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Bighorn sheep at Rocky Mountain Nationwide Park. To not disturb the wildlife, I typically stayed fairly far-off and used the Z 9’s DX crop mode to amplify my lens’s telephoto attain. Preproduction Nikon Z 9, AF-S NIKKOR 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR through Mount Adapter FTZ II.
In the summertime of 2021, I used to be mountain climbing with my 10-year-old stepson, Miles, and my husband once I bought a name from Nikon that put me in tears. For years, I’ve been promising Nikon, “In case you give me a marketing campaign, I’ll kill it.” I’ve at all times dreamed of getting the most recent know-how in hand and creating content material for a launch marketing campaign round my photographic passions. This was the decision to do exactly that, and it was for Nikon’s new flagship mirrorless digital camera, the Nikon Z 9.
Miles checked out me whereas tears poured down my face and requested with concern, “What’s improper?” On the time, the extent of confidentiality round this new digital camera was so excessive that I couldn’t share the information, even with my household. I replied, “These are blissful tears that I can’t let you know about now, however I can’t wait to share with you in a number of months. Let’s climb.”
The setting moon properly framed this Yellow-headed blackbird. Preproduction Nikon Z 9, AF-S NIKKOR 600mm f/4E FL ED VR through Mount Adapter FTZ II.
My task was a photograph and video marketing campaign that I’d have 5 days to shoot. Although I’ve lived in Colorado for less than a yr, I’ve fallen in love with the wildlife within the mountains. I pitched to Nikon that I needed to work with high-altitude wildlife, and listening to my enthusiasm for it, the corporate gave my concept the go-ahead. However my preliminary pleasure slowly modified to excessive nervousness, because it was a short while body for a wildlife shoot, we might be at altitude, plus it will be with a pre-production digital camera I didn’t know—it didn’t also have a handbook but. Nikon can be there watching me all alongside the best way, and I had promised it will be epic. What if wildlife wasn’t there? What if my group couldn’t deal with altitude? Most of our shoot was at 12,000 toes and above. How was I going to deal with utilizing a digital camera I hadn’t even touched? All these ideas induced sleepless nights that led as much as what would ultimately be a beautiful and loopy journey.
Michael Corrado, senior supervisor of Nikon Skilled Companies and Professional Relations, arrived in Colorado a few days earlier than the shoot to assist him acclimatize, and we headed to Rocky Mountain Nationwide Park to see how he would deal with the altitude. As we drove as much as the Alpine Customer Middle, I heard a well-known sound. Anybody who has heard an elk bugling is aware of that it’s this unusual, screechy name, however even in its off-pitch oddity, it’s highly effective and past lovely. There was a male elk sitting near the street. This was one of many wildlife encounters I hoped to have, and it was proper earlier than our shoot technically began. Right here I used to be with a brand new digital camera. I grabbed the Nikon Z 9 and took what can be the opening shot to my video marketing campaign.
All of the worry and nervousness went away when the digital camera’s animal eye monitoring grabbed the elk’s eye and stayed with him as he raised his head to sing. I bought down low and shot from behind to combine up the angle and get a composition emphasizing his horns. Since I used to be filming by way of tall grass and no eyes had been within the shot, I used handbook focus and the main focus peaking characteristic to verify all the things I needed to be in focus was truly in focus. Focus peaking overlays a shade within the digital viewfinder on the world in focus. Within the Z 9, the main focus peaking was stronger and extra correct than I had seen earlier than in different cameras, which helped construct my confidence that my focus was proper whereas the elk sang once more.
Nonetheless frames extracted from a 120 fps 4K video of an elk bugling. Since I used to be filming by way of tall grass, I used focus peaking to verify the elk was sharp. Preproduction Nikon Z 9, AF-S NIKKOR 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR through Mount Adapter FTZ II.
One of many keys to creating stronger wildlife photographs is the flexibility to attach with our topics. My favourite photographs at all times appear to come back once I enable myself to really feel extra in tune with what’s occurring and assume much less concerning the digital camera. When I’m distracted by my digital camera, my settings or my autofocus, it might probably trigger a disconnect from my topic, and in impact, I find yourself with an impassive picture. Once I was there with the elk, even with a brand new digital camera, the know-how wasn’t an impediment. The digital camera felt as if it was an extension of my eyes and coronary heart. Trying by way of that digital camera and my 500mm with the Mount Adapter FTZ II, it was like I used to be proper there subsequent to the elk. The hair on my arms stood up with every bugle.
I took that footage dwelling that night time and checked it out on my 4K monitor. The small print within the texture of the horn, the subtlety of shade—issues I didn’t even discover whereas within the subject—had been on my display. All my worry and nervousness went away, and I used to be stuffed with confidence. I used to be so past excited for what the subsequent 5 days would deliver and what I might create with the Nikon Z 9.
Elk at Rocky Mountain Nationwide Park. Preproduction Nikon Z 9, AF-S NIKKOR 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR through Mount Adapter FTZ II.
As a wildlife and conservation photographer and filmmaker, I purpose to attach folks emotionally to wildlife, to indicate that animals have personalities, characters and emotions. Having the appropriate instruments is important in order that I can enable myself to be absolutely current whereas creating each photograph. The arrogance the Z 9 gave me in getting the shot allowed me to place my power into composition, emotion and narrative.
Wildlife is commonly on the transfer, and to indicate animals in motion, I would like quick autofocus and sharp photographs. Once I first moved to mirrorless, I handled the digital camera like I did my DSLR, organising my autofocus the identical as my DLSR, utilizing single focus factors and never embracing new AF applied sciences. Ultimately, I began to check out the brand new focus modes and different applied sciences made potential by mirrorless digital camera design. As soon as I lastly did begin to belief the brand new applied sciences, I discovered a better share of my pictures to be in focus. With the Z 9 and its animal eye monitoring and 3D monitoring, I discovered just about all the things to be in focus. The Z 9 and its new autofocus system simply appear to soften into the background and let me join with and seize the second as I really feel it.
My first thought once I bought this task was of a bit of mammal that has captured my coronary heart over the past yr. I had simply completed an article for Nationwide Geographic on pikas, a potato-sized mammal that could be a relative of the rabbit, with mouse ears. I had just lately spent numerous hours within the mountains watching them construct hay piles out of flowers and crops. They’re fast and, in some methods, much more difficult to {photograph} than birds. With their rabbit-like again legs, they’ll run at as much as 15 miles an hour, out and in of rock piles comfy. To examine the velocity of the Nikon Z 9, I needed an actual problem—to see how properly it might monitor a pika and to seize video of this wonderful animal.
American pika, Loveland Cross, Colorado. For this shot, I had the Z 9 set for steady taking pictures at 20 fps. Throughout its scratch that took a bit of greater than 2 seconds, I used to be in a position to fireplace off 52 frames, which helped me discover the one with its eye in an ideal squint. Preproduction Nikon Z 9, AF-S NIKKOR 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR through Mount Adapter FTZ II.
We spent two of our days in rock piles at 12,000 toes, watching pikas run and gather hay. I used to be so impressed by the Z 9’s autofocus and the way it was in a position to lock and monitor the attention of the pika. I attempted the digital camera’s 20 fps steady burst taking pictures and was in a position to get the second by which a pika partially closed its eyes throughout a fast scratch. The scratch lasted simply over 2 seconds, and I used to be in a position to get 52 frames fired off, all tack-sharp.
Not solely was the images spectacular within the Z 9, the video additionally exceeded my expectations. Images permits us to seize fractions of seconds, whereas slow-motion video helps alter time so we are able to see issues that we are able to’t see with our eyes. Patterns created by the motion of an insect’s wings whereas they’re in flight or the wind choosing up the eyelashes on bighorn sheep are examples of why I like slow-motion video. Being able to shoot video of animals at 120 fps in 4K decision confirmed me extra element than I’ve ever seen. Even whereas enhancing, I used to be exploring, discovering and connecting deeply with my topics. Whereas I don’t edit for 8K output, having the ability to shoot in 8K gave me some severe cropping capacity for 4K footage.
When taking pictures video, I’m a minimalist. I hardly ever use tripods and as an alternative discover methods to relaxation the digital camera on my knees or a rock. I like being versatile and fast and tremendous low impression on the terrain. The mix of the Nikon Z 9’s in-camera stabilization and vibration discount methods within the lenses allowed me to file practically each scene of the marketing campaign handheld.
A cabbage white butterfly’s particulars are fantastically revealed on this macro shot. Preproduction Nikon Z 9, NIKKOR Z MC 105mm f/2.8 VR S.
I’ve been fortunately stunned by how straightforward it’s to make high-quality video with a minimal setup utilizing the newest cameras. Earlier than, I used to be overwhelmed with gear, feeling like I wanted jibs, regular cams, focusing rings and such, which for me makes it very onerous to attach with my topics. For this marketing campaign, my gear was merely two Z 9 cameras, a number of completely different lenses and an occasional tripod.
We ended up getting all the things we wanted on the primary 4 days of our five-day schedule. The group took off, and Corrado and I went for a straightforward final day, not within the mountains however at a neighborhood lake by my dwelling. I discovered a resting butterfly and was in a position to have enjoyable with the Z 9 and the NIKKOR Z MC 105mm f/2.8 VR S macro lens, revealing the sample within the butterfly’s eye.
Whereas we had a lot wildlife within the mountains, from elk, bighorn sheep, pikas, marmots and even a weasel, we barely noticed birds. I used to be a bit stunned, however one of many many issues I like about wildlife images is that it’s completely unpredictable. I actually needed to check out the digital camera’s autofocus system on birds in flight, so I used to be excited to search out many there on the lake. One pelican flew in from the gap, then began heading towards me earlier than turning throughout the lake from left to proper after which off into the gap to land. I had the digital camera set on 3D monitoring, and it maintained deal with the pelican whereas it moved towards me and all through the turns of its flight.
Pelican in flight. I used the Z 9’s 3D monitoring to comply with the pelican in flight because it circled the water earlier than touchdown. Preproduction Nikon Z 9, AF-S NIKKOR 600mm f/4E FL ED VR through Mount Adapter FTZ II.
The toughest a part of the marketing campaign was when it was over, and the Z 9 was taken out of my arms and despatched off to Joe McNally, the place he was planning to mount it on a high-speed car within the desert and take a look at the digital camera in a very completely different manner. I miss it and may’t wait to get my arms on one once more. I do know the very first thing I’m going to do is to move excessive into the mountains seeking weasels.
It’s thrilling what know-how can do for our artwork when it’s so superior that it disappears, and the digital camera turns into an extension of who we’re as creators. I can’t wait to get my arms again on the Nikon Z 9 once more.
See extra of Kristi Odom’s work at kristiodomfineart.com.
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