X-T10 … Testing Continues: Wildlife … Kinda

Saturday, 1 August 2015
Deer Crossing RV Park — San Patricio, New Mexico
Temps: Hi 86F (30C) / Lo 64F (18C)

As most of you know, I am a mixed-subject photographer … landscape, cityscape, art, museum exhibits, wildlife, and more.  I’ve petty much decided I like the results the Fuji X-T10 gave me for museum photos, so I have moved on to more testing in other fields.

Wildlife photography usually requires a long lens.  Equally important — or perhaps even more so — is the speed of the camera/lens combo.  A DSLR is perfect for wildlife photography — especially when animals are in motion.  How will the X-T10 perform was the question on my mind?

Today I attached the 55-200mm lens and went out to find out … my models were the black-chinned hummingbirds that visit our neighbors’ site and some horses on the other side of the fence at Deer Crossing.  The sky clouded over with storm clouds by the time I got around to the horses, but I wasn’t testing color, so it didn’t matter that the light wasn’t great for today’s testing purposes.

Photobombed!

Overall, I am pleased with the results — especially considering this was a first-effort to photograph animals.  The hummers were buzzing about, and the horses were a-twitching, trying to get some relief from the swarming black flies.  I have a sense now of what kind of results I can get with the X-T10 when I’m around wildlife … and even improve upon them as I become more familiar with this new camera system.

© 2004-2015 Two to Travel's Phaeton Journeys.  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED by ERIN ERKUN.

Exploring the Vicinity Small Communities

Wednesday, 22 July 2015
Deer Crossing RV Park — San Patricio, New Mexico
Temps: Hi 88F (31C) / Lo 61F (16C)

If there is one thing we can count on here, it’s afternoon rain … sometimes falling gently; more often as downpours accompanied by boomers and lightning.  Either way, combine the wet stuff with quickly rising temps that feel hotter than what the thermometer is showing and you have conditions that don’t invite me to be out and about!

House Sparrow

I can deal with rain, but I’m a wimp when it comes to hot temps.  With that in mind, we decided to do just a ½-day outing today and check out some of the places our Google search uncovered in the immediate area.  Oddly, none of these sites were mentioned by the Visitor Center.  But that’s a good thing as it means fewer people exploring those places.  I like having such sites to myself ;-)

Our Quiet Spot in Billy the Kid Country

Friday, 17 July 2015
Deer Crossing RV Park — San Patricio, New Mexico
Temps: Hi 89F (32C) / Lo 63F (17C)

A few more days and it will be a week since we left Santa Fe and arrived in San Patricio, New Mexico — a tiny little community in the central region of the state.  No one recognizes it when I mention the name, but if I say we’re between Roswell and Ruidoso — closer to the latter than the former — than the light bulb goes on … heh, heh, heh ;-)

Rufous Hummingbird

Considering we haven’t done much, hard to believe the time has flown by so quickly and we’re already down to about three weeks left in our stay here.  After finally catching up on my Santa Fe posts, I thought I’d do a post to introduce you to our home through the first part of August.  Glad we came this year as the property is for sale and might not be around next season.