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Latest from What The Duck

Scott Flaherty — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 13:25:28 +0000

Makes me cringe just to think about it . . .

Praising the Nikon SB-900 Speedlight

Scott Flaherty — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 14:24:52 +0000

Last week I was on TopSail Island, just off the North Carolina coast, photographing pelicans and various shore birds. On my first morning going to the beach I mounted my Nikon AF-S 200-400mm f/4 VR on my NIkon D700 and supported it using a Wimberley II tripod head and Gitzo 1348 legs. I then attached a Wimberley flash bracket to the tripod head to support the SB-900 speedlight.

Unfortunately, I forgot to secure the speedlight to the flash bracket and when I was climbing the wooden stairs to get over the hill leading to the beach, the speedlight fell off of the bracket. It hit the wooden stairs with a loud bang and I was positive that it had shattered completely. I was surprised when I looked down and saw that it was still perfectly intact. Now the question was whether or not it would still work. All my fears were alleviated when I fired off my first test flash and found it to be functioning perfectly. This thing is built like a tank. It must’ve fallen a good seven or eight feet before hitting the first step and tumbling down several more. The SB-900 maybe pricey, but I think it’s well worth it.

Here are a couple of images from that morning:

Sanderling

Brown Pelican

Yosemite National Park

Scott Flaherty — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 19:01:44 +0000

A couple of weeks ago, we travelled to a location that I’ve always wanted to photograph . . . Yosemite. I must tell you, it did not disappoint. We stayed in a little B&B called “Yosemite Blue Butterfly Inn“. It’s located in El Portal, just a few minutes outside the west entrance of the park. The proprietors, Liz and Ron, are a wonderful couple that really go out of their way to make you feel at home. I highly recommend this B&B if you’re traveling without kids and want a nice, relaxing place to stay.

Our first full day there was on a Saturday. My wife and I decided to use that day to drive around (our rental car and the shuttle) and get a feel for the layout of the park. I wanted to know how long it took to get from certain locations to another. Later, this would help me get to where I wanted to be, when I wanted to be there. We’re always chasing that light you know.

Here is a sample set of the shots I brought back from Yosemite:

Cathedral Rocks

Tunnel View: El Capitan is on the left and Bridalveil Falls is on the right

El Capitan as seen from Valley View

Upper Yosemite Falls

Small rapids east of the Pohono Bridge

This is an Anna’s Hummingbird I photographed while having breakfast at the B&B

There is no shortage of opportunities for photographs in the park. When getting around, I’d recommend that you don’t just stick to using the shuttle. While convenient in the valley, the shuttle’s range will not take you to many of the park’s wonders. That will require a car and/or hiking. I spent a week there and only scratched the surface. I can already see many more trips there in the future.

For more photographs of Yosemite, please visit my “Yosemite National Park” galleries.

Ospreys at Alum Creek Lake

Scott Flaherty — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 17:52:17 +0000

The Osprey, sometimes known as the sea hawk, is a diurnal, fish-eating bird of prey. It’s a large raptor, reaching 24 inches (60 centimeters) in length with a 6 foot 6 inch (2 meters) wingspan. It’s brown on the upperparts and predominantly greyish on the head and underparts, with a black eye patch and wings.

The Osprey tolerates a wide variety of habitats, nesting in any location near a body of water providing an adequate food supply. It’s found on all continents except Antarctica although in South America it occurs only as a non-breeding migrant.

As its other common name suggests, the Osprey’s diet consists almost exclusively of fish. It has evolved specialised physical characteristics and exhibits unique behaviour to assist in hunting and catching prey. As a result of these unique characteristics, it’s been given its own taxonomic genus, Pandion and family, Pandionidae. Four subspecies are usually recognised. Despite its propensity to nest near water, the Osprey is not a sea-eagle.

Last weekend I went over to Alum Creek Lake to check in on some of the Ospreys here in central Ohio. I saw five of them on Sunday. That’s the most I’ve ever seen there at any one time. Eventually I set up my gear to watch the nesting pair on the very north end of the lake. They were quite busy building their nest and mating. As usual, I was the only person there for what turned out to be a very enjoyable morning spent with my friends, the Ospreys.

Here are a few of the photographs from that morning:

Soaring and hunting

Flying off to a tree to eat its meal

Landing on the nest

Building the nest

Mating

Adobe Photoshop CS5 launches today!

Scott Flaherty — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 12:59:53 +0000

Today is the launch of Adobe Photoshop CS5. I’ve heard rumors of some cool new functionality. Let’s see if it becomes a reality.

Join Adobe for the launch at 8am PDT / 11am EDT / 4pm BST.

CS5 Launch Site

&hellip

Adobe releases Lightroom 3 Beta 2

Scott Flaherty — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 18:44:37 +0000

The beta 1 version of Lightroom 3 has been out for awhile, and now Adobe has improved upon that with the beta 2 release. In this video from Julieanne Kost, you’ll learn more about the new features found in Adobe Lightroom 3 Beta 2

Runtime: 00:11:14

Improvements experienced after moving from beta 1 to beta 2 with my favorites bolded:

Improved performance throughout the application for faster importing and loading of images
Native tethered shooting support for select Nikon and Canon DSLR cameras
Luminance noise reduction has been added to the previous color noise reduction improvements available in the first public beta for outstanding overall high ISO quality
Support for importing and managing video files from DSLR cameras for better overall photographic workflow control
Improvements to the import experience in the first beta to reflect public feedback
Improved watermarking functionality from the first beta to reflect public feedback

Download Lightroom 3 Beta 2

Egrets, Herons and Swans

Scott Flaherty — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 19:40:54 +0000

Yesterday I spent the morning down at Lake Logan, in Hocking Hills Ohio, and the fog was extremely thick when I first arrived. The three other photographers that showed up shortly after me, didn’t hang around for long. As they left I heard things such as “this fog is impossible” and “I was hoping for a bright sunny morning”.

I, on the other hand, saw the fog and thought I might have an opportunity to create something magical, something with a mood. The first photo here with the three Egrets is from the period when the fog was still covering the lake. I was going to move around to the other side of the egrets to get some back-light shots, but the birds got spooked and flew off.

After that I proceeded to focus on the herons and swans. I even tried some abstract images when the reflection of the bare trees caught my attention. They reminded me of a charcoal drawing and I knew I would be trying a black and white treatment on them when I got home.

If your in the central Ohio area and have never been to Lake Logan, I highly recommend it. It’s a nice, peaceful place to spend a few hours relaxing.

Great Egrets

Great Blue Heron

Mute Swan

Charcoal Reflection – Bare trees reflected in the lake

Spotlight Photographs: Cat Portraits

Scott Flaherty — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 17:01:39 +0000

Well, it’s been a little over a year since Sydney and Samson came home to live with Cindy and I. We have loved every minute of it. They on the other hand, have learned the same lesson that their predecessor “Buddy” had to learn. The price for the comfy life style they enjoy, is to be my photographic subjects . . . and frequently. However, they put up with it like the troopers that they are.

Both Sydney and Samson are from the Fairfield Area Humane Society in Ohio. It’s a wonderful facility filled with caring people, who take excellent care of their charges. Please support your local Humane Society.

Here are some recent portraits of the “kids”:

Sydney

Samson

For more cat photographs please visit my photo gallery.

Desktop Wallpaper Giveaway – Snake River Overlook

Scott Flaherty — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 13:31:52 +0000

I’m offering a free download of one of my photographs (Snake River Overlook) to use as your computer desktop wallpaper. Get it while it’s hot!

Snake River Overlook – Grand Tetons National Park

To see what other desktop wallpaper I have available for purchase, please visit my Online Store.

Nikon expands wide angle lens lineup

Scott Flaherty — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 13:11:49 +0000

The Ultra-Wide 16-35mm f/4 VR and Ultra-Fast 24mm f/1.4 Lenses Provide Photographers With New Perspectives and Creative Versatility

MELVILLE, N.Y. (Feb. 8, 2010) – Nikon Inc. today announced two new lenses for professional and enthusiast photographers that epitomize NIKKOR leadership in optical excellence. The highly anticipated AF-S NIKKOR 24mm f/1.4G ED lens is engineered to meet the demand for an ultra-fast professional lens for wide angle applications, while the AF-S NIKKOR 16-35mm f/4G ED VR offers Nikon’s widest FX-format focal range with VR, offering additional versatility to a broad range of photographers.

“The 16-35mm f/4 VR and 24mm f/1.4 are two new lenses designed to address the needs of an ever-expanding number of Nikon FX-format photographers, delivering dramatic perspectives, amazing clarity, contrast and color when capturing stills or HD video,” said Edward Fasano, general manager for marketing, SLR Systems Products at Nikon Inc. “Customers that choose these new lenses will experience excellent image quality and sturdy handling, which is made possible through our commitment to excellence and expert NIKKOR engineering.”

World renowned NIKKOR technologies play an essential role in the design of these two new lenses, and both feature Nikon’s exclusive Silent Wave Motor (SWM) technology for quiet, fast and accurate autofocus performance. The optical construction of both lenses also utilizes precision Nikon ED glass elements along with multiple aspherical elements to suppress chromatic aberrations resulting in sharp, high contrast images. Additionally, Nikon’s proprietary Nano-Crystal Coat minimizes instances of internal “ghosting” and flaring, further ensuring exceptional image integrity.

The 24mm f/1.4G ED Lens

Perhaps one of the most hotly anticipated lenses in recent memory, the new AF-S NIKKOR 24mm f/1.4G ED lens blends a natural yet versatile 24mm perspective with an ultra-fast f/1.4 aperture to expand an existing collection of well over 60 NIKKOR interchangeable lenses. The f/1.4 maximum aperture allows photographers to shoot handheld in low light and provides dramatic separation between subject and a softened background. In a wide variety of photographic situations, both FX and DX-format shooters will enjoy the benefits of extra-bright f/1.4 viewing, superb image quality and the dramatic perspectives afforded by a picture angle of 84 degrees (61 degrees when mounted on a DX-format body).

The 16-35mm f/4 VR Lens Brings a New Perspective to VR

The new AF-S NIKKOR 16-35mm f/4G ED VR lens is an ideal lens for enthusiasts and professionals craving a constant maximum aperture and ultra-wide angle zoom versatility with the benefits of Nikon’s Vibration Reduction (VR) II image stabilization. As the widest FX-format NIKKOR zoom lens with VR, users can realize the ability to shoot up to four shutter speeds slower than otherwise possible, expanding low light shooting opportunities and contributing to dramatically sharper handheld photography and video capture. Nikon VR II image stabilization technology is engineered specifically for and optimized to function most effectively for each lens, ensuring optimum performance. Whether joining the growing ranks of FX-format photographers or using the Nikon DX-format, photographers will appreciate the perspectives possible when shooting architecture, interiors, landscapes and more.

Pricing and Availability

The versatile, wide angle AF-S NIKKOR 16-35mm f/4G ED VR is scheduled to be available in late February 2010 at Nikon Authorized Dealers with an estimated selling price of $1259.95*. The ultra-fast AF-S NIKKOR 24mm f/1.4 G ED lens will be available in late March 2010 for estimated selling price of $2199.95*. For more information, please visit www.nikonusa.com.

About the NIKKOR brand

With a comprehensive assortment of FX and DX-format lenses and focal lengths, from the ultra-wide 10-24mm to the super-telephoto 600mm VR, Nikon photographers have come to rely upon the NIKKOR core technologies that contribute to their optical superiority. NIKKOR is the brand name for Nikon’s photographic lenses, which was created by adding an “R” to “NIKKO”, an abbreviation of Nippon Kogaku K.K., the original company name of Nikon Corporation at the time of its founding. In 1933, Nikon marketed its first camera lens under the NIKKOR brand name, the “Aero-NIKKOR” for aerial photography applications. Since then, NIKKOR has been used as a brand name for Nikon’s lenses that symbolizes durability, high image quality and optical excellence.

About Nikon

Nikon, At the Heart of the ImageTM. Nikon Inc. is the world leader in digital imaging, precision optics and photo imaging technology and is globally recognized for setting new standards in product design and performance for its award-winning consumer and professional photographic equipment. Nikon Inc. distributes consumer and professional digital SLR cameras, NIKKOR optics, Speedlights and system accessories; Nikon COOLPIX® compact digital cameras; COOLSCAN® digital film scanners; 35mm film SLR cameras; Nikon software products and Nikon sports and recreational optics. For the second consecutive year, Nikon D Series digital SLR cameras are recognized as “Highest in Customer Satisfaction with digital SLR cameras, Two Years in a Row, Tied in 2008.” according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2007 and 2008 Digital Camera Usage and Satisfaction StudiesSM. Nikon Corporation, the parent company of Nikon Inc., recently celebrated the 50th anniversary of its legendary F-mount lens-mounting system. Only Nikon has sustained an original lens mount for such an extraordinary period, ensuring that photographers can continue to leverage their previous investments while still taking advantage of new innovations. For more information, dial (800) NIKON-UX or visit, which links all levels of photographers to the Web’s most comprehensive photo learning and sharing communities.

*Estimated selling price listed is only an estimate. Actual prices are set by dealers and are subject to change at any time.