Tales of Wonder and Woe: UWOL #1
 

sometimes the best part of shooting nature and outdoor video isn't the product, it's the process. the unintended footage, the surprises along the way, the discomforts large and small, the shot that got away from you....

how hot, wet, sweaty, tired, and exhausted you became...and how great the spiked hot chocolate tasted afterwards....here's your chance to commiserate with how much gear you carried and how far....

all i can say is, that since i posted the theme, i don't look at squirrels in quite the same way anymore!

Amen to that Meryem! lol... I love the thrill of nature and wildlife videography/photography. I cant wait to head out and start shooting for the UWOL challenge. I have seen nothing but rain here the past few days. And I am babying my new camera to much to take it out there. I have yet to get any protection lenses or a rain protection set for it.

I took these picture a few days ago, consider it a complement to the UWOL challenge. :D

~Gabriel

I started shooting today and now sit here wondering if I've lost my mind. Why am I doing this to myself...it's minus 25 a 30 mile per hour wind is blowing and on top of that the sun is only up for a few hours ...I'm crazy I've completely lost my mind. The living sky is overcast, grey and full of blowing snow. I quit, I give up hang me on the wall of shame.

Hold it the feeling is slowly returning to my fingers my God maybe just maybe I can get that shot tomorrow. I'm back in.....damn it Meryem your so right.

Brian

PS: The operating temperature listed for the XL2 is wrong.... way wrong!!!!

Minus 25!
 

You have got to be kidding.......

Take the day off for crying out loud, I did and it's 87 degrees, to hot and humid for a normal person to be carrying two cameras, 3 mics, reflector and telephoto lens all mounted on a DVRig. Ithink I will put my feet up in front of the air conditioner.

Oops, sorry

Jim

Jim I only wish I was kidding, the temperature is only a small part of the problem, I can dress for the cold. The shortness of the day is the real bugger. I only have 2 to 2.5 hours of usable sunlight this time of year.

You go ahead and put your feet in front of the AC and I'll stick mine in the oven LOL.

What the heck it's all in the name of having fun and learning a few new tricks along the way.

Brian

Brian, stay warm I know how you feel :-)
Right now it's +5 degrees celsius, rain, and the living sky is up there somewhere!
I'm doing some planning tonight to start shooting for the UWOL-challenge this weekend.
In meantime look at this wonderful shoot of the moon I got some days ago. Screencapture from Canon XLH1 and 500mm 4.0L lense, focal length 3600mm!

wow, nice pics, per and gabriel...i like the way this thread is shaping up, complete with pretty sky pictures to whet our appetites for the real thing....

i don't know how you folks up north do it....i get cold just reading about it!

Its not that bad where I live. Its just been raining all the time and we had a few really cold weeks about two weeks ago. that was fun. Lots of ice but no snow..

Nice video Per! Really nice stuff!

Keep up the good work! And don't give up guys!
~Gabriel

Wonderful shot Per....I wish we would get a clear sky while we have the full moon I have a new 500mm I want to try on the XL2 but this darn weather has been brutal lately.

I'm surprised it's +5 at your local I would have thought much colder..what is you latitude?

I'll do my best to keep warm....if all else fails I find booze works wonders LOL.

Brian

I can't comment on the XL2, but I ruined an XL1S in -24F in less than 2 hours. :-/ Canon did repair it under warranty though. OTOH, my HVX200 has handled such temps just fine, but it still makes me nervous. I'm also not recording to tape with the HVX and the P2 cards seem more robust in this regard.

Wow!

And to think I was excited about my moon shots with my new f/2.8 70-200mm L lens.

Down To It!!!
 

Hello Gang:

Well this is it for me tomorrow and Sunday to finish the shoot and next week for the edit, following that I'm out of town for a week then out of the country for a month.

Between all of us I think a pile of ones and zeros will be born this weekend.

All the best, if it's wildlife I hope it stays in frame, if it's inanimate I hope the shadow effects are perfect.

Brian

Heh...

I have yet to start shooting. I had my concept ready and I was set to go, but then had to cancel my plans for the shoot. Now it's snowing (again), and I can't get away this weekend (family event plus wrapping up a real project), putting me at Tuesday at the earliest that I can try again. I think I'll have to go back to the drawing board with a new concept since I've essentially lost an entire week. Oh, well...

...And that's my tale of woe.

wow, good for you, brian, for squeezing it out. we're having more white skies and snow here, ruinous to my plans...hoping to be able to piece together a back-up. we don't call it a challenge for nothin....

Looks like it's bad weather all over the globe. It has been raining here for a long time. Today it was some sun but at noon it was cloudy again and too low light to shoot anything.
It have been a very strange winter so far up here in the northern part of Europe. The snow is missing (only in the high mountains at the muskoxen you will find some). Average temperature is far higher than normal. It looks like this is a change of climate. Mother earth is warning us!