February 23 2009 Page 4 Features, Weather, Sports, Exchange

Photo Tip of the Week: Photographing Humpback Whales Larry Bennett - PVNN     Photo Tips of the Week are written by Larry Bennett, a professional photographer living in Puerto Vallarta. To view more of his work, visit LarryBennettPhotography.com.   Photographing the mighty Humpback Whales are probably one of my biggest sources of frustration as a photographer but if you have a little patience and wait a few minutes, those mighty creatures will blow and raise those mighty humps in the air and show you some of the most beautiful flukes you will ever see. You will suddenly feel like you deserve a nature photographer of the year award. Let me explain this comment. I put "photographing the whales" as one of the hardest things to do. With over 15,000 whale images under my belt I still continue to get frustrated and wonder just what I’m doing wrong sometimes. At times it’s a juggling act, between white balance, lighting (Kelvin Temperature), speed, focus, people’s elbows, and other boats getting in the way. You’re standing in a boat trying to steady your camera while going 20 miles per hour in three foot waves. When all of sudden an object as big as a 45 foot school bus, weighing 45 tons with side pectoral fins over 16 feet in length appears 90 feet off your port side, blows water (or as I refer to as whale snot) all over you and your equipment. Pandemonium breaks out with breaths of joy, fear, and awe; the boat is rocking and pitching and your adrenalin just spiked! It just doesn’t get any better. Whales are fun, not only to see but to photograph. Let’s take a look at some things I do to capture the ultimate whale images. Choosing a Boat and Guide All boats that advertise and take passengers out into the Bay of Bandera’s need to have the special orange flag which proves the boat and crew are registered with the authorities and have permission to take passengers into the whale zones. The boat, captain, and crew must observe the rules set forth and respect the whales and their rituals. I can say that most of the boats do a pretty good job with this. It has always been the best for me to find a smaller boat which has the capacity to hold 8-12 passengers as they have the speed and maneuverability to put you on the whales rather quickly. Tell your guide that you are a photographer and they will more than likely give you a special spot on the side or at the front of the boat. Let’s Look at our Equipment For those of you that are not into serious photography or just don’t want to pay the big dollars for a DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex), you will still be able to get some good images with your point and shoot.. I will tell you how a little later in this article. However, if you are shooting a compact point and shoot, one good piece of advice is that not all memory or flash cards are the same! If you’re all proud of yourself for saving big bucks on a discount flash or memory card there is a 100 percent chance you’ll be shooting just that, an image that you will not be happy with. When it comes to shooting action or moving objects such as the whales, having a flash or memory card which has a fast processing speed is very important. DSLR people, let’s look at lenses. We will talk a little later about settings but for now let’s pick out our lenses. All of my cameras are Canons. Now this doesn’t mean my stuff is better than yours, it just means I like and shoot Canon and have always had great luck and success with Canon. My favorite lens for running around the bay is my 70-200 F2.8 SS/IM. I shoot 85 percent of my whale images with this lens. In prior years I have used my 100-400 SS/IS, but the focusing on this lens is very slow when shooting whales. I also shoot an 18-105 F3.5 SS/IM. Using these two lenses, I feel that I have all of my bases covered while shooting the whales. That’s why I always shoot with two cameras. I carry an extra battery for each camera, as well as two extra high speed professional flash or memory cards. I also keep a dry lens rag in my vest or pocket, a bath towel in my back pack, and a few plastic trash bags to wrap my camera and camera bags, just in case you get into rough sea’s or foul weather. Photo Tips of the week are written by Larry Bennett, a professional photographer living in Puerto Vallarta. These tips are to be just tips, refer to your cameras owner's manual for specifics on your camera. Readers are welcome to enjoy Larry's website at LarryBennettPhotography.com.

Magnificent Frigatebird: Ocean Thief

Tara Spears

                Second in seabird series.

Next to the chunky pelican, the streamlined frigatebird looks aristocratic.  Thousands of these sleek seabirds live along the Riviera Nayrit coast.  When newly settled here I was walking the beach with my little dog and enjoying the flight of the seabirds until one of the large birds flying overhead lost its grip on dinner and it landed right in my path: a gigantic, live sea snake! I trotted home to identify this greedy bird that would grab a two meter long lunch.  Sure enough, the frigatebird is nicknamed ‘pirate bird’ for its propensity to steal food from other birds by snatching food dropped by other birds before it hits the water.

  As the photos illustrate, the frigatebird has an incredible flying ability, owing to their wingspan of over 2 m/6.5 ft with less than 2 kg/4 lb of bodyweight to support.  The distinctive hooked grey beak and long split tail make them easy to recognize.

The Magnificent Frigatebird's long, swallow-like tail enables it to make sharp turns, and its long, broad wings lift the bird with little effort. The Magnificent Frigatebird is most at home in the air because its short legs cannot walk, and its feathers absorb water, so it rarely rests on the ocean. It is interesting that the same species has coloration differences according to age and sex.  Females can be as much as 23% larger than males. Adult males are black with greenish shading over the back and a bright red throat sac that is usually deflated. Females are black overall with a whitish bar in the upper wings and a white vest across the chest. Young Magnificent Frigatebirds are also black, but with a white head, chest, and belly.

Magnificent frigatebirds are usually seen flying high on the air currents or gliding down to the water to snap up fish and squid. Because its feathers soak up water, the birds dive only briefly in pursuit of prey or a drink.  Although this seabird primarily eats fish, their diet is supplemented by fishery waste, immature seabirds, young turtles, and small crabs. That’s why so many congregate near the local fish markets: to feast on the entrails the fishermen toss out.

This sleek seabird doesn’t reproduce until nine years old and lives for about 30 years.  Females do not breed every year because it takes a year and a half to raise a chick. It has been observed that males are believed to breed every year (with a second female). Unlike some other seabird species, the magnificent Frigatebird does not stay loyal to nest sites or its mate.

The frigatebird’s rough nest is constructed in low trees or on the ground on remote islands, such as lie in the Jaltemba Bay.  A single egg is laid each breeding season with both parents covering it for about four months until the hatchling grows feathers. The mother frigatebird stays with her young for another six months.  The duration of parental care in frigatebirds is the longest of any bird.

Watching these graceful thieves is another great Mexican beach pastime!

Male frigatebird courting behavior:    

Contact Tara:   tara.sprs@hotmail.com

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