A New Catch-phrase! 30 Jul 2024, 8:40 pm

All my life, I’ve used catch-phrases. During my brief law enforcement career, we all said, ‘Felons are inherently stupid!’ In my military career, I said , ‘Leadership is not a popularity contest!’ (Okay, I also used that one in my civilian work, too!) But now I have a new catch-phrase.

A few days ago, a good friend sent me some pictures of wildlife that were in his backyard. He commented that they weren’t like my pictures. His comment got me to thinking about how to respond. I came up with, ‘Don’t judge your photography using other people’s pictures!’

Then my mind exploded! I’ve avoided anything even remotely profound for many years and here I was. My mind is thinking – that’s good advice outside the photography world, too. Live your life and don’t use other people to determine your self-worth.

DON’T JUDGE YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY USING OTHER PEOPLE’S PICTURES!

With that said, here’s a few pictures from the past couple months. The first set is the result of chasing the Big Boy Locomotive around northern California earlier this month.

Enjoy – PHOTOROGR

The LOOK! 28 Jan 2024, 7:14 pm

Anyone who is in a relationship or who has children knows about ‘The LOOK!’ Some of us get it more often than others because, well, we are who we are!

The LOOK is given to say many things, depending on the context and situation, of course. Sometimes, The LOOK conveys disapproval, amazement, or just annoyance. The LOOK rarely implies any kind of approval so when one gets The LOOK, one knows they have generally erred in some way.

My Eagle Season began on October 23, 2023, when I was out and made my first Eagle pictures. Since then, I have ventured out 37 times and have made more than 9,800 image files. My season is winding down and I’ll only get out a few more times. In a couple weeks, I transition to railroad and steam locomotive photography. Stay tuned for that!

I’ve shared my images with friends and on Facebook. One of my friends asked me if I ever made a bad picture. I chuckled before responding to the question. Think about it, I have captured more than 9,800 pictures of Eagles this year and I’ve shared a few dozen. Like most photographers, I don’t share the bad pictures. And I have to thank the multiple software manufacturers whose software makes many of my images sharable.

Light is a challenge, particularly with adult Bald Eagles (see my recent blog about those challenges). Even with modern autofocus systems, focus is always a challenge especially with wildlife. They hide in the trees behind the branches. They move unexpectedly. They’re often really far away (I use lenses with long focal lengths to make subjects bigger on the sensor!). And while it would be perfect to always use a tripod to minimize camera shake, that’s not always practical (subjects often leave before one can get a tripod set up!). Of course, there’s always photographer error in camera settings and position to take the picture.

On that note, when you are buying a picture and lamenting the price, remember that you are not simply buying a print. You’re buying a photographer’s time and travel in the field, professional knowledge in taking a picture, time to develop the picture either in a darkroom or on a computer, and finally there’s a the print process.

With everything that a photographer has to know, the travel, cold mornings and nights, hot days, etc., one could wonder why people even do it. It’s because photographers go amazing places and see amazing things, recording those places and things for people who may not have the opportunity to go there and see them. Photographers love what they do and, even when it’s cold or hot or they’re tired, they enjoy their craft! Okay, end of rant!

It’s time to see ‘The LOOK’ from the Eagles this year. Enjoy – PHOTOROGR

The Youngsters Are Stealing The Show! 10 Jan 2024, 5:07 pm

As my Eagle season continues, I’m finding more immature Eagles than ever before. Bald Eagles don’t reach full maturity until they are 5 years old, and their colors change depending on their age. Most importantly, in the first few years, their feathers are brown and mottled white making them difficult to spot. They’ve been pretty good to me this year, though, by being active. It’s much easier to see them in flight and follow them to a perch. So, here’s to the Youngsters, making my Eagle season lots of fun!

In my last post, I discussed the challenges of proper exposure for photographs of mature Eagles. As you can see, the immatures are a bit easier. Enjoy – PHOTOROGR

A Very Moving Eagle Season! 23 Dec 2023, 6:52 pm

For me, there are three kinds of Eagle pictures: Portrait, Interesting, and Action.

Portraits are an Eagle perched in a tree or on a fence post, sitting in the traditional regal pose with wings folded and beak raised slightly, head not quite in silhouette. This pose tells the world that they are the masters of the air.

An interesting picture is one where the Eagle cocks his head, looks down to survey its hunting ground, maybe some preening or flexing wings a little. The Eagle is on its perch but not assuming the regal pose described above.

Action photos speak for themselves. My action photos tend to be the moment of liftoff from a perch, possibly a couple more frames depending on the direction the Eagle takes. Sometimes, I can capture an Eagle in flight – generally tail feathers as they fly away (laughing all the way). Simply put, action photos imply movement and this post is about Eagles in motion! Now you understand the title of the post.

I have been fortunate to capture Eagles in flight at times, but never on the scale I’ve attained in this young Eagle Season (we’re just over halfway in!). I attribute my success to more patience while shooting, holding on a bit longer when photographing Eagle portraits and watching for the telltale signs that they Eagle might take flight. I also thank the Canon engineers for making their autofocus systems so much better so the camera holds focus on the subject in motion.

There are some challenges to making the liftoff pictures – let’s discuss them. Every decision in photography starts with the exposure triangle: aperture, shutter speed, and ISO.

Aperture is the opening that allows light onto the sensor. Large apertures allow more light but have a very short depth of field. Small apertures allow less light and have a deeper depth of field. Depth of field is the amount of the image that’s in focus, from near your camera to far away.

Shutter speed is the time the shutter is open. A fast shutter speed freezes motion and a slow shutter speed allows motion in a picture. A fast shutter speed keeps the detail in the Eagle in flight, and a slow shutter speed allows the wings to blur a bit.

ISO is the level of sensitivity in the camera’s sensor. A high ISO allows for taking pictures in lower light but introduces noise in the image. Modern camera systems are getting better every day in minimizing noise.

That’s not a detailed discussion of the elements of the exposure triangle, but it defines the terms enough for our discussion. One of the biggest challenges to Eagle photography is the color of the Eagles. Golden Eagles have dark brown feathers. Adult Bald Eagles have white heads and dark brown body feathers. Juvenile Bald Eagles have a mix of colors as they mature. The human eye can easily discern the difference in these colors, but cameras can not interpret the same tonal ranges. This makes proper exposure critical.

What is proper exposure? That depends on a multitude of other factors not directly related to the camera. Golden Eagle? Bald Eagle? Adult or Juvenile? Bright sun or shadow? My perfect conditions for Eagles is a slightly overcast sky that soften the sunlight, regardless of subject or surrounding area. I don’t get that often, so I have to make my settings match the light.

Then there’s the optics. I take pictures of Eagles using long focal length lenses, an 800 mm lens and a 100-500 mm lens. I also use a device called a teleconverter that magnifies what the camera sees. Remember my brief discussion on depth of field above? It gets more complicated because the longer the focal length on the lens, the depth of field compresses (becomes shorter). The longer the focal length, the less light can enter the camera body and hit the sensor. The best solution is higher ISO, but that introduces noise. Thank the engineers for making denoise software that corrects for that in the digital darkroom.

So that’s basic considerations. If your subject is in good, even light, shooting would be easy. But I want to be ready for the eventual liftoff so that’s where my settings are. I have my cameras set to shutter priority (Canon labels it Tv), 1/2000 second to freeze motion. At the focal length of my lenses, I let the camera pick. The cameras choices are limited however, so the piece of the exposure triangle that floats is the ISO. I set my cameras to Auto ISO, but I have a limit of 12,800 so I limit noise somewhat. Those settings generally serve me well, except in very low light (like an Eagle that has flown into a pine tree in a shadowy section).

Enough tech talk – let’s get into the pictures! All these images have been made in the last 2 months. Some of them have been on social media. Enjoy – PHOTOROGR

New Mexico Locomotives! 7 Nov 2023, 10:05 pm

In my last post, I introduced my recent trip to Albuquerque, New Mexico, to participate in a night photography workshop. I got several positive comments on those building shots – Thank You!

The day I arrived in Albuquerque, I connected with several friends who also love to photograph trains. After dinner, one of my friends and I drove to a secluded spot south of the city to see what Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) trains would come by. In the hour or so that we were there, we photographed many trains going by. Here’s a sampling of that evening.

The star of the weekend and the purpose of my trip was to photograph Santa Fe Steam Locomotive 2926. This locomotive, built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in Philadelphia PA in May 1944, is currently owned and operated by the New Mexico Heritage Rail (NMHR). Locomotive 2926 was among the last group of steam passenger locomotives built for the Santa Fe Railway. This class of locomotives comprised the heaviest 4-8-4’s built in the United States. Locomotive 2926 was used by the Santa Fe from the time it was built until December 1953, with more than a million miles under its wheels. In 1956, the Locomotive was donated to the City of Albuquerque and placed on display in Coronado Park. Locomotive 2926 was acquired by the NMHR in July 1999 and restoration to operating condition began. In 2018, a fire was lit in the firebox for the first time in 65 years and 2926 moved under its own power on July 24, 2021. (Go to WWW.2926.US for more information.)

The NMHR brought the 2926 to the Albuquerque Rail Yards for our workshop, and what a subject it is!

For this shoot, I used my Canon EOS R5 camera body with a Canon RF 15-35mm F2.8 L IS USM lens, tripod mounted (shutter speeds varied from 2-5 seconds to sync with the strobe lights). I prefer to shoot my night locomotive pictures with the camera no higher than 30 inches off the ground. The wide angle lens really added some drama to the compositions.

I hope you like these images. I had fun taking them and then making them in the digital darkroom!

Enjoy – PHOTOROGR

Albuquerque Rail Yard! 31 Oct 2023, 6:01 pm

A busy Summer in the yard and an unscheduled trip to see our grandson made for slow shooting this year. As the Summer was drawing to a close, a friend let me know about a photo opportunity in Albuquerque NM. New Mexico Heritage Rail owns and operates the Santa Fe 2926 Steam Locomotive, and was taking the 2926 to the Albuquerque Rail Yard for a night photo workshop. I couldn’t resist the opportunity so I registered for the workshop, loaded up cameras, and headed to New Mexico.

I met several friends who are railroad photographers and had a wonderful couple days. I ate a lot of great Mexican food and saw some beautiful country.

The morning of the workshop, we headed to the Rail Yard to watch the 2926 roll in! While we were waiting, we explored the Yard. Now owned by the City of Albuquerque, the Rail Yard was a major center of operations for the Santa Fe Railroad, evidenced by the huge facilities there. Albuquerque is restoring the Yard and hosts a farmer’s/artist’s market on Sundays.

I haven’t studied the Yard to ensure that I know the function of every space, so any description is conjecture. What I do know is that these facilities are a photographer’s dream.

I shot the pictures below handheld using a Canon EOS R5 camera body with a Canon RF 15-35 f/2.8 L IS USM lens. I made 5 exposures of each scene (-2, -1, 0, +1, +2). I loaded all 5 exposures into Adobe Camera Raw software and selected the set of exposures to blend into a high dynamic range (HDR) image file. The HDR file was then taken into Photoshop for further processing. I finished each image with a filter from either the NIK Collection or Topaz Studio.

I haven’t ‘developed’ the pictures of the exteriors because I got so busy with the interiors and pictures of the 2926. Stay tuned and enjoy – PHOTOROGR

Be There! The Final Chapter… 10 Apr 2023, 6:30 pm

Thanks for enjoying the ‘Be There’ series. This is the final chapter in that series.

From our recent trip to Wyoming, specifically to Grand Teton National Park. The images are of the stunning Teton Range. I took a photo workshop from the Nature in Focus team. We were based at the Triangle X Ranch (awesome food and great accommodations!)

If you haven’t visited Jackson Hole and the Grand Teton National Park, you’re really missing out! Winter was a fantastic time to visit (even though I wore long underwear and insulated pants every day!). I hope the ‘Be There’ series makes you want to go! After all, it’s the first rule of photorgraphy!

Enjoy – PHOTOROGR

Be There – National Elk Refuge! 14 Mar 2023, 7:05 pm

“Light is the key element in photography.”

That’s the first line in Chapter 4 of Joel Sartore’s wonderful book, Photo Basics The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Great Photography. In my last blog, I referenced a different chapter. Light is an appropriate introduction to this blog, as great light was key to getting the images you will see.

Sartore quotes Jim Stanfield who said, “It’s not the light, but where you are in it.” As a wildlife and landscape photographer, I am very cognizant of where I am in relation to the available light. For landscape and scenery, I can somewhat control the light and where I am in it by showing up at dawn or dusk (to take advantage of the Golden Hour and Blue Hour), or when the light is optimal for the subject. Sartore also says, “The good news is that there are few completely unacceptable light conditions. Some light is more challenging to work with than others. Regardless, light can make or break a photograph, and how we face the challenge of mastering it is what shapes us as photographers.”

Wildlife is not always so forgiving. Critters don’t have a schedule or follow directions, and they don’t really care that they’re not in the best light for my camera. (Just try getting a model release!)

I’ve discussed the challenges of light in past blogs, and will likely do so in the future. But you may be asking, why is this critical to today’s blog? It’s simple. One afternoon, our workshop facilitators drove us to the National Elk Refuge, just north of the City of Jackson WY. Vehicles and pedestrians are not allowed on the Refuge, but one can buy tickets to ride in a horse-drawn sleigh. As we boarded the sleigh, our facilitator’s wife gave the driver’s direction – ‘These are photographers! They want the sun behind them and the Tetons in the background! Make it happen!’ Well, words to that effect anyway.

It worked, the drivers gave us great scenes and positioned us nicely for great shots. The sky also cooperated and gave us some of the best light on the Tetons for the week we were there. And the Elk – the Elk were very accommodating and magnificent!

Well, I have more images from the last position than I could possible show here. The light worked for us on this afternoon, as we were able to position ourselves for best advantage. Having the Elk cooperate was a huge bonus. When you visit Grand Teton National Park during the winter months, the National Elk Refuge is a must see!

I hope you enjoyed our afternoon on the National Elk Refuge. We were only in the sleigh for 2 hours, but it was a fantastic couple hours.

Enjoy – PHOTOROGR

Be There – Part 5! 6 Mar 2023, 5:29 pm

A few days ago, I was asked to provide some biography information for an undisclosed (for now anyway) project. This caused me to reflect inward a bit – talking about myself in a serious way doesn’t come easy to me. As a starting point, I pulled up my ‘About’ page here and reviewed the information I included there. One of the things I quickly realized is that I hadn’t updated the page in a very, very long time (like, I was still shooting my Canon EOS 60D). As a result, I have now updated my ‘About’ page and think I have a nice biography to share when I need it.

In my new biography, I talk about how I learned photography. I am mostly self-taught, meaning that I read a lot of books on photography. I also have a network of wonderful mentors who aren’t shy about critiquing my work and helping me to improve my photography skills. Back to the books! When selecting a book to read, I’m sometimes interested in something new (HDR, Macro, Night Photography, etc.) but sometimes I buy a general photography book because it looks interesting. My latest book is called Photo Basics The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Great Photography by Joel Sartore, published by National Geographic. Like so many books on photography, there is excellent discussion about cameras, lenses and gear, composition, exposure light, etc. Even though the information is pretty consistent with other books, I enjoy the repetition as a learning/reinforcing tool.

In this book, Chapter 6 is titled ‘Thinking Like A Photographer.’ (Stay tuned, as I’ll be referring to this chapter in future blogs!) The author’s introduction to the chapter is titled ‘Get Into The Mind-Set.’

“…Making good photographs means more than knowing how to work the controls on your camera. Thinking like a photographer means having a good eye for moments that could yield iconic images, but also developing patience and persistence, doing your research, and always showing up prepared…”

I often talk about developing my photographer’s eye, or seeing a photo in a given scene. This adds a new dimension to my approach to photography, even though I seriously doubt that I make images that could be considered iconic. Most important there is patience (I have little) and research (I don’t do enough). Maybe I’ll change.

The focus (pun intended) for today’s blog required little patience or research! While in Wyoming last December, we took a couple drives up the road paralleling the North Fork of the Shoshone River. This is the road between Cody WY and Yellowstone’s East Entrance. Many animals exit Yellowstone to winter in this area. The Rocky Mountain Big Horn Sheep are plentiful, often they are on the road itself to lick the salt off the road! No patience was needed as there were plenty of animals to shoot (pictures, always pictures) and they are where they want to be at any given moment, just knowing they are in the area is all the research one needs to do. And so, enjoy the Big Horns!

I have many more images from this magical time. I hope you enjoyed these few. Enjoy – PHOTOROGR

Be There! But Don’t Pet the Fluffy Cows! 17 Feb 2023, 1:03 am

Ever since I was a little boy, Bison have been one of my favorite animals. When I was a little boy, the City of Cheyenne had a few Bison in pens in Lions Park, on the north side of town. In the summer months, we’d make lunch and head to the Park to have lunch with Dad. We’d frequently go by the Bison pens and marvel at their beauty. Eventually, the Bison went away, along with the Deer and Elk that the City had in adjacent pens. The Terry Ranch, south of Cheyenne on I-25, rebranded itself as the Terry Bison Ranch and we were able to see lots of Bison on our trips to and from Colorado. The Terry Bison Ranch also operated a restaurant with Bison on the menu. When we visited Mom and Dad, we stopped by for a delicious Bison Burger. After I got serious about photography, I’d stop by the Terry Bison Ranch for pictures.

Another favorite venue is the Bear River State Park in Evanston WY. I always stop there on my way home, say howdy to the Bison, and visit with the Park staff. It’s a great rest stop!

When my lovely bride and I visited Yellowstone National Park four years ago (has it been four years already?), we encountered Bison up close in the Hayden and Lamar Valleys. Taking pictures of Bison is challenging. Their bodies are dark, so the tendency is to overexpose to bring out detail. In bright light (like the middle of the day), that’s a deadly combination. Sometimes the magic works and sometimes it doesn’t. On that trip, the magic was mostly ‘doesn’t.’

Our recent trip to Wyoming, however, was a different story! We saw Bison on the North Fork of the Shoshone River, the road between Cody WY and the east entrance to Yellowstone, near Meeteetse WY, and along the road in Grand Teton National Park. The skies were frequently overcast, diffusing the light, so I was able to make some great Bison images on this trip. I hope you like them!

North Fork Road (along the Shoshone River between Cody WY and Yellowstone National Park):

West of Meeteetse WY:

Grand Teton National Park:

Bison are magnificent animals! In the right light, they photograph very well. Or, if one is a good photographer, one can account for the light better! Regardless, the most important thing to remember is ‘Don’t Pet the Fluffy Cows!’

Enjoy – PHOTOROGR