Two stars, at least at DVinfo.net

Brendan Marnell · November 6th, 2006, 03:52 AM

As current record-holder of "the laziest thread-starter on DVInfo" I am nervous when I feel obliged to start a new thread but I've got to.

Life is short and when we find ourselves sharing a forum with a couple of videographers that are doing extraordinary things we should know it and say so. So just in case you haven't noticed ...

1. Don DesJardin has 2 super clips of barn-owl flight, one showing extremely rare glimpses of upper wing patterns ... put them both up Don, please

2. Last night's chapter of Planet Earth on BBC showed footage of Musk Ox in the Arctic including a calf slipping & sliding on ice with an arctic fox skulking nearby. But the quality of the images did not nearly match that of Per Johan Naesje's footage of Musk Ox Part III or IV and much of the impact was lost. Where was Per Johan then, you'd have to ask. Shooting more images hopefully.

Tony Davies-Patrick · November 6th, 2006, 04:35 AM

Regarding Planet Earth - the polar bear swimming amongst the ice flows and then in open water from above (and underwater) was superb. For the air–to-ground footage they must have used a gyro-stabilised camera fitted to the helicopter nose and remote controlled from inside the cabin. They must have also had a very good pilot to keep the chopper hovering in the exact same place while the cameraman maintained a tight and smooth track of the bear followed by a very slow pull back to full wide scene.

One thing that I miss in Per's footage is the dramatic snowstorm scenes and the BBC did show this to good affect, although I too have seen slightly better footage of Musk Oxen guarding their young from a wolf attack.

I'm sure that Per will be wrapped up in artic clothing and braving the biting winds of a northern snowstorm during this coming winter to obtain some footage for us all to enjoy!

Alan Craven · November 6th, 2006, 10:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tony Davies-Patrick

For the air–to-ground footage they must have used a gyro-stabilised camera fitted to the helicopter nose and remote controlled from inside the cabin. They must have also had a very good pilot to keep the chopper hovering in the exact same place while the cameraman maintained a tight and smooth track of the bear followed by a very slow pull back to full wide scene.

The Royal Navy get a credit for this in the samll print at the end of the programme - it did give the actual unit, but I was too slow to catch it.

Don DesJardin · November 6th, 2006, 12:27 PM

Thanks Brendan, your way to kind. Hey, I'm just out doing my thing on a limited budget and with your basic no frills equipment, and just taking advantage of any opportunity that presents its self. This Barn Owl footage was taken several years ago when at least 5 of these birds showed up on a private game preserve I had access to. Equipment was a XL1, Nikon 80-400mm, Manfrotto 3283 tripod, 501 head, and a "red dot sight" mounted on the camera acessory shoe. Contitions were cloudy bright overcast and using manual focus and exposure. Shutter speed was 1/60th second.

Mark Williams · November 6th, 2006, 12:33 PM

Don,

That was remarkable. I have fooled around with videoing birds in flight and its really difficult. Anyway your recent clips have encouraged my to try again. I think I will start with stationary shots just out of sight of the feeder and see what happens from there.

Regards,

Brendan Marnell · November 6th, 2006, 12:35 PM

I wish they were my clips ... I'm just his agent (honorary)...

Some Mac users may need to download a suitable player from http://www.videolan.org

Sorry I'm late, as usual, but I don't know how to delete it so this is just an accidental double post ... doesn't qualify for a yellow card, ref

Gabriel Yeager · November 6th, 2006, 01:05 PM

Wow Don! That is impressive! You have inspired me to give it a try! now, if only my tripod would move that smooth... Anyways, Thanks!

~Gabriel~

Ken Diewert · November 6th, 2006, 11:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Don DesJardin

and a "red dot sight" mounted on the camera acessory shoe.

Don.

Nice footage, that is tricky stuff esp at that focal length.

About the 'red dot sight', this is an intriguing idea that I hadn't thought of before. Sometimes you get in full zoom mode and lose yourself and have to pull back, losing time and often subjects. Did you use a laser pointer or a real sight?

Edit. Whoa! I just re-read your post. You shot that with a 501 head using that lens? That's even more impressive. Good Job.

Per Johan Naesje · November 7th, 2006, 04:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tony Davies-Patrick

I'm sure that Per will be wrapped up in artic clothing and braving the biting winds of a northern snowstorm during this coming winter to obtain some footage for us all to enjoy!

LOL, as you write this Tony, I was in a middle of a snowstorm, filming my friends :-)
The wind was quite heavy, in fact when I was laying in the tent during the night I wondered if it would tear apart!!
Hopefully the videoclips show you some of the action.

http://www.video-film.no/snutter/myhome.mov (884 KB)
http://www.video-film.no/snutter/snowstorm.mov (2.58 MB)

.

Per Johan Naesje · November 7th, 2006, 04:27 AM

Don, your barn_owl_2 was very impressing, to follow the owl and maintain focus when it turn towards you was amazing. I know how hard this is!!!

It looks that we are the stars here at the wildelife forum regarding to Brendan :-)
But as you tell Don, myself included, I just want to show my work. I'm working on a limited-budget myself, no crew at all, like BBC wildelife-teams. So I don't think it's resonable to compare my work with those done with a huge tv-team!

Brendan Marnell · November 7th, 2006, 06:06 AM

You've done it again Per Johan.

Your second clip shows clearer and closer images of musk-ox than I saw on BBC's Planet Earth, though not as good as your images on Musk Ox IV for obvious reasons. Your hairy friends are getting more and more comfortable as the temperature drops.

By the way, can I interest you in a frostbite + windchill insurance policy?

November 6th, 2006, 03:52 AM	#1
Brendan Marnell Major Player Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Dublin, Ireland Posts: 938	Two stars, at least As current record-holder of "the laziest thread-starter on DVInfo" I am nervous when I feel obliged to start a new thread but I've got to. Life is short and when we find ourselves sharing a forum with a couple of videographers that are doing extraordinary things we should know it and say so. So just in case you haven't noticed ... 1. Don DesJardin has 2 super clips of barn-owl flight, one showing extremely rare glimpses of upper wing patterns ... put them both up Don, please 2. Last night's chapter of Planet Earth on BBC showed footage of Musk Ox in the Arctic including a calf slipping & sliding on ice with an arctic fox skulking nearby. But the quality of the images did not nearly match that of Per Johan Naesje's footage of Musk Ox Part III or IV and much of the impact was lost. Where was Per Johan then, you'd have to ask. Shooting more images hopefully.

November 6th, 2006, 04:35 AM	#2
Tony Davies-Patrick Trustee Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Worldwide Posts: 1,589	Regarding Planet Earth - the polar bear swimming amongst the ice flows and then in open water from above (and underwater) was superb. For the air–to-ground footage they must have used a gyro-stabilised camera fitted to the helicopter nose and remote controlled from inside the cabin. They must have also had a very good pilot to keep the chopper hovering in the exact same place while the cameraman maintained a tight and smooth track of the bear followed by a very slow pull back to full wide scene. One thing that I miss in Per's footage is the dramatic snowstorm scenes and the BBC did show this to good affect, although I too have seen slightly better footage of Musk Oxen guarding their young from a wolf attack. I'm sure that Per will be wrapped up in artic clothing and braving the biting winds of a northern snowstorm during this coming winter to obtain some footage for us all to enjoy! __________________ www.WILDCARP.com www.NIKON.me.uk

November 6th, 2006, 12:33 PM	#5
Mark Williams Trustee Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Deep South, U.S. Posts: 1,526	Don, That was remarkable. I have fooled around with videoing birds in flight and its really difficult. Anyway your recent clips have encouraged my to try again. I think I will start with stationary shots just out of sight of the feeder and see what happens from there. Regards, __________________ Mark videos: http://vimeo.com/channels/3523 Stock: http://www.pond5.com/artist/mark29

November 6th, 2006, 12:35 PM	#6
Brendan Marnell Major Player Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Dublin, Ireland Posts: 938	Don's barn owl clips I wish they were my clips ... I'm just his agent (honorary)... Some Mac users may need to download a suitable player from http://www.videolan.org Sorry I'm late, as usual, but I don't know how to delete it so this is just an accidental double post ... doesn't qualify for a yellow card, ref Last edited by Brendan Marnell; March 4th, 2007 at 05:17 AM.

November 6th, 2006, 01:05 PM	#7
Gabriel Yeager Major Player Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Washington, NorthWest USA Posts: 788	Wow Don! That is impressive! You have inspired me to give it a try! now, if only my tripod would move that smooth... Anyways, Thanks! ~Gabriel~ __________________ Gabriel Photography

November 7th, 2006, 04:27 AM	#10
Per Johan Naesje Trustee Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Akershus, Norway Posts: 1,413	Don, your barn_owl_2 was very impressing, to follow the owl and maintain focus when it turn towards you was amazing. I know how hard this is!!! It looks that we are the stars here at the wildelife forum regarding to Brendan :-) But as you tell Don, myself included, I just want to show my work. I'm working on a limited-budget myself, no crew at all, like BBC wildelife-teams. So I don't think it's resonable to compare my work with those done with a huge tv-team! __________________ - Per Johan

November 7th, 2006, 06:06 AM	#11
Brendan Marnell Major Player Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Dublin, Ireland Posts: 938	You've done it again Per Johan. Your second clip shows clearer and closer images of musk-ox than I saw on BBC's Planet Earth, though not as good as your images on Musk Ox IV for obvious reasons. Your hairy friends are getting more and more comfortable as the temperature drops. By the way, can I interest you in a frostbite + windchill insurance policy?