Next time I post, I’ll have already spent a few days in the tundra of Churchill, Canada photographing its amazing spring bird life on our K&M Adventures and I can’t wait! This photo of a Hudsonian Godwit is nearly 20yrs old and my main goal is to VASTLY improve on it. At the same time, help those with us to do the same. We have 1 opening in our upcoming workshops…sure would LOVE to put you in that spot!

So…if you sign up now through Monday evening (5PM PST), you will receive a 10% discount off the workshop cost (listed below)! We’ve never done this before and thought it would be a great start to the the Memorial Weekend (and having just 1 opening in each workshop is bugging me).

Give Sharon a call 760.924.8632 (9-5PST) to day or Monday or 661.204.1506 (9-5PST) today, Sat or Monday.

There is one thing in this world I’m the best at, and that’s sitting on a rock staring at a hole in the ground for 18hrs to get the photo. Well, today I started a new pursuit, all the same thing except looking at a nest at the top of a tree. Other than the pointed rock pushing my underwear in a place it ought not be, it was a great, great perch to watch life! I started working a Red-tailed Hawk nest this week not too far from our home. I’ve not photographed a raptor nest in detail for its duration ever in my career and I’m very excited this just might be the year. And to say it’s a challenge and one I’m already really liking is an understatement!

photo taken by iPhone

The first challenge is reaching my perch to see into their perch. As you can see in the photo, I’ve gotta hike up the road and than climb up the hill to be able to get this great view right into the nest which is at the top of a gorgeous Jeffrey Pine. I climb with all the gear set up to go. Perched on top of the Gitzo 5561SGT w/ Wimberley Head(w/ RRS Quick Release mount attached) is the Nikon 800f5.6 AFS (w/TC-25e) and Nikon D4. Why climb with all that on my shoulder? Because climbing with a photopack and tripod and than trying to set it all up on a hillside scares the crap out of me! Once in place on my rock perch, I sat, watched and thought. I’m about 200′ from the nest once I’m at my rock ledge. The best part about nest photography is the time not shooting when life forces me to just watch. And that’s what I did for hours, watch three 10-14day old chicks sleep and defecate. Life gets no better!

photo taken by iPhone

I am often asked why I use the Gitzo 5561SGT which is an expensive 12′ tripod when I’m only 6′. This is a perfect example why. I need to shoot at eyelevel even when on the side of the hill. By extending the two legs down slope an extra leg section, I can stand behind the tripod and not be all bent over. When you’re working a situations like this for hours and hours, being bent over is simply back breaking. At the same time, stability of the whole rig is sacrificed when you’re bent over. It was already windy, the tree swaying. But when you zoom in (using the link above), you’ll see that the Gitzo provided the 800mm w/TC.25e (1000mm!) a very stable platform so it could deliver its blistering sharp quality. So I watched, shot video and photographed the nest and the adult coming in and feeding the kids a snake. I’ve had a great beginning and can’t wait until the next time I’m there and finishing up this fun project. mtc

This is the question that is coming in A LOT right now, folks getting ready for summer Grizzly Bears adventures. It just so happens I do have A LOT about Grizzly Bears already here on the website (just type in Grizzly Bear in the search engine). We also have a special edition on the iPad version of the BT Journal on Grizzly Bears. With over 46k images of Griz in my files, we’ll be working them more this summer, they are a great critter but you need to have knowledge in the back of your head before heading out to work with them. I’ve tried to share all I know in these resources, here for you to learn from.

Yeap, we have TWO Free seats available for our upcoming Short Lens Wildlife Course made possible by the generosity of our two workshop patrons. We are more than aware that most don’t have a 800m, 600mm, or even a 500mm but want to be successful in wildlife photography. For the first 6yrs of my career, I didn’t have a big lens either yet as I write in my book Captured, many of the techniques I use today came from those first six years. It’s these techniques and a whole lot more we go cover in great depth in the class. Many remember Alvin, the Allen’s Hummingbird (not shown up yet this year) that lit up the airwaves. This shot was taken with a simple 300mm lens, a focal length most have today in their zooms and putting them right in the thick of wildlife photography. So, send an email to ME with why you should receive the scholarship to the Course and what you’ll do with what you learn, and we’ll put YOU in that seat!

I needed to create some notecards for a client, so off to research I went. Now I needed real notecards, not the kind I make for myself as simple notes, a piece of Enhance Matt folded in half. There is really only one player and when I saw the quality, I can see why. I went with Red River’s 96lbs Pecos Notecard stock and man, does it rock! Red River makes it real simple, providing Photoshop templates, printer tips (they were dead on on how to print with the Epson 4900) and even the envelopes. The final product looked and felt VERY expensive and that’s what I was shooting for. So, wanna do notecards yourself, Red River is top shelf all the way!

On a side note, I wanted the lighting on the product shot to look like it’s window light even though I shot it with the Profoto Acute 2400. I’m very pleased with the results!

The Dipper is just the best entertainment! They are a panic in feathers 365 as they go about their daily routine. They were once called Water Ouzel but their named was changed which more reflects their basic biology. They are constantly “dipping” as they peer through the water looking for their food under its surface. Add to this mix a fledgling along with double clutching and it’s non-stop fun!

So the photographic challenge is first and foremost the water. The creek is full to the brim with the winter runoff so getting close physically for the most part if not possible. If the Dippers come to you, fly to your side of the creek, you have a chance otherwise you need big guns to get a decent size image of this fist size bird. I’ve shot here with the 300f4, 200-400VR2, 600VR2 and now with the 800AFS w/TC-25e all with success. I normally have flash for fill because of the shadows but didn’t this day. One problem with flash with all the water is the spray and mist. It’s floats in the air and often is between the flash and the subject. The flash freezes it making the image full of white orbs which are really visually distracting.

This bottom photo is the one I wanted, how’d I get it? The problem is the light gray plumage against the light colored rocks. I wanted that wide open mouth and frantic wing beats of the food begging so needed a dark background with just some light on the fledgling. Lower light levels with a moving subject means you risk an out of focus photo because of slower shutter speed. But slower shutter speed communicates the frantic beating of the wings as the fledgling begs. So I watched the parent and the fledgling. The fledgling spent a bunch of time in the sun, can’t say I blamed it. When the fledgling moved back in to this dark corner of the creekbed I didn’t take my eye off of it because of the darkish background. Luckily there was some reflected light off the water onto the fledgling. Having seen the parent come and go to feed with heartbeat speed, I knew I’d have just a moment to make the shot. With the slower shutter speed, I knew I’d get the wing beats, it was just that mouth that was in question. As the parent flew towards the kid, you see what transpired and by letting the D4 rip, captured one tack sharp frame (the 800mm is freakin sharp!) of the moment. You could sum it all up with my general wildlife photography philosophy, combining biology with technology…with a big dash of passion gets the shot!

From the vehicle, or on foot during guide and tracker led bushwalks, guests will photograph and experience African wildlife at a world renowned Private Game Reserve in Namibia or Kruger National Park . Each group size is small enough to allow for personal instruction both in the field and back at the lodge, so join us and enjoy the spectacular wildlife and stunning beauty of the African bush.With up to 20 guide led game drives we are targeting not only photographers but their partners/families, so all skill levels are welcome. We combine both the workshop component targeted to the photographer with the Safari component appealing to all members of the party.

Workshop times have been carefully selected to allow everyone to enjoy Africa, attend all the Game Drives, yet provide family time for walks, watch the Hippo, or simply relax with a good book at the pool. These wildlife and nature photo Safaris are truly for everyone.

Interested? I sure the hell am and can’t wait. For more information or better, to register, follow the instructions here.

LensCoat has the perfection protection for my new baby so I contacted Scott and the coat arrived. What also arrived are some of their new pouches that fit D4 batteries, D800 batteries, TC-25e, Coolpix batteries, just a whole bunch of little stuff. They are incredibly well made and best part, they have the yellow ribbon so you can find them in the dark corners of your camera bag!

Yeap, big light comes to WRP as we move into some new, very exciting projects. What you see pictured is the Profoto Acute 2 2400W/s 2 Head Pro Value Pack Kit (90-260V) w/FREE Additional Head, the Profoto Softbox RF 3×4′, and the Profoto Softbox RF 2×3′, 2 Avenger A2030D 9.8′ C-Stand Grip Arm Kit (Chrome-plated) and 2 PocketWizard Plus III Transceiver.

If you want to see a quick sample of the lighting, here’s the product shot of the Nikon 800mm shot using the set up you see in the video.

K&M Adventures is heading to Arches, red rock in winter, it just doesn’t get any better. Wait, yes it does! You can do Arches in winter with friends and that’s what K&M Adventures is offering 19-23 Feb, 2014! You’ll fly into Grand Junction, CO on the 19th (by noon) and we’ll hijack you to Moab, UT where we’re staying in the gorgeous Red Cliff Lodge. Then we’ll shoot, shoot, shoot the gorgeous red rock in winter until the 23rd. Then on the 24th, we’ll take you back to Grand Junction where you’ll sadly grab a plane back home (after 2pm). Kevin and I have lots and lots and lots of shooting time in Moab and we’re excited about this Adventure because there are some places we want to take you that we couldn’t visit before with a big group. The price is $1995 covering transportation (once you’re at Grand Junction) and instruction. We’re only taking 8 folks so grab you winter jacket, camera and come join us for a great time in the land of red rock! Call 760.924.8632 / 661.204.1506 NOW!