A few weeks ago I was getting feeling a little rusty because I hadn’t shot in a few days so I headed out to the local park. This was a overwintering Canada Goose hanging out at the park and he posed nicely and let me snap a few shots.
Wildlife Portrait Photography
April 9th, 2012
Meeting a fellow wildlife photographer and a frog
April 5th, 2012Every few weeks there is a birding trip by one of the large birding groups in the area. These events are often well attended and they are a good way to meet new people and as a bonus learn how to identify the local birds. I try to attend as many as possible so if something rare shows up I might get a chance to photograph it.
Well the last trip was rather uneventful on the birding side but I did get to meet a fellow wildlife photographer from China. He spoke a little bit of English and we chatted about camera gear and different species we had photographed and I felt honored with chance to meet another photographer who shared my passion. I run into portrait and wedding photographers all the time but meeting another wildlife photographer really is a special occasion.
We spent the 2nd half of the day walking and shooting together and we came across a few interesting things but the light was horrible so I’m not going to show you any of those images. I will show you one I took very early that morning. While everyone was scanning the trees looking for birds I looked down and was pleased to see this little guy staring back at me.
Gary Vaynerchuk, Passion, and What I was meant to do
March 14th, 2012Last night I started reading Gary Vaynerchuk’s Crush It!
I’ve finally after 39 years on this planet figured out what my passion is, wildlife photography. I’m at New Orleans Entrepreneur Week right now but I brought my Canon EF 100-400mm Lens
House Sparrow taken today in downtown New Orleans
Why didn’t I bring my 50mm or my 18-135mm? Aren’t they more appropriate for the venue? Yes they are, but I’m not here for the venue, I’m here for me and this is the perfect lens for what I want to do.
I’ve never wanted to do anything more and I never tire of shooting wild animals. I’ve said this before but I’ve wanted to do this since I was 16 and watched every episode of Marty Stouffer’s Wild America on a 13-inch Black & White TV. Now the reality of actually doing it is better than I have imagined. It’s like this is what I was meant to do.
Don’t go to Africa, go out your back door
March 14th, 2012
Cooper's Hawk photo taken steps from my front door
One of the startling realities of wildlife photography is that while we fantasize about taking photos of lions in Africa, Tigers in Asia, or Eagles in Alaska, that image of a Blue Jay taken in your back yard is easier to sell. There is also less competition too. Seems counterintuitive, huh!
Think about it. When you go to Yellowstone, or Denali, or on a Safari in Kenya you are often surrounded by other photographers. And this scenario plays out every day in almost every locale all year long. The amount of people taking an image similar to yours is staggering. Now what makes you think that you can compete with them? I’m not saying it isn’t possible, I’m saying there are easier games to win at.
Head to your local park or setup a bird feeder in your back yard. If you live in the suburbs get your yard certified as a Certified Wildlife Habitat with the National Wildlife Federation. Start attracting your subjects to you. Learn to identify every species that comes into your yard and what months they frequent. Become a local wildlife expert.
Once you’ve got them coming start setting up photos. Take a picturesque looking log, drill some holes in it and fill them with bird feed, hang it from a pole outside a window or near a hide you have set up and wait.
As time grows you will create an inventory of photos for many of the species that frequent your area. Then you need to sell them. Contact local ad agencies or graphic design firms that might need images of local wildlife. Contact your local universities and see if any of the professors are writing books that might need your particular type of wildlife photos, see who handles the ads for your city government and see if they need images like that. There really are endless opportunities here. You could also frame the images and try to sell them as prints.
There is a very old story about a man who sold everything he owned to go searching for diamonds and the land he sold to finance his expedition turned out to have acres of diamonds. Are you off looking for diamonds when they may be in your own back yard?
Stop waiting to chase your dreams
February 15th, 2012
Don’t put off chasing your dreams because you may not have time to reach them. Two events this week made that clear to me.
I was researching Louisiana State Parks and nature trails for an upcoming trip and came across the story of the death of Dan Forman, founder of the Louisiana Outdoors Outreach Program. He was 46 years old! HOLY SHIT, I’m going to be 40 this year and I started thinking what would I be doing if I only had six years left to live. I’m in a graduate degree program that is 5 years long and I can guarantee you this, I WOULD NOT WANT TO BE IN GRAD SCHOOL FOR 83% OF THE TIME I HAVE LEFT ON EARTH!
The 2nd event that drove this home for me is much more personal. My mother is suffering from congestive heart failure and needs a pacemaker to stay alive. Over the past few months she haas been getting progressively worse and worse and she collapsed last week and was rushed to the hospital. My brother called and told me and I got dressed and drove the 60 miles to where she lived. I would have driven 600 miles if I had to. I started to think about what would happen if this was it? What would happen if this trip is the last time I will see my mother alive?
Look, I’m not trying to be all morbid and bring you down but we need to realize some day we will die. If you die tomorrow will you have a list of things you wanted to do but never did because you didn’t have time. Because you were too busy working, or trying to get a promotion, or trying to get another degree, or something else that you thought was more important.
You probably have a dream inside you to be an artist, or a musician, or a woodworker, or maybe even a photographer. You are scared to share this dream with others because that isn’t what responsible people do. What will other people think? What will my friends say? What will my spouse or in-laws say?
If your last day on earth is tomorrow will any of that matter?
