American Oystercatcher
Sandy Hook NJ
April 2019
The Oystercatchers were out in full force today busy defending their turf versus rival pairs.
American Toad
May 2011 in Bergen County NJ
I took this photo just under 8 years ago at Continental Soldiers Park which can be a nice place for viewing amphibians and many other forms of wildlife – https://www.nynjtc.org/park/continental-soldiers-field
Yesterday morning in Morris County NJ I had the good fortune of finding a cooperative and photogenic Gray Catbird during my walk. The photography equipment I used for this birding outing was the Tamron 18-400mm Di II VC HLD telephoto zoom lens paired with my Canon SL2 DSLR. A very nice compact and lightweight setup.
Clicking on the image below will to take you to the high resolution sample from my Google Drive account. Below the image is a little background on the shot and my original caption for facebook.
Gray Catbird in NJ photographed with the Tamron 18-400mm VC + Canon SL2.
Parsippany, New Jersey
A gray morning outdoors this morning made for challenging photography conditions. The key to making usable wildlife shots in dim lighting is to make the main subject (i.e. catbird) just as bright as it would be on a sunny afternoon. Turning the dial to “M” (manual exposure) and raising the ISO (light sensitivity of the camera) will accomplish just that.
Handheld shot with the
Tamron Lenses USA 18-400mm VC HLD + Canon SL2
1/80th F/8 ISO 3200, 400mm
Please let me know if you have any questions or comments!
Only 2 days until my return to Everglades National Park in Florida
Here is a look at two common lizards I photographed at ENP in 2013. Main Park Road in Homestead is teeming with wildlife if you slow down to appreciate the biodiversity.
The Green Anole is a native lizard to the area, whereas the Brown Anole is an introduced animal originating in Cuba.
Photography equipment used for the pictures:
Tamron Lenses USA SP 90mm Macro Lens + Canon T2i + Canon Speedlight 90EXII
A common lizard of Everglades National Park. Green Anole photographed off of Main Park Road in Homestead by Dave Blinder in December of 2013. Tamron SP 90mm VC Macro Lens + Canon T2i
A common non-native lizard of Everglades National Park. Brown Anole photographed off of Main Park Road in Homestead by Dave Blinder in December of 2013. Tamron SP 90mm VC Macro Lens + Canon T2i
Two locations I have done well with for macro wildlife photography within Everglades National Park are Paurotis Pond and the parking area near Pa-Hay-Okee.
Do you have any questions on the photography techniques or finding wildlife within Everglades National Park? If so, leave a comment here on WordPress and I will gladly try to help.
Five-lined Skinks are the only wild native lizard found in Northern New Jersey. I came across the large stunning male basking on a tree. Quite a peaceful moment we shared together in May of 2009. Photographed with the Tamron SP 180mm macro lens.
I always strive to get beyond the “pretty picture” with my nature photography and videography. I feel that being outdoors with my camera has been a continuous adventure and I hope that many others will have the same outdoor opportunities I have had.
When exhibiting a photograph in a gallery, be it brick & mortar or on the internet I provide as much context as I can. I hope to document natural history while doing my best to be a steward both to the visual arts and to the environment.
I have shared many personal encounters with native wildlife and find immense value in all plant and animal life be it great or small in size. My view is that a nature photographer must be a voice for the voiceless. We should strive to leave the world a better place than when we entered it. Empower yourself to make a difference by planting trees, joining a non-profit, documenting illegal dumping, submitting wildlife observations to your state. Every person can make a difference.
Not sure how you can contribute to the environmentalism movement? Send me an e-mail and I will give you more tips – dave@daveblinder.com
Purchasing any of the equipment below through my Amazon Affiliate Links will help support my blog.
Tamron SP 150-600mm F/5-6.3 Di VC USD G2 for Canon Digital SLR Cameras
Canon EOS Rebel SL2 Digital SLR Camera Body – WiFi Enabled
Any questions or feedback on the image? Leave a comment below.
I hope this post is helpful for others looking to photograph wildlife near Cancun, Playa del Carmen, or Tulum. I also want to thank Tamron USA for lending me the jacknife of all travel lenses, the new 18-400mm. The broad range of this ultra telephoto All-In-One helped me image everything that moved (and a few things like ruins which did not move). I would sincerely recommend this lens to anyone looking for a versatile travel lens especially for nature which is one of my niches (addictions?).
Tropical Mockingbird in Cozumel Mexico
Tropical Mockingbird
Cozumel, Mexico
Tamron 18-400mm F/3.5-6.3 DI-II VC HLD lens + Canon SL2
Aperture Priority +2/3 exposure compensation
1/320th F/9 ISO 3200, 400mm
My first time observing this species. I could easily have mistaken this bird for the Northern Mockingbirds I often see at home. Body dimensions and wingtips do stand out to me as differing slightly between the two species.
Turkey Vulture in flight and Caribbean Sea
Turkey Vulture in flight
Cozumel, Mexico
Tamron 18-400mm F/3.5-6.3 DI-II VC HLD lens + Canon SL2
Aperture Priority +2/3 exposure compensation
1/4000th F/9 ISO 6400, 400mm
The same vulture species we commonly see cleaning the roads in New Jersey. I like the small breaking wave of the Caribbean Sea in the background. I also like sharpness of the flight feathers now suspended in the frame. The Tamron 18-400mm VC did a very good job at tracking the action and also resolving the fine detail. Kudos to the Canon SL2 Rebel also for a clean enough shot at ISO 6400.
Partially Leucistic Yucatan Jay in Tulum Mexico
Yucatan Jay – partially leucistic
Tulum, Mexico
Tamron 18-400mm F/3.5-6.3 DI-II VC HLD lens + Canon SL2
Aperture Priority +2/3 exposure compensation
1/1250th F/8 ISO 25600, 300mm
The genetic condition of leucism in birds will often cause a loss of pigment. I am not a scientist but I do know this condition varies from albininism as an albino animal should have discolored or pink eyes. Anyhow, this was quite a challenging photograph to capture as I was in the deep shade in a grove of trees, shooting almost vertically, and dealing with extreme heat. ISO 25600 is never a desirable as fine detail is sacrificed for a brighter exposure in low light.
Note that the shaded walk to the ruins of Tulum (approaching from the public beach side) has diverse trees including fruit trees making it a decent patch for birding.
Sanderling sandpiper in Tulum Mexico
Sanderling
Tulum, Mexico
Tamron 18-400mm F/3.5-6.3 DI-II VC HLD lens + Canon SL2
Aperture Priority +1 2/3 exposure compensation
1/250th F/9 ISO 400
A raised natural rock perch, overcast light, and uncluttered background brought this scene together for me. Sunrise Beach in Tulum is a very pleasant yet small public area. Lisa and I both enjoyed taking photographs here and you can walk on the scenic exposed rocks at low tide. It would be hard to take a bad picture in such a place.
Gulf Coast Toad in Coba Mexico
Gulf Coast Toad
Coba, Mexico
Tamron 18-400mm F/3.5-6.3 DI-II VC HLD lens + Canon SL2
Aperture Priority + 1/3 exposure compensation
1/25th F/10 ISO 1600, 100mm
An obliging subject at the base of a tree near ruins at Coba. Possibly my first time observing a Gulf Coast Toad, it’s dark lateral markings remind me a bit of a Wood Frog. An aperture of F/10 was selected to offer more depth of field than my typical walk-around setting of F/8. This is an uncropped image, the Tamron’s 1:2.9 (check this) macro ability is very useful for photographing small wildlife.
Striped Basilisk lizard at Coba Mexico
Striped Basilisk Lizard
Coba, Mexico
Tamron 18-400mm F/3.5-6.3 DI-II VC HLD lens + Canon SL2
Aperture Priority + 1/3 exposure compensation
1/320th F/9 ISO 800, 400mm
I did crop in on this, I played hide and seek with this lizard for several minutes but it was not going to sit still for me. A male Basilisk would like similar but have a large angular crest atop its head. I would have preferred a cleaner setting for the shot but my goal when I travel is to document as much wildlife diversity as I can.
Carmine Skimmer dragonfly in Cancun Mexico
Carmine Skimmer Dragonfly
Cancun, Mexico
Tamron 18-400mm F/3.5-6.3 DI-II VC HLD lens + Canon SL2
Aperture Priority + 0 exposure compensation
1/200th F/8 ISO 400, 400mm
I took this on a golf course during a morning walk from my resort. The Tamron 18-400mm looks like a good choice to me for dragonfly shooting. 400mm of telephoto reach, a short minimum focusing distance, and reputable Vibration Compensation (in lens anti-shake stabilization) are all very useful in the field.
Cormorant and Gulls silhouette in Isla Mujeres Mexico
Cormorant and Gulls silhouette
Tortugranja, Isla Mujeres, Mexico
Tamron 18-400mm F/3.5-6.3 DI-II VC HLD lens + Canon SL2
Aperture Priority + 0 exposure compensation
1/2000th F/8 ISO 200, 227mm
I chose not to use my lens at its furthest zoom for this image to show more context. Compositionally this is a pretty basic rule-of-thirds layout. The muted scene looks rather postcard to me which is neither good nor bad, “it is what it is”. This might print well for a dentist’s office.
Ctenosaur (spiny-tailed iguana) in Mexico
Ctenosaur
El Ray Ruins, Cancun, Mexico
Tamron 18-400mm F/3.5-6.3 DI-II VC HLD lens + Canon SL2
Aperture Priority + 0 exposure compensation
1/250th F/10 ISO 400, 400mm
This large adult iguana is either surveying his territory, enjoying the breeze, or doing whatever else iguanas do. They are actually quite territorial and will confront other iguanas invading their turf. A good number of the iguanas we saw had tails in various stages of regeneration which is a nice evolutionary trick to have.
Sabinal Frog (aka Fringe-toed Foamfrog)
Sabinal Frog
El Ray Ruins, Cancun, Mexico
Tamron 18-400mm F/3.5-6.3 DI-II VC HLD lens + Canon SL2
Aperture Priority + 1 exposure compensation
1/160th F/9 ISO 800, 400mm
A very diminutive frog and hard to locate at first. I chose to show its flooded grassy environment to provide context and scale. A big thank you to Bill McGighan for identifying my photo for me.
American Crocodile in Cancun
American Crocodile
Cancun, Mexico
Tamron 18-400mm F/3.5-6.3 DI-II VC HLD lens + Canon SL2
Aperture Priority + 1 exposure compensation
1/500th F/10 ISO 400, 200mm
A small individual, this one was on the edge of the lagoon just behind a gift shop in Cancun. I had seen another tourist couple looking down in the lagoon and had a hunch of what they were looking at. After a couple of photographs and a quick conversation with the couple from Manchester UK we bid the reptile and the humans good day.
Gulf Fritillary Butterfly in Cancun Mexico
Gulf Fritillary
Coral Beach, Cancun, Mexico
Tamron 18-400mm F/3.5-6.3 DI-II VC HLD lens + Canon SL2
Manual Exposure
1/100th F/8 ISO 1600, 227mm
The wildlife habitat at Coral Beach was less than overwhelming, however it did have more vegetation than most other parts of the tourist city. Coral Beach (also called Mirador) is a very pleasant place to walk around and a good way to avoid the crowds on the rest of the boulevard. Vibration Compensation saved the day on this shot, with a low handheld shutter speed of 1/100th at ISO 1600 I did not want to raise the ISO at the expense of fine detail.
Let me know if you have any questions or comments about the photographs, locations, or lens/camera setup I will do my best to help.
Purchase the Tamron 18-400mm F/3.5-6.3 DI-II VC HLD All-In-One Zoom through my affiliate link to help support my blog
Tamron 18-400mm for Canon APS-C
Canon EOS Canon EOS Rebel SL2 24 Megapixel Digital SLR Camera Body Only
Dave Blinder Nature Photography 