Nature's Best Photography: Students

New Blog (Gabby)

2010-03-10T09:49:00.000-05:00

Hi Photographers and Readers -

We have just switched to a new blog - join us at www.naturesbeststudents.wordpress.com!!!

- Gabby

Some Interesting Websites (Connor Stefanison)

2010-03-06T02:59:00.002-05:00

Hey everyone,

I was shown the following websites by a friend at mine at my camera club. Both website authors are her friends. The sites have a lot to do with conservation on the north coast of BC, Canada. Theres also some excellent images to browse through too. Please have a look through and support their causes if you wish!

http://www.dougneasloss.com/index.html

http://pacificwild.org/

Thank you,

Connor Stefanison

http://connorstefanison.zenfolio.com/

Winter Beauty (Tyler)

2010-02-19T12:15:00.003-05:00

If you are a morning person, then you will be sure to recognize these wintery scenes. Waking up early one morning last week, I was excited to witness the uncommon hoar frost. Skipping my first class (for the sake of the future of photography of course), I headed out with camera in hand, hoping to capture the beauty before the sun melted it all away. I was very happy with the results. Enjoy!

$6,000 Sigma Scholarship for High School Seniors (DEADLINE: FEB 15) (Gabby)

2010-02-10T21:04:00.000-05:00

Deadline approaching for Sigma Corporation of America Scholarship entries

High school seniors pursuing photo-related careers can apply for scholarship through Feb. 15

Ronkonkoma, NY, Feb. 10, 2010 – Sigma Corporation of America (www.sigmaphoto.com), a leading researcher, developer, manufacturer and service provider of some of the world's most impressive lines of lenses, cameras and flashes, is accepting entries for the company’s first-ever scholarship contest through Feb. 15, 2010.

Applicants are invited to visit the Sigma Corporation of America Web site for more details and to complete an application form, which includes a brief essay and the submission of up to five thematically-tied photographs.

The Sigma Corporation of America Scholarship will award a cash gift of $5,000 and $1,000 in Sigma products to one talented high school senior to advance his or her education and goals toward obtaining a career in a photo-related field. Students pursuing higher education in industries such as photography, photojournalism, graphic arts and design, visual arts and art history are eligible to apply.

The entire package will be judged based on creativity of subject selection, overall technique and, most importantly, image quality. Students are not required to use Sigma equipment to shoot the photographs they submit.

Applications via the Sigma Corporation of America Web site at http://www.sigmaphoto.com/scholarship/. Once the submission process closes, the public will be invited to vote online for the top three students of their choice from Feb. 16, 2010 to April 23, 2010. Sigma Corporation of America executives will select a winner from the top three public vote-getters and announce the scholarship recipient on May 3, 2010.
For information about the Sigma Corporation of America Scholarship, eligibility, the application process, material submissions and a formal list of contest rules, visit http://www.sigmaphoto.com/scholarship/.

Footprints in the snow (Jodie Randall)

2010-02-08T11:06:00.004-05:00

European Blackbird

European rabbit footprints

I realize that I have been absent from this blog for a while now (my last post was in October 09), so my apologies. During the last few months I have been out in the field as much as possible, but I seem to have spent an awful lot more time than I'd have liked on the computer. Spending time outside surrounded by nature taking photographs is the fun part, while sitting in front of a computer screen for hours on end is something I find extremely tedious. Unfortunately in the digital age there cannot really be one without the other.

At the beginning of January the UK experienced freezing temperatures and heavy snowfall. For a couple of weeks I managed to go out shooting nearly every day, rising early in-order to be out before sunrise. The light was fantastic. The low winter sun peaked over the top of ominous-looking clouds of deep blue and gray illuminating the brilliant white landscape. Waking up and looking out of the window to discover such familiar surroundings completely transformed is something that I find just as thrilling now as I did when I was a small child. Instead of the chance to build snowmen, snow now brings the promise of beautiful light and hopefully some good images.

The surrounding landscape looked stunning. Personally, I have never possessed the eye of a landscape photographer, and deciding that I was unable to do it justice, I went searching for the smaller details instead. Walking through woodland and across many fields leaving a scattered trail of footprints behind me, I could not help being captivated by the tracks left by more graceful creatures than myself. Snaking their way across the landscape, criss-crossing and weaving in all directions were the numerous trails of red foxes interspersed with the distinctive patterns left behind by rabbits. I followed the tracks of squirrels and stoats and in patches where the snow lay less deep, birds such as woodpigeons, blackbirds and house sparrows filled the once blank canvas with hundreds of three-toed footprints.

Climbing over a style, I emerged into an open field surrounded by woodland. Two fox tracks led from opposite corners of the field, one to my left, and the other to my right. As I continued walking, I discovered the spot, marked by a light depression in the snow, where the two animals had met, and then continued on their way, each leaving the story of their meeting behind them.

Goodbye 7D, Hello 1Dmk3 (Connor Stefanison)

2010-02-04T21:07:00.006-05:00

Back in October I made a post about my newly purchased Canon 7D. With all the great features it had, I was super stoked to have gotten it. The 7D is one of the nicest cameras I've used. The video's great, buttons are big enough for gloves, quick AF, 100% vf, 8 fps! How could you go wrong?

The answer is SHARPNESS. (pretty much the most important thing).

Since I bought the camera I've been unable to get tack sharp shots. I always used a tripod, Canon L-lenses, high shutter speeds, "sharp" f-stops, and I tried multiple test shots on every AF microadjustment. It was getting pretty frustrating going on shoots and getting some of my best shots, but not being able to use them because the shots are so soft. All my shots on my website with the 7D may look somewhat sharp, but that's because they're over-sharpened.

I then googled some 7D reviews, and found that lots of people were finding the same thing.

I found this article by Darwin Wigget, http://darwinwiggett.wordpress.com/2009/11/11/the-canon-7d/. For those of you that don't know, Darwin isn't some random guy. He's quite an accomplished photographer, and even had one of his landscapes in last years Natures Best. After reading this review and agreeing with it completely (I too find that my canon rebel takes way sharper shots), I decided it was time to ditch the 7D. So I basically traded it for a Canon 1D mark 3 about a week ago.

The 1D is great, the low-res shots above are from my first shoot with it today at Burnaby Lake.

Now, some people do say they like their 7D bodies, so don't just take my word for it. Some may be good, but I believe that mine and the three that Darwin tested were either "duds' or whatever. Overall, the 7D is a fantastic camera, but a failure for image quality, (In my opinion). So if you're planning on buying one, I suggest trying it out first and seeing how the shots are before purchase.

Have a good one,

Connor Stefanison

http://connorstefanison.zenfolio.com/

Winter Color (Tyler)

2010-02-04T11:55:00.003-05:00

I made a short posting on my personal blog yesterday on the few photos I took using my Lensbaby (http://lensbaby.com/). I headed out the the local park called Wintergarden Park in Bowling Green, Ohio in hopes of capturing some color in the midst of this gray winter weather. Enjoy!

Cure for Cabin-Fever (Tyler)

2010-01-28T16:17:00.003-05:00

While the weather here in Ohio isn't the best hiking weather (at least not up in NW Ohio where the wind makes a walk outside painful) I decided to go to the Toledo Zoo two weeks ago to try my hand at aquarium photography. It was extremely peaceful as I was the only person in the aquarium although there were several challenges I had to overcome. One difficulty was to pay attention to the subject being photographed as well as keeping an eye on the reflections on the glass surface. Then I had to overcome the obstacle of photographing fast moving subjects in a low-light situation... nothing my Canon EOS 5D couldn't handle. Here's my favorite photograph taken in the aquarium. I am interested in the bubbles that seem to suspend the fish.

Getting Acquainted (Tyler)

2010-01-24T22:35:00.003-05:00

Hello Everybody!
I just thought since I was new to the Nature's Best Student blogger team that I would introduce myself. My name is Tyler Brown but I prefer to go by Tyler Benjamin (my middle name). I am 19 years old and have grown up in the "flat lands" of northwest Ohio. Even though most of this region is farmland, I have always had a passion to find nature. In fact my love for photography grew from my personal studies and field trips around the local preserves and parks searching for a glimpse of salamanders, deer, wild flowers, etc. After I began saving all my money for trips across the nation to see the most beautiful landscapes, I realized I had been given a gift. Through my camera lens I am able to bring an awareness to a world that many people only see on television. My hopes are that people will see my work and want to explore these natural environments themselves. If we really want to preserve these pristine places we must show the world why its worth saving. So that's a little of my personal philosophy that I am sure I share with many of you readers. I look forward to posting images and sharing stories from my adventures in the future with Nature's Best Photography: Students Blog!

Regards,

Tyler Benjamin

P.S.-The image of myself that I have included was taken two years ago at my favorite location in the entire world: Olympic National Park, Washington. I daydream to this day about the drenched Hoh Rain Forest and the sea-stacks that tower over the Pacific coastline.

Star Trails (Gabby Salazar)

2010-01-24T20:20:00.000-05:00

While in Africa, I spent a few nights playing with star trails. In the Hamakuya region, I was so far away from cities that the sky was filled with stars. I'd never played with star trails using digital and was curious to see how it turned out. The nice thing about digital is that it is easy to change ISO and to experiment with different settings in the field. It is difficult to make exposures without a lot of grain/noise. In order to do star trails with complete circles, I needed extra equipment. I only had cable release, so I was able to get bright pinpoints. I composed the image with a Venda hut in the foreground to show the setting and finally came up with this exposure - 30 seconds at f/9 at ISO 1250. Next time you are out at night, experiment with different exposures and ISOs to see what you can achieve. Use flashlights to paint foreground objects so you have a point of interest. In this case, the lights added definition to the house, but in other situations, you can paint plants, trees, or rocks with light.

More soon!

- Gabby

Literature for Photographers (Johan)

2010-01-20T22:53:00.000-05:00

"Christmas Cactus Flower"

Hi everyone! I hope you are all having a great and creative new year. There is lots of great literature available for photographers, so I decided to give you a rundown of my favorites.

First, of course, is NBP:Students.
Nature's Best Photography Magazine is the "parent" publication of NBP:Students, and it shows. NBP isn't the cheapest magazine available, but it has page after page of the most stunning nature photos imaginable. This is the one case where the bad logic of "it's too expensive, but it's worth it" is valid. :-) This is my favorite publication.
Another good magazine is Outdoor Photographer, featuring lots of how-to articles and gear guides. Of course, there is lots of great nature photography too.
The Arthur Morris Birds as Art email bulletins are free and packed with good information and stunning photos. Click on the link above to sign up.
Also free is the Ask Tim Grey (previously Digital Darkroom Questions/DDQ) e-newsletter.
Last but not least, "The Digital Photography Book" (vol. 1-3) by Scott Kelby. Although they are not nature-specific, they are the books to have, covering everything from landscapes and wildlife to studio lighting and weddings.

Enjoy reading! :-)

Starting 2010 With Success

2010-01-09T00:43:00.003-05:00

Hey everyone, happy new year to you all. I've been pretty slack on my postings lately, that's mostly due to school and lots of rain here in Vancouver. Anyways, I started the new year off pretty exciting photo-wise. A couple days ago my friend (www.jessfindlay.zenfolio.com) and I went out in search of an rare visitor to the Vancouver area. This visitor happens to be a Great Gray Owl (they only come here around every 5-6 years). Unfortunately, I had to leave just before dusk, and Jess stayed. The owl came out shortly after I left and Jess had a field day with the owl.

The next day we set out again. We arrived at the spot to find a handfull of "Big Lens" bird enthusiasts. Most of them we knew, so it was ok. But sometimes you have to be careful with how you approach owls if sensitive birders are around. Jess' dad had spotted the owl deep in the woods earlier. It was quite impressive he was able to find it. We waited until the sun went down, when it has usually been coming out. It finally flew out about 10 minutes past it's expected time. We were lucky it perched on a fairly decent spot. They're very tolerant of humans, so as long as you're respectful, it's very easy to get close. Shooting in the low-light conditions made tripods very necessary. I was typically on ISO 3200, F4.5, 1/160 sec, to give you an idea.

Shooting the great gray was one of the most memorable photo experiences of my life. These owls are like the wolves of the bird kingdom. Needless to say it was very majestic.

It's nice to start the new year off with such a fine photo experience.

Hope you all have a great new year of nature photography!

Connor Stefanison

http://connorstefanison.zenfolio.com/

Surprising Opportunities

2009-12-21T13:09:00.005-05:00

Your yard is filled with MANY amazing and surprising photo opportunities. Just recently, I was surprised by a herd of deer moving through my yard. I live in a suburban area, with enough development that I found their presence surprising. But I got my camera, put on the right lens, and rushed out. I placed myself right in their path and waited. I snapped pictures until a loud truck scared them off. I could have missed the deer had I not been paying attention. I'm glad I was because I got a few amazing moments with some very relaxed deer and some great pictures!

Holiday Specials from Hunt's Photo (Gabby)

2009-12-19T11:44:00.000-05:00

Hello All -

Check out the following specials from Hunt's Photo and Video for Christams and holiday gifts.

http://wbhunt.com/holidays/index.htm

Also, contact Gary Farber at digitalguygary@wbhunt.com with any special needs or requests for equipment. He'll be sure to help you!

- Gabby

NEW ISSUE (Gabby)

2009-12-15T00:28:00.000-05:00

Dear Readers -

The new issue of Nature's Best Photography Students is up online at http://www.naturesbeststudents.com/. Check it out! You can also enter our new online photo contest for FREE. Enter up to 20 images at www.naturesbeststudents.com/takeaction. More soon!

See below for a few new photos from South Africa!

- Gabby

Curing Photographer's Block (Johan)

2009-12-14T23:29:00.000-05:00

Sorry that I haven't posted lately, but I've had photographer's block for a while. :-( It seems that many of us suffer from this at one point or another, but here is a great article at LensRentals.com on how to break photographers block. And here are a few other tips to solve this disease.

Use the old trick of confining yourself to a 10x10 foot square for an hour.
Choose a project and try to make 50, 100, or more (set a goal) good photos of the subject you choose. For example, you could choose lighthouses, elk, spiders, etc. Be prepared to spend a lot of time on your project.
Some photographers start a "photo-a-day-for-a-year" blog. You can get started at Blogger.com

Anyway, have fun shooting!
--Johan

Awesome Camera Sales (Gabby)

2009-11-26T06:23:00.000-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving!
Gary Farber of Hunt's Photo has just sent over some Black Friday specials for Thanksgiving. Gary is one of our top supporters and I wanted to send along these deals. There are some incredible specials, so check it out for holiday shopping!

http://wbhunt.com/blackfriday

Best,
Gabby

Adventures in the Bush (Gabby)

2009-11-20T06:50:00.000-05:00

I have not written in a few weeks, because schoolwork has become both challenging and overwhelming. When we returned from the Western Cape almost two weeks ago we were greeted with independent projects, final exams, insect and plant collections, and final presentations. All of these projects have led to interesting discovery and some events that confirm the often used acronym TIA (This is Africa) to explain away odd and crazy things that happen everyday.

Our independent project consists of five days of field research, two days of planning, and four days of writing. I decided to work on a project dealing with fire in the savanna ecosystem because fire is one of the most important drivers of diversity in this part of the world. While I was not able to light fires, I was able to study the effects of variability in fire regime on structural and floristic diversity of savanna vegetation. The park currently works under the assumption that pyrodiversity begets biodiversity. Basically, a site which burns in regimented increments will be less diverse than a site that burns sporadically and goes for long periods without fire before burning again. This involved 16 100 x 50 m plots and identifying all the trees within them to species and size class. All in all, a group of five identified 5,547 trees in four days. I believe that I personally identified around 2,000 as I was in charge of identification instead of recording. This project, along with the plant collection that I am working has opened me up to the world of botany. While I have previously been ignorant of plants, I now find them fascinating and am considering graduate work in plant life history strategies and competition between species.

Now for the exciting part . . . on our third day in the field we went down a dirt road early in the morning and happened across an abandoned vehicle with the keys still in the ignition. There should not be any empty vehicles in Kruger unless they have research stickers on the side. People should not be out of their cars when lions are out and about. This struck our game guard, Stevie, as odd. He called in the license plate and we continued to our site. When we arrived at the site we heard noises after a few minutes and saw a lion close by that was stalking us. The lion was scared away although we stayed close together. Steve had a rifle, which made us all more comfortable, but we were still looking around for trees to climb at each turn. About 15 minutes later we heard more noises, which Stevie quickly identified as a black rhino. While white rhinos are dangerous, they can be thrown off your course easily. Black rhinos, on the other hand, are like homing pigeons. They lock on you and you are toast. So, we keep an eye out for the rhino as Stevie circles us with the gun and we continue identifying trees. Five minutes after that we see helicopters flying in to the place where the abandoned car was on the road. This struck a note, because while an abandoned cars are a bad sign, the calvary is not usually called in at once.

We survived the black rhino and made our way out to the road to find it swarming with police cars. Stevie drove up to inquire and heard the story in Tsonga, a native language. He laughed along with the police officers after hearing the story and we were confused as to what could be so funny. He translated the following story: the previous night the manager of one of the park picnic sites (who has the keys to the cash register) was kidnapped by two men who stole his car and drove to this spot to leave the car and cross the river to get out the park. The picnic manager was still missing and they were trying to find him. We were welcome to continue our research in the area, but could we please keep an eye out for a body. Stevie then proceeded to joke that his rifle would not hold up against the AK47s of the criminals. We worked on one more field site in the area, did not find a body, and emerged unscathed. It was by far the most exciting fieldwork I have done to date!

In other news, I have had two encounters with wild dogs and pups. They were both brief and it was too dark to get good images, but very neat! Moths and other insects are emerging and the sky is filled with winged termites at night. The bathrooms look like insect graveyards because they are attracted to the lights and meet their death in the night.

I have included an image of a moth that is vibrating its wings and a picture of a chameleon from the Western Cape.

More soon!

Gabby

Frogs (Gabby)

2009-11-17T04:45:00.000-05:00

The rains have started here and the frogs are popping up everywhere! I am in the middle of writing a long research paper and will send an update soon, for now here are some new pictures!

- Gabby

Fynbos and Fish Parasites

2009-11-05T12:25:00.000-05:00

We have been staying at De Hoop Nature Reserve for the past week for our last round of Faculty Field Projects (FFPs). De Hoop is in the Western Cape and about 5 hours from Cape Town. We are still in a fynbos habitat where proteas, ericas, and restios abound. Unfortunately, there is very little flowering at the moment, but the species that are flowering are quite spectacular.
For the FFPs, we worked on restoration ecology with Dr. Sue Milton and fish parasitology with two professors from University of Cape Town. The first project focused on the restoration of fynbos and karoo vegetation after alien species invasion. Fynbos is domianted by short shrubs and any trees in this environment are non-native. We looked at sites where non-native trees have been cleared to allow the regrowth of fynbos vegetation and how ant communities and soils differ between undisturbed sites and sites disturbed at different time intervals. My job was to take soil samples and test soil pH. This involved digging under leaf litter to characterize soils and evaluating the density of leaf litter.
For the other project, we went fishing! Using large and small nets we caught 20 indigenous fish and 20 non-native fish. Using a dissection kit and microscopes, we looked on the outside and inside of the fish for different species of parasites. Sometimes parasites can only be seen with a microscope and sometimes large colonies of worms spilled out of organs as we sliced into the fish. One of the more amusing moments came when we caught a few extra fish for dinner on the first day before we proceeded to dissect the fish. After seeing the parasites, most of the students requested a vegetarian dish.
I have been hiking each day across the mountains behind the environmental center where we are staying. There is a colony of Cape vultures that nests on the cliffs and while they are not easy to photograph I can make them out with my binoculars. There are also a number of neat lizard species here with brilliantly colored bellies that they flash during mating displays.
Yesterday we had our day off and ventured to Cape Agulhas, the southermost point of Africa. We climbed out onto the rocks and explored for a few minutes before climbing back into the car and visiting the beach. Tomorrow we return to Cape Town and from there will fly to Johannesburg for the last leg of our trip. Kruger will be green when we return and will be dramatically different from the park that we left. I am looking forward to getting back and seeing all of the baby animals that should arrive as spring progresses.
More soon!
Gabby

The landscape images are from Cape Point and the second image of ostriches is from the ostrich farms surrounding De Hoop.

Veolia Environnement Wildlife POTY (Johan)

2009-10-26T21:44:00.001-04:00

A few days ago, the Veolia Environnement Wildlife Photographer of the Year contest results were announced. This is one of the largest nature photography contests in the world. In the past it's been known as the BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year, the Shell Wildlife Photographer of the Year, and maybe also other names. I think it may have to do with who is sponsoring the competition. Anyway, the images are astounding. Click here to see the youth awards. I hope you'll be inspired to give winning it your best shot--no pun intended. :-)
Johan

Desmond Tutu and Other Events

2009-10-25T11:35:00.001-04:00

I am in Capetown, South Africa at the moment sitting in a café in Long Street, a hip artsy street in this beautiful city. If any of you (or your parents) are thinking of retiring, you should forget Florida and move here. The dollar is strong here and the oceanfront views are stunning. The Western Cape gets more rain than most of South Africa and there are lush landscapes and mountains that sit right against the beach. It is the first city I have visited where I might be able to settle down. Other cities make me want to return to the bush after a few days.
On Tuesday we spent the morning shopping for Christmas presents and the afternoon at Camps Bay on a beach below Table Mountain. We had a picnic in the afternoon and I walked up and down the beach watching sufers swimmers. Wedensday I went to Kirstenbosch gardens. The botancial gardens are situated below Table Mountain and offer extensive displays of proteas, restios, and ericas, all plant groups that are highly diverse in the fynbos and succulent karoo regions of South Africa. I walked around for seven hours and returned to the city center at night for some jazz.
Tomorrow we head off to Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for over 25 years, and will spend the evening touring the District 6 museum. After than we head out to De Hoop nature reserve, which is in the fynbos, a floral region specific to South Africa. I’ll be in De Hoop for a week and then back to Kruger.

Before arriving in Capetown, I spent two days in Pretoria and Johannesburg. We visited the Apartheid museum and the Hector Peiterson Museum. The Apartheid Museum was difficult to handle, but incredibly well done and effective. Each time I reflect on Apartheid I am amazed that it has been so short a time since it was broken apart in this country. The resilience of South Africa is incredible overall. To see multi-racial ads in every magazine and billboard and couples holding hands is a far cry from segregated bathrooms and buses 15 years ago.

On Friday I attended a mass that was led by Desmond Tutu (Archbishop and former Nobel Peace Prize Winner). We heard about it from a man on the metro and showed up an hour early to make sure we had seats. The chapel was empty. Confused and discouraged we left, but asked a priest on the way out about the mass. He said to return at 7:15am. We came back and found a small congregation in a side chapel. Sure enough, Desmond Tutu was presiding (and gave a lovely mass), but it turns out that we crashed a christening of two babies. We were welcomed by the mothers, shook hands with Desmond Tutu, and overall had a wonderful morning.

For any of you that are interested, I highly recommend the books “Cry the Beloved Country” by Alan Paton and “The Bang-Bang Club”by Greg Marinovich and Jao Silva. The first is a novel about Apartheid and the second is a book about the press photographers who shot violence during Apartheid. It is a must-read for every photographer.

I am having some problems with Photoshop at the moment and am unable to edit my new pictures, so here is a shot from my time in Kruger right before I left for Capetown.

More soon!

- Gabby

Wasp spiders (Jodie Randall)

2009-10-17T11:34:00.004-04:00

Wasp spiders (Argiope bruennichi) were first recorded in Britain in the early 1920s. Today the spider's range has expanded and they can now be found all along the South coast of England. They are rapidly moving inland, having already colonised London and are spreading further North.

The spiders mature into adults in late Summer. At this time the females build their webs. The female spiders exhibit bold black and yellow stripes, but despite their striking appearance the are not venemous to humans. The body of the female can measure up to 2cm in length, while the male is much smaller at only 0.5cm.

This year I was lucky enough to discover a terrific location teeming with wasp spiders. Searching the fields and banks at my riverside spot, the tall rippling grasses mimicked the river's crashing waves in the fierce coastal wind. The black and gold bodies of the wasp spiders swayed violently backwards and forwards on their webs and I found myself wondering if they felt at all sea sick.

One spider became a victim of the strong wind as her delicate web, built among the tendrils of a blackberry bush, broke. I watched in admiration as despite the conditions she began to rebuild her intricate web all over again.
www.jodierandall.co.uk

That's A First (Connor Stefanison)

2009-10-17T03:03:00.004-04:00

Here's a funny little story (funny to me at least) that happened to me the other day. I was at Burnaby Lake, taking pictures of whatever birds I could find. I noticed some Long-Billed Dowitchers out in the water, and couldnt get close enough to them by just being on the boardwalk. I decided to take it to the next level and walk into the water to get closer to the birds. So I walked into the lake, slowly approaching the Dowitchers. I got fairly close to them, and started shooting. A couple of moments into the shoot, my cell phone rang. The call was from a private number. I answered with a friendly "Hello", and was replied to with fake fart noises. It was two girls from what I could hear by their laughter in the background. They continued to make fart noises, until i said "this is funny cause I'm in the middle of Burnaby Lake taking shots of birds". The two girls started laughing very hard and hung up. Being very close to these birds, I tried not to spook them with my laughter, and only succeeded for a bit. Luckily I was able to come out with a few decent shots.

I thought this was a pretty funny moment for the usual stealthy art of wildlife photography. There's a first for everything I guess.

The above shot was taken right after the phone call, before I spooked the birds.

Connor Stefanison

A fun exercise (Nathanael Gass)

2009-10-15T21:56:00.002-04:00

If you find that you are getting tired of the subjects in your yard, here is a great exercise to try: Find a subject. Any one will do. A flower, a leaf, anything that isn't going to run away and has good light. Get a timer and set it for at least 10 minutes. Challenge yourself to shoot one shot every minute. Make each one totally different from the last, and make it the best you can. If you have trouble, set the timer for 20 or 30 minutes and try to take one shot every 2 or 3 minutes, respectively. If you are feeling really ambitious, try this for a whole hour, taking one shot every 5 minutes. There is always a shot, always. It's just a matter of finding it.

Leopards! (Gabby)

2009-10-10T05:51:00.001-04:00

This morning I went out at dawn for a game drive and was upset that it was overcast and cloudy. We drove around for one hour and saw our first black rhino (they are quite rare in the park). Already a lucky morning, we relaxed as we were driving back to camp. Ahead in the distance we saw one little car pulled over and suddenly we saw a leopard stalk across the road. Leopards are common in this area of Kruger, but still very difficult to see. As we approached we saw that there were two leopards! As solitary creatures, most leopards travel alone, so I assume that these were younger leopards. We waited as they approached the road and I was able to make a few quick shots. Mostly I was just amazed by the sheer beauty and strength. Image stabilization came in handy!

- Gabby

New Canon 7D (Connor Stefanison)

2009-10-07T13:13:00.004-04:00

A week ago I went to a special Canon 7D product launch, here in Vancouver. Most of you have probably read a thing or two about this hot new camera. I was luckily able to purchase a 7D body at this event, and have so far been very impressed with the camera. Some of the features on the 7D include:

18 megapixels

Dual Digic 4 processors

new 3' LCD screen

Live view/Full HD video

8 Frames per second

100% viewfinder

wireless flash capabilities

new wider on board flash

capable of exposing to +-8 stops

The battery is also very long lasting

To name a few...

Last year when people bought the 50D, they complained about unsharp pictures. They soon found out they had to adjust the camera to their lenses. I found that with a 500mm F4 the camera took some time to adjust, and with smaller lenses (24-105, 70-200) the images were pretty sharp out of the box. I've only photographed a football game, and some ducks so far, and i've been very impressed with the 7D.

The image above was taken at Burnaby Lake, and the subject is a male wood duck.

(www.connorstefanison.zenfolio.com)

Think Outside the Box! (Johan)

2009-10-06T22:34:00.000-04:00

A few days ago, I was out taking pictures trying to make something interesting. So...

This was shot right after it quit raining; the out-of-focus highlights are raindrops on a plexiglas windshield I was shooting through. I used a Canon 50/1.8 lens. Compare to the following photo, taken shortly before with the same lens:

Also, I have a personal blog (www.ShutterbugJohan.blogspot.com) which I update more frequently than this one, and in addition to my nature photos, it also has some portraits and wedding photos. So feel free to stop by and let me know what you think!

Elephants Playing (Gabby)

2009-10-03T11:10:00.000-04:00

Two days ago I spent the entire day at a watering hole waiting for animals to come in to see how the prescence of elephants affects feeding habits of other animals. I'm in the middle of exams at the moment so can't write much, but check out these images of two male elephants wrestling in the watering hole at midday. It was incredible - they spent an hour rolling over each other and swimming.

Yesterday I helped with a rhino autopsy and got to watch the entire process of gutting a rhino from start to finish! I'll put pictures up soon. My website http://www.gabbysalazar.com/ has been updated with new pics from South Africa (see the new gallery).

- Gabby

Kruger National Park (Gabby Salazar)

2009-09-27T05:25:00.000-04:00

I have been in South Africa for one month and have finally arrived in Kruger National Park. We are staying in one of the staff camps towards the middle of the camp and are required to walk in groups of three because of leopards and lions. There have been two people killed by leopards in this camp in the last 5 years. Yesterday we drove from Hamakuya to the camp through the park. It was essentially a 10 hour game drive. We saw white rhinos, a monitor lizard, hippos, crocodiles, and many species of ungulates. As I am the only photographer, my shots have to be quick and steady as we only pause for a few quick seconds at each stop. We are not allowed to get out of the car and walk in the park without a game guard so most of my photography is confined to a car or game drive vehicle. When we do walk outside we have to do so under the supervision of a guard with a loaded rifle.

The park is very dry at the moment and the first rains should start any day. The rains will bring grasses and baby animals. Yesterday we saw a few baby elephants and young zebra. I am hoping to witness a birth during my time here.

After over a week in the village, the tourist camp is overwhelming. We have not been to a store beyond gas stations in over four weeks. The prospect of ice cream whenever I want it is fantastic.

Tomorrow we start a project on elephants with a professor from Johannesburg. We will be studying elephant age distributions within the park. Elephants are a major point of controversey within the park and South Africa in general. They have very few natural predators so their populations are not controlled. Culling is one option that has been explored in the past but there are many people who are against controlling the population in this way. If there are two many elephants, some scientists believe that there are negative effects on biodiversity and on tree populations within the park. Elephants strip trees of bark and they often push over large trees. Their motivations are unknown.

I will send more updates as research continues. For now I need to finish my project on mopane worm pupae (the pupae of the Emperor Moth). The worm is a common food source here in South Africa and we measured density and distribution within red Kalahari sands. Interestingly, we found a very low density and high mortality among the pupae we found. Further research is necessary to determine natural population levels so that sustainable harvesting levels can be determined. The worms are harvested before the adult moth stage when sexual reproduction takes place so overharvesting could devestate populations. This is just one of the many species about which little is known.

The top image is of a monitor lizard in Kruger National Park.

The next image is a little bee eater.

Venda Village (Gabby)

2009-09-27T05:11:00.001-04:00

I am staying in the village of Hamakuya. It is a Venda village in the northeast of South Africa. Venda is one of the many black ethnic groups of South Africa.

I am writing to express how much I have been affected by my stay. Despite my travels to 15 countries, many of which are impoverished, I have never before experienced this level of feeling for the people I have met. I stayed in the home of one Venda family for two nights and am now staying at a camp about 30 minutes from the village center and visiting the village to do research.

Many famillies here live on less than $150 per month and the average family size is 6 people. A middle to upper class family lives on $450 per month for 6 – 8 people. Keep in mind that most items here cost similar amounts to what we pay in the United States. People here are very dependent on natural resources to make ends meet and spend much of their days collecting firewood, edible plants, and water. Everyone still cooks over a fire.

How do I describe this experince? I sat on the dirt floor of a kitchen with a 60 year old matriarch teaching me how to grind peanuts and cook grits. She brought tea to my room and got down on her knees at the doorstep and bowed her head flat to the ground as a sign of respect. I met a woman named Grace who is my age and has a 5-year old child and a husband. She is studying English all the time because she wants to get a job to provide an education for her daughter. I spent time with a boy named Pardon who is 14 and wants to be an engineer – he asked me if the world had only one sun and one moon and yet he speaks English almost fluently and can already build fully working models of play cars out of scraps from the junkyard. These people do not beg .They are proud and independent. They are not starving, although they are malnourished. There is hope here.

After staying with a family and spending time with many of the children, I have decided to help. An ethnomusicologist named Lara Allen has given up her job to start a non-profit here to bring jobs into the area. One of the main problems is the lack of jobs.

What has affected me the most is the number of highly intelligent children who are motivated to suceed. Despite the poor school system, many of them are just grappling for books and English reading material. Sadly, even if they get top marks, they are unlikely to ever get past high school because of financial limitations and because the education system here does not prepare students to compete with kids at top high schools. My educaiton has been such a gift and it is the least I can do to help other kids get even a basic secondary education.

More soon!
Gabby

3rd Post from Africa

2009-09-16T12:38:00.000-04:00

Photography has taken a backseat to academics in the last few days as we have commenced our first Faculty Field Projects (FFPS). To provide a bit of background, I am spending my last semester of college in South Afica particpating in a field studies program. It is a hands-on biology/ecology program conducted in Kruger National Park and other reserves and parks throughout South Africa.
We are currently working in an arid savanna ecosystem. Winter has just ended here and it is chilly at night but up to 90 degrees Farenheit in the day. My project focuses on mopane worm pupae abundance. Mopane worms are worms that primarily feed on the tree Colophospermum mopane and they are also quite tasty. The Venda communities in South Africa along with other cultural groups use the Mopane worm as a source of protein. The worms are harvested in the spring and summer but very little is known about their biology and how harvesting affects their distribution. We are basically digging holes at the base of mopane trees to check the distribution and abudance of pupae. This turns out to be back-breaking work in the hot South African sun. We dug 10 holes this morning about 1 meter long x 70 cm wide x 40 cm deep.
The nice thing about doing field work is that I can pull out my camera on the way to our work sites and our drivers are very nice about stopping as oryx, giraffe, and zebra run across the road or pause to watch our vehicle. This image of klip springer (I need to check that spelling) was taken on the way to a site).
I will write more soon and I do have email access, so feel free to email with any magazine related questions or photography questions – gabby@naturesbestphotography.com.
Best,
Gabby

Winter in South Africa

2009-09-11T03:02:00.000-04:00

Hello all -

These are from the place I am currently staying. Just a taste of South Africa. It is winter here but 80 degrees. Class starts at 7:30 am and we are working on field projects including lizard behavioral studies and savanna fire ecology. So, I am in the field 7 hours per day but as a scientist and not a photographer. We do take game drives every few days and most of my images are taken during those times. The dust is overwhelming here and a real challenge to the cameras.

I will send more soon!

Gabby

Free Software (Johan)

2009-09-10T20:53:00.003-04:00

In the world of photography, where everything seems to be expensive, it is always nice to find free software. Here are some that may be of interest to those of us who are on a budget. :-)

GIMP (www.gimp.org) is a free photoshop-type program.
Paint.net (www.paint.net) is another free photoshop-type program.
Photomatix Pro (www.hdrsoft.com) is an advanced HDR program. The trial never expires and is fully functional, but puts watermarks on images made with certain options. (Note: It has several options. Not all put a watermark on the resulting HDR photo.) A freeware version (also with limited options) is also available.
Picasa (www.picasa.google.com) is a free photo organizing program from Google.
AndreaMosaic (www.andreaplanet.com/andreamosaic/) is a free photo-mosaic program.
VSO Resizer (www.vso-software.fr/products/image_resizer/) is a free photo resizer.
Digital Image Mover (DIM) (www.alanlight.com/dim/Dim.htm) copies and renames photos from your memory card.
Mozilla Firefox (www.mozilla.com/firefox) is a fast, free web browser.

Paint.NET

Photomatix Pro

Picasa 3

I took the photo at the top of this post and the photos in the screenshots on Monday when I climbed the South Sister mountain in Oregon (11.5 mile round-trip hike, 5,000 foot elevation gain). I carried a Canon EOS 10D, Canon EF 16-35/2.8L USM, and Hoya Polarizing filter.

Note: This is not an exhaustive list of free software. Also, I have not used all of these programs. Use at your own risk.

Using a Blind And Perch (Connor Stefanison)

2009-09-08T23:42:00.005-04:00

I'm sure a few of you have tried using a blind and perch setup for wildlife images. If not, it's something to think about for the future. You can build your own blind, or buy one. The easiest way to buy a blind is usually from a hunting store. Basically you want something that will hide you from your subject.

For the best results, an interesting looking perch is key. A dead stick is usually not very pleasing. An interesting plant, or moss covered branch are usually fairly nice perches. Also, setting up your perch in a vertical, diagonal, or wavy position is more pleasing to the eye than a horizontal perch.

Many photographs you will see of a "perfect perch and background" are usually set-ups. Putting a bird feeder on the ground, or food on the unvisible side of a perch are some ways to attract your subjects. The idea is to make your image look as natural as possible. One thing to look out for is if your perch matches the subject's environment. For example, it may not be the most "natural" idea to have a tropical plant as a perch for a bird found in the pacific northwest. Using a distant background is also a good idea since you will get a blured background so the focus of the image is on the subject.

For the image above, I used a blind from a hunting store, and put some peanut butter on the back of the perch. For the perch, I just used a branch extending off a dead log.

http://connorstefanison.zenfolio.com/p289034463/h11fb11bb#h11fb11bb There's a link to the picture for a larger view.

Thanks for reading

Live interview on Lensflare35 with Gabby

2009-09-03T17:45:00.000-04:00

I just want to give everyone a "heads up" on my interview with Lensflare35. It was posted yesterday. You can go to the following link and hear the interview. It is about 30 minutes long, so you can clean your camera and lenses while you are listening. Go to the bottom of the page and click on the Play button.
http://www.lensflare35.com/

Having fun in Africa
Gabby

Beginning My African Adventure

2009-08-31T17:14:00.000-04:00

Dear readers -

I am in South Africa right now in Nylvleys Reserve. I have been here one week so far and am studying savanna ecology. This morning we went on a game drive at 5:30 am and saw a zebra and ostrich. This reserve is a nice place to visit first because I am able to explore on foot. There are no predators here so it is safe. Between lectures I dash into the field with my camera.

I will write as I have reception. I hope you have all looked at the new online issue. I have already sent emails to semi-finalists in our most recent photo contest. I will notify finalists at the end of September and will do my best to provide feedback to other entrants.

Keep in touch!
Gabby

Pattern, Shape and Colour (Jodie Randall)

2009-08-26T13:02:00.006-04:00

www.jodierandall.co.uk

When looking at the work of other photographers I often find that the simplest images are the most striking. Employing clever use of colour, texture, pattern and shape a photographer has the ability to create an image of great impact.
This is something that is always at the forefront of my mind when I take my own photographs. Working with complementary colours (red/green, blue/orange and yellow/purple) and bold combinations such as black and white can be very effective. I find that using one main block colour also works well, especially when illustrating how a creature can blend into its habitat as in the image above.

The Art Of Getting Close (Connor Stefanison)

2009-08-24T02:55:00.003-04:00

I'm sure all wildlife photographers have had at least one occasion where they've been close to a cool creature, and it fled the scene. This has happened to myself on many occasions, and it's rather annoying. No matter how slow and steady I would walk up to some animals, they would sometimes take off. A recent technique I've been using is to not let the animal see my face. Animals react more to seeing a face than a body. It may look silly, but walking up slowly to animals with your head down, and sometimes even acting like the animals can get you very close.

The image above is of a Lesser Yellowlegs eating a dragonfly. This image was taken near Chetwynd, British Columbia, Canada. I was able to get within 15 feet of this bird by using these techniques. I could have gotten closer, but wanted the whole bird in the frame.

So next time you're out photographing wildlife, give this technique a try if you haven't already.

Happy Shooting,

Connor Stefanison

Black and White Photography (Nathanael Gass)

2009-08-23T15:56:00.005-04:00

If you are feeling a little bored with the subjects in your backyard, try shooting in black and white. With black and white, you can change the world from a chaos of colors to just 2. This is a great benefit, cleaning up busy backgrounds easily, and providing new challenges. It allows you to see often photographed subjects in a whole new light, which can really help creativity flow. Here is a before and after shot from my backyard.

Wildlife Safari (Johan)

2009-08-19T12:25:00.001-04:00

Finally! My long-promised Wildlife Safari post! :-) Back in April, my family was able to go to the Wildlife Safari in Winston, OR. Kind of like a drive-through zoo, most of the herbivores are in pastures instead of cages. The carnivores are in a type of free-range cage. All the animals can be photographed easily from a car (you are only allowed out of the vehicle on special guided tours). I took about 600-700 pictures in 1.5 hours! Here are a few of them.

National Wildlife Refuges (Gabby)

2009-08-11T13:47:00.004-04:00

Hi All -

I just wanted to share my recent discovery about National Wildlife Refuges. I have been writing a column for the National Wildlife Refuge System on tips for young photographers. The NWR website has a great map that I wanted to share with you - if you visit http://www.fws.gov/refuges/ there is a map of all the refuges by state and you can even put in your zip code and find refuges near you.

Check it out!

For now, here is an image I took at a refuge. The orchids were photographed at the Florida Panther NWR.

More soon!

- Gabby

Local Nuggets (Connor Stefanison)

2009-08-06T04:09:00.000-04:00

Hi everyone,
have you found that there are few nature photo opportunities in your area? If you live in an urban environment, this could be true. I live in Vancouver BC, Canada. Vancouver is a very busy city. As I finish my first year of photography right now, I reflect on the areas I've photographed. Of all the areas I photographed, Burnaby Lake has to be one of my favorites. Burnaby Lake is a marshy lake right in the middle of a big city, and it's only a short drive from my home. I have captured some of my best nature images, basically right in the heart of Vancouver. By finding a clump of nature in your city, I'm sure you will find a new love for your area, and a new appreciation for urban nature. These locations offer close to home shooting, that is usually safe and convenient.
To view some of my images from Burnaby Lake, check out my site :http://connorstefanison.zenfolio.com/ and check out my waterfowl album, to view some examples of what a big city has to offer.

Happy Shooting,
Connor

Ps. This image is of a female Wood Duck in a tree. This perch is one of the best kept secrets in the area!

French TV on Children and Animals

2009-08-04T11:28:00.002-04:00

Hi Photographers -

I just spoke with a French journalist named Catherine Sebag who is working on a series for TV on the connection between animals and children. She is looking for stories that follow a relationshp between kids that are 6-16 years old and a particular animals or group of animals. The animals could be wild or rehabilitated. If any of you photographers have such a story or know of such a story, you can email Ms. Sebag at catsebag@maijuin.com.

- Gabby

What is this? (Gabby)

2009-08-02T18:38:00.006-04:00

Recently I've been working on developing a series of images of subjects little known and photographed in such a way as to raise questions about what they are. I stumble upon most of these subjects simply by looking. In Peru I found this insect, a moth in fact, that hangs upsidedown in order to confuse predators. The first image shows the moth as I saw it while standing and how many predators would see it. The second image shows the moth from the side and you can see the wings.

- Gabby

A Third World Diary (Nathanael Gass)

2009-07-30T16:43:00.002-04:00

One of the other NANPA students that I learned with is in Africa right now, doing some work with ex-child soldiers. He's a great guy who is very mature for his age, and is really passionate about using photography to help conditions in third world countries improve. I know that he will one day be working with National Geographic to help these places through photojournalism. He's not just a great photographer, he's a great person. It would mean a lot to me if you could please support his efforts by visiting his blog: http://tylercacek.blogspot.com/

Thank you.

Call For Stories (Gabby)

2009-07-27T11:13:00.004-04:00

Hello Photographers -

I am currently gathering materials for the spring and summer issue of next year and am looking for articles on the following topics:

- Photoshop (Elements or full) tips

- Full Feature Stories - locations, adventures, your home state, etc

- Shooting on National Wildlife Refuges

- Tips and Tricks

Please email me if you have any ideas or suggestions or if you'd like to work on one of the features listed above - gabby@naturesbestphotography.com.

Also, ENTER OUR PHOTO CONTEST (www.naturesbeststudents.com/takeaction) - the deadline is August 15th and we don't have that many entries yet. The grand prize winner will receive a Sigma Lens of their choice (up to $600).

Best,

Gabby

P.S. The image included in this email was taken in Peru from a 180 foot canopy tower.

National Geographic Glimpse Writers (Gabby)

2009-07-25T09:14:00.003-04:00

Hi Readers -

National Geographic released a new magazine about experiences abroad called Glimpse. They have a great opportunity for young travelers who are spending more than three months abroad (perhas on a school program) and are between 18 and 30 years of age. You can become a correspondent for their website and you receive $600. Check it out: http://glimpse.org/stories/share/.

More soon!

- Gabby

Home and Editing (Gabby)

2009-07-21T18:57:00.003-04:00

I'm finally back in North Carolina after a few more days of travel and some visits in the DC area. I am making the switch to Mac this week after spending my whole life as a PC user. It's time because I need the speed for video editing and I am excited for the MacBook Pro.

I have posted some new images on my website http://www.gabbysalazar.com/ under NEW galleries. For now, here is an image of one of the many orchid species inhabiting the cloud forest. The first two weeks of my trip were spent at this site and I did not have Internet to share images with.

Best,
Gabby Salazar

Summer insects (Jodie Randall)

2009-07-19T14:20:00.006-04:00

Hot, hazy days in the middle of summer always bring an abundance of butterflies and dragonflies and an enthralling assortment of bugs and beetles.

During the summer months the light can be quite harsh, so rising early and being out in the field at dawn produces the best results. At this time of day, not only is the light softer, but most insects are just waking up, proving much easier to approach.

Arriving at one of my favourite locations on a still, dew-covered morning a couple of weeks ago, I began my search for damselflies and dragonflies resting in the long grasses.

Just as I had hoped, four or five bejewelled common damselflies clung to the blades of a tuft of grass - perfectly still. As I took my photographs the sun rose steadily higher in the sky warming the damselflies, some of which began to vibrate their wings sending a flurry of dew falling to the ground.

As the day heated up I moved deeper into the scrubland in search of bugs, beetles, grasshoppers and crickets. Somewhere from a near-by lake I could hear the honking voices of geese, just audible over the din of the grasshoppers around me. I find that concentrating on a very small patch around a square metre in size is the best way to find insects. The more you look, the more you see.

Tips: A small reflector can prove an invaluable tool when photographing insects. I use a home-made reflector, made from a strong sheet of card and a warm gold paper.
Reflectors can be purchased from most photographic stores and are inexpensive. If you do decide to make your own reflector, make sure you crumple the paper well before fixing it to your base so that the light will be reflected evenly.

Machu Picchu (Gabby)

2009-07-16T19:48:00.004-04:00

I had to visit Machu Picchu while in Peru and especially while staying in Cusco which is a mere three hours from the "Lost City of the Incas." While I usually avoid tourist locations, this particular draw warranted a visit and it was actually full of suprises. The town outside of Machu Picchu is full of pizza joints and souvenir shops, but if you take just a 5 minute hike outside of the town there is an abundance of montane cloud forest. The area adjacent to the historical sanctuary is thankfully forested and I enjoyed a very successful afternoon of birding on the first day. I saw a female cock-of-the-rock and a number of stunning tanager species.

As for Machu Picchu, we woke up at 4:30am to stand in line for the 5:30am bus which was incredibly crowded. In order to hike up Wayna Picchu for the classic view from above you have to be one of the first 400 visitors in a day. When we arrived at the site they took our tripod because it was "dangerous" and held it for our visit. So, we hiked in to a mist covered stone city without a tripod. While at first annoyed it turned out to be okay because we hiked a very steep mountain to reach the stop of Wayna Picchu. The view was breathtaking and the stonework amazing. While I did take some "typical" shots of the site, I ended up with two I really like - one of the landscape including the peak where Wayna Picchu is located and one of the mountain viscacha hanging out in the ruins.

More soon!

- Gabby

Macro Workshop & Updates (Johan)

2009-07-15T23:15:00.000-04:00

Recently I attended a macro photography class at a tulip farm. Never in my life have I seen so many macro lenses--mostly the 100/105mm ones. Here are some macro photography tips I learned:

When photographing flowers, it is good to use the RGB histogram (verses the luminance histogram) to ensure that you don't blow out important color channels. The RGB histogram shows a histogram for each color channel (red, green, and blue) so that you can properly expose that color. For example, when shooting a pink flower, the luminance histogram may show a correct exposure, but the RGB histogram may show that the red channel is drastically over- or under-exposed.

Even if you have a macro lens, use extension tubes or diopters to get even closer to your subject. I used a macro lens and extension tubes for the picture below. The flower was backlit with a off-camera Canon 580EX II strobe.

To avoid getting your camera wet, use Op/Tech rainsleeves. When shooting in some rain recently my Canon 580EX (version 1) strobe quit working properly. Canon repaired it, but the cost of fixing it could have been fairy easily avoided. (Yes, the rainsleeves were in my bag) :-(

Mercury

2009-07-12T19:29:00.004-04:00

So, this is slightly unrelated to photography, but interesting nonetheless. We took the boat ride back to Puerto Maldonado yesterday and were able to observe the Madre de Dios River from a different perspective. Since our initial journey upriver I have learned a lot about some of the threats to the Amazonian region. When I was little I always remember hearing and reading about "saving the rainforest" and as I've grown older the threats of deforestation and global warming have become one of my main academic interests. However, until this trip I was not aware of one of the main threats to the forest and its inhabitants. Alluvial gold mining is actually causing some of the worst and little known destruction to the rivers and forests. Gold is currently washed down from the uplands and it accumulates as dust in the river beds. Intensive mining has been affecting the region for more than 20 years. The first threat to the river is the dredging of sediment and the second, and main threat, is the mercury used in the mining. The miners use mercury because it adheres to gold. They mix the mercury in barrels with their bare feet by stomping on the sediment and mercury mixture and the gold clumps up with the mercury. After this process they burn the mercury off because mercury vaporizes much more quickly than gold. So, mercury enters the river when they pour the sediment back into the river and when the mercury is burned off. Mercury causes severe neurological and other health affects in humans as you may know from the care that your parent's take with mercury themometers - a small spill can start a panic in an American household.

Mercury is a huge problem because it bioaccumulates in the food chain - so the mercury in the water gets into the fish and actually stays in their muscle tissue. Then other animals eat the fish and they also ingest the mercury. A researcher at the station was actually studying the affects of mercury in raptors and is finding high concentrations of mercury in the blood and feather tissues of raptors, even those species that do not feed on fish or other animals from the river. In other words, mercury is climbing the food chain. This is very similar to the problem of DDT a few decades ago and if you do not know about that issue, be sure to pick up a copy of Silent Spring by Rachel Carson.

So what do we do about this issue? Well, there are a lot of factors that need to be taken into account. For one, gold mining is very profitable - miners are thought to make up to $1,000 per month and a good salary in Peru is about $400 per month. Another problem is that other "greener" technologies are very expensive and there is little political pressure or regulation of current practices. For now some conservation groups are working to convince miners to try other technologies, but a lot of bridges have been burned by groups going in and telling miners that they are "wrong." Work on this issue is certainly needed and hopefully someone will take up the cause with an open mind and an understanding of the complex issues surrounding gold mining in the Amazonian basin.

- Gabby

Mold and Cameras

2009-07-10T14:34:00.003-04:00

We are doing our best with the equpiment. My clothes and shirts have molded. It is the wettest dry season in many years. The leaves are supposed to be crackling and it rains at least every two hours. The nights have been downpours. The river is as high as it was in March at the end of the rainy season. I have an entourage of 50 mosquitoes that follow me everywhere. The conditions are no picnic but the wildlife we are seeing makes all the annoyances worth it.

A few days ago we found a group of social caterpillars. They can be found on the sides of tree trunks gathered together for protection from predators. During daylight hours they bunch together for protection in numbers and create beautiful patterns. I checked the same tree at night and they were all gone, presumably to forage for food. This image is of a small section of their group.

- Gabby

Lake Day (Gabby)

2009-07-07T17:58:00.004-04:00

Today we took a boat out on the lake to look for the giant river otters which are a highly endangered species. They are large and not quite as cute as the cuddly otters in the US. We did not see the otters but went around the lake looking for birds and finally approached a white-winged swallow. It was a lovely morning and in the evening we ventured out to the palm swamp which is a blackwater lake. The blackwater is full of sediments and nutrients because it floods into the forest during the rainy season. We saw a blue dacnis but were not able to get any great images. The image above is of the white-winged swallow.

More later.

- Gabby

Water Scorpions! (Nathanael Gass)

2009-07-05T20:16:00.005-04:00

Thought you had to go to Africa or some other exotic locations to see amazing creatures? Wrong. You can find some really bizzare and awesome animals in your own backyard.

This is one of the weirdest animals I have ever seen. It is an aquatic insect called a water scorpion. They resemble a praying mantis, but they live in the water. The long tube that comes out of their back it a snorkle that allows them to breathe underwater, and their long "arms" allow them to grasp fish and other prey items. They are pretty rare, and hard to spot. They rarely come out on land, so when I found this one out of water, I rushed to get my camera.

These guys can deliver a very painful bite, so I had to be careful. They aren't aggressive, but like any animal, if they are picked up they will bite.

Rainforest Visions (Gabby)

2009-07-05T16:05:00.003-04:00

When I first dreamed of visiting the Amazon basin I dreamed of jaguars ducking behind buttress roots and sloths climbing slowly up the trees. I think this vision and fantasy came from a children's book I read about a great kapok tree when I was little. It was about one kapok tree and the many animals that called it home. When I first visited Amazonia I must admit that I was suprised by how few animals I saw - the snakes were elusive and mammals were nowhere to be seen. I read that the best way to see things was to actually use the bathroom in the woods and wait for insects (such as dung beetles) to arrive. Dung happens to attract many animals within the forest. I have tried this experiment and it does work, but I must say that despite the difficulty of finding things, when you do find them, they are like nothing you've ever seen. Moths hang upside-down to camouflage themselves and grasshoppers look like twigs. Many critters can only be seen with a keen eye. And, yes, it is the most incredible place.

- Gabby

Monkeys (Gabby)

2009-07-05T15:55:00.004-04:00

Monkeys are one of the very first things people want to see upon coming to the jungle and one of the neatest things about the Los Amigos Station is the high occurence of the emperor tamarin. As you will see in the picture above this particular species has a very cute moustache. They are small and they are very fast at hopping around in the trees. They are often hanging around the station during the day and can be seen eating fruit from the ground. This tamarin was a bit more cooperative then some of its relatives. There are also squirrel monkeys, saki monkeys, and capuchins nearby. The howler monkeys have been making a racket but we have yet to see them. The capuchins actually try to pee on you sometimes and are quite agressive about throwing things from the trees.

- Gabby

Above the Canopy (Gabby)

2009-07-05T15:31:00.005-04:00

Today it is raining again, but a few days ago I visited the canopy tower here at the station for sunrise and saw one of the most spectacular sunrises of my life. The sky turned a bright red and was covered in beautiful clouds. Then the light poured through the mist over the river creating a stunning show of rays through the fog. I was at the top of a 180 foot tower and it was a bit shaky becuase of the height. We climbed up a ladder that went straight up using harnesses to catch us if we fell. It was a very difficult climb with the camera equipment but totally worth it.

Using image stabilization I was able to get a few sharp shots. See below.

- Gabby

Adventure (Gabby)

2009-07-04T14:25:00.003-04:00

We are still in the Amazon basin and have been seeing many species of butterflies and insects. There has been tons of run despite the fact that it is not the rainy season. This has made it difficult to shoot because of the lack of light and because the humidity is really affecting the equipment. Yesterday we had quite an adventure - my companion Rick was stung by a wasp and ended up having a severe allergic reaction to the venom despite the fact that he is not allergic. He actually turned blue at one point and we had to take a team of 6 men to carry him out of the forest on a ladder/stretcher. He is fully recovered now but the symptoms ranged from a swollen tongue, lack of motor control, to a severe 6 hour headache. There are some scary things down here.

More soon!

- Gabby

Peru

2009-06-22T18:39:00.002-04:00

I arrived in the Amazon basin three days ago by boat. We took a 6 hour boat ride up the Madre de Dios River. The river is quite large but is low at this time of year because it is the dry season. On the way we saw many species of birds, yellow and blue macaws, horned screamers and wood storks. We were told that one out of three boats has a good chance of seeing a jaguar basking in the sun on the side of the river but we were not so fortunate. We arrived at Los Amigos station just before sunset and were greeted by a few employees before being whisked up the longest flight of stairs I have ever summitted. The station is built on a cliff. It was actually an old mining establishment that has since become a biological station. As we arrived we saw the following view over the basin. It was a magical introduction to the Amazon. I used High Dynamic Range (HDR) imaging to keep detail in the plants while maintaining the color of the sky.

More soon.

Gabby

Sone useful sites (Alex Mody)

2009-06-14T12:13:00.002-04:00

Hey everybody,

Here are a few useful sites for those of you who are interested in learning more about nature photography. Browsing and participating in critique and discussion forums has helped me immeasurably. I hope you all can make some use of this! All of these sites are free to sign up, and are full of experienced photographers that are eager to help.

http://www.naturephotographers.net/
http://www.naturescapes.net/docs/
http://www.birdphotographers.net/

Poppy fields

2009-06-11T10:45:00.005-04:00

Field of common poppies with cottages in the background.

Over the past couple of months I have been particularly busy trying to keep up with the abundance of new subjects that May and June bring, which accounts for the absence of blog entries over the recent weeks, so my apologies.
Common poppies (Papaver rhoeas) are a common sight scattered in farmers fields and on roadside verges in the summer. These ruby red poppies are one of my favourite flowers so I was delighted to discover a field ablaze with them on a recent outing.

Common poppy close up

Public Gardens (Nathanael Gass)

2009-05-24T13:05:00.003-04:00

One of my favorite places to photograph at near my home is a botanical garden. The gardens are filled with wildflowers all year, and also filled all sorts with wildlife as well. I frequently see snakes, lizards, toads, frogs, mice, birds, and all sorts of other wildlife. Everything at the garden is tame, and relatively used to humans.

One of the best features is a set of ponds filled with waterlilies and lotuses. While most people would concentrate on the showy flowers of these plants, I focused on the leaves. The leaves of lotuses are covered by a water-repellent wax that causes water to bead. This allows a photographer to easily manipulate very photogenic beads of water.

New Issue (Gabby)

2009-05-17T23:52:00.001-04:00

Dear Readers -

The new issue is now online! Check it out at www.naturesbeststudents.com. Also, remember to submit to Picture of the Week and to our new photo contest, open from now until August 15th, 2009. The grand prize winner will receive a Sigma lens (retail value of $400-$500).

Keep in touch!

- Gabby

2009-05-13T11:19:00.002-04:00

Dear Readers -

I'm just finishing up my senior year of college and will be heading off to Peru on June 1st. Packing is a challenge - I am limited to 50 lbs on the small airplane I will take out to the Amazon basin. From there I will take a boat deep into the basin. I am currently working through a book on the birds of Peru and reading about the history of Manu National Park. I have attached an image of the cloud forest in Ecuador - it is a similar ecosystem to the one I will be in for 3 weeks this summer.

More updates soon!

- Gabby Salazar

Woodland orchids (Jodie Randall)

2009-05-11T06:27:00.011-04:00

Early Purple Orchids

Bluebells

The first orchids are beginning to bloom here in the south east of England. A walk through some local woodland revealed an explosion of colour. A thick carpet of bluebells is now covering the woodland floor, broken up by patches of bright yellow lesser celandine flowers that are so vivid they appear to glow in the sunlight. Groups of delicate white wood anemones are scattered here and there, but the real jewels are the early purple orchids.

Lying down in a small clearing, careful not to squash any flowers, I was able to get a better angle to take my shots. The woodland floor was alive with insects. Spiders scuttled all around me, and earthworms weaved their way deep down into the mud. Butterflies flitted energetically above the bluebells, settling now and again, but only for a split second. Caterpillars hung from the acid green leaves suspended by threads of silk, twirling in the gentle breeze like wind spirals, while clouds of gnats were less welcome, biting me whenever I kept still for a moment.
There were only between fifteen and twenty orchids in the woodland, all in a relatively small patch. Quite the reverse of last spring when during a trip north to the Peak District National Park, I was greeted by thousands of early purple orchids adorning the chalky hills. Even though the orchids in my local woodland are not anywhere close to this in number, there is something particularly special about discovering things on your own local patch.

Including People in Images (Gabby)

2009-05-05T13:44:00.003-04:00

Hello Photographers -

The new issue will be up May 15th - keep an eye out. In other news, I was traveling up to Boston a few days ago on the commuter rail and when I got out at the station I saw a man in a nice suit rummaging through a trash can. I did a double take and then realized that he was moving newspapers from the trash can to the recycling bin. It was such a simple gesture and I found it to be very inspiring. Every little bit counts.

I took the following image last week around campus now that spring has sprung.

Best,
Gabby

Wide-Angle Macro (Nathanael Gass)

2009-05-02T23:16:00.004-04:00

Wide-angle macro photography is an unusual form of macro photography. A wide-angle lens is used to show the subject in it's environment, while rendering it larger than life-size (1:1 aspect ratio). This can lead to some unique pictures.
There are two ways to shoot wide-agle macro. The simplest is to use a close-focusing wide-agle lens. The second is to place a diopter on the lens. Either of these techniques will allow you to focus close enough to get some interesting shots. Here is a shot I took using this technique.
Nikon D80 with Nikon 28-70mm wide-angle at 62mm. ISO 400 f/4.5, 1/160th of a second.

Earth Day Photo Contest (Gabby)

2009-04-25T11:48:00.001-04:00

Hey Photographers -

Here is a really neat Earth Day Photo Contest - you have to take the pictures between the 22-29 of April. Check it out:

http://www.strategies.org/education/index.aspx?sub=education&sub2=earthday&sub3=contest2009

More soon!

- Gabby

Updates (Johan)

2009-04-23T00:19:00.003-04:00

Hi all--
Sorry it has taken me so long to post. I should post soon about some adventures I had recently:

The Wildlife Safari
A macro workshop I attended at a tulip farm

Also, I wanted to let you all know about the Wildlife Photography Competition being put on by the Burrard-Lucas brothers, Will and Matt. Matt was featured in the 2nd issue of NBP:Students. The contest deadline is April 30, 2009, so act quickly!

If you've never seen a 1200/5.6 lens, check out this review of Canon's discontinued EF 1200/5.6L USM. This is my dream lens--and it will probably always be my dream lens, as I can't imagine actually owning one, at $100,000+ used. :-)

National Wildlife Refuges (Gabby)

2009-04-22T12:01:00.004-04:00

Hey Photographers -

Here is an opportunity to have your images published on the US Fish and Wildlife Service National Wildlife Refuge website. Check out the information below:

National Wildlife Refuges: Great Places for Cameras

“National Wildlife Refuges vibrate intensely with the seasonal movements of wildlife,” says renowned nature photographer and longtime refuge champion Karen Hollingsworth. Refuges provide photographers with an opportunity to be still, be silent, be patient and ultimately to become engrossed in the challenge of capturing rare glimpses of nature’s mysteries.

National Wildlife Refuges belong to all Americans as the world’s premier system of public lands and waters set aside to conserve fish, wildlife and plants. Find a refuge near you and consider submitting photos for free use in Refuge System publications or Web pages. You will receive credit for any photos used by the Refuge System; you may add your photos to the public domain digital library or submit a photo for a single use.

Here are guidelines:

* Use the highest resolution and largest dimension settings on your camera. High resolution is sometimes labeled “Superfine.” Lower resolution photos may be submitted for Web use only.

* Submit only original, unaltered images.

* If possible, take several photos of your subject matter so the Refuge System can select the best one.

* Morning and evening are the best times to take a photo to avoid the harsh light that affects photo quality.

Read more about photography on National Wildlife Refuges.

Questions? Contact Karen_Leggett@fws.gov.

Refuge – hyperlink to www.fws.gov/refuges

A Few More Images (Gabby Salazar)

2009-04-20T11:47:00.004-04:00

Hello Photographers -

I hope everyone is outside taking images and enjoying the onset of spring. Here in New England, spring is finally arriving.

I am currently preparing for my trip to South America this summer. I will be working for the Amazon Conservation Association http://www.amazonconservation.org/ as a photography intern. I am very excited for the trip and have a lot to do to get ready. Last week I got my first rabies vaccine because I anticipate encounters with bats and other animals that could be rabid. To get to the station in the Amazon we will have to take a 5 hour boat road on one of the major rivers in the Amazon basin. There will also be a short plane ride, a 10 hour drive, and a few other legs.

I have included a few images from my recent trip to Puerto Rico. One is a stitched panorama. Both are overlooking the valley next to El Yunque, the national forest.

- Gabby

The leaping hare (Jodie Randall)

2009-04-19T15:32:00.006-04:00

Mad march hare: female leaps into the air.

Over the course of the past couple of months I have spent many wonderful evenings in the company of brown hares (Lepus europaeus). During my time watching these remarkable creatures I have had the opportunity to take a glimpse -albeit very brief- into their lives. I have come to know their habits and on the contrary, been surprised and delighted by their unpredictability.

An hour of so before the sun sets, I watch as what at first appear to be lumps of earth rise up from the ground, transforming into hares. They rely heavily on their ability to blend into the landscape. They do not live in warrens as rabbits do, but make a shallow depression in the ground called a form, where they sit motionless to avoid detection. In the evenings, after sitting still for much of the day, the hares lazily get up yawning and stretching their limbs, before they begin to feed. It is not until dusk that the real magic begins.

It is easy to see why the hare has deep roots in mythology and folk tales throughout the world. In Europe the hare has links with witches due to its sudden appearances and its fleetness. In many tales hares are strongly associated with the moon and intuition. And in Africa the hare is commonly portrayed as a trickster.

A couple of weeks ago I was watching four hares. They were in pairs: two groups of two, a short distance apart from each other. Each pair comprised of a male and a female. One pair was busy eating and they were not proving to be particularly interesting subjects, so I turned my attention to the pair on my left. Out of the blue the female of the pair leapt like a cat on hot bricks almost a metre into the air. The saying as mad as a March hare is clearly well founded.

Later that evening it was almost dark when I stumbled upon another pair as I was making my way back home. It turned out to be another male and female. When the male approached too close to the female, she turned around and delivered a harsh blow with her paw, which sent the male running. He settled down a few metres away, looking slightly vexed.

After many evenings in the field it was great to finally see what I had set out to see. Hopefully next year it won't be too dark to photograph the action...

Close up portrait

My website www.jodierandall.co.uk has been updated, featuring a new design and also new images. I upload recent photographs regularly including pictures featured on Nature's Best Photography Students blog, so please keep checking back.

- Jodie

Hunt's Photo Specials for NBPS Readers!

2009-04-05T14:43:00.003-04:00

Specials from Hunt's Photo:
Gary Farber from Hunt’s Photo has also sent along some fantastic specials exclusively for NBPS readers. Gary has Sandisk Extreme IV 4GIG compact flash cards for $40.00 and the new Hoodman 3.0 Loupe for only $59.99 (usually $79.99). The Loupe is an excellent tool for the field used to view your LCD screen in bright conditions (video demonstration: http://www.hoodmanusa.com/products.asp?dept=1017). You can contact Gary directly at 1-800-221-1830 ext.2332 or email him at digitalguygary@wbhunt.com. He will charge a flat-rate of $5.00 shipping for these two items.

Gary is a fantastic support of NBPS and young photographers - please contact him for any equipment needs.

- Gabby

Snails and Handheld (Gabby)

2009-04-01T10:34:00.004-04:00

When I was shooting in Puerto Rico in El Yunque I went on a six hour hike and decided that it would be too much to carry a tripod. Instead, I carried around a 50mm lens, a 180mm lens and a flash. I took this picture of giant snails handheld and had to take a few images to make sure that the picture was sharp. Just a simple tip for anyone shooting handheld - the rule of thumb is to make sure that your shutter speed is greater than the focal length of your lens under 1. For instance, if you are shooting with a 50mm lens, your shutter speed should be faster than 1/50 of a second. If you are shooting with a 100mm lens, your shutter speed should be faster than 1/100 of a second. This is a good rule of thumb to follow in order to ensure sharp images when you do not have a tripod.

- Gabby

Puerto Rico (Gabby)

2009-03-30T16:45:00.005-04:00

I just returned from a spring break photography trip to Puerto Rico. I was traveling with friends and thought of it as traveling with potential models for my photographs. As nature photographers, we often overlook the value of including people in our images. Sometimes, adding a person can completely change the quality and feel of your image in a positive way. People viewing the image may be able to picture themselves in the scene more easily if there is a person included. My friends were all good sports and here one of the images. I often like to silhouette people so that their presence is noticed while their specific features do not take distract from the image.

More soon!

- Gabby

More on Polarizing Filters (Johan)

2009-03-28T21:39:00.005-04:00

My original idea was to post about polarizing filters, but Gabby beat me to it! :-) After some thought, I decided to post about polarizing filters anyway. One unusual aspect of these filters is that their effect changes as you rotate the filter. They work based on the angle of light in relation to the filter, so when you spin it or pan the camera, the effect changes. (See Gabby's post for more on polarizer effects.)

I have two example photos taken from the deck behind my house. The view is of my family's organic dairy farm (our milk is sold by Organic Valley). I used a polarizer for both, just rotated it for opposite effects (warm vs. cool). Unfortunately, I didn't take a picture without the polarizer. Both pictures were taken with a Canon EOS 10D and Canon EF 16-35/2.8L USM. The metadata for both is f5, 1/100sec., ISO 200, and 35mm.

The only problems with polarizers are that they take a few extra moments to put on your lens, and they decrease the amount of light reaching the sensor by about two stops. They are otherwise invaluable--everyone should have one in their bag.

A helpful set of tools for macro photography (Nathanael Gass)

2009-03-25T08:42:00.009-04:00

When I was at NANPA, I learned a lot about different tools that could be used to make macro photography a little easier. I thought y'all might want to here about these, so here's a list.

Flowerpod: A unique little device that functions like a free-standing plamp. It is a compass rule mounted on three legs that you can use to hold flowers steady. For more info, go here http://www.appalachianjourney.com/flowerpod/page42/page42.html

Glycerin: Glycerin is a common ingredient in soap, and is a very thick substance. It appears a lot like water, but due to it's thickness, it moves slower. It's slow movement allows you to use it in place of water in some shots were you may want to catch motion. You should only use glycerin for 1-5 drops in a photo. Don't cover the subject with it. If you want a lot of drops, get a small pocket mister with water. Also, after you are done, take a cloth and clean the glycerin off the subject. Small insects can get caught in it and die. The best method for placing the drops is an eye-dropper or medicine dropper.
The drop in the image shown is glycerin. As you can see, it looks exactly like water.

Wire Retriever: A wire retriever basically looks like a j with a dot at the hooked end. However, many versions can extend up to 4 ft. or more. This is helpful for moving elements in the photo just the way you want them while still looking through the viewfinder. Find one at your local home supply store.

All of these are amazingly useful tools, and can be really helpful, especially in garden photography.

Metadata: Canon EOS 50D with 100mm macro lens. ISO 800, f/2.8, 1/125th of a second. tripod, no flash. Drop is glycerin.

Spring hares (Jodie Randall)

2009-03-24T07:45:00.007-04:00

Top: Brown hare looking out over fields.
Above: Marsh sunset. This image was taken a short distance from the field where I have been photographing the hares. As the sun disappeared below the horizon, mist began to creep across the marshland. The atmosphere was magical.

My 'search for the mad March hare' began rather unsuccessfully. After quite a few hours in the field, I had not seen many hares. I decided to wait a week before I returned again.
The weather here in Kent has been unusually warm for March. We have had a succession of sunny days culminating with impressive sunsets. I am not sure whether this has anything to do with the hare's increased activity or not, but I am certainly having more luck than I was a couple of weeks ago.
The hares are now a lot more visible, feeding in the fields in the evenings. Some individuals are particularly bold and have come very close to my car (which I am using as a hide). It is wonderful to see their burning amber eyes at such close range, watching me so intently. For me, these enchanting creatures truly encompass the essence of wildness.
When my car has remained still for long enough, I seem to be accepted as part of the landscape. I have witnessed a pair of grey partridges having a dust bath right in front of the vehicle and watched as a short-eared owl glided past hunting for prey only a few metres from where I was sitting.

The hares appear to be most active just as the sun goes down and mist begins to creep across the fields. I have seen them chasing each other, though I am beginning to think that is unlikely that I will see them 'boxing'.

Below: Hare Stretching

NANPA Summit, continued.

2009-03-22T22:54:00.009-04:00

Sorry it's taken so long, here is some more info from the NANPA summit.

Wednesday: We had an all day macro workshop. We spent all day making images, playing around, and having fun! We had a blast, and it was one of the best days there. Our instructors that day were Nancy Rotenburg, Les Saucier, and Kris Morgan. It was amazing!

Thursday: We attended the Summit, and went to presentations from top nature photographers on so many different topics. It was amazingly educational, and I can't begin to relate all of the stuff I learned.

Friday: Same as Thursday, but we also got a pizza party (Thanks to Hunt's Photo) a talk about the Nature's Best Student magazine, and a chat with Art Wolfe.

Saturday: More learning, and a chat with Norbert Rosing. We also gave our speech and presentation to the general membership.
Sunday: We left.

Image Metadata: ISO 800, f/6.3, 1/5th of a second. Canon EOS 50D with 100mm macro lens. Tripod, flowerpod.

Polarizing Filters

2009-03-21T17:18:00.003-04:00

I am heading off to Puerto Rico tomorrow for some photography and wanted to write a bit about polarizing filters. Most filter effects can be created in Photoshop, but the polarizer is not replicable through Photoshop - you have to have your filter on your camera while you are out in the field. A polarizing filter serves a number of functions including the two most important - darkening the sky and helping to reduce glare. For instance, a polarizing filter can significantly reduce glare on rocks when you are photographing a stream. Similarly, it can reduce glare on the surface of water so that you can see through to the bottom of a body of water. I have included two images to illustrate this property. The first is a picture taken in midday sun with a polarizer. Instead of being washed out, the sky is dark blue. The second image clearly shows the sand beneath the surface of the water - this is achieved through the use of a polarizer. Without the polarizing filter, the water would have been opaque because of reflections.

I'll have more images when I return!

- Gabby

Revisiting an image (Alex Mody)

2009-03-15T23:51:00.005-04:00

Hey everybody,

I'm in the process of going through all of my photos from the gigantic road-trip I took this past fall/winter. I came across this image from November, which I took in the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument of Utah.

I had processed one from the road but I was just never happy with how it looked. The initial version, in my opinion was too warm. Also, the sky is too dark, and I think that I did a bad job handling the foreground.

This is the initial version.

This is the newly processed version.

I don't have much of a point here, other than saying that it's always worth it to try processing an image twice. Maybe you might even prefer the first one. Regardless, giving an image you're unsatisfied with a second glance is a good idea. The most you have to lose is a few minutes of your time.

Microsoft Future Pro Photo Competition (Gabby)

2009-03-15T23:04:00.003-04:00

Hey Photographers -

Just wanted to let you know that Microsoft has just launched their fourth annual Future Pro Photographer Competition. http://prophoto.microsoft.avitivacorp.com/site.aspx

This is the fourth annual installation of the contest. This contest helps recognize young emerging talent in the field of photography with the aim of kick-starting college students careers as a future professional photographers. The grand prize is awesome - $20,000 + a sweet digital package. There is a nature and landscape category.

On another note, I saw something really neat yesterday. I was traveling to Boston on the commuter rail and as I was walking down the platform I saw a man dressed in a very nice suit fishing newspapers out of the trash can and putting them in the recycling bin. Every little bit helps.

- Gabby

Wild Flowers (Jodie Randall)

2009-03-14T05:46:00.002-04:00

Scentless Mayweed

Due to some very uncooperative brown hares, my plans to post on my progress photographing them boxing have been somewhat hindered this week.

In between waiting for non-existent hares, I have been researching the many orchids and rare wild flowers that grow in the south east of England. Plants and flowers are subjects that I am hoping to cover this year, so I have lots of little excursions planned for the summer.

Going through some old files I came across the above image which I took one evening last summer. I was working on photographing flowers in more imaginative ways - something I hope to continue this year.

Helpful Accessories (Johan)

2009-03-13T17:42:00.015-04:00

For this post, I decided to share some of my favorite "low-cost" accessories. I use these items often.

Spudz Microfiber Lens Cloth--Very useful, ~$5, clip it onto your camera bag and never lose your lens cloth again.
Off-camera hot shoe cord--A great accessory for getting your flash off the camera's hot shoe for interesting effects.
Sto-fen Omni-bounce--Great little diffuser for shoe-mount flashes such as my Canon 580EX II, retails for ~$20.
Remote Shutter Release--Very useful. There are wireless and wired versions for many cameras. Use along with mirror lock-up and a tripod for long exposures.
Reflector--These come in many sizes; I'd recommend a reversible one with gold and silver sides. Reflectors are especially useful for macro shots.
Spare memory card(s)--Cards are so cheap now, there's no excuse for running out of memory while shooting. I recently purchased a SanDisk Ultra II 8GB CF card for $24 at Office Depot.

"Spider's Delicacy"
1/200sec. ~ f/16 ~ ISO 200
Equipment: Canon 10D + 100/2.8 Macro + 580EX II + Off-Camera Shoe Cord OC-E3 + Remote Switch RS-80N3 + Sto-Fen Omni-Bounce + Manfrotto 055XPROB
To my mother's horror, this photo was taken in the window jamb of my bedroom. :-)

NANPA Update (Gabby)

2009-03-01T14:42:00.005-05:00

Hi Photographers -

I just returned from a fantastic week in New Mexico at the North American Nature Photography Association's annual Summit. There were just over 600 photographers and editors in attendance. There were presenters, vendors, and a lot of people passionate about protecting our environment through the art of photography. Overall, a very inspiring show.

I'd like to share a few highlights with you from the show (and some neat freebies I learned about).

First of all, check out Microsoft Pro Photo Tools at: http://www.microsoft.com/prophoto/downloads/tools.aspx. The tools are free to download and include some great features. My favorite is the geo-tagging tool - it allows you to put GPS coordinates into the metadata (the file info) of each of your images. If you did not use a GPS unit when you were taking the pictures (most people do not), you can find your location on a map and the tool will write everything into your image, then you can put all of your images onto a map of the United States or the world to see where you've been and to show people your images by location. If you search around, you'll find all the instructions on the website.

My favorite presenter was Tim Laman - he is an excellent photographer who works for National Geographic and has a Ph. D in rainforest biology. His photography benefits from his extensive knowledge of natural history. Check out his website at http://www.timlaman.com/main.php.

I will share more tips next week - for now, I've posted a photo that I just found in my archives.

Best,
Gabby Salazar

In search of the Mad March Hare (Jodie Randall)

2009-02-26T05:58:00.004-05:00

Brown hares are one of my favourite species to photograph. From late February to the end of March I repeatedly visit a location that supports a healthy population of these mystical animals.
Open grassland and arable farms are the hare's preferred habitat. This can cause difficulty when it comes to spotting them, as their caramel/brown fur is perfectly camouflaged with their surroundings.
At this time of year, before the grasses grow too high, the hare's presence can often be revealed as they chase each other across the open fields. I have only ever been lucky enough to witness hares 'boxing' once in a distant field. This behaviour is often thought to be rival male hares fighting over a female, but in fact it is actually the female hares fighting off males unwanted advances. Usually this behaviour is exhibited very early in the morning, or around dusk.
Over the next few weeks I am aiming to spend many early mornings and evenings sitting and waiting in the hope of photographing the Mad March Hare.
I will continue to post with my progress.

- Jodie

Decisions, Decisions, Decisions... (Johan)

2009-02-24T21:40:00.011-05:00

Canon 10D, Canon 28-135 IS, f/6.3, 1/60 sec., ISO 200

Based on my previous post, you could probably guess that I like expensive lenses. :-) The problem is, there are so many high-quality lenses on the market today, selecting one can be difficult. Choosing a new camera can be even harder. Even deciding which camera bag to buy is difficult. So I decided to share some links to helpful websites.

www.bhphotovideo.com & www.adorama.com -- Big retailers with customer reviews of many products
www.dpreview.com -- Excruciatingly detailed camera and lens reviews
www.dcresource.com -- Detailed but “easy to digest” camera reviews
www.luminous-landscape.com -- Camera and lens reviews; helpful tutorials
www.popphoto.com -- Lots of photography information, including camera and lens reviews
www.the-digital-picture.com -- My favorite; D-SLR and lens reviews (currently only Canon); also tripod, camera bag, and accessory reviews

Canon 10D, Tamron 70-300, f/22, 6 sec., ISO 100

More on NANPA Summit (Nathanael Gass)

2009-02-24T20:54:00.003-05:00

I'm a little busy, but I have a little time to detail more on my trip.
Sunday, Feb. 15: I get on a plane and leave for Albuquerque. It was my first time on a plane, and it was pretty fun! About 2 hours after we ( me and the other students )were all together, we were talking like old friends. Then, we got to use Canon 50D's. We had a whole bunch of lenses to use, and it was AWESOME!
Monday, Feb. 16: We spent the first part of the morning at the student room, learning more about each other, the instructors, and our cameras. We met George Lepp, who was one of our photo instructors. We then went to Bosque del Apache, where we met Darrell Gulin. He is an amazing photographer, and a past president of NANPA. Check out his website at www.gulinphoto.com. You may recognize some of the images from many places. At Bosque, we photographed snow geese, killdeer, and sandhill cranes.
Tuesday, Feb. 17. We photograph at Bosque again, and then at Kasha Katuwe. Here is an image from Bosque. The image shown isn't even processed yet. I'll up the saturation and make it like I saw it that morning.

Metadata: Canon 50D with 100-400mm lens, tripod, wiberely head, ISO 800, 1/15th of a second at f/11.

Dante's View, Death Valley National Park, CA (Alex Mody)

2009-02-23T21:21:00.002-05:00

Hey everybody,

I haven't posted on here for a while and I apologize for that. Here's a photograph from my three-month mega-trip this past fall/winter. This image was taken shortly after sunset, from a viewpoint called "Dante's View," inside Death Valley National Park, California.

This image was made with the help of a graduated neutral density filter, which is a rectangular glass filter that, simply put, transitions from dark (neutral density) to clear. The Wikipedia Entry explains them quite well.

New Issue (Gabby)

2009-02-16T16:23:00.001-05:00

The new issue of NBP Students is now online at www.naturesbeststudents.com! Check it out! Remember that the deadline for the student photo contest is extended until March 15th, 2009. And, please submit online to our Picture of the Week Competition, we had some glitches, but they are all worked out now.

I'm heading off to the summit of the North American Nature Photographers Association (NANPA) this week. I'll have some tips and pics to share when I return!

- Gabby

Making the most of common species (Jodie Randall)

2009-02-13T13:57:00.003-05:00

Top: Starlings are a common sight in English gardens
Above: Black-headed gulls can be found in urban areas. I took this shot as another gull flew into the frame

When I first became interested in wildlife photography a few years ago, I would dream of photographing bears, elephants and wolves. The village where I live is about 40 minutes from central London (England) however, and not remote by any stretch of the imagination.
Unfortunately I had a bit of difficulty tracking down any bears, so I gave up and headed to some local lakes to photograph swans and ducks. Not quite the same I know, but an unhappy swan can be quite fierce when defending its territory, and just as frightening as a bear I'm sure....
When I wanted to practice capturing birds in flight, I took my camera into town to photograph the gulls and pigeons. Common species that we see every day in our parks, towns and gardens are often over-looked or photographed in unremarkable ways. One of the great advantages with these creatures is that they are used to people and easier to approach. This creates an opportunity to achieve some very artistic images.
I enjoy the challenge of going back to my old locations to photograph common subjects. It really encourages me to think about the pictures I am taking and how I am going to create something different.

Tips

1) Before you begin it is helpful to ask yourself what would make people who see these animals and birds every day stop and look at your photographs.

2) Be original

3) Don't be afraid to experiment. You can always go back and try again if you are not happy with the results. The animals should still be there and with digital cameras there is no wasted film.

NANPA Summit

2009-02-13T09:08:00.016-05:00

"This is it Mr. Frodo... If I take one more step, it'll be the farthest away from home I've ever been."
Samwise Gamgee, The Lord of the Rings, The Fellowship of the Ring

Right now, as you're reading this, I not photographing around the house, like I usually am. I'm in Albuquerque, New Mexico, attending the NANPA ( North American Nature Photography Association) Summit as part of their High School Scholarship Program. I'm photographing at Bosque del Apache, and Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument. Then I'll be listening to some amazing photographers and speakers. Sounds like something you'd be interested in? Then check it out at NANPA's website. Any high school student can apply, but it's probably good to wait until you have enough experience to take full advantage of this amazing opportunity. Good luck applying!
http://www.nanpa.org/students/app_process_hs.html

See you next week with details and pics from the trip!

The Need for Speed (Johan)

2009-02-11T22:55:00.010-05:00

One day I received some startling (at least to me!) advice:

"Gear your equipment toward wedding photography. Buy fast lenses, such as the Canon 16-35/2.8L and 70-200/2.8L, and you will be able to use them in low light, as well as for wildlife. You can't use a slow 100-400/5.6L at a wedding even with the Image Stabilizer because of the low light, but you can add extenders to a fast lens and still achieve satisfactory results for wildlife"

Thus the owner of the local pro camera store I frequent told me when I stated that I wanted to eventually buy a 100-400mm. At first I thought he must be crazy; but the more I think about it, the more reasonable his advice seems to become. Therefore, my current plan is to buy a 70-200/2.8 next. It doesn’t need to be fancy; a used one will do, and then I can save up for extenders or a 100-400mm. Oh, and I just got my Canon 16-35/2.8L last week, and it is AMAZING!

If you haven’t tried out an f2.8 or faster lens, I’d encourage you to give them a try. The bright viewfinder image they provide is addicting, especially in low light. And the ability to open up the aperture in low light is great. I have a tough time using my 2 slow f5.6 zooms after using my fast 16-35/2.8L, 50/1.8, and 100/2.8 Macro.

Both photos taken with the Canon EOS 10D and EF 100/2.8 Macro USM.

More on captive animals (Nathanael Gass)

2009-02-09T10:00:00.007-05:00

There are more place than the zoo to visit to photograph captive animals. The picture of the blue bird was taken at a local museum's butterfly house. I could get quite close to the bird with a 180mm macro lens. This photo is just slightly cropped to get rid of some distracting sticks. Imagine what I could have done with a longer lens!
The other photo of the swans was taken at a rather unique place, a waterfowl preserve called Sylvan Heights in Scotland Neck, NC. My photography club got special permission to enter early one morning. The light was great, and I got to photograph all sorts of cool birds up close. This is one of my favorite shots.
If you don't know of many places like these you can visit, join a local photography club. You can meet other photographers, learn about good places to photograph, and go on outings with the club. Photography clubs sometimes get special permission to enter places before they are opened to the public. I am a member of Carolina Nature Photographer's Association (CNPA).
Metadata (Bird): Nikon D-80 with 180mm macro lens, tripod.
Metadata (Swans): Nikon D-80 with 80-210mm lens, tripod.

Introduction and Sanderling Image (Jodie Randall)

2009-01-29T13:35:00.004-05:00

Hello, my name is Jodie Randall. I am nineteen years old and live in the South East of England. I started photography seriously at the age of fifteen and am now pursuing a career as a freelance wildlife photographer. The majority of my images are taken in the South East, where I am fortunate enough to live near quite a few nature reserves. I enjoy photographing mammals and plant life, though birds and insects are particular favourites of mine.

In November 2008 I travelled to the coast to photograph wading birds. It was very cold and even started to snow at one point (something that doesn't happen very often in England!) I was attempting to photograph Sanderlings. They feed on the edge of the tide and run to and fro like clock-work toys as the waves come in and then recede again. Sanderlings hardly ever stand still, so I was having to wait at the edge of the waves to photograph them running backwards and forwards, hoping that I wouldn't get wet feet - I did. I was looking through my camera concentrating on the Sanderlings when a massive wave sent water pouring into my boot. Not ideal on a cold November day!

More of my images can be viewed on my website www.jodierandall.co.uk which is regularly updated.

- Jodie

Intro and "Hummingbird in Flight" (Tad Arensmeier)

2009-01-27T18:49:00.004-05:00

Hello to everybody! My name is Tad Arensmeier and I am 20 years old. I've been photographing seriously since I bought a Canon Digital Rebel when I was 15, I have since moved through a Canon 20D, and have now purchased a Canon 1Ds Mark III, which is taking some getting used to, and I have 4 Sigma lenses (2 macro, 1 telephoto, 1 wide angle). My pictures will be almost exclusively of animals, most frequently herps (Reptiles and Amphibians), and usually macro. My favorite place to shoot is the St. Louis Zoo, so the majority of my posted pictures will be from there. If you want to look at more of my pictures you can visit this website: http://www.flickr.com/photos/11304433@N00/ if you do visit, I suggest just looking at the set entitled "My Favorites" or you'll have to look at just about everything I've ever taken (good and bad). "Hummingbird in Flight"
This image was taken in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado. The bird is going for a feeder that I watched for a couple of hours taking 100's of pictures trying to get one bird in flight without the feeder in the image. The greatest difficulty was focusing on the birds, you can't really afford to increase you DOF to make itany easier either becasue it will make your shutter to slow, and the birds move to quick for autofocus, so you have to use manuel focus, practice, and luck to actually catch one of these quick little birds in focus.
-Tad

2009-01-26T22:11:00.006-05:00

For those who want to photograph exotic animals, but can't travel to Africa, South America, and other far-away locations, the zoo (or a local museum) is a great substitute. You can photograph exotic species at close range, with minimal expense, and nearly any equipment. I have taken many great photos at the zoo, and if you arrive early in the morning, you may beat the crowds and get some great golden-yellow light.
When you decide to go, plan your trip on a day you know the animals will be active. Don't go on really cold or really hot days, or in adverse weather conditions.
And remember, not all animals at the zoo are in the zoo! The anole (lizard) in the photo was not a captive animal. I have also seen black rat snakes, unusual birds, and other animals there in the wild because they prefer similar habitats to the artificial habitats made for captive animals.
Metadata for anole: ISO 640, f/7.1, 1/100th of a second
Metadata for bird: ISO 640, f/7.1, 1/800th of a second
Both with Nikon D-80 and 180mm macro lens. Tripod for bird, bellypod for anole.

P.S. If you photograph animals indoors, don't forget to adjust your white balance for flourescent and incandescent lights!

Updates (Gabby Salazar)

2009-01-26T21:57:00.001-05:00

Hello All -

A few updates. To start with, Gary Farber of Hunt's Photo and Video has passed on anamazing deal! Sandisk Extreme III Memory Cards - an 8GB card is only$34.99 and a 4GB is only $24.99. The offer ends at the end of the month -so you have to order soon. Gary says he'll give you free shipping if you contact him directly and mention NBP Students. You can email him at:digitalguygary@wbhunt.com or call at T 800-221-1830 or 800-924-8682 ext2332.

In other news, our photo contest deadline has been extended until March 15th, 2009 (fromFebruary 15th, 2009). The entry fee is $10.00 and you can enter online at:http://www.naturesbeststudents.com/takeaction/ Remember to enter Picture of the Week Competition to receive a free subscription to Nature's Best Photography Magazine. Enter at: http://www.naturesbeststudents.com/takeaction/The next issue will be online February 15th, 2009!

Best,
Gabby Salazar