Significantly for 2016, I purchased the cropped-frame Sony a6300 for backpacking, video and added reach in bird photography. I then discovered the image IQ was as good as my Canon 5D III at moderate ISO’s, so I used it preferentially for landscapes. The proof is below, where seven of eleven favorite images came from the […]
On sunny summer days I sometimes carry a white, 42” circular light diffuser (16” folded) when photographing wildflowers. As the sweet morning light burns off–leaving a harsh-shadow sun–I turn to floral portraits with the light disc aid. The one I use most is an old Photoflex. On long hikes, I make do with a 22” […]
Note: I stopped using audio to attract birds in the spring of 2021. It’s bothered me for some time that using song to imitate a rival bird, forcing the target bird to expend energy singing (defending), is not in the bird’s best interest. Currently, I often make use of Cornell’s Merlin app to help identify […]
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 […]
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 […]
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, […]
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. […]
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 […]
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, […]
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 […]