Wildlife parks and zoos are an excellent place to observe animal behaviors and master your camera functions. I often get asked about photographing at wildlife parks, and specifically how to take pictures through a fence or glass. This article I wrote provides the answers and will prepare you for success. Published worldwide in the Photographic Society of America (PSA) Journal, June 2021. View and Download Article
Consider these elements when culling thru your images to select those to process. 4-Legged Mammals Eyes are tack sharp Catch light in eyes The whites of the eyes are showing Shot is at eye level or below with the animal (not above eye level) No blown-out white highlights on the animal, unless it’s rim light Ears up and facing in the same direction the animal is looking For frontal straight-on shots, the nose is sharp in addition to tack sharp…
Let it snow!!! And there was a lot of snow in Montana in January 2018. I always look forward to the Wildlife in Winter workshop. Adjacent to the Rocky Mountains, the Kalispell area is a stunning location. The workshop is offered through Triple D, which has been in business for over 40 years, offering a variety of animal species to photograph in a large selection of natural settings. Participants have the opportunity to photograph trained animals and work with experienced…
It was 6:15 am and Janice, that’s my wife, and I were heading to the Riparian Preserve at Water Ranch, in Gilbert, Arizona, just a few miles south and east of Scottsdale. Riparian, an unusual word, means relating to wetlands adjacent to rivers and streams. I’m relatively new to wildlife photography and even newer to birds in flight, which some say is the most challenging type of wildlife photography there is. In 2014, I got an invite to attend a wildlife photo…
Use at least 300 mm lens focal length. Use Aperture Priority or Manual Exposure Mode. Set the aperture to f/4 – f/6.3 and shutter speed to 1/500s. Set ISO to 800. Use Auto Focus and the Continuous or AI Servo setting. Set Auto Focus Area Mode to Single or Spot. Find a shaded area of the fence. Place the lens as close to the fence as possible. Place the focus point on the animal’s eyes or face. Sample photos through…
Laura is the best domestic cat photographer I know. So good that her photos from Paw Placement Animal Rescue enticed me to adopt 2 cats in 2013 and then hire her to photograph both of them at my house. She captured their individual personalities in her photos and I am grateful for her services. Here is Laura’s story and some of her special little cat photos… I specialize in pet photography and mainly I photograph little cats. My love for cats was…
Did you know hummingbirds are found only in the Americas? Of the 342 known species, 16 breed in the United States. Hummingbirds migrate at a time determined by genetic programming. Sedona Arizona is on the migration path as hummers fly to their winter destinations. For about two weeks in the the middle of August, they stop and rest in the yards of hummingbird-friendly Sedona residents. Hummers return to sites where they found good food supplies the year before. They eat insects…
It’s very flattering to have a fellow photographer, especially one as talented as Kathleen, ask you to be a guest blogger to talk about your own photography. So, let me start off with a big thank you to Kathleen for the invite. I met Kathleen thru a mutual friend, Prayeri Harrison, one of the owners/founders of Out of Africa Wildlife Park in Arizona. I went to the Park frequently to keep my photography skills up to speed, try different ways…
Minnesota is the most northern state outside of Alaska, and has 90,000 miles of shoreline, more than California, Florida and Hawaii combined. There are an estimated 12,000-15,000 black bears in Minnesota. Photographing the North American Black Bear was the purpose of this 3-day photo workshop and it was wildly successful with over 150 sightings. Check out the photos below to see a sampling of the bears my group photographed and how close we were on the ground to these free-roaming animals.…
What could an Animal Communicator and Holistic Energy Healer have in common with a Wildlife Photographer? Most importantly, a passion and love for wildlife. I have been following Kathleen Reeder’s wonderful wildlife photography for several years now. Until recently, we had not met in person but were connected through Facebook and have both held workshops at Out Of Africa Wildlife Park on our respective subjects. I could see through her beautiful images that we both share an immense passion for…