I took my daughter out today for a walk around the local lake and although it was more about time with her (20 months old), we did manage to capture a few decent photographs.

Flying Egret – Canon 7D and Canon 400mm 5.6L

A while back I did a post showing the different results from bouncing the flash from my Canon 430EX II. I decided to put it into a short video.

The Canon EOS 7D and Canon 400mm 5.6L lens is my favorite wildlife camera and lens combo. It is light weight and can is capable of capturing some amazing photographs.

Lowepro Flipside Camera Backpack Video –

Below you will find a video that contains pictures taken with a Canon 7D and Tamron 17-50mm 2.8 lens. I use the Tamron 17-50mm 2.8 to take pictures of landscapes, people, flowers and much more. It is a great little lens.

Reverse lens macro refers to turning your camera lens in the opposite direction against the camera body, creating a cheap but limited macro lens. I recently purchased a macro reverse ring on amazon for my Canon 7D and 50mm 1.8 lens. The macro reverse ring is made to attach to the front of the lens where you would usually attach a filter.

Key Points to Remember with Reverse Lens Macro –

1. The Macro Reverse Ring comes in different sizes depending on the size filter your lens takes. (The Canon 50mm 1.8 = 52mm)
2. There will be no auto focus when the lens is attached in reverse. The only way you can focus is by moving the camera body closer or further away from the subject.
3. You can not adjust he aperture when the lens is attached in reverse.

Overall reverse lens macro is a cheap but limited way to get into Macro Photography.

You do not have to be a pro to take advantage of Adobe Photoshop.You can often make simple adjustments resulting in dramatic changes. In this example we started with a photograph of a baby captured on a couch with a white blanket. This photo lends itself perfectly to eliminating the background which results in a solid white background. The only tool that is needed is the Brush Tool. With the white color selected, simply brush out the entire background. Zoom in and out adjusting the brush size as needed. The end photo has the appearance of being taken in a studio with a white background. Not bad for a photo captured with only a Canon 430ex II flash attached to a Canon 7D.

Before –

After using the Brush Tool in Adobe Photoshop-

Below you will find a video I created by compiling a number of my favorite wildlife photographs captured with a Canon EOS 7D and Canon 400mm 5.6L.  The Canon 7D and 400mm 5.6L is an amazing combo. It is great for hiking and capturing various forms of wildlife.  The Canon 400mm 5.6L is not a heavy lens allowing me to hike all day with no problem.

Canon 7D and Canon 400mm 5.6L Lens Wildlife Photographs -

An external flash gives you the ability to bounce the flash, reducing the harsh light created when aiming the flash directly at your subject.  In this video you will see how the Canon 430ex II external flash allows you to bounce the flash in many different directions.

Canon 430EX II Bouncing Flash -

There are several ways you can delete pictures from your Canon 7D.  This video tutorial outlines the simple process of deleting images off your 7D’s memory card.

Deleting pictures from your Canon 7D-

This Burrowing Owl video includes video and photographs captured with my Canon 7D and Canon 400mm 5.6L lens.

Burrowing Owl Video  -

It has been months since I have had time to photograph the local wildlife, but this weekend I found time to visit the burrowing owls which our back for the winter months.  I was still unsuccessful in capturing a decent in-flight photo but walked away with several keepers.

Burrowing Owl Photographs – Canon 7D / Canon 400mm 5.6L / Canon 430EX II Flash / Back Button Focus

Burrowing Owl Facing Backwards -

Burrowing Owl Near RR Tracks -

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Let me start off by saying that the Tamrac 5588 Expedition 8x is an extremely large camera backpack. In fact, it is Tamrac’s largest camera pack.  There is enough storage to fit a ton of camera gear.  You will find storage in the main compartment, front flap, computer pocket and the two wing accessory pockets.  Accessories can also be attached to the side.

I am  impressed by the Tamrac 5588 Expedition 8x build quality. It’s is built to last!

TAMRAC 5588 EXPEDITION 8X Picture Review –

Tamrac 5588 Expedition 8x Open – There is a ton of room in the main compartment with endless arrangement options.  You will also find more storage in the front flap.

TAMRAC 5588 EXPEDITION 8X Front – The front of the bag includes two wing pockets and tripod storage.

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It’s hard to beat a great sunset picture.  It is no secret that sunset pictures are beautiful and can be very powerful images.  If you have every tried to capture the sun setting you know that there is more to it than just snapping the picture.  Photographing sunsets can be challenging. The light is constantly changing and your time is limited.

Sunset Photography Tips –

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I spent a few minutes outside this morning capturing hummingbird photos.  I setup with my tripod and gimbal head and located the hummingbird in the tree.  Due to the shade the tree was casting on the bird, I used a Canon Speedlite 430EX II external flash to add fill light.  Using back button focus allowed me to focus on the hummingbird on the branch and then sit back and press the shutter each time I saw movement.  I was not worried about the camera focusing on the background, which was a common problem when the focus button was the same as the shutter release.

Canon 7D / Canon 400mm 5.6L / Canon Speedlite 430EX II / Back Button Focus