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Thread: Crime Scene

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    Story Sequences Moderator and Wildlife Moderator Gabriela Plesea's Avatar
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    Default Crime Scene

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    I hope you will allow me a few words before you give a critique to this image. This might be the worst photograph in my collection and you might wonder why I am posting it...The rhino crisis in my country has touched me deeply and my intention is to create awareness of this dire situation. There are many Game Reserves in this area and every day we realize that the rate of rhino poaching is increasing beyond control. By 2014 we might have no rhinos left.

    I took this image of a rhino kill from a light aircraft with my Nikon D300S and a Nikon 200 lens. I cannot give details regarding the place where it was taken, the kill is still under investigation. I was afraid to use a bigger lens because of weight and length-the pilot took the doors out in order for me to have a full view...I have never done this before, at times I felt I was going to drop my equipment, with the aircraft tilting and turning. It was silly of me to try and film as well as take photographs, while I was filming I had my camera on my lap and I had to hold it at times, otherwise it would vanish into thin air. The purpose of the flight was to take close-ups of rhino so that we can identify them-I do have a few decent images, but for the rest I guess my lens was too small. I am planning to take the Nikon 300 F2.8 next time with a 1.4 converter and attach it to my Nikon D3S, hopefully less noise at high ISO. Is there anyone among BPN members who has done aerial shots before, and if so, did you use a harness to keep your equipment safe? What kind of harness? I could do with some help...

    I really appreciate you viewing this image, it means a lot to me.

    Warmest regards,
    Gabriela Plesea

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    BPN Member dankearl's Avatar
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    Gabriela,
    Thanks for posting this.
    Just an outrageous crime with seeming no solution on the international level.
    I do not understand why the conservation groups just don't harvest the horns, sell them to the
    lunatics who will pay for them and at least attempt to put the poachers out of business.
    I know that cutting off the horns has been tried, but selling them has not.
    A crappy solution, but obviously stopping poaching is not successful.
    Putting pressure on the countries where they are purchased, just is not a priority sadly, in the big scheme of things.
    A radical approach of legally selling horns is a tragedy, but not as much as losing the species entirely.
    Dan Kearl

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    Hi Gabriela,

    I'm so glad to see you contributing to this effort!

    I've done quite a bit of shooting out of planes (my husband is really into small planes) but have rarely tried to wrangle two cameras at once. (When I do, I toss one on his lap.) We can't take the doors off (sure wish we could!!) but can remove my window on one, and one is an open cockpit, with my seat in front of his. So I don't have a problem with loosing a camera out a door.

    But I can offer a few bits of advice, which you have probably already figured out.

    Don't let the camera or even your elbows touch any part of the plane -- you'll transmit high-frequency vibration that IS can't handle. Remove the lens hoods to minimize buffet from the air blasting by. (Even at modest speeds the propeller is pushing a lot of air back at you, assuming it is a plane with an engine up front.) Tell the pilot not to sideslip (he'll know what that means) toward the target as you'll be blasted by slipstream coming in the door at an angle.

    Positioning is frustrating; as soon as you start banking or turning toward a target, it will be rapidly moving under you. It takes some planning to approach the target, but I'm sure you've figured that out! The 70-200 is a great aerial lens - my weapon of choice. But I never get ground-level quality.

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    Gabriela, this is a far more important wildlife image than a nicely composed, beautifully processed image of a live specimen that makes us all feel good about nature.

    Being a wild creature in the 21st century is increasingly a sketchy existence at the hand of an arrogant mankind, steeped in the notion that the only reality is his own. Cheers to you and all others who can document the pointless slaughter - and dare us to look the other way.

    I owned and flew a small bush plane here in Alaska for more than 20 years. The best platform in my opinion, is a Piper Super Cub (or its equivalent) with the door off or wide open. We were able to fly at very low airspeeds which translates into less buffeting of your camera gear. I could hover around in the Cub at a lazy 25 knots.
    I agree with Diane that a 70-200 is a good focal length to get past the wings, struts, and wheels - also agree on scrapping the lens hood, avoiding touching the vibrating airframe, and side slipping. I never tried a harness. Just a neck strap, but I was also flying the cub, so I couldn't afford to get "lost" in the viewfinder flying close to the ground.
    Last edited by John Ippolito; 05-23-2013 at 02:05 AM.

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    BPN Member vishaljadhav's Avatar
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    I think you bringing this image to the forum say s a lot about your pain for the wildlife depletion thats occurring all over, i live in India and i know how much it hurts to loose a Tiger or a Rhino,

    Guess you have a good advice above of what equipment to use and how to .

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    BPN Member Morkel Erasmus's Avatar
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    I think it's a very well pulled off documentation of a sad situation for a species in peril.
    I think the discussion on poaching is best reserved for the general forums (as it can get quite heated and veer off-topic easily). Perhaps start a thread in the general photography forum, Gabriela? You can even post this image there too (I could copy it there as well).

    With regards to legally selling horns, Dan, I would be careful to just tout that as a solution. There's no real idea of just how big the market demand is, and even if horn is harvested by private ranchers you will still get a "black market" that is willing to do anything to undercut the legally available channels for a piece of the pie - Rhino horn is now ounce-for-ounce worth more than either Gold or Platinum...

    Please keep discussion on this thread in WILDLIFE to the critique of the image and advice on shooting from planes.
    Gabriela, let me know if you want me to copy this to the general forum so the discussion on poaching can continue there.
    Morkel Erasmus

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    Story Sequences Moderator and Wildlife Moderator Gabriela Plesea's Avatar
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    Thank you all for viewing and for your concern- like Morkel said, it is a sad story and no immediate solution, unfortunately.

    Morkel,I would appreciate it if you copied my image to the appropriate forum, last time I tried to edit a post I ended up deleting the image but the text was still there...

    Wishing you all a pleasant day ahead,
    Gabriela Plesea

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    Lifetime Member Rachel Hollander's Avatar
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    Gabriela - a poignant image and its great that you are calling attention to the atrocities of animal poaching. Interesting discussion about shooting from small planes and other aircraft. I've done it a few times but with the doors and windows on, though one helicopter had a small window you could put the lens through but it restricted movement. There can be lots of frustrations that Diane and John have given good tips to overcome. Keeper rate is definitely lower too.

    Thanks for posting this,
    Rachel

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    BPN Member Morkel Erasmus's Avatar
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    Copied to the "General Photography" forum as well...
    Morkel Erasmus

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    The title says it all and my hope is that the criminals will be caught and punished and even more importantly attention be brought to this unbelievably serious matter before its too late. Gen

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    Wildlife Moderator Steve Kaluski's Avatar
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    Hi Gabriela, keeping to 'Topic', my only additional bit of advice would be to ensure you have a high shutter speed. I've only shot from helicopters and keeping one foot on the skid and just leaning out, albeit minimal does create a lot of buffering. So shutter high, check your histogram and good luck.

    Although it's Canon, the 24-70/f2.8 is also a great lens too, although at present and for a while, the use of a 14mm or 8-15 fisheye has also been, but make sure the lens is also a fast lens ie 2.8.
    Post Production: It’s ALL about what you do with the tools and not, which brand of tool you use.

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    Lifetime Member Marina Scarr's Avatar
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    Thank you for posting this most powerful image. It speaks volumes.
    Marina Scarr
    Florida Master Naturalist
    Website, Facebook

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    Very topical image - agree the techs could be better, and has been covered well in the post.

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    This photo qualifies for excellent "photojournalism", IMO!
    An impactful composition for a disturbing and sad scenario of our world.
    TFS

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    BPN Member Anette Mossbacher's Avatar
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    Hi Gabriela,

    sad it is indeed. I have read a few posts so far. You got already good advice on handling the cameras and the how to!

    I use this one Glide Strap when I am over the alps in a Cessna http://www.customslr.com/products/glide-strap
    Well, I use the button on the bottom of the camera: http://www.customslr.com/products/c-loop-black, that is quite cheap here and just attach my Straps which came with the camera.
    That does the job for me. On each side a camera, but the strap over the head than over the shoulder. Like that guy does in the first video!
    Hope it works out somehow what you will create at the end not to loose a camera!

    Ciao
    Anette

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    Story Sequences Moderator and Wildlife Moderator Gabriela Plesea's Avatar
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    Thank you all so much for your interest in this image and the story behind it. And for your advice regarding equipment. I have managed to order straps in the US, hope to have them soon.

    Meanwhile, I have to tell you that we lost another few rhino since I posted this image...I can almost say the we are losing the battle against the poachers ( ...sorry Morkel, I had to tell everyone...I know this is the wrong forum, I just cannot help it...forgive me please).

    Kind regards,
    Gabriela Plesea

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