Jul 13, 2015 | Wildlife Photography
I have a thing for weasels. I large part because the family of weasels takes in critters like Sea and River Otters. Those are the easiest of the family to see and photograph. When you get to the Least or Long-tailed Weasel, you’re talking almost pure luck to see them let alone get glass on them. Quite often when you see them, it’s out of the corner of your eye and you shake your head because you thought you saw somethin but when you look closely, nothing is there. That’s what makes them so damn cool!
Last November on a private K&M Adventure to the Bald Eagles of Haines, one day we were standing there on the edge of the river watching eagles when … out of the corner of my eye I saw a flash of white. It could only be one thing, a Ermine or better know as, Long-tailed Weasel. Their coats turn white in the winter and they are more gorgeous and cute than a photo does justice. I was shooting with D4s / 800f5.6 on the Zenelli a top the Gitzo 5561SGT so I whipped around but the sucker was too smart … gone! That’s when you’ve gotta stop, watch their behavior and look for the pattern. They will typically follow the same route/routine as they explore about. And this one did just that. I prefocused on the culvert pipe it was using for a runway and got lucky, got a shot of it emerging and then being cute. We saw it a couple of times during our time on the bank but never long enough to make “the” photo but oh man, what a great looking critter!
Jul 9, 2015 | Landscape Photography
How big is that cloud? Often when we photograph clouds, it’s with a wide angle with just a sliver of landscape. At least, that’s one of my favorite ways on incorporating them. While this works really well and brings a whole other level of drama to a photo, the actual size of those clouds gets lost. Not that’s important, but there are times when how high the clouds soar is the story, not just that they are pretty. When the opportunity affords itself, I love to show the size of the heavens. Shooting with the 80-400VR3 on the D4s, I waited for the sliver of light I saw racing for the ridge line to go click. The down pour was centered by design, the light, it was a prayer. And by standing, waiting imagining, the click came to be. And you can now tell visually how big that could is.
Jul 9, 2015 | Landscape Photography
There we were, partially up Hidden Lake Trail, Glacier Nat’l Park. If you’re not familiar with it, it’s behind the visitor center at Logan Pass. It’s a gorgeous walk up to some spectacular scenery that always has a critter or two. On this trip, the snow hadn’t melted yet so the trail was for the adventurous and I wasn’t felling, adventurous. When going after landscape images, I tend to either go wide or long so when I walked partially up the trail, I had the 18-35AFS in my pocket and 80-400VR3 on the D4s. The clouds were racing across the heavens and as such, constantly changing the landscape with light and shadow. It’s one of the most beautiful ways to see our wild heritage in person, letting our imaginations run with the light over the land.
So I’m watching this living painting in front of me and saw the light bring out the unique topography up slope. As I scanned it with my imagination, I saw two climbers up on the slope. The first thing I thought was if they were to walk to the right spot they would be perfect to show scale. I zoomed out to 400mm and gave them a gander, they were walking in the right direction! I put the lens down and watched them and the light, the idea in my head was slowly coming to life on the slope. Then, they got to the right spot as the light hit it. Then, oh, be still my heart, they stopped exactly in the spot. I put my camera to my eye and shot. Then I just started laughing. These two adventurous souls walked all the way up there to take in the gorgeous view, only to record it on a iPad! So, I got scale with an iPad!
Jul 3, 2015 | Wildlife Photography
Na, not a great shot but it breaks the jinx. This Williamson’s Sapsucker kid first made its appearance at one of our bird baths back on Father’s Day. A riparian, high altitude species, I’ve seen them plenty of times over the decades but never got any glass on them. When this juvi first appeared, I had to get the Sibley’s out and figure out which juvi sapsucker it was. When I figured out it was a Williamson’s, I got very excited. Then the travel kicked in and I wasn’t home to get a click of it. Sharon kept an eye on it and figured out the time of day it appeared the most frequently. Tonight, I had the D4s with 800f5.6 AFS on the Gitzo 5561SGT w/ Zenelli Carbon Fiber Gimbal Head set up and pointed where it comes. You’re seeing the wood perch wired on to the bird bath just for our woodpecker friends. If it all works out like normal, the juvi will become an adult and then as an adult, it will bring its kids back and over time, they will hopefully become friendly and I can make that unique shot. For now, I’m just happy it’s here. A new species to add to the property list. See Moose do a happy dance.
Jul 1, 2015 | Landscape Photography
I’ve gone past this house on the ridge for decades and not once, have I stopped to photograph it. Oh, I’ve looked at it but it’s never caught my attention, until this time. The storm was passing pretty quickly and as it did so, the light would paint the landscape and that’s what caught my attention. Shooting with the D4s / 80-400VR3, I walked up to the fence line and waited. The first thing I know many of you will say is, “That bright pole on the right bugs me.” OK, I like it and in fact, that was central to the way I set up the frame, obviously since that’s what you see. The subject though, the house, you can’t help but see EVEN with that pole. So, that pole isn’t that big a deal, just a matter of taste. But if you cover up that pole with your hand, the photo looses it’s sense of depth and place. Now if the rest of the telephone poles had light on them, if the foreground weren’t black, then we’d have a big issue. But such is not the case. So when you’re chasing that light, keep the light in mind and use the elements given to give that light a stage making your subject the star. You might love the results.
Jul 1, 2015 | Wildlife Photography
This Cliff Swallow colony has nested in the same place forever! Every year I swear I’m going to spend more time at it than the year before and get the image. Sadly, some years I don’t make it down at all, other years which this is looking to be like, only once. It kills me to have such a marvelous opportunity and not take advantage of it. You see, what makes this colony of Cliff Swallows special is, they are nesting below eye level and just feet away! Yep, don’t have to shoot up at them but down. How cool is that!
So there I am shooting away with the D4s / 800mm /TC-1.25e on the Gitzo 5561SGT w/ Zenelli Carbon Fiber Gimbal Head trying to get the shot I’ve always wanted. It comes from a photo I saw long ago, taken in film days with a pretty elaborate flash set up. Back then not having the money for the flash, I set out to get the shot with what I had, the sun. It makes it challenging and this year, I got the closest I’ve ever gotten only to find, sun isn’t key. Biology is!
What’s the shot I’m after? Well, it’s not the bottom image of them flying in. That’s pretty simple, watch the mud hut with the most activity and just wait. In this case, the swallow is coming in with more building material, a mouth full of mud. If you have a handful of duck down, you can throw a couple feathers in the wind and the swallows will be your best friend as they catch it on the wing and take it into the cup. Nope, those aren’t the images I’m looking for.
I want the shot of them coming out of the hole and taking flight. I got much closer this time, physically with the gear, to the side rather in front and saw that when they explode out, they have their wings totally tucked in. In fact, they explode out, fall and then start to fly. Getting that shot of them taking to the wing right out of the hole requires a windy day when the wind gives them the ability to take flight without the downhill momentum. Now if I had been more observant, and more important my finger working faster, I think I would have captured the frame showing this to me sooner. But now I know. So the next trick is to remember that next year and, spend more than one morning with them. If nothing else, sure is fun trying!
