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Churchill Birds: Photographer's GuidelinesJune 20-28, 2003 |
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Weatherizing Your Tripod Most nature photographers with long lenses use Gitzo tripods, which are very well made. Their new carbon fiber tripods, while expensive, are light and very sturdy. It is useful to add insulation and padding to the legs. You can buy products designed for this purpose; or you can save a lot of money by purchasing tubes of foam pipe insulation from a plumbing supply store or home center and securing it with camouflage tape or duct tape. It is sometimes advantageous to immerse your tripod in water above the leg joints in Churchill. This can cause problems with bushings in Gitzos. If you unscrew the collar that tightens the leg section and remove the section, you will see two black plastic Guide Bushings and one larger Locking Ring Bushing. The older Locking Ring Bushings swell in water; this locks the legs and prevents them from collapsing or extending. Gitzo has partially solved this problem in newer tripods. Gitzo recommends that you replace the Locking Ring Bushings if your tripod is less than a year old. In addition, they recommend replacing all the bushings after a couple years of use. To order new bushings, have the Model Number of your tripod ready and call Bogen/Gitzo Service at 201-818-0060. A complete set costs less than $15. However, the Guide Bushings on Gitzo tripods are still prone to some swelling. The best solution appears to be to disassemble and dry the tripod after immersion. I will keep you posted if Gitzo solves this problem once and for all. I disassemble and dry my Gitzo after such aquatic forays (especially important after salt water). I also regularly clean the parts, particularly the threads. These should be lubricated with a small amount of grease (a good choice is Phil’s Bicycle Grease, available from cycling shops). Film How Much? I managed to shoot almost 235 rolls of film in just over two weeks on my first trip to Churchill! I would have shot even more, but earlier I sold some to another photographer who didn’t bring enough. Although I try to conserve film, I subscribe to Galen Rowell’s advice: "If it looks good, shoot it now. If it looks better later, shoot it again!" The problem arises when you encounter a spectacular bird under less than optimum conditions. Will the light be better tomorrow? Will the bird still be here? Will it fly if I take another two steps closer? Your film usage will depend on your particular style, budget, and goals, as well as the weather and the birds. (I wish I could control those last two, but I can’t.) On good days it is not hard to shoot 20 or even 30 rolls! (On one or two days of heavy rain, I shot nothing.) Aside from the hassles of transporting it, you can always take unused film back and put it in your refrigerator. It may be impossible to buy your desired film in Churchill. What Kind? This is a personal choice. I now use primarily Kodak Ektachrome E100VS, and Fujichrome Velvia (each often pushed a stop). Some of the newer high-speed slide films can be useful on overcast days. Some very attractive birds are hard to photograph with high-contrast film, e.g., the American Golden-Plover, because of their black and white plumage, so I would not take only high saturation (and high contrast) films like Velvia and E100VS. (I plan to experiment with some color negative films, which are low contrast, and digital scanning of the negatives, for these high-contrast birds.) Miscellaneous Useful Items
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