The Spirit of the WIlderness

Sep 27, 2013 | Wildlife Photography

With 50knt gusts, first dusting of snow on Mt Yak and the flocks of Emperor Geese winging their way south, there is no doubt the season has changed. Alaska this time of year is unpredictable and gorgeous! In our modern life with internet, cities and cars, the spirit of the wilderness is often missed by most. This if for no other reason is why I love being a wildlife photographer. It’s a simple journey back to basics.

Our time at Hallo Bay, Alaska was nothing short of magical. It was also very typical of any wildlife adventure where you plan a year in advance to photograph a critter that has no calendar. We were anything but skunked during our time with as many as seven individual bears photographed in any given day which included mom with three spring cubs. And while being at point blank range with a griz eating barnacles is way beyond way cool, that’s not really the point when we venture out. And it shouldn’t be the only goal of your photography with any critter.

Those of us so fortunate to be on that beach, in that meadow or on that mountain slope with our wild heritage need to strive for perfection in capturing the story. This doesn’t come overnight (in my case still on going after 30yrs) but in that journey, we capture the stories that grab heartstrings and that’s why we continue to do it. And in sharing those stories, our photos, with others we bring back a small slice of what it is to be a wildlife photographer. It permits all to step back a moment from our every day lives to journey back to basics. It brings into our lives the spirit of the wilderness.

22,000 Images Heading Home

Sep 26, 2013 | Wildlife Photography

After three weeks, we’re finally in route heading home with 22k new images. To say we are incredibly fortunate is an understatement and right now, I’m really feeling the pressure to share all the stories. But the reality is, I can’t get them all out fast enough in enough ways to say … wow! After Photoshop World, we went right to the Reno Air Races, their 50th and man, was it incredible! All the fun, racing, shooting and a first for me, daily entries took that 8 days and condensed them it seems to a heartbeat or two. I’ve not even told you the story about the “Great Rain” or the rest of the story of Peterson’s Flying Circus (THANKS to all who dropped by and left a bunch of dead presidents!!!). But because of that experience, Jake, Brent & I are creating a whole new website / gallery / teaching zone (mtc on that). Phew, just thinking about the week makes my head spin! With our trip to AK right after Reno, our duffles were packed the week before and left in the truck because we went literally from Stead Airport to Reno Airport to fly to Alaska.

I’ve been looking for this location in Alaska for bears for twenty years and we’ve finally found it! Hallo Bay is without a doubt an epic location for watching, observing and photographing grizzly bears (yes, we’re takin a 5 folks there August 2014)! It is a wilderness camp, you are surrounded by bears, wolves and birds and there is NO ONE anywhere which includes phones and email! I don’t have enough words to say it all, hoping I have the photos. I’ve been writing notes like a mad man to remember it all as I go through all the images. I hear the call for our flight, it’s time to head home where I hear we had our first dusting of snow at the house. Those folks spending the weekend with us at our Photoshop for Shooters class are in for a great weekend with great scenery and a new story and photo or two!

Where Are You Now?

Sep 18, 2013 | Wildlife Photography

I’m in Alaska with griz of course. It’s fall which means on the road. Sharon and I left home two weeks ago and won’t see it again until Thanksgiving. We are very fortunate to be able to see so much of our grand planet and share what we find with you! Currently, we’re up in magnificent Alaska working with one of my favorite critters, grizzly bears. Since you’re not able to be here with me, I thought I would share some of my thoughts on planning my 10 days here with you.

There are two very important factors in planning to photograph griz the way I do, one if photographing griz’s story and the other is the Cessna 207. You have to have the right gear to make the photo but you can’t bring the kitchen sink because of the 207. You need that lens and body but you’ve gotta think of useful load and CG (center of gravity). The 207 might take off from your basic runway, but it will be putting down on a dirt strip, commonly called a beach. So with those two very important factors in mind, this is the gear I have with me:

What’s the logic in this selection? The 800mm, there is no logic, I just wanna to shoot with it more. Now it might afford me the opportunity to get the up close and personal shot that does come along at times, but it won’t be my primary lens. My primary lens is the 80-400 that will be a on second body hanging from my shoulder (800mm always with me on a tripod). Using the Vulture Strap, I can easily have it with me all the time. The 18-35 is for landscapes and general shots and the 16Fish is for the flight to and from the lodge and perhaps the big landscape if it might present itself. The flash is for portraits of folks and interior lodge shots. And other than charger, cords and cleaning kit, that’s all the gear I have along. For me, that is going real light but for this trip and for me, it’s all I need. The last piece of must have equipment are hip boots! You walk a lot and often in mud, creeks and marsh and hip boots make that all possible. Often, I’ll take a knee and shoot low, hip boots are great because they keep your pants from getting wet. So, that’s the basics and where I’m at. There will be, as you imagine, a whole lot more coming but for now, you’re up to day where I’m at.

What’s Better?

Aug 27, 2013 | Wildlife Photography

There we were in the metal junkyard in Chuchill, Canada. Then from nowhere a Merlin takes to the air cacking at a crow and chasing it out of the area. In June, that’s a sure sign they are nesting. Merlins are a funny little raptor, they tend to nest on the ground in the Arctic. I’ve seen Merlin for the last 30yrs but I’ve never had glass on one long enough to get better than what looks like a dust spot on the sensor. Here was an opportunity that even though less than ideal (shooting in a junkyard with the sun high overhead), it was better than what I had had, nothing. I had no shots in my conventional or digital files of Merlin.

The last 12 month, the #2 question I’ve been asked has changed. It was, “What’s the best f/stop?” but now it’s “How do I get better?” We have known units of measure, inch, ounce, miles per hours, kilowatts, but there is no known unit of measure for … better. If you can’t get a photo sharp, than just getting sharp images is better. If you can’t get “proper” exposure, than just getting a good exposure is better. If you’ve never photographed a subject before, having images of that subject that are sharp, exposed well and recognizable, are better. But once you get past these basic stepping stones in photography, how do you measure better? How do work towards being better from what YOU think could be better? Seriously, what’s better? I’ve asked some folks when they were shooting if what they were doing was making the photo better. The overwhelming response was, “I think so” but when they looked at their images they said, “I don’t know if they are better.” Hard to know without some unit of measure.

In the realm of wildlife photography, one measure of better is bigger. A bigger subject in the frame must be better. The Merlin is in the top frame but you can’t see it. The middle frame, you can see it but the trunks on the left isn’t helping. There is no doubt there’s a Merlin in the bottom frame. But what is better between the three? What might seem odd to you, these images are arranged in the order I like the best to least, the top my favorite and the bottom the least. Yes, I’m stacking the deck here but I want to make a point that hopefully will make you think. All three images were taken with the D4 / 800AFS w/TC-25e (effective 1000f7.1) so the increase in size comes from my feet, not glass. And better, what’s the measure for me, here, with these three images? Personally, sharp and good exposure aren’t a measure for better, it comes from story telling. In these three images, the top images tells more about the biology of the Merlin and therefore a story. No bigger than your basic jay, when they don’t want to be seen, they aren’t going to be seen. Could I get “better” images?” Not from this opportunity but perhaps in the future. What would make the next images better? For me, better story telling. Ultimately, I would like to have an image like I’ve seen from others, a Merlin on a branch in a spotlight of sun with a dead bird in its grasp. Hey, a guy can dream, right? And perhaps that should be our measure for better. Rather than some technical unit, some other’s idea of better, perhaps our “better” should come from our dreams. It’s doesn’t answer the question, but perhaps you might think about the question in a different light. What is better?”