Dec 11, 2009 | Field Reports
Base Camp’s Top Ten Questions:
Base Camp is a one of a kind experience, balancing the art of wildlife photography with the craft of the business of wildlife photography. One of the main requirements of the students is to ask questions. I decided to post the top ten questions asked of me (rated by me), thinking you might ask them too if you could. Here are my answers. Please keep in mind that these are just my answers and may or may not apply to you or your photography.
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP2080.swf, 585, 444 [/swf]
#10 Is it still possible to make a decent living as a wildlife photographer?
I firmly believe that it is! The variable to this is you and not the market place. Having weathered a number of “rocky economics times” in our thirty years, we know that the individual and their images are the biggest factors to success. Don’t take this as if it’s easy, or even 40 hours a week or that there aren’t mountains and valleys along the way. But if you are in it for the long run, YOU can do it!
#9 What’s this business about “good” bokeh versus “bad” bokeh? What’s bokeh anyway?
I had no bloody clue what bokeh was until this moment! Wikipedia says: “In photography, bokeh is the blur, or the aesthetic quality of the blur, in out-of-focus areas of an image, or “the way the lens renders out-of-focus points” which a participant had to explain to me so I could answer the question. Being a photographer who shoots the 200f2, 50f1.4 and 28f1.4 (just to name a few) wide open and with the subject some distance from the background I can say that I love bokeh. So, I learned something new this day, and I love it!
#8 Is there room for more photographers?
Oh man, are there! There’s even more room for photographers with the highest craftsmenship and professional standards. You’ve probably heard or read that it’s too competitive or there’s no money or many other reasons why there is no room for more photographers. I have such faith in my feeling and that these myths are just that, myths, that Sharon and I are not discouraging our son Jake to follow his heart but rather to encourage him. He knows of the pitfalls and heart aches, but also knows the rewards that hard work brings. The answer is totally up to the photographer to make this happen. Besides, this is what I was told 30 years ago. Some myths die a long and lingering death!
#7 How do you balance art vs. photography vs. money vs. passion & biology?
Wow, this is a great question and a damn hard one to answer. The answer I think changes with time and age and priorities in life. At this stage in my life and career, I can focus on just the passion, knowing the rest falls into place without too much work. In the beginning, the photo & biology had to be stressed to make the money. But there is no doubt that it is a balancing act, a bloody big one. I was very fortunate that I had a partner in this balancing act. I have no doubt that Sharon made it all possible and kept it in balance with the one other variable not put into this equation, family.
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP2606.swf, 585, 444 [/swf]
#6 What’s your favorite animal to photograph?
Isn’t that obvious? Moose of course. It actually shares the #1 spot with the San Joaquin Kit Fox. This is a really common question which I think is very interesting. Nobody asks what’s my number 2 favorite is though. Curious? Number 2 is all the rest of the critters I’ve been fortunate to photograph in my 30 years.
#5 What is the biggest growth today in commercial wildlife photography?
If I knew the answer for certain, I wouldn’t have to write this blog J
In all seriousness I think it’s in the field of showing humans interfacing with nature. And in this venue it is possible we’ll start seeing video clips replacing stills with the web being the biggest vehicle replacing the printed page. I don’t think we’ll see this change really, really soon but the winds are blowing.
#4 Is it better to have high ISO noise or live with a slower shutter speed and maybe compromise sharpness?
I would submit that there’s a third option and one I select most of the time, not shooting at all! A noisy sharp image is of no interest to me, or my clients. And a blurry image that can be done in an “artistic” style always sells but it’s not an easy sale.
#3 What makes a good wildlife Photograph?
Now wouldn’t we all like the recipe to answer this question! I don’t think there is any one thing or attribute or subject or lens or f/stop that constitutes the answer but rather, a huge combination of these and many others. What do I look for in the pursuit of this answer in my own photography? Light, subject, color and a story would be the four at the top of the list. How often do I find these? Definitely not often enough, which is partly why I go out with the camera every moment I can. In trying to answer this question, another question instantly popped into my mind. Will I ever have the answer to this question for my own photography?
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP2578.swf, 585, 444 [/swf]
#2 How much depth of field do you prefer for a given situation?
What a surprise that the #2 email question I receive should appear here as #2. The answer to this question is lengthy requiring stories and visuals, a couple funny comments and jokes. But to answer it as succinctly as I can in this limited forum, it all depends.
#1 How can “I” use my camera to help endangered species?
This question is music to my ears and a step in my heartbeat! Each and every photographer can get involved with their wild heritage and make a difference with their camera. The easiest and fastest way is to make the image of an endangered that grabs the public’s heartstrings and then get that image and the story behind it out to the public. We wildlife, nature and landscape photographers are a very fortunate group. We not only are so fortunate to witness our wildlife heritage firsthand, but we’ve earned the ability to bring that experience back to others in our photographs. It’s just one more step to finish this blessing by passing it on to others. I know of no greater reward for a photographer then to share their art and passion and affect the life of another human. And in the process, preserve the natural world we were so fortunate to inherent from before us who preserved it for us to enjoy!
Dec 7, 2009 | Field Reports
The folks over at Dawn Technologies have introduced a new GPS, the di_GPS Mini 3L link. Here are the features to note
- Built-in data logger – 8MB flash memory for up to 260,096 data points
- Data can be password protected
- Last Fixed Repeat (Indoor Fix): Repeat the last fixed when lost or no GPS signal. It continual report the last good fixed position to camera in any indoor without GPS coverage.
- Instant Last Fixed Repeat (Instant Indoor Fix): The di-GPS Mini 3L read the last good fixed data in the data logger after each power on. It continual report the last good fixed position even after power reset (data logger enabled). No more reacquisition needed after power reset or reconnected to the cameras.
- Three ways switch (On/Auto/Off).
I haven’t seen or tried this unit and doubt I will, I still like the GP-1. But these are very good units from past models and wanted you to know about the update.
Dec 7, 2009 | Field Reports
This is a really, really, really common question coming my way, and to be really honest with you, it’s a great question! All three D3 bodies have something special to offer you but it’s up to you to way the advantages and disadvantages of each for YOUR photography. Using the Search feature on the site, you can find tons of info and videos I’ve done on all three bodies, but here’s a quick summation for you to consider.
D3 – this is the one, the body that set the mark and which all other bodies have been compared to ever since. The image quality, 9fps, large Monitor and other “first” features make this one helluva great camera! You could not go wrong by adding this to your camera bag. With the introduction of the D3s, folks are trading in their “old” D3 so this might be the time for you to step up to this amazing quality. For those who’s budget could not afford the D3 new can now move up to the quality of this incredible camera at half the price. That’s pretty darn cool! I highly recommend this option for a lot of shooters right now. My original D3 is now in retirement and spare bodies have been sold off. There are deals to be had and quality upgrades to be made!
D3x – I thought I’d seen it all when I saw the D3 file, that’s until I shot with the D3x. The image quality that comes from this camera still takes by breath away when a 24×30 print rolls out of the Epson 7900. Surprisingly though, this is a camera I do not recommend to 98% of the folks who ask me if they should buy it. Why? Lots of reasons but the main one is the quality it produces just can’t be shown off in a 8×10 or 11×14 print or the printed page. It’s a slow (1.8fps), expensive camera that has a very specialized purpose and one of those is not being a mass market body. This is still my primary camera body, the one I turn to first 99% of the time.
D3s – carries on the D3 legacy with a couple of unique twists. The addition of video and better high ISO performance than the other two D3 bodies in the family make it the front runner for general photography. The image quality is just as outstanding at ISO 200 as the D3 and like I’ve written, the ISO 6400 is just mind boggling! If you have the capitol and you’re just venturing into FX, this would be the way to go. And if you’re a “pro” and don’t know anything about video, now is the time to start and this is a great body to start with.
So, which is the right D3 for you? If you’re on a budget, you can pick up a killer body for a great price in a used D3. I wouldn’t hesitate for a second doing that myself. The D3x, if you need that giant file, rent the body for the day. You can afford it and moving up to FX, the D3s is the way to go. Right now each body has something unique to offer your photography: The D3 is affordably used, the D3x has the highest quality available, and the D3s has video & high ISO performance. I can’t think of a previous time in photography when you had such amazing options with such amazing image quality at such a amazing price spread. If you need more help in deciding what’s best for you, contact my bud Jeff (at Adorama) who can assist you in answers and if it all works out, into the right body for you!
Dec 4, 2009 | Field Reports
When I was in school, I had one instructor that I really respected named Mike, who didn’t mess around. He inspired and spoke plainly and bluntly. Mike was a craftsman. He would tell stories that were nothing short of Superman leaping over tall buildings all in the pursuit of a photograph. Despite having the best gear money could buy, he would constantly impress us with how it was the person behind the camera making things happen. It was near the end of the second session though Mike said something that has always stuck with me. “If we can’t see you idea, you’re not communicating. No matter how good your idea, if it’s not executed, we’ll never know it.” Pretty powerful stuff for a photograph.
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/GB17824.swf, 585, 444 [/swf]
Which came first, the camera or the photographer? Without the photographer, the camera has no life. Without the camera, the photographer can’t visually communicate. I’m a firm believer that it’s the person behind the camera that counts. At the same time, who’s usually the first kid on the block with the new Nikon gear? Me. The camera gear permits me to stretch my imagination and my imagination pushes the camera to perform. We could go around and around and around on this same thread and probably never come to any conclusions. With the introduction of the D3s and with DSLRs coming out more and more with video, perhaps it’s time to sort this out.
In high school I had a great teacher who, with a Hawkeye Brownie, captured images we couldn’t compete with shooting his Nikon F. This started the thought that it was the person behind the camera that counts until the assignment to photograph a match lighting was handed to us. When it came time to photograph that match, a macro lens was needed to get the image size required. That Hawkeye that just the day before did such a great job, now came up short. It couldn’t keep up with the imagination. So with the seed planted that it’s the person behind the camera that counts, I went out buying more gear.
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/MM0668.swf, 585, 444 [/swf]
I would submit that for me, vision and gear go hand in hand. I can’t be the photographer I am without either one, with neither being more important than the other. I would also submit at the same time with that being true to myself, both would be meaningless without passion fueling them both. Passion is what powers the vision and it’s passion that drives me to earn the bread to buy the gear. It’s also passion that pushes the use of each piece of gear beyond its design limits.
Having seen a photographer successfully shoot with a 400mm lens, the front element of which he kept in place with a wad of chewing gum, I know for a fact that anything is possible in photography. He made images because, bless his soul, it was his only outlet in life to express who he was. But because it’s possible does it make it practical? I know another photographer who is just starting out who has a passion for birds so he uses the only lens he owns, a 50mm lens. It ain’t easy and the majority of the time completely unproductive, but it can be done. You can have a 600mm lens and chase birds all day long and not come back with a decent image as well, I’ve seen that happen too. Both shooters have a vision, both have gear but perhaps the one has a bigger advantage, passion, pushing that 50mm and his skill set.
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/BE3257.swf, 585, 444 [/swf]
I have a dear friend who, while he doesn’t own much gear, is always pining away for the latest and greatest. He’s constantly texting and emailing me asking about this piece of gear or that, telling me the specs for this new piece of gear and what he could do if he had it. But he doesn’t have it so he goes out with the one body and lens and flash he does have, and makes really amazing images that come from his imagination, heart, soul and passion. He admits his skill set is still growing which is how it should be, he has great vision and like any healthy photographer wants new gear, but that giant heart makes images to be proud of because they pull heartstrings!
This in no way takes away from the vision over gear sentiment floating around. I just think it’s not that cut and dry simply because being humans, nothing is that cut and dry when we’re talking about communicating. But I do think that simply saying vision over gear or it’s the photographer behind the camera that counts glosses over what’s really important. Photography and striving for what we perceive as the perfect picture doesn’t stop there. We’ve gotta have vision, we’ve gotta have gear just to get started because without either, it’s back to pencils and crayons. But to be successful, we can’t always be at the starting gate but racing down the track to an unknown finish line, one that I hope I never reach. What is it they say about race horses when they just keep going and going, they have heart?! Photographers who survive those first decades and are still vertical and moving forward with their craft have heart too, a passion for communicating visually the wonders of the world in which we live. I’m going to leave it up to you to make the final call, but I know the answer for myself in this question, vision, gear, or is it passion?
Dec 4, 2009 | Field Reports
Yesterday, Nikon posted an excerpt from the article my long time friend Barry wrote (thanks Barry!) for the current issue of Nikon World, about me! I finally made it in, for the first time (and not the last) and I’m very excited. I’m not sure when they will be posted but I’ve also created in concert with this a whole bunch of what I call a Talking Gallery where I talk about a few of the images that appear in the full article. So, if you have a moment cruise on by. Push my numbers up on the site, I might get back in sooner :)
