Underwater fishing before the SWIM

Here are a few images from the photo shoot just before my camera involuntarily decided to go for a swim.

It gives you an idea the quality of fish and the beautiful scenery I had to work with. Zack, the angler gets a little to serious....only when trying to hold a fish....this is the last shot I took before the camera went down.

Having the underwater housing lets you get down and dirty and try new angles that you might otherwise pass on....this being my favorite from the trip.

Wonder Day

Every photo or film shoot has its wonder day. Every time I'm out on a trip I always have one day that sticks with me. One dayin which everything just comes together perfectly.

Right now I'm camped in a wall tent in the middle of CO close to 12000 feet. A blizzard just hit this morning and visibility was minimal. But the filming was incredible. A wonder day that my frozen toes and fingers will always remember!

MORNING STROLL

This is what happens every once in a while when you get up early and go for a stroll down the road. Luck was on my side but patience and experience paid off at the same time. This beautiful great-grey owl sat on a fence-post right next to the road. I walked past him admiring his beauty, turned back and headed towards home to get the camera.

The owl was some distance away when I set up. He/she was hunting field mice, flying fence post to fence post. Keep in mind I have my 80-200 with an extender and the markII5D(which just recently went for a swim). No, not the 500mm or any other fancy lens just the basic good equipment. I set up across the road in the ditch and waited for him to move. Within 5 minutes he had flown to my side of the road and was moving up the fenceposts right at me.


This guy ended up 2 fenceposts away from me searching for breakfast. The pictures can tell the rest of the story.

UNDERWATER

Here are a few pics with my new underwater housing. The water is still murky but it is still good enough to work the kinks out. This first image still has the cover showing, but in a way helps frame the image.




This second image is of a rainbow trout....in which the water is still a bit too murky for good detail. Trying to guess focus underwater is by far the toughest thing to do. Auto focus doesn't work in such low light conditions.






My favorite images were ones that were partially out of the water. It adds a totally different element to the photograph.

More to come.....and they will only get better now that the kinks are worked out.

LONG OVERDUE

This title can work in 2 ways. One I have been slacking like crazy with the blog. And two it can work as a title for this piece. I'm not going to go into detail about the image rather have you try to figure out the "mood" No free pics on this one as it is too easy.

I put this image together late one evening as a stress reliever. It took about 5 minutes, but definitely has something going. I'll come back to it in a week or so and see where to go with it.

Guesses and comments welcome!!

REPRESENTATION

This image tells the tale of this spring. 4 feet of snow just North of us....I'm glad we aren't still on the Smith River!!!!

Lawn Ornament???

It's amazing what people will put in their lawns to attract attention.

Is this real? And if so how in the world did he get in there?

Another Angle

Here you go. Hopefully this takes more than 3 guesses like last weeks image. 1st right guess gets a free 8 by 10 print from my website. Anyone outside of the US will receive a free upload for the image of their choice.

Either post your guess on the blog or on my facebook page!!

Good luck!!

COYOTES

Here are a few images revealing the long drawn out winter we are having this spring. Grabbing an image of a coyote can be a challenge. They are always on the move, and when they aren't they are sleeping. You have to be ready at all times with these guys because you never know when they are going to jump up and take off. Be prepared to walk a lot of miles!!




Deep snow usually helps because then the coyotes tend to use the road from time to time for travel...same as the bison and other large animals. Great if you are shooting, not so great if you are stuck in a traffic jam trying to get around them.




Point A to point B. I try to tell the whole story when photographing wildlife. There was a gentleman who stopped next to me and jumped out to take a photograph.... the only difference was that I had my 80-200 mm lens out and he pulled out his 600mm. I'm sure he got a great tight shot, but after he clicked the shutter a few times he jumped back in his car and left. The story, to me, here is not just a tight face shot of a coyote, but his destination, and his past. How did he get there? What was the surrounding terrain? What is he doing? Provide enough information in the photograph so that the viewer can create their own story.





Tough image to see so small, but 3 coyotes are running thru deep fresh snow. The only tracks are the ones left behind.

MYSTERY IMAGE

I have been struggling to find an image that will stump the viewers. But it has challenged me to think outside the box...on how I usually shoot.

So here goes...an image that isn't that hard to figure out....but you must be very specific on what this is. Good luck....either respond here on the blog or on facebook.

First one to guess right wins a free 8 by 10 print off my website. If outside the USA I'll send you the file.

3 SHOTS TO CHOOSE FROM

Another fishing blog.....what can I say....tiz the season and I love to fish. Here are three images taken within 10 shots in the field....all with completely different feelings. I used a polarizer which gives the images a warm tint...a little warmer than usual. But nice




The first was taken immediately...hence the net. The net actually helps fill the empty space that would have otherwise been there without it.






This second shot was just a fun shot with our curious dog "Emma" checking out the action. Adds companionship while out fishing. Someone to smile to and share the experience.





The third shot creates a bit of mystery. No faces are present which channels the viewers eye back towards the fish, the main subject. You still know who else is present but now you get to create their faces and expressions instead of them being told for you.

I'd love to get opinions, feedback, and favorites....with explanations. Don't be shy. I promise to post a mystery image tomorrow....in which the winner will receive a free print of their choice.

WINTER FISHING in SPRING

Another spring fishing trip turned winter. But the fish were still biting!! Here are a few shots from the trip.




The first is your standard fishing shot. Big fish, guy smiling, scenery in the background. Did I say big fish!! The colors were amazing.






Here is a shot I took after the standard setup. Typically when I'm on any shoot the first 20 shots or so are simple and less creative until I work out the kinks. At first I'm so excited to be out shooting that I just shoot everything I see for the first few minutes. Then I take a deep breath, step back, and get creative.

This second shot isn't amazing...but it is a different angle than most fishing shots you see in magazines.








Macro in the works. I was going to use this for the mystery image, but it is too obvious. FYI I will be posting a mystery image by next week...one is in the works. The toughest thing to do is grab focus, because macro is very up close and personal. And with live subjects and no tripod a lot of patience and a little luck are needed. The end result is worth it.







This final shot is the most creative of all from me because it opens up new doors for the next time I go out and shoot. It was a bit risky though, because I don't have an underwater housing kit. The bottom of the lens was literally in the water and creates the extra dimension. There were a few midges on top and a 25 inch fish in the water. Life doesn't get much better than this.

Macro

I just bought a new macro adaptor...10 bucks...took it out for a few trial shots today and was impressed with it's performance. Everything was obviously set to manual. You can find the adaptor at http://www.dealextreme.com Test your exposure and go have fun with it. I will be taking this out in the field to try on the smaller animals of the world shortly.

If you can be the first to guess what this image is of I will send you a free 8 by 10 print of your choice of any picture on my website. Good luck. First right guess wins!!

WINTERY SPRING

While fishing season seemed only moments away we were once again blasted with a few weeks of winter weather. Therefore this blog is dedicated to one of my favorite animals. The bison.



I went to Yellowstone in search of some spring bear photographs...but no such luck yet. Most of the roads are closed until the middle of next month....which once open will help in finding them. In the meantime here are a few bison shots. The first was obviously very close up. I was protected inside a barrier which consists of 4 wheels.




This second shot portrays the hardship these animals endure. WINTER in the park is not a nice creature and sometimes you can see the look of despair in bison's eyes.



This last image shows fresh tracks after a snow-storm passed through. The herd continues to move until they can find food. Temps here are incredibly cold for many months....and how they maintain the will to stay alive fascinates me. They truly are an amazing creature.

SPRING FISHING

Fishing season is here!!! This is a warm up trip for the year and it produced some nice images. The first shot is a low angle shot of the fisherman(Diesel) prepping to net a fish.




This image was taken in the early morning with frost still on the ground. The background is a campfire, camp chair, and orvis boots drying off by the fire.





Here is a 22 inch rainbow Jeff is releasing. Dark simple colors on the fisherman help set the mood of how cold the water and weather is.



Colorful big fish!!! Again taken at a low angle and add a bit of flash to enhance the colors. There is a lot more to photographing trout than walking up and snapping a shot. The first, and hardest is to have guys who can catch big fish. The second is find guys who know how to handle them properly. Then they have to be willing to keep their hands in 36 degree water for 5 minutes while you set up and shoot. It all is worth while in the end.

WINTER MORNING SCENICS

Compare this first image to the previous post...the same shot with a few upgrades. Though after looking at them more closely it is a toss up...depends upon one's mood.






Yesterday's shoot was another that was snowy and overcast. I mostly shot video on assignment, but had time to stop and take a few scenics and wildlife shots. Here are a couple of images. This first one, above, is very similar to one from the last posting. With a little added snow and foreground light it is completely different. Again I backed the truck up to it, forgot the ladder for added height, but got high enough to make the shot work.

This second shot is another scenic to show how miserable it was out in the snow. Cold and empty the setting was. Nothing special but a fun shot to mess around with later in post...where I can add a cepia-tone to it.




This third shot is my favorite, though it is going to be a tough sale. It was a fly by jump out of the truck one click shot, which is why I like it. I caught this pheasant looking across the field at a bunch of ducks flying overhead. It has a great feel to it, and I even went into photoshop and took the railings out to give a little more room. It didn't look as natural as this.

Don't forget to click on the images to view a larger sample.

Here are a few images from last nights shoot. I was hoping for sunny skies but a storm moved in right when set up so I made the most of what I had.



This first image is of a bunch of mallards that came in right in front of where I set up. The wind was blowing 30 mph therefore they had to set up fast to come in. I tried many times to shoot tight but with the hazy sky a wide shot worked best.



This second shot was taken from the same location...two swans were circling over the pond trying to find a place to land. Sunlight would have been ideal here to shoot head on...but I ended up waiting until they were right above me to swing the camera around for a quick shot. Nothing special but still a usable image.



This shot I took on my way back to the truck. The storm had moved over and was hitting the mountains. It gave me a chance to take a quick shot before it got to dark in the foreground. A fisherman or waterfowl would be ideal in the foreground...photoshop junkies here you go.



This last shot was taken right at dark. It was one that I wish I could have gotten to 10 minutes earlier but you take what you can get at the time. It is one that I will come back to when I have a little more light to work with. I had to run to the truck and drive back here to get elevated for the shot. Again, next time I will bring a ladder to put on the truck, back in a bit further to the water, and hope for a bit more light. This image states its purpose for the time being.

Here are a couple of shots I took last week. The first is of a bighorn sheep in Yellowstone Park. This was not an easy shot to get...as the snow was over 2 feet deep in Lamar Valley. I had to make a big circle around the sheep to get this backdrop. I shot it tight at first but then found this shot to be the best.


The second shot I took while standing on the side of the interstate. I was driving to a film shoot at sunrise and happened to look back and see this in my rear-view mirror. Shot with a wide angle lens on the canon 5D. Just caught it at the right time before the light broke thru.

Keep shooting.

INJURED



Here is as photograph of Injured, the guy on the left. He is bull elk I have been keeping track of in Yellowstone National Park. He is on his way to recovery. About a month ago he wasn't able to put any weight on his left hind leg due to an injury just below the knee. I couldn't tell exactly how he obtained the injury, but it was swollen 3 times the normal size. Glad to see he is going to make the winter--here is an image of him with his companions...I'll post video soon of them. The winter still isn't over and wolves have moved into that drainage, but I think if he can keep up with the other 3 bulls he will be protected. Good luck, and stay with your buddies.

Capture the moment. Sometimes you only get one shot.

Headed out the door to photograph ducks and geese.