End of Another Great Season

 

 

       It's the time of year that makes me both happy and sad at the same time. It's the end of a season of incredible days spent with one of the last great migrations to be found in North America, the Sandhill Cranes are again moving north. For the past four months or so, 26,000 of these amazing birds have been here in Dayton, Tn. , where they stay each year around the Hiwassee Wildlife Refuge. Fortunate for me, I live just minutes from the refuge, and I have the privilege each year of spending nearly everyday in the fields photographing their activities. I am one very lucky guy, and smart enough to know how very special this time is each year.

 

 

 

     Like most years, our Sandhills  begin to arrive in the area around the first week of November, and they usually remain until around the first of March. Depending upon weather conditions, they may stay a bit longer or leave a few weeks earlier. Both their arrival and departure cannot be kept a secret, as they love to announce themselves with their haunting calls coming from the skies above. There's no mistaking who has just arrived, or as we are seeing this week, who has decided to leave.

 

 

     Sandhill Cranes, like many other species, mate for life. Early on in their cycle, they select a mate by performing a ritual dance, which both attracts and excites the opposite sex. It's one of those amazing sights that many of us in the area get to witness throughout the winter months. As a photographer, it's a "must have" shot that we all look forward to capturing.

 

     I have been watching  the Sandhills leaving for the past two weeks or so, but this morning I was awakened to the sound of huge flocks flying low over my house. It was as though they were buzzing my rooftop to say goodbye. It was the most wonderful alarm clock I have ever heard. It made me excited, and then I was saddened to realize this was so long for another year. I will miss these birds and the time I have spent with them. "Be safe my feathered friends, and I shall await your return."



Struggling on those Off Days

 

 

     All of us have those days when we can't resist grabbing our camera gear and heading out for a day of shooting, and we often do so without a plan. For whatever reason, we just need to get out of the house or the office and spend some quality time in the field. Unfortunately, more often than not, we return home without a camera full of great images. Either the light didn't cooperate, the wind just won't give us a break, or nature just wasn't providing us with images worth capturing. It happens to all of us no matter the skill level or the personal dedication. Simply put, "not everyday is going to be productive."

 

      Even so, the wonderful thing about photography is that it makes us work at hunting down subjects worthy of capture. For some it might be flowers in a field, and for others it might be an old rusty truck next to an old barn. It really doesn't matter what we're shooting........it only matters that we do our best to employ all of the skills we have as photographers to make the image worthy of viewing. Our job is to take what's in front of us and to make it into something special. Your camera and your skills can make that happen, and that folks is a wonderful thing. 

 

 

Finding Your Personal Style

 

 

 

 

        Every artist wants to be recognized for their individual style...... their special way of seeing the world and presenting it to others, and that's a wonderful thing for all of us. Think how boring the world would be if we all saw things the same. It's our individuality that makes life interesting, and certainly true of art.

        As a photographer, my vision of the world has been influenced by the people I have met and the exposure I've had to the world of nature. Perhaps my biggest influence has come from my love and deep appreciation for the many talented painters that I've had the privilege of exhibiting with for so many years. These folks bring us not only the world around us, but the world that lives inside of their hearts and minds. They share with all of us, through their work, a world both real and imagined.

        Like photographers, some painters are technically skilled visionaries with amazing talent, while others...... not so much. But, the real talent seems to always rise to the top, as we "feel" something when we look upon their work. It moves us into an emotional response, and it challenges us to look deeper. That's simply what really good art of any kind should do, whether it be a painting, a sculpture, or a photograph.

        As I began my own career in photography, my goal was to photograph birds in what I call a "painterly manner." I have never been interested in just producing  tight little birds shot, perhaps best for some bird ID purpose. Instead, as I look through my lens, I am trying to see a painting. I am looking to frame my subject within his chosen environment in a context that employs the basic elements of fine art composition. I'm looking for patterns, leading lines, color and contrast, spacial order, and a genuine sense of the place.  Each time I place my eye on the viewfinder, I am looking to see a painting, not just a photo.

        That, of course, is just my vision. Yours may be completely different, but no less significant. My point here is that we all want to get better at this photography thing......right? To do that, I believe, every photographer needs to look deep and decide what his or her path will be. Standing out in a crowded field is never an easy task, but it's certainly a worthy goal. My task here today is to ask all of you reading this post to extend your efforts in a way that will bring greater satisfaction to your love of photography. Develop your own style........ stop shooting what others are shooting.... make your photos originals.......test yourself......and don't get hung up on your failures. We have the ability to never stop learning, and we can make our own mark on the world. Your photographs can be a part of that. Be inspired !!!

          I'd like to hear your thoughts, and I hope you'll share this post with others.

 



 

 

Taking Control of the Viewer's Eye

 

 

 

 

        I think of myself as a photographer, and I mean a "real" photographer, as I don't just take pictures, I actually make photographs. Using all of my experience of the forty plus years in the business, I put real work into the process of creating photographic images worthy of my signature. I take genuine pride in my work, and I encourage my colleges to do the same. Real photography, as I define it, requires an artist behind the wheel or at least with his or her finger on the shutter button.

        Fine art photography is the field I have chosen, for one simple reason........ I was born an artist. I was the kid in the back of the class who did poorly on exams, but who excelled at drawing cartoons and making quick sketches of horses and flowers and whatever else my eyes could see. While others played sports and studied their favorite subjects, I spent my time pouring through art books and magazines with lots of pictures. For me, the world was made up of pictures and colors, and my heroes were the photographers and the painters who brought their world for me to see.

        Now at 70, I find  joy in bringing my images to a world much in need of some peace and joy. I hope my bird photos will slow the heartbeats of so many living in this stressful world, and perhaps inspire some of you out there to reexamine the path you may have chosen. Bird photography has given me an opportunity to see so many beautiful places, and to stay in the moment as I take in those special places. It has developed within me the ability to really see what is around me, and to find joy in so much of what nature has put right in front of me.

        In an effort capture quality images, I think about what I, as a photographer, can do to help the viewer see and experience what I have just seen. I want to bring the viewer to my vision, and then let him explore his or her own. In a photographic sense, I want to control his or her eyes to move with me through the image, and to land on what I am trying to convey. This can be done in many ways, but in the photo above I am sharing one technique I frequently employ. Using a long telephoto lens in combination with a wide open aperture, can bring about a very sharp focused subject, while rendering the background blurred. This technique puts the photographer in complete control of where the viewers eye will go. The choice has been made by me.....the photographer. I took the shot, and I have determined how it will be viewed. I have framed the shot with the subject off center, and I have slightly punched the blue in a way that your eye can't resist contact.

        As I said earlier, and as so many before me have said, "You can take a picture, but you make a photograph." Pressing the shutter button should bring pride, and with a little thought.......it will. 

 

 

Processing is now the Main Event

 

      In the world of digital photography, things are changing faster than most of us can handle. Every week it's the announcement of a new camera or new lens that seems capable of improving upon what we already have in our camera bags. Each new piece of gear seems to bring improved opportunities for making our photos better than before, as the sensors and the glass improve to bring us even closer to capturing the reality that we long to show in our photographs.

      While so many of us are focused on improving our images through purchasing better gear, older and wiser men and women are changing their focus to processing software, where the most important changes are taking place. Just as the equipment is radically improving at a record pace, so is the software that takes our images to the next level. We now can make gigantic leaps in bringing our images to a level that truly represents our vision as a photographer. Today's software can allow us to use older, less sophisticated cameras to make stunning images that match or even surpass many of today's latest cameras and lens. Professional level processing software can mean the difference between an image that gets trashed, and an image that becomes a prize winner.

      Every digital photographer needs to spend as much time learning how to use processing software as they do learning the in and outs of their gear. For me......the processing software is just as important as the gear I am using to capture my images. As a professional photographer, I spend far more time processing  my images than I do in the field taking the shots. This aspect is so important today, that many of the top photographers hire experts to handle this end of the business for them. I think many of you would be shocked to see the list of top photographers who send out their processing and printing to outside sources........it's that important.

      So.......where am I going with all of this? First, stop shooting jpegs and start shooting in Raw. These files contain far more data than your jpeg files. By shooting jpegs, you are allowing your camera to do your processing. Cameras vary greatly in their ability to process these images. Even the best cannot match what a Raw file can produce. By shooting Raw you are in charge of how your image is to be seen. That's IMPORTANT.  You are the photographer, and you need to control your images from start to finish.  It's that simple and that important to the overall process.

 

 

This image was processed using Adobe Lightroom, which is my personal favorite program. The image was shot in Raw with a Canon 5D 2, 24 - 105 L series lens, polarizing filter, with tripod. As you can see, unless you are processing your digital images, you are missing out on much of the data that is in your digital files.

 



 

Nothing Can Replace a Good Telephoto Lens

 

 

Indigo Bunting

 ( Canon 70D, Canon 600mm F.4 L )

 

 

Ruby-throated Hummingbird female 

( Sony A6000, Canon 100 - 400 L series )

 

 

 

Sandhill Crane

(Canon 70D, Canon 600mm F.4 L )

 

     Bird photography is challenging to say the least. It requires patience and persistence at a level that most folks find overwhelming. It demands a high skill level from the photographer, and it requires photographers to search out subjects often under less than ideal conditions. It is not a sport for the weak of heart, nor is it an undertaking that should be attempted without the proper gear. The most important piece of that gear is a high quality telephoto lens.

     Sadly, in years past, that meant a very expensive lens, and unfortunately, a very heavy lens. Today, however, things have changed, as lens have gotten lighter, faster, and certainly much more affordable. For most professional bird photographers, the lens of choice has been the Canon 600mm F.4 L series, which is an incredibly sharp and fast telephoto for wildlife photographers. That lens sells for around $12,000, and it weighs nearly 18 pounds. It requires not only a healthy budget, but also a strong and steady tripod. When paired with one of todays' high tech digital cameras, it's a hard combination to beat. Simply put.......it creates amazing images, as you can see in the examples above.

      However, lens technology has come a long way in recent years, and we now have some worthy alternatives to these "beasts" of the past. Take for example the Sigma 150 - 600mm, which can be purchased for around $1000 and produces some excellent results. It's much more compact, much lighter, and can be handheld under most conditions. Does it match the mighty Canon 600? Well, no, but it's $11,000 cheaper, and it can produce very sharp images, and I have seen images from this lens that rival any of the more expensive telephotos on the market.

     The truth is we need good telephoto lens to capture high quality images of birds and other wildlife subjects. But, it is now also true that we do not have to spend the retirement account to afford these kinds of lens. Technology is making this possible through the development of constantly improving optics. The genre of bird photography is opening up to more and more photographers simply because quality lens are now within reach of more than just professionals. It's just that simple, and we all will benefit from the great images that will be coming in the future. Let's all sit back and watch photography just get better and better. Keep Shooting. 

Hummingbirds in the Garden

 

Hummingbirds in the Garden

 

 

 

It's hard not to fall in love with Hummingbirds. I like to think of them as "flying jewels", as they seem to sparkle and flash in the light as they flit about in my garden. Every year like clockwork, they arrive in my gardens the first week of April, and they remain entertaining me until late September, when they begin their annual migration to Central and South America. These tiny little birds make one of the longest and most perilous journeys in the natural world, for which they have gained great respect and admiration.

      Photographing hummingbirds is certainly a challenge, but digital photography has made that task much more achievable to most serious photographers. Todays' new digital cameras offer us amazing technology that enables us to shoot faster shutter speeds and track these birds with lightning sharp focus accuracy. Unlike the limits set by film, digital cameras allow us to simply increase ISO speeds with the turn of a dial. When once we were limit to a grainy 400 speed film, we can now select a clean 1600 to 3200 iso that meets our needs. Yes, digital photography has changed the game.

      If you haven't yet tried photographing hummingbirds, let me offer you my approach, which seems to be working for my needs.

      1. Set your camera ISO to 1600.

      2. Select Shutter Speed Priority Mode. ( Choose 1/1000th Shutter Speed )

      3. Select Continuous Auto Focus Tracking and wide focus area.

      4. Use a medium length telephoto lens. ( 200 - 400 range works well.)

      5. Study your hummingbirds and look for patterns of behavior. What time of day are they   coming into your gardens, and what food source are they visiting most.

      6. Finally, spend time practicing. Your skills will improve.....trust me.

      I hope this helps, as you begin to produce your own amazing hummingbird photos. Let me know how you're doing and please share your own photos. Good Luck.