem to take off right when I press the shutter button. If I am ever up in Charleston, I would hold you to that offer. It sounds like a great place.
Nice! Thanks for sharing.
Sorry you had to work so hard. Here (Denver area) there is a pond that has many Wood Ducks and in the Fall you get the ducks with beautiful gold water. They may have decreased in number the last few years, less people throwing leaves of bread at them thankfully. Haven't seen many young lately. The other place I have commonly seen them is the ABQ Botanic Gardens (BioPark). The only thing I have photographed prettier was; we had a feral Mandarin Drake for a couple of years. Thousands of photos later (just mine 😎) it was gone.
I since a hint of sarcasm in that first sentence. I could imagine a pond full of them with nice beautiful gold water. I'm going to Colorado eventually but I will be on the west side. I have seen images of Mandarin Drakes. They are beautiful! I'm sure you have plenty of great shots.
Mark Smith Sometimes hard work increases the value. With a little research you can probably find them on the Western Slope. They are one of the most fun duck to shoot. In my book, the Hooded Mergansers are up there partly because I have seen lees of them. Hard work 👍
I'm hoping for some humming birds or eagles depending on when I go. I know of two excellent locations for each not to mention the incredible beauty that is the Western Slope. Telluride is my fav! That place is pure magic.
Mark Smith Yea. You watts see a Hummer set up check out stevegettle.com. Just had him in for a presentation to our Mile High Wildlife Photo Club, a top ranked club. Came in from MI for us. His hummer setup is more than I could handle. When you come, come through Denver on a 2nd Wednesday and give us a talk. That's an official invite we have about 130 members and can draw from other clubs. Try mhwpc.org We also have a Facebook page. We have several great local site too.
Thanks for the info on Steve. I will check out his stuff. Always eager to see and learn. I'll hold you to that when I get more solid info on heading that way.
Great video...would like to know this location...thank you
great video! really makes me wanna get a d500 and start exploring for wildlife lol.
Thanks. It is an impressive camera.
Mark, I just happened to come across you while searching for bird photography. I'm so glad I did because you are doing some amazing stuff. I can appreciate your stuff because I am a South Floridian too living in Port St Lucie. I'd love to get together with you to maybe go shooting together once in a while. Not too often because I'm severely handicapped and am stuck in a wheelchair/scooter. I have so much equipment it's not funny. I've been shooting since I was a kid in Yonkers, NY back in the mid to late '50's. I'm nearly 70 years old and would hold you back on a shoot but I would really like to get together at some time to exchange brain cell stuff. Love to talk to you, Richard.
Thanks for the compliments. I would love to go out shooting with you. Are you able to drive? Perhaps we could shoot Merritt Island Black Point Drive together or Viera Wetlands. I know both of these locations can be shot from the comfort of a car. Shoot me an email at marksmithphotos@gmail.com and we will see what we can work out.
Man, that sounds great!
You mentioned using the D810 for reflections. Why would you use that camera over the D500 or D850 for that shot???
This was before the D850 came out ;)
Hi Mark, fabulous video on the Wood Ducks and the tree shot is stunning. I notice that your ISO settings change around between shots -- are you using the Auto ISO setting on the D500 for your photos ? Many thanks.
Thank so much and yes I do use AUTO ISO on both the D500 and the D810.
Enjoy every times
Glad you are enjoying the videos
Very informative, thanks very much!
You are welcome. Thanks for watching.
Amazing
Thanks!
Great video, your photos look great. Love the one of the oak tree, very nice. How do you find the D500 handling noise with high ISO settings? And do you think the Nikkor 200-500mm is as sharp or sharper than the 80-400? Thanks.
+Gualberto Becerra Thanks so much. The d500 handles noise great if you nail the exposure. With that said, I prefer to always use the lowest iso as possible. I haven't used the 80-400 so I can't compare. I do know that the 200-500 is super sharp!
Mark Smith thank you very much for your quick answer. I enjoy watching your videos.
You are very welcome.
Just came across your channel Mark, like your videos. New subscriber. thumbs up...
+safeharbor7 awesome! Thanks for subscribing.
This guy reminds me of a Steve Irwin with a camera.
Now that has to be one of the best compliments ever. Steve Irwin was my fav! That guy was brilliant. Thanks!
Mark Smith Yeah he was, being an Aussie myself you just somehow reminded me of him. I'm also into photography ( not so much animal photography) but always watch your videos. You seem to have a great knowledge on the wildlife you shoot. Great stuff.
Thanks so much. That really means a lot! I watched him almost daily and my son grew up watching him. It is great to see his family carrying on his legacy!
Do you ever post shots straight from the camera,would love to see some !!
Yes! I generally say so if it is SOOC but I shoot RAW.
I love your page!
Thanks!
Thank you sir for another amazing video. Quick question if you only have the Nikon D500 what lens would you had use to photograph the tree and what settings? I know that the Nikon D810 is an awesome camera, but I would have love to see that same photo taken with the D500. Thanks for all your videos.
You are welcome and good question. I'm not too sure the D500 would be able to capture the dynamic range that the D810 can but I could be completely wrong here. You would have to try something like a 10mm lens to get all of that tree in the shot and you might end up with some distortion. I should go back to this area and see what I can capture with the D500 and the same 20mm lens. I would just have to stand further away to get the entire tree in the shot and it wouldn't have as much detail because the D500 doesn't have as large of a sensor.
Oh and I would use the same settings as I used for the D810.
Thanks again. You think that maybe with the new 10-24 DX lens would be a good place to start or the Tokina 11-16mm 2.8 DX pro
Those are both excellent lenses. I had the Tokina for a while and dropped it. Found out it was a grey market lens even though I purchased it on Amazon and the cost to repair it was more than the lens. Other than that, it was an excellent lens for landscape and astro. I have no experience with the Nikon but I would bet it is great.
Nikkor 17-55 2.8 DX with the D500 Very good !!!
Beautiful work again Mark love the videos grtz
Hi Mark, I'll trade you my wood ducks for your snail kites any day ;-)))
That's a tough call. I would have to think on that one.
I live in Vancouver, B.C. and the Wood duck is very common here almost like the Great Blue Heron which I see everyday. The really young Wood ducks are very cool. Check out some of my shots at plus.google.com/u/0/collection/Yy03SB.
Super shots Dave!!!!!
Mark , this is the guy that was going to meet up with you to go shoot some bids maybe at Merritt Island. I hope you remember me. I can't email you because my computer went down. No internet. I will email you as soon as I can get it back up again. Sorry to contact you this way but it's all I could figure out.
I remember and it's all good on my end. Just let me know when you are ready.
Those were Florida Mallards.
Thanks
Hi Mark, I love your videos a lot. Your enthusiasm is inspiring. I was wondering if you ever use or have heard of ebird.org? It helps you to locate hotspots for the birds you are looking for. A very useful tool! Simply search for the species you are looking for and it will show you on a map where others have recorded that species.
I am glad you are enjoying the videos. I do have an ebird account but I need to download the app and see what it tells me. Thanks for the info. Do you know if you get updates via mobile through ebird?
Mark Smith I receive email alerts for rare species in my area. You have to go to the site and opt in for those. The app is useful for logging your finds and keeping track of your own lists but I don't think you can do much else with it.
Thanks for that. I'll have to go look and see why I don't get notifications.
I just found it and signed up for a few notifications. Thanks for the info!
Do you want to share the location in Vero Beach?
I'm not sure if they are still there or not. I would imagine they have moved but I could be wrong. www.google.com/maps/place/Vero+Beach,+FL/@27.6319811,-80.4544873,17z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x88de5ee460d0c2a5:0xbce1aea5a8f725a4!8m2!3d27.6386434!4d-80.3972736
If you look on this map, you'll see atlantic blvd.This is a dirt road. On the north side of this dirt road is a canal. That's where they were. Almost directly behind the Indian River Charter High School.
I thought I recognized the water tower. Do you like the d500 better than d7200?
I love my D500 but I have never owned or used the D7200. I have a D810 as well and it is an awesome camera too!
I went to your spot this morning. A dozen black vultures were in that special tree. I made a few shots. I call them Buzz and Buddies. I'm thankful that the tree was spared. lc
Awesome. About what time were you there and did you spot the wood ducks?