“Photographers seeking the ‘good light’, going where everybody goes, aiming for an ideal, miss everything else.” — Erin Babnik1 Shooting and processing panoramas was difficult in the early- and mid-00’s.2 Hardware tools were few. A process tool was introduced by Adobe in 2001, but merge failure was frequent, and computer power was a stumbling block. […]
In June, 2002, I was privileged to be aboard the charter yacht Ursa Major on her first sail to Lituya Bay, Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska. Our cruise started in Ketchikan. At the start I wasn’t aware of Lituya’s notorious reputation. Unlike much-travelled Glacier Bay—which opens to the Inside Passage—Lituya faces west toward the tempestuous […]
In the late 90’s, I seized on a tip from a Tim Fitzharris book,1 where he stated he used a 500mm f4 lens to photograph wildflowers. He reasoned this use would produce something different, so unlike the then-popular 4×5-inch large-format cameras. Different indeed. Different as well from a 100mm macro lens that grounded the passions […]
A significant energy truth not well understood is that the shift from fossil fuels to renewable electricity will decrease total energy need. Electricity is a capable workhorse. Appliances and tools run on electricity, and lighting as well. Comparatively, fossil fuels are heat creators.1 Gas tools are leaf blowers—noisy, inefficient, polluting. Much of fossil fuel use […]
In 2023, Juanita Bay Park had four or more pretty-well-known flicker nests, none ideal for photography. Most were too high up in cottonwood, poplar or big-leaf maple snags. One at a lower height had poor sight lines and messy surroundings. All were mostly ignored by bird photographers. I photographed a high up one, […]
A new perspective after crossing Eagle Creek below Punchbowl. Ansel Adams once said, “A good photograph is knowing where to stand.” A couple images illustrate. Note: The images here were all shot prior to the devastating 2017 Eagle Creek wildfire that burned many of the trees; the fire was followed by a consequential landslide that […]
On consecutive December days I paddled the Sammamish Slough. Heavy rain dominated the first day; clear skies and a gorgeous, low-angle sun the second. I get excited in both. In a downpour, mostly alone on the water, safe and warm in a dry suit, photography expectations are low but possibilities exist. Contrast the sunny dayꟷno […]
“Nature is a place where birds fly around uncooked.” Oscar Wilde Right shoulder issues kept me out of the kayak in early 2024, with little photography. In March, I was pleased to get out by bicycle, and sometimes by kayak, often scouting for birds and bird nests. Significantly, I’m incorporating Joan Strassman’s “Slow Birding” ideas […]
Head on shot: male Anna’s Hummingbird, Sony 15mm f1.4 @ f2.0, 1/800s, ISO 400, camera controlled by Sony Creator’s App. For years, I have captured backyard flight shots of our year-round resident Anna’s Hummingbirds. My strategy was always to remove our three-hole perching feeder, and replace it with a single-hole vertical tube that forced the […]
Every list of bird photography tips invariably tells us to “shoot at the bird’s eye level”. A tip that’s often ignored, though not by prize-winning photographers. Of recent top 100 winners in the Audubon photo contest, 70% were clearly eye-level; most of the rest very close to it. But all rules have exceptions. The eyes […]