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.
Unfortunately we don't have the original photographs
anymore and had to copy them from the article, which
explains the lowered quality.
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 eyeing 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 SL takes that
place. It was just recently chosen as
the best premium camera on the market. Instead
of a mirror housing and reflex viewing system, the camera uses an electronic
viewfinder with a resolution not found in any other camera. 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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Couldn't you use the Leica M 240 also for this type of photography?
ReplyDeleteYes, indeed. Equipped with the electronic Visoflex, the M 240 has virtually the same capabilities as the Leica SL.
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?
DeleteThis 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 lenses replace the bellows with a built-in extension tube which would be used in a similar manner.
ReplyDelete