Andy and Steve go Nuclear Free-Pt 1

Steve CaviglianoSteve Cavigliano Super Moderators Posts: 3,599 moderator
edited February 11, 2005 in Sports
Hello all,
Well we had been planning to shoot today, since last month. After the spur of the moment shoot at Half Moon Bay, we figured we'd do the coast again. This time we drove over to one of the only nuclear free cities in the world. What makes Santa Cruz nuclear free? Good question. Goes to show you where the people who live here heads are at (Mars? Pluto? Uranus? Their an.., awwww nevermind:lol )

Anyhow I had been telling Andy about how some Monarch Butterfly colonies Winter over in the trees at Natural Bridges SP. So we hit that first. Bummer, there were only like 4 butterfiles in any one area :cry Oh well, it wasn't the first time I had steered Andy wrong and I'm sure it won't be the last.....lol So we drove down to the Lighthouse and decided to shoot some surfers.

We shot some good surfers
15678468-L.jpg

and some not so good surfers
15678466-M.jpg
15678467-M.jpg


Andy was using the Bigma and I was using the Sigma 70-200mm F2.8 with the cheapie Tamron 1.4X TC. I was shooting from the cliffs. But, even with a 500mm lens Andy still needed to get closer to the action.
15678469-L.jpg

We ran into a guy I have talked to a couple of times while shooting surfers. We told him how bummed we were that there weren't any Monarchs at Natural Bridges. He said, look right over there. He pointed to a grove of trees across the street. He said there were lots of them there. So we checked it out. Sure enough, not exactly the clusters I have seen in the past (where they are so tightly packed you can't see any branches or leaves), but not too bad. I was vindicated. I might not have had the exact location, but at least I got us to the right city.....LOL

Still using the Sigma 70-200mm w TC

15678470-L.jpg
15678472-L.jpg

Feeling pretty full of ourselves since we got the butterflies (for you old timers, sort of like Frank Buck-Bring 'em back alive :lol3 ), we headed to the wharf .


To be continued..............................
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Comments

  • gusgus Registered Users Posts: 16,209 Major grins
    edited February 11, 2005
    Steve Cavigliano wrote:
    15678472-L.jpg

    Feeling pretty full of ourselves since we got the butterflies (for you old timers, sort of like Frank Buck-Bring 'em back alive lol3.gif ), we headed to the wharf .


    To be continued..............................

    That Bigma makes andy look...look...look well...powerfull !

    I must ask though...how'd you lot get our gum trees over there headscratch.gif

    Hope you can handle bush fires like hell on earth eek7.gif
  • DeeDee Registered Users Posts: 2,981 Major grins
    edited February 11, 2005
    I need a butterfly fix!
    15678472-L.jpg

    Can you PM me with the EXACT location of this magical butterfly tree?

    Thanks much!

    Dee
    http://www.deegolden.smugmug.com
    http://www.twitter.com/deegolden
  • Yuri PautovYuri Pautov Registered Users Posts: 1,918 Major grins
    edited February 11, 2005
    Steve
    Sure, you had a doog time there. Striking (for me) photos of butterflies. Andy will have strong hands with such a heavy apparatus :-)
    Spasibo for the part1. Waiting for the next...
  • blackwaterstudioblackwaterstudio Registered Users Posts: 779 Major grins
    edited February 11, 2005
    Steve Cavigliano wrote:
    Andy was using the Bigma and I was using the Sigma 70-200mm F2.8 with the cheapie Tamron 1.4X TC. I was shooting from the cliffs. But, even with a 500mm lens Andy still needed to get closer to the action.
    15678469-L.jpg
    We know what Andy was looking at in this picture rolleyes1.gifD
  • ian408ian408 Administrators Posts: 21,943 moderator
    edited February 11, 2005
    Butterflys in Feb? Beaut!

    Ian
    Moderator Journeys/Sports/Big Picture :: Need some help with dgrin?
  • jwearjwear Registered Users Posts: 8,013 Major grins
    edited February 11, 2005
    andy
    well is seems like Andy's interest are a lillte more that just ribs Wicked.gif
    Jeff W

    “PHOTOGRAPHY IS THE ‘JAZZ’ FOR THE EYES…”

    http://jwear.smugmug.com/
  • NoNoNoNo Registered Users Posts: 14 Big grins
    edited February 11, 2005
    Very nice pictures! Love the shot of the surfer falling. It looks like he's smacking against a solid wall. Nice capture. The butterflies are amazing. I've never seen anything like that. Then again, there isn't much to see in Connecticut in the dead of winter. Thanks for bringing some warmth over!
  • Steve CaviglianoSteve Cavigliano Super Moderators Posts: 3,599 moderator
    edited February 11, 2005
    Humungus wrote:
    That Bigma makes andy look...look...look well...powerfull !

    I must ask though...how'd you lot get our gum trees over there headscratch.gif

    Hope you can handle bush fires like hell on earth eek7.gif
    Gus,
    Yeah, with that big heavy camera and that big lens Andy was wondering how anyone is able to handhold this combo with any success at all....lol

    Gum trees? You must mean the Eucalyptus trees. We have lots of them in California. Especially around the coastal areas. This is a favorite roosting place for Monarchs. They will not stay on any other type tree for more than a few seconds. They cluster on the Eucalyptus during the Winter and eat the blossoming milkweed until it's warm enough to travel North.

    Brush fires? Nah, no problem. It's the darn earthquakes that worry me....Laughing.gif


    Thanks for responding,
    Steve
    SmugMug Support Hero
  • Steve CaviglianoSteve Cavigliano Super Moderators Posts: 3,599 moderator
    edited February 11, 2005
    Dee wrote:

    Can you PM me with the EXACT location of this magical butterfly tree?

    Thanks much!

    Dee
    Done :D


    Steve
    SmugMug Support Hero
  • Steve CaviglianoSteve Cavigliano Super Moderators Posts: 3,599 moderator
    edited February 11, 2005
    Yuri Pautov wrote:
    Sure, you had a doog time there. Striking (for me) photos of butterflies. Andy will have strong hands with such a heavy apparatus :-)
    Spasibo for the part1. Waiting for the next...
    Spasibo Yuri :D

    See my response above, to Gus, about how much fun Andy had handling the Bigma mwink.gif

    And oh yes, we always have a good time. Rain or shine, lots of good pics, or no good ones, we always have a ball. We're both pretty easy going and we joke around alot. Plus, both of us are out-going enough that we wind up talking to many of the people we see when shooting. Which makes our shoots even more interesting thumb.gif


    Thanks again for your comments Yuri,
    Steve
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  • Steve CaviglianoSteve Cavigliano Super Moderators Posts: 3,599 moderator
    edited February 11, 2005
    jdsphotography wrote:
    We know what Andy was looking at in this picture rolleyes1.gifD

    Laughing.gif......With that lens and that distance to subject, if Andy really was shooting that girl surfer, all he would see through the VF would be a black blur....lol I know it kind of looks like he's shooting her, but he really is shooting other surfers that are in the water. Really, he is!!! :lol

    Thanks for looking,
    Steve
    SmugMug Support Hero
  • Steve CaviglianoSteve Cavigliano Super Moderators Posts: 3,599 moderator
    edited February 11, 2005
    ian408 wrote:
    Butterflys in Feb? Beaut!

    Ian
    Ian,
    Yeah, and right across the street from where I met you a few weeks ago. Right behind the parking lot, before the Lighthouse, on the right with the restroom building. Maybe 100 feet, or so, off the road nod.gif

    Surf shots to the left, Monarchs to the right. Not a bad setup mwink.gif


    Thanks for responding,
    Steve
    SmugMug Support Hero
  • Steve CaviglianoSteve Cavigliano Super Moderators Posts: 3,599 moderator
    edited February 11, 2005
    NoNo wrote:
    Very nice pictures! Love the shot of the surfer falling. It looks like he's smacking against a solid wall. Nice capture. The butterflies are amazing. I've never seen anything like that. Then again, there isn't much to see in Connecticut in the dead of winter. Thanks for bringing some warmth over!
    Thanks NoNo :D

    Yep, I got a couple of good wipeout shots, in between shooting the bull with the guy who told us about the Monarchs. While there were quite a few butterflies in those shots, when they cluster (as I mentioned) there are thousands huddled together. All you can see is wings (unfortunately, normally mostly the less brilliant underwing, since they cluster with wings folded-maybe to keep warm?) and you can't see any leaves or other parts of the tree under them. It's an awesome sight clap.gif Hopefully, they will cluster within the next month and I'll be able to post a shot that will illustrate my point.

    No warmth in Connecticut during the Winter, but you guys have fantastic colors in the Fall. Geeze, ya can't have everything.....Laughing.gif


    Thanks for taking the time to comment,
    Steve
    SmugMug Support Hero
  • Steve CaviglianoSteve Cavigliano Super Moderators Posts: 3,599 moderator
    edited February 11, 2005
    jwear wrote:
    well is seems like Andy's interest are a lillte more that just ribs Wicked.gif
    I'm not even sure he had his camera turned on. He may just have been flexing for the audience :lol4 My, what a BIG lens you have.......lol



    Steve
    SmugMug Support Hero
  • ruttrutt Registered Users Posts: 6,511 Major grins
    edited February 11, 2005
    jdsphotography wrote:
    We know what Andy was looking at in this picture rolleyes1.gifD
    What is the 500mm lens?
    If not now, when?
  • ginger_55ginger_55 Registered Users Posts: 8,416 Major grins
    edited February 11, 2005
    Steve Cavigliano wrote:
    Laughing.gif......With that lens and that distance to subject, if Andy really was shooting that girl surfer, all he would see through the VF would be a black blur....lol I know it kind of looks like he's shooting her, but he really is shooting other surfers that are in the water. Really, he is!!! :lol

    Thanks for looking,
    Steve
    I haven't gotten around to replying, but I have to point out the obvious. It isn't Andy's lens that is pointing at the girl, it is Steve's.

    How do we know that? Steve is the one with the photo of her, perhaps under the pretext of taking a shot of Andy with a Bigma, and that alone is amazing to me.

    I look at that photo and I think, no Andy is pointing the lens out somewhere else, not at the girl. But what is Andy doing with a Bigma and no tripod, too.

    (Maybe that isn't really Andy!)

    Then everyone is teasing Andy about taking a photo of a girl that Steve took a photo of.

    Maybe this is all a dream............

    ginger, whatcha all doin today?
    After all is said and done, it is the sweet tea.
  • gusgus Registered Users Posts: 16,209 Major grins
    edited February 11, 2005
    Steve Cavigliano wrote:
    Gum trees? You must mean the Eucalyptus trees. We have lots of them in California. Especially around the coastal areas. Steve
    Gum is its short name (nick name really cause 0zzies cant spell ukaliptus) The entire country is covered in them...about 800 odd species.

    http://216.239.63.104/search?q=cache:Cun4wA6le9IJ:www.warrenvalleynursery.com.au/common_names.htm+gum+eucalyptus&hl=en
  • Steve CaviglianoSteve Cavigliano Super Moderators Posts: 3,599 moderator
    edited February 11, 2005
    rutt wrote:
    What is the 500mm lens?
    Rutt,
    It's the 50-500mm Sigma. This was Andy's first time using this lens. As he points out, he doesn't even use his 70-200mm much. Seeing as how the Bigma tips the scales at over 4 pounds, it's a major change from those fairly light and short wide angle lenses he usually uses. It took me hundreds of shots to get decent enough to handhold it at around 1/500. Although, I usually go for the fastest speed possible (1/1500 on up). So I think her experienced some shake on his surf shots. At full zoom, it doesn't take much camera motion to display some blur.


    Steve
    SmugMug Support Hero
  • Steve CaviglianoSteve Cavigliano Super Moderators Posts: 3,599 moderator
    edited February 11, 2005
    ginger_55 wrote:
    I haven't gotten around to replying, but I have to point out the obvious. It isn't Andy's lens that is pointing at the girl, it is Steve's.

    How do we know that? Steve is the one with the photo of her, perhaps under the pretext of taking a shot of Andy with a Bigma, and that alone is amazing to me.

    I look at that photo and I think, no Andy is pointing the lens out somewhere else, not at the girl. But what is Andy doing with a Bigma and no tripod, too.

    (Maybe that isn't really Andy!)

    Then everyone is teasing Andy about taking a photo of a girl that Steve took a photo of.

    Maybe this is all a dream............

    ginger, whatcha all doin today?
    Awww Ginger, ya caught me rolleyes1.gif

    You were the only one to catch me mwink.gif That darn Andy. Here I'm trying to shoot that girl surfer and he has to squeeze into the frame :lol

    You argue very convincingly. You weren't an attorney in your past life, were you?.....lol

    Seriously, I took that shot of Andy thinking that all that weight on the end of that heavy camera would unbalance him and send him ass-over-tea kettle into the water. I'd be positioned to get a great action shot. Plus, it would be all the proof I'd need for my insurance claim :lol4


    You are right. Next time Andy uses the Bigma, I believe he will mount it to the tripod nod.gif

    Thanks for responding,
    Steve
    SmugMug Support Hero
  • USAIRUSAIR Registered Users Posts: 2,646 Major grins
    edited February 11, 2005
    Steve
    Great series love the one you captured of Andy and the surfer. :D
    And the butterflies...... very cool

    Thanks clap.gifclap.gifclap.gifclap.gifclap.gif
    Fred
    http://www.riverbendphotos.com/
    http://www.facebook.com/Riverbendphotos
  • John MuellerJohn Mueller Registered Users Posts: 2,555 Major grins
    edited February 11, 2005
    Looks like you guys had a ball!
    Nice series and thanks for sharingthumb.gif
    My Smuggy

    Cincinnati Smug Leader
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