Ask Sparky a Photo or Nature Question
You can ask any photo-related or nature question here by clicking the “comment” link. I will do my best to answer your question!
Possible topics:
field techniques
natural history
equipment
lens recommendations
where-to-go
I’m not a tech-guru by any means…and I prefer to emphasize field craft over equipment, but if I don’t know the answer myself, I’ll find someone who can answer.
thesparkygroup@gmail.com
27 responses to “Ask Sparky a Photo or Nature Question”
Sparky Stensaas
July 27th, 2012 at 16:01
Hi Sparky, This is Sparky testing your “Ask Sparky” link. How did you get your name “Sparky”?
Sparky Stensaas
July 27th, 2012 at 16:05
Well, first I have to admit that it’s not a very exciting story…I did NOT burn my house down…Nor am I an electrician…Nor is it my birth name…Nor I am named after baseball greats Sparky Lyle or Sparky Anderson. Actually I got the name in college…I was tagged with it by my friends Peter Olson and Ken Gilbertson…And it stuck!
Tess
August 9th, 2012 at 13:47
Hi Sparky,
My sister loves otters and she’s coming to visit me in MN later this month. I thought we could go hiking and maybe hunker down somewhere to see if we could spot a river otter. What do you think is the best spot for that? Where would we have the best chance of seeing one?
Thank you!
Sparky Stensaas
August 23rd, 2012 at 12:48
Hi Tess,
Sorry about the late reply…I did not have my notifications settings set properly.
It’s tougher to find otters in summer, but almost any river will have their residents. My best luck is paddling a river…I’ve seen them in the last week on the Brule River (about 20 miles up the Gunflint) and the Swamp River (end of the Arrowhead Trail) But almost any quiet river will have them. Of course, dawn and dusk are best.
In winter, your best bet near Duluth is to set up on the Fond du Lac bridge over the St. Louis River and watch for family groups resting, preening, feeding on the ice.
Good luck!
Jessi
October 9th, 2012 at 21:15
Hi Sparky!
I happened upon your website whilst looking for photo tips. I am heading up to Split Rock in November, and I am hoping to finally get a good shot of the lighthouse while it is lit. I try this every year, but fail miserably. I do not have a big expensive pro camera, I have a Fuji S2700… I would love to hear any tips/suggestions you would have to give me so I can be successful this year!
Thank you!!!!!
Sparky Stensaas
October 15th, 2012 at 10:06
Hi Jessi,
Thanks for your question. I am assuming you are going up to Split Rock Lighthouse on November 10th for the lighting of the lighthouse in remembrance of the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald.
Not sure of the exact specs of the Fuji but here are some general tips.
I would go down to the beach and out to the island for your shot. Make absolutely sure you put your camera on a tripod! Set the self-timer so that you eliminate camera shake…especially important with low light photos. Turn the flash off. Take many shots so you get one with the light beam. If you are able to underexpose by a stop, do it. This will make the scene moodier. If you are able to use a slow shutter speed, do it. Better chance of capturing the light beam. Hope these tips help!
Thanks for the question.
April
January 21st, 2013 at 10:10
Sparky –
Did you know Sax-Zim was in the New York Times?
http://travel.nytimes.com/2013/01/20/travel/in-a-minnesota-bog-a-festival-of-birds.html?src=me&ref=general
You are so hip!
Sparky Stensaas
January 22nd, 2013 at 06:26
I did! Fun article by my friend Gus Axelson…former editor of the Minnesota Conservation Volunteer.
Donna Crider
November 16th, 2013 at 14:27
Hi Sparky,
I’m wondering how you like your Canon 7D? Have you had any issues with the auto focus, noise with higher ISO’s, mirror falling out, eye piece discoloring and causing skin irritation? I’m thinking about upgrading and discouraged with the reviews I’ve been reading. Thanks in advance for any insights you can share!
Sparky Stensaas
November 19th, 2013 at 13:35
Hi Donna,
I LOVE my Canon 7D! But if you can wait, I bet there is a replacement coming within a year. Just guessing…
Yes, it is noisy above ISO 800 but depending on the image, it may not matter. I’ve shot many moths at ISO 3200 early in the morning with great results.
I’ve sent it to Canon once for some minor repairs.
But…
No eyepiece falling out…No skin rash…No problems with autofocus with GOOD lenses.
The advantages for a wildlife photographer are 1) very high frame rate ..8fps 2) crop sensor 1.6x 3) rugged body 4) Great video capabilities.
Roger Trentham
December 10th, 2013 at 11:01
Hi Sparky:
I’ll be visiting upper Minnesota in early February. I know it is still early but with the early cold hitting the mid-west have you seen any owls moving South into Minnesota yet? I understand that it is a combination of extreme cold and lack of food that drives them South and I was hoping that this might be a year they migrate into Minnesota. If they do appear in Minnesota, what are some areas Great Gray and Snowy owls may be photographed? Thanks for your help.
Sparky Stensaas
December 21st, 2013 at 06:45
Hi Roger,
There are a fair number of Great Grays being seen…but we think they are resident birds…ones that nested here. Most are only hunting near Black Spruce/Tamarack bogs at dawn and dusk…a sure sign that these are “locals” and that there are plenty of voles this winter. Birds that come south from Canada would be hungry and hunting in open areas all day long. Extreme cold doesn’t have anything to do with irruptions…These birds are built for extremes…Nor does snow depth. The only thing that would cause an irruption would be a lack of food in the North…and that means voles. When voles are at the bottom of their population cycle (every four years or so) the owls move south in search of food. That said, there are usually a few Great Grays and N Hawk Owls that are fairly tame and “shootable”. Snowy Owls are around, with scattered reports. Nothing like the irruption that’s going on in the East Coast this winter. Best areas for Great Grays/N Hawk Owls would be the Sax-Zim Bog and Aitkin County, MN. e-mail me before you come and I can give you exact directions. Thanks!
Nancy
December 15th, 2013 at 18:38
Is the welcome center open? I hope to be in the Sax Zim Bog on Wed.
Pat Mason
December 16th, 2013 at 07:48
I recently purchased a Canon 5D M3 and need to get all the equipment for birding and macro photography. There are so many choices out there. Would you mind providing what you use and what is on your wish list. Who know, Santa may be reading your reply ;). Love your work. Thanks for sharing it.
Sparky Stensaas
December 21st, 2013 at 06:58
Hi Pat,
Yes, I hope Santa is reading this! Congrats on your new purchase! I don’t use much equipment…Canon 7D, Canon 400mm f5.6 lens, Sigma 10-20mm lens, Tokina 60mm macro, and a Canon 70-200mm f4 lens (broken now..and unusable). Also a 1.4x- and 2x-tele-extender. LED ring flash (for macro video/insects), Canon 500D screw-on lens (for the 70-200mm lens for insects/butterflies/dragonflies), Canon 420ex flash.
My wish list might be too long to print!
Canon 500mm f4 (for birds/wildlife/blind work)
Canon 180mm macro lens (for butterflies/dragonflies)
Not sure of your budget, but you need to get to at least 400mm equivalent to shoot birds….600 is even better. Either the 400mm f5.6 lens or the 100-400 lens would be good “budget” choices. You can add a 1.4x-tele-extender to either, but you will lose autofocus capabilities. Some might suggest a 300mm f4 lens with a 1.4x…this would retain autofocus. I have friends with the Sigma 50-500mm lens…Not the sharpest lens out there but gets you to 500mm! The 500mm f4 and 600mm f4 are over $10,000. For macro, it depends on what you want to shoot…For insects and flowers and subjects that aren’t bothered by the close proximity of your lens, look at a 60mm to 100mm dedicated macros lens that goes to 1x. For butterflies/dragonflies you need more working distance and a 180mm or 200mm macro is a good choice.
jclayjim
January 10th, 2014 at 10:09
Because, I suppose, of age, my fingers cease to work well in cold weather (they used to do fine!). So my winter photography trips result in a lot of time warming up in the van rather than taking pictures. Have you any suggestions on gloves. I’ve tried all the Fleet Farm and Walmart offerings.
Sparky Stensaas
January 12th, 2014 at 16:13
Hi, Yes, cold can be brutal on the hands when out shooting in winter. You need thin gloves to operate your camera but mittens/overmitts to keep your fingers warm. A good compromise is a pair of “glomitts”…this hybrid hand wear is a ragg wool glove with the tips of the fingers cut off (for dexterity) but with a mitten-like flap that flips over your fingers. Chemical handwarmers might help too. They make some mitts with pouches built in for the handwarmers. Good luck.
Roxanne Johnston
June 23rd, 2014 at 16:00
Hi! I’ve had people tell me that this is a red fox, I shared your pic with them but couldn’t get your comments where you stated it was a gray fox to end up on the page..
Sparky Stensaas
June 24th, 2014 at 09:28
Hi Roxanne, Are you talking about one of my photos or one of yours? My photos from the Sax-Zim Bog posts are all Gray Foxes. If you want to send me one of your photos, please email to thesparkygroup@gmail.com Thanks!
bornfreetofly
August 22nd, 2014 at 16:16
Hello!
We were recently in Minnesota (including way up North), and saw several large black birds with white patches under their wings. Counldn’t find them in a bird book or online. Whatever they are, they don’t frequent our area. Any ideas?
Thanks!
Sparky Stensaas
August 29th, 2014 at 06:56
Hi bornfreetofly,
Could they have been immature Bald Eagles? They show much white underneath.
How large? I guess I’d need to know relative size, shape, behavior and habitat.
Any of this info would help.
Thanks!
bornfreetofly
August 29th, 2014 at 23:48
Actually, they were black and about the size of a crow. They were flying in and around tall grass and fence posts. Just caught a glance, but the only white appeared to be under their wings. Did see what we finally concluded was an immature bald eagle while at a resort near Baudette. We’re from Central Illinois and our young eagles don’t typically have as much white plumage. Had us scratching our heads for a while :). By the way, my husband and I loved the amazing owl footage! Looking forward to your next video post!
bornfreetofly
September 11th, 2014 at 11:43
Now I have to laugh. The birds looked just like the black and white crows that are sitting and talking about the relative merits of glass cleaners in a glass cleaner commercial in television. Too funny. At least I’m not the only one that dreamed up these birds!
Simon Keslake
November 7th, 2014 at 17:48
Hi Sparky
I’ve just found your website and I’m really enjoying your videos.
I’m just starting out in nature and wildlife photography and have got myself a 7 d and the 400 5.6 lens. I was just wondering if it’s the 400 lens that you are using in your videos, and do you have a tele converter attached x 1.4 or x 2, and if so , does it work well with the lens and would you recomend me getting it?
Many thanks for your time
Kind regards
Simon ( England UK)
Marty Miller
December 14th, 2014 at 14:19
Did BornFreetofly see a Black-Billed Magpie (Pica hudsonia)? I understand they are found in the northwestern part of the state. I know they seem to be quite common out west but they are a nice find in this state. Love your site, Sparky, and all the work you have done for Sax-Zim.
David Tieszen
January 9th, 2016 at 18:03
Are you still answering questions?
Victor Rossi
April 14th, 2016 at 09:45
I love your website. I learned about it through Kate St. Johns blog “Birds outside my window” I used to do a lot of wildlife photography with a 35 MM Canon EOS 650. I have several lenses, teleconverters, tube extensions and filters. Now that I am retired I would like to get back into wildlife photography. My question is will the equipment for the Canon EOS 650 work on a Canon DSLR 7D?