Jeff Wendorff » News You Can Use

Birds of Prey Workshop Images

Jeff — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 12:42:38 +0000

Here is another batch of images taken during my birds of prey photography workshop last fall. Imagine being able to photograph this amazing diversity of species in just a few days. It would take years and thousands of dollars to do this kind of photography in the wild… And on top of that, there are few if any other workshops that offer the potential to photograph a free flying Harpy Eagle.

I’m working on the details for this years workshops, so stay tuned or subscribe to my newsletter…HERE.

You can see my portfolio of images and order prints…HERE.

[View with PicLens]

My birds of prey workshops are tpically in Montana or Idaho. These birds were from Idaho as you can see from the map below.

Adobe Shipping Photoshop Lightroom 4

Jeff — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 13:18:46 +0000

Adobe has released the latest version of it’s image editing and managemant system to version 4 today. There a host of new features and perhaps the biggest one is the price! The full version is available for $149 not $299 and the upgrade from a previous version is $79!

Some key new features.

Highlight and shadow recovery brings out all the detail that your camera captures in dark shadows and bright highlights.
Photo book creation with easy-to-use elegant templates.
Location-based organization lets you find and group images by location, assign locations to images, and display data from GPS-enabled cameras.
White balance brush to refine and adjust white balance in specific areas of your images.
Additional local editing controls let you adjust noise reduction and remove moiré in targeted areas of your images.
Extended video support for organizing, viewing, and making adjustments and edits to video clips.
Easy video publishing lets you edit and share video clips on Facebook and Flickr®.
Soft proofing to preview how an image will look when printed with color-managed printers.
Email directly from Lightroom using the email account of your choice.

You can read about the new version and order Lightroom from Adobe by clicking…HERE.

Top 10 Bird Photographs from 2011

Jeff — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 20:30:59 +0000

I’ve been spending quite a lot, way too much time on Google Plus lately. It has been a great deal of fun and I’ve met an incredible group of like minded photographers. We’ve been sharing photos and laughs all through the fall and winter. There is a daily theme and we have a friendly (no winners or losers) competition to see who can play the best image for the theme. The other day the theme was, top 5 images taken in 2011. It was very hard as you might imagine and while I rarely read the year in review top 2011 lists, I decided it was kind of fun and so here are my top 10 bird images from 2011.

At number 10 – Cedar Waxwing, Bombycilla cedrorum

I’ve included this one because my friend David Middleton had a waxwing image that he took from his kitchen window and was always bragging about it. I know it may be bad karma, but now he can’t brag about his anymore…

At number 9 – Bald Eagle, Haliaeetus leucocephalus

This was a great story during the beginning of 2011 with the birth of a new eagle on Tierra Verde, Florida. I watched for weeks and captured a lot of images of this circle of life. This one was a particular favorite from them all. You can read about the whole encounter…HERE.

At number 8 – American White Ibis, Eudocimus albus

I can never stress enough during my workshops how important getting low is. You really want to be at eye level to get the most impact. In this shot I am actually knee high to an Ibis and that is low!

At number 7 - Yellow-headed Blackbird, Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus

It may seem like I am picking on David (Middleton) again, but I like to do that when I can! If you know David this is one of those he was right, but he was wrong and you might guess which way l chose to tell the story. You can read it…HERE.

At number 6 – Cattle Egret, Bubulcus ibis

One thing that you will find if you pursue bird photography is that the hardest thing to photograph is the most common of birds. Mostly because everyone with a camera has already photographed the beast and so finding that unique look is hard to do. I am always looking for that moment and I think I found it with this one. The backlight on the feathers and in particular the bill along with a dramatic near black background made this one really stand out in my 2011 bird photographs.

At number 5 - Coppery-headed Emerald, Elvira cupreiceps and Green-crowned Brilliant, Heliodoxa jacula

I made my first of what I hope is many trips to Costa Rica and these hummingbirds were among the many treasures that I brought home. We were setup with perches of our choosing and I liked this exotic heliconia for them to feed on. You can read more about how to setup hummingbird photography in your backyard in an article that I wrote…HERE.

At number 4 - Blue-grey Tanager, Thraupis episcopus

This parent feeding the chick image is also from Costa Rica. August was a good time to be there as we saw this scene played out several times. Fortunately with digital you can shoot a lot of frames to get just the right moment with good separation of the interaction between the birds.

At number 3 - Swainson’s Hawk, Buteo swainsoni

During my Birds of Prey Workshop we had this great hawk as one of our subjects. It is a falconry trained bird and we were able to free fly her and that was just awesome. This image was selected as the cover image for The Peregrine Fund. This workshop will be held again in early October of 2012. Details will be post…HERE.

At Number 2 - Least Tern, Sterna antillarum

I’ve always said, “I would rather be lucky than good!” and this one is a perfect example. I had just focused on the tern on the ground and not yet zoomed in tight when the second tern came flying in over the top of me at just the right moment!

And finally at Number 1 - Scintillant Hummingbird, Selasphorus scintila

Another image from Costa Rica is this hummingbird. It is rather special species bing the second smallest hummingbird in the world, behind the Bumblebee Hummingbird and endemic to Costa Rica. This bird is only about 2.5″ (6.35 cm) and to give you an idea of scale the Verbena cluster is about the size of a quarter! I only saw this one a couple of times and only took about 5 frames and that is why I’ve nominated it as my favorite bird image of 2011.

So, what was your favorite?

Peregrine Fund 2012 Cover Image

Jeff — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 20:46:49 +0000

I’m quite pleased to let you know that the cover image of a Swainson’s Hawk that I took will be the cover image for the Peregrine Fund’s 2012 calendar. I am always happy to help support the incredible work they do behalf of raptors all over the world.

I encourage all of you to join or at least buy the calendar and support their good work.

The calendar will be available soon and you can learn more on their website…HERE.

Red Fox Kits Baby Wildlife Photography Workshop

Jeff — Sun, 26 Jun 2011 13:47:39 +0000

These fox kits were about a month old and as you can imagine and I hope see…CUTE! The light was a challenge for the workshop, but we managed to get some quality time with triplet fox kits and the adult as well.

You can see all of the images from this workshop session…HERE.

You can also sign up to join me next year…HERE.

Here is something to help you decide to go take a peek!

[View with PicLens]

Winter Wildlife Workshop Tiger Update

Jeff — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 12:02:47 +0000

It’s been good and busy this spring and summer is already here and I am just now finishing editing tiger images from my workshop last winter. That’s not like me at all! Of course, I’ve seen them, but this is the first time you’ll be able to see them!

Check them out…HERE.

You can see all of my tiger images and order prints…HERE.

Here is a taste of what you’ll see!

Some Diffused Thoughts on Photography

David — Sat, 30 Apr 2011 00:49:55 +0000

Its diffuser season here in Vermont, the time of the year when there is lots of little stuff to photograph and often lots of bright sun in the sky. Unfortunately, those two things don’t usually go hand in hand. Here is my rule of thumb on the relationship between the type of light and subject- soft, delicate subjects need soft, delicate light and hard, sharp subjects need hard, sharp light. So if you are photographing wildflowers or fiddle heads wait for soft light and if you are photographing cacti and granite wait for direct sunlight.

without diffuser

with diffuser

But what happens when you can’t (or don’t want to) wait for the appropriate light? In steps the diffuser. We all know what a diffuser is, yes? A diffuser is a thin piece of white nylon in a thin flexible frame, usually round in shape that is used to soften, or diffuse direct sunlight. I call it a cloud in a bag. All you have to do is put the diffuser between the sun and your subject and viola, you’re good to go! Ah, but there is a catch. Isn’t there always? Now pay attention, this is the important part- I think diffusers are the most misused piece of photography gear. That’s right, misused. How could you possibly misuse a diffuser? It would be like misusing a lamp shade- light bulb, sofa, lampshade goes in between the two. Sunlight, flower, diffuser goes in between the two. How is this difficult? Glad you asked!

where the diffuser should be

The important thing about using a diffuser is where you place it relative to your subject. Where photographers always go wrong when using a diffuser is that they always place it too far away from the subject. For a diffuser to be most effective it has to be as close as is possible to the subject. How close is close? Here is the rule: the diffuser should be just on the outside edge of your viewfinder. When it is this close it produces a beautiful soft, radiant light that makes your subject glow. If you move the diffuser just a foot farther away the light produced by the diffuser is no different than the light produced by your shadow. How can this be true, you ask? If you remember from your high school physics class, light diminishes at the square of the distance traveled. So it doesn’t take much

with a diffuser

distance for the light to go from glowing to simply glum. I know, you don’t believe me. You think this is just more hot air in the hot air filled blogosphere. Okay, test it yourself. Go out on a sunny day with your diffuser and watch your subject as you slowly move the diffuser closer. The quality of light doesn’t change much until the diffuser gets almost on top of the subject. Then, as if by magic, you will see your subject actually glow. Move the diffuser back a few inches and the glow disappears. Move it back in and the glow returns. Not magic but certainly magical. Well, that’s it, right? Nope, there’s more! This is graduate level diffuser knowledge. Most of the time I am using a diffuser the sky is partly cloudy, partly sunny so my choices are diffused light from a cloud or from my diffuser or straight sunny light. But there is a difference between light coming through a cloud and light coming through a diffuser. Sunlight coming through a cloud is very cool, very blue whereas sunlight coming through a diffuser is very warm, very golden. So depending on your subject it may be appropriate to not use a diffuser and wait for a cloud for cool light or it may be better to use a diffuser because you want warm light on your subject.

cool, cloud light

warm light from a diffuser

So there you have it, everything you wanted to know about using a diffuser and then some. It is not just use it or not, it’s how you use it. Isn’t that always the way it is?

Do a Background Check

David — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 12:53:34 +0000

Painted Trillium

It is that time of the year for flower photography, at least for most of you. Not so up here in the cold climes of Vermont but else where many of you are scraping off the icy crust of inactivity lingering from this last winter and are out searching for wildflowers to photograph. So what is the most overlooked aspect of wildflower photography? We all know about pretty, soft light for pretty soft and delicate subjects such as flowers and we all know about choosing a flower that is in prime condition (no browning or wilting allowed!). but most of us forget that to get the best possible photo of a flower the equally important thing to remember is the quality of the background. You can pick the prettiest flower in magnificent light but if the background is distracting your picture is toast. I approach all my flower photography based on the background. When I find a patch of flowers I select the individual flower to photograph based on its background. this is what I consider when looking for a great background: Is the background far enough away so that my subject will be in focus but the background won’t be? Out of focus background are only partly due to the f-stop you use. The other part is the distance to the background. I try to photograph from an angle that puts the background at least a foot or two beyond my subject. Is the background a complimentary color to my subject? A purple flower against a blue background or a pink flower against a red background just doesn’t look great. And finally, is the background soft? By this I mean does it have hard lines (sticks or branches) going through it or is there contrasty light behind the subject. If the answer to any of these questions is yes I either look for a different angle to photograph or I look for a different subject to photograph. By the way, the idea of approaching a subject based on the background is also paramount in wildlife photography and portrait photography. In fact, you could almost say that the quality of the background in any genre of photography is always paramount. So always do a background check. It’ll give one less thing for annoying critiquers and photo judges to chastise you about.

[Show as slideshow]

More on Phiddling

David — Sun, 24 Apr 2011 18:13:18 +0000

Dory

The larger concept with regards to fiddling around too much before taking a picture is that in the digital photography world a camera is nothing more than a device to capture data. That’s it. Picture taking is the process of capturing a good set of data. This means there aren’t too many blocked up shadows or burned out highlights, the depth of field is appropriate to what you want in focus (and out of focus) and the ISO is not to high creating bad noise. You don’t have to capture the best set of data when you take a picture, all you have to do not capture a bad set of data. After you have captured your data (taken a picture) now you have to process it. That is where your computer comes in. Just like the old film days, you take a picture and then it is processed. Your camera gives your computer a good set of data. You then process it into the best set of data. You do this in your computer because, as I mentioned in my last post, you computer is much more precise than your camera. You will never be able to get as good a data set in your camera as you can in your computer. So don’t worry about trying to overly fine tune your picture. Take the picture and make it the best it can be in your computer. And stop phiddling around!!

Phiddling with Photography

David — Sat, 23 Apr 2011 16:02:17 +0000

One of the common things I see when doing workshops is how much phiddling, excuse me, fiddling goes on before a picture is taken. Fiddling, for those of you who aren’t familiar with this technical term, is the art of making unnecessary and ridiculously fine adjustments to a image that is basically just fine. The two places that people fiddle the most are with exposure and composition. I think fiddling with exposure comes from the days when experts would tell us that our tonalities in our histogram should be well over to the right side because that is where most of the digital information lives. They then would encourage us to tweak our exposure to make move the tonalities to the right so just enough to make it perfect. What a bunch of nonsense! We spend so much time fiddling around with our exposure that by the time we got it just right either the light has changed or the subject has bounded away. Fiddling with composition is a lingering after-effect of critiquing. Any one who has ever done a critique feels compelled to say something about every picture even if there is nothing really to say. This, of course, doesn’t apply to me because all my critiquing comments are magically insightful gems that are always elucidating and astonishingly educational! And it is actually okay to fiddle with your composition just don’t do it too finely in your camera.

boat as shot

cropped on left and top

And there is the point of all this- take the best picture you can and then when it is in your computer do the fine tuning, the fiddling there. Your computer is much more precise than your camera will ever be. In your computer you can vary just the dark tonalities or just the middle tones whereas in your camera when you vary your exposure you are effecting all your tonalities. Compositionally, in your computer you can crop just one side or two sides to get the best picture whereas in your camera when you zoom in or out you are effecting all sides of your composition.

as shot

cropped top and right

The images presented here are cropped on just two sides from how it was taken in the camera. I knew I was going to do this while I was taking the shot so I didn’t worry about the exact composition. I shot a little big and then made the precise crop in-camera. Don’t get phrustrated phiddling around, shoot big and be happy!

Harboring Abstract Thoughts

David — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 16:26:24 +0000

Hope and Sydney 1

I just returned from a great workshop for the Rhode Island Photographic Society. We spent much of our time prowling around the beautiful coast of this little state, a coast that is more than 400 miles long! Two mornings we headed for the working harbor of Galilee and my students got some amazing shots- wonderfully bizarre and colorful abstracts mostly. They quickly realized that there was much to see and photograph in a working harbor. I expect they all will go back for more. If you have never had a chance or a thought about wandering the docks of a working harbor with the old boats and tangles of gear I would strongly suggest that next you are close to one you stop in and go for a wander. Remember, this type of photography is play so just have have and don’t worry about too much. Just have fun and see what you might get. The second day we went to Galilee a captain of one of the big off-shore trawlers invited us on board his boat to have a look around and take all the pictures we wanted. My students got pictures of the crew fixing nets and working on gear as well as shots of the interior of the big boat. Another example of the great things that can happen when you hang around the docks and are open to new experiences.

Hope and Sydney 3

Hope and Sydney 2

New Digital Art on Pixelologist

Jeff — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 13:43:29 +0000

I made some new “art” with photoshop and plugins like fractalius and posted them on The Pixelologist.

Thinking Like a Pro – David Middleton

David — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 18:50:05 +0000

Pulling a trap

For a few years now I have been doing a program that I call “Thinking Like a Pro.” Setting aside the obvious jokes about pro photographers and thinking it is a program that encapsulates how I have gone about the business of photography for many years. I think it is one of the best programs I do and perhaps one of the most valuable because it is practical and all about you the photographer. I’ll share the highlights with you here. So how does a professional photographer go about taking a picture? Does the process start before he or she even gets to the location? What does he or she think about getting ready to take the photograph? What are the overarching principles that he or she follows? Is this any different from how amateurs approach a shot? Curious yet? Here goes. First, pros only shoot in the best light. If you think about it why would you shoot in any other kind of light? And, no, you can’t create great light in the computer. And, yes, I know what you are thinking- what happens if the light isn’t the best? Pros don’t photograph when the light is bad. Why? Because there is very little we can do with an image of something in average light when there are dozens of pictures of the same subject in great light. If I need it for a specific project I might use a mediocre shot if I am desperate but I will do so hesitantly. I will never share such a shot and I will never send it out for other publications. Pros choose subjects to photograph based on the quality of the light at the time. In other words, choose your subject based on what is best in the light you have. Amateurs typically

Lobster and glove

decide on the subject to photograph before they even get to a location and then try to force it into whatever the light is at the time they are ready to shoot. This is how you get pretty subjects in less than pretty light. This is how you get less than pretty pictures. I may really want to do a portrait or a landscape but if the light is strong and direct I won’t. I’ll look for backlit subjects or do reflections both of which are perfect in strong, direct light. If I have a specific shot in mind I won’t bother to go out unless the light is right. Of course, pros also often have the luxury to wait for the light to be the best while amateurs, being contributing members of society, often do not. Secondly, pros only use the best capture. I use my best technique for every shot I take. I set my camera for the best capture possible. I only photograph the best subjects and I spend a lot of time making sure that there are not any better subjects or situations nearby. When I do find the best subject and situation I choose the best angle, the best tripod placement and the best depth of field to get the shot I want. All of this is deliberate; I have thought every part of this out to maximize my results, to get the best picture I can possibly get. Try this next time you are our photographing. Imagine me interrupting you just before you are about to push your shutter and asking you these questions- “Why is your tripod that high, in that position?” “Why are you taking the picture at that angle?” “Are you sure your background is going to be okay? Is it the best background you can find?” “Why are you using that f-stop, that shutter speed, that ISO?” I know, scary, huh?

Bhutanese Grandmother babysitting

The point to these questions is that you should have a very specific answer to each of these questions- “My tripod is this high because any lower I was getting sky and any higher I was missing the front of the subject.” “I am using this f-stop because any smaller made the background stand out too much and any bigger didn’t get enough of my subject in focus.” Everything is deliberate. When it is deliberate it becomes your best (why would you deliberately not do your best?). Shoot your best. Okay, you have shot your best in the best light now keep only your best. This is one of the hardest things for amateur photographers to do. Amateurs have this amazing ability to justify keeping just about any picture they take- “Ooh, I like the splashing water, I’ll keep it (I cut off the ears and I missed the focus but the splash is great!).” “It’s close to being in focus (I only missed it by a foot or so).” Here is the test. If you consistently show only one or two of the 20 or 40 or 400 similar images you have of one subject get rid of the rest. Don’t keep images you wouldn’t show anyone. Why? There is a reason you won’t show them to other people- there is something wrong with them!!! Why keep images that you know are flawed? Don’t keep your second best. If you give your best images 5 stars why are you keeping the ones with 3 stars? If you have a folder of favorites, why are you keeping all those images you haven’t looked at in 2 years? Don’t try to answer these questions you’ll just get yourself into more trouble. Pros are ruthless editors. I go through and delete every image that is technically flawed or artistically lacking- every last one. Then I identify my best ones and delete all the rest. I will shoot 1200 images in a morning out on a lobster boat but I will keep 15 and that is a good day. If I get better ones the next time I go out then those that I have bested are gone. Bye-bye, see you later. No emotional attachment, just results, just the best results. Why keep images that are inferior? What will you possibly do with them? Nothing. Say ‘hasta la vista’ and hit delete. Okay, you are shooting in the best light possible, using your best technique and editing so you are only keeping your best images- is that it? Is this all there is to ‘thinking like a pro’? Nope, sorry, this is just the easy stuff.

Bhutanese lady in the sun

The two main characteristics that distinguish how professional photographers think about photography are that pros photograph purposely and they photograph stories. When I am going out to photograph I have a pretty clear idea of the shot or shots I am looking for. I am not just going out to a pretty location and seeing what I can find. Nor am I going out to a meadow to photograph the flower that strikes my photography fancy. I am going out to get a picture of lobstermen unloading their catch or of the cows coming home or of Bhutanese children playing. Sometimes I get distracted and find something else as compelling but I will always make sure I get what I first intended before I switch over to something else. Of course, there are lots of times when my intentions are just that and when I get to my location it is obvious that the shots I wanted are not going to happen. In this case I see if there is another image or two I can get that I need. If I can’t think of any image that is possible to get under the circumstances that are presented to me then I leave. Or I eat an ice cream cone. Then I leave. Leaving is easier to take with double chunk fudge in my tummy.

Hugh reading in barn

Being shut out happens all the time. The lobster boats left early, the cows came in already, its raining so no children are playing outside, what started as a cloudy day has turned into a bright sunny day, etc. So I reevaluate and try to figure out if there is some other opportunity for photography. If not, such is life. What I am basing my needs upon is a mental (sometimes written) shooting list. A shooting list is a list of all the images I think I am going to need. This is based on the images I already have and the images I know I will need. A shooting list keeps me from shooting the same things over and over again in the long term and in the short term. The long term I check on my computer whenever I am reviewing my images- ‘Okay, I have enough pictures of cows in the pasture but I have very little of Roger milking’, for instance. Reviewing my images allows me to find the holes in my coverage and identify what I have plenty of. The short term occurs while I am shooting- ‘Okay, I have nailed this shot, its time to move on or try something different’. This type of review prevents me from shooting 300 portraits of the same person or 45 images of the same flower. Be purposeful, it is the best way I know to get your best images. Equally important, it is the best way to get your greatest variety images. I keep bringing up the idea of need- what exactly is this need? To what purpose is being purposeful? The answer is the most significant ‘thinking’ a pro does and it is the main difference between professionals and amateur photographers in my mind. Professional photographers think not about a single image at a time or even a collection of single images but instead think about a collection of related images, better called stories. Pros photograph stories because they are much, much easier to sell and the process of concentrating on a single theme or area of focus leads the pro to images that no one else has. I photograph stories because in the process of doing so I am lead deeper into the creative process and my photography becomes far more interesting and compelling to me. Shooting a story is exciting but it is also fun, at least once you get the hang of it. When you are shooting stories you know what images you have and what images you need every time you review your collected images. This makes you pick your next photo location by need rather than whimsy and it makes you pick your subjects much more carefully. Taken together it makes your photography purposeful- you are working toward something, there is a reason you are out taking pictures. Photographing stories is the only kind of photography I do now. I no longer try to out-pretty everyone- trying to get an even prettier shot of the same subjects that I have shooting for years and that everyone has been as well. What’s the point? Photograph a story, pick an area of concentration, it is so much more rewarding. So there you have it. Thinking like a pro means shooting in the best light, with the best technique, keeping only the best, being deliberate and purposeful and most importantly, shooting stories. And, oh, by the way, you don’t have to be a professional photographer to do all this; you just have to be dedicated to getting the best out of your photography. Think about it.

Stuck in Paradise – David Middleton

David — Sun, 20 Mar 2011 17:43:02 +0000

It is hard to complain about being in Florida in March when the alternative is Vermont in March. Here it is 82 and bright sun and at home it is 42 and cloudy. And yet here I am just a wee bit grumpy that there is so little to do (I am not a lay-around beach person) and even less to photograph (I am definitely not a palm tree/beach sunset person). So what am I doing to amuse myself? You guessed it- taking pictures of palm tree/beach sunsets. The other part of my particular situation is that I am not in a very photogenic place- its pretty just not photogenic. So why am I here and not at some other place in Florida where there is lots to photograph? Because sometimes family responsibilities take you to places that you wouldn’t otherwise go and you have to make the best of it. Doesn’t mean you can’t be just a wee bit grumpy, it just means you have no other options. Yesterday I remembered that my sister wanted me to photograph sunsets and sunrises for a project she is working on so like the good brother that I am I dutifully went out late afternoon and this morning looking for pictures. With any landscape but particularly with sunsets and sunrises you need something other than a big orange ball in your picture. Some foreground would be nice, some pretty foreground would be even better. So last night I went searching for foreground and found nothing. There was beach, water, orange sun and fading blue water and by the time I got to the beach (family responsibilities again) the sun was mostly gone.

Desperation 1

What did I do? I did what any desperate photographer would do – I played. Playing means doing things just for the fun of it. It helps to have very low expectations. I find the lower your expectations the easier they are to achieve. So there I was sitting on the beach, sun almost gone trying to get something, anything. Getting nothing, it I struck me- shoot as slow as you can and zoom while you are shooting. This, by the way, is not something I have ever thought before but with family over my shoulder and some very nice New Zealand sauvignon blanc lubricating what was left of my brain (nothing was right) I tried it. 87 shots later I got one I liked. If you find the picture less than ideal I would suggest a very tall glass of properly chilled New Zealand sauvignon blanc, 2010. I suppose the lesson is: Why not? With digital there is no penalty for trying something, even if it is something that you are relatively sure is a strong sign of severe head trauma. And this is pretty close to how the picture came out, I didn’t screw around with it in my computer, I had screwed around with it enough in my camera. So the next time you are desperate or you want to get away from your family or you desperately want to get away from your family grab your camera and just start playing. Don’t think, don’t analyze just play, be random. 87 shots later you might get something.

Desperation 2

This morning I went out looking for someplace to try sunrise. As you can see I didn’t find a very good spot. I did find a spot I think might be better so we’ll have to see about that one tomorrow. If you find the picture less than ideal I would suggest a very tall properly chilled glass filled to the brim with a mimosa. Just to terrorize you all, I will keep posting my disappointing efforts. If I’m going to be a wee bit grumpy, you might as well be too!

Snow Leopard Winter Wildlife Photography Workshop

Jeff — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 11:44:40 +0000

I’ve been lucky to be able to photograph the Snow Leopard on several occasions, but this was the first time in deep snow. He is a majestic creature and so much more so in person and in the snow. You should come see for yourself! Get all of the details…HERE.

More Snow Leopard photography are on display and for sale in my wildlife photography portfolio…HERE.

Hopefully these will inspire you to join me next year!

[View with PicLens]

Lynx Gallery Winter Wildlife Photography Workshop

Jeff — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 12:34:41 +0000

This Eurasian Lynx is huge 65lbs or so and is in the prime of his life, very energetic and photogenic. He is great fun to photograph, but this winter in the snow he was a rock star! You can sign up for my next small group winter wildlife photography workshop…HERE.

You can see and order prints of these and the rest of my fox images…HERE.

I hope to see you on the next workshop. Enjoy!

[View with PicLens]

Arctic Fox Gallery Winter Wildlife Photography Workshop

Jeff — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 14:02:09 +0000

Arctic Fox are just gorgeous and this past workshop we had great snow which made the workshop tremendous. Having great subjects in a great environment…priceless! Actually it is far less than priceless and you can signup now for a space in my 2012 Winter Wildlife Photography Workshop…HERE.

You can see and order prints of these and the rest of my fox images…HERE.

I hope to see you on the next workshop. Enjoy!

[View with PicLens]

And Another Thing…

David — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 10:46:01 +0000

I am just about fed up with the out of control egos so common in with bird photographers. So here are some new rules: If you have to announce that you are the best bird photographer- you aren’t, you are a jerk. If you tell everyone how much money you made on a shot, you didn’t and you are a jerk. If you step in front of other photographers because you are more important, you are not and you are a jerk. If you brag to everyone where a photo is about to be published, it isn’t, it won’t be and you are a jerk. If you have to tell everyone who you are so they understand how famous you are, you’re not and you are a jerk. And finally, if you think you’re not a jerk but you act, look and sound like one, we all think you are. In other words, don’t be a jerk. Remember, if you have to blow your own horn it ain’t worth blowing. Period!

Broad-tailed Hummingbird- Jeff Wendorff

Do you want to know who I think is a great bird photographer? Glad you asked! Take a look at some of these photos by my good friend and fellow workshop teacher, Jeff Wendorff.

Painting bunting- Jeff Wendorff

Notice the tight compositions, the beautiful natural light (no flash here!), the magnificent background, the perfect poses, thecompelling perspectives. This is how I think birds should be photographed- straight up, no nonsense, little processing, beautifully, simply. Go to Jeff’s website to see more of his spectacular photography- www.jeffwendorff.com. He does mammals as well. So why did I bring up Jeff here and Brenda in my last post and Lisa before that? Because I know that there are photographers out there that photograph some things far better than I do and if I want to get better I should pay attention when they are taking pictures. I can’t always do as well as they are doing (okay, I have never done as well as they do) but I can still try. That’s how I get better. Imitation and persistence are great ways to learn. And if I get frustrated (okay, I get frustrated all the time), I just remind each one of them that I am the best! That always seem to make me feel better.

Merganser- Jeff Wendorff

Pacific Rim National Park Workshop

David — Sun, 06 Mar 2011 05:28:57 +0000

Black bear-Pacific Rim N.P.

I wanted to let everyone know that there are just a couple of spots left on my Pacific Rim National Park workshop in Tofino, Vancouver Island. It is a great workshop in perhaps the prettiest, most wild spot I have ever done a workshop. Some of the things we are going to see are magnificent tide pools, old-growth cedar trees 15′ across and black bears turning over shoreside rocks from less than 50′ away! The other big attraction to this workshop is my co-leader, Brenda Berry. Brenda is the nice, energetic, enthusiastic, fun version of me and she takes great shots as well. She is particularly adept at finding the ordinary scene and taking the extraordinary photo- for instance abstracts in harbors. I can’t do it and I have followed her around and watched what she shot and still have gotten nothing. I included some of her shots from years past for you to see what she likes to photograph.

Hull abstract

So for all of you that have learned to tolerate me, come to the Pacific Rim with us and hang out with Brenda. You’ll learn something, take some terrific photos and have a great time. I’ll try to stay out of the way as best I can. Go to my website and check under the workshop/schedule tab for more on the workshop and info to reserve your spot.

Hull Abstract 2

Shooting Like a Pro Class with David Middleton

David — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 19:34:20 +0000

mom and foal

My class on professional photography- Shooting Like a Pro- is officially being offered for June 19-25 this year. I have been delayed in making it official because I thought that I was going to do through the Santa Fe Workshops but that is no longer the case. The benefit is that I can offer it for less money-$1200, and further limit the maximum number of people (10) in the class- both good things for you the student! The workshop is my favorite class that I teach because there is a lot of student participation and involvement and it is great, supportive creative environment where each student gets lots of help developing their own path to follow. Plus it is taught right from my home and we will go to my favorite places (including the Bromley farm!) to photograph each afternoon.

little meadow road

If you are stuck taking the same old pictures and you want a new approach and way to look at yourphotography- if you want to feel excited and energized again about photographing- if you want to figure out how to photograph close to home and still get great shots and you want to be able to effectively share your images this is the workshop for you. There is a full description on my website if you want more info or you can just email me- dmidfoto@sover.net- with your questions. Come join us in Vermont and give a charge to your photography!