Canon 100-400mm Lens / Canon 500D Close-Up Lens Filter

 Canon 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM Lens / Canon 500D Close-Up Lens Filter

Small Flower Close-Up Photography : The Paddocks, Milnerton

Small Wild Flower Canon 100-400mm Lens / Canon 500D Close-Up Lens Filter

Handheld small flower photography experiments between f/22- f/11 with my 'Kirstenbosch lens'. It's quite unlike me to use apertures smaller than f/11 without a tripod, but here are four images between f/22 - f/11.

Here are a few samples of close-up subjects in dismal / windy conditions

The objective was to see how far I can push small apertures when using the original Canon 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM lens with the Canon 500D Close-Up lens filter with Auto-IS0, Autofocus and Image Stabilisation on. Being so incredibly close to such small subjects is challenging (as the close-up lens decreases the Minimum Focussing distance (MFD) of the original 100-400mm focal length (in terms of lens distance to subject) considering that a bigger aperture (i.e. f/5.6) will only provide a small section of sharpness in the image – depending on the focus area.

I don't really do any handheld photography with apertures smaller than f/11 and was quite surprised with the outcome during these images - in using the long lens with close-up lens filter (and Image Stabilisation). In the windy conditions and to minimize camera shake I have also experimented with a variety of different shutter speeds (up to 1/1000's).

Apertures used with the attached flower images

• Image 1 = f/22  (250mm)
• Image 2 = f/22  (350mm)
• Image 3 = f/16  (250mm)
• Image 4 = f/11  (250mm)

Canon Equipment Used

• Canon EOS 70D (APS-C body)
• Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5,6L IS USM Lens
• Canon 500D Close-Up Lens (77mm) More examples here >>
• Lens IS On/ Handheld
• Aperture Priority (Av Mode)

Minor corrections / cropping using Adobe Lightroom

All images © Vernon Chalmers (The Paddocks, Milnerton)

Arum Lily with Bee Canon 100-400mm Lens / Canon 500D Close-Up Lens Filter

Tiny Wild Flower Canon 100-400mm Lens / Canon 500D Close-Up Lens Filter

Tiny Wild Flower Canon 100-400mm Lens / Canon 500D Close-Up Lens Filter

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The Paddocks Milnerton Bird Species Index

 Birds Around The Paddocks, Milnerton, Cape Town

Grey Heron Portrait : The Paddocks Milnerton

Adjacent to The Paddocks Shopping Centre in Milnerton is a small nature reserve / park. Over the last couple of years I have taken little notice of the park as it was not very well maintained - the reeds, trees and plants were in a total overgrowth / neglected state. The water in the pond was littered with paper, plastics and subsequently various other items..

Since the beginning of 2022 I witnessed a significant improvement in the conditions and the landscaping of the park as started a regular walking routine (before dong some daily shopping at The Paddocks Shopping centre). Over the last few months I witnessed a conscientious effort by the landscaping company and its workers for providing residents / visitors with a well-maintained / safe garden environment  planting quite a number of flowers, plants and trees attracting various bird species (and butterflies).

Increasing Bird and Flower Species

Since last week I've started taking along one or two of my cameras with me on route to The Paddocks Shopping Centre, Milnerton. The park is about a two minute walk from the Bridle Road exit from the shopping complex (view Google Map below). The park is also accessible from the corner of  Milnerton Drive / Racecourse Road. Over the last few weeks I have seen more birds around the pond trees and shrub areas. There is a very nice paved footpath right around the park which is handy for photographing the increasing close-up flower species as well. 

This photographing project is similar to the other two personal 'Bird Species Index' projects I am photographing at Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden and Woodbridge Island / Table Bay Nature Reserve.

I will keep updating my 'The Paddocks Birds Species Index', but for now have photographed or spotted the following species in / above the park: 

'The Paddocks Bird Species Index' : Photographer: Vernon Chalmers

• African Sacred Ibis (Threskiornis aethiopicus)
• Blacksmith Plover (Vanellus armatus)
• Cape Wagtail (Motacilla capensis)
• Cape White-Eye ((Zosterops virens)
• Cape Shoveller Duck (Spatula smithii)
• Cape Sparrow (Passer melanurus)
• Cape Spurfowl (Pternistis capensis)
• Common Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus)
• European / Common Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)
• Egyptian Geese (Alopochen aegyptiaca)
• Fiscal Shrike (Lanius collaris)
• Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus)
• Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea)
• Hadeda Ibis (Bostrychia hagedash)
• Hartlaub's (King) Gull (Chroicocephalus hartlaubii)
• Little Egret (Egretta garzetta)
• Pied Crow (Corvus albus)
• Pin-Tailed Whydah (Vidua macroura)
• Purple Heron (Ardea purpurea)
• Reed Cormorant (Microcarbo africanus)
• Southern Masked Weaver (Ploceus velatus)
• Yellow-billed Ducks (Anas undulata)

Yellow-Billed Ducks : The Paddocks Milnerton

The Park / Nature Reserve at The Paddocks, Milnerton Google Map

View larger Map Area on Google Maps

Canon EOS Cameras used for The Paddocks Species Index

• Canon EOS 70D
• Canon EOS 7D Mark II
• Canon EOS 6D

Canon EF Telephoto Lenses used for The Paddocks Bird Species Index

• Canon EF 400mm f/5.6L USM lens
• Canon EF 100-400mm f/4-5.6L IS USM lens
• Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6L IS USM lens

All Images Copyright Vernon Chalmers : Copyright | Intellectual Property Policy

Birding Photography at The Paddocks, Milnerton

Canon Photography Training Milnerton Woodbridge Island | Kirstenbosch Cape Town

Tiny flowers with Canon EF 85mm lens and 500D Close-Up Lens

 Close-Up Wild Flower Photography : The Paddocks, Milnerton

Arum Lily with Canon 70D / EF 85mm lens :  Milnerton, Cape Town (Without Close-Up Lens)

I took along one of my cameras going shopping at The Paddocks, Milnerton, late morning. These tiny flowers were all at least against the current inflation rate - opportunity cost worth every cent.

Close-Up photography with Canon EOS 70D / EF 85mm lens (and Canon 500D Close-Up Lens Filter screwed into front of EF 85MM lens).

Apertures used with the attached flower images

• Image 1 = f/11 (not with Close Up Lens)
• Image 2 = f/11
• Image 3 = f/4
• Image 4 = f/11

Canon Equipment Used

• Canon EOS 70D (APS-C body)
• Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM Lens
• Canon 500D Close-Up Lens
• Lens No IS / Handheld
• Aperture Priority (Av Mode)

Minor corrections / cropping using Adobe Lightroom

All images © Vernon Chalmers (The Paddocks, Milnerton)

Tiny Flower with Canon EOS 70D / EF 85mm f/1.8 USM lens :  Milnerton, Cape Town

Tiny Flower with Canon EOS 70D / EF 85mm f/1.8 USM lens :  Milnerton, Cape Town

Tiny Flower with Canon EOS 70D / EF 85mm f/1.8 USM  :  Milnerton, Cape Town

Canon EOS / Canon EOS R / Canon PowerShot Photography Training Milnerton Woodbridge Island | Kirstenbosch Cape Town | Across  the Cape Peninsula

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Vernon Chalmers Photography Copyright Licencing Agreements

Vernon Chalmers Photography Copyright Licencing Agreement Conditions

Copyright Licencing Agreements
Over the past 10 years I have offered no commercial or personal Copyright Licensing Agreements (CLA) image publication or sales of any Vernon Chalmers Photography (VCP) images (in accordance with the Vernon Chalmers Photography Copyright Policy) - with the exception of National Geographic, Canon South Africa and various individual (private) publishers (via a special project request agreement). All publishing / drawing requests were evaluated from a commercial, research and / or humanitarian perspective.

Drawing / Painting of Images: Copyright Licensing Agreement
I am currently in process of re-evaluating my (VCP) commercial and personal CLA for both the international and South African markets for the drawing / painting of any Vernon Chalmers Photography image. Each submitted request will be subjected to a commercial / personal licensing contract agreement and licensing fee.

 Publication of Images: Copyright Licensing Agreements
No further current Vernon Chalmers Photography images (2012 – 2022) will be made available under the existing VCP CLA conditions. 

Commercial and personal CLA’s will only be provided on images after the availability of amended VCP CLA conditions.

Contact Vernon Chalmers for more information.

Image Copyright Information for South African Photographers >>

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