Category: Photo of the Month

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Photo of the Month – October 2021

Tom and Cree celebrate the great images created by their community of photographers by selecting a Photograph of the Month. For October we selected an image of a classic car at the WigWam Motel created by Gary Taylor on our Route 66 ABQ to WinslowWorkshop . We hope you enjoy Gary’s images as much as we do!

Congratulations to October 2021 ‘s featured photographer – Gary Taylor

Gary working the details on a classic DeSoto

The Story … 

I kept trying to shoot from the other direction but the steering wheel was obscuring the dashboard. I tried moving to the front and back windows but that did not help. I realized I needed to move to the other side of the car.

On the other side of the car I had to line it up so I would see the teepees in the background and also get a good view of the dashboard.

Doreen and I were trying to use reflectors, Lume Cubes, even a small LED light to illuminate the car from inside. Nothing was working.

I finally decided to try HDR and hoped it would work. When I got home I did the post processing and it just fell into place.

October 2021 Photo of the Month

EXIF Data:

Nikon D810 with a 24-70mm lens, shot at 31mm

F8, 1/320 sec, ISO 800, exposure comp of -2

About photographing on Route 66 from Albuquerque to Winslow

I took a lot of pictures. Most of them were record shots – to record what I saw.

Some of them were really fun shots…..the type of image I would hang on my wall. The car interior and the waiter at the diner where these type of shots.

I really enjoyed the camaraderie of traveling with a group of people. I enjoyed being able to share what I got and seeing what they captured.

Gary’s tips for photographing Route 66:

For most of the shots I bracketed. With the neon lights this is important so the highlights are not blown out. I learned this by shooting holiday lights in my neighborhood in the Chicago area.

Bracketing also helps if you forget to use exposure compensation. It gives you several images to choose from to get closer to the right exposure.

I also did a lot of panoramas while on Route 66. The Petrified Forest and the Yellow Horse Trading Post were very wide. Shooting a panorama gives you more details in the image, instead of just using a wide angle lens.

Private shoot at the 66 Diner in Albuquerque

More about the image with Miles, the waiter

Many of the shots I got weren’t so great. It was crowded in front of him so I moved in the other direction to work the room. That was the shot that worked for me.

I liked how the blinds ended up creating backlighting on Miles. The broken lights of the Venetian blinds added a lot of interest to the image.

On Gary’s Horizon

Oregon and Washington Coasts

Albuquerque for the Balloon Festival

Ireland, England and Scotland

Gary photographing in the 66 Diner

Interested in joining us on Route 66? We just added another workshop from Albuquerque to Winslow in 2024. Click here for more info.

Want to head out sooner with us? Two spaces have opened up on our Bosque & White Sands Workshops in December, 2021 . Click here to read more .

Thanks for reading our posts and congratulations to Gary!

Tom and Cree

www.tombolphotoworkshops.com

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Photo of the Month – September 2021

Tom and Cree celebrate the great images created by their community of photographers by selecting a Photograph of the Month. For August we selected an image of Crystal Lake outside of Ouray created by Thomas Black on our Ouray Fall Colors . We hope you enjoy Thomas’ images as much as we do!

Congratulations to September 2021 ‘s featured photographer – Thomas Black

Ouray Fall Colors Workshop 2021

The Story … 

I would not have positioned myself where I did if it had not been for Tom’s suggestion the night before. He said to put something in the foreground. I did and it was a big help.

I was able to line up in front of the red grass without pushing anyone into the water. I set up the camera. I used a two second timer. I took a hundred photos and hoped one would work out.

I hate using a cable release. In fact I often forget to bring one, so the timer works well. Sometimes I use the Canon dedicated phone app for remote control of the shutter. There was no cell connection at the lake so I used the 2 second timer instead.

September 2021 Photo of the Month

Of the 100 photos I took of Crystal Lake, I had several that I liked. The one I selected had the most rose color in the water reflection. That was the differentiator.

EXIF Data:

Canon EOS R6 with a 24-205mm lens

F8, 1/60 sec, ISO 100

“Try to find an unusual angle so you don’t end up with a cliche” Thomas Black

About photographing fall foliage in Ouray

In retrospect, it was fantastic! I have never been anywhere with that much fall color.

I have spent weeks at a time in the Northeast. Last year I was on a self-guied photo safari in the Northeast while visiting my daughter. I got some good photos. the timing was good. But there was nothing that compares with Ouray. Yooray for Ouray!

It’s cold there. I brought shorts, sandals and my Speedo. I went out the second day and bought more outerwear. The Ouray merchants were glad I visited.

Thomas’ Start as a Photographer

I got into photography based on a four letter word……golf.

When I retired I went out and bought golf clubs. In five years I never broke one hundred without the use of a pencil erasure on my scorecard. I was horrible. My son said, “Dad, maybe this isn’t the game for you.”

I thought, “Gee, is there some other hobby I can pursue at least as expensive as golf?” I went down to the local camera store and bought a Nikon D60. I needed wall art for a new mountain home, so went around taking photos of local barns. It took off from there….

Fallen leaves near Silver Jack Reservoir

Thomas’ tips for photographing fall foliage:

Have an idea of where you want to go….but pray that you are lucky. The reason I go on workshops with Tom and Cree is that they know where to go.

You could spend days on your own, even on horseback at the True Grit Ranch and not find a wall-worthy photograph

Also, bring a tripod. My hands were so cold they were shaky. Without a tripod I would have had Shake and Bake landscapes.

On Thomas’ Horizon

The Oregon Coast and Redwood Forest

White Sands National Park

The True Grit Ranch off the Last Dollar Road

There are two spaces on our Ouray Workshop for 2023 . Click here to read more .

Thanks for reading our posts!

Tom and Cree

www.tombolphotoworkshops.com

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Photo of the Month August 2021

Tom and Cree celebrate the great images created by their community of photographers by selecting a Photograph of the Month. For August we selected a brown bear image created by Teri Manchen on our Brown Bear Safari . We hope you enjoy Teri’s images as much as we do!

Congratulations to August 2021 ‘s featured photographer – Teri Manchen

Teri Photographing Brown Bears in Katmai National Park

The Story … 

At first the mother bear was really far away. She started coming closer to us and I was excited to get the shot. I wished her cubs were in the image too. The were down at the end of a cove and then they walked right past us.

I was happy with the bear and the fish. The fish was on the ground and it was hard to tell if it was still alive. I liked how it lined up with the bear perfectly.

August 2021 Photo of the Month

I was not afraid of the bear. I had done the same trip two years ago and had the same experience of getting close to grizzly bears. I was pretty calm. I just wanted to get the shot.

The last time I went to Katmai, I used aperture priority as my preferred shooting mode. This time I shot in manual mode to make sure my shutter speeds were high enough. This was also the first time I used auto ISO on Tom’s recommendation. It was exciting and it really works. Now I will use it a lot.

EXIF Data:

Nikon D5 with 200-500 Nikon zoom lens at 480mm

Manual mode with auto ISO F11, 1/2000 sec

Sow with two cubs strolling along Moraine Creek



Teri’s tips for photographing brown bears:

Don’t be scared. You will get closer to the bears than you imagine. The first time I photographed brown bears was at Silver Salmon Creek. I was a tad afraid. We were in a buggy and a blond bear started chasing the cart. I was in the very back of the buggy closest to the bear. That experience was a bit nerve wracking. Now I realize that I can be close to bears and not worry when I’m photographing.

Large brown bear looking for sockeyes in the river



About Katmai National Park

I loved every part of Katmai National Park. You can’t imagine that you can walk so closely alongside the bears. It’s unreal. I liked looking for bears and finding them around almost bend of a creek.

The day when we saw 22 bears in one 360 view was amazing. We also had wonderful weather. We never had to put on our raincoats.

On Teri’s Horizon

Botswana

Ouray, Colorado for fall color

Death Valley

Galapagos

New Zealand

Bucket list: Antarctica

Teri and the crew at Moraine Creek in Katmai National Park

There is one space left on a bear workshop for 2022 . Click here to read more . Our 2022 schedule is getting full, but we have openings for 2023. For our full schedule Click Here

We plan to post a new Ecuador Hummingbirds Workshop soon. Join the interest list

Thanks for reading our posts!

www.tombolphotoworkshops.com

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Photo of the Month July 2021

Tom and Cree celebrate the great images being created by their community of photographers each month by selecting a Photograph of the Month. For July we selected an image of a Broad-billed Hummingbird created by Suzanne McCann on our Arizona Hummingbirds Workshop. We hope you enjoy Suzanne’s images as much as we do!

Congratulations to July 2021 ‘s featured photographer – Suzanne McCann

The Story … 

The story behind this image is twofold. I went down to Madera Canyon not with the intent to simply take pretty pictures. I wanted to create folded notecards or photographs for the wall.

This drove the choice of background, white, because I can fit it into a lot of different wall spaces. During the pandemic I did my best to learn PhotoShop. The white background makes it easier to change out birds and flowers

Our July 2021 Photo of the Month

The hummingbirds themselves were also a driving force for my images. Hummingbirds are spirit symbols in the cultures where hummingbirds are indigenous. Cultures have different interpretations of hummingbirds but they all point to what is good in the world: joy, freedom, prosperity, good luck, a sign from the heavens….a lot of different things, but all uplifting.

When I created the cards it was with the intent to show joy.

The Photo of the Month was originally a bird in one picture and a flower in another. I wanted to combine them into one photograph for a little girl’s room – my grand niece. I chose a gentle background with light pink to set the tone.

I also wanted to create an image that would tell a story for her future. Hummingbirds can fly forward and backward. They can stop on a dime and fly in one place until a situation gets better. They have endurance and determination. Their focus is on the good stuff – the nectar. They skip the thorns and the leaves and go to what is nourishing. Finally, they can be fiercely protective and be a warrior if needed. I wanted to show a girl that while there is pink and pretty and froth, there are also attributes of hummingbirds which are good life lessons

EXIF Data: Nikon D850 with 500mm PF len

Manual mode with flash F16, 1/200 sec, ISO 100

Trio of broad-billed hummingbirds by Suzanne



Suzanne’s tips for creating hummingbird images:

They move so fast. Don’t be frustrated if you cannot get tack sharp birds in every photo.

I found it easier to focus using a remote trigger. My reflexes are not as quick as they used to be.

Also, go in with a plan. Figure out what you want to do with the photos ahead of time. Then you can decided what will yield the best results while shooting. For me that was choosing to use white backgrounds. Unlike photographing bears, with hummingbird images you can literally change the background color either before taking the image or afterwards with PhotoShop.

Whimsical broad-billed female with Mexican Bird of Paradise by Suzanne



About Madera Canyon

The New York Times describes Madera Canyon as a Sky Island. It is incredibly special and just a short distance from Tucson. It is home to a wide variety of birds including hummingbirds. Just go a mile up the road and you will find different species.

You can be photographing hummingbirds and a wild turkey will come up to you to see what you are doing. Or a coatimundi.

Santa Rita Lodge is geared towards attracting birds and animals. They provide spaces for you to enjoy them. And for photographers to set things up.

Broad-billed male by Suzanne

On Suzanne’s Horizon

Bosque del Apache

Yellowstone in Winter

Arizona Hummingbirds in Madera Canyon

Hummingbirds in Ecuador



Suzanne McCann at Madera Canyon – channeling gators!

There are a few spaces left on our Arizona Hummingbirds Workshop in 2023. Click here to read more

Our 2021 schedule is full, but we have openings for 2022 and 2023, For our full schedule Click Here

www.tombolphotoworkshops.com

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Photo of the Month June 2021

Tom and Cree celebrate the great images being created by their community of photographers each month by selecting a Photograph of the Month. For June we selected an image of a coastal brown bear created by Rodger Israel on our Brown Bear Safari Workshop. We hope you enjoy Rodger’s images as much as we do!

Congratulations to June 2021 ‘s featured photographer – Rodger Israel

Rodger and his daughter Sarah on the New Halen River in Alaska

The Story … 

This is from the meadow at Lily Pond along the Katmai coast. We were sitting around on old logs, all hunkered together.

The bear decided to take a walk around us to check us out. I just waited for him to line up with the mountains to take the shot.

It was important to have the right lens with me. Everyone thinks of photographing bears with long glass. When the bear started approaching us I realized he was too close for the longer lenses. I switched over to shorter glass to get the environmental shot of the bear.

It was as close as I wanted to get to a bear. I would not have wanted to get closer.



June 2021 Photograph of the Month

EXIF Data: Nikon D850 with a 24-120mm F4 at 120mm

F8, 1/1250 sec, ISO 450



Rodger’s tips for photographing coastal brown bears:

Wear your waders and don’t carry too much stuff.

Brown Bear in Katmai National Park



About Katmai National Park

It is the ultimate bear experience. You can get close to the bears in their natural habitat. We were the only people there and the weather was nicer than I expected.

Katmai National Park is a wonderful combination of bears and scenery.



The Russian Orthodox Cemetery near Lake Iliamna

On Rodger’s Horizon

Northern Lights in Fairbanks

Greenland

Australia and Tasmania

Tanzania

Faroe Islands



Aerial from the flight headed to our remote lodge in near Lake Iliamna

We have two bear workshops coming up in 2022. Check out our schedule : Click Here

www.tombolphotoworkshops.com

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Photograph of the Month May 2021

Tom and Cree celebrate the great images being created by our community of photographers each month by selecting a Photograph of the Month. For May we selected an image of a black bear created by Bruce Moore on our Yellowstone in Spring Workshop. We hope you enjoy Bruce’s images as much as we do!

Congratulations to May 2021 ‘s featured photographer – Bruce Moore

Bruce and his Imperial Satellite 127 camera

The Story … 

I have been taking photos since I was ten years old. My first camera was an Imperial Satellite 127. I sold flower seeds door to door to earn points. When I had enough points I picked the Satellite camera.

I love cameras. They are like art pieces to me. I have about 50 lenses and 30 cameras in my home. I learned more about my camera on this workshop than any other I have taken. Learning to adjust exposure compensation and ISO quickly on the top of my camera helped immensely.

I also learned to try and get as low as possible when taking wildlife images. It looks like I am eye level with the black bear (photo above) even though I am 20 ft above him. The bear helped a lot. He looked right at me. That really made the picture.



May 2021 Photograph of the Month

I heard Tom clicking away next to me – his camera sounded like a Gatling gun. So I took about 18 photos of the bear and I have three that I really like.

Each camera only has so many pictures in their life. I take every click seriously. Besides, I don’t have the patience to look through 5000 photos.

EXIF Data: Nikon D800 with a 150-600mm Sigma lens

Aperture Priority mode f11, 1/640 sec, ISO 4500 Exposure Compensation -.03



Bruce’s tips for shooting wildlife photography:

Make sure you have the right lens on for the subject matter. When we were photographing the wolf on the bison kill, I noticed that several people in the crowd had the wrong lens. One person was using a 100 mm lens and they would have to crop too much to be able to see the animal.

I had just bought a 150-600 Sigma lens for the trip. It was worth it for the wolf shot alone. When I returned home, I went right out and got the teleconverter to go with it.

On the Madison River in Yellowstone



About Yellowstone National Park

I signed up for Tom and Cree’s Yellowstone in Spring Workshop because I had never been to Yellowstone before. I learned it is very spread out.

It is an amazing place. You can be an amateur and take really phenomenal photographs in Yellowstone with just a little bit of knowledge…..and the help of really good guides who know where to put you.



Bison calving season is in May in YNP

On Bruce’s Horizon

Grand Teton National Park in September – in search of grizzly bears and moose



Bruce on the boardwalks with one of his cameras

Tom and Cree are headed to Madera Canyon in Arizona for new hummingbird workshops in July – 1 space left: click here.

For a full listing of upcoming workshops, including our Easter Island Workshop in January 2022: Click Here

www.tombolphotoworkshops.com

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Photographer of the Month – April 2021

Tom and Cree celebrate the great images being created by our community of photographers each month by selecting a Photograph of the Month. For April we selected an image created by Brian Kennedy on our Utah Landscapes Workshop. We hope you enjoy Brian’s images as much as we do!

Congratulations to April 2021 ‘s featured photographer – Brian Kennedy

The Story … 

We were at Sunset Point and Tom was ahead of everyone. Tom pointed out how the light was hitting different formations.

The sun was peaking in and out of the clouds. A shaft of light came through and hit the formation we were looking at.

I was shooting at f11 because I knew that was a good setting for my lens. I used focus peaking to focus. I was looking at the image in the viewfinder and the histogram was perfect. The entire image was red because of focus peaking.

To edit the image I just set the white point and the black point and it looked great.

April 2021 Photograph of the month

EXIF Data: Canon mirrorless R5 with a 100-400mm lens

Aperture Priority mode f11, 1/80 sec, ISO 160 with focus peaking

About Bryce and Capitol Reef

Bryce Canyon was on my bucket list. I’ve seen pictures of it. I love sunsets and sunrises. With the red rock, how can you not want to photograph there?

Sunrise at Inspiration Point

In Capitol Reef, I was learning new features of the new mirrorless Canon R5. I was practicing focus peaking. I love focus peaking. After that section of the trip, I was a focus peaking fool.

Like the histogram, focus peaking is a tool. I have been dissapointed in the past when I get home from a landscape shoot and parts of the image were out of focus. With focus peaking I know what will be in focus and what will not.

The iconic barn at Capitol Reef National Park

Michael Iles and I approached the barn at Capitol Reef and we noticed there was no lock on the gate. We walked into the pen and got a better angle and were able to get a bit closer to the barn. I used the 24-70 (lens) with the R5.

Brian’s tips for shooting landscapes:

Tip #1: Get to the spots early.

Tip #2: Know your equipment. I did better in Bryce then in Capitol Reef because I understood my equipment better.

Petroglyphs at Capitol Reef

On Brian’s Horizon

Death Valley National Park

Acadia National Park – 4th trip there

Bucket List: Costa Rica, Alaska Brown Bears, Yellowstone in Winter, Canadian Rockies

Brian photographing on the Scenic Drive in Capitol Reef National Park

Tom and Cree are headed to Yellowstone National Park next for two May wildlife workshops. For a full listing of upcoming workshops, including our new trip to France: Click Here

www.tombolphotoworkshops.com

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Photographer of the Month – March 2021

Tom and I celebrate the great images being created by our community of photographers each month by selecting a Photographer of the Month. For March we selected a travel story created by Melissa Stanton using Adobe Spark. We hope you enjoy Melissa’s images as much as we do!

Congratulations to March 2021 ‘s featured photographer – Melissa Stanton

Melissa photographing Red-crowned Cranes in Hokkaido, Japan

The Story … about Adobe Spark

I always love reading the trip reports and seeing all the images that were created. I decided to look at the software and found it was so simple to use:

Plop the images in there, write a few words and it works like magic!

I learned to code in high school and created web pages. It was nothing like Adobe Spark. It took me longer to figure out what images I wanted to use, then it took me to design the pages.

To view Melissa’s Spark on the Japan in Winter Workshop: Click here

About Japan

I loved the Japan trip. It was my first time to Asia. There were so many things we saw and did.

I really liked the look on Tom’s face every time they brought out another course of food. My favorite page from the Spark Story is the Octopus page. I can just imagine Tom’s face looking at it. We all want our photographs to evoke emotion. The emotion can be disgust. Photos can’t all be pretty flowers!

The local fish market in the town of Kushiru, Japan

On this page I loved her gold shoes. They thought I was taking a full body image and were happily waving at me. I just wanted her shoes.

The Geisha district in Kyoto. Japan

The Cat Cafe in Tokyo was intriguing. You go in and play with the cats. I have visited a Cat Cafe closer to home in Cleveland. You make an appointment, get yourself a cup of coffee and play with the cats with an eye towards adoption.

I think a wine bar would be better….a few glasses of wine and the cat is looking pretty cute.

The Cat Cafe in Tokyo caught Melissa’s eye

A Tip for using PhotoShop:

Start your Spark by adding all of the photos. I hate writing. To be able to create this and just throw in a few sentences here and there was perfect. I would rather just have the photos tell the story.

Give me a blank page and I’m just going to stare at it. When you already have photos with great backgrounds added, it is easy to write a description.

On Melissa’s Horizon

Brown in Alaska at Silver Salmon – I cannot wait!

Lofoten, Norway with those crazy Bols

Dubai with a friend to see the World Expo

Melissa in her element – Fairbanks, Alaska

If you would like to learn how to use Adobe Spark , we have a one session class this Thursday, April 1 at 5 pm for just $59. Click Here

We are excited to be headed into the field this April and May for workshops in Capitol Reef, Bryce Canyon, and Yellowstone National Parks. For a full listing of upcoming workshops: Click Here

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Photographer of the Month January 2021

Tom and I celebrate the great images being created by our community of photographers each month by selecting a Photo of the Month. For January we selected Jen Turk’s image of a frozen flower from our Macro for Cabin Fever Class. We hope you enjoy Jen’s images as much as we do

Congratulations to January 2021 ‘s featured photographer – Jen Turk

Jen on our Sedona Workshop

The Story … 

One of the class assignments was to photograph with a different kind of light. I wanted to work with ambient light for the assignment. I usually work with a Studio in a Box. For this image I didn’t want to get the Studio in a Box wet, so I moved to a different location.

Jen’s Studio in a Box set-up

To create the block of ice I used several fresh flowers from a bouquet. I put them in a Tupperware container that I use for my son’s lunches. I put the flowers in upside down and covered them with a half inch of water. After letting that first layer set in the freezer, I added another half inch of water every hour until I got the thickness I wanted.

To set up the shoot, I took the block of ice out of the freezer and suspended it between two stacks of textbooks. This allowed light to come in underneath the ice. I also put down a white kitchen towel as a lighter colored background.

The flower that caught my eye was showing through the side of the ice block. I shot it from the side by getting eye level to the flower. One of the cool things about this technique is that the image changes as the ice melts. To make the ice melt faster, I rubbed the edge of the ice with my thumb to let the details of the flower come through.

The January 2021 Photo of the Month

I did very little to this image by way of editing. With this technique, what you see is what you get. It was just what I wanted right out of camera. I love that. I love the painterly effect you get even with out a specialty lens like a Lens Baby.

Why Macro Photography:

If you really look at a macro subject, you can see so much. I think of each macro subject as it’s own entity. If I am walking around on a photography trip and something catches my eye, I move in closer. The crack in the wood, the color in a flower, the broken down cars in Jerome, Arizona. I wonder about the life of each of these things.

The flower that I photographed above was once a seed. I try to be mindful about my macro subjects. I ask, what are the different textures of what I’m looking at. What are the colors?

For me, macro photography is showing curiosity about the smaller things.

A Tip for Macro Photography:

When you find something that catches your attention, move around the object to get different perspectives. Change your camera angle. Try moving the object around. Keep doing this until you get an image that speaks to you.

Step away. Come back. Shoot it again and you may get something completely different.

Textures and colors

On Jen’s Horizon

Hawaii – to photograph textures and native plants

Ouray – to photograph fall leaves on the ground

Jen creating macros of cactus spines on our Sedona Worksho

Our next online Macro for Cabin Fever class starts on February 8. To learn more about our other upcoming classes, including Bird Photography, Speedlights and PhotoShop 2 Click Here

Check out our new class for March: Travel Photography Click Here

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November Photographer of the Month

Tom and I celebrate the great images being created by our community of photographers each month by selecting a Photo of the Month. For November we selected Dianne Biddison’s image of a reddish Egret from our Bird Photography Class. We hope you enjoy Dianne’s images as much as we do

Congratulations to November’s photographer – Dianne Biddison

Dianne in the lavender fields of Provence, France

The Data: ISO 1250 500mm 1/1250 f f13

The Gear: Canon EOS 6D with a 150-500mm lens

The Story … 

I signed up for Tom and Cree’s online Bird Photography class, and knowing there would be assignments, I planned to take a Friday off work to go to Fort DeSoto State Park. I had been there before with a local photography group. The park has a website with a list of birds that have been seen there by season and where to find them. I also used eBird hotspots to see what birds had been seen recently.

The Reddish Egret was very interesting. There was a photographer walking 30 ft ahead of me photographing the egret. I slowed down so I wouldn’t spook the bird. When the photographer left, the Reddish Egret almost seemed disappointed that his audience was gone. I moved in closer and started taking photos of the bird and his behaviour.

The November 2020 Photo of the Month

The sun came out from the clouds just at that moment to light him up the right way. I chose to go to the North beach because I anticipated that the sun would come from the east and look best.

I used my new tripod with a new Neewer gimbal head. It was the first time I had used either. This made it very easy to move the camera. I could manipulate my movement easier as the bird changed his position.

I found that shooting 3 ft off the ground was ideal. Because the beach was uneven, I did not want to get too low.

After photographing the egret, I turned a corner and found a sandbar with 100 American White Pelicans. While other photographers were waiting for them to fly and hopefully come in closer, I started looking around. I found a pair of American Oystercatchers and photographed them.

On my way back to the car the Whimbrel appeared. The birds at the park are used to people and don’t get scared. I lowered the tripod more and it started walking towards me.

I was able to get both a profile and a straight on shot. I like them both. The straight on shot helped me identify the bird because I could see the darker eye band.

Dianne’s Whimbrel on the beach at Fort De Soto State Park

About Photographing Birds:

It’s fun! Being down here in Florida, I can usually find a bird. I like watching what they are going to do and how they interact with each other.

Bird photography is a challenge, especially getting them in flight. But it is a fun challenge!

American Oystercatcher

Tip from the Photographer

Keep looking around you when photographing birds. You never know what is watching you.

When everyone else was watching the pelicans, the oystercatchers were creeping up behind them.

Get as many shots as possible from different angles. Even if the image is blurry, it may help you identify the bird.

Dianne roaming the beaches of Tasmania with her Canon in hand

On Dianne’s Horizon

The Winter Yellowstone Workshop in January

Going back to Fort De Soto. This time I plan to go in the evening. I want to photograph Roseate Spoonbills in warm evening light.

I have plans to put in a backyard bird habitat, after I cut back some Elephant Ear Philodendrons from my pond and waterfall. This will clear the way for birds to take a bath. We have Red-Shouldered Hawks, Cardinals, blue jays and finches regularly in this area. It will be exciting to see what other birds are around here, too.

Our next online Bird Photography class starts this Monday. Learn more about our upcoming classes, including Power Workflow, Advanced Landscape and PhotoShop 1 Click Here

You are also invited to join us for an online Happy Hour on Friday Dec 4 at 7 pm SMT to see a virtual gallery of images from our latest classes. Leave a comment below to receive an invite.

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