Wild Things 4k Blu Ray

[Narcisa Flierl]

WildThings of Wyoming provides ecotourism tours and safaris in Grand Teton National Park and Yellowstone National Park that focus on the wildlife, history, geology, geothermal phenomena, and photogenic opportunities within these National Parks. Wildlife watching, wildlife safaris, yellowstone safaris, photography safaris, speaking engagements, astronomy nights, and kid's programs are all within the umbrella of Wild Things of Wyoming. We also author a series of field guides including \"The Field Guide to Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks.\"

Recently, I took a trip to the Tampa area of Florida and brought the SIGMA 500mm F5.6 DG DN OS Sports lens for Sony E-mount, along with both my Sony A7R IV and Nikon Z7 II cameras. I was excited for the opportunity to photograph the local wildlife and hopefully photograph a wild alligator, so I made sure to bring two cameras just in case I needed a backup!

The Florida weather was hot and humid as usual, but my SIGMA gear was ready to stand up to the challenge. I traveled to a few wildlife preserves and was able to capture many different bird species that I have not had the opportunity to photograph in the wild (see photos below).

The SIGMA 500mm F5.6 DG DN OS Sports is incredibly compact, lightweight and sturdy which made navigating the preserves with it easy and effortless. I sometimes have fatigue after lugging around bigger lenses, especially in the heat and humidity, so this compact lens went along with me without added stress.

Once I was able to venture into the wilderness, the real challenge began. Birds and most wild things tend to not stick around when you come upon them. At times you have mere seconds to raise your camera, lock in your subject and snap some shots. Birds especially move quickly, and you need to be ready to get those shots. The autofocus performance of the 500mm was fast and accurate, all while I was shooting handheld.

I rarely, if ever, use a tripod. I find them clunky and bothersome when I am out in the field. There are situations where it may be necessary, but I simply prefer hand holding my camera and lenses whenever possible. Thankfully, the optical stabilization (OS) system of the 500mm F5.6 DG DN OS Sports makes it possible to handhold my camera no matter the challenge, whether it be low light or panning with a bird in flight. Even in the darkened, tangle of the mangroves, I still achieved crystal clear, tack sharp images that I come to expect from SIGMA lenses.

While roaming the Florida preserves, I had one particular bird in mind that I wanted to photograph: the crazy-cool-looking Roseate Spoonbill. This remarkable bird is incredibly shy and quite elusive. I searched a few different areas without much luck, only encountering one on a hiking trail, but which left as quickly as I spotted it.

Also, I rarely hike on my own in areas where we are not at the top of the food chain, as an extra set of eyes can be a lifesaver. Alligators are very stealthy, and I did not see or hear this one until I had finished photographing the Spoonbills that were on the bank of the inlet. A scary and exciting moment, to say the least. I am so incredibly thankful for a telephoto lens that not only allows me to be safe, but to get up close and personal images of these types of animals.

With the 500mm by my side, I walked the beaches of Madeira and was able to photograph Godwits, Laughing Gulls, Brown Pelicans and even water sports. The birds and people were very active along the Gulf shores, so everywhere I turned there was a photo opportunity.

One sailboat caught my eye as it sailed over the turquoise water against the bright blue sky. I just had to grab a shot. When I zoomed into the image, I was astounded by the detail I was able to capture on this fast-moving boat.

After the sailboat left my area, I noticed people on jet skis, bouncing along, hopping over waves at incredible speeds. I locked onto them and fired off a few shots before they were out of range. The 500mm F5.6 DG DN OS Sports had no issue locking on and tracking.

All in all, between the Florida weather, wildlife and people, and under all lighting conditions, the SIGMA 500mm F5.6 DG DN OS Sports quickly became my favorite lens to shoot with during this trip. Its autofocus performance, OS, compact design and weather-resistant construction made it a dream to work with and take along anywhere I roamed. I was able to take in the Florida beauty and not have to worry if my gear could keep up with me.

Martina started her journey in Professional Portrait and Nature Photography after graduating from NYIP (New York Institute of Photography) in 2000. Over the years, she has been awarded numerous merits for her work and was also one of the faces of the PPA. Her work has been regularly published and she successfully sells her portrait and nature photography. She has also been recognized as a Click Pro Master. Today, Martina lives in the beautiful Boston Hills of Western New York with her family, where she operates a photography studio and travels all over America for her nature work. In addition, she holds photography workshops and does one-on-one mentoring for those who want to further their knowledge in the photography field.

Wild Things provides a home for over 60 species of wildlife. Many of these animals are shared in our wildlife education presentations. Our hope is that through meeting these animals and hearing their stories, future generations will gain a greater appreciation for the natural world.

Maurice Sendak, who would have turned eighty-nine this Saturday, released his most famous book, Where the Wild Things Are, fifty-four years ago. The book has touched countless lives, selling over 19 million copies and inspiring adaptations on stage and in film.

When he sails across the sea of his imagination, he finds an island full of creatures named for being the very thing for which Max was punished, Wild Things. Like many children who are punished for behavioral issues, Max responds by doubling down. He imagines gaining a sense of control over the fearsome Wild Things by being the most fearsome and wildest thing of all.

He and the other Wild Things have a rumpus and all is going well until he acts out the same withholding behavior that sent him into this world in the first place. By seemingly arbitrarily cutting off their fun and sending the Wild Things to bed without supper, Max is echoing what happened to him, effectively continuing a cycle of behavior. Max, like many children we serve, is full of conflicting emotions and he reconciles them the only way he knows how, by mimicking the behavior that was modeled for him.

Reading this book several years later as an adult, I changed my mind. It seemed clear to me that Max had fallen asleep and everything that happened in the world of the wild things was actually a dream. It made more sense that he woke up when he smelled the meal his mother had brought in. In this illustration, he very much looks like a kid just waking up from a crazy dream.

The beds were pretty much the same. The kids who thought that Max was just imagining took this as a huge point in their favor, but I pointed out that he had probably fallen asleep on top of the covers. While we were talking about this possibility, one of my students noticed something that will forever change how I view and discuss this book with kids.

In the hundreds of times that I have read this book by myself, or with kids, I had never noticed that the moon was changing the whole time. It starts out as a waning crescent and ends up a full moon in the middle of the wild rumpus.

My students had a few more adjusted theories to account for the moon. One boy thought that maybe this is a recurring incident and that Max gets sent to his room without dinner all the time, and the illustrations are all from different incidents. I think that this is a pretty good theory.

However, when he left the wild things tried to stop him. They wanted him to stay and to be scary and angry. But Max was done being angry. He had worked through his emotions. Now he was ready to return back to reality and to go back home. When he got home after a long journey through the open seas he found dinner on the table in his room waiting for him.

Many ranchers are rejecting the old practice of killing large carnivores to protect livestock. Instead, they are increasingly using new technology and old methods of animal husbandry to coexist with carnivores.

But they can also be seen as a threat to livestock, and for decades government trappers have killed them in large numbers. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Wildlife Services program kills tens of thousands of native carnivores annually, often at the demand of the ranching industry. It is a battle against nature that is costly, brutal, and not very effective. Does the battle really need to be fought? Wild Things introduces audiences to progressive ranchers learning to coexist with these animals and features scientists, conservationists, and even former Wildlife Services trappers, who believe it is time for a major change in the way we treat our magnificent native carnivores.

Every year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Wildlife Services program kills thousands of wolves, bears, coyotes, and other carnivores. What possible justification could the government have for killing wildlife on the taxpayers' dime?

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