This week’s blog post is covering the shots taken in the Australian Botanical Gardens, Mount Annan, plus a few test shots I took trying out a Canon 5dmk4 in the local Camera shop.

Saturday morning the local Camera Shop, Macarthur Camera House, Macarthur Square, had a Canon Rep in store showing of the new Canon 5dMk4. So I had a bit of a play around with it, the shots below are just testing out a few things, so the shots aren't the best and far for what I would normally show here. The 5D is a camera I am interested in looking to replace the 60D I use for landscapes and mushroom shots, one of the big draw backs on the 5D for me was the lack of an articulated screen, which I wanted for the mushroom shots with the camera siting on the ground in all kinds of difficult situations often amongst tree roots and the likes making it hard to get down and view through the view finder not to mention often wet and muddy as well, so the lack of the Swivel screen was one issue I had with the new 5d, considering I shoot more mushroom shots with the 60D than anything else definitely as issue for me. There is always the 80D two generations up on the 60D and also if I wait till next year the 6dmk2 is rumored to have the articulated screen, so I could hold out getting the articulated screen and a full frame camera at the same time, at half the price. My other issue is timing, I'm heading off to Tasmania again next year again on a Steve Parish photography tour and would really like to have a full frame camera suitable for low light for all the lush forest shots under the canopy’s there. One option is to rent a camera for that trip then buy the 6D when it comes out. Or buy the 5dmk4 and get the best for a full frame less the articulated screen and that’s where these test shots come in. The new 5dMk2 will connect via Wi-Fi to a smart phone for remote shooting, so instead of a flip out screen I can hand hold the phone or iPad and shoot from that. So I tested this out with the two shots below of my watch. You can tap on the phone where you want the focus to be and the shot is actually focused on that point the phone doesn’t actually refresh that focus live which is a little disconcerting at first but the actual image seemed to come out pretty good as in focus wise. As I said these shots were just set up on the counter and I didn’t really take my time, but as far as proof of concept goes the system did work and I did get a few images to play with focus stacking with.

Certainly shows up all the details of the wear and tear on my watch and every little scratch there. With 30 Mega pixels plenty of detail to zoom in on as well. The app only has some pretty basic functions controlling aperture shutter speed ISO a few other minor things but would certainly help if it allowed you to control the off camera speedlites from the Camera menu, I mentioned this to the Canon rep who said she would pass it on, she also said they are working on developing the app so maybe some time it will be updated to include controlling the off camera speedlites. Would be great if it could, Then it would be a no brainer and definitely on the wish list, Though I’m pretty sure it already is. 

The shops in the middle of a shopping centre so not a great place to go and practice with but I took a few shots at 32000 ISO and pretty impressive, really quite usable there, you wouldn't want to zoom in and go into the details but at 32000 on a screen really looked OK. Again not the best picture but at 32000 ISO certainly workable. 

The l at last shot here is  5000 ISO a more normal range if not on the high end, but again clean shot and zooming in in lightroom I can see every scratch and mark on the frames here so very happy with the results. A big thank you to the team at Macarthur Camera House, Macarthur square for putting on this event with Canon to test out the camera wiht hands on and the Canon Rep to answer my questions and help set up the Wi-Fi. Canon are bringing out a Wi-FI card for the 7D Mk2 in November so I'll probably get that test it out a bit further see how the phones battery life goes with it, I suspect it will certainly eat that up. then make a call on which way to go, I've got till early February, but would like to have time wiht the camera before I head to Tasmania with it.

After play time it was back to the gardens and some shots fro the day. First up a Bell Miner (Manorina melanophrys) Bell bird. Not a great shot and a little to far away, the other issue with this one is the light from bright to dark shade so not the best location for this shot. But I'll keep trying each week and see what I can come up with.

Next up I could hear this one but took a while for me to locate it,  A Grey Shrike-thrush (Colluricincla harmonica) they really have a pretty call and can be heard from a way off when in full voice.  Again this one was a fair way off so more patents needed till I get a decent on of these.

As usual the Male Superb Fairy-wren (Malurus cyaneus) was playing hide and seek with me more handing than not so a shot through the sticks here not a clean shot this week.

Another one playing hide and seek was this Jacky Winter (Microeca fascinans) so this one was in the shadows and high ISO to get the shot so a little grainy here in this shot. Followed by again hiding behind the sticks. 

Next up a little Brown thornbill (Acanthiza pusilla) there was a small group of these hunting the insects, around the walkway along the cannel opposite the plant bank. 

Along with the Brown thornbills was a couple of Yellow thornbills (Acanthiza nana) were hopping about as well, this time they got a bit closer and allowed me to get a few decent shots the first one would have been better if its beak didn't line up wiht eh branch in the back gourd but they never stay still long enough to recompose the shot, still some nice details here in this one, followed buy two more shots as it bounced around. 

From there I moved on tot eh connections garden and at the moment the paper daisies are still doing there stuff as is this rock Orchard, some great colour in the connections gardens at present. 

The White Waratahs are not flowering and will be fro about another week or so, one plant seams to be more advanced than the others so you may still have some time if your in the area, this shot was taken wiht one off camera speedlite to give the light and shade effect. Plus under expose the back ground giving the black back ground effect. Hopefully they will be still out next weekend so I can have another go at these. 

Last up for the week as I was walking back to the car for the day to head home there was this pair of Rainbow lorikeets (Trichoglossus haematodus) feeding on a spike of the grass trees in the sculpture on the main lawns. 

A noisy miner (Manorina melanocephala) watched on while the lorikeets were feeding patiently waiting its turn. 

So thats it fro this weeks shots a bit of a mixed bag started off with a few not so good shots and finishing up with better shots as the day went on. plus still have to make up my side about the new body. Pretty sure its already made but still a few months to decide. 

Thanks for dropping by my blog this week. Be back next week with more. 

Glenn.

This week’s blog is coving the shots taken on Saturday in The Australian Botanical Gardens and also an afternoon walk in the Dharawal national park with one of the park rangers organised by Campbelltown Council as part of their annual photography competition. The entries for this years competition need to be in to the council by Friday this week. 

The shots this week weren't the best probably because I was rushing a bit this week, the gardens I was after the weekly mushroom shot so any bird shots were an added bonus. The first shot was just as I got out of the car nice shot of a Sulphur-crested Cockatoo (Cacatua galerita) Nice details of its feet but the heads a bit soft, so guessing the aperture was to wide so not enough depth of field. Don’t think this case was motion blur more depth of field issue. Another one to watch next time. 

The same location on the other side of the road was this Long-billed Corella (Cacatua Tenuirostis) in its hollow, the other week I got a shot of two of them in the same hollow this week only the one. The Shots OK but missing something I think. One of the categories for this year’s competition is animals in hollows or nest boxes, I don't think this ones quite there for that though. 

A quick walk along the path looking for mushrooms I came across this male Supurb Fairy-wren  (Malurus Cyaneus) this one was high in the tree and moving about as they do so not a great shot on this one. The a good back ground to shoot against in this case so the back grounds well blown out for this shot. 

The little Brown Thornbills (Acanthiza pusilla) were were also out and about, this one just wouldn't sit on the right side of the stick for my this week. So not a clean shot this time round. 

This next series of shots was different, the focus is a little off so not the best quality but this Galah (Eolophus roseicapilla) seemed to be dusting out its hollow with this small branch of gum leaves it moved around the hollow and kept moving the leaves up and down, I don't know if it was removing the spider webs from the hollow or trying to coax someone out of there but he kept it up for a good few minutes there.  

I did manage to find a few mushrooms for the week this next series was all in the same little grouping. Taken with the Canon 60D and two off camera speedlites as well as a small piece of aluminium cooking foil which I use as a small reflector to add in some additional fill light. 

This last shot is the same shot as above only after processing it with topaz Impressions 2.

These next shots are all taken in the Dharawal National park, with a small group of 6 or so photographers and a national parks ranger arranged by Campbelltown Council as part of there Macarthur Nature photography competition. The walk started a 3:30 and was to finish by 5:00pm it actually finished around 6:00 so a bonus hour. We spend about an hour around Minerva pool, Taking shots of the waterfall as it entered the pool. 

The first shot was at the entrance to the park at the carpark where this golden whistler (Pachycephala pectoralis) was caught mid whistle. This shot was hand held at 600mm. The bird was pretty high up so not the best of shots, but the golden colour certainly shows up in this shot.   

These next two shots are some of the native wild flowers that were out along the way. 

White Throated Treecreeper (Cormobates leucophaeus) these work their way along the branches looking for caterpillars and the likes under the bark The light was pretty low and again quite a way off and up high so again not the best shot of this one today. 

This shot just shows you the shapes trees can grow into no doubt something fell on it earlier in its lift and gave it that shape.  

This next shot is of the bark of a scribbly gum (eucalyptus haemastoma) fro once its all natural not some one carving their name in the tree the lines are caused by a small larvae that burrows its way along under the bark leaving the lines where its been. 

Now for a few shots at Minerva pool.

This tree has a natural window in it with its own tiny garden growing in it. 

This last shot for the week is of a wild flower that was all over the bush this week bright yellow called Eggs and Bacon (Eutaxia obovate). they certainly coloured up the bushland.

Well thats it for this weeks shots, thats for dropping by my blog this week, back next week with more. 

Glenn. 

This weeks blog has two days of shots this week, Saturday in the Australian Botanical Gardens and Sunday something different the Symbio Wildlife park at Helensburgh

 https://www.australianbotanicgarden.com.au/

https://symbiozoo.com.au/

Saturday I went for the usual walk in the gardens. Nice enough day out this weekend so was looking promising. 

First up around the stolen generation memorial was the usual group of Superb Fairy wrens, plus a couple of Variegated Fairy-wrens (Malurus lamberti) This one is banded to has been captured at some stage by the banding group in the gardens which capture and ring birds for their studies of the bird life in the gardens. These ones are really quite colourful. 

Next up is the ever present Eastern Yellow Robin (Eopsaltria australis) These ones are around all year round and always pose for their photo, this ones also banded. 

Next up one of the many Galah's (Eolophus roseicapilla) that make their home in the gardens, This shot shows of the grey of the bird against the grey trees, so easy to see why they have the grey colour when seen in this shot. 

The gardens also had a population of Rabbits that seam to have made there home here, most times they take off when they see anyone this one stayed long enough for this shot. 

 Next up one of the many Magpie-larks (Pee wee) (Grallina cyanoleuca) This one was patroling the grassed area of the walk beside the water cannal opposite the plant bank. I set up and took a series of shots this one wasn't at all afraid and ended up only a few meters from me as it kept walking towards me. Most times its best to set up and wait for them to come to you. 

Not so brave is the Eastern Rosellas (Platycercus eximius) these guys never stick around and are always taken from a distance, any time you even look like getting close they take off, this small group only stayed for about two minutes before they took off so this was the best I got of these ones this week.

As I got to the car I found this Sulphur Crested Cockatoo (Cacatua galerita) exploring a tree hollow.

From there I drove up to the connections gardens to see what was about where I got this shot of a female Superb Fairy-wren (Malurus cyaneus) under the Bunya pines. This one has been collecting spider Webs for its nest so caught in the act here. This ones probably the best shot for the Day. 

From there I walked down to the lake to practice some birds in flight shots, there was plenty of swallows darting around the lake so they make good practice, this week they were to good for me, but the practice paid off as I got a few good shots of the Cormorants in flight.

First shot is of the Little pied Cormorant (Microcarbo melaoleucos) just coming to the surface shaking off the water. 

Then a series of shots of the Cormorant as it circled the lake low.  All these next ones shot on the tripod with the gimbal head.

On the way back to the car I stopped by the paper daisies Still not happy with what I'm getting there this one was a close up so not so bad. Might play with this one with Topaz in the coming weeks to see what I can do with that. 

Sunday, We headed out to the Symbio Wildlife park, been about 40 years since I was last there so lets say its a little different to what it was back then. So unlike the gardens where all the Birds are wild birds in the wild even if banded, all these shots are of captive animals. For this trip I only took the one Camera the 7dMk2 and one lens the 70 to 200 f2,8 MK2 L lens, so all the next series of shots are taken with this combination. 

First to are Koalas, we go t there in time for feeding time, so these were a little active compared to the normal sleep in the tree fork. 

The next two are of the Sumatran Tigers (Panthera tigris sumatrae), there’s a pair of these there, these shots are taken through the wire fence So some of the shots didn't turn out, The trick is to get as close to the wire as you can, use a wide pen aperture and then try and get the subject to be at a reasonable distance for the fence as the shots are, otherwise the fence shows in the shot, Even so I can make out the fence blur in the first shot if you look closely in the upper left over the grass you can see the diamond pattern of the fence. 

This next shot is through glass and is of a Cotton-top Tamarin (Saguinus oedipus), These ones are tiny but the next ones are even smaller. 

This little ones are the world’s smallest monkeys and are pygmy marmoset (Cebuella pygmaea). To get an idea of the scale the black rope are shoe laces, so if you compare the width of the shoe lace against its eyes you start to get an idea just how small these ones are. Both these shots are also taken thought glass. 

In case you hadn’t had enough of cuteness yet this next series is of the Red Pandas (Ailurus fulgens) these guy pretty much like Koalas most of the time they appear asleep, Happened to be around feeding time for these shots so a little bit of activity here for these ones. 

Next up the ring-tailed lemur (Lemur catta) out catching some some, not that it was that cold when this was taken but still happy to pose for this shot. 

The park also had a pair of Freshwater Crocodiles (Crocodylus johnsoni or Crocodylus johnstoni) 

As well as a pair of Dingos (Canis lupus dingo).

The last shot for the week is of a meerkat (Suricata suricatta) on watch duty, keeping an eye out this one was constantly scaring the skies looking for something threatening.

So all up a few decent shots of different animals than I normal do. Again these last shots were all of captive animals all my shots amongst the gardens are all naturally wild animals so it’s a patience's game for them, these ones it’s more a walk up wait for the right moment and shoot. 

Next week I'm doing a Ranger guided walk in the Dharawal national park so we'll see what shots I get from that one next week, having done a few of these the walks good but usually with a group of people I don't get so many shots so we'll see what next week brings.

Thanks for dropping by my blog, back next week with more. 

Glenn