{"id":90071,"date":"2024-04-20T05:37:48","date_gmt":"2024-04-20T09:37:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.birdsasart-blog.com\/?p=90071"},"modified":"2025-03-07T10:28:42","modified_gmt":"2025-03-07T14:28:42","slug":"canon-shooter-kevin-hice-is-one-smart-tough-hardworking-determined-guy-and-one-fine-photographer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.birdsasart-blog.com\/baa\/2024\/04\/20\/canon-shooter-kevin-hice-is-one-smart-tough-hardworking-determined-guy-and-one-fine-photographer\/","title":{"rendered":"Canon Shooter Kevin Hice is One Smart, Tough, Hardworking, Determined Guy and One Fine Photographer"},"content":{"rendered":"

Supporting My Efforts Here<\/h3>\n

If you enjoy and learn from the blog, please consider using one of my affiliate links when purchasing new gear. To support my effort here, please order from B&H by beginning your search here.<\/a> Or, click here<\/a> to order from Bedfords and enter the discount code BIRDSASART at checkout to receive 3% cash back to your credit card and enjoy free Second-Day Air Fed-Ex shipping. It is always best to write for advice via e-mail<\/a><\/center>.<\/p>\n

In many cases, I can help you save some serious dollars. <\/p>\n

What’s Up?<\/h3>\n

It is 6:30pm on Friday 19 April 2024 as I type. It is cold and very windy. We are headed out to position the blinds as that would be impossible to do in the dark tomorrow morning. The wind is supposed to finally abate tonight (good) but it is supposed to be 24\u00b0 F in the morning (bad). We got all three blinds in place and were headed back to Kevin’s place exactly at 9:00pm as Kevin had planned. We said blessings over the blinds hoping that they would not blow away before morning ,,, <\/p>\n

Before that, again thanks to the high winds, Friday was another day of Photoshop, of rest, and of too much eating. <\/p>\n

Today is Saturday 20 April 2014. We’ll be leaving for two of Kevin’s local sharp-tailed leks at 5:30am. I gotta get to bed soon. Whatever you are doing today, I hope that you too opt to have fun.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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This image was created on 8 May 2020 in North Dakota by good friend and multiple IPT veteran Kevin Hice. He used the tripod-mounted Canon 500mm f\/4L IS II lens, a 1.4X III TC, and the Canon EOS-1D X Mark III. Evaluative metering +0.7 stop in Aperture Priority (AV mode). ISO 1600: 1\/2500 sec. at f\/7.1.<\/p>\n

Be sure to click on the image to see a larger and sharper high res version. <\/p>\n

Image #1: White-faced Ibis in breeding plumage
\nImage courtesy of and copyright 2020: Kevin Hice\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n

Kevin Hice<\/h3>\n

Kevin was born in Cincinnati, OH in 1954. He spent most of his time in the woods and by the creeks near his home, searching for box turtles and salamanders. He thought about photographing nature in his late thirties but with not wanting to have to deal with film and having kids to take care of, his interest was postponed. When I did a seminar for the Photographic Society of Chattanooga, Kevin attended and was smitten. He bought a Canon 300mm f\/2.8 and a 5D Mark II and was off to the races. He had signed up for a SW Florida IPT soon afterwards, but a huge ice storm in Atlanta put the kibosh on those plans. He says, ” I would have gotten a lot better a lot faster if I had made that one. He attended a Homer IPT in 2022 — created more than 25,000 images during a single morning session. He often recommends that his Canon friends purchase my EOS R5\/R6 Camera Users Guide<\/a> but they always respond, “What do I need that for?” He credits me with finally learning to expose far to the right and thus greatly reducing noise. Kevin has been a member of Bird Photographer’s.Net<\/a> since 2013. To this day, he posts often in BPN’s Avian Forum<\/a>. At first he was intimidated, but persevered and received tons of advice, especially with Photoshop. He singles out Andreas Liedmann of Dortmund, Germany as having been exceedingly helpful. Kevin says, ‘Had I not joined BPN, it would have taken me many more years more to get to where I am today.” <\/p>\n

Kevin has lived in Ohio, Indiana, Nebraska, North Dakota, and California. He has enjoyed two distinctly different careers: he was a welder (in a nuclear power plant!) for a decade and followed that up with 30 years as a nurserymen. Now retired, Kevin is a world class falconer who hunts his two gyr\/Peregrine hybrids with his sleek and beautiful English Pointer Sage. You have never seen a dog run as fast or as far as Sage. He is now living with His significant other, Colleen, Parrill in Washburn, ND. They will be moving to a beautiful new home on a spacious natural lot outside of Indianapolis Indiana. <\/p>\n

All are invited to leave a comment on the quality of Kevin’s images. Please let him know which of his images you like best and why you like them. <\/p>\n

Nothing for Me …<\/h3>\n

I am especially envious of Image #1 because I have nothing at all on breeding plumage Glossy Ibis, the eastern conspecific species of white-faced. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
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This image was created on 12 November 2020 in Badlands National Park, South Dakota by good friend and multiple IPT veteran Kevin Hice. He used the tripod-mounted Canon 500mm f\/4L IS II lens, a 1.4X III TC, and the Canon EOS-1D X Mark III. Evaluative metering +0.7 stop in Aperture Priority (AV mode). ISO 6400: 1\/640 sec. at f\/7.1.<\/p>\n

Be sure to click on the image to see a larger and sharper high res version. <\/p>\n

Image #2: Bighorn Sheep ram (flehmen response)
\nImage courtesy of and copyright 2020: Kevin Hice\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n

Flehmen Response<\/h3>\n

Flehmen Response: (from German flehmen, to bare the upper teeth, and Upper Saxon German flemmen, to look spiteful), also called the flehmen position, flehmen reaction, flehmen grimace, flehming, or flehmening, is a behavior in which an animal curls back its upper lip exposing its front teeth, inhales with the nostrils usually closed, and then often holds this position for several seconds. The primary function of the flehmen response is intra-species communication. By transferring air containing pheromones and other scents to the vomeronasal organ (VNO), an olfactory-chemosensory organ located between the roof of the mouth and the palate, animals can gather chemical “messages”. <\/p>\n

What’s Not to Like?<\/h3>\n

I love the ram’s attitude and the lovely clean background. If I remember, Kevin got lost of help in BPN’s Wildlife Forum when optimizing this one. It turned out great.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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This image was created on 9 April 2012 in the Nebraska Sandhills by good friend and multiple IPT veteran Kevin Hice. He used the tripod-mounted Canon 500mm f\/4L IS II lens, a 1.4X III TC, and the Canon EOS-1D X Mark III. Evaluative metering +0.7 stop in Aperture Priority (AV mode). ISO 1600: 1\/3200 sec. at f\/7.1.<\/p>\n

Be sure to click on the image to see a larger and sharper high res version. <\/p>\n

Image #3: Greater Prairie Chickens fighting on lek
\nImage courtesy of and copyright 2021: Kevin Hice\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n

Addicted<\/h3>\n

Kevin has long been addicted to game birds, the prairie chickens and the Sharp-tailed Grouse. He lusts for a decent Sage Grouse lek. He routinely arises way too early even for me in order to get in a blind to photograph his favorite subjects at least 45 minutes before sunrise. He is good at what he does and I will be forever thankful for his invite as the Greater Prairie Chickens were a first for me and tomorrow should be my first time with the sharp-taileds (if our blinds do not blow away overnight …)<\/p>\n

Thanks, Kevin. And we still have almost a week to go!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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This image was created on 28 July 2022 in Haines, AK by good friend and multiple IPT veteran Kevin Hice. He used the tripod-mounted Canon RF 600mm f\/4 L IS USM lens<\/a> and the Canon EOS R3 Mirrorless Camera<\/a>. ISO 3200: 1\/\/2500 sec. at f\/6.3 in Manual mode.<\/p>\n

Be sure to click on the image to see a larger and sharper high res version. <\/p>\n

Image #4: Trumpeter Swan pair
\nImage courtesy of and copyright 2022: Kevin Hice\n