It’s prime bird photography time, and my backyard chestnut-backed chickadees had eggs that hatched in a homemade nesthole May 9th. It’s a good photo-op, sunlit in the late afternoon, and with birds that tolerate my nearby presence. I shot a few “portrait-type” shots of the birds landing at the hole with bugs or grubs in […]
Photographer Kayak: Necky Elias ____ 2014/04
I’ve been paddling a fiberglass Necky Elias for a year now and I’m constantly reminded of its suitability for photographers. Our needs are a bit different from other paddlers; those needs include ample stowage, ample hatch and cockpit openings, and maneuverability. Speed is rarely an issue. Open ocean suitability is a plus. The Necky Elias […]
2013 Favorite Images Critique ____ 2014/01
I wasn’t thinking I had many favorites when I created a 2013_best_images Collection in Lightroom from the filtered three-star-or-better images of 2013. But I found many I was quite fond of, and in a couple short sessions whittled those to ten. Often it’s the field experience as much as the composition that yields a favorite, […]
Photo Tip: Big Lens, Low Light ____ 2013/07
I photographed Pileated Woodpeckers at a couple of nest sites in June. Both were in deep woods, with no possibility for sunlit images, with skylight overhead filtered through the leaves of Bigleaf Maple. The crow-sized birds chisel out a new nest each spring, 15-70 feet up (Peterson), and—in Northwest second-growth city parks—often in Alder snags. […]
Bird Photography Month
For serious enthusiasts, bird photography is an all year endeavor. Always there’s something to photograph. Opportunities change with the seasons, local weather, bird plumage and migration. In the north, though, a particular month stands out. It’s a month when bird photography crescendos, when activity peaks, when opportunities are so numerous you simply can’t do them […]
Photo Tip: Reflected Light in Outdoor Photography ___ 2013/05
Bounce light into shadows to add fill or extend the photographic day I’m not much of a fan of outdoor flash photography. I find it cumbersome to carry a multiple flash system, and I’m generally unhappy with results from a single strobe. If flash looks necessary for a backlit bird, I’ll seek a different angle, […]
Photo Tip: Road Less Traveled ____ 2013/04
A good route to success in outdoor photography is finding a niche that you love. Find your passion; focus like a laser. Be a big fish in a small pond. My particular niche is sea kayaking. As a vehicle, the sea kayak transports a photographer to unique photo ops, sometimes just a stone’s throw out […]
Photo Tip: Wireless Remote Control ____ 2012/07
In 2001 I bought the Canon wireless remote LC-4. I used it for solo kayaking shots, usually with the camera ashore on a tripod and me triggering the shutter remotely from a kayak. The 3.5-sec delay option gave me time to stow the transmitter and pick up the paddle. That was in the film days, […]
Photo Tip: Photograph Birds at Eye Level ____ 2012/06
At an April presentation “ Adventures in Bird Photography” at Rainier Audubon, I listed a few tips for photographing birds. A short list, and the tip I thought most salient was “photograph the bird at its eye level”. For intermediate bird photographers—especally those passionate for more after their early forays at bird photography—I can’t think […]
Canon 5D Mark III: Autofocus (AI Servo) for Birds in Flight ____ 2012/05
Edited 5/16/2012 Re: Case 5 On a recent shoot with the Canon 5D Mark III, I was photographing a Yellow-rumped Warbler, hand-holding a 500mm f/4 from a kayak. Routine for me—and should be routine with the new 5D III—but the camera failed to pick up the bird. I was on the bird with a focus […]