Two days left in the year and the paperwork covers the desk. When you’re in the business of photography, there are just some things you just can’t ignore and one of them is making sure all the “business” for the year is done. My good friend Jeff Snyder has wisely reminded folks on Facebook to check with their accountant and make whatever purchases they need to so they can take advantage of whatever write offs are recommended to them.
What does this have to do with wildlife photography? If you’re in the biz, you know how little we get paid for our passion (thought lucky we get paid at all to follow our hearts) so making every penny work twice for us is essential. This photo of a Junco was literally just taken moments ago from my desk. I might be stuck at the desk but photography goes on. Sharon has icicles hanging from her ears from my keeping the window open to shoot, but I got the shot. The moral of the story is simple, make the most of what you’ve got. Be it taxes, gear, time or opportunities!
Photo captured by D3x, 600VR w/TC-17e on Lexar UDMA digital film
Back in the office and in front of the DD, I’ve spent the day getting caught up which means moving all the images from last week’s Bosque Base Camp to the network. I kinda love that process because I get to relive the week all over again as I see the images moves from the external drive to the network. I came back with a whole lot of images, not sure of the count yet other than I have 167 D3s video clips to edit and create a final video. Oh, I need Santa to put some time under the tree for me. Honest, I’ve been good.
Northern Harriers are a cool bird. There were a lot of them at Bosque this year affording a whole lot of photo opps. This particular female (males are silver, females brown in case you were wondering) hung out a lot on this one perch on the Farm Loop. This particular time we found her in gorgeous light and with no one else around to scare her off. How long is long? Well, in reality it was just a heartbeat but it was long enough. Here’s a brief D3s video clip from a prior attempt with her that, well, was even briefer.
While the truck was turned off, the wind was buffeting us pretty darn good which you can see in the video. I was basically handholding the rig so it’s not the steadiest of images. I have though learned a better way to post the video so the quality from that perspective is better. Small improvements each day, I can live with that.
Photo / video captured by D3s, 600VR w/TC-17e on Lexar UDMA digital film
Our third day of Base Camp Bosque was a killer! There’s no doubt the bird count is down but it only takes one bird to make my day. Today, I had that one bird a thousand times. I’m just partially through the 69GB of images and 4hrs of video shot today so I have to make a quick blog. I’m really likin shooting at f4 or in this case, f6.7. The shallow DOF and its isolating power is working for me. Here’s some of my favorite images from the day. Enjoy!
Ah, back at the flight deck at Bosque, the glow of the promising sun just starting to glow in the east. The faint calls of the Snow Geese are just starting to kiss the morning chill, it’s hard to beat the romance of a Bosque morning. And I have to admit that is sucked me back in for a while and I fell back on old photographic pursuits.
But can you blame me? I mean look at that color in the water reflecting from the amazing color on the horizon. The geese flocked up it a cool shape in that color, the graphic a powerful one. That is the power of Bosque and the lure that seems to keep calling me back. Unlike prior visits here though the aperture is not closed down trying to pull in DOF but rather, I’m shooting wide open. I’m watching the background and working on making it still work for the subject without telling everything sharply. I’m loving this “retrospective” in minimum DOF and how it’s pushing me and my photography. Dang, great start to the day!
Photo captured by D3x, 600VR on Lexar UDMA digital film
As the first evening came to a close, I saw this amazing light on a small group of cranes. No sooner then I first saw it and it disappeared. I kept scanning for any last shots in the last light of the day when I saw the light comeback again. I swung the 600mm on the group of cranes and no sooner then I had focused, the light faded.
I was bummed this time because what I saw with my eyes looked even cooler in the viewfinder. But I guess it wasn’t meant to be, what were the odds that after missing it twice, I would have a third chance at it. I was just taking my eyes from the viewfinder when I saw it comeback. I got off four clicks before it disappeared for the last time. I was tempted to run after the car whose headlights were lighting the cranes so I could a couple more images but decided to let the moment go by and just thought of it as a continuation of my challenge. Besides, I could always use my own truck to light them again if I really wanted to.
Photo captured by D3s, 600VR on Lexar UDMA digital film
Ah, back at one of my favorite places, Bosque del Apache. It’s so good to be back and at the same time a major challenge. With over 100k images in the files already from Bosque, what can I do and photograph it differently to challenge myself and grow as a photographer. Pushing, pushing, pushing, that is so essential to keep on growing. Our first evening here this ran through my mind as I clicked off the first frames.
One thing that is new is I’ve not shot here with the FX format. So I pulled out the D3x and went to work. I just love Sandhill Cranes, spent one heck of a lot of time with them. Taking these graceful, lanky critters with the most romantic call and sum them up in one click is a challenge if you never have photographed them before. But I have to bring them down to an even more basic design elements while retaining that romance came to be as the sun set. I was looking at the reflections in the water when I saw this graphic. I threw the 600mm on it to see if what my mind saw translated in the viewfinder.
I figure that this first attempt of talking about cranes visually will only reach those who know cranes. The tails feathers and knobby knees can only be one bird, at least for those who have photographed these gorgeous birds. I have my challenge before me, add images to the files I don’t already have, tell the same story with a different twist while keeping myself challenge. It’s going to be a great week.
Photo captured by D3s, 600VR on Lexar UDMA digital film
