Kip’s Comments - June 20, 2023

All of the Money$$

It doesn’t seem to matter how much money I have invested in camera equipment. Sometimes, like today, my good Nikon simply was not the correct tool for the job. My Nikon, with an off-camera flash (flash connected by a cord), was too large to physically fit in the small space allowed above a barn swallow nest.

When I was too cramped with my Nikon, I then switched to my GoPro with an auxiliary light. The GoPro fit in the small space, but could not focus as close as needed, resulting in blurry pictures.

Finally, it dawned on me that I may have the proper tool laying on my desk next to me - my cell phone. With my cell phone in one hand, my auxiliary light from the GoPro in my other hand, and while balancing on the top of my ladder as the adult birds swooped at me, I was able to record a few acceptable images of nestling barn swallows. This picture was the only photo with one of the birds sitting with its mouth open. For all of the rest the birds rested perfectly still in the feathers lining the nest

This project goes to show that all of the money in the world, or all of the equipment in the world, might not be necessary. I made this much more difficult than was needed and should have grabbed my cell phone right away. A good lesson learned!

By the way, I am surprised how well the macro mode on my cell phone worked. I should have tried the macro mode with the phone flash combination to see if that worked.