Not long after purchasing my first DSLR camera (Nikon D70) back in 2005, I discovered another subject I wanted to get good at photographing -- Birds. Particularly, large wading birds and smaller shore birds (as well as certain waterfowl like mallard ducks, wood ducks, snow geese, etc.). I am fortunate to live sort of close to a large wildlife refuge, Quivira NWR, about an hour and a half drive to my east. In 2006, I bought an 80-400mm VR lens and began making regular trips to Quivira NWR. This lens really gave me a glimpse of what I could do from a fine art component with wildlife. At Quivira, though, birds are seldom close, and I knew that if I wanted to improve my photography and get many more keeper shots, I would eventually need more telephoto reach. In 2006, I made two photography trips to New Mexico and Yellowstone/Grand Teton. These two trips made it even more difficult for me to not be shooting with the best out there. After 2006, I made it a point not to make a wildlife-specific photography trip unless I owned a 600mm lens (with 1.4 and 1.7x teleconverters). I knew that it would take a number of years before I could be at a point in my life to afford such a big purchase for a serious hobby -- especially considering the yearly financial expense and priority of storm chasing -- my primary photography passion. Between 2006 up until now, the 600mm Nikon prime lens was on top of my wish list. This nearly $10,000 lens is what it would take to get me out more to Quivira -- and to take more trips to other magical wildlife places that I love so much like Bosque del Apache in New Mexico and Yellowstone/Grand Teton. Now that I will be owning a 600mm prime lens with the proper mounting equipment (Wimberley Gimbal Tripod Head, eventually paired with new professional Gitzo Tripod legs to support this weight), I will be making trips back to Bosque.. back to Grand Teton/Yellowstone.. and other places over the coming years to get the absolute most out of this lens... along with the more frequent trips to my local wildlife refuge, Quivira. One of my local goals is to get the best images of migrating Whooping Cranes at Quivira anyone can possibly get. I've photographed the Whooping Crane, but from a long distance using the 80-400mm lens, and was really wishing I had more length and cleaner, crisper images. A couple of sample shots over the years using the 80-400mm lens with the Nikon D200:
#1: A pair of Whooping Cranes amongst a bunch of Sandhill Cranes and waterfowl at Quivira NWR (November 7, 2009)
#2: Sandhill Cranes along a dirt road at Bosque del Apache NWR (January 28, 2006)
#3: Bull Elk bugling on a crisp autumn morning at Grand Teton NP (September 24, 2006)
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