With time to walk back and forth on the trail as this Pileated Woodpecker worked a snag, I chose shooting through foliage. Along with the accompanying dark background, it adds mystery to the shaft of light that illuminated the bird. Visualization — and time in the field — are key. Bridle Trails State Park, Bellevue, […]
“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 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, […]
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 […]
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 […]
Sony A6700, 100-400mm f4.5-5.6 @ f5.6, ISO 1250, 1/250s Wildlife photography is forever changed with the advent of fast, accurate, eye-detect-focus mirrorless camera sensors. With bird-eye tracking enabled, the camera (usually) detects the eye, and follows the eye even if the eye exits the focus area. This is huge. It makes composition and sharp-in-the-eye image […]
The year 2023 had some interesting twist and turns and a surprise as well. I started a bird-photography year gung-ho with my Sony A7 IV and 100-400mm GM zoom, same as 2022. By August, though, soon after I purchased the APS-C Sony A6700, I realized the new camera would be my go-to. I sold the […]
Photography in 2022 again saw limited travel and a focus on birds, shot with the Sony A7 IV, almost exclusively with a 100-400mm f5.6 attached. The A7 IV inherits the auto-focus of the vaunted Sony A1. And that auto-focus, particularly with bird-eye control, is precise, nailing shot after shot with a correct set-up (see Mark […]
On Thursday, 6/10/2021, I witnessed three Black-capped Chickadees fledge from our backyard birdbox, exiting a home that was constructed from a hollowed-out alder limb. To capture this video, I set up the camera in 1080p and 120fps, and, thinking perhaps there were no birds left in the house, I started the video and left the […]
In September, 2020, Australian Birdlife published a two-page article I wrote about photographing birds by kayak. Have a look at: https://en.calameo.com/read/0041078957045ff95451f If the link doesn’t take you directly to the article, use the menu to scroll down to Photo Lab, page 62.