For my final photo of the month for 2019, I choose a shot of a Tufted Titmouse taken at one of my new favorite little spots to capture birds. This small area at one of my favorite local spots is always full of tufted Timouses and Black-capped Chickadees. They dodge and weave through the tall grass and reeds at a pace almost too fast to capture. They quickly jump from reed to reed, nibbling on the tops for food. It feels like a little game I’m playing with the birds as I try to capture them while they jump and fly through the reeds. It seems like they understand what I’m doing, it’s like they are playing the game with me. Almost taunting me as they hang briefly on a reed, pose for a photo, and fly away before I can take any shots.
Read MoreMost of my time out shooting in November was spent taking photos of the deers at one of my favorite local spots. I was out looking for the big bucks running around during the rut. I saw my fair share of bucks, both big and small but never had a really good photographic opportunity with any of them. Most of the bucks were too busy chasing does around to stay around for very long, so I only walked away with snapshots.
Two weeks into the rut we were greeted with an early-season snowstorm that dropped about 8 inches of snow at my local photo spot. I was extremely eager to get out shooting in these conditions. On this very cold morning, I hiked to my go-to spot to see deer, an open field surrounded by woodland. I got to the field just as it got light enough to take photos. I set up my big lens on the tripod and sat down behind a patch of tall grass to give myself a little bit of cover. I settled in for a long period of watching and waiting for any deer who might come walking across the field.
Read MoreRoughly two years ago I took the above two photos on two separate trips. The first photo was taken in a rushed shoot during a peak autumn afternoon very far north in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. The second photo was taken up on the northwest coast of Michigan during a very cold and windy morning on the dunes. I love how I composed both of the photos I took on these separate occasions, but as time has passed I started to ask myself these questions. How can I make the photos better? What time of year would better suit these scenes? What type of light would work best? What can I do to make the photos print-worthy?
I feel I have learned a lot and improved many of my photography skills since taking these photos. I learned how to better compose a shot, how to expose a photo with post-processing in mind, how to pre-visualize the light interacting with a scene, and how to slow down. Besides learning skills and techniques I also learned a lot about myself as a photographer. I learned what my favorite type of light is, what my favorite time of the year to shoot is, and what emotions and feelings I want to convey in my photos. All of these factors combined to help me take the following two photos.
Read MoreI awoke on this morning to the soft trickle of rainwater falling from the vibrant leaves above my tent. It was cold, wet, and a bit windy, but in spite of these conditions, I was eager to get to the falls and begin shooting. I arrived at the falls just as it was light enough to see the perfectly autumnal trees begging to be photographed. I got out of my car and began the very short walk to the falls with the strong feeling it was going to be a great morning of photography. I was convinced I would come away with a couple of great shots, but what I got out of that morning was so much more than just a few photos. I walked away with a feeling of peace and a re-invigorated motivation for photography.
Read MoreScouting, discovering, and revisiting is how I spent most of my time out with the camera in September. With Fall quickly approaching, I went into full composition hunting mode. Fall was a struggle photographically for me last year due to the little time I had to go out shooting. I just simply didn’t have the time and to be honest didn’t have the energy to go out chasing Fall color. This left me feeling very disappointed by the time October ended, but this time around I want to change that. I returned to a few of the spots I frequent between Fall and Spring to see how the landscape has changed over the Summer. I even explored some new areas I previously have not spent much time in. I have a few compositions in mind that could turn out to be photos I would be very proud of. Needless to say, the outlook for capturing the beautiful Fall colors is much better than last year. Between heading North, and staying local, I should have two great windows of time to capture peak fall color. Now, I just simply have to believe in the compositions I have in mind and hope for great conditions and light.
Read MoreDuring the month of August, I shot in a wide range of places. I went from local marshland, to mighty rivers, to one of the Great Lakes, and back to the local marshland. Now sitting here at the end of August looking at this month’s photos, I can’t help but go back to a photo taken at the local marshland.
I was on a very peaceful morning walk along the maze of boardwalks over the water of the marshland when I came across this Chipping Sparrow. Perched on top of a reed, enjoying the warm morning sun inside his little home. I like this photo because it gives me the feeling of looking into the world of this little bird, peering through a window into its home of tall grass and reeds. The late summer foliage gives this bird a small, momentary sanctuary from the outside world. At first glance, it may seem this is the perfect little dwelling for the sparrow, but what you don’t see is the garbage littered in the water and grass at this birds doorstep. Below is a group of photos taken at my local marshland during this last month.
Read MoreIf you photograph nature you will probably agree with me when I say summer is the hardest season to photograph. The bugs are out, the sun rises far too early and sets way too late, everything is green and overgrown, and the light is harsh most of the day. I find it very hard to find much inspiration or motivation to shoot during the summer for the above reasons. In past summers, I have succumb to the lack of motivation and just stopped shooting nature expect for the bigger trips I took. However, I wanted to change that this summer. I wanted to push myself creatively, to see things in a different light (no pun intended), and continue to develop as a photographer. I have spoken about this before in a past Photo of the Month post, how I want to expand my creativity with the camera, and look at the finer details of a scene. And this month’s photo is the result of just that.
Read MoreI awoke on my last day in Grand Teton National Park to almost sub-freezing temperatures and heavy falling snow. The snowstorm didn’t just bring cold and snow, it also brought incredibly atmospheric conditions to shoot in. At the start of the morning, I was quite skeptical of coming away with any photos but I saw the potential the conditions provided. At first sight, the entire Teton mountain range was completely socked in with clouds which only confirmed my doubts for the morning. After an hour or so of driving around with nothing but cloud in sight, I accepted the fact that no photos of the mountains were going to be taken. So I tried my best to look for abstract and intimate scenes in the falling snow while also just simply enjoying my last morning of the trip.
Read MoreMay’s photo of the month is my attempt at expanding my photographic creativity past the obvious. In the last few months, I have focused on looking at the finer details while out with the camera. Such as the shapes made by cascading water, the reflections of a rock, or in this case a small branch with fresh leaves flowing in a stream. I have really enjoyed the process of looking closer at the smaller pieces to the larger landscape.
Read MoreI’m very proud of my photo of the month for April because it was the culmination of numerous things I have learned while photographing deer. I have failed more than I can count while attempting to take the perfect photo of this very skittish animal. Through my many failures, I have learned how to treat an encounter with deer to achieve the photos I’m after but, also ensure the comfort of the deer. The knowledge I have gained came together like pieces to a puzzle on this very chilly Saturday morning.
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