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This image of a pair of great blue herons at their nest convinced me that there really is something to phonescoping. I was shocked at the quality of the image—and it is so much fun to view the subject on the phone screen while it is attached to my scope. I am a professional photographer, but I’ve not used my camera for the past 8 months. It makes me laugh!
This was an early attempt at Phonescoping. I really could not believe the quality and never realized how much more fun it is to view the subject on the phone screen while the phone is attached to my scope. I’ve not used my camera
for the past 8 months. Makes me laugh. This image of a mated pair of Great Blue Herons convinced me there
really is something to Phonescoping.
This barn owl was a lifer for me last year. It took me two days to find the pair and their nest. They were in the midst of a vast oak stand concealed by dense Spanish moss. I was lucky to find a small clearing that allowed me to use the hanging moss as a blind for a clean shot. Owls are my favorites. I keep my Kowa 1.6 extender on when phonescoping and keep the zoom at 25X.
This was a lifer for me last year. A pair of barn owls nested in the cavity of a 55 gallon plastic barrel cut in half. It took me 2 days to find them. They were in the midst of a vast oak tree plot with dense hanging Spanish moss. I got very lucky to find a small clearing between the moss for a clean shot. Owls are my favorites. Quality from an iPhone 6S+ is surprisingly good. I keep my Kowa 1.6 extender on my spotting scope when phonescoping, and keep the zoom at 25X.
This smooth-billed ani caused quite a stir this year near my home in Daytona Beach. It was far from its home for several weeks, but quite obliging to birders! Another lifer for me! I love the detail and clarity I get when photographing through my Kowa 883 scope.
This smooth-billed ani caused quite a stir this year near my home in Daytona Beach. He was way out of his southern territory but was quite obliging for several weeks. I just love the detail and clarity I get with my Kowa 883 scope. Another lifer for me!
Green Heron
One of the greatest joys I get from phonescoping is sharing the view with others while my phone is attached to my Kowa 883 scope. It is so much fun watching the faces of little kids light up when you show them a bird on the phone screen. Brings a smile to their parents for that matter. Kowa makes a small selection of adapters for the latest phones to fit their scopes but universal adapters such as Novagrade are available to fit any phone to any scope and work well.
Phonescoping is a convenient way to combine birding and photography. It is a quick way to document species that were viewed only briefly. My birding companions didn't get a long look at this green heron, but they got a great look at it on my phone while it was attached to my scope—seconds after the bird disappeared.
Phonescoping is the ideal way to combine birding and photography, two pursuits that often conflict with each other. It is a quick way to document and even create beautiful bird imagery when out on birding ventures with others. Birding groups are often appreciative when catching a glimpse such as this green heron on the back of my phone while attached to my scope.
Sometimes I like to convert my color photos to black and white. It reduces the photo to pure substance and texture. The detail my phone and the Kowa 883 scope provide amazes me. This red-shouldered hawk sat patiently for a slew of portraits. These regal birds are plentiful here in Florida, but they still take my breath away.
I often like to convert my color photos to black and white. It reduces the photo to pure substance and texture. The detail my phone and Kowa 883 scope provide still amazes me. This red-shouldered hawk sat patiently while I captured some images. Such beautiful birds and plentiful here in Florida.
Just some double-crested cormorants hanging out on a warm, spring day at Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. I'm picky about the quality of my photos, so I rarely use the the digital zoom capabilities of my iPhone 6S Plus for serious photography. For simple bird watching through the phone on the scope, though, I crank up the digital zoom without degradation. This provides amazing focal lengths when combined with the zoom on the scope. It's a great way to get great looks at birds that are very far away.
Just some cormorants hanging out one warm spring day at Merritt Island. You can’t use too much of the digital zoom on my iPhone 6S plus to photograph with but for viewing you can use the digital zoom all the way without degradation. This provides amazing focal lengths combined with the zoom on your scope allowing for great looks at birds very far away.
Great-horned owl
A phone attached to my scope allows me to capture wonderful images even at dusk. The light gathering quality of a scope and the latitude of a phone image make it rather easy to get images like this great horned owl guarding her chicks a few months ago in south Florida at dusk. The ease of Phonescoping and it’s ability to help me demonstrate Digiscoping and scopes is the big advantage to me.
Since I live in central Florida, it would be wrong for me not to include a phonescoped shot of a roseate spoonbill. To avoid shaking my rig, I use a bluetooth shutter release. I like the one made by Phoneskope, but there are others. I also use a Hoodman magnifying loupe to check critical focus. By holding both devices in my left hand and focusing my scope with my right I am able increase my "keeper ratio" tremendously. It just takes a little practice.
It would just be wrong for me not to include a Phonescoped image of a roseate spoonbill living here in Central Florida. I always use a bluetooth shutter release When Phonescoping. I like the one made by Phoneskope. I also use a Hoodman magnifying loupe to check critical focus. By holding both in my left hand and focusing my scope with the left I am able increase my keeper ratio tremendously. Just takes a little practice.
Mississippi kites are such cool birds. Last summer we heard about an invasion of grasshoppers that was attracting close to a hundred Mississippi kites to a neighborhood a few hours from our house. We rushed over and, sure enough, there they were! I began shooting them with my camera, but the battery soon died. Good thing I had my phone and my Kowa spotting scope—I was able to continue shooting the entire afternoon. It was an unforgettable experience, but I'm glad I have a great collection of photos to help me remember it.
Such cool birds. We heard about an invasion of grasshoppers at a sub division a few hours from our house that was attracting close to a hundred Mississippi kites last summer. We rushed over and sure enough there they were! I was using my camera but the battery soon died. Thankfully I had my phone and was able to continue shooting the entire
afternoon.
How about the golden, morning light on this American bittern? All of these phonescoped images bring a smile to my face and joy to my heart. While the phone's sensors are small, and the images can’t be enlarged as much as when shooting with a camera set on super fine, phonescoping has allowed me to continue my lifelong passion for photography. That passion has spread to watching birds and documenting their fascinating behavior.
All of these Phonescoped images bring a smile to my face and joy to my heart. While the phone sensors are very small and the images can’t be enlarged to much when printed Phonescoping has allowed me continue my life long passion for photography and has made it much more fun for learning birds and their behaviors. An American bittern in glorious morning light.
Buddha bird! Who knew great blue herons were into meditation?! This is just another example of how a spotting scope allows a birder to observe their quarry— undisturbed—from a great distance. This guy never knew I was there. Attach your phone and come away with a beautiful photograph. It is just that easy.
Bhudda bird. Just another example of how scoping gives you the benefit of being much further away from wildlife, allowing you to capture much more natural behaviors. This guy never knew I was there. Attach your phone and come away with a beautiful photograph. It is just that easy.
This phonescoped image of a black-crowned night-heron is a perfect example of the quality possible from attaching a phone to a scope. The scene had a lot of contrasting light and dark, but the iPhone 6S Plus and my Kowa 883 scope handled the difficulty of this situation like a champ. Shadow details are maintained while holding detail in the highlights. I am a professional photographer, and I am impressed—thrilled—with this technology.
This Phonescoped image of a black-crowned night heron is a perfect example of the quality possible when attaching a phone to a scope. It was a very contrasty scene but the iPhone 6S plus and my Kowa 883 scope handled the difficulty of this situation like a champ. Shadow details are maintained while still holding detail in the highlights. For those of you still wary of phone cameras, give it a shot. You’ll be pleasantly surprised.
Just a quick shot of a house finch I spotted outside the window while working at an optics show at New Jersey's Cape May Bird Observatory last month. Cape May and Magee Marsh (in northwestern Ohio) are two of my favorite places for phonescoping.