In the Field

Cradling the Cup. Findlay Creek, BC, Canada. April 10, 2013.

Over the winter and spring of 2013 I had my hands full testing new Nikon equipment. It's enjoyable, I learn (and pass along) lots, and in many ways a nice "luxury" to be in the position to do this. One of the combinations of gear I've had in my hands for quite some time and have been thinking offered great potential for "walkaround" photography is the new Nikkor 70-200mm f4 VR paired with the Nikon 1 V2 body (through the use of the FT-1 mount adapter). The small sensors of the Nikon 1 cameras produce a crop factor of 2.7x, so the 70-200mm lens ends up with an effective focal length of 189-540mm f4 lens. My thinking was that the great VR on this lens would make it very "hand-holdable" with the V2 and offer lots of fun options in the field.

And, in early April of 2013 I started "seriously playing" (how's that for an oxymoron!) with the Nikon V2 with the 70-200mm f4 VR. And, as I hoped, it's a pretty interesting combination. Very hand-holdable throughout the focal range, owing partly to the effective VR on the lens, and partly to the V2's propensity to select higher shutter speeds in Auto ISO mode than the V1 did. And, when you combine the 2.7x crop factor with the fact that the lens has the same close focus distance as it does on any Nikon camera, you can actually use the V2 plus 70-200mm f4 VR as a pretty decent macro photography setup, even when hand-held. Which is exactly the combination of gear and "sloppy" technique I used to capture this emerging crocus - the Nikon V2 with the 70-200mm f4 VR...handheld while laying on the ground!

Alert: Digitally Manipulated Image: The soft, dream-like image you are viewing is partially the product of digital manipulation. For details on how this image was produced, see Bio: Techniques (look under the Wildflower Effect").

It is my policy to clearly identify ANY images on this website that overstep the bounds of digital correction and enter the territory of digital manipulation (see Voice: Commentary: Digital Correction vs. Digital Manipulation).

Behind the Camera

Cradling the Cup. Findlay Creek, BC, Canada. April 10, 2013.

Digital Capture; Compressed RAW (NEF) 14-bit format; ISO 160.

Nikon 1 V2 paired with Nikkor 70-200mm f4 VR zoom (connected together using the FT-1 mount adapter) at 102mm (275mm EFL); hand-held. VR on and in normal mode.

1/400s @ f5; -0.33 stop compensation from matrix-metered exposure setting. Auto ISO engaged.

At the Computer

Cradling the Cup. Findlay Creek, BC, Canada. April 10, 2013.

RAW Conversion to 16-bit TIFF, including first-pass/capture sharpening and light noise reduction using Capture One Pro Version 7. Two raw variants (processed from raw) differing in white balance settings.

Further digital corrections on resulting 16-bit TIFF files using Adobe's Photoshop CS6. Photoshop adjustments included compositing the raw conversion white balance variants, selective tweaks to exposure, and application of a series of adjustments I collectively refer to as "The Wildflower Effect."

Conservation

Cradling the Cup. Findlay Creek, BC, Canada. April 10, 2013.

Ten percent of the revenue generated by this image will be donated to Wildsight.

Species Status in Canada*: This species is not designated as at risk.

Prairie Crocus (Pulsatilla patens), which is also known as Pasqueflower, is a seasonally early blooming species with a very wide geographic distribution in North America - it stretches from Alaska in the north to New Mexico in the south. While it is widespread and reasonably common in the mountains, it is most abundant on the plains. In fact, dense stands of Prairie Crocus can be indicative of overgrazing. The Prairie Crocus is the floral emblem of both Manitoba and South Dakota.

This Prairie Crocus was photographed in the Columbia Valley of the East Kootenays. While this species is currently not considered at any risk itself, many ecosystems within the Columbia Valley face development pressure, including pressure from logging operations. Wildsight is an effective conservation organization that protects biodiversity and promotes sustainable communities in Canada's Columbia and Rocky Mountains. Support for Wildsight, through donation or becoming a member, will help ensure that they remain effective in their efforts to conserve threatened or endangered species and ecosystems.

*as determined by COSEWIC: The Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada