Online Workshop for GWC

I will be giving an online workshop November 7th for “Girls Who Click”. This presentation style workshop is based on my eBook- “Bird Photography the Art of the Composition”. If you have not registered for this event, you can register HERE. You’ll have to follow the link for more information, I am not able to sign anyone up. Their goal is to inspire a new generation of female photographers and conservationists and the programs are geared for girls ages 13-18.

Date: November 7th, 2020

Time: 1:00pm EST

Online via Zoom

Registration is free for those eligible.

HOLIDAY SALE STARTS TODAY AND ENDS ON DECEMBER 10TH FOR SOME OF MY EBOOKS. SEE HERE FOR MORE INFO.

20% off selected eBooks until December 10th.

Gambel's Quail

All photos below were captured at Bosque del Apache Wildlife Refuge in New Mexico in 2014. These are Gambel's Quail that I photographed near the entrance of the refuge. I chose to capture many different views of these adorable quail. They were a bit aggressive with each other at times and the action was so funny to watch. The first image was my very first shot. It is a traditional capture, raised foot and head turned slightly towards me. I think the feathers are striking. The second image shows a juxtaposition with two in the frame. I waited until the tail of the one bird was clear of the other. I was shooting with a 600mm lens on a tripod with the legs splayed low to the ground. I was using a mongoose head which allowed me to follow the birds with ease. The third image is an action shot and I had to stop down my aperture for more depth of field as I wanted both birds in focus as well as the perch. You can see that the birds and perch were on relatively the same plane of focus and the brush in the background and immediate foreground is out of focus. This image captured their aggressive behavior and was lots of fun to capture—it took several tries. Image four is a more creative shot where I used the foreground brush as an out of focus layer to the image and is meant to be a tight portrait.

Which do you prefer and why? Please use the comment section below to respond. My email box is full, and I will not be able to get back to you via email-thanks!

Image 1

Image 2

Image 3

Deep Tones or B&W...

I have received lots of positive emails from folks saying that they have been enjoying my series “which do you prefer”, so I will do a few more. This image was originally captured at Longwood Gardens with private client Pam Corckran a few years ago. In post processing, I added a small amount of the Topaz Glow “Fur & Feathers Filter”. Next, I brought the image into Nik Color Efex to tone down the garish colors that Topaz had added to the photo using the Bleach Bypass filter at a reduced opacity. Because I had gotten a glimpse of what the image would look like as a B&W while in Nik, I decided to try a B&W conversion.

I’d like to know which processed image you like best. A or B ? Please use the comment section below to respond. My email box is full and I will not be able to get back to you via email-thanks! I will add my thoughts after everyone has had a chance to comment. If you missed my thoughts on my last post-check out the comment box. HERE. Thanks for playing, this has been fun. A quick reminder, there are no right or wrongs here-only opinions.

B

Flower Compositions

There are many ways to photograph a flower. Lots of variables will affect the outcome of your photo. Lighting, background, your distance to subject, subject distance to background, aperture, lens, and so on…. A lot of the impact will come from the composition that you choose. How you set up the image design is entirely up to you. Will you go for a vertical or horizontal, will you get in tight or leave room around the flower to include some background, how much of your subject is in focus, what parts of the flower do you want in focus, will there be one or more subjects in the composition??? So many things to think about when taking a picture. It is not always as easy as some people think.

Below are three different compositions for the same Dahlia. In the first image the Dahlia is the supporting subject used as a juxtaposition. In the second shot the Dahlia is used as more of a background element. In the third image the Dahlia is the main and only subject. Which do you prefer and why.??

IMAGE 1

IMAGE 2

IMAGE 3

Pine Barrens

I went for a hike through a small portion of the New Jersey Pine Barrens, also known as the Pinelands. This reserve, known for its sandy, acidic soil also contains some notable forests including Wharton State Forest, Brendan T. Byrne State Forest, Bass River State Forest, and Penn State Forest.

Controlled fires help to keep the underbrush tame. I was awestruck by the vibrant red colors contrasting with the dark burned bark for this scene. I composed it two ways but decided on the view that showed more of the red underbrush. The sky was flat, including it did nothing for the image. I looked for a tree that was “nonconforming” and included it for interest.

This area needs much more exploring. My 6-mile hike was just a toe touching. BTW, during the week the place was desolate-just the way I like it! This photo may not be an iconic shot that I captured from some far away place, but being out in nature, forest bathing does something special for the soul…it is priceless.