Most memorable photo experience

[bmcdonough]

Did you all see this Alpha Universe article https://alphauniverse.com/stories/behind-the-shot-photographing-an-elusive-animal-at-night-with-self-timer-bursts/ 

Some of his shots were at 1/8-second exposure - that blows me away! 

What's your most memorable photo experience? A time that has just stuck with you? 

(Photo by Petri Mäkitalo)

[alpha-jessica-a]

This was such a cool story, thanks for sharing!

One of my memorable photo experiences was when I was in Seattle last year. I had never been to the Space Needle and was so excited to go, but it turned out to be boring and overly crowded and I ended up having to wait in line to get in for longer than I actually stayed up at the top.

Thankfully, when I bought my Space Needle tickets there was a combination deal for a sculpture garden called the Chihuly Garden and Glass. I didn't know what to expect with the garden + glass, but it turned out to be a thousand times better than the Space Needle. The combination of vibrant colors, nature and incredible art completely turned my day around.

I would go back here in a heartbeat. 

[TrekRover]

This is such a tough question to answer. There have been many memorable moments that have left an impact on me. However, I think what ignited my passion for photography was my trip to Antarctica. Having so many amazing close encounters with wildlife in their natural environment and seeing their beauty up close left me with a new appreciation for wildlife, nature, and photography. 

Photos below taken with the a7III and 70-200mm F/4 G OSS:

Close Encounter with Humpback Whale in Antarctica

Close Encounter with Humpback Whale (from my pov)

Chinstrap penguin and the babies

Penguins can really fly

[Michael Dikovitsky]

Crocodile from South America 

[bmcdonough]

On 7/14/2023 at 4:37 PM, TrekRover said:

Chinstrap penguin and the babies

This is such a sweet photo! What gear did you bring? Just the A7III and 70-200 or did you pack more? I feel like I would struggle to not just bring every piece of gear I own! 

[bmcdonough]

@Michael Dikovitsky I love that crocodile shot! The slightly blurred reflection is really nice. When did you travel to South America? What gear did you bring?

[Wojtsobi]

My most memorable trip was photographing bears in Finland. Seeing them for the first time in life and realising how massive they are was just awesome. Cubs running around the forest with lightning speed is something that I won't forget for sure. 

[bmcdonough]

@Wojtsobi this is a fantastic shot! I've only photographed a bear once in my life and it was also an incredibly special moment. Did you manage to get any images of the cubs?! 

[TrekRover]

On 7/18/2023 at 8:32 AM, bmcdonough said:

This is such a sweet photo! What gear did you bring? Just the A7III and 70-200 or did you pack more? I feel like I would struggle to not just bring every piece of gear I own! 

Thank you! That was actually the first time I got into photography! At that time I didn't know much about photography, but purchased what I thought I would need to record the trip of a lifetime! So at that time I just had the a7III and the 70-200mm F4 and the kit lens that came with the a7III.

If I had the chance to do the Antarctica trip again with the knowledge and gear I have now, I'd definitely take the:

• a1
• 70-200mm f2.8 (maybe 2.0x TC)
• 200-600mm or 600mm
• and 12-24mm f2.8

[bmcdonough]

Ooh @TrekRover, that's probably my dream kit for Antarctica as well! I was recently reading this What's in my Bag article about what this photographer brought to the Arctic and it was similar! Though his wide angle was a 14 prime. https://alphauniverse.com/stories/whats-in-my-bag-a-telephoto-zoom-and-ultra-wide-prime-for-photographing-arctic-wildlife-and-northern-lights/ 

I've never been to Antarctica but it's certainly on my bucket list!

[TrekRover]

On 7/20/2023 at 1:38 PM, bmcdonough said:

Ooh @TrekRover, that's probably my dream kit for Antarctica as well! I was recently reading this What's in my Bag article about what this photographer brought to the Arctic and it was similar! Though his wide angle was a 14 prime. https://alphauniverse.com/stories/whats-in-my-bag-a-telephoto-zoom-and-ultra-wide-prime-for-photographing-arctic-wildlife-and-northern-lights/ 

I've never been to Antarctica but it's certainly on my bucket list!

Wow Jesus' arctic photos are amazing!! That's amazing he got the arctic foxes!! I wish I was able to get those shots! I just got back from the arctic last month, I ended up bringing the a1, a7RIV, 24-70mm, 70-200mm, and 600mm, and the 12-24mm (except I didn't end up using the 12-24mm). Photographing the wildlife was a bit challenging since I had to shoot from a bobbing boat. Here are some shots from the arctic. 

 

[bmcdonough]

@TrekRover I love that photo of the polar bears - that tongue! Oh yeah, I bet the bobbing made it challenging to get a sharp image. What time of day were you all typically shooting? 

[TrekRover]

3 hours ago, bmcdonough said:

@TrekRover I love that photo of the polar bears - that tongue! Oh yeah, I bet the bobbing made it challenging to get a sharp image. What time of day were you all typically shooting? 

definitely a challenge! probably 3/4 of the photos weren't sharp enough unfortunately. When I went was during the summer solstice timeframe so 24 hours of full sunlight. The concept of time disappears out there 🤪

[CarolineJensen]

I miss birth photography. I did that back in 2007ish and it was so fun, but the hours were terrible, haha! 

[LensBrew]

On 7/14/2023 at 4:37 PM, TrekRover said:

This is such a tough question to answer. There have been many memorable moments that have left an impact on me. However, I think what ignited my passion for photography was my trip to Antarctica. Having so many amazing close encounters with wildlife in their natural environment and seeing their beauty up close left me with a new appreciation for wildlife, nature, and photography. 

Photos below taken with the a7III and 70-200mm F/4 G OSS:

Close Encounter with Humpback Whale in Antarctica

Close Encounter with Humpback Whale (from my pov)

Chinstrap penguin and the babies

Penguins can really fly

I need to go there soon! It looks amazing to see it with my own eyes.

[LensBrew]

This is the first trip I took after buying my first digital camera and it was a full frame. Not a Sony, but the infamous Nikon D600 (I was lucky to not have any oil leak issues).

Every time I go through my images to make a sample portfolio, print or teach, this image is always there. This was taken in Arashiyama in Kyoto. This gentleman was pulling my wife and I in a rickshaw and was very informative and entertaining.

[bmcdonough]

@LensBrew what a special experience! Thank you for sharing the photo! 

[Anders Engebretsen]

Bumped into this guy by a hunch, the Eurasian Pygmy Owl. Easily one of my favourite owls! My most special and beautiful encounter as he was not bothered and let me photograph and film him for just about an hour.

[bmcdonough]

Oh wow, @Anders Engebretsen, these are beautiful! I love the dark tones and the golden light. Were you moving around or was all the variation done with the zoom? Did you use a tripod?