May 9, 2010
Bobcat on Ledges
StealthCam I590 digital infrared game camera
3 burst mode, 1 minute intervals
no flash
In Walden, Henry David Thoreau acknowledges that many a naturalist’s initial introduction to nature is by way of hunting and fishing:
“He goes thither at first as a hunter and fisher, until at last, if he has the seeds of a better life in him, he distinguishes his proper objects, as a poet or naturalist it may be, and leaves the gun and fish-pole behind.”
Indeed, my first forays into the woods were with a gun over my shoulder on my uncle Victor’s 400 acre farm in upstate New York. By the time I was 17 years old, I had shot my share of woodchuck, grouse, rabbit, and deer. And, growing up on the Great Lakes in the fifties and sixties, I’ve caught and eaten enough perch and walleye that, if you turn off the lights, what with the accumulated dioxins, PCBs, mercury, and who knows what else in me, I’m surprised I don’t glow in the dark.
Now, those who have known me long and well might argue a tad with Thoreau, if they could, about whether any better seeds ever sprouted within me, or that I’m even fertile ground for weeds. I’d suggest we leave that discussion for another forum and another day and for others who, admittedly, would be much more qualified than I to judge my virtues.
In the meantime, I’d like to explore the idea and particular application of the phrases “…he distinguishes his proper objects, as a poet or naturalist it may be…” by way of discussing a couple of topics I believe I’m qualified to write about with some semblance of credibility, namely, photography and hunting. Then, how one might combine the skills of a hunter and the abilities of an artist to produce exhibition-quality photos of relatively elusive wildlife, taken in the wild.
Read more…
Posted by Gustav under Cameras,Subject,Technique,Wildlife | Comments (8)
April 18, 2010
During the recent early spell of summer around the first week in April, I grabbed the opportunity to spend a couple of days with my cousin Harry in Buffalo. My friendship with Harry goes back to the summers of the 1960′s and early 70′s when he and I would hunt and fish and ride dirt bikes on my uncle’s farm in the Allegany Mountains of western New York.
Harry earned his pilot’s license shortly after returning safely from Vietnam where he spent two tours of duty as a helicopter gunner. He’s an avid and skilled pilot and owns a small Cherokee single engine plane. He frequently flies into the municipal airport here in Newport, Vermont and I’ll go and pick him up and we’ll pal around like we used to, going out in my canoe for the day and target shooting in the meadow behind my house.
As usual, when we’re together, he’ll take me up in his plane and very often, if the conditions are benign, he’ll let me fly it. However, the day after I arrived in Buffalo, I wasn’t interested in taking over the controls. I had come prepared to do something that I could only do with Harry’s help, something I had been wanting to do for some years but owing to the difficulty of coordinating my and Harry’s schedule with the weather, just hadn’t had the opportunity to do, and something that required my keeping my hands on the controls of my camera while Harry adeptly manages the controls of his plane. What I hoped to do during this visit with Harry was to photograph something that likely has been photographed more often than anything else in the world besides babies. I wanted to get a novel view of Niagara Falls from the air on a clear day.
Read more…
Posted by Gustav under Aerial Photography,Hot Shots,Technique | Comments (2)
October 13, 2009
G’day Everyone,
In last month’s blog, Rob explained his technique for photographing insects and other small wildlife without a tripod. Equipped with a macro lens, a strobe, and a diffuser, Rob enjoys (or so he claims) chasing his flighty subjects across the meadows and through the forests and wetlands hoping to creep up on them whenever they land, if they ever do. First, he has to find his subject. Then he as to keep up with it. If it lands, it may not land in an accessible location let alone a photogenic one that will enable him to create a pleasing composition. Even if he’s lucky and all this actually happens, he still has to hope that his photographic quarry allows him to get his lens within inches of it and keep the subject within the thumbnail-thin DOF long enough to get off a frame or two before he has to commence chasing it all over again. Whew!!! Asked why he does it, he says “It’s all about the thrill of the hunt.”
Let me tell you something about the so-called thrill of the hunt – it’s overratted. Ain’t what it’s cracked up to be. Me? I take a much more genteel approach to macro photography.
Cherry-faced Meadowhawk on Meadowsweet
Canon EOS 1-D Mark ll N
Nikon 200mm Micro Nikkor f/4 (with Canon/Nikon adaptor)
.4″ @ f/22, ISO 100
Gitzo GT3145LS tripod with Novoflex focusing rail
cable release and mirror lock-up
Read more…
Posted by Gustav under Fall,Macro,Seasons,Technique | Comments (0)
September 15, 2009
Hey all – Rob here…
Since starting photography in 2004, May to August have always been my most productive months. There are plenty of subjects to choose from: birds, amphibians, flowers, insects, landscapes… On weekends, I’d often head out before dawn to the Ile Bizard marsh to photograph birds, frogs, turtles, otters or other marsh residents. When I don’t feel like getting up before dawn, I’d set up for macro photography a little later in the morning.
This year? Man, oh man… May, June and July were cool, very wet and windy. Montreal had record amounts of rain in July (4.6 inches), with some rainfall on 26 days out of 31 days. You can forget about going to the Ile Bizard marsh for bird photography in these conditions, as it will be very quiet. And windy or very sunny conditions make traditional macro photography extremely difficult.
With changing weather patterns, bird photography has been getting inconsistent at the marsh. I cannot control this. But there are always insects to photograph, and these critters are what I turn to in order satisfy my need for photography. This summer, with either too much wind, rain, too much cloud, or (ironically) too much sun, even insects were hard to photograph.
How bad has it been? Well, excluding the images taken at the Green Mountain Workshop in June, my number of “keeper shots” from start of May to end of July was 19… Only 19!
Mating Japanese Beetles
Canon EOS 5D MkII
Sigma 150mm f/2.8 macro lens with Canon 500D diopter
Canon 550EX flash with Micro-Apollo diffuser
f/16, 1/100s, ISO 400
Hand-held
Read more…
Posted by Rob under Equipment,Flash,Lenses,Macro,Summer,Technique | Comments (10)
July 6, 2009
G’day Everyone,
For those of us sufficiently aged to remember the music of the seventies, you might recall the tongue-in-cheek song by Dr. Hook, “The Cover Of The Rolling Stone”. Whether you’re a “big rock singer with golden fingers” or a nature photographer with a keen eye, a cover shot, in particular, on a national publication, is about as good as it gets. You’d think, being a professional and all, getting one’s images published loses its allure after a while. Not for this pro. What with the competition these days, it’s more important than ever to stand out and there’s not much that spotlights one’s work better than a national cover. Well, ok, there’s winning the BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year Award and the Pulitzer Prize, but let’s keep it real.
My image, “Sunrise at Otter Rocks” (below), appears on the front cover of the current issue (Summer, 2009) of Nature Photographer magazine. I’m offering a signed 18″ x 24″ print, matted and framed in solid oak of the cover image, along with an autographed copy of the magazine with free shipping to all Sojourns In Nature subscribers for $195.00. Simply email me at gustav@sojournsinnature.com if you’re interested. You might also consider joining me in Maine on the Tom Jordan Memorial Boreal Coast Tour next summer. Who knows, if you stood right next to me….. 
Sunrise at Otter Rocks
Canon EOS 1-D Mark II N
Nikon 24mm f/1.2 with Canon-Nikon Adaptor Ring
f/22 @ 1.5″, +1 exposure compensation, ASA 100
Cokin -3 GND filter
Gitzo 2220 tripod with Manfrotto 3047 head
cable release, mirror lockup
Read more…
Posted by Gustav under Filters,Maine,Publications,Shows & Exhibits,Summer,Technique,Vermont,Workshops & Tours | Comments (5)
March 8, 2009
Hey all,
I’ve been thinking about what to write for the March blog entry. My initial thought was to write about winter photography. You know, as a counterpoint to Gustav’s Solstice 2008 entry, where the self-proclaimed “winter wimp” whines about the cold, dark days and freezing extremities… Use ‘em or lose ‘em, my friend! 
I’ve not abandoned that blog idea. I will eventually be writing about the joys of winter photography, and the gear and clothing I use to stay safe, comfortable and warm. However, with the Green Mountain Workshop being only 3 months away, I thought I’d use this space to make a shameless self-marketing plug.
Truth is, neither Gustav nor I are very adept at filling this workshop. This boggles my mind… but then, marketing just ain’t our thing, photography is. This workshop is probably the best “bang for the buck” nature photography workshop an aspiring nature photographer can take. Seriously… Why? Well, let me just tell you the ways! (Or ask one of the previous years’ participants.)
We do not have a specific agenda or time schedule – we go with the weather, the flow, and the requests of the participants. When weather cooperates, we maximize the time in the field for hands-on work. When rain hits, we’ll retreat indoors for work on digital workflow, image processing and photography theory. And with the purchase of a new large tent/greenhouse, we’ll able to shoot insects and plants without getting wet even if the rain does not let up!
Although I can’t tell you exactly what we’ll be doing in the 2009 version of the workshop, I can still tempt you by writing about some of the fun stuff we will do and learn. Take a look at my 2008 Green Mountain Workshop blog entry for a day-by-day account of the photo activities and wonderful meals we had last year.
Moss Glenn Falls – Granville, Vermont
Canon EOS 20D with Canon EF 17-40mm f/4 L USM lens at 31mm
1.3s at f/16, ISO 100
Singh-Ray Gold-n-Blue Polarizer
Gitzo G2220 tripod, Really Right Stuff BH-55 ballhead, cable release, mirror lock-up
Read more…
Posted by Rob under Spring,Technique,Vermont,Workshops & Tours | Comments (8)
January 2, 2009
Happy New Year to all!
Before getting to the “meat” of this article on using the Sing-Ray the Gold-N-Blue polarizer, let me give you a quick update on my new Canon EOS 5D MkII camera. I’m mid-way through my 2008 Holiday break – a full two weeks off work, and it feels great! I was supposed to be spending a lot of time outdoors, enjoying my new Canon EOS 5D MkII camera, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing…
Alas, the weather has been most uncooperative, with lots of rain and freezing rain over the beautiful snow, cloudy skies, very high winds (blowing at 100km/h as I’m writing this on December 28th, 2008), slippery and icy conditions, etc… [sigh]… I did go out a whole three times to enjoy my new camera, but 95% of the images I’ve taken with it so far were indoor “test” shots. I am absolutely thrilled with the image quality of this camera. The 5D MkII is everything I was hoping it would be, so let me share a couple of shots:
Snow Covered Trees in Winter
Canon EOS 5D MkII with Canon EF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM lens at 47mm
1/25s at f/14, ISO 100
B+W Polarizer
Gitzo G1340 tripod, Really Right Stuff BH-55 ballhead, cable release, mirror lock-up
Gryphon
Canon EOS 5D MkII with Canon EF 70-200mm f/4 L IS USM lens at 81mm
1/50s at f/5.6, ISO 1600(!)
Gitzo GT3541LS tripod, Really Right Stuff BH-55 ballhead
Read more…
Posted by Rob under Filters,L'Ile Bizard (Quebec),Technique,Vermont,Winter | Comments (8)
October 19, 2008
Johanne (my wife) and I decided to take our vacation 1 month later than usual, so that I could do some “fall colors” photography. My intention had been to join Gustav for a couple of days on his Fall Foliage Magical Mystery Tour, and I was really looking forward to shooting streams and waterfalls in autumnal colors. However, Gryphon, our 12 1/2 year old Labrador Retriever, no longer travels well and gets stressed when we leave him at my parents house for more than a few hours. Gryphon has given us a lifetime of love, devotion and loyalty, and the very least I can do for him is to make his life as happy and comfortable as possible. Which means staying at home…
I decided to stay in the Montreal area for my photography, and expected to do short “day trips” to various locations. Note to self: there’s no point in driving to a general location unless you really know the area well, or have a specific destination in mind… My first “day trip” to a beautiful area just west of Montreal ended up being nothing more than a pleasant 4 hour drive in the countryside. Not a single picture taken. Additionally, most areas just outside of Montreal peaked about 2 weeks early this year, and the trees were mostly bare by the start of my vacation, limiting my choice of destinations.
So, remembering Dorothy’s famous words: “There’s no place like home…” I decided to stick to nearby areas that I know soooo well. There are no “grand vistas” in the area, so my compositions would need to focus on shapes and patterns, small tree clusters, and colors. The key is to find clean, interesting compositions, simplifying the shot as much as possible to make it appealing.
Maple Trees in Fall Colors
Canon EOS 20D with Canon EF 70-200mm f/4 L USM IS lens at 168mm
1/30s at f/8, ISO 100
Hoya Moose Polarizer
Gitzo G2220 tripod, Really Right Stuff BH-55 ballhead, cable release, mirror lock-up
Read more…
Posted by Rob under Fall Foliage,Filters,L'Ile Bizard (Quebec),Technique | Comments (0)
October 6, 2008
G’day everyone,
A couple of frosty mornings in mid September, with temperatures in the low thirties, ignited the forests up here in northern Vermont about a week early this year. People remarked that the color appeared virtually overnight – like the flash of light from a bulb burning itself out, fall foliage was an explosive event. As I write this, wind and rain are already stripping the leaves off of the trees, wallpapering the roads with wet leaf litter and making them treacherous on the curves. Just down the muddy road from my house, sugar and red maple leaves cascade down Tamarack brook, bunching up in the deep pool below the falls where they swirl in the eddy, forming a vivid galaxy on the tea-colored water. Further south, colors are just beginning to peak. Good thing because the Fall Foliage Magical Mystery Tour begins Sunday. We’ll head toward the central part of the state where the colors aren’t running down the rivers just yet.
Autumn at Tamarack Brook
Canon EOS 1-D Mark II N, Canon EF 17-40mm f/4 L USM lens at 17mm
Moose 81A Polarizer
30 seconds at f/19, ISO 100
evaluative metering, aperture priority
Gitzo G2220 tripod, Bogen 3047 head, cable release
Read more…
Posted by Gustav under Cape Cod,Fall Foliage,Filters,Fine Art Prints,Shows & Exhibits,Technique | Comments (1)
June 15, 2008
I love this time of year for photography, particularly since developing a taste for macro and insect photography.
Canadian Tiger Swallowtail
Canon EOS 20D with Sigma 150mm f/2.8 lens
1/200s, f/8, ISO 200
Gitzo G2220 tripod, Really Right Stuff BH-55 ballhead, cable release
As you probably know, I’ve been doing photography for a little less than four years. Until last year, my main spring and summer subjects were birds. The problem, for me, with bird photography is that:
- You need to get up really early at this time of year in order to be in position before sunrise… The first two hours after sunrise are typically the most productive, and the light is gorgeous. At this time of year, the sun is up at 5:00AM, which means that, at the latest, I’d need to be up by 4:00AM. On a Saturday or Sunday. Yuck.
- Now, point 1 would not be so bad if I always came back with good shots – except that I’ve been finding that bird photography is less and less predictable, partially due to the changing weather patterns in the last few years. Last spring, I did that “get up early, and be at the marsh at sunrise” thing for four consecutive weekends, and the results were disappointing almost every time.
Read more…
Posted by Rob under L'Ile Bizard (Quebec),Lenses,Technique | Comments (1)
