The Leavenworth Spring Bird Festival is happening May 15th through May 18th. I’ll be teaching a workshop on bird photography. Here is an article I wrote about the event, and visit the link for more information. Thank you. . .Spring is the Time for Bird Festivals – Part III.
In the spring and fall, thousands of migratory birds travel through Washington state on the Pacific Coast and the Puget Sound area. Communities celebrate these migrations with bird festivals, that give opportunities to participate in lectures, workshops, and bird outings. . .
For the rest of the article, click on the link Spring is the Time for Bird Festivals.
Note: I’ll be giving a Free Mini-Workshop at the Wings Over Water Bird Festival in Blaine on Saturday, March 15th at 2 pm to 4 pm.
It’s that time of the year again, and the bald eagles are back. The count last week was around 150 eagles in the Skagit Valley, feeding on the salmon run. This article give details about the events, and links to information. I will be giving a Free talk on bird photography on Saturday, January 11, 2014 at 10 a.m. It will be held at the Historic Concrete Theatre. Here is a link to the complete story http://www.examiner.com/article/winter-festivals-northwestern-washington .
Happy Shooting. . .Karen
Every September, the Puget Sound Bird Fest is held in Edmonds at the Frances Anderson Center, and surrounding area. This year, the festival is being held Friday, September 6 through Sunday, September 8. The festival is put on by the City of Edmonds. Each year, the festival is an opportunity to attend a workshop, participate in a guided birding tour, kayak to observe birds, meet professionals in the birding field, and learn about birding. For more information, visit the article at September is the time for the Puget Sound Bird Fest.
Note: I will be giving a Free lecture on Bird Photography.
Generally speaking, photography is the use of light to create an image. Night is without the sun, so light sources are created by humankind. The photographer uses these sources of light to create artist renditions of night scenes, fireworks, the moon, or portraits.
In the exposure equation, the photographer needs to manipulate either or all of the following: ISO, Aperture, or Shutter Speed. It is advisable to use a tripod.
The first image here is from a large fireworks display. I used a tripod, and a long exposure to capture the lines of light. The exposure was F11, 8 seconds at 125 ISO. The watercolor wash feeling of color is from the fireworks reflecting off the smoke.
TIP: Pick a spot to shoot from, pre-set the exposure, and use a tripod/shutter release.
In this next photograph, the fireworks are used to create a portrait of the child. This is a sparkler, and it casts an incandescent light color on the subject. The green light in the background is fluorescent. This was shot with a Daylight White Balance. The exposure is F5.6, 4 seconds at 100 ISO. I used a tripod.
The color of the sparkler will show in the photograph. This was a gold (or yellow) sparkler. It’s good to dress the subject in medium-toned clothing, which will stand-out from the dark background and bright light of the sparkler.
TIP: Have the person hold as still as possible, while moving the sparkler.
This last image is of the “Super” Moon last month. The exposure for this image is F16, 1/100 second at 400 ISO. The moon is very bright, due to the fact it reflects the sun’s light. To expose it and show the craters, the photograph must be under-exposed. This means to let in less light than the light-meter in the camera indicates as the correct exposure.
For more detailed information on exposure and camera operation, I will be teaching classes through the City of Edmonds this fall.
Happy Shooting. . .Karen
Photography is the art of taking light waves, controlling their intensity, and creating a visual image. Though this process, there are several decisions or choices make regarding exposure, composition, and subject. During my workshop at Sitka, we spent one day hiking through the forest. I usually spend my time working with students individually, and pointing out areas of interest. I teach by both talking and showing examples.
The image below is from this workshop. We were looking for forest birds, and learning about habitat. Then, we came upon this tree, and the wonderful photographic opportunity. I pointed out the tree with all the fungus growing on its right side. It was a great subject to test out depth-of-field (aperture) and composition.
The entire area covered by fungus was large. It was at least 5 feet in height, and covered the back side of the tree. The trail allowed us to walk near and partially around the tree. The image below is a portion of the whole, and the depth-of-field keeps the fungus in focus, and part of the moss. The background in a series of white circular shapes and dark greens. The white is the over-cast sky, and the green is the forest.
This was shot with my 100-400 mm lens at 200 mm. I selected a section of the fungus that showed the top and bottom textures.
In the image below, I cropped tighter by shooting at 400 mm. I changed the background to the forest, which turn various shades of green. The closer crop allows the details of the subject to show in the frame. . .textures, water drops, and spider webs. I left a small section of the tree to anchor the subject in the frame.
In both this image and the one above, I left space at the bottom of the frame, so the bottom fungus are complete. This gives the eye a completeness of the subject, and avoids looking incomplete. More next time. . .
Happy Shooting. . .Karen
My next workshop is July 27 & 28, 2013 at the Pacific Northwest Art School.
I returned from teaching a fantastic workshop at Sitka on the Oregon coast last Thursday. We had the opportunity to photograph thousands of nesting birds. The low tide offered us an opportunity to walk closer to the bird colonies, and gave an opportunity to see tide pools filled with marine life. The lower rocks were filled with Harbor Seals.
One of the biggest parts of the class was learning to make order out of the pandemonium of the scene. The air is filled with the calls of the birds, the ocean waves are crashing on the rocky shoreline, and the constant movement of the birds. The area had over 60,000 nesting seabirds, raptors and songbirds. The species most prevalent were Common Murre, Brandt’s Cormorants, Pelagic Cormorants, Peregrine Falcon, Bald Eagle, White-crested Sparrow, Turkey Vultures, Gulls, and Great Blue Heron.
The photo above is a small section of the Common Murre colony. Often times, these areas are windy. It is advisable to use a lens with Image Stabilization (Vibration Reduction, etc.), or a sturdy tripod, when photographing the birds. Video clips always require a stable tripod.
The photograph below was taken from the beach looking up at the birds. These nesting areas usually have several species of birds nesting together, though each has a “zone” they will use. In this instance, the birds at the top are mostly Common Murre, while the Cormorants are intermingled or below. The lowest level in this image would be the Gulls.
In addition to all the visual, audio, and physical input, it is important to remember to think about composition, exposure, and focus. The image below was visualized before being taken. The composition is relatively simple. The exposure allows the fore-ground to silhouette against the sky. These are the pieces that create the successful image within the arena of pandemonium of the scene.
My next workshop on Bird & Wildlife photography will be July 27 & 28, 2013 through the Pacific Northwest Art School.
Happy Shooting. . .Karen
As I am preparing for my workshop in Oregon next week (May 28-29), I am reminded about all the knowledge that goes into creating a beautiful bird and wildlife images. The camera is a view into how we “feel” at the time of taking the pictures. How are we “seeing” at the time of the shoot. These are the human element of photography. It affects our choices of composition, exposure, focus, and use of light.
This first photo was partially visualized before I took the image. I saw this flock of Dowitchers from across the pond, and had to go back to a better view-point to photograph them. I walked quickly back, and on the way thought about how I wanted to shoot the images. The lighting was back-lighting, which meant I would either have silhouettes (birds) or major hot-spots.
Right after getting to the other-side of the pond, a hawk took to the air, and the flock took flight. They circled the pond, and this is their landing. I like the reflections in the water, and the back-light feathers on the wings and tails. I did crop from the top of the image, to bring the focus to the birds.
Each photograph we take has a story to tell. The last two images were not cropped, and show two different stories. The hawk just took flight from a tree top, and this was taken in-between the branches. Thankfully, it was late fall, and the leaves had already fallen. The focus of this image is the eye of the raptor, and the focus plain includes the head, body, feet, and tail. The blur in the wings shows motion. I had studied the hawk for a few minutes before he took flight, and this familiarity allowed me to see the openings for a good photograph.
This last image was taken on the Oregon coast. It was a beautiful sunny day, then the fog came rolling in. These Brown Pelicans found a resting place on one of the sea stacks. This image shows them preening and resting, before going out hunting later in the day. The clouds/fog brought a soft light onto the subject, and allowed the colors in the rocks to show.
Happy Shooting. . .Karen
The Art of Photographing Birds is more than equipment, exposure and location. Each of this items is required, but will not guarantee a memorable photograph. In general, photography is more than the sum of the equipment used. It is the vision of the photographer. The equipment is the tools to manifest the vision into a photographic image.
The image below is a male Wood Duck. The sunlight enhances their color, and makes them brilliant. It’s in the details that make the difference between a good photograph and a “wow” image. This photo shows how I saw the duck, as he was swimming in the pond. Another photographer may have seen his colors differently.
Often, I get asked “how close are you to the bird?” or “how long is your lens?” My longest lens is a 100-400mm with image stabilization. So, that means that I need to get relatively close to the birds, or crop a lot out of the image. The photos above and below are un-cropped. The last photo was cropped a little to bring the focus to the owl, instead of the shapes of the branches. I was about 25-30 feet from the owl.
So, how do I get close to birds? There are several factors that contribute. The first and most important is myself. Am I looking like a predator? Or, am I appearing non-threatening and/or part of the environment? All three of these birds are wild. To approach these birds, I need to feel calm and peaceful. If I’m distracted by “life things”, I cannot get close enough to take photos like these. Wild birds and animals are sensitive to their environment, and always looking for the “threat” to their existence. Rule #1 = Be calm, quiet and peaceful.
The gull photo above was taken at a local beach. Most of these birds are opportunist, though very cautious. Some people who visit this beach will chase the gulls and other birds, which makes them wary of humans. Further down the beach is a resting/feeding area for migratory birds. Unfortunately, some people think it’s ok to allow their dogs to chase the feeding/bathing birds, and have the impression the birds “like” being chased. So, when we go to photograph the birds, they are very skittish of humans. Rule #2 = Earn the trust of the birds.
The Barred Owl photo below was taken at dusk. Being up in a tree, the owl is less wary of people, and focusing on hunting. He stayed for a few moments, then flew off to find food.
For more tips and techniques, check-out one of my up-coming workshops at Sitka Center on the Oregon Coast or Pacific Northwest Art Center on Whidbey Island.
Happy Shooting. . .Karen
Spring is a wonderful season to adventure out to the coast for a day, weekend or longer. The change from winter to spring is highlighted by spring storms and warmer sunny days. The migratory birds are passing through to their nesting destinations, which include species of sandpipers, seabirds and others.
For the entire article, visit http://www.examiner.com/article/recreation-opportunities-on-the-coast?cid=db_articles