"Can I Help You?"

This wondrous bird gave me the stair down!

We call these shiny colourful feathers "iridescent" - as the bird will flare up, to express a feeling of defense, as another contender flies by the prospective perch.

I was at least 10 feet back, and of zero concern to the bird, so my lucky horseshoe was in my back pocket with this shot. My guess is that he was demonstrating to another bird, and I just happened to be at the best possible angle for the nasty look.

My apologies to everyone, the last post /image was a hummingbird called the purple-throated mountain gem., so I will go back now to correct my mistake. Thanks to everyone for over 400,000 views!
(so far!)

Best wishes, and safe travels!


Magnificent Hummingbird
RJB Colours of Costa Rica Tour
http://www.raymondbarlow.com
1/200s f/4.0 at 400.0mm iso500

Standing Proud!

This wonderful male seems to think he has control over his territory - until the next brave bird moves in!

Taken late in the afternoon, a rain shower just finishing, very low shutter speed to help with a low iso... giving nice resolution.

I hope you like this one.. more coming soon!

Raymond.

Purple-throated Mountain Gem
RJB Colours of Costa Rica Tour
http://www.raymondbarlow.com
1/25s f/5.6 at 350.0mm iso200

The size of your Thumb!

It seems like the smaller the better! These wee birds dance in the air with incredible navigation skills. To capture them in soft light during a light rain, with no flash or any manufactured light is such fun!

The tiny flying ant creeping into the photo actually makes our bird look very large by comparison.

As photographers of nature, we are so fortunate to have such a place to visit. Literally 100's of birds in an area the size of the average back yard. As they blast by me standing with my eye against the camera, I am often clipped by a hummingbird during their battles with each other!

Thanks to all of my guests, as hosting these tour can be a lot of fun, along with all of the hard work. 15 tours now completed, we look forward to another season coming soon.

best wishes, thanks for looking!
http://tinyurl.com/l32vvo2



Coppery-headed Emerald in Flight
RJB Colours of Costa Rica Tour
http://www.raymondbarlow.com
1/500s f/4.0 at 260.0mm iso1250

Nature's Difficulty:

To make the capture.

Creating a shot that needs no editing is one of my full time goals as a nature photographer. The thought - "I can fix that in Photoshop" has never worked well for me. This image below and most of my images were created with little or no adjustments.

I only shoot raw files with my camera, very small tweaks in Camera Raw, and re-sizing in Photoshop. with each image I create 4 different dimensions, and save them all in my folders, using them for each of their applications. When I do presentations, people ask me "how long do you spend in photoshop with your images?" My reply, which always gets a laugh - "2 -3 minutes."

I guess people think I am a liar, or crazy? No idea, but it is the truth. I spend more time posting the images on various websites, then I do with editing.

The reason? I love taking images with my camera, not with photoshop.
I would prefer to work in the field for 8 hours, and capture one good image, as opposed to spending hours trying to fix a bad shot with editing.

I work with a camera and lens, along with all the technical values toward a creative application. My work is never about any sort of technical achievement. Applying technology to create artistic and realistic images is fun and very challenging.



Black-bellied Hummingbird
RJB Colours of Costa Rica Tour
http://www.raymondbarlow.com
1/400s f/4.0 at 270.0mm iso800

Enjoying the Breeze! -

This skimmer was bringing in some food to the family, gliding gently in the wind for a soft landing.

This location was amazing, so peaceful and natural. Lots of birds in the colony meant non-stop shooting, so these captures bring back that feeling of awe while we were enjoying this superb location.

This will definitely be a regular summertime visit for me!

Best wishes from Canada.

Black Skimmer in Flight
RJB USA Tours
http://www.raymondbarlow.com
1/1250s f/4.0 at 400.0mm iso640

The Ultimate Test!

A good action photographer can do well with these tiny birds, for me
this is my most difficult subject. Hummingbirds in flight can be an awesome challenge. to get everything right, it does take practice,along with all the fun!

Looking forward to my next package of tours coming in November through to June... click if your interested in joining my tour!
http://tinyurl.com/l32vvo2

Magnificent Hummingbird in Flight
RJB Colours of Costa Rica Tour
http://www.raymondbarlow.com
1/1000s f/4.0 at 350.0mm iso1000

A Sprinkle of Rain:

Can make such a difference! We get under cover for the heavy rains, but for the sprinkle - love it! With a wet perch, a rain streak in the background, and soft natural light, the shooting is endless!

Truly, nothing that is special comes easy, we all know that. Each time I take on an adventure to these locations, a new trick comes up, a new angle, new advantages, mostly a result of pure tenacity.

The drive to make my tour better never seems to stop! The next tour in November 2014 will be really sweet!, please join me if you wish.

Best wishes, and thanks for looking!

Fiery-throated Hummingbird
RJB Colours of Costa Rica Tour
http://www.raymondbarlow.com
1/125s f/4.0 at 380.0mm iso500

Wonder in Green "are you looking at me?"

Lucky for such a chance! Such a pretty bird to photograph! Thanks to my guest Dick Collins for pointing this one out to me! What a blast!

Thanks to everyone for your +1's and shares!

A new tour to Romania in September- for more info - -
ray@raymondbarlow.com

Long-tailed silky-flycatcher
RJB Colours of Costa Rica Tour
http://www.raymondbarlow.com
1/200s f/5.6 at 340.0mm iso1000

Telephoto Photography with a Spotting Scope:

Taken from about 22-25 yards, the skimmers are busy tending to their chicks! Thanks to the support from Swarovski Optiks!

Black Skimmer and Chick
RJB USA Tours
http://www.raymondbarlow.com
Canon EOS 70D ,Swarovski Spotting Scope 95mm
1/400s f9.5 iso200

Costa Rica Tours:

Every tour seems to get better, learning the skills needed to work
with natural light and fast moving subjects can be the ultimate challenge in bird photography.

It's one thing to photograph such an awesome bird, and another to
give its beauty justice, to transmit the amazing colours and fine details to our digital sensors.

The fun is in the learning!

ray@raymondbarlow.com

Green-crowned Brilliant
RJB Colours of Costa Rica Tour
http://www.raymondbarlow.com
1/250s f/4.0 at 360.0mm iso640

True Nature:

Enjoying the colours of nature in Costa Rica is always a wonderful
time. We experiment with different angles, subjects, perches, and light - all natural!

One of the secrets in creative photography is knowing when to shoot. Each situation has an optimal combination of camera settings for exposure, depth of field. shutter speed and iso. A good photograph is a combination of so many factors - putting it all together for one split second is critical.

For me, the merging of all the technology, with the creative ability to catch the right angle, in the right light, anticipating nature is all of the fun. Truly, the endless ability to gain knowledge of nature, birds, animals is the most amazing part of what I do for a living.

The opportunity to show you an image is the icing on the cake! - even better, when you sign up for one of my programs!

Bengal Tigers coming soon!!
ray@raymondbarlow.com

Violet Sabrewing
RJB Colours of Costa Rica Tour
http://www.raymondbarlow.com
1/250s f/4.0 at 250.0mm iso640

A Wonder in Flight!

These hummingbirds never fail to amazing me with their sense of flight and navigation skills!

They tear around the garden in a crazy rush to get to each destination, in a frantic pace that is hard to imagine! The colour and speed is unbelievable!

Thanks for looking, have a great weekend!


Green-crowned Brilliant Female in Flight
RJB Colours of Costa Rica Tour
http://www.raymondbarlow.com
1/640s f/4.0 at 200.0mm iso640

The Celebration of Life ...

Is to watch nature dance!

The fun involved with this type of photography is enormous. The fiery-throated is a very active bird, with unlimited energy. They dance in the air, performing for the audience like no other bird I have seen - indeed a celebration of life!

Thanks for looking, and sharing!
Please contact me anytime for upcoming tours.
ray@raymondbarlow.com

Fiery-throated Hummingbird in Flight
RJB Colours of Costa Rica Tour
http://www.raymondbarlow.com
1/1250s f/4.0 at 400.0mm iso1600

Posing for a photo!

Some of these hummingbirds like to stay close to the food and protect the opportunity. This bird had full control!

Any intruder was quickly pursued, and exported from the scene. This become frustrating for the photographer as we wish for a variety of species, colours, and flight shots.

So, we go with the flow, capture what we can and be as creative as possible. There is only so much one can control, this is their home, their environment. It is fun to watch!

More tours coming soon, click:
http://raymondbarlowworkshops.blogspot.ca/

Thanks to all of my guests on these recent 5 tour to Costa Rica. We sure had a good time, and lots of shooting!

sign in for all the latest tour news ...
My once a month newsletter here -
http://tinyurl.com/ltpumns

White-necked jacobin
RJB Colours of Costa Rica Tour
http://www.raymondbarlow.com
1/640s f/5.6 at 400.0mm iso1600

Nature's Beauty

Watching these birds nest, and feed their young was incredible last week. I sure hope to have another chance to use my Swarovski Scope and Canon 70D with these birds.

Maybe a thousand adults on this beach! Lots of babies, and lots of feeding. Special thanks to my guests, and to nature for providing the view!

Thanks to you for sharing!

Black Skimmer and Chick
RJB USA Tours

http://www.raymondbarlow.com
Canon EOS 70D
Swarovski Spotting Scope 95mm / 1440mm ef.
1/500s f9.5 iso200

A very difficult shot!

Waiting along side of a pond for the skimmer to come in
for a drink is great fun, and so challenging!

Every few minutes, a bird would scoop some water for a drink here at this water hole, we would wait patiently for a chance to capture them at the right moment. I have several splash down images, but this shot caught my eye, as the bird lifted out of the water to gulp down the beverage.

Thanks to my guests, we sure had a great time here in New York City, I do plan a return visit!

Thanks to my friend Harry Hersh for helping me set up this program, and work out all the details.

Have a great weekend!

India Bengal Tigers! - http://tinyurl.com/meahvso
Please join this tour!

Black Skimmer in Flight
RJB USA Tours
http://www.raymondbarlow.com
1/2000s f/4.0 at 400.0mm iso400

What a Great Tour!

We really have a superb visit to this colony of skimmers, terns, and oyster catchers.

My guests and I were treated to so much opportunity! Non-stop photography with all of these wonderful birds. a peaceful and incredible setting, great colours!

I really want to go back here soon!
Join me!
ray@raymondbarlow.com

Black Skimmer in Flight
RJB USA Tours
http://www.raymondbarlow.com
1/2000s f/4.0 at 400.0mm iso200

Traveling South - The Awesome Black Skimmer! + my FB.

Hosting a tour in the USA is always great fun! On a beach with nesting terns, skimmers, and oyster catchers can be more then amazing!

We arrived in the late afternoon, a quick dinner, then off to this colony. Within minutes, we had hundreds of birds to see and photograph. Fortunately, the public beach makes things very easy, as the birds are very used to people, they fly by within 10 yards!

2 more full days of shooting, then a tour to NYC with my family, and home to Canada from there... busy!

Thanks to all of my guests this year, so far, life has been amazing!

Best wishes!

My Facebook page -
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Raymond-Barlow-Photography/322929955147

Please like!


Black Skimmer in Flight
RJB USA Tours
http://www.raymondbarlow.com
1/1000s f/4.0 at 400.0mm iso200

056

Costa Rica Beauty

This tiny bird about 3 inches long performed for our group for at least 2 hours while visiting this lodge in these cloud forests of Costa Rica. We were very fortunate to have some nice direct light while the bird was feeding.

The cloud forests provide what seems like endless opportunities for photography. So many birds, in a small area, this sure makes my job easy!

More tours are now set up, please contact me if you are interested...
ray@raymondbarlow.com


Volcano Hummingbird in Flight
RJB Colours of Costa Rica Tour
http://www.raymondbarlow.com
1/1250s f/6.3 at 380.0mm iso400

"Showing Off in the Breeze!"

The amazing Resplendent Quetzal is our prize "catch" for photographers in Costa Rica. With such a large bird (about 5 feet long) from head to tail tip, it is very difficult to find a good environment and have this bird co-operate.

Once in a while, we are lucky! This bird displayed for our guests for at least 10 minutes... and at least 500 images! Very difficult to pick a favourite! I did take a few seconds of video, link below if you are interested. Set you view to 1080p.

Thanks to all of my Costa Rica guests, we have had some amazing luck, and sweet opportunities. A new tour in Ecuador for January!

Raymond

Resplendent Quetzal
RJB Colours of Costa Rica Tour
http://www.raymondbarlow.com
1/500s f/6.3 at 330.0mm iso1600

video - http://youtu.be/-mlaLRxRnKE

Hope this works!
take care.

Who Really is the Boss?

Always a tough question! I guess in nature, we always see different species fight, truly, it is only natural. Every bird, animal seems to want their own private space, food, family. I am sure in most cases, this is worth fighting for.

After hosting 15 tours to Costa Rica, mainly for hummingbirds, on my 12th program, I was able to catch a series of images with 2 birds in focus, and doing battle. I am sure I could easily do 100 more tours, and not capture such a shot! I think I have about 6 shots from this series, taken at 4 frames per second, so you can imagine how lucky I was !!

Fiery-throateds are the ultimate squabblers. My guests are in awe with their beauty, and amused by their necessity to fight. Two birds will sometimes engage in battle up in the air like this pair, then eventually lose their ability to fly, and end up on the ground, "duking it out"!

It's funny when some guests will reach down to take the pair and separate them! When fiery-throateds get into these battles, the fight is so intense, people seem to have no effect on them, so we can actually move them apart, and let the birds go on their way.

More photo tours are now being prepared for the fall / winter season, email me if you are interested... ray@raymondbarlow.com

My facebook page - please "like".

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Raymond-Barlow-Photography/322929955147

Raymond

Frozen in Flight

The technical challenge for Photographers!

To capture a hummingbird in flight, with little or no wing blur. Personally, I like a bit of blur. To me it just looks more natural. I do not like flash for birds for this very reason., they simply look fake.

When we are watching these birds buss around the flowers, our eyes and brains cannot be fast enough to freeze the wings, so a bit of blur is more natural.

Once in a while, when I get lucky, the wings are caught in an almost still position, with a bit of blur.. as this image has those properties.

Thanks for looking, I hope you will join me in Costa Rica some day!

Green-crowned Brilliant Feeding
RJB Colours of Costa Rica Tour
http://www.raymondbarlow.com
1/1250s f/4.0 at 200.0mm iso640

Lift Off!!

Waiting at least 10 minutes for this bird to take off was fun! Which direction would it fly? Being 100% ready every second is the key to success here, as this bird is very fast!

The Lilac breasted roller hunts from low positions, so it can see bug fly overhead against the sky. It will dart off the perch, race into the sky, and capture the prey!

One of my top favourites, as this bird has wonderful colours.

Raymond

My next tour to Africa - pls click!

http://tinyurl.com/nnovq9a

Lilac Breasted Roller
RJB Tanzania, Africa Tours
1/1600s f/4.0 at 400.0mm iso200

It's a Fight!

As beautiful as these birds are, they just can't get along!

A light rain sets the mood, dark skies, and superb natural light! Amazing, some of these battles last a few seconds, and some will carry on for a full minute.

To witness this event, very cool. To catch a shot of the action, even more fun! To share it with people who love nature is a wonderful part of photography. Thanks to everyone for clicking on my images, very much appreciated! Please respect nature!

Join me in Costa Rica!
Please click - http://tinyurl.com/l32vvo2

Green Violetear Duel
RJB Colours of Costa Rica Tour
http://www.raymondbarlow.com
1/250s f/4.0 at 260.0mm iso500

Sometimes we are soooo Lucky!

To catch the flower and one bird sharp is one thing, but 3 birds sharp, and a flower, and a bug - Luck! The bird on the left is a Magnificent and the two on the right are Fiery-throateds.

Thanks to all my friends in Costa Rica for helping me make these tour possible. After so many tours, I have become such good friends with everyone, and I really appreciate all the efforts to make my programs successful. (one day I might just move to Costa Rica for good!)

Thanks for looking!

Safe travels this week, hope all is well in your life.
Please help us all respect nature.

Raymond

Big Cat tour in Africa - Please join me! http://raymondbarlowworkshops.blogspot.ca/2014/03/raymond-barlow-big-cat-tours-in-tanzania.html

Fiery-throated / Magnificent Hummingbirds in Flight
RJB Colours of Costa Rica Tour
http://www.raymondbarlow.com
1/1250s f/5.0 at 200.0mm iso2000

A Hummingbird's Dance!

Watching this bird "dance" around the flower is a spectacle of nature.

To be able to capture the sense of what I see through the lens is much more then a technical achievement. After posting many images of hummingbirds here on so many websites, the feedback has been overwhelming.

People enjoy the beauty, and the sense of freedom. Imagine - all they need to do is visit a flower once in a while, and rest, what a life! What we don't see in the images is how much they fight! A dominant bird will tale over a flower, and not let anyone else in for a drink. This is the real nature of these birds. They can be very nasty!

All natural light, no flash ever used.

As a photographer, we share the pretty side, as a naturalist, we see the reality. for me, the fun is presenting the nasty side too... in some of my previous images.

Today is Canada day, enjoy the holiday Canadians, hope the weather is good in your area!

Raymond

ps.. Join me in India! click here for details
http://tinyurl.com/meahvso


Fiery-throated Hummingbird in Flight
RJB Colours of Costa Rica Tour
http://www.raymondbarlow.com
1/2500s f/4.0 at 330.0mm iso1600

063

Ecuador Tours coming soon!

After hosting 15 tours in Costa Rica, and many more tours to this awesome country, I plan to visit Ecuador for a different series of workshops / tours. We will visit 2 different lodges, and photograph several new species of birds.

More info to be posted soon.

Raymond

Male Green-crowned Brilliant Feeding
RJB Colours of Costa Rica Tour
http://www.raymondbarlow.com
1/250s f/4.0 at 340.0mm iso640

I spent an evening recently with my family at this nesting site... 400 images later, and thanks to Swarovski Spotting Scopes, we have a few images to process.

Very difficult shooting but good fun!

Best wishes from Canada!

Raymond

Red-necked Grebe Family
RJB Wild Birds of Ontario Workshops
Canon EOS 70D ,Swarovski Spotting Scope 95mm
1/1000s f9.5 iso500

Hungry Mouths need to be Fed!

A local family of grebes are nesting in a local marina, the parents
have their work cut out for them to keep the babies feed!

Special thanks to Swarovski Spotting Scopes.

New tours and workshops for wildlife photographers:
http://raymondbarlowworkshops.blogspot.ca/

Have a great weekend!

Raymond


Red-necked Grebe Family
RJB Wild Birds of Ontario Workshops
http://www.raymondbarlow.com
Canon EOS 70D ,Swarovski Spotting Scope - 95mm
1/1000s f9.5 iso500

Hard to Imagine!

A bee is coming in for a landing at the same time as a Hummingbird!

Such contrast., bright pink and yellows, dark black - green background, dark blue bird, and some action! I hope you enjoy this image. this is the largest hummingbird that we see in Costa Rica!

Thanks to everyone for 10 Million + views! So much appreciated. Please share, and follow my work if you wish. my G+ profile here..

https://plus.google.com/u/0/+RaymondBarlowphotography/posts

Have a great weekend Canadians! Happy Canada Day coming soon!

Violet Sabrewing in Flight
RJB Colours of Costa Rica Tour
http://www.raymondbarlow.com
1/640s f/4.0 at 280.0mm iso640

062

Interesting?

Yes, if nothing else!

- A hummingbird's tongue is 2 times as long as it's beak!
- A hummingbird can eat 2 times its weight in a single day!
- A hummingbird has both legs and feet, but cannot walk!
- A hummingbird is the only bird in nature that can fly backwards!

But what amazes me most is their ability to navigate while in flight.. at super high speeds, with twists and turns that can be so incredible!

I hope you will join my your some day, here is my travel tours and workshops newsletter registration page.. please click! - http://tinyurl.com/ltpumns


But just imagine, how does a bird eat 2 times its weight without a spoon or a fork! ;)

Raymond

Green-crowned Brilliant
RJB Colours of Costa Rica Tour
http://www.raymondbarlow.com
1/400s f/4.0 at 310.0mm iso640

Costa Rica Photography tours -
http://raymondbarlowworkshops.blogspot.ca/2013/07/costa-rica-with-raymond-barlow.html

Water Drops

While photographing this beautiful female feeding, the pouring rain was caught bouncing off her head!

Besides the water, I liked the fluffy view we can see with the underside of this hummingbird. When we visit this location, these birds land on our hands, our heads, our cameras, so the intimate trust is so very cool. We feel their tiny feet on our finger, then their curious look into our eyes, as these birds wonder 'what the heck is this person doing?"

The adventure continues, so much more to learn about nature.

Raymond

Green-crowned Brilliant
RJB Colours of Costa Rica Tour
http://www.raymondbarlow.com
1/125s f/4.0 at 400.0mm iso640

Sweet Colours

I love hosting photography tours!

Working with the right colours, with the complimentary backgrounds
truly is a key to success for the nature photographer.

Part of my job while on these tours is to assist my guests with the creativity involved as we try to make images that are sharp, and with fine details in composition.

To get everything just right is worth celebrating, with you, the viewer!
I hope you like this shot, as with all the nice comments, +'s, and shares, I am motivated to try harder next time.

Best wishes for a wonderful week, please do not abuse our natural world - let's all save and protect! If everyone in the world did a better job taking car of our waste, we all will enjoy a much better place for our families to live with nature.

Raymond

Green-crowned Brilliant Feeding in Flight
RJB Colours of Costa Rica Tour
ray@raymondbarlow.com
1/2500s f/4.0 at 350.0mm iso1600

A Positive Attitude + India!

A good disposition will go a long way in nature photography. My first step is to visualize the image, then do what it takes to create the shot. Much like the game of golf!

Concentration, focus, technical knowledge and creative abilities all merge here in bird photography. I work with 100% natural light with all my imaging as ... nature = natural light.

The challenge is the fun! Sharing the end result with my friends is the icing on the cake! Even better, folks want to learn photography, and come to my programs to see how I do all this! Please join me!

Tour India and photograph the Bengal Tiger!! Please click here for info.

http://raymondbarlowworkshops.blogspot.ca/2014/06/raymond-barlows-bengal-tiger-tour.html


Tiger Images:
Special thanks to my friends Thomas Vijayan and Mohan Thomas for sharing their superb Tiger images with me!

Volcano Hummingbird in Flight
RJB Colours of Costa Rica Tour
ray@raymondbarlow.com
1/6400s f/5.0 at 400.0mm iso1000

Thanks to all of my recent guests who have supported my business on these tours, as the fun and photography has been wonderful.

Please respect nature, and take care of our world!

All natural light with every image you see in my galleries.
Nothing fake.

Green Violetear in Flight
RJB Colours of Costa Rica Tour
ray@raymondbarlow.com
1/800s f/4.0 at 250.0mm iso640

Posing in the Rain!

One of my favourite locations to shoot!

A small village high in the remote mountains, on a coffee farm. This area is called a cloud forest. usually some sun in the morning, then cloudy, then some rain. Misty, mountains, fog, moss everywhere you look.

Old growth trees, narrow rocky dirt roads, boulders!, farms in the hills! The nicest people you can imagine. After 15 tours, and at least 3 nights at this coffee farm on each tour, I have become close friends with the owners, they are such sweet people.

Home cooked food, fresh from the garden veggies, cooked on a wood-stove. The best coffee you can imagine! So quiet and peaceful.

A small river runs through the area, creating incredible scenes for the landscape photographer. the water rushes so fast down the hill, you can here it a mile away!

Thanks so much Costa Rica for being so good to my guests, the beauty is everywhere!

Raymond

Green Beauty

This sweet and very tiny hummingbird is one of the most difficult
to catch for any kind of shot! They fly like a bumble bee, dance around the flowers with a very quiet, and non-aggressive posture.

The other birds chase them away quickly, so it takes a very determined bird to have a chance! At this location we find up to 10 different species of hummingbirds, the fun is watching them interact, and jockey for position on the flowers and feeders.

Thanks for looking, and sharing my images!

Green Thorntail in Flight
RJB Colours of Costa Rica Tour
ray@raymondbarlow.com
1/2000s f/4.0 at 310.0mm iso1600

Private tours for small groups available!

Family Grooming!

Green Crowned Brilliant Family - New hairstyle! - Join me?

So many new dates and programs coming up for the next year., please
click this link and see if anything interests you!

http://raymondbarlowworkshops.blogspot.ca/

Thanks for looking and sharing my images!

Green-crowned Brilliant Females Grooming
RJB Colours of Costa Rica Tour
ray@raymondbarlow.com
1/1600s f/4.0 at 400.0mm iso1600

Happy Landings!

A Green Violet-ear comes in for a landing on a perch.. while I was not even looking through the viewfinder, I was very lucky to catch the shot! This area was crazy busy with hummingbird activity, so I stayed focused on this branch and waited for the right moment.

Dark rainy conditions warrant a higher iso value on your camera, all the new full frame equipment seems to perform well in low light conditions.

The beauty of natural light shines through your lens, with natural colours, and a realistic view of the scene.

Looking forward to more private group tours to Costa Rica!

Green Violet-Ear Hummingbird Landing
RJB Colours of Costa Rica Tour
ray@raymondbarlow.com
1/1000s f/4.0 at 400.0mm iso1250

Harris's Hawk in Flight (captive)
RJB Birds in Flight Workshops

New Workshops coming soon!
http://raymondbarlowworkshops.blogspot.ca/2013/05/raptors-in-flight.html

ray@raymondbarlow.com
1/2000s f/4.0 at 300.0mm iso500

Golden Eagle

Thanks to the Forest City Image Center in London Ontario, and Swarovski Optix for allowing me to be present at this fun event. On Sunday June 8th, 2014 we had falconers birds at the Circle R Ranch, and a chance for photographers to use this Swarovski Spotting Scope to take photos with their DSLR cameras.

Special thanks to Tom Baney of Swarovski, and Antony Ghodas of Camera Canada for all the help!

This beautiful bird posed for everyone, and was truly a spectacular site.
I am already looking forward to next years event!

Thanks to everyone.

Raymond

Forest City Nature Photography Day - Golden Eagle (captive)
RJB Promotions
ray@raymondbarlow.com
Canon EOS 70D
Swarovski Spotting Scope 95mm @ 1440mm
1/50s f9.5 iso500

The Wonder of Photography

How is this done?

It's a very long story. July 31st, 2003 my brother Geoff and I traveled to see a great friend - Mark Dionne in Wellfleet, MA, on the Cape. With my boat in tow, we planned on a scuba diving trip, that changed when Mark told me there were humpback whales in the ocean, and we could possibly see them.

Long story short, we had an incredible experience, overwhelming! My Sony point and shoot didn't cut it... so off to my friends camera store, "Camtech" in Hamilton Ontario, to buy my first DSLR. A couple months later, a 70-300mm and I was on my way down the wonderful road of bird and wildlife photography.

That whale experience changed my life. A week later, I met my sweet wife Daisy, and started the photography challenge of a lifetime.

Bird photography is very difficult. I saw Peter Darcy's images of owls on a website, and the spark was aflame! 10+ years exploring this passion, and I am learning all the time. The most important "thing" you gain is an appreciation for the beauty, and fragility of nature.

I personally feel a responsibility to express how important it is for everyone in the world to show respect. Please leave wild animals alone. Do not feed Carnivorous creatures, from owls to crocodiles, they should be left alone and not influenced by human feedings. Bears, wolves, lions, sharks, on and on - they are extremely dangerous, even monkeys.

Acclimatizing these animals and birds puts them and us at tremendous risk. Keep your distance! You cannot pose for a photo beside such birds or animals.

So long as I am sharing images, I will ask folks to listen to these messages, and treat nature with respect. Please share this information with your friends, and your respectful thoughts below if you wish.

best wishes from Canada - Raymond.

ps. please follow this page if you wish!

Green-crowned Brilliant in Flight
RJB Colours of Costa Rica Tour
ray@raymondbarlow.com
1/800s f/4.0 at 300.0mm iso640

Hummingbirds Love the Rain!

This pair of Magnificent hummingbirds enjoyed a meal during a rain shower!

Fortunately, for us photographers, our locations have cover to keep us and our gear dry! For the birds, this is bath time. Working with natural light always seems to be the best possible choice, even on a dark rainy afternoon.

Thanks for viewing and sharing my images here in G+, very much appreciated!


Magnificent Hummingbirds in Flight
RJB Colours of Costa Rica Tour
ray@raymondbarlow.com
1/800s f/4.0 at 210.0mm iso1250

Pure Happiness!

To watch these hummingbirds enjoy a meal is so much fun!

Photographing hummingbirds is a spectacular way of enjoying your day. Each bird has their own special features that we try to capture.

Travel to Costa Rica is easy, and very safe. I meet all my guests at the airport, travel to a very special hotel, then off shooting right away - if we arrive during the day!

The best part of this job is teaching each guest, and helping every photographer improve their skills. Small groups, and lots of shooting can be very rewarding! I never take more then 4 people to Costa Rica.

The colours of this fiery-throated hummingbird are amazing, at a certain light angle, the throat feathers reflect so many nice iridescent tones. No flash is ever used for any of my wildlife photograph... natural light works.

Thanks for looking, more images from my previous tours soon.

Raymond

Fiery-throated Hummingbird in Flight
RJB Colours of Costa Rica Tour
ray@raymondbarlow.com
1/250s f/4.0 at 260.0mm iso500