Can't see images? [Click here...](.z7d_wZ9H6hozdnW0BPv9ZnBUp6QEKO55aW7euZuiK4Q) .CZ96pgENyp8Fw4w3r-nNPy-z_v9jOwV7C2r7G5lIUAM [Photography Life](.ml5H9G_hs8ISmnKYLTVxfH3XKeA7zM3zpaZE_ABXJ6I) Articles • News • Reviews [Photographing Aurora Australis on Stewart Island](.xxOpZNyXuQHUq5qXzNZjVufE5ot5nwYg7KpO3um1Zu4) It was the last Saturday of May and it was already time to go. After spending more than a week in the Fiordland National Park, walking around this New Zealand’s jewel, and a few days in Invercargill waiting for the weather forecast to get better, it was now or never. The forecast predicted a splendid weather until the following Monday, perfect to finish the 3 days of trekking on the Rakiura Track, one of the 9 Great Walks of New Zealand. The ferry was scheduled to leave the Bluff harbor at 9:30 PM in the direction of Oban. This city is the only one on Stewart Island, with 381 inhabitants, which is almost all of the population of the island. It’s also named Rakiura, a Maori name with several meanings, but we will go by the Glowing Skies translation, a reference to the sunsets or to the Aurora Australis. The Southern light, which I dreamt about seeing there, is probably one of the best places easily reachable on this side of the globe. Once arrived in Oban, I booked the huts in the DOC (Department of Conservation) office, Port William for the first night and North Arm for the second night. The track doesn’t really start from Oban but 5km further. While a shuttle could have gotten me there, I decided to walk. Instead of staying on the asphalt road, I choose to walk along the Horseshoe Bay, a magnificent beach introducing me to the beauty of the island. A few minutes later, I left the last houses behind me to enter the Rakiura National Park. The track, which is well maintained by the DOC, goes along the coast, sometimes sinking into the forest. It offers a unique sight and reveals one of the treasures of Rakiura: spectacular beaches where the vegetation overflows from all sides as if it was trying to push back the sea. Yet, even if it is a calm day, it is this same vast expanse which draws the outlines of the island, cuts off the cliffs and refines the curves of the sand stretches. Although the coast is mainly composed of rocks, the low tide sometimes brings out these pristine beaches, the opportunity to avoid a section of the track in the forest. The vegetation isn’t so different from the South Island but its inhabitants are, especially the birds. Several species are only present on a few New Zealand islands including the Stewart Island. The best known and the most sought-after bird by visitors is the Stewart Island brown kiwi, a subspecies of the Southern brown kiwi (Apteryx Australis). The kakapo (Strigops habroptilus), a large nocturnal and herbivorous parrot, is also unique in its kind. Besides living at night, it shares another common trait with the kiwi: it doesn’t fly. It is easy to understand why these birds almost disappeared with the arrival of humans and the predators they brought with them. On the island, predators are much rarer. After two hours of walking, I reached Māori Beach and decided to take a break, alone in the middle of nowhere. Well, almost alone. The sandflies (these lovely flies sucking your blood) gave me a warm welcome, especially when I decided to remove my shoes to feel the sand between my toes: [Stewart Island New Zealand (1)](.p07hUufx0KELAmHpJ7AxgjHIlqxqdcWtAX6XT7Rj8pk) Canon EOS 500D ISO 100, 1/1000, I only had 4 km of walking to do before arriving at Port William, the last stop of the day. A suspension bridge made me plunge back into the already dark forest while it was only 3 PM. The days are short on the island at this time of year. [Stewart Island New Zealand (2)](.qxSDITijCCVkjVjjSIWwUekYdSQEwm7J2eBiCe5Ck8g) Canon EOS 500D ISO 200, 1/100, The sun, however, occasionally pierces the dense cover formed by one of the southernmost Podocarpaceae (a family of conifers) forest in the world, or the widespread rata and kamahi. [Stewart Island New Zealand (3)](.9NKcFQsI3YSSzCHfTQ6nDj9BtzEDhbDDW1Kh0WcQzXk) Canon EOS 500D + 18-250mm @ 37mm, ISO 100, 1/15, f/11.0 I arrived at the hut before sunset and sat down next to the wood-burner already lit by two other hikers. The night fell and there were no solar lights or candles to light up the room: it was time to eat before going on a kiwi “hunt”! While waiting for the others to get ready, I decided to go outside for a quick look at the sky, hoping to see light coming from the south. Nada. Before coming on the island, I followed the forecasts for Aurora Australis. A solar flare happened earlier that week, announcing Southern light likely to be seen during the weekend, depending on the speed of the solar wind. The Southern light takes place when electrons and positive ions eject from the upper atmosphere of the Sun and penetrate into the Earth’s atmosphere near the Southern pole. These particles, once in contact with the atoms of our upper atmosphere, lead to a reaction that produces light, the color of which depends on the nature of the ions and therefore on the altitude at which the reaction is caused. The intensity of the Aurora is related to several parameters: the speed of the solar wind, its density and the direction of the magnetic field, also called Bz. The Bz is probably the #1 influencing factor in whether or not an Aurora will be visible within the next hour. In the southern hemisphere, the larger the negative number, generally the brighter the aurora. For example, a Bz of -20nT will produce a brighter aurora than a Bz of -5nT. A planetary index, the kP, is generally used to indicate and predict the strength of the geomagnetic storm, from 0 to 9. Above 4, the Aurora is usually visible in southern New Zealand. There is, however, a problem with this index: the kP is an average of k-indices from around the world. This data comes from 8 sensors and only 1 of them is located in the southern hemisphere. This makes the kP index biased to the northern hemisphere. Well, I didn’t have any phone reception there anyway, so I did not really care about this issue. Although the Aurora didn’t show up, the Milky Way started to emerge. I seized the moment and positioned myself at the end of the wharf of Port William giving an incredible panoramic view on the bay. While there is no light pollution in the vicinity, the sky reveals orange glows on the horizon. A shooting star gratifies me of its passage next to the Milky Way in one of the seven pictures of this panorama: [Stewart Island New Zealand (4)](.xS210xW2qS-7t-1dGFMooPiCqPAtkX-n90YLY5xaC3c) Canon EOS 500D After staying a few more minutes to admire one of the darkest skies I have ever seen, I decided to move and look for the discreet kiwi. Discreet? Not all that much actually. It is not difficult to hear it, but to see it is a whole different level in comparison. This nocturnal bird likes forest edges, sometimes venturing to an open environment where it’s certainly easier for it to move. I decided to wait for it in the Port William campsite. I could hear it scream and walk in the forest, its steps being as loud as a human who would seek his way through the bush. But I could see nothing. I moved to another location in the hopes of seeing it, but still got nothing. I then came back to the campsite and…waited, arming myself with patience and silence. The kiwi was getting closer, its steps were louder and louder and then…there it was! A first kiwi came out from the forest and walked towards me, obviously too busy to worry about my presence. It completely ignored me. A second one appeared later, but it was the first, the much bigger than its neighbor, which attracted my attention. This animal is incredibly strange, funny and truly captivating. I was amazed by its quick movements to look into the grass, using its long curved beak. The kiwi was only a few meters away from me and I really thought about taking a picture, but I decided to instead enjoy the moment with my own eyes, since the photo would not have been able to capture the fast and the erratic-moving bird anyway. A few minutes later, it disappeared as it appeared – not without discretion. That night will remain in my memory for a long, long time… The alarm went off at 7 AM the following day. At that moment, I could hardly imagine what Rakiura was going to offer. I covered myself up, took my tripod, my camera, my two lenses and I was on my way to enjoy my first sunrise on the island of the glowing sky. A slight mist rose from the calm waters of the bay. The sun shone through the bay and ignited it for a few moments. [Stewart Island New Zealand (5)](.lbzW25DKAdPPZ1xCP1q0SXFe-pJ5YBdBTDv3HhE9RUs) Canon EOS 500D + 18-250mm @ 31mm, ISO 100, 1/500, f/10.0 I then lost myself admiring the patterns on the beach, multiple veins drawn by the water flow on the sand: [Stewart Island New Zealand (6)](.PX0kk2XLjX3bjMpuWterf-4nqoUP_kCVkGWFYsfgNtU) Canon EOS 500D + 18-250mm @ 61mm, ISO 100, 1/13, f/11.0 I went back to the hut to have a quick breakfast before launching myself into the track. The others were already all gone – I didn’t even realize that I spent nearly three hours to contemplate and photograph the awakening of the island. I decided to walk this section of the track, entirely forest, in one go. Less than four hours later, I was in the North Arm Hut after 12 km of walking. But I actually took a break on the way. Lost in my thoughts, I paid little attention to what was going on around me until the flapping of rather noisy wings made me raise my head. A parrot! Well, obviously it was not the kakapo, unless it learned to fly somehow. It was the New Zealand kaka (Nestor meridionalis). Nestor didn’t seem to be disturbed by my presence, sometimes approaching me as close as a few meters, as it frantically removed the bark of the trees: [Stewart Island New Zealand (7)](._90bVdpSamV2FtgnS8MnLKi-OlYJQ-3wQKt2nFnVuf8) Canon EOS 500D + 18-250mm @ 250mm, ISO 1600, 1/100, f/6.3 It was 4 PM and the sun was already close to the horizon. I dropped my backpack off at the North Arm hut and headed for the bay. The track to get there, of no more than a hundred meters, leads to emerged rocks oriented towards the west, the beach still being under the water. Perfect for the sunset! [Stewart Island New Zealand (8)](.UJ7l1tlpkumzYPYaobRPvJ5Ys-H8BMwv5RxeO3T1rV4) Canon EOS 500D ISO 100, 1/125, Once the sun was hidden by the hills, the cold began to invade the bay. It was time to get warm and eat some noodles. This time, a few candles allowed us to keep the room lit up and play cards. Like the previous night, I left the hut at around 6 PM to get some fresh air and look for kiwis. I put on my hiking shoes, tied my shoelaces, stood up and looked at the sky. The thin crescent moon was still awaken, bright enough to illuminate the surroundings. I then stared at Orion and its easily recognizable belt, which, like the moon, would soon pass under the horizon. I started to raise my eyes up following the Milky Way and eventually stopped on a bright area in the sky next to the Large Magellanic Cloud. There is usually nothing like that in this part of the sky. I kept on gazing at it for a few seconds and…it moved! It moved! No doubt, it was a beam. It was, however, hard to see the light coming from the south as the forested hill didn’t allow to have a clear view. I could not be the only one watching this show – I had to let the others know. We headed towards the bay with a few motivated people hoping for a better view on the southern light. All right, the show started! I set my camera on a tripod and connected the camera remote. 30 seconds later, we were all speechless while looking at the camera LCD. I was like a kid and could not wait to take the photo I visualized, while watching the moon landing on the hill. [Stewart Island New Zealand (9)](.jO465R8eoZdfdxJOT43JYqKjHaKPwqGtakddvcB6v8c) Canon EOS 500D Even if I was really happy then, it would’ve been way more spectacular the previous night, simply because the viewpoint was perfect at Port William. In North Arm, the forest was far too imposing to reveal most of the Aurora… So, why would I stay there? I grabbed a map of the area and tried to find an accessible place from the track which could allow a clear view towards the south. The only way was to go north and head for the Freshwater Hut on the North West Circuit, weaving along the bay. This track is a 125 km circuit that goes around the northwest of the island, to be done in 9-11 days. This section on which I decided to walk wasn’t part of the Great Walk. That’s important detail. The DOC clearly spends less time clearing and setting up this track. Another important detail: on Rakiura it rains almost 275 days a year. Now think about the mud that can accumulate on the track at the end of autumn. It isn’t uncommon to sink up to the knees in there. But hey, I was not going to miss the Aurora just because of some mud! I then set my headlamp to its maximum lighting capacity and sank, not in the mud but in the forest, at night, on a path that I didn’t know, looking for a place that may be inaccessible. I started to worry when the track went up and seemed to be moving away from the shore. I turned around from time to time, turned off my lamp and checked if the Aurora was still there, fearing that it would weaken before I reached my destination. Half an hour after I left the hut, the track was going down and seemed closer to the bay. I then crossed a stream and saw a gap in the forest on the left. I chose to follow the stream and after a few steps, I miraculously landed on a beach! That one seemed to be accessible only at low tide, which was right on time! The complete absence of any breeze allowed the bay to form a perfect mirror, reflecting the enthralling shapes of the Aurora: [Stewart Island New Zealand (10)](.jjbD2z7xOUjLo8GNkqq02bFKWiDa01cKNcG53ZOkjxY) Canon EOS 500D ISO 1600, 15/1, The view was ideal and, to my great surprise, the Southern light had only grown since I left. Its beams danced and created waves as hypnotizing as ephemeral. The light was so strong that my first photo was completely overexposed. I then adjusted the settings and, once again, the result displayed on the screen was staggering. The colors were unreal and yet, even if the human eye doesn’t perceive them as well as my camera, they were there, the fruit of a confrontation between our atmosphere and the solar energy. The show was fascinating. Its rarity made this moment even more precious. After a few shots, I tried to find another point of view by moving up on the track again. New surprise of the evening: I bumped into a kiwi on the track, which froze 2 meters away from me! It then plunged back at full speed in the bush. The attempt to find another access was a failure. I hastened to finally return to my first stop and admire the end of the show. The beams rose so high in the sky that I decided to take several pictures in portrait mode in order to create two main panoramas, covering the whole extent of the Aurora: [Stewart Island New Zealand (11)](.W7vqG0jNa_255Yi4rjkN_fsyEhVXDfRWYLs3AXopOV4) Canon EOS 500D [Stewart Island New Zealand (12)](.sOGf-0u0Gx_9C-6XHewRYHmSNokZjrOsMrRcQAU2VeI) The Aurora started to fade away. Before it was too late, I took the last picture, a selfie, while illuminating the sky with my lamp. Here it is – my time has come – the aliens are abducting me: [Stewart Island New Zealand (13)](.7ujxW4x_wF3aPrkg4wQfWJrsV7I6p9oXImpslttLprE) Canon EOS 500D ISO 1600, 20/1, The walk back to the hut was done without a hitch and once I was there, I was asked how it was. Not bad? I grabbed a mattress from the dormitory and put it on the floor in the main room near the wood stove, just like everyone else. I fell asleep, my head full of images. What a day! The following Monday everyone woke up in the hut at 7 AM. I still had more than an hour ahead of me before the sunrise. Enough time to drink a hot tea and eat a couple of cereal bars. I headed towards the bay, still occupied by a thick morning fog. It would soon vanish and allow the expected light to enter though. The same mirror, as during the aurora, is there: [Stewart Island New Zealand (14)](.BKRwsTU4pla0u7k35Nb0gqNY4dwxpH-oauPq2cLFcHk) Canon EOS 500D ISO 100, 1/6, The low tide allowed me to walk along the edge of the water further than the previous night and reach a small paradisiac beach. Only the singing of birds broke the silence. Or rather the cries, those of the Oystercatchers which came in numbers to enjoy the food left by the tide. I tried to compose some pictures with those posing on the isolated rocks, seeming to float on the bay: [Stewart Island New Zealand (15)](.WKAhp2ry0CTVspEMXVoBU9yKNfQqRhRf5rpHYRmEL2E) Canon EOS 500D + 18-250mm @ 183mm, ISO 400, 1/30, f/6.3[Stewart Island New Zealand (16)](.6feRJJyLUQxSt3wquGV7rfH6CMgqeAOh9g1ezF7RUA8) Canon EOS 500D + 18-250mm @ 61mm, ISO 200, 1/30, f/5.0 I came back to the hut, grabbed my bag and started the third and the last part of the Rakiura Track. The day then passed very quickly, walking the 12 km of this section of the track in two and a half hours. Once I arrived in Oban, I waited for the ferry with other trekkers. We left the island at 3 PM. A few albatrosses were seen from afar when we arrived the first day were now very close to the boat. Once in flight, their silhouettes weren’t hard to distinguish with any other, as their ease to fly effortlessly. Indeed, they exploit air currents formed by the waves in order to glide perfectly, a motion called dynamic soaring. The crossing of one hour towards Bluff gave us enough time to play cards for the last time, but also to talk about what we had experienced those three days and the luck we had. The surprising kiwis, the magical Aurora Australis, the marvelous Milky Way, the fabulous wild beaches and the legendary sandflies (I already miss them). Why was I hesitating to explore this treasure? Some people pushed me to go there – without them I would have missed this incredible adventure. Thank you, for making me live those three unforgettable days, those three days on Stewart Island, those three days at the end of the world. All the pictures were taken with my old and faithful Canon 500D with either the Sigma 18-250mm f/3.5-6.3 or the Rokinon 14mm f/2.8. This guest post was contributed by Maxime Sacré, nature and macro photographer based in France. To see more of his work, you can visit [his webpage](.EsOtZKwtwvkK8HXZsnr-PPPHwSHgOJViOZNJjSd1eCE) and if you are interested in following his photographic experiences in New Zealand, he regularly posts pictures on his [Facebook page](.ZWzSilIJOrpgPGWVKIVB6VQ2_pgKr4yKS0l4VqO2oxM). The post [Photographing Aurora Australis on Stewart Island](.yJsKyXhAxGh0TUhj-9fsFbIreXOz6D4DcpZy-dCGnVU) appeared first on [Photography Life](.Kzv3qdEg6Uaeq7VVv8HtIBemHkwLK1Y4U6A18VDv44k). Tours and Travel, Aurora Australis, New Zealand, Travel, Travel Photography • 2017-06-18 • Guest Poster [Advanced Sports Photography Tips](.tQImqd3m5xqqN5HKVNy2wX7FKUDZ0_GIdrTq5kRBsEI) This post is the last in a three-part series dedicated to teaching sports photography at all levels of competency. In [part one](.ZZwbndHziG8B4j6M9IuIYRwHMg70Is6VKflH5guUhXM) I covered the basics for photographers who are just getting started. [Part two](.8td3KXq-b1CuQZkNx2lCQOAZ6Kzraz1l_3CLRVHgX0s) was geared towards intermediate amateurs who have mastered the basics and want to gain additional competency to bring their images to the next level. This part is for advanced amateurs looking to enhance their existing skills and create professional-looking images. [D4S_6548](.TNqElmPPnv63faWkBcO9V7rWmOXw90JPYCZfWdpb-oY) NIKON D4S @ 600mm, ISO 1000, 1/1600, f/5.6 1) Composition A well-composed sports image will quickly attract the viewer’s attention and hold it. Filling the frame with powerful subjects is the goal. The guidelines for composing a sports image are simple: create a balanced picture free of distractions that tells a story. Let us go through those one by one. 1.1) Balance The easiest way to achieve [balance](.c7bb-vZb69ZwlZQSgyV3XNxAAs-UH46N83adp9WXqRM) is to put your subject in the center of the frame. Some photographers will balk at this assertion because they have been taught to rely on compositional tricks, such as [the rule of thirds](.MBWtIAG-ejba6uzUseUi30OI3xhkmkiBMAo7QZbc8Kw). Sports photography is distinct from other genres, like landscape or architecture, because the subjects we capture tend to be singular. With few points of interest we look to fill the frame from the center outwards. To be clear, the subject(s) should fill the frame, not just occupy a small area in the center. [D4S_3203](.rw3gnX7IC7XV8-thGcnIjsyjdCHuP2a2udWYo7Jmkvo) NIKON D4S @ 420mm, ISO 280, 1/1600, f/5.6 1.2) Distractions Sports images should capture the viewer’s attention immediately, and keep it. Maintaining attention means eliminating distracting elements, such as bright spots in the background or a mishmash of subjects. An easy way to remove distractions is to blur the background using a long, fast lens. But, do not stop there. Fast telephoto lenses only downplay distractions. One must rely on their shooting position to keep distracting elements out of the frame. Fences, porter potties, and cars are examples of distracting elements. Try low and high shooting positions to see what works best. 1.3) Telling a Story Balanced and distraction-free images may sound boring, and that is because without an interesting subject they would be. The key is to frame a scene, whether it be one player or many, where action is taking place in a meaningful way. Here is a bad and a good example of story telling: Bad: A pile of football players attempting to gain control of the ball. Chances are that there will be no clear subject, making the image uninteresting. Good: Two soccer players with visible, emotional faces vying for control of the ball. [D4S_5411](.yVx6JOuwqvfE4zL8NkJACmCXvk8XYr_QJ9mk3ks4Pn0) NIKON D4S @ 420mm, ISO 4000, 1/1000, f/4.0 2) Post-Processing One of the easiest ways to make your pictures stand out against the crowd is to do some quick and easy touch-ups in an image editor. I do not advocate for Photoshop-style image manipulation, but some cropping and lighting adjustments can do wonders. Here is my recommended process: - Make a selection of your best images from the event. I will shoot about 1000 images and choose no more than 50 to send to an organization/client. - Crop and straighten your images. A straight horizon and some cropping will do wonders for your composition. - Adjust brightness and white balance, if needed. Most images can benefit from boosting shadows, dimming highlights, and making colors look natural. - Add a touch of sharpness. Most digital cameras have an [anti-aliasing filter](.GzmgX7HmXQRrD7Px1bPb0KMCeKz1S_g_dekVowc0Z9w) that prevents moire patterns, but slightly reduces sharpness. Make your subjects look crisp. [D4S_9038](.eCpMyj9MSHACtEYit_L-YPc-9R8tRRcokz7ul4bbTPU) NIKON D4S @ 420mm, ISO 900, 1/1250, f/5.6 3) Equipment In the first two parts of this series I attempted to downplay the importance of good gear in sports photography because I feel that most photographers would be better served by improving their skills than buying fancy cameras. However, there comes a point when gear, not skills, holds you back from accomplishing your goals. 3.1) Camera Bodies Full-frame: If you are not already in possession of a full-frame body, it is time to get one. The simple fact is that a full-frame sensor has over two times the surface area as an APS-C sensor, leading to about twice the image quality. This is especially important for indoor sports where light-gathering ability is at a premium. [D4S_2175](.AEoDkHwmsUqjVJkI4NycQwIOk2O7dNG4B3J3dZj5874) NIKON D4S @ 135mm, ISO 5000, 1/1000, f/2.8 Frame rate: I am not a big advocate of the “spray and pray” methodology for capturing sports images. Good timing is more important than your camera’s frame rate. However, if you can capture more frames in a burst you are more likely to get a keeper image. Consider bodies capable of six or more frames per second. If you can get above ten, that is wonderful. Physical size: Professional/flagship camera bodies (Nikon D5, Canon 1D X) are much larger than your typical camera. They feature a vertical grip, enhanced weather sealing, huge battery life, and other features not seen on most other cameras. Large bodies with built-in vertical grips make handling large lenses (200mm f/2.8 and larger) easier than when using a small body. For example, I can hand-hold my D4s and 300mm f/2.8 for extended periods. It is more difficult to do that with the much smaller camera bodies that do not balance well with large lenses. [D4S_7443](.hMyFm1H-gcw6DsNRgrhOh5mCr4-JAJ235QePgKrQCQ0) NIKON D4S @ 420mm, ISO 200, 1/1600, f/5.0 Multiple bodies: Switching out lenses is not only time-consuming, it puts your gear at risk of collecting dust and dirt internally. I recommend using two bodies at any event where you expect to be creating images with subjects close by and far away. For example, during basketball games I will put a 70-200mm f/2.8 on one body and a 24-70mm f/2.8 on the other. The ability to switch between two cameras opens up many possibilities. 3.2) Lenses Wide and normal: A 24-70mm f/2.8 lens works well for sports that compete in relatively small venues. Swimming and basketball are two examples of sports where photographers can get close to the athletes and make use of wide and normal focal lengths. I have used my Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8G to shoot team huddles, swimming turns, basketball action close to the baseline, and venues/fans on the sidelines. [810_8696](.Uo9m1I14txWEcQ02xE9v9AtGVN9-8Lcb9OZwafAAeoU) NIKON D810 @ 24mm, ISO 5000, 1/1000, f/2.8 Telephoto: If you do not already have a good 70-200mm f/2.8, then you need to get one. Not only does this lens work well for most sports, it is a great general-purpose telephoto. This focal length is appropriate for just about any sport where action does not take place too far from the sidelines, like baseball. For a bit of extra reach you can add a 1.4x teleconverter to get an effective 100-280mm f/4. Another option for photographers working in extremely low light environments is a prime telephoto, like an 85mm, 105mm, 135mm, or 200mm. These primes offer a larger maximum aperture than a zoom at the cost of being less versatile. Be careful because huge apertures reduce depth of field which makes fast focusing a challenge. [DSC_9727](.Ad1o8umQF-bJZOOXPUnw8GFtw3vvA9eF3cQ_0IoHdCA) NIKON D750 @ 200mm, ISO 160, 1/2000, f/2.8 Super-telephoto: Even though you can get pretty good results when limited to 200mm, I would advise serious amateurs to consider a super-telephoto lens to improve their ability to get tight shots of subjects from long distances. I chose to buy a Nikon 300mm f/2.8G VR II plus 1.4x and 2.0x teleconverters. Having a light-weight 420mm f/4 and 600mm f/5.6 with good image quality made it possible for me to get some really tight baseball shots this spring. If you primarily shoot field sports, then you might consider a 400mm f/2.8. The downside to this lens is its huge cost and weight. Photographers that work mostly in daylight might enjoy the versatility of a zoom, like Nikon’s 200-500mm f/5.6 or Canon’s 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6. [D4S_8576](.lc82mUiriTYVeSRP1JQUHcHVy_MASNVjAP_Wrvlcui8) NIKON D4S @ 600mm, ISO 800, 1/1600, f/5.6 3.3) Accessories Sports photographers should be prepared to deal with any weather conditions, from freezing rain to blazing sun. Here are some accessories you might consider using: Hat: I wear a Tilley hat to most outdoor events to protect myself from sun and rain. Gloves: A warm pair of gloves is critical for cold environments. Plastic covers: Most professional camera gear is resistant to moisture, but do not take this for granted. Get a few cheap plastic covers to save you the headache of a waterlogged lens when shooting in the rain. Folding stool: I do not have one of these, but I often wish I did. Sitting on the ground for long periods of time can get uncomfortable. Monopod: If you are using a heavy lens, then you need a monopod to save your muscles. You can get a good carbon fiber monopod for less than $200, and aluminum for under $100. ExpoDisc: If you commonly shoot in tough indoor lighting, a custom white balance tool can be helpful. [810_1495](.6qpgWpLePs6-ubTtMQDxYuhqrHpLzRmx7rXL96zSoZg) NIKON D810 @ 200mm, ISO 200, 1/1600, f/3.2 4) Finding Events If you do not have children that participate in sporting events, then you may be wondering how to get involved with a team. For most of us, sports photography is a hobby and not a full-time job. The best way for hobbyists to find events is to make connections in their community. Friends involved with athletic teams and fellow photographers are great assets. Through these connections you can find opportunities to shoot. If you are new to an area or are otherwise scarce on connections, then consider reaching out to high schools and colleges in your area. Many of these organizations will welcome you to their athletics events in exchange for free photographs. Ideally, you should be able to show a basic portfolio when you make contact with the organization. Explain who you are and why you are interested in shooting for them. Note: Some professional photographers dislike the practice of others giving away images free of charge. From my experience, most photographers at college and high school events are amateurs. Major league sports tend to have very few amateurs, and this is where professional shooters should focus their attention. [810_0011](.BBhvKmKULnbg4i11KWhW7ah-oU4pQpSEtzy_uoiyFgg) NIKON D810 @ 24mm, ISO 220, 1/1600, f/4.0 5) Event Format It is best to get to athletic events early in order to sign in and/or get your credential and get settled before the action starts. Say hello to your contact on the team, and ask what locations you may shoot from in order to avoid issues when the action starts. Be respectful of the athletes, coaches, officials, staff, and fans. Your job is to capture the action, not to become part of it. After the event, if you are shooting for an organization, then getting your photos sent or uploaded in a timely manner is important. [810_7330](.IDrCgn8dFDgbGSWS2Z7NpmPAqfWNlCLR6Fb2j0Pm3KA) NIKON D810 @ 24mm, ISO 5000, 1/1000, f/2.8 6) Closing Words I hope that you have enjoyed the final addition to my three-part series about sports photography. My goal in writing these articles is to provide helpful information to sports photographers at all ability levels. Sports photography is so much fun; getting close to the action and capturing iconic moments can be more rewarding than just watching the game. If you have questions or feedback I would welcome them in the comments section below. The post [Advanced Sports Photography Tips](.RSuJ6i0-Qp9EnDaNdDGDUcxpkeSJg0Rou3xReloGYzs) appeared first on [Photography Life](.v5Ba0H92Fhr0y1M_TT1c9whilLz7_Yx04FQLVWYFMBU). Photography Techniques, Action Photography, Advanced Photography Tips, Photography Tips, Sports Photography, Super Telephoto Lens, Telephoto Lens, Wide Angle Lens • 2017-06-17 • Matt Nielsen [Birds-in-Flight Practice Exercise: Find – Frame – Fire!](.-2RuwkbqcoqpfM-AiTkZ4u7auTJNgnKTJi9Z4m0-0pI) On Father’s Day morning we had some very unsettled weather move through our area which brought with it some extremely strong winds. I couldn’t help but grab my camera and go out for a birds-in-flight practice session as I knew the very high winds would create ideal conditions for me. So, I headed out to Eastport Drive by Hamilton Harbour with my Nikon 1 V3 and 1 Nikon CX 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 VR zoom lens to capture some practice images of birds-in-flight. [find frame fire 1](.bHO3tTBSho2Oe2iJW3YYKlfCXp4W6phRRchhS09CLwQ) NIKON 1 V3 + 1 NIKKOR VR CX 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 @ 300mm, efov 810mm, ISO 250, 1/2000, f/5.6 From early spring through to late June there is usually an abundance of cormorants and gulls nesting adjacent to Eastport Drive. I knew from previous experience that visiting in the morning would put the sun at my back, and the very strong winds would tend to consolidate the flight paths of the birds. This creates ideal conditions for one of my favourite birds-in-flight practice exercises that I call: Find – Frame – Fire! (i.e. find the BIF in your viewfinder, frame your image, fire the shutter). The Number One Rule of my ‘Find – Frame – Fire’ exercise is that one cannot stop shooting for more than one minute. The goal is to keep continually photographing birds-in-flight. [find frame fire 2](.E-VD9AXIkE_TPgv__VeY4SrRF6SBa7iN_i9iBGnRyGc) NIKON 1 V3 + 1 NIKKOR VR CX 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 @ 300mm, efov 810mm, ISO 250, 1/2000, f/5.6 I always start this exercise with an empty 32GB memory card and a fresh battery in my Nikon 1 V3. During this specific exercise I always shoot single frames only, capturing as many images as I can until I either fill up my card, or run my battery down to depletion. I started doing this practice exercise back in my DSLR days, when filling a 16GB or 32GB card signaled the end of the exercise. [find frame fire 3](.ur2ewJ7XOD1KxNsm1bF3BQeTnnvLW5UrMKLUe90J704) NIKON 1 V3 + 1 NIKKOR VR CX 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 @ 300mm, efov 810mm, ISO 200, 1/2000, f/5.6 By checking the EXIF data on my images I was able to calculate that I captured a total of 451 single frames during the 61 minutes that it took me to run my V3’s battery down to depletion, or an average of 7.4 single image captures per minute. Again, no AF-C fast frames per second runs were used…only individual, single image captures. [find frame fire 4](.umMLQOCyc583Kyep8JMLhm99_MAY2yVfp3ufzhw6qgk) NIKON 1 V3 + 1 NIKKOR VR CX 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 @ 300mm, efov 810mm, ISO 180, 1/2000, f/5.6 I like challenging myself with this exercise for a number of reasons. The first is that it forces me to use my lateral vision to quickly spot birds-in-flight and select target subjects very rapidly. Secondly, it helps to build [eye-hand coordination](.l5SfzWeCCYlMfHce9_5jWmNwHn3tYtCFeghc2wbP5p8). The third benefit is that it helps to train me to frame each image quickly, before pressing the shutter and moving on to the next photo opportunity. [find frame fire 5](.KYa3aoyxKkvB6P8WUOJ5j01AGdwkNlm55a2CUtZImhc) NIKON 1 V3 + 1 NIKKOR VR CX 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 @ 300mm, efov 810mm, ISO 500, 1/2000, f/5.6 Working quickly with my camera is something that became ingrained in me decades ago, during my newspaper days, when I worked as an advertising sales representative. It’s something that I’ve continued doing with my client video/photo assignments, as well as with my personal photography. [find frame fire 6](.azu5HfQ-coo_ghZxLaD338j9hkrk5_gnkntYidYptG8) NIKON 1 V3 + 1 NIKKOR VR CX 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 @ 300mm, efov 810mm, ISO 720, 1/2000, f/5.6 My objective when doing one of my ‘Find – Frame – Fire’ birds-in-flight exercises is to get the subject birds well framed in each image. Obviously due to the speed of the exercise I do have a number of missed shots. That is to be expected, and is not the least bit disappointing to me. I typically use my Nikon 1 CX 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 fully extended to 300mm (efov 810mm) for this exercise. When fully extended the CX 70-300mm has a minimum angle of view of 3-degrees which is almost identical to the Nikkor 800mm f/5.6 when shot with a full frame body. This adds to the challenge of the exercise. I will adjust the zoom focal length on my CX 70-300mm as needed to achieve desired framing. [find frame fire 7](.s9uPcT4upkJBVcWHmyK8mQnyYg3NeVS4L5UX3g9U7xM) NIKON 1 V3 + 1 NIKKOR VR CX 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 @ 300mm, efov 810mm, ISO 180, 1/2000, f/5.6 Using the Eastport Drive nesting areas adjacent to Hamilton harbor during strong winds works well for a couple of reasons. In terms of the gulls, the winds force the gulls to attempt to hover in mid-air as they try to negotiate landing by their nests. While the winds tend to impede the forward motion of the gulls, it creates the need for them to make quite rapid and sizeable vertical movements to get down to their nests. Panning with a subject making rapid vertical movements is not something that I get to practice very often, which makes the gulls ideal subjects. [find frame fire 8](.rYF6aauIbO9CN5je-NUzCMgHJ1eN56xiasMIV71Gwpw) NIKON 1 V3 + 1 NIKKOR VR CX 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 @ 240.6mm, efov 649.6mm, ISO 250, 1/2000, f/5.6 The strong winds also affects the flying behaviour of the cormorants. As they approach their nests from upwind, the winds make it impossible for them to land safely so they purposely overshoot their nests, then do a U-turn and fly back into the wind. When the wind is coming from the southwest (this is common when we get stormy weather) the cormorants will bank to the left and go further out over the harbour if they are nesting on the peninsula. These birds end up being too far away to make good subjects for my birds-in-flight exercise. [find frame fire 9](.ZzMw40_1_DD9wUW5oPxzCVpk7IbF2dG-8UlNW9cE2Bc) NIKON 1 V3 + 1 NIKKOR VR CX 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 @ 162.4mm, efov 438.5mm, ISO 500, 1/2000, f/5.6 Birds that are nesting in the trees that are adjacent to Eastport Drive will bank to the right when they do their U-turn. They will then fly much closer into the shoreline, using the trees as a windbreak as they fly back towards their nests. This brings them much closer to shore than usual, making them ideal birds-in-flight practice subjects. [find frame fire 11](.ao4ooKHKIAZ9qMsrf8XBOHpOqHOX9COLoRFyvAUQu1g) NIKON 1 V3 + 1 NIKKOR VR CX 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 @ 272.4mm, efov 735.5mm, ISO 900, 1/2000, f/6.3 During the morning practice exercise I often I had three to seven birds approaching at the same time, using this close-to-shore flight path. Depending on the configuration of the approaching flight group I needed to quickly decide if I was going to take a series of single shots of the same bird as it approached, or photograph individual birds, picking them off one by one. [find frame fire 12](.he-JCdw1QOCbAoG7fqABP8FivaQ-RU2Aev620P6Uil4) NIKON 1 V3 + 1 NIKKOR VR CX 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 @ 300mm, efov 810mm, ISO 720, 1/2000, f/5.6 I would normally begin shooting when an individual cormorant filled about 35% to 40% of the width of the frame. My ultimate goal was to get the framing of the individual birds so tight that I could just get their length to fit inside the image frame as in the image above, and allow for a bit of breathing room at its beak and at its tail if possible. I also took a number of images where I purposely shot in very tight and had the [image bleed](.kBXmPF_Lw1o3nmXr90L82dGAWJCvl0XmvNCYcsDrtKg)off the edges of the photograph. [find frame fire 13](.Cg6LLbC3gJ6KMACJFxIpI-4ZZc6lT7DiOuxJyNVmcOc) NIKON 1 V3 + 1 NIKKOR VR CX 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 @ 194.8mm, efov 526mm, ISO 400, 1/2000, f/5.6 All of the photographs in this article are displayed 100% as captured without any cropping at all. All images were captured hand-held. I used Manual settings with my Nikon 1 V3, continuous auto-focus with subject tracking, and Auto ISO 160-3200. As is my standard practice when shooting at fast shutter speeds, VR was turned off. [find frame fire 14](.Zji4uaeYukw0_y3_CpWCXQQx4568iHwRLn8hjdX9LE8) NIKON 1 V3 + 1 NIKKOR VR CX 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 @ 159.8mm, efov 431.5mm, ISO 640, 1/2000, f/5.6 If you enjoy photographing birds-in-flight and would like to improve your skills with a fun and challenging exercise, trying my ‘Find – Frame -Fire’ approach may be an interesting experiment. Technical Note: All images in this article were produced from RAW files using my standard process of DxO OpticsPro 11, CS6 and the Nik Collection. Article and all images are Copyright 2017 Thomas Stirr. All rights reserved. No use, duplication or reproduction of any kind including electronic or digital is allowed without written permission. Photography Life is the only approved user of this article. If you see it reproduced anywhere else it is an unauthorized and illegal use. Readers who call out offending websites that steal intellectual property by posting comments on those offending websites are always appreciated! The post [Birds-in-Flight Practice Exercise: Find – Frame – Fire!](.A6BJMo7yOUnOEpQNr6tD_8m37Fq2BFehXvET4ospUVQ) appeared first on [Photography Life](.KkOP7koXGnC10sDzlxpikKrYyVB0EL_ftLqA_H8R2Vk). Photography Techniques, Birds in Flight, Nikon 1 V3 • 2017-06-16 • Thomas Stirr [The Most Desired Future Nikon Lenses](.G_poTMCR8yakJ2FrOXdoY_dbMSxIg29lV0rw-XpPtrY) One topic that many of us Nikon shooters often discuss between each other in local groups, online forums and various photography clubs, is lenses that we wish Nikon had. Sometimes a desired lens comes from our experience from using a lens from another brand, sometimes it is something that does not exist, but we wish existed to make our photography easier, more fun, etc. While Nikon has been doing a great job filling in the holes during the last several years, there are still plenty of lenses that Nikon should update or have in its arsenal. In this article, I will go over the most desired future Nikon lenses, the ones that have not been released yet, but I really wish to see come to life soon. I guess you can also call the below a “wishlist” of unannounced Nikon lenses. [Nikon Lens Wishlist] 1) DX / APS-C Lenses I will first start out with DX / APS-C lenses. I am not sure if Nikon is planning to keep its DX line in the future or not, since it has clearly failed to make a solid line-up of attractive DX lenses and has instead chosen to concentrate on bigger and heavier FX glass. If we look at what Fuji has done with its X-series lenses, it is clear that Nikon has been missing a lot of opportunities to make DX an attractive platform, especially for those who do not want to move up to FX in the future. Because of this, I have been rather pessimistic about [Nikon’s DX future](.WGxNq-gX3cYjuFMBy0JD9PTDepywRnuOiKOlBaeIu7o). Still, Nikon continues to release and sell DX cameras and there are still far more people buying DX than FX today. So if Nikon wants to keep its DX line alive and keep its DX shooters from switching to mirrorless, it should work on releasing more attractive glass that is designed specifically for the smaller sensor. It is a known fact that the current DX lens lineup is weak. Aside from a couple of solid zoom choices like the [Nikon 16-80mm f/2.8-4E DX VR](.ApNqdHFyXrW9gasx9nuUIiB2_7vwOnJELTozWFBPaY0) and a few outdated primes, there is really nothing else to be proud of. The [17-55mm f/2.8G](.LEmXOtLj_9PycDkJcoJZvmfxfjZR2F0jbUfC9saBj0w) was excellent back in its days, but it desperately needs an update. Without a doubt, DX users need more great primes and better zooms! - Ultra-Wide Angle DX Primes: Aside from the [Fisheye 10.5mm f/2.8G](.aTh0lutfMTiHIg6yK468YGrEos17rN9sckXCRWP4q7Y), Nikon has no ultra-wide angle lenses for DX shooters. Why not release something like 10mm f/2.8 DX, 12mm f/2.8 DX and 14mm f/2.8 DX? Make them cheap, make them good optically and people will buy them. Since it does not look like Nikon is going to add in-body image stabilization to its DX cameras, VR would be a bonus. - Wide-Angle DX Primes: Add 16mm f/2.8 DX and 18mm f/2 DX to the list of affordable primes. - Nikon 23mm f/1.4E DX VR: A small, pro-grade 23mm f/1.4 DX lens would be great. 35mm is a focal length of choice for many photographers, so this lens would fit the bill perfectly, especially if its made to be small and reasonably light. Fuji has made an excellent 23mm f/1.4 lens, so hopefully Nikon can design something similar. - Nikon 23mm f/2E DX VR: A budget-friendly version of the above lens. A 23mm f/2.8 pancake would be sweet as well. - Nikon 35mm f/1.4E DX VR: We already have a budget-friendly 35mm f/1.8G DX, so why not make a pro-grade version of it specifically designed for DX? - Nikon 50mm f/1.4E DX VR: Whether it is a 50mm f/1.4 DX or a 56mm f/1.4 DX does not matter, as long as it is light and has great bokeh for portraits. If Nikon can make an f/1.2 lens like Fuji has done with its 56mm f/1.2, it would be even better, but it will probably be too expensive. A budget-friendly f/1.8E version would be a good idea as well. - Super Telephoto DX Primes: The Nikon D500 is a very popular camera, so why not make super telephoto lenses specifically for those who want to shoot wildlife with DX and want to stay light? I would love to see 300mm f/2.8, 400mm f/4 and 500mm f/4 DX primes that are inexpensive. Imagine a D500 + 500mm f/4 VR DX kit that gives a 750mm equivalent field of view. Slap on a 1.4x TC and you have an ultimate super telephoto setup. - The DX Trinity: Ultimately, it would be great if Nikon could develop equivalents of Nikon 14-24mm, 24-70mm and 70-200mm lenses for the DX sensor. So a new “DX Trinity” with a Nikon 10-16mm f/2.8E DX VR, 16-50mm f/2.8E DX VR and 50-150mm f/2.8E VR DX would be ideal. These obviously won’t be cheap lenses to make, but Nikon should not price them higher than $900-$1,200. If Nikon ever decides to go mirrorless, it might start off by making cameras with APS-C sensors first, like Canon has done with its EOS M line. And if that’s the case, then I really hope the company will start with a solid line-up of prime and zoom lenses optimized specifically for APS-C sensors. 2) FX Lenses Nikon has a number of FX lenses that need to be updated as soon as possible. There are also many lenses that would be nice to add – from wide angle lenses, to super telephoto. - Nikon 14mm f/2.8E: Time to update the classic. It should be small like its predecessor, relatively lightweight and very sharp on high-resolution cameras. Slap on Nano Crystal Coat, fluorine coating and a weather-resistant design and it will be a very attractive lens for many. - Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8E VR: The Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8E VR and 70-200mm f/2.8E VR are already out, so it is time to update the classic with an electronic diaphragm and all the latest coating technologies. - Nikon 16-35mm f/2.8E VR: This can be either a 16-35mm or a 17-35mm lens for pros that need the quality and durability of a pro-grade lens. It will be heavy and it will be superb optically. Nano coated glass, fluorine coating, aspherical elements, rear focus with a protective rear element that is easy to clean. Unlike the 14-24mm, it should be able to take filters. Landscape photographers will drool over this lens. - Nikon 24mm f/2.8 PC-E: Yes, the new [19mm f/4E PC](.S4NDW8wZnRFTWqxzoBNK0y253b-l39-YTeGIu97fcyk) is excellent, but the old 24mm f/3.5 desperately needs an update. It is too soft on modern high-resolution cameras and Nikon needs to design it the same way as the 19mm f/4E PC, so that it has the same rotating capabilities. - Nikon 40mm f/2.8 Pancake: Canon has had its 40mm pancake for a while now, so why not make a cheap equivalent? - Nikon 50mm f/1.4E VR: The current 50mm f/1.4G is too weak optically, especially on the modern high resolution cameras. It is time for Nikon to bring 50mm back to life, with a pro-grade 50mm f/1.4 lens that performs well wide open. Yes, it will be heavy, sharp and expensive, and its bokeh will be beautiful. Add VR to it and it will hit the spot. - Nikon 24-70mm f/4E VR: Canon has had its EF 24-70mm f/4L IS model for a while and it is time for Nikon to respond. We need a cheaper version of the 24-70mm f/2.8E VR, which will have excellent sharpness wide open, with the latest generation VR on top. Or perhaps Nikon can find a way to make the 24-120mm f/4 sharper, especially towards the telephoto range. If we have to lose some focal length, so be it. How about a Nikon 20-100mm f/4E VR instead? That would be my ultimate landscape lens. - Nikon 85mm f/1.4E VR: The classic 85mm f/1.4G is excellent, but Nikon can do better. Add VR and all the latest coating technologies and make the new one optically superior, so that it can be sharp wide open on high-resolution sensors. - Nikon 135mm f/1.8E VR: The new [Nikon 105mm f/1.4E](.vpw-oRXsTALSWlsXhkUlBIRAHJBzqdyHGcLjyISOJcI) is absolutely insane. Why not update the classic 135mm f/2D with an f/1.8 version so that it can compete with the new Sigma 135mm f/1.8 Art? - Nikon 200mm f/2E FL VR: Nikon has not updated its bokeh king, the 200mm f/2 for a long time now. It is time to push an update with fluorite glass, latest-generation VR and new coatings. - Nikon 200mm f/2.8E VR: Speaking of the 200mm f/2E, why not make a smaller f/2.8 version that does not cost an arm and a leg? It would be twice lighter and insanely sharp, reasonably priced. - Nikon 200mm f/4E VR Macro: This would be a macro lens that is insanely sharp, with VR for those of us that like to get close without having to physically get close. - Nikon 200-400mm f/4E FL VR + 1.4x TC: Time to update the 200-400mm and make it lighter, so that it looks as good as all the new FL versions. To compete with Canon’s 200-400mm, it would be a good idea to include a built-in teleconverter that is optimized for the lens. - Nikon 400mm f/5.6E PF VR: Now that the Nikon 300mm f/4E PF VR is out, why not make a 400mm PF version? If it is going to be close to the 300mm f/4E PF’s size, it will be an amazing lens for birding, especially once a 1.4x TC is attached! Hopefully Nikon does not price it above $2,000. What lenses do you wish Nikon made or updated in the next few years? What is your most desired lens from the above? Please let me know in the comments section below! The post [The Most Desired Future Nikon Lenses](.6jf-ykeCUU9R-Z4BDAR5pVl-o7_r4TJeJI7aPkoJXL8) appeared first on [Photography Life](.m4cIPPk7UrHQslEmQ1Dr2wdPZKtcOhKx6fNW1_a0g3g). Cameras and Lenses, Lenses, Nikon, Nikon Lens • 2017-06-15 • Nasim Mansurov [Is 10 Gbit Ethernet Viable for Photography Needs?](.HNi5QmZlmxEntTAlKXMwoWrnRHWwmsI_9HpWppfZeQI) Over the past few months, I have been testing the new generation NAS storage array devices with 10 Gigabit (Gbit) network interfaces to see how they perform when compared to 1 Gbit network. While I am pretty happy with a standard 1 Gbit NAS setup for photo storage, any time I have to deal with stacking large panoramas, saving large TIFF files with several layers in Photoshop or doing any video work, my performance starts to go down the drain due to the 1 Gbit network bottleneck. As a result, whenever I deal with such projects, I have been using my local SSD storage for working on files and after I am done, transferring images and video back to the NAS storage for future access. So when I found out about 10 Gbit options on new storage arrays from QNAP and Synology, I decided to try them out in a productive environment. In this article, I will go over my current 10 Gbit Ethernet setup with a QNAP TVS-882T and compare its throughput to 1 Gbit setup when copying both RAW images and video, then list out the costs associated with implementing 10 Gbit Ethernet to see if is a viable solution for working professionals. 1) The Pros and Cons of 10 Gbit Ethernet As I have already pointed out in my [Storage Considerations for Photography](.oD2nunoFaDy0T29X6m2wDoXj_AoXYnDoeO6jUP8kOXQ) article, one of the biggest benefits of a Direct-Attached Storage (DAS) compared to Network-Attached Storage (NAS) is performance. Since DAS does not have the same latency and network throughput issues as NAS, as long as DAS is connected over a fast interface such as Thunderbolt or USB 3.1, one can get incredible read and write speeds. However, a DAS does not work well for a multi-user setup and does not provide all the benefits of a dedicated NAS, so those of us who need those features or have to work in multi-user environments have no other option but to go for a NAS, which is where we hit the network bottleneck. That’s where 10 Gbit Ethernet (10 GbE) comes to the rescue. Compared to 1 GbE, 10 GbE has 10 times the network throughput potential, so it is as fast as USB 3.1 and first generation Thunderbolt, which is 1250 MB (megabytes) per second of throughput compared to 125 MB/sec limit of 1 GbE! That’s a lot of data one could move from a storage unit, so high performance is the prime advantage of 10 GbE. With the growth in popularity of 10 Gigabit Ethernet (10 GbE) solutions based on SFP+ (optical fiber) or RJ45 (copper), we are now seeing this technology (which was once only available for large enterprises) becoming more widely available for small to medium-size businesses at much lower costs than before, and with time, the technology will eventually make it to consumer-grade products, desktop PCs and laptops as well. While one might think that they would be an early adopter of 10 GbE, that is certainly not the case – 10 GbE has been already available for many years and it has been thoroughly tested to work in enterprise environments, so there are no concerns about its future or its reliability. However, due to lack of consumer-grade 10 GbE solutions on the market at the moment, implementing a 10 GbE network is still cost-prohibitive (as pointed out further down in this article), so its use is going to be currently limited to larger photography businesses that require shared storage for a multi-user environment. 2) 10 GbE vs 1 GbE Performance Comparison While 10 GbE should be able to yield up to 1250 MB/sec throughput on paper, that number is practically impossible to reach due to a number of different factors. Transferring one large file is going to take less time than transferring many small files, because sequential read and write operations are always going to be faster. Therefore, in order to assess the potential of 10 GbE in a more realistic environment, we have to test transfer of both RAW and JPEG images, along with a separate transfer of large video files. Let’s first take a look at the comparison of 10 GbE vs 1 GbE when transferring different images. For this test, I took a sample Photo folder containing a total of 688 files (a mix of RAW, JPEG, TIFF and XMP files), roughly 13.5 GB in size and copied the files 3 times to a NAS device (write operation) in order to yield the best transfer time. I used the “robocopy” tool to do this, since it shows the total amount of time it takes for the files to get transferred: [Robocopy 10 GbE Transfer]Robocopy file copy over 10 GbE[Robocopy 1 GbE Transfer]Robocopy file copy over 1 GbE As you can see, the difference between 10 GbE and 1 GbE is pretty big, but not 10 times big. At its best, it took 33 seconds to transfer a total of 13.5 GB over 10 GbE (roughly 427 MB/sec), whereas the same amount of data was transferred over 1 GbE in 139 seconds (roughly 104 MB/sec). Still, that’s about 4.2x the amount of time you would be saving by transferring images over 10 Gigabit network. Let’s now take a look at the performance differences using CrystalDiskMark: [QNAP TVS-882T Read and Write Performance](.01Uo2GlFZuQ74qhhjZnraXNpTPFIO90iO7CfR8V9WN0) Read and Write Performance Over 10 GbE[Read and Write Performance 1GbE](.FZObAE4F7NdsbPbJQdRdDWKK9zOlXS9q3q_iho7XZYA) Read and Write Performance Over 1GbE For this test, I ran CrystalDiskMark three times on each interface and measured the results, then took the best result out of the three. As you can see, we can see a different picture here. We are talking about up to 1166 MB/sec read and up to 733 MB/sec write performance compared to a maximum of 118.4 MB/sec read and write time. We can see that in the second test, the bottleneck was the network, which explains why both read and write numbers never went past 118.4 MB/sec. That’s a pretty incredible difference between the two. For sequential reads, that’s roughly 10x difference in performance, whereas for sequential writes, it will depend on the maximum write speed your NAS can deliver. In this particular case, I saw a 6.2x difference, which is still huge. So depending on the workload and what you are trying to transfer, expect to see anywhere from 4 to 10 times the performance when copying files over 10 GbE compared to 1 GbE. That’s a significant difference in performance. 3) The Cost of Implementing 10 GbE vs 1 GbE Let’s take a look at how much money one would need to invest in a 10 GbE network infrastructure when compared to 1 GbE. Since most people are al