As a photographer, specific places call to my spirit to visit. Iceland calls. It calls to the very core of my being. It’s all about the birds.
I’ve been watching the birds here on the Pacific Ocean shores, and it’s interesting to see their successes and slow disappearance. Iceland isn’t different. The largest colony of Atlantic Puffins have not had a successful breeding season in the past 5 years (from my online research). I want to see 500,000 birds before they disappear. I want to feel dwarfed by the amazing landscape, powerful sea, and the incredible bird colonies.
The water temperatures are changing, which is changing the food supply. This is a personal project for me. Those without voices look to those of us with words and photographs to speak for them.
I want to invite other photographers to join me in the isolated and breathe-taking landscape. I’m putting together lodging and guided trips to isolated areas. I’m hoping to connect with a biologist or two, and to experience the culture of Iceland.
Let me know if you’re in for the adventure. I’m going the end of May 2016.
The Spirit of Place is one of my ideas or personal concepts about photography. At its core is the idea that photographs are created by the photographer through use of light, exposure, and composition. It is our personal view-point or way we translate the scene in a visual way.
This photo uses shadow and light, lines, and people to create the composition of the place. In this image, the viewer sees the blowing sand (top of dune), the rocky wall in the foreground, and the people making their way up the sand dune. It speaks of man and nature co-existing in the late afternoon light.
Nature is one constant in our lives that is ever-changing, yet remains the same. The challenge for the photographer is to take existing elements, and create a pleasing photographic image. Photography is a tool to document the world around us, yet our personal view-point is always present in our images.
The blowing sand in this photograph creates designs on the sand that mimic the wet sand reflecting the blue sky and the ocean waves. In this image, one could see the hillsides in the background as repeating the wavy shape created by the sand and ocean. The scene is completed by all the people enjoying the beach, whether walking along the water or sitting in the sand. By including people, I have given a reference to the size of the landscape.
Another way to look at this scene is to eliminate or hide the man-made or man’s influence upon the scene. By moving the point-of-view, this image the viewer sees the ocean waves and four gulls. Yes, there is some indications of civilization, but they are not the main components of the composition.
Now to end this entry, I’ve added a little different concept. This image is titled Windy. It leaves the question, how do we as photographers show wind or other elements in our images? What is that special ingredient that we have included to make our photograph stand-out from the millions of images on the internet?
Stay tuned for more. . .or simply join me for my Spirit of Place workshop on the Oregon coast in June.
The bird festival season begins! Here is the first article of the season, and please check it out. I’ll be speaking at the festival the afternoon of January 24th. Happy New Year!
This year’s Skagit Valley Eagle Festival started this weekend. The annual festival runs through the entire month of January, and each weekend is filled with fun activities. Each Saturday is scheduled with one-time workshops or activities.
This year, the eagle counts are up over 200 bald eagles between Sedro Woolley and Nehalem. These birds are feeding along the river on the spawning salmon. They congregate along the banks and sand-bars in the river or in the trees.
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. . .
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 .
Leavenworth is a wonderful day or weekend adventure for all ages. The town schedules year-round festivals, and is located in the scenic eastern foothills of the Cascade Mountains. Highway 2 travels through the town, and is the easiest way to reach this beautiful destination.
On the way to Leavenworth, Stevens Pass is a beautiful area for photography. On the west side, there is Deception Falls, and it is well worth the stop. The trails lead to the falls (which can be seen on the south side of the highway), and along the river. Stevens Pass ski resort is at the top of the pass, and is a wonderful alpine area in the summer months. On the east side of the pass, Lake Wenatchee is about 5 +/- miles to the north, and the view looks into the Cascade Mountains. Highway 2 traverses through Tumwater Canyon, which has several pull-outs for safe observation of the scenery and wildlife.
Tumwater Canyon
In the opposite direction, the Olympic Peninsula offers incredible opportunities of photography. This area is home to a large temperate rainforest, Olympic National Park, beautiful waterfalls, Lake Crescent, and the Pacific Ocean. There are many hiking trails through-out the area, including the North-South trail through the heart of the Olympic National Park. Highway 101 travels through the area, and signs show the directions to the scenic areas.
Olympic National Park
Lake Crescent sits just west of Port Angeles, and has both a campground and cabins/lodge on its shores. It is part of the Olympic National Park, and the highway follows the shoreline of the lake. It’s nestled between tall foothills, and surrounded by forest. There are many pull-outs along the lake to view the area, or hike a trail. The light is incredible during the early or late hours of the day, and it is not uncommon to have overcast/foggy conditions in the area.
Further on, Highway 101 travels through the town of Forks, and onto the Pacific Ocean Beaches. There are several beach back-packing trails in this area, and Third Beach is one of the longest. It is a great way to see parts of the coastline that most people don’t see. There is a lot of wildlife in the area, and incredible landscape photography opportunities.
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.
The San Juan Islands sit in the rain shadow of the Olympic Mountains and receive less rain than Seattle 65 miles to the south. Explore 172 islands, which up the archipelago highlighted by Fidelgo, San Juan, Orcas, Shaw and Lopez. The islands are home to the largest concentration of bald eagles in the lower 48 states, three pods of orca and harbor seals. Explore the tallest peak, Mount Constitution on Orcas Island, or ride the ferry. This is a great time of year to explore and photograph the incredible scenery and abundant wildlife. For the rest of the article, visit http://seattle.cbslocal.com/top-lists/getaway-guide-one-tank-trip-to-san-juan-islands/.
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.
