bird photography Archives

The Human Side of Photography

May 19, 2013 by karenulvestad, posted in Instruction, Tips, Workshops

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

May 15, 2013May 15, 2013 by karenulvestad, posted in Instruction, Tips, Workshops

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

Where to Find Migratory Birds

May 3, 2013 by karenulvestad, posted in Location

Bird migrations happen twice per year. In the spring, the birds are heading to their nesting grounds. Many of these areas are in the Arctic or inland from the coast. Along the shoreline, these birds are feasting on the spring bounty of food, to make the long flight to their nesting grounds. These birds can travel several thousand miles each spring and fall. For the full article, visit http://www.examiner.com/article/where-to-find-migratory-birds?cid=db_articles

Spring on the Oregon Coast

April 27, 2013 by karenulvestad, posted in Location, Workshops

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

Of the Land, Sea & Air – A Coastal Photographic Adventure

March 25, 2013 by karenulvestad, posted in Instruction, Location, Workshops

copyright Karen Ulvestad — This bald eagle is flying in after missing a fish in the ocean. This is at Neskowin.

“It was perfect for all levels. It was a great combination of technique and artistry.” Susan H.

We will have minus tides during this workshop, which will allow students to view and photograph tide pools, walk closer to bird nesting areas and marine mammal resting areas. It’s a great opportunity to learn the details of bird and marine mammal photography, and shoot at beautiful locations. The coastal waters are filled with harbor seals, gray whales, and sea birds during the late spring season.

The workshop starts in the classroom, with an interactive presentation about exposure, techniques and equipment. Then, students go out into the field and practice what was learned in the classroom, ask questions and learn how to spot wildlife. Composition is discussed through-out the workshop, both in the classroom and in the field. The workshop is about 30% in the classroom and 70% shooting in the field with instruction.

This last photograph is the students photographing harbor seals in the surf. Most of the subjects can be photographed with a 400mm lens or shorter. It is recommended that students bring a tripod. For more information or to sign-up, visit Sitka Center.

A Great Blue Heron Story. . .

March 3, 2013 by karenulvestad, posted in Location, Tips

Great Blue Heron are a bird that survives in urban and wilderness areas. They eat frogs, small rodents, fish, crabs, and more. They nest in colonies or rookeries that can be home to a hundred or more birds. These herons are majestic in their demeanor, territorial while hunting, and tolerant during nesting.

The photo below is taken at an urban area rookery that sits near Lake Washington in Kenmore. The photo below shows the entire rookery. Currently, there are about 50 +/- nests in the trees, and 100+/- Great Blue Herons. It’s quite a sight, though challenging to photograph. The wetlands are fenced off, so photography happens from the park-n-ride parking lot, or along the back entrance.

The photo below shows the nesting pairs and their nests. Often, there are single birds vying for the attentions of another bird, or pairs looking for a nesting site. I counted about 28-30 nests in this tree alone. Surprisingly, the colony is relatively quiet. These photos were taken at mid-day, and fortunately, there were interesting clouds in the sky for the background. I’ve photographed this rookery before, I had the fortune of stormy weather and a rainbow.

Tip: Aperture is important while shooting a Rookery. Most of these images were shot with f5.6-f8.

This next image is of a nesting pair building their nest. He is bringing sticks, and she is placing them into the nest. I watched him bring one stick at a time, watch her place it in the nest, and he would preen her feathers during the process. It’s a difficult area to photograph the herons flying into their nesting sites, so scouting the location and planning is a good idea.

Tip: Over-expose the photos, so the details of the birds show in the photographs. Otherwise, the birds will silhouette against the sky.

So, I’ll leave with one last photo. This is a closer view of several nests and herons in the rookery. The Bald Eagles will hunt for un-attended chicks later in the year.

Happy Shooting. . .Karen

Learning Your Digital Camera can be Fun!

January 25, 2013 by karenulvestad, posted in Digital Darkroom, Instruction, Workshops

In the film world, photography was relatively simple for the photographer. We selected our film, shot our photos, developed the film (either ourselves or at a lab), edited the photos, and finished with a final product. We had a choice in film speed, and type of film. For creative affects, we had filters for our lenses, camera mounted flashes and other gadgets.

With digital photography, cameras are programmed with all this information. Film has become a media card (Compact Flash, SD, XD, etc.). Digital Photography is defined by processors and megapixels, instead film brand and speed. Instead of the photo lab developing our pictures, we have computer software (Photoshop, Lightroom, Elements, Picasso, Gimp and others). We can print our photos at home on our printers or send them to a photo lab.

So, where do we begin with our digital cameras?

For some, the transition from Film to Digital is easy. For others, it is a struggle, and can be confusing. I’ve worked with all ages (children, teens, adults & seniors) and levels (beginning & intermediate) photographers with understanding the functions of their Digital cameras. Each person has a different way to learn the complex menus and functions of modern cameras, and need individual attention to learning the information.

The photo above was taken in 1997 with Kodak slide film and scanned to a digital file. It was taken at Arches National Park, and all the elements came together for a wonderful photograph. The photo below was taken in 2005 with a Canon 10D digital camera. It was taken at Arches National Park too. Both of these images were shot in Manual mode.

From the Digital Camera to the Digital Darkroom Intensive is a one day (6 hour) hands-on venture into camera operations and workflow for digital photography. I offer this class once a year at the Pacific Northwest Art School on Whidbey Island. Here is a link to their website and the class.

Join my workshop for a fun-filled day of learning Digital Photography and the Digital Darkroom. The last photo is John Day Fossil Beds, and was taken in 2012 with a Canon 5D Mark II.

Happy Shooting. . .Karen

Migratory Birds are at the Skagit Flats

January 21, 2013January 21, 2013 by karenulvestad, posted in Instruction, Location, Workshops

Last Saturday, I spoke at the Historic Concrete Theatre with 30+ people. The presentation went well, and the participants left with a greater understanding of photographing birds. The Skagit Valley from Newhalem in the mountains to Puget Sound is filled with migratory birds this year.

The last of the Chum Salmon run is happening on the Skagit River, and the last eagle count was 121 between Sedro Woolley and Newhalem. The high count this year was around 250 eagles. This area holds the highest numbers of migratory bald eagles in the lower 48 states (US).

There is one last weekend of the Skagit Eagle Festival. This weekend is filled with events. Most are located in Concrete or Rockport, along Highway 20.

The image above was taken this month in the Skagit Flats. These are Trumpeter Swans. This flock has both adult and immature birds. The adults are pure white, and the immature are gray. Currently, the swans are feeding between Highway 20, La Conner and west of the Skagit River. There are many flocks in the area, though not all are easy to photograph.

The Flats have more Bald Eagles this year. They are hunting Snow Geese and other migratory birds. The photo below is showing an eagle feeding on the remains of a Snow Goose. The geese seem to be in larger flocks this year. While we were watching this, two other eagles came in to feed. There was a conflict, though the light was too low to capture the interaction.

There is a visiting Snow Owl this year. This one (photo below) was resting on driftwood on the dike. There are several other birds on the Flats, including Short-earred Owl, Northern Harrier, Red-tailed Hawk and various migratory Sandpipers.

The presentation at the Skagit Eagle Festival went well. Here is a link to a short video clip of the photos used in the presentation http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2sGSOvoIm2Q.

Happy Shooting. . .Karen

Skagit Eagle Festival

January 3, 2013January 4, 2013 by karenulvestad, posted in Instruction, Location, Workshops

The Skagit Eagle Festival takes place during the month of January. The event had many speakers, Native American events, float trips, and more. I will be speaking at the Concrete Theatre on January 19th from 12 pm to 1 pm, on photographing eagles and other wildlife.

This Festival comes at the peak of Bald Eagle migration to the Skagit River valley. The highest concentrations are from Concrete up to Marblemount along Highway 22. The photo at the end of this blog is from the Skagit Valley. Eagles congregate in the 100s.

The photo above was taken on Fir Island. It is where the Skagit River comes into Puget Sound. The Skagit Flats are home to resident Bald Eagles, Northern Harriers, and other birds.

During the winter, the Skagit Flats become home to thousands of migratory birds. These birds include Tundra Swans, Trumpeter Swans, Snow Geese, various species of Sand Pipers, Ducks, and more. Often, these birds can be seen from the road, and at the wildlife refuge areas.

For more information, comes see my presentation on January 19th, or follow my series on The Examiner.

Happy Shooting. . .Karen

Best Holiday Escapes Near Seattle « CBS Seattle

December 12, 2012 by karenulvestad, posted in Location

The locations listed in this article are great areas for photography. For the complete article, check out the link. Thanks. . .Karen

Best Holiday Escapes Near Seattle « CBS Seattle.

Tag: bird photography

The Human Side of Photography

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The Art of Photographing Birds

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Where to Find Migratory Birds

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Spring on the Oregon Coast

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Of the Land, Sea & Air – A Coastal Photographic Adventure

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A Great Blue Heron Story. . .

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Learning Your Digital Camera can be Fun!

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Migratory Birds are at the Skagit Flats

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Skagit Eagle Festival

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Best Holiday Escapes Near Seattle « CBS Seattle

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