Pelagic bird photography

[FayJ]

On 23rd May I'll be (hopefully) going on a pelagic trip during my time Down Under. I will, of course, be taking my camera gear with me to Australia, but I am wondering about suitable lens for this pelagic trip I'm doing. I'll have my 70-200mm and 400mm lenses with me in any case, but should I dig out and take my old Canon 100-300mm as well, just for that little bit of extra reach and use that instead of the 70-200? I am guessing the 400mm won't be necessary?

Cheers
VB

[MichaelF]

Something that's proof against salt spray! Personally, I'd never take a camera on a pelagic, rain is bad enough on its own even without the corrosive powers of salt.

[AndyB]

There's some terrific pelagic photography from Tony Palliser (http://www.pbase.com/tony_palliser/root) all from that part of the world. I noticed there seems to be exif data for most of his photos in the pbase gallery linked above or how about contacting him (http://users.bigpond.net.au/palliser/pelagic/index.html)? If you're on one of his pelagics, I'm sure he'd be willing to give you good advice.

[Colin Key]

Hi Faye,

I have to agree with Michael that I would never take my camera gear on a pelagic because I have heard horror stories of even the slightest amount of salt spray ruining the lens, body and lens-body contacts.

That is really just an excuse, because the main reason I have never done a pelagic is that I am sea-sick on anything smaller than a drive-on ferry (especially if I were to be sitting next to the barrel of "chum" and watching others similarly affected emptying their "full English breakfast" overboard!!).

I have, however, seen some fabulous shots of pelagic species (petrels, shearwaters, etc.) taken in calm weather approximately 6km off the Algarve coast, and the best shots were with a Canon 100-400 zoom. Remember that even on a calm sea the boat is moving about quite a lot which makes IS on the lens a great advantage. In favourable circumstances, and using chum as bait, these birds can come very close to the boat.

Enjoy your trip - look forward to seeing your photos.

Colin

P.S. Don't know who you are going out with on this pelagic, but you might like to Google "Roger McGovern pelagic trips" - Roger is a friend of mine and one of Australia's top birders (probably THE top pelagic expert). Should you happen to bump into him please say "gooday" from me.

[FayJ]

Thanks everyone. I'll probably take the older lens with me as well, so I have the extra reach. I will also fashion a kind of cover to protect the camera, too. As long as you're cautious then there shouldn't be a problem, besides modern cameras should not die if a little spray goes on them, as long as they are cleaned as soon as humanly possible. It's immersion that's dangerous.

I'm lucky in that I don't get sea sick, so I do like boat trips although I have never done a proper pelagic, apart from a boat trip along the back of the Isle of Wight a couple of years ago to look for Balearic Shearwaters.

[michael23]

from my own experience, i have seen images photographed with a 400mm lens on a pelagic and they have been great, so i would say take it and if the seas are in your favour it will be useful, with regards to your 100-300, i would say only take it if the af on the lens is fast enough, i dont have that particular lens but i do have a sigma 70-300 and there have been so many times i wanted to chuck it in the sea, because it was slow and a real pain to focus at the 300mm, I then resorted to just using my 200mm f2.8 canon which worked a dream, Your 70-200 should be a great all rounder esp if you get ceteaceans close in to your boat.
In terms of the sea spray which can be a pain i would say take a couple of lens cloths and a good lens cleaner spray, and if anything does get sea spray just wipe it off straight away, you should be fine.
oh and i have had it on good authority from friends of mine, take ginger busicuits they do wonders with regards to sea sickness! never needed them self, never been sea sick....hope you have a good trip and get some great shots.:beer::smile:

[FayJ]

Thanks Michael. I'm hoping for albatrosses as much as anything and cetaceans would be fantastic (in my pre-bird photography days I went on a whale watching trip from Hervey Bay, Queensland, in 1997 and only had a 100mm - 50mm + 2x teleconverter - with me. So I want to be better prepared this time)

I'll be taking the ginger biccies along, because there's always a first time...besides, I am more likely to get hungry than sea sick.

[AndyB]

Have fun! If anyone ever gets a hint of seasickness, my personal favorite is Dramamine. It really knocks you out which can mean you're barely awake for half the trip and have hazy memories of some of the birds...but it works!

[Colin Key]

If anyone ever gets a hint of seasickness, my personal favorite is Dramamine.

Nah,

Sausage and fried egg sandwiches with lots of tomato ketchup and salad cream does the trick - gets it all over (forgive the pun) very quickly!!

Colin :ohdear:

[MichaelF]

Best of all cures, find a rare seabird . . . :D

[AliBenn]

Hi Colin,

I've been on quite a few pelagics, just last month we were on three off Kaikoura in New Zealand, and I've been on a couple off Sydney as well...

I don't necessarily disagree with those who talk about the effects of sea-spray etc, but at the same time, good camera care/maintenance and cleaning should be part of anyones routine. Depending on the length of the trip, you should dry the camera with a clean cloth while out there (unless it's only a n hour or so) when you get back, use a slightly damp cloth to wash the body and lens. I pretty much do this whenever I have been out, whether in dust, sea air or anywhere!!!

On my most recent trip I shot with a Canon 1DsII and a 300/2.8 and I was very pleased. My wife shot with a 50D and a 24-105IS and also got excellent results.

The choice of lens in many ways is dictated by how close the birds will come to the boat and secondly, the types of shots you're after. Weather conditions are also a factor, if it's rough, looking down a 3 or 400mm lens will add to the chance of sea-sickness, a zoom can be handy, but it adds an element of fiddling to what can already be a tough situation.

So, in short, don't fret about wrecking your gear, I work my gear hard and have never had a problem with a lens or body. I wouldn't get much longer than 300mm.

Good luck...

I added a few images to the members galleries here on Surfbirds, more can be found on PBase: http://www.pbase.com/alibenn/new_zealand_2009

[FayJ]

Thanks AliBenn, for the tips. I always wipe my gear off after venturing near salt water. I may fashion a Heath-Robinson spray cover from a plastic bag or similar material just in case the spray is really flying.

AndyB - regarding the Dramamine I am not sure I'd want to spend the trip half asleep! I have to take Stugeron, a type of anti-travel sick pill, in any case for vertigo and that'd kill off any hint of seasickness.

Here's hoping the albatrosses (they are my no1 target) etc, are obliging!