bird
I would not normally photograph a seagull. I do not often photograph birds in general as I only have a 70-200mm lens, which is great for my commercial photography work, but not exactly the lens you would use if you are into bird photography. However, this seagull was not far from me, and seemed to be wanting me to make its photograph, so I did! Thank you for the sassy head turn seagull!
Read MoreThere are many scenic viewing points along 17 Mile Drive in Pebble Beach, California. I discovered Bird Rock because of a cycling group I was riding with stopped there one evening. Besides the great view, this lookout point has lots of parking and picnic tables and even a restroom. I decided to grab the camera and head out there, by car this time, to get a few shots of the sunset and twilight sky. It’s named Bird Rock for the big rock just offshore that is used as a rookery. Lots of birds were coming home from their day of work to spend the night on Bird Rock.
Read MoreI have always been very curious about these funny little birds running along the shore at Asilomar Beach in Pacific Grove, California. They search along the water’s edge for food, but seem quite adverse to the water washing over their feet, so they run at an incredible fast pace, their little legs moving like a blur, to avoid getting wet! I finally learned their name, sanderlings, and had a chance to photograph them at their eye level thanks to an unusually high sand dune.
Read MoreI have been waiting a long time to get a photograph of a roadrunner, the New Mexico state bird. In Florida, I regularly photographed birds. There are far fewer birds in easy sight in New Mexico, but in my new neighborhood in central ABQ, I regularly see, I believe, this particular roadrunner when out walking my dog. I do not tote around a 70-200mm lens on those walks usually, so I never get a chance to photograph this roadrunner.
Read MoreIn La Jolla, California I was pleasantly surprised to have the opportunity to do bird photography. I knew there would be a chance for seal photos, but having birds also was great. I miss the bird photography I could do almost anywhere in Florida. Check out this anhinga for example. What makes a good bird photograph (or any photograph) assuming you have a good looking bird as the subject? Then for a bird photo to stand out it is a matter of having good light (it was only so-so in this shot) and having a good background. The latter made up for the former in the above shot with the creamy bokeh created by my Tamron 70-200mm f/2.8 G2 lens. The blue in the bokeh is the Pacific Ocean.
Read MoreThis photo of a red shouldered hawk perched on a dead tree limb was made after doing a rural land shoot in Torrance County, New Mexico. One of my photography philosophies is that a real photographer always makes the effort to get a photo they see. I was tired, had just been outside for 90 minutes in the desert, had another 45 minutes to drive back home, but I pulled over, got out my camera, and made the effort to get this shot of the hawk because as a photographer you just cannot pass up opportunities to get a shot. For me, especially one of a large bird as they are very hard to get in New Mexico. Back when I lived in Florida, photographing large birds was easy, they were all over the place. Birds and animals are rare to see in New Mexico, even in the remote places I often travel too.
Read MoreWhile I was in Cloudcroft, New Mexico on a rural land photography assignment, I took notice of these very unusual flowers that I thought looked like rocket popsicles that a hummingbird was having breakfast at. I had my excellent new Tamron 90mm f/2.8 Macro SP lens on my Nikon D750. There was no way to track this fast moving bird through the air. How to get this shot then? Pre-focus on a flower you hope the hummingbird will land on, and wait. I studied the bird's flying patterns a bit, noticing it kept coming back to this particular flower. I approached slowly, very slowly, and then froze waiting for the hummingbird to return. The focus point is not perfect, and I wish the hummingbird had chosen a prettier flower to drink nectar from, but I like the bokeh enough to share this photo with you.
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