Cormorants in the fog

Last week I was in Florida doing some bird photography. I made over 6,000 photographs of various species of birds and a few landscapes. Don't be taken aback by the number. When photographing wildlife it is quite common to come away with a large number of photographs. Between anticipating the action and shooting in burst mode the number climbs rather quickly.

When presented with a foggy morning I have a tendency to go into landscape mode. This is generally a good idea as birds don't let you get too close. Thus, may not be visible through the fog. But not it Florida! This is because the birds are more habituated to humans and allow us to approach a lot closer.

Chincoteague Workshop Report

The last workshop of the year was probably the best in terms of the light we had. All 3 days were a treat!

I have mentioned that Chincoteague remains one of my favorite locations to photograph. It's very challenging to switch from photographing the wildlife to a landscape and then a detail shot. Not to mention the ocean which is a lot of fun to photograph. You really need to know your camera gear to maximize the opportunities.

I made the next three photos the morning before the workshop started.

Back from Colorado!

Well...I got back about 3 weeks ago. I've had several matters that needed my attention. In the past 3 weeks I have made 4 presentations at camera clubs (upcoming schedule below). Three of these presentations were on my upcoming eBook (stay tuned for that announcement). I've also had a chance to get out and make some photographs. Photographers making photographs...what a concept!

As I had mentioned in my earlier blog post, the Colorado visit was not going to be a photography trip since I was showing my Mom around. I was almost always driving to and from locations during the best light but I was lucky to have favorable conditions at times. While we visited a few familiar locations, I also used the time to scout out some new locations that I might visit in the future.

If you haven't been to Colorado, you must visit! It's scenery is amazing and it is almost a guarantee that you will run into some kind of wildlife if you get away from the city.

 

White River National Forest, Colorado

The biggest attraction are the Rocky Mountains.

Sea Otters

Sea Otters are really a lot of fun to observe more-so when they are in a playful mood. In this particular situation I was able to get several photographs that captured their playfulness but these two photographs captured the interaction between the male and female the best.

Here the two of them swimming side by side looked straight at me for about 2 seconds. I really like the way the male (to the left) is holding the females "hand". If you look carefully you will notice the female's nose is bitten. Biting each other is common amongst mating pairs, just like the female is about to do in this next photograph.

Shoreline Revelation - a photo essay

This photo essay has photography from the eastern shore of Maryland and Virginia. Long exposures, textures, sea shells, wildlife and more. Best viewed in the 480p or 720p resolution. Enjoy!

Chincoteague Island Workshop Report

Chincoteague is definitely one of my favorite places to photograph. I love it for the variety of photographic opportunities. It's not a very grand or large location, but I am attracted to it's subtle beauty and wildlife.

A couple of weeks ago I lead a spring workshop at Chincoteague. The weather held up and we were able to view and photograph some beautiful beach scenes and lots of birds.

Here are a few photographs I made while demonstrating various techniques. The image above was a "grab shot". We got to the beach the first morning and witnessed a colorful display of nature. This was one of two photos I made while the color was intense. I spent the rest of the time with the participants making sure they were making the most of this lovely sunrise.

Sitting on a Dock

Seeing the California Sea Lions hanging out on docks is a common site in the Monterey Bay area. I heard from a local (Dan Tracy) that this dock cost a pretty penny to construct only to have the Sea Lions claim it as theirs even before it was operational.

The Sea Lions forage at night so they hangout at the dock all day. This offers us a chance to view some interesting behavior. Wildlife never fails to entertain...