Checklist for a Photography Trip

I've learned that I'd better check what equipment I'm packing and then check it twice before I leave on a trip. I've had too many trips where I got off in a hurry, grabbed my stuff, and then got on location and didn't have something I like to use.  I always get by with the equipment I have, but sometimes I miss something that got left behind.

I also have a house check list as well . . . so here goes:

Photography & Wildlife Watching equipment

All lenses with their circular polarizing filters, ND grad filters, etc
Everything in the big camera bag that belongs there
          (Sensor cleaning equipment, bulb blower, extra lens caps,  etc)
Hot shoe levels
Shutter release cable
All purpose tripod
Plenty of camera cards - preferably formatted and ready to go
Camera Batteries
Camera Card Reader
Portable hard drives - 2 so that I can have immediate backups before formatting cards
Cables for hard drives
Computer with charging cable
Big lens
Big lens tripod
New tote to roll big lens and tripod when on location and the distance to haul heavy stuff
       is too far for comfortable hauling

Extra quick release plates (all cameras, bigger lenses, and scope should have their own

      release plate in my opinion.)

Small window mount for photographing lightning from the safety of the car

Lens cleaning cloths

Miscellaneous items to pack

Cell phone with alarm for early morning wakeup calls
Binoculars for spotting birds and wildlife
Scope for close views of birds and wildlife
Bird books, wildflower books, etc

Portable chair

Sunscreen

Mosquito repellant

Hand sanitizer

Kleenez

Water bottles

Ice Chest

Leaving home

Air conditioner set at reasonable level
Dishes washed
Doors locked
Alarms set
Plants watered - watering arrangements made
Horse fed - and feeding arrangements made
House watching and house sitting arranged

Now that these are all taken care of . . . we're off on a short trip - birdwatching first - science fiction convention and probably more birding for me.

I'm hoping to photograph purple gallinules tomorrow!

Atlantic Puffins

At Bull's Bay, we checked in at Mullowney's Puffin and Whale Tours.  We were the only ones there for the next cruise, but they agreed to take us!  Since our time in Newfoundland was limited, it was such a blessing to get to do the puffin tour without having to come back the next day.

I've been fascinated with puffins since I saw tufted puffins along the Oregon coast.

Off the Newfoundland coast on rocky islands, Atlantic puffins nest in small burrows surrounded by grass.  One parent stands guard.

Puffins nest as far south as Maine and on islands across the North Atlantic from Iceland to Ireland and from northern France to Norway.

Excellent fishers, they float in the water until our boat startles them.  Puffins are fast flyers.  If I could go back, I would use a faster shutterspeed - 1/250 sec wasn't fast enough! They are challenging to photograph because you must lock on for focus before they startle into flight. 

Puffins can carry as many as 30 small fish to bring back to the nest, but usually only carry up to 10.

Atlantic Puffins can live to be 30 years old. They choose their life mate when 3 to 5 years old.  They only come to land to breed and raise their chicks, surviving well far out into the ocean.  Strong swimmers they can dive to 200 feet. In flight they can fly up to 55 miles per hour.

Their greatest enemies are the great black-backed gull which can capture a puffin in flight or on the ground and herring gulls who steal the fish and pull chicks and eggs from the nests.

Los Madrones

Los Madrones is one of several ranches that has converted from agricultural usage to conservation usage. Mike Murphy and his wife, Julie are working to improve habitat for the endangered species the golden cheeked warbler and also for the Rio Grande Turkey. Members of the Texas Hill Country Nature Photography Alliance, there are numerous blinds with both feeding stations and water features that attract many species of birds as well as other native "critters." It is a great place for both birders and photographers. It is also a great place to get away from the hustle and bustle of city life for a quiet retreat back to nature.

Guests stay at the Casita, a beautiful cabin with both sleeping quarters and a small well equipped kitchen.



The living room is comfortable, but purposefully without TV so that guests can have the opportunity to commune with the beautiful natural surroundings and the peaceful tranquil evenings. Wireless internet is available for those who must stay connected with the outside world.



While there are some nearby restaurants for breakfast and dinner (and I found menus for those restaurants on the table), I wanted to fully enjoy my time at the ranch both for the evening light and sunset and the early morning birding, so I brought a simple dinner and breakfast. The refrigerated came with cream for your coffee and beverages of your choice.



I love the way the perches were set up. Mike provides bird seed, peanut butter, oranges, and bark butter. You can rearrange the props and put the bark butter where you would like the birds to come in to perch.



The blinds are comfortable and it was easy to set up my 300-800 mm lens. Had I been shooting with my 100-400, I would have moved the perches closer to the blind.



There is also a wonderful area around Little Bee Creek that I'm looking forward to exploring when the drought is officially over and the water is flowing again.

My bird list for my stay:
red tailed hawk
bobwhite quail
Northern Cardinal
Carolina Chickadee
House finch
Lark Sparrow
Lesser goldfinch
Mourning Dove
White winged dove
Painted bunting (female)
Rufous crowned Sparrow
Scrub jay
Brown headed cowbird

I heard chuck will's widow, scarlet tanager, and I think one of the turkeys.

There were deer at the blind right before dawn and squirrels.

I'm looking forward to going back to Los Madrones during the fall or next spring - a peaceful place, congenial hosts, comfortable accomodations, great birding and photography opportunities!

Today's Bird Photos

Today was my birthday and I decided to spend part of it on my front porch photographing the birds at my feeders. I had one that I wanted to photograph so that I could send the image to a bird expert, because I was having a difficult time with identifying it.

Here are some of the better shots of the day:

I get large numbers of white winged doves. It is amazing how many of them can fit on the feeder at one time!



As I was taking my shots, I visualized trying to get wing action as they landed or flew off. This one probably worked the best.



This is my mystery bird. I think it might be a Lincoln sparrow, but those black smudgy marks on the sides don't match the illustrations in my Sibleys. I've sent it to an expert to confirm the id.



I still have lots of white crowned sparrows.



I figure they'll be leaving to migrate north before too long.



I've been very pleased to have a pair of red bellied woodpeckers visit my burr oak tree. I have this suet feeder set up usually with a fruity suet and a woodpecker suet. I sure hope they bring chicks to my feeder!

The Rattlesnake Dance

Saturday morning my computer decided that it did not want to work. The earliest we could schedule a Genius Bar appointment was on Sunday afternoon. I was pretty bummed, because I have a major project due at the end of the week. To be honest, my computer IS my brain in so many ways, it was daunting to think I would probably not get it back until Wednesday or Thursday, making that entry to the BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year difficult to say the least.

So . . . Henry got me out of the house and we headed for the Hill Country to check out the early season wildflowers. One one stretch of dirt road in between Llano, Johnson City, and Fredericksburg, he stopped and backed up. I knew he'd seen something I had not so I said, "What did you see?" His answer: "Mating rattlesnakes!"

Being bummed when we left, I did NOT bring my camera gear - BIG MISTAKE! This would have been a sequence of photos worthy for any wildlife photgraphy competition - good lighting, intriguing interaction . . . close enough that I think the 100-400 would have gotten great shots from the safety of the car.

The snakes were on Henry's side, so he pulled out his Iphone. I have used Genuine Fractals to blow them up a little at least to be able to share them on my blog.

In all the years of driving the backroads, every now and then you see a natural wonder that you know you're unlikely to see again. One year it was a very new fawn . . . this year these rattlesnakes . . .



I came home to the web to read more about rattlesnake behavior after watching this amazing courtship. Apparently in the spring as they are coming out from their winter slumbers, rattlesnakes spend hours twisting, curling, intertwining. Later the female gives birth to live babies which are then left to fend for themselves.



Part of the viper family, they are extremely poisonous, but they have their place in the natural world. These were far from human habitation, so they are not a threat to anyone but the small mice and rodents and bird's nests.




I'm glad we got to watch their courtship . . . and, yes, I'm glad we were in our car rather than out walking.

The NANPA Summit

A NANPA Summit is an amazing event. It is so amazing to watch the truly great photographers of our time present their images in either the large auditorium or the Breakout sessions. Not only do your eyes get a visual treat, but hearing about the images - how they were made, why they were made, the story behind them . . . I find myself inspired to go back out there and find those images that will be uniquely mine! I find myself educated about not only the techniques in making better photos, but also the photography business itself.

My schedule so far:

Darrell Gulin: Marketing Your Work in an Ever-Changing Photographic World
The good news - while stock photography has had its downward pricing pressure, there is still a market for those truly unique images.

Kathy Adams Clark: Professional Tips for Workshop and Tour Leaders
I've been to Kathy's trainings before - she is always knowledgeable and teaches effectively. One of my long term goals would be to lead workshops or tours. She really covered all the issues and things that you need to think about and prepare for to do this successfully.

Art Wolfe: Keynote Address: Between Heaven and Earth
One of the best nature photographers of our generation, I got to hear him talk about his early work climing Mount Everest and traveling through the Himalayas. His mountain photos are stunning. His portraits bring you face to face with people who live in such a different world - happy, sad, worshipful, clean, dirty . . . What opportunities he has had and what he has done with those opportunities! WOW!

Les Saucier: Macro Secrets: Advanced Tools and Techniques for the Macro Photographer
I've been to Nancy Rotenberg's macro workshop and learned a lot. He added a different perspective and slightly different tools. I learned when to use the 50D closeup lens (which I have) and when to use the 250D closeup lens (which I don't have) He also uses some interesting flashlights that I want to think about adding to my tools.

Grover Sanschagrin: Capture the Photo Editor: Best Practices in Photographer Websites
Grover is co-founder of PhotoShelter - I was most interested in his results from a survey of photo buyers as to what they like in a website and what they don't like. What keeps them checking your photos, what sends them away from your page perhaps never to return. The good news for me - my new website is close, but I've got to work more on it.

Bill Fortney - Keynote Address: America from 500 Feet II - the Rediscovering America Project
Another WOW! I was fighting tears as I watched this presentation. I found out at the lunch table that I was not the only one. His books: America from 500 Feet and America from 500 Feet II have incredible photography. The first was photographed from an ultralight, the second from a parachute plane. But what was so touching was how he told the story of these great adventures. He used music and shared the thoughts that went into the dreams and execution of this great project. Well worth ordering the sound track from NANPA. It can be downloaded as MP3. Get your hanky out and have one of the books nearby. As a Christian photographer, I was especially moved by how he was able to tell his Christian story humbly and movingly and appropriately for the setting.

Nancy Carrizales, Danita Delimont, and Jain Lemos: Textbook and Educational/Editorial Licensing in 2009: What Photographers Should Understand about Licensing Terms
This was somewhat technical, but it provided much needed information about licensing photographs in the educational/textbook markets - one that is still a valuable income stream for photographers. ASMP (American Society of Media Photographers) has been working for a number of years trying to standardize wording in licensing photographs. The Plus (Picture Licensing Universal System) is an invaluable resource in understanding what all the words in a 14 page legal contract mean. These ladies are truly experts in their field - well worth my time!

Bill Clark: Taking the Next Step: Bylines and Publications on a Part-Time Basis
So much what I needed to hear right now. This one will also be worth paying for the MP3 download. Using humor and practical ideas, he really spells out what to be doing in the current economy, to be ready when the demand for photos comes back. He gives good strategies for getting started as a professional photography and how to build a career - one small step at at time. I love his saying: "Don't just talk about going home and getting started . . . go home and DO it!" He's right, it is all too easy to get fired up at NANPA with great ideas for what we want to do and then get home and have the mundane world or procrastination keep us from accomplishing what we are capable of.

See what I mean - I get such a great education every time I come to a NANPA Summit. And . . . I still have one more day!