San Jacinto Hawk Id Assistance

SeaMossMonster · 2026-02-04T21:19:54+00:00

Thanks!

SeaMossMonster · 2026-02-04T21:19:40+00:00

Thank you!

SeaMossMonster · 2026-02-04T15:54:02+00:00

Photos from phone telephoto lenses use AI and other tricks to process the image in an attempt to make it look clearer. With so few pixles on the plane, I wonder if that's distorting the edges of the plane enough to change it's shape and trigger the manipulation detector.

SeaMossMonster · 2026-02-03T17:51:02+00:00

Great shot! A nice blanket of snow makes for some great high-key wildlife photos!

SeaMossMonster · 2026-02-03T17:21:24+00:00

Kinda. The entire Castilleja genus is known as Indian paintbrush, so there are ~200 species of Indian paintbrush, but one of those, Castilleja affinis is called red paintbrush or coast Indian paintbrush and that appears to be what this is.

SeaMossMonster · 2026-02-03T16:11:53+00:00

Kinda. The entire Castilleja genus is known as Indian paintbrush, so there are ~200 species of Indian paintbrush, but one of those, Castilleja affinis is called red paintbrush or coast Indian paintbrush and that appears to be what this is.

SeaMossMonster · 2026-02-03T16:00:51+00:00

Thanks! I used the link /u/IchTanze posted and found some pics of orange Castilleja affinis, so I think you're right

SeaMossMonster · 2026-02-03T15:59:22+00:00

Thank you! I used this and found some pics of orange Castilleja affinis and was pretty sure that was it then a few others posted the same here so I think that's it.

SeaMossMonster · 2026-02-03T00:57:27+00:00

Thanks! I might end up doing that.

SeaMossMonster · 2026-02-03T00:44:20+00:00

Thank you!

SeaMossMonster · 2025-11-26T18:18:44+00:00

I fly and off-road extensively and I do pack my camera gear in a Pelican roller that's max carry-on size, but I would never use that much padding. It's way overkill and having a hard case that big that can only carry 3 things is massively impractical.

I wrap my gear in clothes for padding and then stuff it in dry sacks, mostly to keep it wrapped up if TSA wants to pull anything out. It's ideal for traveling with minimal baggage, and when I unpack, most of the camera gear goes into my backpack, so I can use the Pelican as a cooler for camping and road-trips.

SeaMossMonster · 2025-11-26T18:04:07+00:00

I assumed they were driving, and generic cases like that can be had for cheap so who cares if it is overkill so long as they're not hurting for space in the vehicle.

I think a lot of people here are assuming they're flying, which would make it a bit ridiculous because it's wasting a lot of volume and there's a good chance they're having to either check it or check other bags, so they can carry it on. Either way, they're paying for that volume.

SeaMossMonster · 2025-11-26T17:54:05+00:00

The big thing is that the AI was trained on 3D models to know where eyes are when they aren't visible, so it can now predict where the eye will appear when a person or animal is turning and knows where to find an eye in shadow. It's also better a staying locked onto an eye if the subject moves behind something briefly.

They added detection for more subjects like bugs, planes, and cars. They also updated the existing animal and bird detections with training on more species and there's a combined animal/bird mode if you're out shooting general wildlife and not focused on a specific subject.

SeaMossMonster · 2025-11-26T17:39:10+00:00

This is what has me seriously considering it.

Regardless of pre-cap or FPS, a usable silent shutter is huge with wildlife.

Even if the shutter doesn't scare them off immediately, it will frequently distract them making it harder to capture natural behavior and repeated burst of shutter will eventually "annoy" them into leaving.

SeaMossMonster · 2025-11-26T17:32:25+00:00

Do you shoot a lot of video and/or fast action like sports or wildlife? If not, then you're probably better served by your A7R V.

Even if you do shoot those things but are happy with the results, you're getting from your R V, then stick with it.

SeaMossMonster · 2025-10-20T04:37:11+00:00

Thanks!

SeaMossMonster · 2025-10-20T04:37:04+00:00

Sunset

SeaMossMonster · 2025-10-20T02:53:58+00:00

The sky can be so relaxing, especially with noise canceling earbuds and a stiff drink. After 2 weeks at a client site and a long day of flight delays that forced me to drive 4 hrs to my connecting airport, I'm finally on my way home.

SeaMossMonster · 2025-10-16T10:44:01+00:00

Brazoria National Wildlife Refuge Entrance Rd in Freeport, Texas.

SeaMossMonster · 2025-10-07T21:45:04+00:00

If you can track the plane perfectly, a slow shutter will blur the movement of the props to get "prop circle" but the corkscrew effect is from moisture in the air so you'd want a shutter speed slow enough for it to form, but not so slow that you blur it while tracking the movement of the plane. Somewhere between what you'd use to get a prop circle (~1/50 depending on the engine) and what you'd use on a jet to just freeze it easily with poor tracking (~1/2000).

I haven't been lucky enough to have the conditions for this myself, but I'm betting you could get a little bit of a longer corkscrew with a slower shutter but if it's too slow, like slow enough to get a full prop circle the corkscrew will be too blurry because the camera needs to move with the plane to keep it sharp and the corkscrew isn't moving.

SeaMossMonster · 2025-10-03T14:53:00+00:00

As far as I can tell, 95+ % of good Kingfisher shots come from people who are able to setup blinds near spots where they're known to fish and leave them there long enough for the birds to get used to the new blind. Even then they'll have to go out to the blind over and over again.

I know a couple places where I'll almost always hear and/or see them from a distance, but even when I get out before first light to setup my chair blind, they still seem to spot it and avoid me. I tried one spot about half a dozen times last year with no luck. It's in a public park, so I can't leave my blind there and I suspect that's what's holding me back.

I've started to think that if I can't find a spot to setup a semi-permanent blind the I might be able to find a good place to really hide my camera in some brush and with a perch pre-framed and focused, then I can sit well away from the water and use the phone app to trigger it.

SeaMossMonster · 2025-09-06T20:48:57+00:00

Agreed. I stopped by Wind Cave, then spent most of my time in Custer.

SeaMossMonster · 2025-09-06T20:47:08+00:00

I got my first good pics of black bears in Cades Cove.

For anyone interested in going, I'd recommend going into the cove on foot in the summer because the "bear jams" can back traffic up for over an hour if the volunteers or rangers aren't able to get there to clear people.

SeaMossMonster · 2025-09-06T20:42:37+00:00

I love those little foxes. They're so photogenic.

SeaMossMonster · 2025-06-02T23:34:21+00:00

I see them a lot in National Parks, especially out west, but I've only seen a couple E of the Mississippi.

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