Monday, September 1, 2008

Turtle Roadblock

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There was something in the middle of the road. Hubby threw the car into park and out we jumped, cameras in hand. The lens you see up there is the fisheye (on the Canon 5D) and if you scroll down to the bottom you can see one of the shots Dennis took. He really was only a couple of inches from the turtle; the neat thing about the fisheye is you can be really close.


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The turtle willingly stopped and posed for his paparazzi.


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He even waved at the camera.


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I guess he was waving ‘bye’, cuz then he was off like a flash, well, uh actually more like a tortoise.


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I snapped a few close ups, from a distance, if that makes sense. I was using the Canon 40D with the huge honkin lens (100-400mm), too lazy to take it off after birding.


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I love the moss on his shell (it gives him character) and the stripe on his eye that matches his body.


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As promised, here’s one of Dennis’s photos and me in the background, about five feet from Mr Turtle, as that’s as close as I can be to focus with that huge lens.  Sidenote - You see that is the bad thing about his using the fisheye, it has 180 degree view so I have to be slightly behind him or I will be in the shot.  And honestly, when we plan a day in the woods taking photos I don't exactly dress up for a photo, afterall, I'm supposed to be behind the camera, not in front of it.

27 comments:

  1. These are great pictures if you lived closer I would commission you to take pictures of my three tortoises!

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  2. I see your huge honkin lens there....I never thought I'd want to carry something so big and heavy, but as it turns out, I'm sure wanting to have more than 200mm for wildlife shots.

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  3. I think you're better dressed than I would ever be for such an event!

    Very cool turtle shots!

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  4. That last photo is cute! I love it with you in the background and the way he has "Newdae" going over the shell. Very cute. And, BTW, compared to the way I dress when caching or going out in the 'Glades, you are dressed up! I mean, your red Crocs are miles above my basic blacks. I've been thinking of getting a new pair, either orange or green or a royal blue...black is so boring!

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  5. Don't worry about the clothes...you look just like a Nat Geo photog! Great pics, as usual!

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  6. Great shots!! We had one in our yard this weekend. No camera though.

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  7. It is always interesting to find turtles away from water. Why do they wander so far and where are they going?

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  8. Those are great shots. We talked to a man at the beach yesterday with a big lense like yours. He had a stabilizer that he wore around his neck to support the weight and help with blur. Now my husband has to have one LOL

    I know what you mean about standing behind him. Most of the archictectural stuff he shoots is with the fish eye and I have to be careful to stand behind him - and make sure I'm not casting a shadow - and not too close or I'll bump him and on and on and on LOL It's hard work following someone with a camera LOL

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  9. You look comfortable Lisa - but pink crocs? Isn't there a law somewhere against those?? :0)

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  10. Awesome photos. That turtle has a career in high fashion.

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  11. Those are gorgeous! I'm so jealous of your cameras!

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  12. That's the cutest darn turtle and personality to boot! I read that you should have a baby by now....Hope all is well.

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  13. LOL! Cool Series! Love it.
    I did rescue a Gopher Tortoise the other day. It was about to venture on a six lane highway - and
    would have been considerable flatter, if she would have gone on.
    So I put her in a box, that she peed in and made a hug dumb in (thank you) and brought her to some
    sandhills, where she can dig her heart out! ;)
    Cheers, Klaus

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  14. Looks just like my middle son's pet in the aquarium upstairs :)

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  15. I love turtles, this one seems to want to be a star, which you made happen! Hope all is well with you Lisa!

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  16. I think these guys are big hams at heart. They must get lonely in there!

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  17. Well isn't he/she cool! I don't know how Rayne would react in this situation--she's scared of turtles. Well, not TOO scared, since her husband does keep a couple. I think I would have had trouble not bringing the turtle home, honestly. So cute and curious!

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  18. you are the 2nd person I've visited who had turtles crossing the road.
    I never see them here. I've heard that the native turtle is nearly extinct on the west side of the state.

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  19. Love the tutle!!!
    And yea I sometimes running out to the field with camera in hand...am in my pj's!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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  20. Ha...is them red Crocs on your feet?!

    It's a good thing the turtle was so photogenic!

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  21. Awesome... i love him waving :-)
    I'm so happy you have a husband that gets it..I'm trying with mine but it's still like pulling teeth..

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  22. These pictures ROCK!!!!! I love them!!! And I thought I was the only person who jumped out of the car with camera in hand...hahahahah Love your Crocs!

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  23. That was so fun to look at. I wonder what that little guy was thinking. LOL

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  24. Momma? I am sure that little guy thought he might find his momma in that long neck;-). Great photos, and I don't blame you for not dressing up for the nature photo trips; high heals are hard to navigate on that terrain;-).

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