Where To Photograph Birds

Posted on January 9, 2012 by Master Photographer

Shorebirds, water birds, birds of prey, exotic birds, and song birds are just some of the many types of bird subjects that inspire great images. And no matter where you live, you can find some of these birds to photograph.

The great thing about photographing birds is that you can start in your own back yard. Plant a few bird-friendly plants, set out some birdbaths and feeders, and build a blind to attract desirable subjects. If you want birds that do not inhabit your area, or you want more skittish birds like hawks, you will need to consider wildlife models and zoos.

One of the best ways to find birds of prey is to see if you have a bird rescue center in your area. These organizations typically provide medical care and shelter for birds that were injured or orphaned in the wild. These places can be an ideal source for photographers who want access to birds that are not normally approachable.

Call around until you find a rescue center and then introduce yourself. Tell the operators of the center that you are a wildlife photographer and would like a chance to photograph the birds they work with. Promise to follow any guidelines they establish, agree to give them copies of the images you make for promotional use, and if necessary, offer to make a donation to help them with their work. This can be a great way to get close-up portraits of birds under controlled conditions where you can predetermine the background and look for the right light. Try to find birds that have minimal injuries or that have been nearly rehabilitated. Even if a bird has a bad wing for instance, you may still be able to make a striking head and shoulders portrait.

Zoos are another great source for bird photography. Many zoos maintain large bird collections. In some cases, these birds may even be in areas that are photographically accessible. The San Diego Wildlife Park and San Diego Zoo have several bird exhibits with natural habitats that make great photographic backgrounds. The San Diego Wildlife Park features an African bird exhibit that allows many great photo opportunities with general admission. Some of the best bird photographs we’ve made have been at zoos.

If your local zoo doesn’t have the birds in an area that you can photograph, call the zoo society and see if you can arrange for special access through a docent or handler. Many zoos will make this access available to you in return for rights to use the images. Still others may charge a fee. If they have good specimens, it may be worthwhile.

Private game owners often will allow photographers access for a fee. In Roma, Texas, Roel Ramirez has established blinds and feeders on a section of his property offering some of the best opportunities to photograph songbirds you will ever find.

And don’t forget aquariums. They are likely to have water bird exhibits or habitats that attract non-captive birds. In Newport, Ore., at the Newport Aquarium, the puffin exhibit is superb.

And then there are wildlife refuges. Places like Bosque del Apache in central New Mexico are a bird photographer’s dream.

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Well Lit Portraits by Tamara Lackey

Posted on January 7, 2012 by Master Photographer

Guest Post and Photo by Tamara Lackey – Follow Tamara on Twitter - twitter.com/tamaralackey

From my perspective, I can achieve the most amazing capture of a portrait, the most endearing expression, the absolutely sweetest interaction in the world – but if it’s not well lit, I have lost the opportunity to do that image the justice I should have. If it’s overexposed (detail in the image is completely lost), underexposed (lost details in the shadows, too much grain/noise apparent when trying to lighten), or even lit in an unappealing way (exaggerates unattractive qualities), then it is because I didn’t light it well. And, to be honest, not lighting an image well kinda drives me crazy. Because I absolutely know it can be better – I mean, I saw it, with my superior-to-camera-technology eyes. I knew what it could’ve been. And I didn’t get it. Grrrr.

The best method I’d suggest for avoiding this outcome is also the most straightforward one. Learn the basics of lighting; keep things as simple as possible, practice often, and know what to look for when lighting portraits.

And why practice often? Because if you’re shooting in the contemporary style, you are most likely photographing subjects who breathe, move, change position – and who will leave your carefully-created, very controlled lighting setup. Practice allows you to better know how to quickly adjust on the spot, to be able to mindfully shift what you need to shift to be able to adjust to rapidly-changing circumstances. If you don’t know how to do that, you will undoubtedly lose the opportunity to fluidly light a shoot in motion. And, speaking just for my work, nearly all my best portraits were captured while my subjects were very much in motion.

When I first started shooting in the studio, I used my light meter to check everything, brushing it up against many a cheek. After a while, though, I started using it less and less because I realized that it truly didn’t jibe with the way I was shooting – which was freeform, and very much reacting to my subjects’ actions. As it turned out, my subjects never seemed to stay still. They most certainly wouldn’t stay put in the spot I lit so beautifully for them.

And, in fact, they actually still don’t.

Future Cameras – Is The DSLR Bound To Go The Way Of The 8-Track Player?

Posted on January 6, 2012 by Master Photographer

Never one to shy away from controversy, I want to point to a well thought-out and well-written piece by my pal Trey Ratcliff. He says he doesn’t plan to buy any more DSLR gear. He thinks the future is mirror-less cameras.

Trey believes – as do I – that within five years, most people won’t need a DSLR to get great images. His reasons are well stated and match some of the things I’ve said about the Olympus micro 4/3 cameras here, here. and here.

I wrote a response to some of the negative comments he got on his post on my Scottbourne.com Tumblr site . In short – I think the pixel peepers, measure-beaters, and pedants were missing Trey’s point.

Trey isn’t saying YOU shouldn’t buy a DSLR. He’s not saying NOBODY should ever buy a DSLR. He’s not saying DSLR’s will go away forever any time soon. He’s saying HE isn’t going to buy anymore DSLRs because he thinks it’s a technology with many flaws that will soon be replaced. I think that makes sense.

Just as VHS tapes, cassette tapes, floppy discs, magnetic tape drives, 8-track players, etc., have been replaced, so will DSLRs.

I have to use DSLRs right now because I need to use 500, 600, and 800mm lenses on bodies capable of 10-12 FPS. There aren’t any mirror-less cameras on the market that would offer me that capability. But if there were, I’d buy one – now – today.

I pretty much covered my reasons for liking this smaller format in the posts I linked to above. If you’re seriously interested in this, read them.

There were SOME good comments on Trrey’s post but I am struck particularly by the comments that were very dogmatic – taking positions that are easily proven to be completely and utterly false.

Here’s one example. One commenter said he couldn’t see switching to a micro four/thirds camera because there wasn’t a decent, fast, portrait lens for that format. Sorry – dead wrong dude. Read my review of the Olympus 45mm f/1.8 lens here. This is a super sharp, high-quality, fast and affordable lens. It’s absolutely perfect for portraits. Maybe it’s just a lack of information, maybe it’s disinterest on the part of the photographers jumping in with an opinion here, but if you’re going to claim that the earth is flat – you should have SOME evidence to support that claim and make sure there’s not any to refute that claim.

Another commenter said you have to use small flashes on small cameras. WTF? Where do these people come from? I hook my EP3 to studio strobes, and third-party flash units of ALL sizes – all the time!

A comment was left claiming Trey dismissed the idea of good bokeh. I repeat – look at the 45mm f/1.8 lens. AMAZING bokeh.

Others used dogma to represent nothing more than their own personal preferences such as button locations and interfaces, etc. These sorts of preferences ARE preferences because this is all these people know. It’s like your mom’s cooking. You think it’s best because it’s been what you were raised on. Then you taste somebody else’s food and you’re not sure.

It went on and on – tons of misinformation – tons of “facts” that would more accurately be described as opinions, and the usual pedantic rambling. None of that is helpful. What’s helpful is realizing that a quality discussion of this issue would benefit all of us.

I wanted to add my perspective to this debate in case anyone cares what I think and to advise people to personally, carefully, apply critical thinking and detailed reading to Trey’s post and the comments generated by it. It takes thought leaders like Trey to step out and make these sorts of bold predictions to get the industry off it’s rear end and to move forward.

The people who say the DSLR will be around forever are probably right – but they are right along the lines of the people who said that cassette tapes, 8-tracks, CDs, floppy discs and VHS tapes would be around forever. You CAN buy all of these things – but you will work hard to do it, pay lots of money for old technology, and generally be behind the curve of the 96% of the rest of us – and probably do it for no reason other than you want to prove a point.

Things change. It’s okay. That’s what makes life grand. Photographers in particular should embrace these changes. We will only end up with better tools in the future, for less money and our love for photography will end up being easier to share with others. New cameras and formats we haven’t even seen yet will help make that possible.

So You Got Some New Camera Gear For The Holidays – Now What?

Posted on January 2, 2012 by Master Photographer

It’s always fun to open a new camera box, lens box, etc. But that’s just the beginning. You want to make sure you get the most out of this new gear you have been lusting after. So how do you do that?

Step one may surprise you. Put it back in the box! Yep – put the camera down! (substitute lens or tripod or whatever for camera.) Instead, pick up the manual and read it. I know, that’s shocking advice, but it’s good advice. There’s a wealth of information in that manual. Just read it. Really.

Then, make sure your new gear is ready to use. Save ALL packing materials. You may need to return the product if it is defective and if you decide to resell it later, all these materials make the product worth more used. Also save all receipts, manuals, cables, etc. Start with the obvious like charging the batteries, etc. If you received a new lens or camera, wipe off the mount area where there may be some minute particles or metal shavings.

Install straps (if you use them) and make sure everything is in order. Immediately shoot some test shots and make sure everything works to spec. If not, return the gear for a refund or replacement. Send in warranty cards, etc., only AFTER taking the test shots.

The next thing to know is that using this new gear on an important job may be a big mistake. Chances are you’re familiar with your old gear. If you jump in with both feet and have a serious shoot where the results really matter, then it might be better to use the old gear until you’ve practiced with the new stuff.

Once you’re settled in with your new gear, check out a few of the owners’ forums for that brand. You can keep track of firmware upgrades, recalls, tutorials, etc. by registering your new gear with the manufacturer, joining their e-mail lists, and reading the forums.

New gear is good – new vision is better. My last piece of advice is to not rely on this new gear causing your photography to improve. That’s usually a matter of heart, vision, passion, desire, drive, practice, patience and sometimes a little luck. Good gear can help.

Enjoy.

Making 2012 a Banner Year For Photography – Five Tips To Start The Year Out Right

Posted on January 1, 2012 by Master Photographer

We all get a fresh start. That’s my favorite thing about celebrating a new year. The old year and its problems are gone. What’s done is done. It’s time to look forward. For photographers, it’s a chance to start over. It’s time to reset and get cracking.

Here are five tips designed to help every photographer start the new year out right.

1. Learn Your Gear

Whether or not you got new gear as holiday gifts, it’s time to commit to learning the gear you have now. If you learned everything that your current camera could do for you, you’d probably be in a better position to make great images than you would with a 10 times better new camera that you don’t know much about. Work on reading your manual every day. Learn the ins and outs of ALL the camera’s features, including those you think you will or may never use. They will probably come in handy some day. Stop using lack of gear as an excuse. Learn to use what you have and move forward.

2. Learn To See

Photography is about vision. Vision is about learning to see what others do not. I have been to countless photo workshops where a student, standing at an iconic mountain top or lovely lake surrounded by lovely trees has claimed there’s nothing to shoot. Having a camera doesn’t mean you have vision. You develop vision by looking at lots of great photographs. Don’t stop there. Look at all kinds of art. Spend a day a month visiting art museums. Look at the shapes, forms and compositions that other artists use. Learn to see and then translate that to your camera.

3. Have A Good Attitude

If you’re surrounded by bad news, people who don’t support your interest in photography, online groups full of haters and trolls, do something about it. Make a change. Surround yourself with positive people. Develop a can-do attitude. If you want to be a better photographer, be a better person. This starts with having a batter attitude. The camera always looks both ways. Make sure that the person on the other side of the lens is seeing a smile on YOUR face.

4. Dedicate Yourself To At Least One Photo A Day

There’s nothing that can replace experience. Picking up and using your camera every day will absolutely, positively, without a doubt make you a better photographer. This is a great way to start the year. Make a calendar – shooting a photo should be the first thing on each day’s list. You can turn this into a theme-based project or simply shoot what you find, but shoot you must. Every day. No excuses.

5. Learn How To Properly Post-process Your Images

There are more choices than ever for those who want to take their photos to the next level in post. You can use Lightroom, Aperture, Photoshop, iPhoto or any other program that suits you. Whatever you use, dedicate yourself to learning more about your software and how it works. There’s no excuse for not learning. There are dozens of great, free, online resources, not to mention books, videos and training DVDs. Get better at post-processing.

This is just a start. You can add to this list. Now’s a perfect time to refresh, reset and get started on a path toward making 2012 a great year for photography.

Goodbye 2011 – My New Year’s Resolution And Thanks

Posted on December 31, 2011 by Master Photographer

I wish everyone a happy new year in 2012 – Goodbye 2011. We’re about to make it through another calendar!

What’s next? Well first I’ll talk about me and then talk about you. You won’t see as much of me in 2012. (Stop applauding!) Photofocus will continue to publish daily, but you’ll see a few more guest posts than usual. We’re going to start doing more video tutorials since we got great response to the last five. Eventually, the video tutorials will replace the podcast. I know this will disturb some of you, but the podcast has to end some time and that will be some time in 2012. The web site and the Flickr forum and the Twitter accounts will all become more active in the absence of the podcast.

I also won’t be speaking as often or attending many conferences in 2012. Likewise, I’ll teach very few (if any) photo workshops. At most I’ll make two or three appearances at photo conventions, workshops or seminars in 2012. Why? I want to take time to make photographs. As Photofocus has become larger and attracted a larger audience, I find myself spending more and more time online dealing with the mess, and less and less time out there making images. For me, that is simply not acceptable. I have a great team working with me and they’re capable of handling the day-to-day stuff here. I need to go rest up and make some images.

I have decided to pursue some personal photo projects in 2012. I won’t be sharing all of them – that’s why they are called “personal.” At the end of the year I will share a few of the results. I’m actually approaching these projects more as something to improve my eye than something to sell or make money from. I have many things that I want to do with my photography and need time to do it.

As I wind down my career I am constantly reminded that time is my enemy. As I get older, the minute hand on the clock seems to move as fast as the second hand did when I was a boy. I want to explore my photographic interests more fully and deeply, and I want to do it without distraction. So I’ll be a little harder to reach in 2012. Most of you will notice no change. Those who do business with me will see a small change. I’ll accept far fewer bookings than usual and I’ll grab my camera far more often to go find some personal magic. On November 2, 2013, I’ll likely retire completely. I have a nice little place in Italy with my name on it! (That date will be the 15 year anniversary of Photofocus. Even MASH went off the air eventually!)

There are many upsides to my decision to make 2012 a year where I do more shooting than anything else. As far as the workshops, seminars, conferences, go - I’ve spoken at, or taught at more than 250 in my career. I think everyone who wanted to see me teach or speak has pretty much had their chance. If anything, I am over-exposed. Those who attend these things regularly are probably sick of me! It’s time for someone else to get a shot. (bad pun intended.) The tall, old trees in the forest eventually have to give way so that the sunlight can stream onto the younger, smaller trees. There are many young, energetic, skilled, fantastic, photography teachers and speakers out there that deserve THEIR time in the sunshine. I’d like to take a moment to see what I can learn from them! So look around. I may just be sitting in the back of the room listening in. That means I’ll be getting out of the way – eventually. Don’t get too excited, I’m not dropping off the planet or anything – although I am sure that would make some people happy

Now let’s talk about you. You don’t have to wait until the end of your career to start thinking like this. Many of you (including those just starting out) should be contemplating your own personal photo projects. They can be inspiring, educational, fun and even life-changing. When things get in the way of you actually making photos, it’s time to reset. That’s what I am doing.

Don’t forget why you got into photography in the first place – you want to make pictures. So if you’re like me, and spending too much time online – step away from the computer and go shoot. Maybe I’ll see you out there on the road.

My New Year’s Resolution in 2012 is simple. I’m going to spend less time online or behind a computer and go do things that most can only dream about. I’ll be traveling around with my camera, anywhere I feel like going, making images that matter, and eventually sharing them with people who appreciate them.

As 2011 ends I want to thank my sponsors. Many of them have been with me for a long time, through good and bad. I appreciate them and I appreciate the support all of you have shown me over the years. Heck I even appreciate the trolls. They have unwittingly brought me more traffic this year than ever before! As for the rest of you – I do look forward to continuing to serve you until my time to fully retire comes knocking at the door. Until then, I hope some small part of what you’ve seen or heard here at Photofocus will help you go out and make some great photographs too!

My wish for all of you is not complicated, but it is sincere – I wish that for all of you – the new year is full of excitement and challenges that leave you wanting more. It’s time for new beginnings – don’t screw it up

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15 Ways To Improve Your Photography Without Buying Gear

Posted on December 29, 2011 by Master Photographer

Several years back I wrote a post that contained 10 things you could do to improve your photography without buying gear. Today I am adding five more to that original list in the hope that I can help someone with a thin wallet still feel like they have a chance to get better.

So, here are MY suggestions for improving your photography without buying gear.

1. Know what you want to photograph. Make a decision on what’s important to YOU – not to your editors, or your girlfriend, or your teacher. Decide what’s right for YOU and then stick to it.

2. Don’t give up! It’s not easy to set a goal and then stick to it. But it sure is rewarding. Half of photography is patience and perseverance. Gut it out. When it gets hard, dig in your heels and work harder. Stay an extra 10 minutes on each location. Spend an extra 15 minutes a day looking at published photos. Handle your camera. The more effort you apply, the better the result.

3. Just relax and be yourself. You don’t have to wear a beanie cap and talk like an artist just to impress people. Unless that’s part of your real personality, shelve it. Just be yourself. This ties strongly to my first suggestion. If you’re not sure who you are, remember, you are NOT your photography. You are the person BEHIND the image. Don’t be afraid to let that infect your work.

4. See in yourself the things you want others to see in you. Nuff said.

5. Develop your own interests and your own style. Don’t just copy someone else. Your work will never really improve unless you stop copying other people’s ideas and start developing your own. It’s okay – great even – to be inspired by other work. Just don’t copy it. Do something new.

6. Work hard. And then work harder. I have a favorite saying I heard back when I was in high school. “Everybody wants to be a rock star without having to learn the chords.” There’s no getting around the fact that getting good at photography involves dedication and hard work. Buying the best camera in the world won’t do a thing for you if you don’t get off the couch and go shooting.

7. Be consistent. If your work is all over the place, it’s a sure sign you haven’t settled who you are and what you want to do with your photography. Until you sort that out, nobody else will be able to either. Stick with it.

8. Be positive. With the emergence of online forums and the Internet photo blog, photography can become very negative. Trolls who can’t or won’t do what’s necessary to succeed really, really don’t want you to either. It would force them to come face-to-face with their failures. So ignore them. Stay upbeat. Stay positive. Stay focused on your goals not your detractors. Excise the people, places and things that are a negative influence on your life.

9. Be objective. Be open to constructive critiques of your work. Step back and get rid of your emotional attachment to your images. Analyze them as a stranger would. Check yourself – to see if you’re hitting the mark you set for yourself. Be willing to admit when you’re wrong and learn from it.

10. Care about your subjects. Tell their story as if you are going to be the last person to ever get that chance. Whether you photograph birds, people, mountains, sports, trains, insects, flowers or anything in between, remember, your images end up speaking for the subject. What are you saying? Is it careful and considerate? If you can focus on that you’ll get better.

11. Become a better person if you want to become a better photographer. I stole that quote from Jerry Ghionis, a famous wedding photographer from Australia. It’s one of the truest things I’ve ever heard.

12. Practice “seeing.” Go out without any camera and observe the world. Just like strength training in a gym helps a football player do a better job during the big game, mental exercises help photographers do a better job when it counts.

13. Teach a newbie everything you know. There’s no way I know to learn more about photography than teaching it. I have probably benefitted most in my career by all the teaching I’ve done. If you have to teach, it forces you to research, think, plan and prepare. That’s a great recipe for improving.

14. Look at 10,000 published photographs. This won’t cost you a penny. Go to the local library and either use their computer or simply search through photo and art books. You’ll see images that SOME editor thought were worthy. Examine these images carefully. Study everything you can about them. Ask questions about how and why the photographer did what they did. Then apply what you learn to your own work.

15. Learn everything you can about the gear you have now. Don’t buy anything new until you are sure you’ve exhausted the limits of what you already have. Most photographers don’t come close to using the full potential of all the gear they already have. Spend time reading manuals, researching manufacture sites, and practicing with the tools you now have before spending money on new ones.

I know some of you wish I’d write the post that says “Buy three of these by Saturday and you’ll be a great photographer.” Sorry, if I knew what those three things were, I’d buy them for myself. I do know that photography, like anything else worth a lifetime pursuit, requires lots more than good gear.

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Three Things Portrait Photographers Can Do To Establish A Connection With Their Subjects

Posted on December 26, 2011 by Master Photographer

There are several ways to establish a connection with your next portrait subject. Here are three.

1) Shooting straight on with your subject at or near eye-level establishes eye contact and a close relationship between the subject and the viewer. There is an intimacy to a straight on camera position that evokes an emotional response.

The straight on shot can work from any height, but it is most effective at eye level. If you want to establish an immediate connection between the viewer and the subject, shoot straight on.

2) Try to get an honest, genuine expression. Expression sells portraits. So get a real one. If you just tell someone to smile it rarely works as well as getting them to smile in a genuine manner. I am not above telling bad jokes to my subjects to get them to laugh or smile naturally. It makes the portrait more real and intimate in my opinion.

3) Take care of the technical stuff BEFORE the subject arrives for their portrait. Know what camera settings and lighting setups you want before they show up. The photographers who spend time fiddling with their cameras and gear don’t have as good a chance at establishing real rapport and connection with their subjects.

Birds of Bosque 2012 – Compiled Diary

Posted on December 24, 2011 by Master Photographer

To see a video presentation of my Bosque slide show, visit this link…

To those who celebrate, Merry Christmas. Tomorrow I’ll post another edition of Photofocus the podcast. On Christmas Eve I decided to re-run the Bosque Diary – all four parts as one post. Enjoy the post and the holiday.

Birds of Bosque 2012 – Diary

My assistant Anthony and I arrived safe and sound in New Mexico. This Thanksgiving, like many, many, many before it, I’ll be photographing at the Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge near Socorro, New Mexico. The primary attraction at the refuge is migrating flocks of snow geese, ross’ geese and sandhill cranes. There are plenty of additional bird species – including several hard-to-find ducks, along with some pretty great scenery.

Bird photographers from around the world make the annual trek to Bosque for Thanksgiving. Those lucky enough to get their spouse’s permission will be shooting on Thanksgiving proper. Most come the days before or after.

We drove from Las Vegas, making two stops. On the way down we visited the Grand Canyon only to be completely shut out by a low-hanging cloud bank. We spent four hours on a vista hoping for a sun break with no luck. No worries – a bad day at the Grand Canyon is better than a good day most anywhere else. I didn’t make a single exposure but still enjoyed my time there.

The next day we had better luck. We stopped at the Petrified Forest National Park. We didn’t venture very far into the park because of time constraints, but I did get to finally make some images I liked. Anthony even made a few images.

Then it was on to Albuquerque, New Mexico for the annual Waffle House visit! (Yep I know – not the healthiest place in the world but I splurge one week a year. Cheesy eggs and raisin toast – hash browns – smothered please!) We gassed up, rested, sorted the gear and made plans for the first day of shooting at the refuge.

Before I go on I should note that bird photographers interested in some variety can visit the Albuquerque Zoo. It has a very large duck pond and all sorts of birds fly into and out of the area this time of year. Concurrently, New Mexico Tech in Socorro also has a nice duck pond which I regularly visit.

If you’re not a full-time bird photographer, there are lots of landscape opportunities in the area, including the Very Large Array (VLA) telescope, the Three Rivers Indian Petroglyphs and White Sands Missile Range just south of Socorro near Alamogordo, NM.

As has been my habit lately, I am traveling with much less gear than I used to in the old days. It might seem like the opposite when you read the list but in years past I’ve had twice as much gear.

This year my gear list reads as follows:

Two Canon 1D MK IV bodies
Two Canon 800mm f/5.6 lenses
Two Olympus E-P3 bodies
One Olympus 45mm f/1.8 lens
One Olympus 12mm f/2.0 lens
One Olympus 17mm f/2.8 lens
One Induro CT414 tripod
Two Induro CT214 tripods
One Induro BHD3 ball head
One Induro BHD1 ball head
One Induro GHB2 gimbal head
Two Hero HD2 video cameras
One Nikon D7000 body
One Nikon 10.5mm f/2.8 fisheye lens
One Kessler Crane Travel Dolly
One Kessler Dolly Motor
Assorted other camera supports, bags, filters, memory cards, card readers, hard drives, and other small photo accessories

You’ll note there are several duplicates on the list. That is because when you come this far, and end up this isolated, you need backups. The Canon 800 is the primary go-to lens for this shoot so I needed two of them. It’s crazy to own two so thanks to BorrowLenses.com I got a spare one – just in case.

Trips to Bosque in early winter also require lots of clothing. The temperatures can swing 30 degrees in a day, so I have lots of hats, gloves, boots, jackets, warm socks, etc. So far I haven’t needed them, but I have them.

Anthony has returned home to Vegas to spend Thanksgiving with his family so now I am working on my own for the first day. This is my routine…

Once I get established in my base hotel, I break everything down and transfer most of the gear to one bag and a photo vest. I also work out of the truck, using it as a blind, shooting with the 800mm lens mounted on a bean bag over the window sill for support.

I’ll be using the Hero cams for time-lapse. The Canon with 800mm lens will be the primary kit, used to make portraits. Group shots will be made using the Olympus micro 4/3 for landscapes and group shots of birds. The Nikon D7000 with fisheye lens will solely be used for fly-outs (the moment at dawn when tens of thousands of birds leave simultaneously from the retaining ponds.)

The weather is warmer than usual and there has been a significant drought in the area. The tour management has built an alternate route north of the refuge. This route has never been opened to photographers and may never be again so I am excited to see what sort of shooting opportunities arise. My first trip down this road helped me realize it’s a morning shot because of the sun angle, so tomorrow I’ll go early.

We’re expecting traditional blast offs and fly-ins but during the day, the usual spots at the refuge might not be as productive. I guess that means nap time during the day. I’d say conditions are far from optimal, but as you can see from this post, I already have some pretty good images, including a mini-Cranes in the Fire Mist – II which I’ll talk about later.

I’m writing this entry on Thanksgiving day. It’s crazy how crowded the reserve is. There are about 100 serious photographers shooting today. I guess the world does in fact have some understanding spouses – or more single people than I realized.

The weather was typical Central New Mexico in early winter. This morning for the blast-off, the temperature was 27 degrees at dawn. By sunset, the temperature had risen to 64 degrees. My cold-weather gear certainly came in handy this morning. This afternoon, not so much.

Sunrise is officially at 6:48 AM but the action starts about 20 minutes before that. The birds can blast off from the pond as much as 20 minutes before or after. When you try to figure out where to shoot from, there are three main considerations.

1. Background
2. Wind direction
3. Sun angle

These are hard and fast rules in bird photography as far as I am concerned. (I put that sentence in there so all of you needing an excuse for faux outrage today can send me scathing email saying there are no rules in photography )

These all apply during the blast off, but in ways that are somewhat unusual. The birds take off into the wind. If the wind is coming from the north and you’re south of the birds, you’re going to get wonderful shots of their butts. You have to pay attention to the wind. Then you have to find a nice background. Usually that’s the sunrise. Lastly, you have to think about sun angle. Usually, you want to shoot birds on sun angle, but during the blast off, you can shoot them backlit.

Today I nearly got shut out. I simply couldn’t get far north enough to get the birds as they lept out of the pond. I got the one shot below but I have made better images of the blast off. Some days are like that. When the winds are from the south it’s MUCH easier but as you may expect, the winds are rarely from the south, because lately, it seems nothing is easy

If there’s no big blast off or you miss it, you head to the crane pools. These are the ponds that you see on the west side of the road as you drive into the refuge. Some years, there’s no water here. This year, there’s a little water, but not as much as I’d like.

After shooting the crane pools, you usually head back into the refuge and cut through the middle to go to the northern end of Bosque. This year, there’s no corn there and that means no birds. The drought has severely impacted Bosque del Apache and frankly, conditions are very poor for photography. But, that said, each day has still presented plenty of great opportunities, just fewer than usual.

The new extended tour loop has helped. It is cool to see a part of the Bosque I’ve never seen before, but the sun angle is impossible there any time other than early morning. When it’s cloudy, it’s a good place to go – if the birds are there. Sometimes they are and sometimes they aren’t. The birds seem just as confused as the photographers this year. The counts are down. You have to work to find birds. Most years, the birds find you.

If there isn’t some rain soon, the shooting here will be terrible next year. But before I sound too negative, let me say that I have high expectations given the success I’ve had here in the past. I remember it in the good old days. If you’d never been here before, you’d have a great time shooting here and you’d wonder what all the fuss is about.

One advantage of coming here so often is that when conditions are tough, you have fallback spots that almost always produce. That has been the case so far. But better news might be coming. We’re supposed to get some weather tomorrow. Bald blue skies and northwest winds are killers here. When there’s weather, anything is possible. Spots that normally don’t work all of a sudden do. The birds change their behavior and all standard bets are off. It’s exciting.

One thing I should mention is that the refuge management, the U.S. Department of Transportation and the railroad have decided to permanently close off the area known as the “railroad pond.” If this sounds familiar, it’s the location where I made Crane’s in the Fire Mist. So unless you’re willing to break the law, risk arrest, jail and fines, you can’t shoot at that pond which means nobody can copy THAT shot. It also means I can’t shoot there either. I’m not sure how I feel about that but it doesn’t matter. It is what it is. The only thing constant at Bosque is change. (UPDATE & NOTE: According to some of my audience – a photographer who makes his living copying my blog posts, podcasts, workshops and photographs recently claimed he made “his own version” of Cranes in the Fire Mist and that the shot was indeed still possible. While I am flattered that he thinks my work is worthy of constant immitation, don’t believe him. You should note that the exact shot is only possible if you are willing to risk arrest.)

Even with the challenges, two days into this shoot I have some pretty good images. I am really happy with my attempts to shoot stills. Now I’ll start spending time trying some video and time lapse. Before I close, this chapter of the diary, I want to make a personal observation.

Some in my audience seem to have genuine concern about my decision to spend Thanksgiving on the road shooting. I appreciate that concern. But really – it’s fine. I like being here. There is a sort of family here too. Part of the joy of being at Bosque del Apache during Thanksgiving is seeing old friends. The same folks who usually come here every year keep coming back and eventually, some of us become friends. Beyond that, there’s always my pal Artie Morris. He’s here for the 17th straight year. He hosted his usual Thanksgiving brunch. It was a great time with like-minded people.

There is a special camaraderie amongst bird photographers. Bird photography is one of the hardest kinds of photography you can ever try to do. Those who do it at the level you see practiced here at Bosque are the best of the best. I’m proud to be here among them, doing my best to tell the stories of the birds of Bosque.

I’ll have at least one more installment of the Bosque diary and I appreciate all the kind comments I’ve gotten about it so far.

I said I was hoping for some weather at Bosque del Apache. Well I got it – perhaps I should have been more specific. I wasn’t hoping for deep, dark clouds and driving rain. I was shut out at the blast off. There was no light. But I did find some new spots that I’ll shoot from later. I made exactly one exposure and some video during the morning.

This is a good example of the patience it takes to be a nature or wildlife photographer. Unlike studio shooters who can control just about every aspect of their shoots, those photographing birds spend most of their time in a state of NO control.

You can’t control the weather, the light, the birds, the wind direction and strength, etc. You just need patience, luck and the basic knowledge required to put you in the best position to GET some luck.

This is why so many people give up nature or wildlife photography. They go out once or twice and if conditions are bad, they form an opinion that it will always be that hard and they move on. It takes incredible patience, spanning years sometimes, to do this work. When you get some luck and everything fits together, it’s very rewarding.

I did have some luck this week. Some deer were grazing on the reserve. Usually they are very timid and hard to photograph. This week they seemed more accessible. I managed a decent shot of one.

As always happens at Bosque, each day is packed with meeting more old friends who’ve also come here for years, and I even met some new ones. I was gratified at the number of people who came up and introduced themselves to me saying the read the site or listen to the podcast.

Because of the bad weather, I spent a few extra hours in Socorro. There are a few new restaurants, (If you go, try the new Mexican place directly across from Taco Bell. It’s really good) and a few old ones are victims of the recession. The old grocery stores are still here despite the newish Walmart. The Holiday Inn Express is one of the newest hotels in town, and it’s the most expensive and the nicest in my opinion. That said, it’s not exactly a great place. No Internet for the first two days of the trip and the hotel is badly in need of a renovation, but it’s still better than the choices we had in the mid 90s.

As I close this section of the diary I’ll say that now I’ve had enough time to form a reasonable opinion, there’s no doubt that my fears about Bosque turned out to be true. As bad as it’s been, I’ve been fortunate to get some good images. But it’s not like the old days. The refuge is simply seeing fewer birds than in past years. I talked with a wildlife biologist who assured me the bird populations are holding steady, it’s just that the birds aren’t stopping at the Bosque while on the flyway. I probably won’t be spending next Thanksgiving here.

To steal from Forest Gump – “Nature/Wildlife photography is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re going to get!”

My (mostly) annual Thanksgiving trip to Bosque del Apache near Socorro, New Mexico is finished. I must say that on some levels it was very frustrating (i.e., the bird counts were WAY down) but still rewarding (i.e., peaceful and tranquil.)

It’s funny, but the more I think I know the Bosque, the less I really do. I had some grand ideas for this trip but circumstances got in the way. No biggie, I always have a good time there. But this trip was special because I am pretty sure it really is my last to this area. It’s time to spend Thanksgiving somewhere else. (I’m open to ideas )

Once I realized that things weren’t going as planned, I simply decided to go with the flow. This was the right decision. I ended up getting some images I really like, which is hard since I’ve been to Bosque so many times getting something new is tough.

I switched my focus (no pun intended) to a theme approach. I simply looked for images that were peaceful or that brought me tranquility. Once I shifted my thinking in that direction, I started “seeing” things I would have missed otherwise.

The image of the tree and the birds at the Crane pool is an example of what I went for. It’s not the best photo I’ve ever made at Bosque del Apache, but it did leave me feeling tranquil. That was the goal.

There’s no way for me to adequately express the emotions I feel for Bosque. It’s all about the birds. With them gone, I’ll simply have to find another place to commune with them. In the mean time, I hope that following this diary has helped those of you either thinking of going there or somewhere similar. The main takeaways are:

1. Be patient
2. Pay attention
3. Hope for a little luck
4. Have a theme
5. Don’t forget the goal

Thanks for following the diary. I hope you’ve enjoyed the images.

The Best Way I Know To Avoid Photographic Boredom & Grow At The Same Time

Posted on December 19, 2011 by Master Photographer

I’ve written here before about shooting your way out of a rut. Now I want to help you before things get that bad. This is a little secret I learned years ago and it has helped me to keep my photographic interests alive longer than most of you reading this.

Here’s the secret…

Stretch your boundaries – leave your comfort zone – do something daring or at least different with your photography at least once per year.

That’s it. That’s all there is to it. But it’s harder than it sounds. Ships are safest in the harbor but they are not built to sit there. They are built to sail.

If you want to avoid boredom, and dare I say it, receive the additional benefit of even growing, try something new.

Abraham Maslow said, “One can choose to go back toward safety or forward toward growth. Growth must be chosen again and again; fear must be overcome again and again.”

Visit some new territory if you want to grow. It worked for me. I was safely behind the wall of wedding and portrait photography, enjoying my success when one day I saw photographs of birds by Arthur Morris. I decided to try my hand at some bird photography. Talk about a stretch. I moved from the controlled environs of my studio and strobes to open fields and nothing but sunlight. But it helped me get past the boredom of shooting portrait after portrait and move forward to something new and fun and hard – photographing birds.

Sometimes it’s good to be reminded that life will be over before you know it. Try something new before you run out of time. Shoot something you would normally never think of photographing. Take it further and actually study and scrutinize the work of photographers who work outside your genre. The more you apply yourself to this exercise, the more you’ll get out of it.

Not only will you avoid the eventual boredom that envelopes many long-time photographers, you’ll find yourself with better vision and growth in a new direction.