By Henry Kartarik
Please Note: This article was originally published in the
Barnack and Berek Newsletter in November of 1980, but we think it is of as much
interest today as it was then. The
publication was a forerunner of this blog.
It was published in black and white only, which explains that all
photographs in the article are in black and white only.
It has been several years
since I have retired my shotguns and rifles and replaced them with cameras and
lenses. Hunting with a camera is more
difficult, more challenging, and more diversified, and more rewarding; there
are more open seasons, far more open areas, and more opportunities for
shooting, no license fees, no bag limit.
Photographing nature and
wildlife in particular, has become an increasingly popular endeavor for novice,
amateur, and professional alike; especially since the advent of the SLR with
through the lens metering and more recently and specifically the Leica R3 Mot.
The true sportsman spends a
great deal of time becoming thoroughly proficient in the handling of his
equipment, and finds enjoyment in becoming better skilled in its use, and takes
great pride in possessing the finest equipment that he can possibly afford… So it is with the true nature photographer.
In the following paragraphs I
would like to share with you some of the experiences, the successes and the
frustrations experienced encountered in the pursuit of my hobby: nature photography with long lenses.
Let us take a day-long
photographic excursion to one of our favorite hunting locations, with
headquarters at our farm near Grantsburg, Wisconsin. It is early morning on November 8, a
partially overcast and unusually warm day. We are about to pack our gear in the car.
Each excursion is a unique
adventure; there is no way to anticipate the specific equipment which might be
required. As you might assume from the
title of this article, I prefer above all to use long lenses in my pursuit of
nature photography: the 400mm f/6.8 Telyt
and my “one and only” 560mm f/5.6 Telyt with Televit pistol grip.
Fritillary (Silver Spotted Flambeau)
Kodachrome 25, Leitz Telyt 400mm f/6.8
Along with these lenses I
need a set of extension tubes, a Leica R3 Mot, a bean bag, a tripod and
film.
For this type of photography
it is very important to use camera equipment that is very quiet in order not to
frighten your subjects off with the cranking motion of the human hand. I have found that the soft whirr of the self-winder
does not frighten the subjects, but often elicits more interesting, alert
poses, indicating curiosity or inquisitiveness on their part.
Continuing our tour we see a
rough-legged hawk swaying in a treetop and eying us apprehensively as we
approach. Here I wish I had the 1.4x
extender, so we go on…
The Eastern Hognose Snake, the only natural enemy of the American Toad
Kodachrome 25, Leitz 400mm f/6.8 Telyt
Farther on we see an animal
in the midst of an open field. As we
come nearer we recognize a coyote sitting on his haunches, probably hunting
meadow mice. The fact that he is out in
the open indicates that he is a very hungry coyote. Here again I wish I had the 1.4x extender,
but I can’t resist one parting shot as we go by. I know that if I were to stop, he would run
for the brush cover.
As we are slowly driving along
this trail road, I notice a sudden commotion in the tall grass along the
roadside ditch. We come to a stop
approximately twenty feet from the action.
It appears to be a bird wounded by a gunshot or automobile, attempting
to escape our view.
Suddenly the bird turns and I
recognize a great-horned owl, who fixes us with his intense golden stare. He does not appear to be injured, but
something is thrashing in the grass below him.
It is gray. Is it a rabbit, a
favorite prey of the owl? The crows and
blue-jays who were harassing him depart.
The owl tries to lift off dragging his prey along the ditch, but he is
unable to do so. It becomes clear that
the prey is a large bird, most likely a sharp-tailed grouse.
Skink
Kodachrome 25, Leitz 400mm f/6.8 Telyt
Of course we are busy
photographing the sequence of events. A
large van of hunters passing by is too much for him; he reluctantly releases
his hard-earned meal, and flies to a nearby tree, keeping his prey in sight. The blue-jays return, irritating him; he
flies deeper into the woods.
Now we have an opportunity to
identify the bird in the ditch. It is a
beautiful male marsh hawk, still limp and warm with closed eyelids. Himself in search of prey, he became the victim
of the eight deadly talons of the owl.
His momentary struggle only ensured a quicker death as the talons locked
into his body. We now place the elegant
bird on a nearby low tree stump, hoping the owl will find it and not need to
make another kill.
Resuming our journey we come
to the south end of the refuge, where we watch watch hundreds and hundreds of
Canada geese returning to the march from their feeding areas. We cannot resist a few shots of the
tremendous gathering of these stately birds.
The 560 enables me to reach
out over the cold waters of the march and select and photograph some scenic
hammocks and grass formations.
It has been an unusually
exciting and rewarding day. At this
writing moment we are anxiously awaiting
the results of this photographic foray. What
a great 560mm day!
***
Another day, another season,
another lens.
It is spring in our back yard
at Whiter Bear Lake, Minnesota. The
tulips are blooming, the plum and cherry shrubs are in full bloom, the apple
trees are just coming into bloom; it is early may, a beautiful calm, cool,
sunny day. The yard is filled with
dozens of migrating warblers and a variety of other songbirds.
I select a secluded spot from
which I have an excellent view of a particularly busy area. I wear a camouflaged-printed windbreaker;
take a heavy tripod on which I have mounted a bellows-R with my 400mm f/5.6
Telyt attached to my Leica R3 MOT with the remote release. I will also take along the air release to
finish the last on or two frames. I find
cable releases unsatisfactory in they cannot be conveniently located for being
held for extended periods of time.
The Eastern Bluebird
Kodachrome 64, Leitz Telyt 250mm f/5.6 with extension tubes
I check out my minimum and
maximum field by extending and retracting both the bellows and the lens. I now prefocus the lens, and for fine
focusing rely on the bellows.
Although my concern is mostly
with small and close-up subjects, there are occasions when the ability to
infinity focus would be highly desirable; for instance, in a flowering apple
tree, just out of range, is a flock of cedar waxwings gorging themselves on
apple blossom petals while basking in the sun.
We have a variety of apple
trees in out yard; after watching the cedar waxwings for several years it is my
observation that they eat only the petals of the Fireside apple blossoms. It is either that they prefer the location of
the tree or the flower of that particular blossom.
Now back to the small
migrants. These little birds are most
difficult targets because they are constantly in motion searching for insects. They take no note of my presence as long as I
remain quiet and move slowly, if at all; in fact, they have on occasion tried
to perch on the lens.
A rock with a dish-shaped
surface filled with water provides a magnetic attraction to the little
travelers for a drink or a bath; this is an appreciated convenience for which
they show their gratitude by momentarily posing in my prearranged location.
Canada Geese, with mother and father at front and rear. Brood size is normally 4 or 5, so it seems
likely the other youngsters were pirated away from others.
Kodachrome 64, Leitz 560mm f/5.6 Telyt
A tree hole provides a
similar opportunity for drinking and bathing and may also be a picturesque
setting for bird portraits.
Almost without exception, it
is essential that the eye of the subject be in sharp focus, glinting. The serious photographer will wait for the
moment when the highlights of the eye
are picked up. This cannot be
overstressed.
USING FLASH
Should the sun be unaccommodating,
we have an alternative: the electronic
flash, which must be used with certain conditions in mind. These conditions are:
1 Maximum shutter speed of 1/100 sec (for the
Leica R3 MOT).
2 The flash should
be used as a highlight source, or for light painting.
The use of full flash as a
main source of light will result in a harsh and/or artificial picture. Flash is, of course, required in
photographing any nocturnal wildlife.
The American Toad is found in all states of the Union
Kodachrome 25, Leitz 400mm f/6.8 Telyt with Leica Bellows-R
The 400mm and Bellows-R
combination is also ideal for photographing reptiles and amphibian in their
environment without disturbing them. An
excellent time to photograph these creatures is in the early spring, on a sunny
morning when they are warming themselves on the rocks, sand banks, or pond
edges. At this time they are extremely lethargic
and most cooperative.
The capture on film any of the lovely
butterflies, dragonflies, or other skittish insects, I frequently use the same
equipment. These insects are
approachable on chilly autumn mornings, and I may then prefer to use macro
lenses for extreme closeups.
NATURE IN SUBURBIA
The possibilities for nature
photography in suburban areas are excellent.
The observing nature photographer will see birds, animals, and scenic
views on his way to and from work that an untrained eye would not notice. Some of my best shore bird pictures have been
taken in a location adjacent to a busy four-lane highway that runs between
White Bear Lake and ST. Paul. Abandoned
railroad right-of-way, drainage diches, city and county parks, roadside ponds,
and game management areas provide excellent places to observe and photograph
nature and wildlife.
Birds and animals who have
adapted to suburbia are less wary and more easily photographed than their rural
cousins. But it is important to avoid
with debris and other distracting backgrounds.
Having pointed out several of
the basic rules essential to successful nature photography, I must emphasize
that rules and equipment alone do not produce outstanding photographs. We must remember that pictures are judged by
individuals whose backgrounds and tastes vary widely. Let us be creative, let us violate some of
the basic concepts; shoot:
1 Against the sun
for silhouettes
2 In the fog for “mystical”
effects
3 Using slow
shutter speeds to record motion
4 Early morning,
late evening, or even moonlit night shots without flash
Try photographing waterfowl
in the rain, animals in snowstorms. Don’t
be put off by adverse weather conditions.
It is just such difficult environments which may help to produce the
unusual, dramatic, or impressionistic photograph.
Successful hunts can be
relived on the screen and enjoyed by many others. Dinner guests make no comments about my stuffed
ducks or old elk antlers, they are simply disinterested, bored or possibly
envious.
Not so with nature slides or prints. Viewers are highly interested in the subject matter,
eager and curious to learn how one is able to get such pictures, and personally
interested in how they themselves might become involved in such a hobby.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Henry Kartarik is a retired
army officer who served during WWII in the Pacific campaign, at Aberdeen
Proving Ground, and at the Pentagon.
A mechanical engineer, he ran
his own machine and tool business, enjoyed flying his own land and sea planes,
and held a commercial pilot’s license until his retirement because of a physical
disability.
He has had an intense
interest in nature from early childhood, and in photography since adolescence. He is fortunate now to have time to devote to
both interests. One of his color
portfolios was in an issue of “Minnesota Volunteer”, a publication of the
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.
POSTSCRIPT
Obviously, photographic
equipment has substantially changed since the Leica R3. The development of the SLR Leica line
finished with the Leica R9 and owners of Leica R cameras and lenses for a long
time looked for a digital alternative.
The Leica S line is not an option for wildlife photography because there
are no long lenses available. Even
though Leica does not offer a DSLR, it is not necessary to look to other camera
manufacturers. The Leica M (type 240)
takes that place. Especially when
equipped with the electronic Visoflex, the camera can be used in place of a DSLR. As a matter of fact, it has the advantage of
being substantially smaller. While Leica
is not making any lenses longer than 135mm at the moment, the Leica R adapter,
or similar units from other manufacturers, allows the use of virtually any of
the Leica R lenses and accessories that utilize the Leica R lens mount, like
tele extenders, bellows and extension tubes.
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You mention the Leica M Type 240 as a camera to use long lenses on. Isn't that a compromise being that the camera is a rangefinder?
ReplyDeleteNot at all. The Leica M is a lot more than just a rangefinder. It's versatility is unsurpassed. Yes, the camera does have rangefinder focusing, and as such it can accommodate any Leica SM and M lens with only a few exceptions. But while older M-series cameras needed the Visoflex II or Visoflex III to use lenses longer than 135mm and to do closeup work, the Leica M can do so on its own since it does offer live view, either with the rear viewing screen or with the electronic Visoflex finder. All that is necessary is an adapter, either the Leica R adapter for almost any of the Leica R lenses or an aftermarket adapter for lenses from almost any other manufacturer. The fact that the Leica M is virtually identical to any of the other M type cameras, it also has the advantage of being substantially smaller than any high quality DSLR.
DeleteBut the camera does not offer autofocus capability.
DeleteCorrect, but that does not diminish it as a camera to use Leica R lenses on. After all, the Leica R lenses do not offer autofocus capability.
DeleteAre there any lenses that are easier to use than others since all lenses must be focused manually?
ReplyDeleteYes. For instance the older Leitz Telyt 560mm f/5.6 was quite easy to focus with the Televid pistol grip. I found the Novoflex follow focus lenses to be the easiest to focus lenses ever designed. The squeeze pistol grip focusing is faster than anything else I have ever experienced. In addition, the 400, 600 and 640mm lenses offer built-in close up capabilities, making additional close up accessories unnecessary.
DeleteHow do the Novoflex lenses compare in performance to their Leica counterparts?
DeleteI consider them equal. They were of the same optical design as the 400 or 560mm Leitz Telyt lenses.
DeleteHow did these lenses achieve closeup without accessories?
ReplyDeleteThis is a classic case of necessity being the mother of invention. The squeeze pistol grip type focusing, while very fast, is limited in how close you can focus. Subsequently Novoflex has addressed that shortcoming by offering their older 400 and 640mm lenses with a built-in bellows as an option. With the bellows retracted, the lens allows for infinity focus. When the need arises to focus closer than what the pistol grip focusing allows, simply use the bellows adjustment for closer focusing. This works very well by using the bellows to get the approximate focusing range and then using the pistol grip for fine focusing. Later lenbses replace the bellows with a built-in extension tube which would be used in a similar manner.
ReplyDelete