Afternoon Hike at Radnor Lake

I finally had part of the afternoon off from other shoots, so naturally, I decide to go on another shoot! I've been going to Radnor Lake for years now. It's no secret to native Nashvillians that this is one of the premiere birding and wildlife sanctuaries in Tennessee.

Despite living so close to this amazing place, I don't go to this place as often as I should for two main reasons:

1. Too many rules! I understand there is a reason for them, and that the rules are part of what keep this area so beautiful despite the crowds. The problem for me is that I go out in nature to be free and experience nature. You're pretty much confined to just taking the paths. This often makes landscape photography frustrating for me, as I need freedom to search for the right compositions.

2. Parking. If the weather is decent you can almost count on there being a line running down Otter Creek Rd just to find a parking space. It's a lot of extra hassle when the point of the trip is to get away from the hustle and bustle of modern life.

Don't get me wrong! There are a few spectacular landscapes to be had there. One of my favorite landscapes of 2016 "Moonrise Over Radnor" was shot here.

Canon 5D MKIII | 35 f/1.4L II | f/16 | 1.6 sec | ISO 50

Canon 5D MKIII | 35 f/1.4L II | f/16 | 1.6 sec | ISO 50

Where Radnor truly shines is in the watchable wildlife department. It's an absolutely remarkable place if you're into hobbies of the ornithological persuasion. Namely birdwatching and bird photography (birding). Radnor is home to many species, with plenty of migratory birds dropping in throughout the seasons. These shots are mostly from my last trip, with a few other shots from several other recent trips there.

Prothonotary Warbler gathering nesting materials.

Canon 7D MKII | 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L | 400mm | f/6.3 | 1/125 sec | ISO 1000

Canon 7D MKII | 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L | 400mm | f/6.3 | 1/125 sec | ISO 1000

Female Downy Woodpecker

Canon 7D MKII | 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L | 390mm | f/6.3 | 1/1250 sec | ISO 1250

Canon 7D MKII | 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L | 390mm | f/6.3 | 1/1250 sec | ISO 1250

Tufted Titmouse looking for a meal on a downed tree branch.

Canon 7D MKII | 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L | 400mm | f/6.3 | 1/160 sec | ISO 1000

Canon 7D MKII | 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L | 400mm | f/6.3 | 1/160 sec | ISO 1000

Male Wood Duck with turtles.

Canon 7D MKII | 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L | 400mm | f/7.1 | 1/1600 sec | ISO 1000

Canon 7D MKII | 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L | 400mm | f/7.1 | 1/1600 sec | ISO 1000

A beautiful Palm Warbler singing on a branch near the dam.

Canon 7D MKII | 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L | 400mm | f/7.1 | 1/640 sec | ISO 1000

Canon 7D MKII | 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L | 400mm | f/7.1 | 1/640 sec | ISO 1000

This skink was just hanging out and sunning himself on a log.

Canon 7D MKII | 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L | 390mm | f/6.3 | 1/640 sec | ISO 640

Canon 7D MKII | 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L | 390mm | f/6.3 | 1/640 sec | ISO 640

Quick selfie on the way down the west side of the trail just a few moments before spotting half a dozen deer.

One doe was watching me, while the other decided that licking her face was more important.

Canon 7D MKII | 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L | 400mm | f/5.6 | 1/80 sec | ISO 1600

Canon 7D MKII | 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L | 400mm | f/5.6 | 1/80 sec | ISO 1600

This shot was from a previous trip showing a juvenile hummingbird resting.

Canon 7D MKII | 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L | 400mm | f/5.6 | 1/500 sec | ISO 1600

Canon 7D MKII | 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L | 400mm | f/5.6 | 1/500 sec | ISO 1600

This Tufted Titmouse was extremely tame allowing me to get very close.

Canon 7D MKII | 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L | 400mm | f/7.1 | 1/160 sec | ISO 1000

Canon 7D MKII | 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L | 400mm | f/7.1 | 1/160 sec | ISO 1000

The limited trail access can sometimes force a little extra creativity upon you. While I don't see this shot winning any awards, I still thought it was an unusual way to present this Great Blue Heron in the late afternoon sunlight.

Canon 7D MKII | 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L | 400mm | f/8 | 1/400 sec | ISO 2000

Canon 7D MKII | 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L | 400mm | f/8 | 1/400 sec | ISO 2000

This Wolf Spider sat for a portrait on an old log for me long enough to use a 12mm extension tube to get a nice closeup.

Canon 5D MKIII | 135 f/2L | f/16 | 1.6 sec | ISO 1600 | 12mm extension tube

Canon 5D MKIII | 135 f/2L | f/16 | 1.6 sec | ISO 1600 | 12mm extension tube

Since it's spring time, I'm also always on the lookout for some great macro opportunities with flowers. These tiny purple flowers were all over a grassy area underneath a thick forest canopy of mature trees.

Canon 5D MKIII | 135 f/2L | f/18 | 1/8 sec | ISO 100 | 12/20/36mm extension tubes stacked

Canon 5D MKIII | 135 f/2L | f/18 | 1/8 sec | ISO 100 | 12/20/36mm extension tubes stacked

Canon 5D MKIII | 135 f/2L | f/16 | 1/200 sec | ISO 100 | 12/20/36mm extension tubes stacked

Canon 5D MKIII | 135 f/2L | f/16 | 1/200 sec | ISO 100 | 12/20/36mm extension tubes stacked

Rounding out a great afternoon and early evening of shooting with this final capture of the day. The sky was on fire, and it was time to head home for dinner.

Canon 5D MKIII | 135 f/2L | f/16 | 20 sec | ISO 50 | B+W 72mm F-PRO ND 1.8-64X MRC | B+W 77mm Circular Polarizer MRC

Canon 5D MKIII | 135 f/2L | f/16 | 20 sec | ISO 50 | B+W 72mm F-PRO ND 1.8-64X MRC | B+W 77mm Circular Polarizer MRC

For more information about local wildlife a great resource is the Tennessee Watchable Wildlife web site.

These links will take you to Amazon where you can read more. Full disclosure: If you choose to purchase anything from the links I will receive a small commission from Amazon. I will only link to equipment that I use, trust, and would recommend to a friend!

Cameras:
Canon 5D MKIII - http://amzn.to/2plH8zw
Canon 7D MKII - http://amzn.to/2pyzXEI
GoPro Hero 3+ Black - http://amzn.to/2pw5ULv
iPhone 7S Plus

Glass:
Canon 16-35 f/2.8L II - http://amzn.to/2quhm9Y
Canon 35mm f/1.4L II - http://amzn.to/2pw6f0S
Canon 50 f/1.2L - http://amzn.to/2plOwed
Canon 24-105 f/4L IS - http://amzn.to/2pySdNZ
Canon 135 f/2L - http://amzn.to/2pytWYD
Canon 70-200 f/2.8L II IS - http://amzn.to/2plP97l
Canon 100-400 f/4.5-5.6L IS - http://amzn.to/2quirOR

Filters:
B+W 72mm F-PRO ND 0.9-8X MRC - http://amzn.to/2oZDjNR
B+W 72mm F-PRO ND 1.8-64X MRC - http://amzn.to/2pyHTFG
Hoya 77mm NDx400 HMC - http://amzn.to/2plMRoI
B+W 77mm F-PRO ND 0.9-8X MRC - http://amzn.to/2pyBdYj
B+W 82mm F-PRO ND 3.0-1,000X MRC - http://amzn.to/2oZLyJA
B+W 77mm Circular Polarizer MRC - http://amzn.to/2plJmyT
Quantaray 82mm Circular Polarizer - http://amzn.to/2oZDjgB

Tripods:
Really Right Stuff TVC-34L Tripod
Really Right Stuff B5D3-L Bracket
JOBY GorillaPod SLR Zoom - http://amzn.to/2qnslCC

Power:
Battery Grip 7D MKII BG-E16 - http://amzn.to/2pyMNTn
Battery Grip 5D MKIII BG-E11 - http://amzn.to/2pyFafD
Canon Battery Pack CP-E4N - http://amzn.to/2pNm3iF
Canon LP-E6N Battery - http://amzn.to/2pyFU4p
Panasonic Eneloop Pro AA - http://amzn.to/2pNowtJ
Panasonic Eneloop Pro AAA - http://amzn.to/2oZqOSo

Lighting:
Canon Speedlite 600EX II-RT - http://amzn.to/2qufuhg
Canon ST-E3-RT Speedlite Transmitter - http://amzn.to/2plNSxk

Storage:
SanDisk Extreme Pro 64GB CF - http://amzn.to/2pNlPIo
SanDisk Extreme Pro 64GB SD - http://amzn.to/2plLdUm
SanDisk Extreme Pro 32GB MicroSD - http://amzn.to/2pyUCbt
OWC ThunderBay 4 RAID 5 Edition - http://amzn.to/2plLZkk

Bags:
Lowepro Flipside 500AW Backpack - http://amzn.to/2pNCzQ3
ThinkTank Photo Digital Holster 20 v2.0 - http://amzn.to/2oWGlBJ
ThinkTank Photo Lens Changer 35 v2.0 - http://amzn.to/2qnFX0N
ThinkTank Photo Pee Wee Pixel Pocket Rocket - http://amzn.to/2oZsRpr
ThinkTank Photo DSLR Battery Holder 2 - http://amzn.to/2pyMcAR

Other Accessories:
Kenko Extension Tubes - http://amzn.to/2qnK2Cm
Vello FreeWave Plus Wireless Shutter Release - http://amzn.to/2oWVAu9
Giottos Rocket Blower Large - http://amzn.to/2pyALcD

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Rode SC3 3.5mm TRRS to TRS - http://amzn.to/2pyAvKM

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5.11 TacLite Pro Pants - http://amzn.to/2pyt9Xu
Asolo TPS 520 GV Boots - http://amzn.to/2plXQ1L

Editing & Post-Processing:
Adobe Lightroom
Adobe Photoshop
Monitor Calibration Datacolor Spyder5Pro - http://amzn.to/2qnG3FM

Flooded Tree - A quick afternoon photography excursion

It's been a long time coming, but I've finally decided to start a photography blog and vlog to document some of my adventures! I wanted to start off with something small before going into larger projects that I have planned. When I drove past this tree on my way home, I immediately knew there was a shot to be had there.

My YouTube Channel

Here is the final image, with EXIF data. Please share the images, blog posts, and videos on social media if you enjoy them.

Canon 5D MKIII | 35mm f/1.4L II | f/1.4 | 0.5 sec | ISO 50 | Hoya 77mm NDx400 HMC

Canon 5D MKIII | 35mm f/1.4L II | f/1.4 | 0.5 sec | ISO 50 | Hoya 77mm NDx400 HMC

These links will take you to Amazon where you can read more. Full disclosure: If you choose to purchase anything from the links I will receive a small commission from Amazon. I will only link to equipment that I use, trust, and would recommend to a friend!

Cameras:
Canon 5D MKIII - http://amzn.to/2plH8zw
Canon 7D MKII - http://amzn.to/2pyzXEI
GoPro Hero 3+ Black - http://amzn.to/2pw5ULv
iPhone 7S Plus

Glass:
Canon 16-35 f/2.8L II - http://amzn.to/2quhm9Y
Canon 35mm f/1.4L II - http://amzn.to/2pw6f0S
Canon 50 f/1.2L - http://amzn.to/2plOwed
Canon 24-105 f/4L IS - http://amzn.to/2pySdNZ
Canon 135 f/2L - http://amzn.to/2pytWYD
Canon 70-200 f/2.8L II IS - http://amzn.to/2plP97l
Canon 100-400 f/4.5-5.6L IS - http://amzn.to/2quirOR

Filters:
B+W 72mm F-PRO ND 0.9-8X MRC - http://amzn.to/2oZDjNR
B+W 72mm F-PRO ND 1.8-64X MRC - http://amzn.to/2pyHTFG
Hoya 77mm NDx400 HMC - http://amzn.to/2plMRoI
B+W 77mm F-PRO ND 0.9-8X MRC - http://amzn.to/2pyBdYj
B+W 82mm F-PRO ND 3.0-1,000X MRC - http://amzn.to/2oZLyJA
B+W 77mm Circular Polarizer MRC - http://amzn.to/2plJmyT
Quantaray 82mm Circular Polarizer - http://amzn.to/2oZDjgB

Tripods:
Really Right Stuff TVC-34L Tripod
Really Right Stuff B5D3-L Bracket
JOBY GorillaPod SLR Zoom - http://amzn.to/2qnslCC

Power:
Battery Grip 7D MKII BG-E16 - http://amzn.to/2pyMNTn
Battery Grip 5D MKIII BG-E11 - http://amzn.to/2pyFafD
Canon Battery Pack CP-E4N - http://amzn.to/2pNm3iF
Canon LP-E6N Battery - http://amzn.to/2pyFU4p
Panasonic Eneloop Pro AA - http://amzn.to/2pNowtJ
Panasonic Eneloop Pro AAA - http://amzn.to/2oZqOSo

Lighting:
Canon Speedlite 600EX II-RT - http://amzn.to/2qufuhg
Canon ST-E3-RT Speedlite Transmitter - http://amzn.to/2plNSxk

Storage:
SanDisk Extreme Pro 64GB CF - http://amzn.to/2pNlPIo
SanDisk Extreme Pro 64GB SD - http://amzn.to/2plLdUm
SanDisk Extreme Pro 32GB MicroSD - http://amzn.to/2pyUCbt
OWC ThunderBay 4 RAID 5 Edition - http://amzn.to/2plLZkk

Bags:
Lowepro Flipside 500AW Backpack - http://amzn.to/2pNCzQ3
ThinkTank Photo Digital Holster 20 v2.0 - http://amzn.to/2oWGlBJ
ThinkTank Photo Lens Changer 35 v2.0 - http://amzn.to/2qnFX0N
ThinkTank Photo Pee Wee Pixel Pocket Rocket - http://amzn.to/2oZsRpr
ThinkTank Photo DSLR Battery Holder 2 - http://amzn.to/2pyMcAR

Other Accessories:
Kenko Extension Tubes - http://amzn.to/2qnK2Cm
Vello FreeWave Plus Wireless Shutter Release - http://amzn.to/2oWVAu9
Giottos Rocket Blower Large - http://amzn.to/2pyALcD

Audio:
Zoom H1 - http://amzn.to/2plHKVV
Rode smartLav - http://amzn.to/2oWGtB2
Rode SC3 3.5mm TRRS to TRS - http://amzn.to/2pyAvKM

Hiking:
Tilley Airflo Hat - http://amzn.to/2qnCUWj
5.11 TacLite Pro Pants - http://amzn.to/2pyt9Xu
Asolo TPS 520 GV Boots - http://amzn.to/2plXQ1L

Editing & Post-Processing:
Adobe Lightroom
Adobe Photoshop
Monitor Calibration Datacolor Spyder5Pro - http://amzn.to/2qnG3FM