East and West Mittens

Five years ago I visited Monument Valley for the first time. Last week I went back. I waited waaaay too long to return. Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park is a special place and lies within the Navajo Nation Reservation. It is part of the Colorado Plateau in the Four-Corners area of the Southwestern US and bridges the Arizona/Utah state border. It is not close to anything really. It is a five-hour drive from both Albuquerque and Phoenix or a three hour drive from Durango. During my four days in the area I stayed in the tiny town of Mexican Hat, UT. According to the 2010 census, Mexican Hat’s population is 31; 17 men and 14 women. It lies 22 miles north of Monument Valley and today boasts 3 hotels, 2 restaurants, and one gas station. Despite its limited services, it turned out to be a great place from which to base my photo shoot.

Monument Valley is a landscape photographer’s dream location. It has been featured in the media countless times since the 1930′s. You can see its iconic sandstone buttes in movies such as Stage Coach, Easy Rider, Forest Gump, and this year’s remake of the Lone Ranger featuring Johnny Depp which I think will be released in June. It is also  a perennial favorite of landscape photographers. Impressive red sandstone formations, ancient indian ruins, petroglyphs, pinon trees, and sand dunes combine to provide unlimited landscape opportunities.

A 15 mile scenic drive, open to the public and private vehicles, offers great views of many icons. However, going beyond the scenic drive into the back country is a must for serious landscape photographers. A Navajo guide is required if you leave the general area of the scenic drive. There is no shortage of guides milling around the visitor center offering their services. But for the serious photographer, I suggest you find a guide who understands the special needs of photographers.  They are relatively few but well worth the effort and investment. My guide had considerable photography knowledge and knew the best places and times to take advantage of available light. He offered lots of valuable suggestions and was willing to go the extra mile (literally). He even met me at 3:00 AM for star trails. I could not have asked for more.

The best part of the trip? Easy, a late afternoon thunderstorm that developed just before sunset on my second to last day. Although I got completely drenched and ruined a $150 CPL by dropping it in the wet sand, the huge thunderheads illuminated in the golden light of sunset added a special dimension to the drama of the valley. Here are a few of my favorites, most of which were shot just after the thunderstorm blew through the valley. Best when viewed full-screen (FS).

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Technical details: Tripod mounted Canon 7D with Canon EF 24-105mm @ 35mm f/5.6 1/640s iso400.

Blast Off!

All the winners can be seen on the Outdoor Photographer web site as well as the June 2013 issue of the magazine.

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Sometimes however the artistic part is elusive due to the limitations of light, gear, or operator error. Sometimes it is elusive simply because the animals are not interested in having their portrait taken. Even if the perfect shot is not attained, the experience, for me, is still thrilling. I had one such experience last weekend. The source of the thrill was witnessing a very rare sight – a family of whooping cranes on their migration journey to their northern breeding grounds. The photo op was limited due to poor light and proximity, but that is not the point.

This lovely family of whooping cranes was feeding in a corn field near Almeria, NE last weekend. Whooping cranes stop in Nebraska to feed and rest during their spring migration. This group was too far away to get a good shot and due to their endangered status I did not want to leave the road in pursuit of a better vantage point. The light was poor and it was cold but I could not resist taking a few shots. I cranked up the ISO on the 7D and mounted a 1.4x TC to the 600mm lens and made a few photographs to document the thrill of viewing three of only about 280 whooping cranes left in the wild.

A Family of Whooping Cranes Migrate Through Nebraska

According to the Crane Trust, There are approximately 280 whooping cranes in the wild, migratory flock that breeds in Wood Buffalo National Park in Canada and winters at Aransas National Wildlife Refuge in Texas. Whooping cranes reached the brink of extinction earlier in the last century. Only 15 birds remained in 1941 after more than a century of habitat loss and continuous hunting. After 70 years of intensive conservation efforts, the population has increased but still faces many challenges.

Whooping cranes spend November to March along the Gulf coast of Texas at the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge. Each spring from late March to late April, the cranes migrate to their breeding grounds in northern Canada at Wood Buffalo National Park and remain there from May through September. The migration route is long (about 2,500 miles) but narrow (less than 300 miles wide) and extends through Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota and North Dakota in the United States, and through Saskatchewan and Alberta in Canada.

I hope to get the privilege of seeing these lovely birds again in the years to come.

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The Greater Prairie Chicken is a large bird in the grouse family. It was once abundant, but has become extremely rare or extinct over much of its range due to habitat loss.  They now only live on small parcels of managed prairie land. One of the most famous aspects of these birds is the mating ritual called booming.

The largest remaining populations of the greater prairie chicken are in Kansas, Nebraska and South Dakota. Greater Prairie Chickens prefer native prairie, but they have adapted to cropland as natural habitats became converted to agricultural land. They are territorial birds and often defend their booming grounds. These booming grounds are the area in which they perform their displays in hopes of attracting females. Their displays consist of inflating air sacs located on the side of their neck and snapping their tails. The male prairie-chickens stay on this ground displaying for almost two months. The breeding season begins in late March and extends until June. Males fight among themselves for territories on the lek, with one or two males normally emerging as dominant, and subsequently performing the majority of the mating.

I’m staying at Calamus Outfitters on the Switzer Ranch near Burwell, NE. Calamus Outfitters is a family owned business providing opportunities for bird watching, horseback riding, upland bird hunting, deer hunting, tubing, tanking and swimming in the Calamus river. They also cater to wildlife photographers by providing viewing blinds and lots of tips and information (good food too). Top nature photographers such as of Tom Mangelson, Joel Saratore, and Michael Foresberg have shot here. And now I know why. Despite the difficult weather conditions this morning, the chickens did not disappoint. The staff is great too. I want to thank John, a member of the staff and local bird expert who was especially knowledgeable and helped me achieve another first for me – viewing a family of migrating whooping cranes – but that is a blog for another day.

Here’s my best prairie chicken dance shot of the day. I’ve got one more sunrise shoot tomorrow morning. I’m hoping for warmer weather.

Canon 7D w/ EF600mm f/4.0L @ 1/160s f/4.0 iso800

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Great Horned Owl and Owlets

I just finished my 2013 Southwest Florida birding and photography trip. February is nesting and mating season so the birds are active and decked out in breeding plumage making for great photo ops. Some chicks, such as great blue herons and anhingas, have already hatched. It’s a great time of year.

I’ve been shooting in Florida each February for six years now. What better place to escape cold and snow than sunny Florida? Unfortunately, the “sunny” part didn’t pan out this year. I arrived Tuesday afternoon and by Wednesday morning a slow moving front brought fog, clouds, and lots of rain. But even a rainy day in Florida is a good day. Although each morning began with heavy clouds and some rain, by sunset each day the clouds broke long enough to get a few good shots.

This year’s shoot included first-time visits to well known hot spots Venice Rookery, Celery Fields, Viera Wetlands, as well as a return visit to Fort DeSoto Park and two scheduled mangrove rookery shoots off the coast of Sarasota. I say “scheduled” as the first one was cut short after only one hour because of heavy fog and the second one never even left the dock due to heavy clouds and an ominous forecast.

But as I said, even a bad day in Florida is a good day. And once again I proved the harder you work, the luckier you get.  Internet research, tips from locals, and hours in crazy Florida traffic paid off with a few keepers; not as many as in recent years but enough to call the trip a success.

If you follow my Facebook Fan Page you may have already seen what I believe to the best shot of the trip; a momma great horned owl and two owlets nestled in the crook of a tree about 25 feet above the ground and within 50 yards of the Gulf of Mexico. I spent several hours watching two nondescript mounds of fuzz hoping for momma owl to return to the nest for feeding time.  Finally around 4:00 PM she showed up and the fuzzy mounds instantly became two very animated owlets. I was surprised momma didn’t stay in the nest but for a few minutes and then flew to an adjacent tree from where she began to call to whom I presume was papa owl about 100 yards away. I did not come to Florida expecting owls so this was a special treat; not only to witness such beautiful and interesting creatures in the wild, but also to be able to bring home a portrait of mom and the kids was very exciting.

Here are a few other favorites from my Southwest Florida birding photography trip (click FS in lower right for larger veiw):

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The image was taken late in the day after an afternoon storm in southwest Colorado’s San Juan Mountains near Telluride.

Autumn Storm – Honorable Mention
2012 “National Wildlife” magazine 42nd annual photography competition

All the honorable mention winners can be seen here:

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Eric’s question got me thinking about my most recent photo shoot that required air travel (Bosque del Apache) and my next one in February (birding on the west coast of Florida). I’ve never learned to travel light when it comes to camera bodies and lenses – especially lenses. As a wildlife and landscape photographer, my arsenal of lenses range from 16mm to 600mm and includes 16-35mm, 24mm tilt-shift, 24-105mm, 70-200mm, 400mm, and 600mm. Each has its purpose and to leave one or more at  home makes me feel kinda naked. But for the Bosque shoot, in an effort to minimize the size and weight of my second carry-on (the first was the 600mm) I decided not to take the 16-35mm and 70-200mm – BIG MISTAKE. I didn’t miss the 16-35mm too much although it would have been nice for a couple of spectacular sunrises and geese blast-offs. But not having the 70-200mm caused me to miss some potentially great shots which left me with a miserable feeling.

So the 70-200mm definitely goes to Florida – it is a stellar lens and I’ve learned my lesson. However, this is a bird shoot and landscape opportunities will be few so I will probably leave the 16-35mm and the 24mm tilt-shift behind just to save a little space and weight. However, getting two bodies and the big glass to Sarasota will still be a challenge. And that brings me to the topic of camera bags and cases. I am obsessive with bags. I’ve gone through more bags than I can count in search of the best combination of size, weight, protection, and comfort. To answer the question of which bag(s) I should use for a particular trip, there are always two basic considerations; 1) the best bag to get through the airports and 2) the best bag once I’m there. Frequently, the answer is different for each question. It is always a compromise and frequently a dilemma. I’m still looking for the perfect combination but in the mean time here is my current bag line up:

My camera bag obsession

Left to right:

1. Lowepro Lens Trekker 600 AW: This is my primary backpack for the 600mm lens EXCEPT when travelling by air. It is two inches taller than the max length allowed by many airlines. However, it is very sturdy and comfortable when carrying a big heavy lens for long periods of time. Version II (link) is the latest iteration and is just a bit shorter and meets airline standards (I think).
2. Lowepro Fastpack 250: This is the back pack I carry when I need to go small or as a second carry-on. It fits easily under an airline seat and can accommodate the 5D Mark II, EF400mm f/5.6L, EF 24-105mm, laptop and a bunch of accessories.
3. Tenba Shootout Backpack Medium: This is my day-to-day workhorse camera backpack. I’ve taken it from Alaska to Costa Rica and from Yosemite to Acadia. It has served me well since 2008. It easily holds the 5D MKII, EF400mm f/5.6L, EF70-200mm f/2.8L, EF16-35mm f/3.5L, EF24-105mm f/4.0L, and TS-E24mm plus room left over for accessories. It even has a zippered side slot for a small laptop. It is very sturdy and comfortable, even fully loaded.
4. Lowepro SlingShot 200: This is a small backpack good for the 5D MKII plus the EF24-105mm and EF16-35mm and a few accessories. It is a good “walking around” backpack for street photography or family events.
5. Kinesis L521 Polycore Long Lens Case 500: This is the case I use for the EF600mm f/4.0L when traveling by plane. It meets almost all domestic airline size limits for carry on baggage. It is not as sturdy nor as comfortable as the Lowepro Lens Trekker 600 AW but I’ve never had a flight attendant question its size.
6. Samsonite POS: I didn’t actually buy this one; I came as a promo with something else I bought years ago. The only thing it is good for is to be packed inside checked luggage loaded with filters, cables, and accessories.
7. ThinkTank Airport Security v2.0: This is the big kahuna. It weights 12.5 lbs empty, but at least it is a roller bag (it also has shoulder straps that turn it into a backpack but I’ve never used it this way). It will hold the EF600mm f/4.0L (body detached) and another lens or two. It is great for running through airport terminals but useless in the backwoods. I’ll use it when the destination requires NO significant hiking and I can leave the bag in the car while shooting.

The bottom line is this, first priority to traveling with photography gear is getting there with everything intact. If you can’t successfully negotiate the airport, your photo shoot will not be much fun nor productive. The second priority is understanding your shoot, in advance, so you have what you need to get your shot. But that is not always easy to determine, especially on your first visit to a particular location. Which reminds me of my first hike up the mountain to shoot Delicate Arch at Arches National Park with about 25lbs of gear and using only about 5 lbs of it once I got there. Despite that nasty experience, I still tend to over pack when it comes to lenses – because I’m surely not going back down the mountain to get a lens left in the car .

Anyway FWIW, here is my typical strategy for traveling with photography gear:

That’s how I get to where I’m going. So how do you do it; how do you get your stuff where you’re going? What bags do you use? What tricks have you learned? I’m looking forward to your thoughts.

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Here is one such image. I like the pose and the ruffled feathers give the crane a bit of character some of my more ordinary shots taken that day are lacking. The golden side lighting and extreme contrast give it a dramatic feel and are what I think keeps me coming back. But for those same reasons, I’ve been struggling with post processing.  I spent a lot of time experimenting with the white balance. The camera’s AWB shot it at 5000k. I finally settled at 6500k which of course warmed it up a lot. I also struggled with the contrast. Ultimately, after more experimentation, I increased contrast quite a bit because I felt the ruffled feathers were enhanced by more contrast and since they are what made this image somewhat unique I felt justified in pushing the contrast more than I normally would. And finally, I did a lot of cloning to remove twigs and miscellaneous gunk from the surface of the water.

I don’t know if my post processing on this shot is done or over-done. Regardless, I’ve decided to stop. I’ve lost track of how much time I’ve spent, probably at least three hours. I’ve come back to it and reworked the PP on several occasions. Sometimes feeling like I’ve made progress and other times feeling like I’ve ruined it. One thing is clear however, eventually you reach a point of diminishing returns where the improvements are so slight they are not worth the time investment to achieve them. Or in the worst case, you get it just right but you’ve been staring at it for so long you keep working it to the point where you’ve really made mess of things but don’t even realize it.

So I quit. I’m done. Stick a fork in it. You be the judge; done, or over-done?

Finished image

Unprocessed RAW file

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Thankfully, the Mayans were wrong and the future looks bright (well, somewhat brighter anyway). The fiscal cliff is looming just over the horizon but I expect the pols will eventually do the right thing and the cliff will be averted, or at least undone before something horrible happens. From a photography standpoint, 2013 is coming into focus (no pun intended). I am looking forward once again to Florida birding in February. I’ll reacquaint myself with sandhill cranes as they migrate through Nebraska in March, and for the first time, shoot the prairie chicken mating dance in April. Landscapes will be the theme for May, June, and July; mostly in Utah and Colorado. I’ll spend September in Grand Teton National Park for the fall rut and autumn color. And finally, I plan to return Bosque del Apache for the second time in December.

Thank you to everyone who has offered support and encouragement on these pages over the past year. I appreciate your friendship and camaraderie. Best wishes to you in the new year. 

Taking stock of 2012 . . .

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