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 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 | 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!
Jun 23, 2015 | Wildlife Photography
They live at the top of the world. The animals the color of winter, Mountain Goats have long been a favorite species of mine. Their home is nothing short of spectacular! How do you say that in a photograph? This recent photo is a quick example (not the best though) to illustrate my point. How do you say in the same frame, “They live at the top of the world?” Well, you gotta include that in the frame and the easiest way is with a long lens. Not for image size cause as you can see, that’s not what I’ve done. But because of the narrow angle of view and ability to pull in the background. Shooting with the D4s/ 80-400VR3 at 250mm and getting below the Billy, the background pops and in doing so, makes it pop while telling its story. It’s a simple recipe that works so powerfully, long lens depth.
Jun 22, 2015 | Wildlife Photography
Many all black bird species have a gorgeous iridescence to them, when, and this is the important part, when they have a direct light source on blaring on them. The iridescence works on the very basic light principle, angle of incidence equals angle of reflection. This means in simple terms, the sun must be higher in the sky than we would normally like to see those colors in the black. It also means that if we use flash, in a hot shoe or in a flash bracket, this does not get the flash far enough away from the camera to get a big blaze of that color. You can simply think of it as requiring bad light to get those colors.
How do you make than a decent looking photograph if you have hot, constrastly light in order to get that iridescence in the black? There are a couple of things you can do and I share these photos of a Brewer’s Blackbird to illustrate them. I’m shooting across a creek with the D4s / 800mm w/TC-1.25x (1000mm) and that’s part of it, the narrow angle of view. That narrow angle of view permits you to move only an inch one way or another to get that angle of reflection. At the same time, select the best possible background for the nasty light. The creek is reflecting light which helps with the shadows. And I’m underexposing -1/3 more than normal to take the edge off the light. Combined, this makes the most of a bad scenario. Is this the only way to capture that iridescences? By no means, no! But it is the most common. When you’re looking for a subject when the light isn’t playing nice, just think bad light for color.
Jun 18, 2015 | Wildlife Photography
There is nothin more common in the Northern Latitudes then the Columbian Ground Squirrel! And when it comes to the basic challenge of making the uncommon of the common, you can easily find hours of fun in chasing the Columbian with your lens. In early spring as the snow is still melting away, they are coming our of hibernation and they have two things on their mind, food and sex. That means photographers who are patient meld into the background. This gives you the opportunity to shoot them at their level making the uncommon out of the common.
With food and sex on their minds, getting close physically is rather simple. All it really takes is a little time and observation. They will telegraph where they like to sit and spy on each other and that’s where you need to get. Shooting with the D4s & 80-400VR3, the top image was taken while I was down on one knee. Shooting at 400mm, the CGS went about lookin about, groomin and defending its little piece of turf. Shooting at its level puts the viewer of the photograph staring in its eye making a physical contact. That’s important. The bottom photo taken with the same rig, the CGS went up on a rock so I could shoot standing up and still be eyelevel. Both are basic biology that get the viewer involved and that’s where you want to take your wildlife photography.
