Editors note: We are proud to welcome Richard Peters as a contributor to the OPG Blog! Based in West London and employed in the television/media industry, Richard's passion is wildlife photography. Richard maintains a wonderfully detailed blog that includes great images, equipment reviews, and videos, including stunning time-lapse presentations. Links to Richard's material follow this article. We're looking forward to more of Richard's contributions in the future!
One species I had not seen before, but knew could be found in Florida, is the Burrowing Owl. So I decided to spend some time photographing them at a couple of locations in the sunshine state…as well as recording my first ‘On Location’ video to give you an idea of the conditions I experienced, and to give you some idea of what to expect if you decide to go out photographing these little guys for yourself.
Burrowing Owls are funny little birds. They are only 9 inches tall and spend most of their time sitting at the entrance to their nests, keeping an eye out for food and predators. Florida’s population is estimated to be between 3,000 and 10,000 pairs and they are located at several specific areas, rather than anywhere and everywhere like other species you find in the sunshine state. They are listed as a protected species to help keep the numbers up, as in places like Cape Coral, they have built nests on empty plots of land. As a result developers have, in the past, disrupted nests so that they can build on the land the owls are occupying.
Where to look?
There are several areas around the state you can find the owls nesting although, unlike other species, these locations are quite few and far between and so not quite as easy to just stumble across.
I visited a couple of areas in my search for the owls, and to accompany this article, I made a video to show them – which you can see below (bare with me as I find my feet with this new skill that I am having to learn, it’s only my second video – shot with a Lumix TZ7 – but I do hope you enjoy watching…). You’ll notice I only talk about Cape Coral briefly and that is simply because I spent a couple of hours one morning trying to find the owls there. At the bottom of this article you can find links to websites that will give you more information about the owls and locations you can find them in to help you find some for yourself.
Now you’ve seen the video…
I also wrote this article to better show some of the Burrowing Owl photos I took and also back up the video with more information. I hope you find it an interesting and useful read.
D30, 200-400, 1.4x, 550mm, 1/320, f7.1
Cape Coral
This is probably the most well known location for seeing the Burrowing Owls in Florida. The city is well known for its population which is estimated to be over 1,000 and indeed, as you drive around the city you will see nests dotted all over the place. There is a toll to get on to Cape Coral so be prepared for that if you are visiting from further away…it’s only a couple of dollars but you don’t want to get caught out and have to go off looking for an atm when all you want to be doing is taking photos. The community of the city really do a lot to look after the owls nesting there, with various tips and advice on the protection and well being of the owls to be found on the Cape Coral website. It’s really nice to see just how much effort the city puts in to the conservation of the owls, but given how many of the entire states population live there it really is no surprise. Many residents have also put up wooden crosses by the nests for the owls to perch on, although I only saw one owl off in the distance perched up.
D3, 200-400, 1.4x, 550mm, 1/800, f8, ISO 360
The nests can be found all over the city and you basically just have to drive around looking for them. When you see one, depending on it’s location, you can simply pull up and take photos. As you may have seen in the video, many of them are found around the housing estates, which means you basically have to drive around the many residential areas to spot them. The nests are easy enough to see as they are marked with poles around them and usually rope joining those poles. Because many nests are on private property or in areas that you just cannot reach very easily you may not always be able to get close enough for a decent shot. The good news though, is that there are quite a few of them so it won’t take you long to find another that is a little more within reach of your camera. On the morning we drove round however, there were very few owls on show with most of them seeming to want to keep out of view or as hidden as possible with just a pair of eyes looking out at you. We did find a couple out in the open but we were at the mercy of the sunlight…and that’s your other problem…because a large amount of the nests are on private property you can only photograph them from one direction, which may not always be in the right position for the light.
D300, 200-400 VR, 1/500, f8, ISO 200
I liked Cape Coral, it’s a nice quite city with plenty of space and lots of owls to be found. I would have liked to spend more time there to really make the most of it though as my friend, fellow photographer Colin Pickett, spent a few days there and had more success. Although he informed me the time of day and various nests activity varied a lot, so it really does seem like it might be hit and miss as to whether you see them or not. As is the case with most wildlife, you just have to put the time in and hope you are rewarded with some sightings.
By contrast, Brian Piccolo Park really did give me a lot more opportunities to photograph the owls. It really is the last place I would have thought to look for them though, as the park is purely there for recreational purposes with football (soccer!) pitches, cricket fields, basketball courts, a velodrome etc as well as picnic areas. No wetland area, no wildlife conservation area or anything like that which you find in many other parks around the state. This park is purely for the entertainment of the Broward County residents so it really did come as a surprise when I was told to look there for the owls. I was expecting them to be sparsely dotted around and hard to see but to my delight there were a good number of nests and almost every single one of them had at least one owl standing by the entrance…further more, on both the days I visited, the owls were showing well the entire time I was there.
D3 with 200-400 VR, 400mm, 1/250, f7.1, ISO 400
Shooting at the park is really good because the owls there seem much more approachable and accepting of people. I think because the park gets so busy and noisy at times, the owls have grown to understand that they generally are not in danger from the people that use the area, and so you can get close enough for some really nice images – with the owls being far less timid than the at Cape Coral. Again as you can see in the video, some of the nests are right up alongside the pathways and road that wind throughout the park which has all helped to make the owls grow used to the daily visitors. It’s worth pointing out that you should never take the owls trust for granted by getting overly close to them, but you can certainly get close enough that a 400mm on a full frame camera will get you some nice images (or 300mm on a crop body) – although I opted to use my 1.4x TC on my 200-400 because I prefer to stay further away from my subjects, as airing on the side of caution is always the safest bet. The owls always seemed comfortable with my presence though and mostly ignored me and spent most of the time doing what they do best, observing the area around them and moving their heads in all directions to keep an eye on things.
D3, 200-400 VR, 1.4x, 550mm, 1/250, f8
The other advantage here is that you can get to any side of any nest with ease, so you are always able to shoot with the light in the best possible position. It’s also worth pointing out there is a fee to get in to the park depending on the day you visit, so bare that in mind. Full information about the park and it’s location can be found below.
D3, 200-400 VR, 1.4x, 550mm, 1/400, f8, ISO 200
I had great fun photographing the owls in Florida, they are funny little characters, although they don’t do a huge amount so don’t expect any action shots – although I did have one fly between two nests, straight past me…I was totally unprepared for it so missed the chance to photograph it, typical. The one and only time I saw one doing something other than standing around! However, I can recommend them for anyone that might find themselves in The Sunshine State – so do check them out if you ever get the chance.
D3, 200-400 VR, 1.4x, 550mm, 1/320, f7.1, ISO 1100
The other day I started to think about things people have innocently said to me about my photography that have annoyed me. Now, I know that most of the comments were meant without any malice and were well intentioned. I get that. But, that doesn’t stop them from bothering the heck out of me. I’ve taken the liberty of compiling the top offending comments into a top ten list, presented in the traditional descending order for your reading pleasure. I also decided to annotate each of the comments with my own thoughts which would not normally remain safely ensconced in my brain.
10. Will you photograph my wedding?
Okay, I know that I should take this as a compliment. But unless the bride and groom are going to wallow through a swamp on all fours, count me out. Brides and their mothers scare me more than coming face-to-face with a mother bear and her cubs while hiking.
Female Black Bear and her cubs walking on a trail
9. Why can’t I get pictures like that with my cell phone?
Hmmmmmm. Tough one. Could it be that the miniscule image sensor and cheap piece of plastic they call a lens can’t quite compete with quality glass and the resolving power of the sensors in modern digital SLR cameras?
8. Digital is okay I guess, but it’s too bad it doesn’t have the quality of film
Hello? 1995 called and they want their camera back. Seriously, the quality of digital cameras surpassed film several years ago. Seriously.
Northern Pintail flying over a golden pond
7. That picture would be amazing as a painting.
Why in the blue hell is photography held in such poor regard when compared to sketching, painting or sculpting? I get that these days everybody has a camera of some sort and there are literally millions of images captured each day. But, I’ll put a great image up against a great painting or sculpture any day in terms of “artistic” merit.
Black-capped chickadee perched on the branch of a pine tree – Converted to simulated oil painting to garner some artistic merit
6. That image looks like it could stand a bit more sharpening.
Probably the most common bit of “advice” you find on Internet forums when folks post their images. This age of pixel peeping has lead to an increasing number of people wayyyyyy over sharpening their images. In my humble opinion.
5. Did you Photoshop® that?
Yeah I did. So what? Do you realize that folks used to “darkroom” their images, remove flaws, lighten areas, darken areas and even completely alter the image? Manipulation of photographs goes back to the advent of photography. A famous example from 1920 is when Stalin had Trotsky removed from an image.
Stalin and Nikolai Yezhov, before retouching.
Stalin and Nikolai Yezhov, after retouching.
4. You were so lucky to be in the right place at the right time.
In the same sense that I was lucky to be up an hour before sunrise for a week to arrive at the location in time only to be disappointed 6 out of the 7 days, I guess I was lucky.
Long tailed weasel looking for baby gophers
3. How many megapixels is your camera?
200 bazillion. I know that the marketing folks at the various camera manufacturers have worked their butts off to convince folks that megapixels matter. But, I’m here to tell you that you may be able to get away with bigger crops on a high megapixel camera, my “old” four, six and eight megapixel cameras still make great pictures
2. That’s a really great snapshot.
Maybe it’s just me, but I find the term snapshot pejorative in the extreme. Call it a great picture, image or even capture, but not a snapshot. Please and thanks.
Sectored Plate
1. Wow, you must have a really nice camera!
Yeah, and that painter must have had a really great easel. Seriously, a nice camera? Are you referring to my new K-Tel Autocapture 3000 that not only takes care of all of those confusing exposure calculations, won’t let me make an image that isn’t optimally composed and automatically chooses the perfect instant to make a photograph? Sure, quality tools will help produce a quality photograph. But until the Autocapture 3000 actually ships, it is still the photographer who makes decisions on exposure, subject, setting, timing, and composition.
Yellow-headed Blackbird singing from on top of a bullrush
If you’ve ever been in a situation where you heard some innocent comment or question about your photography that just bugged the heck out of you, take it in stride.
No image, no matter how good, unique or special it may be, is worth stressing, endangering or otherwise harming wildlife. As wildlife photographers, we all need to be advocates for wildlife, after all, if we, who love to photograph them, are not, who will?
As wildlife photographers we need to set the example for others, we need to take responsibility for our actions and make every effort to lessen our impact on wildlife and the environment. There any number of organizations promote their own code of ethics for safe and respectful enjoyment of nature, and I will list a few of those at the end of this article.
Here is my basic set of guidelines that I follow. I’ve made these simple and to the point in an effort to make it easy to remember and stick to.
First do no harm – The foundation of the wildlife photographers ethic. You must always ask yourself if the next action you are about to take will bring any harm to wildlife. Sometimes it’s is very clear cut, sometimes it’s a little more difficult to discern what consequences your actions make have. In any case you should always be considering the welfare of your subject first and foremost.
Leave no trace behind – We have all heard this before. This means not to alter, modify disturb or destroy any habitat, food source or surroundings. Leave your location in the same state than you found it.
Never harass wildlife – This means never to never taunt, bait or force an action out of your subject. Be patient! The most beautiful wildlife photographs result from natural behavior. Never interfere with animals engaged in breeding, feeding, nesting, or caring for young. Learn the habits of your subjects; Respect and protect your subject, look for signs of stress. If you notice your subject is altering it’s behavior as a result of your actions, stop. Learn to recognize wildlife alarm signals for the safety of both wildlife and yourself.
Enjoy yourself – We all have to remember why we wake up early in the morning, endure mosquitoes, ticks, chiggers, leaches and whatever other nasties mother nature throws at us when we are sitting in a blind for hours on end. We are out there to enjoy wildlife, and if we are so lucky, we get to make some great images in the process. So enjoy yourself.
If you want to be successful at wildlife photography you need two things; patience and more patience. Well, persistance helps as well.
In all seriousness, besides the few lucky shots we all get from time to time, you need loads and loads of patience and need to be very persistent in order to consistently make memorable images. Wildlife can’t be directed, rushed or posed, otherwise it would not be wildlife.
Here are three tips to help you:
30 Minute Rule – When observing and photographing wildlife there is what is commonly referred to as the 30 minute rule. What this means is that once you enter an environment you have caused a disturbance with the wildlife within the immediate area. Wildlife will take approximately 30 minutes to “settle” down and accept your presence, given that you are still during this period and have broken your “human” outline. You break your outline by covering yourself with some simple camouflage netting or other similar material. You’ll be surprised how close some wildlife will get to you once you have done this.
Work Subjects Over and Over – This simply means never being “content” with the images you have of a specific subject or species; never thinking you have made the best image you’ll ever make. Keep working the same subjects over and over, make more images with different backgrounds, under different weather and light conditions, and during different times of the year. Just as an example, during my last “Winter in Yellowstone” photo workshop (Feb 2010) we had the opportunity to make quite a few images of big horn sheep, some under very spectacular conditions. Most workshop participants had dozens if not hundreds of images of the sheep. On a different day, we ran into the sheep again and I asked the participants if they wanted to make some more images of the sheep, and all indicated that they thought they already had all the images they wanted/needed. I immediately stopped the vehicle and made everyone get out to make some more images, explaining that although I believed this was the same group of sheep, the conditions where not the same as the previous day and you never know what will happen. Not more than 15 minutes after we set up to make some more images the sheep started fighting! We spent the next hour or two making some incredible images like the one above! Had we continued on thinking we had all the images we ever wanted we would have missed this spectacular display!
Look for Patterns in Behavior – I have to admit that I am not the most patient person on the world, specially when I am sitting inside a blind in sweltering heat. In order to limit the amount of time I spend in situations like this, I look for patterns in behavior of my subjects and schedule my time in the blind accordingly. This way I maximize the chances of making great images while in the blind.
You may have heard me say over and over again that in order to make the best images of wildlife you need to know your subjects, and know them well. One of the first things to learn about your subject is what is their preferred habitat.
Knowing your subjects preferred habitat is important, not only for locating them, but also in planning the kind of images you are going to make.
I enjoy animal portraits as much as everyone else, and I am known to make many “bird on a stick” images. However, my preference is for images that showcase wildlife in one of their preferred habitats. Images that include habitat tell so much more about that species, plus they can serve as a great compositional element.
Ruby Throat Hummingbird on Nest, Goose Creek SP, NC
Here are a couple of tips on including habitat with your wildlife images.
Supporting Habitat – While I like to include habitat in my images, I almost always make sure that my subject is the main focus of the image. I try to select background elements that compliment my subject, and not detract from it. I try to include habitat elements that frame my subjects and place them in an environment without detracting from the subject.
Separation – Even though you are trying to include some some of the background elements into the image in order to support your main subject, it’s important to maintain separation between your subject and the background. Use only as much Depth-of-Field as you need to keep your subject in focus and no more. There is such as thing as too much DOF.
Simplify – Avoid extraneous objects, one of the tricks I learned a long time ago that has helped me tremendously is to scan the periphery of my viewfinder just before tripping the shutter. What this allows me to do is make sure that I avoid any extraneous objects such as protruding elements, and that I don’t have any competing background elements. At first this may take some time to do consciously, but with practice you will find yourself doing this very quickly and sub-consciously.
I don’t often hear many people talk about connecting with your subject when shooting wildlife, after all how can a human connect with an animal, right?
Well, I can tell you categorically that yes you can connect with your animal subjects, but more importantly you want your viewers to connect with the subjects in your photos.
Here are a few tips on creating a connection between your photos subject and viewer:
A Different Perspective – I review quite a few images from amateur wildlife photographers asking for feedback on their work. And I have to tell you that the biggest mistake I see people make is photographing an animal from standing height, usually looking down at the animal. This, in my opinion, is the quickest way to make an otherwise spectacular subject look rather ordinary. The reason for this is that as humans we are used to seen the world from standing height, when you create an image that provides a different perspective, a different point-of-view if you will, you are providing your viewer something different to look at.
Eye Level – To make a connection, you need to be looking at your subject at eye level. So get down, lie on your belly if you must. I’ve been known to lie down and crawl on geese poop for hours to get down low enough to connect at eye level with my subjects. An added benefit to this, is that animals will see you as less threatening when you are at eye level to them.
The Right Pose – Capturing your subject at the right pose is key to presenting them in as favorable way as possible. Additionally the right pose should present your subject in as a natural state as possible.
I hope these few tips help you in creating a stronger connection with your subjects.
Top Ten Annoying Things To Say To A Wildlife Photographer
Tuesday, June 1st, 2010The other day I started to think about things people have innocently said to me about my photography that have annoyed me. Now, I know that most of the comments were meant without any malice and were well intentioned. I get that. But, that doesn’t stop them from bothering the heck out of me. I’ve taken the liberty of compiling the top offending comments into a top ten list, presented in the traditional descending order for your reading pleasure. I also decided to annotate each of the comments with my own thoughts which would not normally remain safely ensconced in my brain.
Female Black Bear and her cubs walking on a trail
Northern Pintail flying over a golden pond
Black-capped chickadee perched on the branch of a pine tree – Converted to simulated oil painting to garner some artistic merit
Stalin and Nikolai Yezhov, before retouching.
Stalin and Nikolai Yezhov, after retouching.
Long tailed weasel looking for baby gophers
Sectored Plate
Yellow-headed Blackbird singing from on top of a bullrush
If you’ve ever been in a situation where you heard some innocent comment or question about your photography that just bugged the heck out of you, take it in stride.
I hope some of these comments gave you a laugh!
You can find out more about Paul at his website and blog: Paul Burwell Photography
Follow Paul on Twitter here: link
Check out Paul's Wildlife Photography Academy Workshops here: link
Tags: commentary, Paul Burwell, Wildlife photography
Posted in Articles, commentary, wildlife | 9 Comments »