I arranged the trip for our local photo club, at their suggestions, knowing this one would be difficult for me, the only film shooter in the group. The weekend turned out to align with a full moon, so there was a backup plan in place, if bird photos seemed too fleeting.
I packed up the RB67 kit and threw in the monopod, along with the tripod, and loaded some Portra 400 rated at 800 to keep the shutter speed high. I also grabbed the Think Tank belt system, to allow for more mobility as I explored.
Upon arrival we found lots of birds. Mostly white snow geese, a few egrets and some cinnamon teal ducks. I mounted the Sekor C 360mm F6.3, and put the camera up on the monopod and started exploring. We stopped at the main visitor area and took a few picks.
Strength in Numbers
Gathering our photo club, we slowly drove the 5 mile loop around the refuge, stopping periodically to capture a few more images.
A Hiding Place
Let's Go!
Finally the sun set and the moon rose, and we wrapped up shooting a few sunsets and a few moonrise images before heading home.
Moon over Marsh
A fun day, but a serious test on equipment and vision. The RB67 worked great. (2) rolls provided 20 well exposed frames. The 360mm (equivalent to 180mm) was fairly easy to use on the monopod. Pushing the Portra 400 to 800 helped to keep the shutter speed at 1/250th or 1/400th of a second, at f8 to f16. Fast enough to get good clarity at that focal length. Overall a good experience. But, for one who prefers the still landscape, this one tested my "general" photography skills.
If you want to visit, plan on the Jan - Feb time frame to catch the migration patterns. Get there early afternoon as the flocks started departing between 3-4pm, and that is a sight to see! And bring a long lens! 200mm-400mm or better. And if you are shooting digital, consider renting a longer lens and a teleconverter.
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