The Galapagos and Cloud Forest Trip Report
I am writing this as I sit on the plane on my way home from a great trip to the Galapagos Islands and the Ecuadorian cloud forest. As usual I was lucky to have a great group of friendly, fun loving, easy going, photographers, which was good because living on a boat working hard for…
Trip Report Peru
I just returned from a great trip to Peru where I visited the Tambopata National Reserve, a reserve the size of Belgum with 600 species of birds, 1300 different butterflies and 300 species of mammals. Not only was this trip productive photographically but it was also an epic adventure. After the flight into Lima it…
Using High Speed Flash to Photograph Hummingbirds in Flight
My absolute favorite way to photograph hummingbirds is to use high-speed flash to create images of the birds in flight. I like to use high-speed flash because the super-fast burst of light freezes the bird’s wings. Up until recently this type of photography was fairly inaccessible requiring specially made flashes and other equipment. Now however,…
PHOTOGRAPHING HUMMINGBIRDS
Here in Michigan August is the absolute best time of the year to photograph the jewels of the bird world; hummingbirds. At this time of year the young have fledged and hummingbirds are feeding constantly as they put on weight for their journey south. Virtually all of my hummingbird photography takes place around feeders. I…
Partnerships
Conservation groups and organizations are always in need of imagery to help get their message out, and for use in their mission to educate the public. One of the things we can do as photographers is to give the gift of our work to these groups. Much can be gained from these associations, even beyond…
SPRING WARBLER PHOTOGRAPHY
For the next couple of weeks here in Michigan warbler migration will be going in full force. Photographing warblers is likely one of the larger challenges in the field of bird photography. I like to say shooting warblers is like trying to photograph a hyperactive two year old with wings, after they have just washed…
TRY IT IN BLACK AND WHITE
One of the things I always harp on in my seminars is that if something doesn’t add to an image it detracts from an image. Usually I am talking about the errant stick or hotspot in the background which when included within the frame distracts the viewer from the message of the photograph. But color…
PHOTOGRAPHING WILDFLOWERS Round-lobed Hepatica
One of the first spring wildflowers to grace the woods here in Michigan are the Round-lobed Hepatica. This beautiful little flower ranges in color from white to magenta to a deep rich purple-blue. They can be found growing in hardwood forests more often than not on south facing hillsides. They face south in order to…
ANTICIPATE THE ACTION
One of the things I really enjoy about photographing wildlife is “the chess game”. What I mean by that is when I am photographing an animal I am always thinking a few moves ahead. So I can be sure to be in the right place at the right time. I try to get in the animals…
FINDING FOX DENS
A late winter project that I like to do is to try and locate fox dens, which I can return to and photograph after the pups are born. This time of year the female fox is in a maternal state of mind. During the course of her daily travels she will often visit…