CANON R6 Auto Focus for Wildlife Photography

 This is a very common question, how do you set up your camera auto focus? I use what is called Dual Back Button Focus, which basically is a method where you configure or assign auto focus functions to two of your back buttons in your camera. In my case, I use the AF/ON for Eye Focus and tracking and the * button for Single Point AF. You can find a very detailed explanation of how to set this up (with the difference that he uses the * for Eye Focus and tracking) in this video. 

Pileated Woodpecker

 The end of the year vacation ended and I'm happy with the pictures that I took during this time. This Pileated Woodpecker pictures is an example of this.

Click on the picture to appreciate the details.

 

Canon R1 Dynamic Range performance

Canon's New Cameras include new features in both hardware and software and we all expect to perform better than previous generations but that's not always the case, at least in some areas or features such as Dynamic Range. Dynamic Range refers to the range of light intensities that a camera sensor or film can capture, from the darkest shadows to the brightest highlights. It's a measure of a system's ability to distinguish between the brightest and darkest parts of a scene while still retaining detail in both areas.

According to tests results posted recently at PhotonsToPhotos the Dynamic Range of the Canon R1 at ISO between 100 to 1600 is lower than the results obtained in the Canon R3 and slightly lower than in R6, R6 Mark II, R8 and even the R5 and R5 Mark II.

Starting from 1600 the Dynamic Range Performance is similar than the one seen in the R3 and the other above mentioned cameras.

Why Dynamic Range Performance is so important? 

Landscape Photography: Capturing detail in both bright skies and dark foregrounds.

Wildlife Photography: Maintaining detail in fur or feathers while also capturing background detail.

Post-Processing: RAW files often allow more flexibility in recovering shadow and highlight details because they retain more of the sensor's dynamic range compared to JPEG files.

It’s somewhat disappointing to see this, as the Canon R1 is expected to be Canon’s flagship camera for sports photography. For this purpose, excelling in low-light scenarios, such as those common in indoor sports, is crucial. While the differences in dynamic range aren't massive, the disappointment stems from the high expectations set for this new camera.

A nice surprise, The Old Man and the Piano

While visiting a local park by the sea to look for gulls and other marine birds, I stumbled upon something unexpected: an old man playing an electric piano! 

 

Naturally, I couldn’t resist the opportunity to capture some photos of him.

2024 in 12 of my pictures

Let me try to summarize 2024 in 12 of my photos. This is no easy task because I love them all. The 12 pictures I've chosen aren't necessarily my best—they're simply moments in time that hold meaning for me. Each one represents a piece of my life and a memory from this past year.

January

February

March

April

May

 

June

July 

August

September

October

November

December

 

Please do not do this

I recently took this picture of somebody feeding gulls. 

Feeding gulls with crackers/bread is not advisable for several reasons:

Nutritional Deficiency: Bread and crackers, especially white bread, lacks essential nutrients that birds need. Feeding them bread can lead to malnutrition, as they may fill up on bread and neglect healthier, natural foods.

Health Problems:  A diet high in bread can cause health issues for birds, such as:
    -Angel wing in waterfowl, a deformity caused by malnutrition.
    -Digestive issues, as bread can ferment in their stomachs.

Dependency on Humans: Feeding birds like gulls can make them overly reliant on humans for food, disrupting their natural foraging behavior. It may also increase their aggressiveness towards humans or other birds as they compete for food.

Encouraging Aggressive Behavior: Gulls that associate humans with food may become more aggressive in seeking food, potentially leading to conflicts with people or other animals. In urban settings, this can contribute to nuisance behavior, such as scavenging or attacking food directly from people.

Environmental Impact: Feeding wildlife, including gulls, human food can disrupt local ecosystems. It may cause an increase in gull populations, which could lead to overcrowding, competition for natural food sources, and the spread of disease.

For these reasons, it's best to let gulls forage naturally and avoid feeding them crackers, bread or other inappropriate human foods.

One of my favorites from last weekend

Here is one of my favorite pictures from last weekend photo shoot.