Posts Tagged ‘wildlife’
Tuesday, February 23rd, 2010
Think back to a recent time when the weather was nice and you were in a pleasant park area. The sun was out, the clouds were fluffy, and the birds were singing (a rainbow and some happy skipping may have been involved too but we won't go there…). During this joyous day, recall how many people you saw making photographs. My guess would be quite a few. In general, people like making images when the weather is nice. Yet, when the weather becomes inclement, we tend to stay inside, and far fewer photographs are made.
The world doesn't stop when the weather is bad. As photographers, neither should we.
Now, I know many photographers (and I'm sure you do too) who are, shall we say, apprehensive about taking their beloved camera out shooting in inclement weather. They say "my camera is not environmentally sealed".
I say, "So what?"
There is a wide variety of protective gear, such as rain covers for your camera and equipment. You wear rain gear without fear, so why can't your equipment do the same? Op/Tech's Rainsleeve, Kata's Elements series, AquaTech's Sport Shield series , and ThinkTank's Hydrophobia Rain Covers are just a few that come to mind. Even if your camera is environmentally sealed, it is a good idea to invest in a rain cover for your gear.
As photographers, we seek out images and scenes that are unique and tell a story. When applied to our weather discussion, we can get some unique images that tell a story which far fewer photographers tell. A wet street at night and its glow present wonderful options for us to photograph. Shooting falling snow and capturing it in mid air can also make an image that will resonate with others.
Human nature tells us to seek shelter when said weather is bad. As a photographer this means that less people will be out shooting and hence, the stories you can capture will be all your own.
Perhaps urban/cityscapes is not your thing. Maybe you're more of a wildlife photographer. The same rules apply. Wildlife photographers who shoot in rain, snow, etc. have the potential to get amazing images. We've all seen images of wildlife. The number of images rapidly decreases when you look for wildlife in rain, snow, etc. So if you brave the elements and capture, for instance, a mature bull elk exhaling in the cold morning air while some light snow is falling, you could have an amazing shot. Unique, thought provoking wildlife photographs are what separate the journeyman from the truly creative.
Extraordinary photographers make extraordinary photographs. Extraordinary photographers are the ones who do not scoff at the notion of inclement weather but rather embrace it. They are the ones who realized long ago that weather is not the enemy.
Would you rather be an ordinary photographer or an extraordinary one? That's what I thought. Get out there and shoot! (feel free do some happy skipping too if you’d like).
You can check out Ted's work on his website, and follow him on Twitter.
You can see OPG's offerings of raincovers here.
Tags: Advice, Weather, wildlife
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Monday, February 22nd, 2010
Since Chris Klapheke and I are heading down to Roma, Texas for one of my workshops, I thought it would be good time to post a few tips on using water drips to attract birds. In Roma, we put a water feature in front of every blind. Due to the dry climate and the sound of the water dripping, we get lots of different drinkers and bathers.
We dig out a water feature in the ground and line it with plastic to hold water. As most of the blinds are sunken in Roma, the water drip on the ground is still at eye level. You can also elevate a water drip as shown below.
Below is my set-up that I have been using during the Spring and Fall migration on the Upper Texas Coast. I have an elevated pond made out of a bucket with a 2 foot X 2 foot piece of plywood on top. I place a few rocks around the edges of the plywood and lay a piece of pond liner on top. The final touch is running a small drip hose to it so there is always fresh running water. The sound attracts the birds and lets them know the water is fresh. To fine tune the dripping you can purchase a small drip hose from a department store and attach it to your garden hose. Some models even come with a small spigot so that the drip rate and volume can be adjusted.
When there is no running water nearby, I use a five gallon jug that has an adjustable flow lever. A camping jug will last two days with a steady drip. I support the jug with a photographer's backdrop frame. A milk jug with a pin hole will also work.
Set up near trees so the birds feel safe. Use only a few perches, and you will be rewarded!
Look for more posts from our Roma workshop!
You can read more about Alan, browse his wonderful images and learn about his workshops here.
Tags: avian, Roma, tips, wildlife
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Monday, February 15th, 2010
Here’s a quick tip for getting good exposures of both very dark and very light subjects. When photographing a dark subject, such as this leopard seal that I photographed in Antarctica, set your exposure compensation to -1. When photographing a white subject, such as this polar bear that I photographed in the Sub-Arctic, set your exposure compensation to +1.
I know that sounds backward, but it’s actually true. Very dark and very light subjects can fool a camera’s exposure meter into thinking that the scene is darker or brighter than it is in reality.
By the way, those are just starting points for a good exposure. As always, check your histogram to get the very best in-camera exposure. You can’t trust your camera’s LCD monitor when it comes to exposure and color.
Think backward, and you’ll remember this tip.
You can check out more from Rick at The Digital Photo Experience.
Tags: exposure, Photo Tips, tip, wildlife
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Monday, February 1st, 2010
Last summer I was fortunate to have some unusual visitors to my back yard. We had a cicada invasion, and the insects were crawling up out of the ground and making their usual racket. Siting in my office, I thought I saw a dog run across the clearing. On further inspection, it was Great Horned Owl! To add to my surprise, two juvenile owls waddled out of the underbrush. All three were after the tasty morsels emerging from their sleep.
Seeing a Geat Horned Owl around these parts is rare, and having two juveniles on the ground in one's own yard even rarer. I knew I had to get to work, for this might be a fleeting moment.
I had no idea what I was in for. It took me two weeks to get a usable shot. These guys earned their reputation as the top of the avian hunter chain, as they could see and hear my every move. I tried a Doghouse blind, laying on the deck, laying in mud, a Kwik Kamo blind–enough things to make my wife start muttering about "obsession". Finally I tried TWO Doghouse blinds, so the little rascals would be confused about where I was hiding.
Once I was able to keep the owls in the yard while I was in one blind, my problem became composition. What owl would look my way when nice juicy cicadas were on the ground in front of them? Any noise I made, including shutter noise, would make them look up and scurry. Then it hit me. The first shutter click might get their attention, the second shutter click could be my shot. That's how I captured the image above.
My lesson was: stay on point past the first shot. Don't line up your shot, only to pull away after your first shutter click. Stay focused and concentrate on what happens after your first click. Be there for the second shot, the third shot and more.
You never know what might happen after that first shot. The second one may the the one that nails it.
Tags: tips, wildlife
Posted in Articles, Quick Tip | 2 Comments »
Thursday, January 7th, 2010
Here are two of my favorite pictures from one of my Botswana workshops.
I like the portrait of the lion; the side lighting adds a nice sense of depth and dimension to the image. Remember: light illuminates; shadows define.
I also like the way this guy is looking directly at me. The eyes are well lit and are in focus, which is important in most wildlife – and people – photography.
The action shot, however, is much more interesting. It show the lioness giving a “lovebite” to the lion – after three days of mating, according to my guide.
Because I had my mind set on getting an action shot, I was prepared to get it. In other words, I set the goal of getting the shot. I envisioned the end result.
The info:
- Canon 1D Mark III was set on rapid frame advance to capture the peak of action.
- Focus set to Servo (automatic focus tracking).
- Shutter speed set to 1/500th sec. to freeze the action.
- Aperture set to f/8 – to ensure that both lions were in sharp focus.
I composed the scene with lots of dead space around the subjects so that a paw or tail was not cut off. (This image is cropped tight for more impact.) I also shot with both eyes open, so that I could keep an eye on what else was going on in the scene.
My lens: Canon 100-400mm IS lens – which is sharpest at f/8, by the way.
When you are photographing animals – and people – portraits are pretty, but action shots are awesome.
Explore the Light,
Rick
Make sure and check out Rick's new blog and podcast: The Digital Photo Experience
Tags: action, africa, wildlife
Posted in Articles, Quick Tip | 1 Comment »
Tuesday, December 29th, 2009
Taking pictures in the snow is cool, literally and figuratively speaking. However, snow scenes present certain photographic challenges.
So let’s chill out with some cool shooting in the snow photo tips. To illustrate the tips, I’ll share some photographs that I took of polar bears in the Sub-Arctic. Brrrrrrrrrrrrr!
Don’t Be Fooled – All that white can fool a camera’s exposure meter into thinking that the scene is brighter than it actually is, therefore setting the camera for an underexposed picture. The remedy: Set your exposure compensation dial to +1. The increase should give you a better exposure, which, of course, you can fine-tune further with exposure compensation and in the digital darkroom.
Pack A Polarizing Filter – When the sun is shining, you do not – I repeat – do not want to go out on a snow shoot without a polarizing filter. A polarizing filter can continuously vary the amount of polarized light that passes through it. In doing so, it can darken a blue sky and make white clouds appear whiter and, most important in snow shooting, reduce glare on snow and ice. Finally, a polarizing filter can help you “see” through water by reducing reflections on the surface of the water.
A polarizing filter is most effective when the sun is off to your left or right. It’s ineffective when you’re shooting toward or away from the sun. When using a polarizing filter, remove your skylight or haze filter if you typically leave one on your lens. That will help prevent vignetting, especially when using wide-angle lenses.
Dress For Success – Dressing for successful photography will keep you stay comfortable and help you get great shots. Among other things, I wear Windstopper© gloves to keep my “trigger finger” relatively warm. For more info on keepin’ warm wear, check out the field wear at the store.
Keep Gear Warm, Too - In addition to keeping your body warm, it’s essential to keep your camera and extra batteries warm. Cold temperatures can suck the life out of batteries faster than you can say, “I’m freezing.” Keep your camera inside your coat until you want to shoot, and keep plenty of extra batteries in your pants or shirt pockets, close to your body.
Watch For Washouts – When photographing snow, especially in bright light, you need to be very careful not to overexpose the highlights in a scene, the brightest part of a subject. After you take a shot, check your camera’s histogram and make sure you don’t have a spike on the right, which indicates a highlight washout. Also check your camera’s overexposure warning, which shows overexposed areas as flashing on-and-off zones.
Light Illuminates, Shadows Define – Snow pictures taken on overcast days look flat, while those taken on sunny days have more contrast and detail. Both kinds of photographs can be pleasing. It’s just that the weather conditions create different moods in your photographs. Remember: light illuminates; shadows define.
You’ll find more tips on shooting in tricky lighting situations in my book, Exploring the Light.
Explore the Light,
Rick
Make sure and check out Rick and Juan Pons at their informative blog and podcast, Digital Photo Experience!
Tags: Photo Tips, snow, white, wildlife, winter
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Monday, October 26th, 2009
For many nature photographers, there are few places on earth that can captivate the imagination and inspire us to get “out there” like the tropics. The biological riches of these exciting destinations are unparalleled and these regions are rife with opportunities for nature photography. Consider for example that tiny countries such as Costa Rica host more species of birds than all of North America, or that in just one square mile of rainforest there may be as many as 50,000 species of insects. The biodiversity of the tropics is truly incredible!
The reality however, is that many of these species can be difficult to find and nature photography in the tropics often presents special challenges. Tropical countries tend to be hot, humid and rainy. The local wildlife is often not used to human presence and are reclusive. Information may be scarce about where or how to find certain species. And, it is often the case that the areas where these treasures can be found are under towering forest canopies where slow shutter speeds are the norm. As a result, capturing pleasing images of the natural world in these places presents a challenge to even the most experienced nature photographers. The tips in this article represent a few of the lessons that I have learned during my time spent pursuing images in the tropics.
Tip #1 – Do your research:
You may be going to a tropical country with the goal of photographing any and all of the fantastic things that you happen to encounter. However, many of us nature photographers have a favourite subject or certain targets in mind before we set out. For example, on my recent trip to Ecuador, my primary goal was to photograph as many of the 130 species of resident hummingbirds as possible. If you do indeed have a specific goal in mind I believe it is very important to do as much research as you can before you plan your trip.
In the tropics, certain species are highly localized and may only be present for portions of the year. You should know local weather patterns and the places that are most promising for photography. Luckily, the internet has placed all of this information at our fingertips and there are numerous resources out there to help you plan your trip. Bird photographers can consult trip reports from past tour groups and obtain a good idea of where certain species can be found. Browsing through your favourite search engine’s image database for a given species may reveal where other photographers have had success.
I strongly believe that preparation is the key to successful nature photography in the tropics, and it all starts before you board the airplane.
Tip #2 – Expect the best, prepare for the worst:
I have been on three major trips to the tropics, and they have all been unbelievable experiences. Yet on every single trip something has gone wrong with my equipment. Before venturing off to a far away land I strongly recommend preparing for the likelihood that something undesirable might happen to your camera gear. The first, and perhaps most important consideration, is to make sure that all of your equipment is insured against theft and damage. A second precaution is to pack your gear very carefully when traveling from place to place (in my experience this is when most problems occur). Use a good travel case like the ones from Think Tank or Gura Gear, and packing protection like the covers and pouches from LensCoat. Additionally, I personally cannot imagine going on a nature photography trip without taking at least two camera bodies. And finally, I would suggest putting together a small repair kit to take with you. This might include items such as duct tape, twist ties, super glue and a lens cleaning kit.
Tip #3 – Stay dry:
The greatest biological riches on earth are found in tropical rainforests, where the biodiversity can be absolutely mind-boggling. But rainforests are very, very wet. To be successful in the tropics a nature photographer must prepare for rain and humidity. When it comes to rain there are fantastic camera covers available on the market such as Storm Jacket, AquaTech and Think Tank. Zip-lock bags are invaluable to keep other items in your backpack dry, and a waterproof backpack cover should envelop all of your gear. Humidity and heat can also lead to undesirable fungus growing inside of expensive lenses. To combat this problem I once again recommend turning to zip-lock bags. For humidity though, it is absolutely essential that you are equipped with silica gel. Packets of silica are widely available to be purchased or can be acquired by asking a local shoe store. By placing all electronic equipment inside of a large, heavy-duty zip-lock bag each night I have never experienced problems with humidity.
Tip #4 – Bring your own light:
In addition to being very rainy, many of the places that have the most potential for photography are also very dark. Shooting from a tripod is usually a necessity and learning to use fill flash will almost certainly lead to more pleasing tropical nature images. I highly recommend using a “Better-Beamer” flash extender in the tropics to extend your flash range and reduce the recycling time of batteries. If possible, I would also try to use a tripod flash mount to raise the flash up off of the camera and reduce the undesirable “steel eye” effect that often occurs otherwise.
Tip #5 – Find the fruit:
Bird photographers who visit the tropics are often frustrated by the fact that they simply cannot get close enough to the birds. The techniques that many of us employ at home such as water drips, taped calls, or feeder stations may or may not be effective. Even if these techniques have the potential to be successful, for the traveling photographer there is likely insufficient time to allow for them. I have always found however, that if you can locate a good fruiting tree in a tropical forest – sooner or later the birds will come. For example, I once staked out a fruiting Cecropia tree and photographed ten species of tanagers in ten minutes when a feeding flock passed through. If you find the fruit you will often find the birds.
Tip #6 – Back it up!
Another tip for the traveling photographer is to be absolutely certain that you back up your images diligently. There is no worse nightmare than working so hard to capture irreplaceable images of a lifetime and then to have them lost. I believe that you should keep at least three copies of your images while on vacation. These might be on flash cards, a laptop, external hard drives (such as the Hyper-drive), or DVDs. Whatever storage media you chose to use – make sure you back everything up each night. You should also not keep all of the stored images in one bag in case it is lost or stolen. A final tip is to burn DVDs of your RAW files and have them mailed home on the last day of your trip. This way even if the worst happens, and your luggage disappears on the trip home, you will at least still have your images.
Conclusion:
For me there is nothing more exciting than nature photography in the tropics. There are so many colourful and incredible subjects in these regions just waiting to be discovered. With a little bit of preparation you can increase your chances at capturing the images of your dreams. Tropical environments can be challenging and hard on camera equipment – but the rewards of photographing these special places, and the species that live in them, are well worth the frustrations. I suppose a final tip is to make sure to have fun and enjoy the unique experience of visiting some of nature’s most sacred places.
Glenn Bartley is a professional nature photographer who focuses on photographing birds in their natural habitat. He resides in Victoria, British Columbia on Canada’s West Coast. Glenn is the co-owner of the nature photography tour company: www.naturesphotoadventures.com.
To see more of Glenn’s images visit: www.glennbartley.com
Tags: habitat, tips, wildlife
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Thursday, July 23rd, 2009
Over the past few weeks I have had the opportunity to use and test the newly released Apex Bean Bag from Essential Photo Gear.
I have used bean bags for quite some time and find them indispensable when shooting wildlife from a vehicle. I have found bean bags to be a superior solution for in-vehicle mounts for several reasons, but most importantly because they provide a significant amount of vibration isolation compared to hard mounts, and for their versatility, you can use a bean bag in multiple situations not just when in a vehicle.
For the past 5-6 years I have been using a nice and simple bean bag from Kinesis, and it has served me well. It is of a decent size and has some useful features such as grip pads at the bottom and a strap to secure the bean bag to the vehicle. I even recommended this bean bag to the participants of my most recent photo workshop “Winter in Yellowstone”. However, I was disappointed to see that the strap that is so essential to securing the bag to the vehicle is no longer included in their “updated” design. A very regrettable omission.
Although traditional bean bags have worked well for me, I have often wished for a better design that provided both a more stable platform as well as multiple lens mounting options. This would be a bag that I would use mostly at those locations where I expect to use the bean bag a significant portion of the time; in places like Yellowstone and Pocosin Lakes NWR.
Enter the Apex Bean Bag:
 Apex Bean Bag with a Gimbal Head When I first saw images of this bean bag, I have to admit, I was skeptical about it’s non traditional design, also the bag looked way too big and too heavy, and I was not sure I really would want to have my gimbal tripod head on this thing. One of the advantages of using a bean bag is the speed at which you can take a shot after stopping and turning off your vehicle, since normally I would simply leave the bean bag draped over the window opening on the door and place the lens right on top. Having a tripod head would mean I would need to mount the lens on the head and then balance it, something that normally takes time. However as I thought critically about my bean bag usage, I realized that I just as often take some quick shots and move on as I linger on those more cooperative subjects. For those times that I linger, I have found the traditional bean bag a hassle, for two reasons, first I have to constantly have a good grip on my lens and camera, as it is very precariously balanced and could easily fall if I am not paying attention, and second, the traditional bean bags most often do not provide enough “lift” from the window sill, and consequently I find myself peering thru my viewfinder with a crooked and tilted head. Oftentimes this translates into crooked images.
The Apex Bean Bag solves both of these problems, read on to find out how.
After receiving my review sample from EPG I quickly wanted to inspect the packaging and workmanship of the bag, and I have to say that I was very impressed. Right away it was clear to me that EPG took great care and pride in both their packaging and workmanship of the bag, packaging was simple but effective, minimizing the amount of waste, something I very much appreciate. The Bean Bag itself came in a simple and tough “zip lock” type bag and included some straightforward but welcome instructions. Included in the package were:
- The Bean Bag itself
- Instructions on filling and usage
- Metal Plate with treaded screw in it’s own pouch
- One white and one black (not pictured) nylon washers
The workmanship on the bag is top notch, and it’s readily apparent that a lot of thought went into the design of this bag. The material used on the underside of the bag is very grippy preventing the bag from slipping once mounted on your vehicle. Additionally, two pockets, one large and one small, as well as an attachment loop have been designed into the bag providing some very handy extra storage and attachment options.
For a filler material I normally use bird seed, more specifically black oil sunflower seed. The reason for this is that I normally have lots of it for my bird feeders, it’s readily available and when I travel I am able to discard the seeds before retuning home while at the same time provide some of the local birds with a nice meal.
Filling a bag of this size takes a lot of sunflower seed. When filled my bag weighs in at 13.5 lbs!
Filling this bag is a two stage process. Because of it’s U shape, you want to fill the “leg” opposite the fill zipper first. Once that side is full, you then want to position the bag upside down and completely fill the “leg” with the fill zipper, as illustrated in the pictures above.
Once full, you can slip in the aluminum plate with the threaded bolt. You would only use this plate when using a tripod head. When resting your lens directly on the bean bag you want to remove the plate and store it in the included pouch.
One of the best features of the Apex Bean Bag are the straps sewn into each leg, these straps provide a very easy and convenient way to securely fasten the bag to your vehicle (or anything else), preventing the bag from slipping or falling, and allowing you to drive short distances without worry.
At the beginning of this article I mentioned that one of the drawbacks of traditional is that they oftentimes do not provide enough “lift” from your vehicle window sill causing you to look thru your cameras viewfinder in an uncomfortable position. The Apex Bean Bag when full, provides approximately 4 inches of lift from your window sill. Depending on your vehicle and your height, this could be a good thing or a bad thing. Let me explain:
I am of average height (5′ 8″) and have a smaller SUV (Honda CRV), when I use the Apex Bean Bag with my gimbal head Version II, the “lift” or height of the Apex Bean Bag works against me, as the camera is just a bit too high, very close to the vehicles ceiling, thus forcing me to lift myself a bit from my seat to be able to look thru the viewfinder. However, when placing my lens directly on the bean bag, with no plate, or with when using the Really Right Stuff BH-55 ballhead, the “lift” is just perfect for me.
 Top Left: Gimbal Head, Top Right: RRS BH-55 and Wimberley Sidekick, Bottom Left: RRS BH-55, Bottom Right: No plate As illustrated in these series of images, you can see that when using either the gimbal head or the Really Right Stuff BH-55 ballhead and the Wimberley Sidekick the camera and lens combination is too high for me based on both my vehicle and my own height. When using just the Really Right Stuff BH-55 ballhead or simply placing the lens directly on the bean bag with out the plate, the height works much more in my favor.
 Top Left: Gimbal Head, Top Right: RRS BH-55 and Wimberley Sidekick, Bottom Left: RRS BH-55, Bottom Right: No plate Here is another view providing an unobstructed view of the support systems.
 Top Left: Gimbal Head, Top Right: RRS BH-55 and Wimberley Sidekick, Bottom Left: RRS BH-55, Bottom Right: No plate One more view, this time from the inside of the vehicle.
Your experience may be different than mine, mostly dependent on your vehicle, your height and what kind of adjustments your vehicle seat provides.
Besides using the Apex Bean Bag draped over your window sill, as illustrated above, you can invert it and use it as an incredibly stable support for your long lenses from any flat surface, by placing your lens between the two legs of the bean bag. I can tell you from experience that this provides a much more stable platform than a traditional bean bag. So much so that I don’t hesitate leaving my 500mm lens cradled by the bean bag on my vehicles hood. Just make sure to remove the aluminum plate before placing it in the inverted position, or the threaded screw will do a nasty job on your vehicle.
At $129.95, the Apex Bean Bag is pricier than other bags, however the versatility offered by this bean bag is unparalleled in my opinion, as it provides you with more mounting & support options than any other bag.
Overall I have to say that I am very pleased with the Apex Bean bag and HIGHLY recommend it. I think it is truly an innovative design that addresses some of the most pressing shortcomings of traditional bean bags. Having said that, this does not mean that I will be trowing away my old bean bag, it will still come in handy on some occasions, specially when needing to travel light, but for the bulk of my bean bag use I will be relying on the Apex Bean Bag from now on.
You can purchase your own Apex Bean Bag directly from Outdoor Photo Gear at: http://www.outdoorphotogear.com/store/apex-bean-bag.html.
As always, if you have any questions or comments use the comments section below or you can reach me via twitter at http://twitter.com/jpons.
Juan
Tags: bean bag, review, support systems, wildlife
Posted in Equipment Review | No Comments »
Wednesday, July 15th, 2009
With this article, I hope to start a semi regular series of quick tips for wildlife and nature photographers.
Without further ado, here is the first installment.
1. Keep your eye on the viewfinder – Action can unfold in front of you at any time, and Murphy’s law dictates that you will miss the best opportunity when chimping (If you do not know what chimping means check this article http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chimping)
2. Know your gear – Wildlife photography is somewhat like baseball, you spent lots of time waiting for those few seconds of real action. You NEED to be ready for those few precious seconds; in order to make the best out of those few seconds you must know your equipment better than the back of your hand. You are certain to miss that great shot if you are fumbling with your equipment during those precious seconds.
 Bull Moose on the Snake River, WY 3. Keep your gear ready – Make sure your camera is on, you have a recently formatted memory card, and the camera is set to your favorite settings. Double check these settings every so often, it is easy to bump your mode dial to an undesired mode inadvertently.
4. Be patient – As stated in #1, wildlife is unpredictable, and do their thing at their own time and pace. Know your subject, learn their behavior and predict their next move.
5. Keep an eye for changing light conditions – When shooting outdoors you can be guaranteed that the light and weather will change. Make sure you keep the sun to your back and pay attention to changing light conditions, and adjust your camera and flash accordingly.
 Prothotonary Warbler, Chatham County, NC Hope you found these useful and I hope to be posting many more of these in the near future.
As always, if you have any questions or comments use the comments section below or you can reach me via twitter at http://twitter.com/jpons.
Juan
Tags: tips, wildlife
Posted in tips | 1 Comment »
Wednesday, July 15th, 2009
Quite often folks think that to take great wildlife photos you need to travel to exotic destinations, those far off places that are rife with wildlife, Africa, Yellowstone, Bosque del Apache, etc. Yes, these locations are sure to provide for some great subjects, but one does not necessarily need to go to these far away locations to make some great wildlife images. Besides, not many of us are lucky enough to live near some of these extraordinary locations, or can afford to make trips there as often as we like.
In this post I will provide you with what I hope will be useful information for finding wildlife closer to home. Having a few productive locations near home is one sure way to ensure you can shoot wildlife more consistently throughout the year, additionally it will allow you to get to know an area and it’s wildlife intimately.
 Racoon, Chatham County, NC Depending on where you live your backyard may be your most productive wildlife location. If you pay close attention to my images, you will notice that the vast majority of them are from Chatham County, NC. This is where I live, and while I am lucky to be able to travel to some great locations for wildlife, I spend the most time at home and therefore, I have many more opportunities to photograph wildlife in my backyard or near my home than anywhere else.
Like you and I, all living creatures require some basics in order to survive, these include, water, food and shelter. These three basic items are provided by their environment or habitat. These things could be naturally available, or they could be provided by human action. It make sense then that wildlife will seek out those habitats that offer as much of those three basic items as possible. I know this sounds pretty basic, and it is, but keeping this in mind will help you find areas near your home that could be rich with wildlife.
 Eastern Box Turtle (just eaten a slug), Chatham County, NC Naturally you have to know at least a basic amount of information about your target subjects in order to determine what habitats are suitable for what species. For example, you can be sure to find frogs, salamanders, newts and other amphibians in and around small ponds specially those that are too small to support fish, since fish would eat their eggs. That habitat which is favorable for amphibians may in turn be favorable for other species up the food chain who may be feed on amphibians, species such as snakes, raccoons, possums, etc. Knowing then that snakes need places to hide overnight or lay their eggs will tell you that ponds that have rocks around them that offer lots of nooks and crannies will offer prime habitat for snakes.
This information is also useful if you would like to attract certain species to your backyard. If you have a good sized backyard and happen to be near some wooded areas, you may consider landscaping specifically to attract wildlife. I am planning another article covering this topic in more detail, but you can get a lot of very useful information from the National Wildlife Federations “Certified Wildlife Habitat” website. You can find it at http://www.nwf.org/backyard/.
You could go all out and build an incredible backyard with many different native species of plants, fruit trees, install a pond, provide cover material, etc. Or if you want to keep it simple or start small, you can simply install and keep a well stocked bird feeder, bird bath, and some species appropriate bird houses. Even a little bit of work can bring in some unexpected visitors.
 Grey Fox Kit, Chatham County, NC Beyond your backyard, chances are that there are locations very near your home that has a surprising amount of wildlife, and you don’t even know it. How do you find out about them? Well there are a number of ways.
First and easiest, is to find out about your local, state and federal parks, but also keep in mind that different state, local and federal agencies, conservation organizations (like The Nature Conservancy or local equivalents) and/or universities keep and maintain a series of open spaces or natural areas that in most cases are even more productive than those manicured parks. One reason is because these outdoor spaces are not normally manicured like parks often are, and are left to be in their natural state, another reason is that because they are not as heavily maintained, they see a significantly less number of human visitors.
Another very productive venue of information are your local bird clubs, wildlife and/or environment conservation organizations. Join these organizations, meet people and learn about some of their favorite places. Oftentimes these organizations hold nature walks, exploration meetings, or bird watching outings. All of these activities can provide you with a wealth of information on good wildlife habitat locations.
 Green Tree Frog, Orange County, NC Lastly, one high tech tool that I employ is Google Maps or Google Earth. With these I can scan satellite images of the area near my home for habitats that look promising, which I then visit to inspect personally. Using this method, I have found some excellent habitat locations that have proven very productive for photography. Keep in mind that much of the imagery that google procures for their maps is taken during winter, and this is a good thing. The winter imagery gives you a better view of the ground and it’s features such as small ponds, rocky areas, marshes, etc. The reason for this is that at this time of year the deciduous trees have lost their leaves.
One word of caution, please respect property rights. Meaning, do not trespass on private property, always ask for permission. Oftentimes folks are happy to let you in once you tell them you are making wildlife images, sometimes offering to give them a few images helps the conversation along.
 Dogwood Blossoms, Chatham County, NC Once you have found promising locations, visit them and revisit them many times during different seasons, and weather conditions. Different seasons may bring different species to an area or may have different trees or flowers blooming. After some good rains, you have have some interesting mushrooms growing, or some amphibians performing their mating rituals. You just never know.
Once you learn these places well, you will know the best times to visit throughout the year and what species you are likely to find.
As always, if you have any questions or comments use the comments section below or you can reach me via twitter at http://twitter.com/jpons.
Juan
Tags: habitat, location, tip, wildlife
Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment »
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