CHEEK-TO-CHEEK - STACKED TELECONVERTERS - NANPA SHOWCASE

[Marina Scarr]

These female Southeastern American Kestrel fledglings were photographed in their nest cavity last Spring in Withlacoochee State Forest. Their brother was out-of-sight in the back of the cavity and rarely as visible as his siblings. These are a non-migratory subspecies of kestrel found in open pine savannahs, sandhills, prairies and pastures in Southeastern US. They are listed as threatened in Florida due to a decline in nesting and foraging habitat. Withlacoochee has a number of nest boxes specifically for this subspecies.

One day I followed the sound of this adult pair frolicking and had a feeling they might be nesting based upon their vocalization and behavior. The female ultimately led me to this natural nest high up in a pine tree. All I could see was her eye and the top of her head, but she appeared to be incubating eggs. The next week I was confident at least one egg had hatched and the third week was able to photograph one of the white puffballs. This photo was taken a few days before they fledged. I decided they were being still enough and there was enough light that I could risk stacking my teleconverters. This helped to cut the steep angle and give me the closer crop I was looking for.

Three of my images were chosen by NANPA this year, and this one placed in the Top 250. This photo is one of my favorites from 2012 b/c I worked so hard for it and b/c of the sheer joy of having the rare opportunity to witness the raising of this kestrel family in a natural nest.


Canon 1D3, Canon 500 & 2.0 & 1.4 tele's @ 1400mm
F16, 1/200sec, ISO 640, manual mode
Feisol tripod, Jobu head

Thank you for looking. Comments and critiques are welcomed and much appreciated.

Marina Scarr
Florida Master Naturalist
www.marinascarrphotography.com

[Shawn Zierman]

Brilliant image!.. and congratulations on the recognition from NANPA. This sub species does look striking in the adult plumage.
This is a wonderful nest image, well composed, good light, and thoughtful dof.

[Roger Clark]

Marina,

This is a wonderful image. I love the framing and the eyes really make this image. Impressive sharpness and perfectly exposed.

Roger

[Tim King]

I really like it. Nice composition and warm light. Looks like a new species of Owl : )

[dankearl]

Congratulations on a very nice image.
The IQ is superb and the chicks are beautiful.
The tree is an equal star in this, craggy and great texture.

[Don Nelson]

Excellent - I like the position of the two Kestrels in the opening. Congrats!

[Andrew Merwin]

Wow, remarkable IQ for stacked teleconverters. Thanks for the natural history. I really enjoyed reading it. Congratulations on the recognition.
Excellent techs go a long way to make this image memorable. Well done.

[Joe Senzatimore]

And proud you should be. A very nice image with great IQ. Good idea to stack the TC's.

[Marina Scarr]

Here's a horizontal, full-frame image at 1000mm of this nest/tree so you can see what I was working with. This frame still doesn't portray how high this nest was or how difficult it was to shoot. Here you can see all 3 babies in the nest cavity and the adult female on the perch where she normally landed with her prey before feedings. This particular image was flashed and you can see the poop on the inside the walls of the cavity...another issue while shooting. They didn't always manage to aim it outside!

My understanding is that as a result of the storms, this nest will not be viable this coming nesting season. :(

[PhilCook]

Difficult shot to get right, but you have done so well Marina, the effort has paid off. Impressed at the IQ with stacked converters as well

[Karl Egressy]

Congratulations, Marina it is a very nice shot. This is the moment and situation we all are hoping for, that one day all come together.

[John Cooper]

Hi Marina - Having spent several weeks myself photo-documenting at a Kestrel's nesting site I can appreciate the joy and satisfaction you experienced photographing these American Kestrels.

And what a wonderful result you achieved with the stacked converters on the 500mm lens. (The perspective was so good I thought you had built yourself a tower)

The pose of the 2 chicks works well for me and I'm glad you included the entire entrance to the nest hollow as it makes such a great composition. Well seen and executed.

[Satish Ranadive]

Marina:
Heartiest congratulations on the recognition from NANPA.
Fabulous image.Very nice color scheme and composition.I like the two chicks with beautiful eyes.

Regards,
Satish.

[Arno Ellmer]

This is superb, Marina ! A wonderful piece of natural history. Your patience and perseverence has paid of and has been rewarded.Interesting and very good result with the stacking of the converters.
Also, congrats on your achievement with NANPA . TFS

[Doug Schurman]

Great capture here. Very impressive results with stacked converters. I really like the vertical composition to go with the hole opening.

What a neat thing to be able to observe.

[Jonathan Ashton]

Super shot Marina, I love the composition and the detail is excellent. Your hard work paid off, I bet there were many shots taken but not many when the light was just right - well done!

[christopher galeski]

nice image Marina,well sharp,esp using stacked converters,well done.

[Jim Neiger]

Congrats, Marina! This nest is quite a find. I like the composition you chose and the light is wonderful. Do you have any idea when NANPA will display the 2012 Showcase on it's website? I entered for the first time this year and I've been checking their website periodically, but so far they still have last years Showcase displayed.

[Stu Bowie]

Hi Marina, I like how you have cropped this, and great to see both chicks 'cuddling' each other. The light looks good, as do the colours and detail of the tree trunk and nest.

Congrats on your achievement.

[Melissa Groo]

What a captivating and beautiful image, Marina. Such an intimate look into their world, and executed perfectly.your hard work was well worth it. Congratulation on the deserved recognition from NANPA.

[Marina Scarr]

Congrats, Marina! This nest is quite a find. I like the composition you chose and the light is wonderful. Do you have any idea when NANPA will display the 2012 Showcase on it's website? I entered for the first time this year and I've been checking their website periodically, but so far they still have last years Showcase displayed.

Hi Jim: The last couple of years, NANPA has been less timely with regard to uploading the showcase images to their website and publishing Expressions. Since they have a Summit in 02/13, I am hopeful they will both be ready by then but haven't received official word. If I hear anything, I will let you know. Congratulations to you, too, then. I will be looking for your image(s).

[Cheryl Arena Molennor]

You did an amazing job with this Marina. Thanks for showing the second post as it really explains what you were working with . I am super impressed with the quality of the stacked converters, actually pretty surprised. Congratulations on the Nanpa selections

[Grace Scalzo]

It's a great image Marina, even more impressive to us who realize how extremely difficult this was to create. Super thinking and execution, and congrats on NANPA.

[Arno Ellmer]

Hi Marina , just for interest : in what order did you stack the converters , or does it not make a difference ?

[Marina Scarr]

Hi Marina , just for interest : in what order did you stack the converters , or does it not make a difference ?

Hi Arno: I really don't think that it makes a difference. Since I had the 2x on to begin with and probably wanted to avoid getting my sensor dirty, I would guess that I put the 1.4 on in between the 2x and the lens. I have used this method several times when the circumstances allow it. The most important thing is light b/c you really need to work with a large DOF to get any sharpness. As you can see, I was at F16. You will also note you have to do more sharpening than normal when stacking.

[Roger Clark]

In theory, stacking should be lens, 2x, 1.4x, camera body. Canon version 3 TCs can't be stacked unless the TCs are modified (a very small mod).

The reason for the order is that each TC will add aberrations. Putting the 1.4x next to the body means that the 2x TC aberrations are only magnified 1.4x. If the order were reversed, then the 1.4x aberrations would be magnified 2x. How significant that difference would be in practice needs an experiment. But one can get very good results with the lens, 2x, 1.4x, camera body order. For example:
http://www.clarkvision.com/galleries...c-s-1024v.html

Roger

[Jim Neiger]

Hi Arno: I really don't think that it makes a difference. Since I had the 2x on to begin with and probably wanted to avoid getting my sensor dirty, I would guess that I put the 1.4 on in between the 2x and the lens. I have used this method several times when the circumstances allow it. The most important thing is light b/c you really need to work with a large DOF to get any sharpness. As you can see, I was at F16. You will also note you have to do more sharpening than normal when stacking.

The 1.4x must be attached to the camera body. It is the only way you can physically stack the version II tcs without using an extension tube. The version III 2xTC is not stackable without an extension tube or some type of modification or adapter.

Roger, what is the small mod you mentioned? Since the rear element of the version III blocks the connection, it seems it would take more than a small mod.

FYI: It is possible to stack a version III 1.4xTC with a version II 2xTC.

[Marina Scarr]

Hi Jim: Thanks so much for the valuable info, Jim. I wish I could say I'll remember that when the next opportunity rolls around. I probably tried the way I mentioned first, cursed when I realized it didn't work, and then readjusted.

[Roger Clark]

Roger, what is the small mod you mentioned? Since the rear element of the version III blocks the connection, it seems it would take more than a small mod.

One would have to put the TC on a lathe and take off a couple of mils (about 0.002 inch) so they fit together. Shouldn't be too difficult....
I have a lathe and might be tempted to try it someday. Until then I'm keeping my version II TCs so I can stack them.
I have the version III 2x and am tempted to open it up so the 1.4x II will fit. The problem then is one would need to
add some black paint which might flake off later, especially when putting them together. So yet another option is buy
a set of 1.4+2x IIIs, do the lathe fix on the outside of the 1.4x protrusion and put them together permanently and call
it a 2.8x converter. The appeal would the better performance of the IIIs.

Roger

[arash_hazeghi]

excellent Marina! love everything and good example of usage for stacked TCs!

I was wondering when NANPA showcase images will come up, I had a few too.

[Jim Neiger]

One would have to put the TC on a lathe and take off a couple of mils (about 0.002 inch) so they fit together. Shouldn't be too difficult....
I have a lathe and might be tempted to try it someday. Until then I'm keeping my version II TCs so I can stack them.
I have the version III 2x and am tempted to open it up so the 1.4x II will fit. The problem then is one would need to
add some black paint which might flake off later, especially when putting them together. So yet another option is buy
a set of 1.4+2x IIIs, do the lathe fix on the outside of the 1.4x protrusion and put them together permanently and call
it a 2.8x converter. The appeal would the better performance of the IIIs.

Roger

When I stick the 1.4xTC III into the back of the 2xTC, it's about half an inch away from making a connection. I don't understand how shaving off .0002 inches with a lathe would work. Please explain further. Thanks.