The Way We See It: Bird

Showing posts with label Bird. Show all posts

Sunday, September 22, 2013

The Color of Costa Rica

Chestnut-mandibled Toucan (Ramphastos ambiguss swainsonii) - Hacienda Baru, Costa Rica
Canon 5D Mark III + Canon 300mm f2.8L IS + Canon 1.4x Converter

The Way We See It is on the move!
We have constructed a new gallery / website and blog where we will continue to discuss photography, travel, ecology, evolution and life in Minnesota. Please continue to follow us and our adventures at: http://btleventhal.com

Saturday, September 7, 2013

Summer 2013 : Live Your Passion

Suburban Coyote (Canis latrans) - White Bear Lake, MN
Canon 50D + Canon 300mm f2.8L IS + Canon 1.4x converter

It’s the annual end of summer post. For years I have blogged my ode to summer as a lament to the loss of freedom and a return to a year of work. At times I’ve eluded to a fabled purgatory or indentured servitude, but each of these references were always intended to be tongue in cheek.

The Singer (Melospiza melody) - Chippewa Preserve
Canon 5D Mark iii + Canon 300mm f2.8L IS

I am a conservation photographer and artist, but this is only one of my two passions. My work, “the job,” is to teach. Teaching biology and exploring the working of life’s biodiversity is my other passion. I’ve been playing the role of a teacher since 1992, and am now a seasoned actor. Once a young buck among a sea of future retirees, I am now the old guy. Yet, with 22 years in the bank, I’m not one of those wannabe’s looking to leave the profession.

Northern Saw-whet Ow (Aegolius acadicus) - North Central WI
Canon 5D Mark iii + Canon 300mm f2.8L IS

The onset of the school year is as exciting and tense as capturing an ephemeral moment with my camera at the break of dawn. I feel the same pressure and fear of failure during my first week back to work as I do when photographing a fleeting moment. This fear is tempered by the sense of potential that also floods my thoughts. Much like photography, teaching excites me. The unknown product of my efforts and desire to improve what I do each day is a redundancy in these two passions of mine.

Chippewa Prairie State Park - Minnesota
Canon 5D Mark iii + Canon 17-40 f4.0L

It’s been a good summer. I’ve photographed the prairies of Minnesota, the deep woods of the Midwest, and the jungles of Costa Rica. I’ve explored the details in bird feathers and frog eyes and climbed mountains to catch the start of a new day. This will be a good year too. I will craft rich lessons that will illuminate young minds, and paint a picture of the life found on this Earth. So rather than author yet one more lament, just this once I’ll let the real truth speak for itself... this educator has a nice life ;-)

Sunday, April 21, 2013

Deep Knowledge

Wet Grizzly Bear (Ursus arctos horribilis) - Banff National Park, Canada
Canon 7D + Canon 300 f2.8L IS

Cliché warning.... the world wide web is the great equalizer.

New information streams at a unattainable rate, so I resort to summary sources to fill the immense cognitive vacuum; born is the literate poser. Original works take too long to digest, are cluttered by their obtuse detail, and often mask the bottom line. A three hour investment on the source yields deep knowledge of minutia and little else. Science Daily and Science News are my crutch, I am a poser.

Crane Lake - Lake Country, MN
Canon 7D + Tokina ATX-II 12-24mm f4.0

Today’s world of bits, bytes, and data create an opportunity for many while diluting greatness that might be lurking among the throngs of web participants. In the near past, it was easy to sort through the trash and find nuggets of gold. Outstanding works of art, literature and science seemed to radiate from within the pile, but today’s trash heap is so dense that the singularities are buried too deep to see.

Spring Crane (Grus canadensis) - Manning Trail, MN
Canon 40D + Canon 300 f2.8L IS + Canon 2x Converter Mk II

Like many, I am web junky. I frequent the usual sources like the NYTimes.com, Politco, HuffingtonPost, ScienceDaily, TechNews, and DPReview. Far from knowledgeable, I know a little about everything and a lot about nothing. Knowledge is good, but deep knowledge is better. In teaching biology, I find that my years of investment in the field, lectures, and labs are the platform for my classroom creativity. Deep knowledge serves me well when working with neophytes, but the farther I am removed from my formal training, the shallower I become. I try to leverage my losses with a voracious appetite for the ubiquitous glossy summaries available to us all... the web is the great equalizer for a homogenizing society.

Gondola Sunrise - Venice, Italy
Canon 5D Mk I + Canon 24-105 f4.0L IS

The context for my lament points directly towards my passion for seeing nature and being a participant in this world. The skills I developed with film are the foundation from which I now work the digital platform. Exemplary work, once relegated to the few willing to invest the sweat to learn, is now readily available to the masses. Like the world wide web, digital is the great equalizer. Average shooters become experts in months instead of years, and images that once took years to conceive are produced and shared freely every day. Deep knowledge serves us well when striving to be the best, but remedial skills coupled with amazing technology now makes fools gold glitter with brilliance.

Saturday, March 23, 2013

Where is it?

Resplendent Quetzal (Pharomachrus mocinno costaricensis) - Savegre Mountain Hotel, Costa Rica
Canon 40D + Canon 300mm f2.8L IS + Canon 2x v1 Converter

Much like the desperation experienced during a futile search for cryptic wildlife, I am left with a burning question... where is it?
Etched in permanent ink are the words "Vernal Equinox." I scribbled this in haste during the endless dark, two words that would make any scrabble player proud. In Minnesota, the Vernal Equinox signals the end of a cold Hell that only Dante could so eloquently describe. March 20th at 8:02 a.m. (cdt) 2013, the equinox, it came and then it went. I wanted to strip myself of winter's burden and dance naked in the glow of the sun, but I made a better choice. It was 6℉ (-14℃) when Spring sprung and three days later it is still damn cold. I've kept my clothes on and I've begun the hunt... I'm looking for Spring, it's lost and and needs to be returned. If you find it, please send me an email.

Friday, December 28, 2012

Reflections...

American Avocet (Recurvirostra americana) - Bolsa Chica Wildlife Refuge, CA
Canon 5D mark iii + Canon 300mm f2.8L IS w/ Canon 1.4x converter

No words... just an metaphor in the form of an image as one year comes to a close and another begins.

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Tip #65: Make Eye Contact

Downy Great horned Owl (Bubo virginianus) - Minnesota
Canon 1D markII + Canon 300mm f2.8L IS + Canon 2x Converter

Eye contact makes an impact. Be patient when working your avian subjects and wait for the fleeting moment when their eyes lock onto your lens. This type of image resonates with our primate brains. Like most birds, we are a visual lot and eye-to-eye moments feel like a direct encounter. If you're seeking to captivate your viewer, the eyes have it!

Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula) - St. Croix River, Minnesota
Canon 7D + Canon 300mm f2.8L IS @ f3.2

Saturday, April 7, 2012

Tip #64: Be a Bird, Go Where they Live

Double-crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus) - St. Croix River
Canon 7D + Canon 300mm f2.8L IS @ f3.2

Above average, that's how I'd rank my skills as a bird photographer. I'm not a bird specialist, just a nature generalist who will pursue birds when the opportunity presents itself. Because I'm not very good at calling in song birds and lack the bling to buy the type of telephoto that can extract them from a busy background, I tend to photograph the mega-fauna in this class of vertebrates. If I've described you, then you might find my next five tips to be useful.

Tip #64: Be a Bird, Go Where they Live

Nest Bound Heron (Ardea herodias) - St. Croix River
Canon 7D + Canon 300mm f2.8L IS @ f3.2

To make these photos, a canoe was my most important piece of kit. The birds pictured are traveling to and from a riverine rookery situated on an island. While the nests are visible, they could not be easily photographed from shore. By using a canoe in the late afternoon, we were able to paddle ourselves to the wildlife. If you are going to be a bird in the pursuit of a unique image, it is important that you respect the subject. These animals were constructing nests, courting, and incubating eggs. The reproductive imperative reduced their fear of intruders, but do not confuse this temporary tolerance with domesticity. Be sensitive to their bubble, as no one photograph is worth a failed nesting season.

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Tip #63: Keeping up with the Joneses

Sharp-tailed Grouse Drumming (Tympanuchus phasianellus)
8MP of Old Canon Goodness + Sigma 300 f2.8 w/ Sigma 1.4x Converter

Don’t look now, but the guy next door has a new camera! That new bauble probably takes great picture, but don’t be fooled by its curvaceous form, it actually requires a photographer to make images.

Short Flight after the Drums (Tympanuchus phasianellus)
8MP of Old Canon Goodness + Sigma 300 f2.8 w/ Sigma 1.4x Converter

Captivating photographs are produced by artists who study their subject, understand light and make the time to be there. Do not succumb to the limits of your technology... the best camera is the one in your hands today!

Sharp-tailed Grouse Displaying (Tympanuchus phasianellus)
8MP of Old Canon Goodness + Sigma 300 f2.8 w/ Sigma 1.4x Converter

New tools come and go, but real talent resides within. I say, wear those blinders, follow your passion, and embellish the inner artist.

Time out at the Lek (Tympanuchus phasianellus)
8MP of Old Canon Goodness + Sigma 300 f2.8 w/ Sigma 1.4x Converter

Sunday, March 4, 2012

Tip #55: Crop It!

Territorial (Trumpeter Swans: Cygnus buccinator)
Square Crop
Canon 7D + Canon 300mm f2.8IS L w/ Canon 1.4x Converter @ f5.6
Minnesota

The title says is it all...
Every camera and lens combination has the potential to enhance or constrain your vision. For example, the sensor in the typical digital SLR matches the 35mm format with its 3:2 framing ratio. In contrast, 4/3 (FT) and µ4/3 (MFT) cameras are defined by a smaller sensor with a 4:3 ratio. Prior to my transition to digital in 2003, I used medium format 645 and 6x6 cameras. I loved the large transparencies from these systems, especially the square images I produced with my classic Hasselblad.

Territorial (Trumpeter Swans: Cygnus buccinator)
Full Frame
Canon 7D + Canon 300mm f2.8IS L w/ Canon 1.4x Converter @ f5.6
Minnesota

During a recent winter shoot, I had the opportunity to capture the drama of pre-mating rituals. Here the trumpeter swans had congregated in a patch of open water and were re-establishing pair bonds. Integral to this behavior is the the tussling between competitors as they define territorial boundaries. The top post demonstrates how a square crop emphasizes the size, behavior and action, where the 3:2 ratio includes benign elements that distract. While I am not an aggressive cropper, I believe that any crop that conveys your intent is not a crappy crop ;-)

Saturday, November 5, 2011

Tip #9: Practice

At the Rookery
Shot from a Canoe on the St. Croix River
Canon 7D + 300 f2.8L IS @f2.8

Strive to become a better photographer...

My deliberate focus on the art of photography began after a research excursion to the Pribilof Islands, AK. I was a data grunt; a field ecologist gathering data about seabird species reproducing on two island colonies in the middle of the Bering Sea. My three years of research became a pivotal moment in my life, and laid the foundation for the work I do today. My responsibilities varied, but my interests leaned towards the documentation of behavior. I carried a staff camera wherever I went as well as my own Pentax point and shoot body. This was 1987, digital was a thing of dreams, and autofocus was in its infancy. The field kit included an old NIkon F2 whose meter had long died and a 300mm f4.5 lens. While I had a teenage interest in photography, I left all that behind to focus on my studies in biology. After returning from Alaska I hurriedly processed my Kodachrome and black and white negatives. To my disappointment, the images were nothing short of crap. From that point on, I vowed to re-learn the art and science behind photography. I spent thousands of hours studying images, exposure theory, and optics. While I know little about the physics behind the construction of a lens or the translation of light to bits and bytes, I now intuitively understand the essence of image making.

In 1988 I returned to the islands with a Contax SLR and two lenses. Far from proficient with a camera, that summer of research began my deliberate practice in photography that continues today. I am a compulsive shooter. While I rarely produce images that make me proud, I’m on a daily quest to fulfill a vision and translate my perspective about the nature of life for others to see.

Chicken
Canon 5D Mark II w/ Zeiss 35mm f2.0 ZE @f8

Tip #9: Practice your Craft!

Practice your focusing technique by shooting a familiar subject. Practice your exposure by shooting in challenging light. Practice changing lenses and memory cards quickly. You never know when you’ll be at the right place at the right time. Practice will make these mental stressors automatic.

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Tip #7: Don't Forget Your Memory

Tug - Samburu National Park, Kenya
Canon 40D + Canon 100-400L IS @ f5.6

Tip #7 is a no brainer, but even the brainiest of us will forget to do it.
Always bring extra memory cards and stuff them in your pockets not in the car or camera bag! It sucks to be in the heat of a shoot, working a changing scene or miles from your cards, when that camera stops working and says "FULL."
Been there, done that, don't want to do it again... ;-)

Surrounded - Moro Rock, Sequoia NP
Nikon D2h + Tamron 180 f2.8 Macro

Landing Gear - Crex Meadows Wildlife Management Area, WI
Canon 7D + Canon 300 f2.8L IS + 1.4x @ f4.0

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Tip #4: Be There

Migrating Pair - Crex Meadows WMA, WI
Canon 7D + 300 f2.8 + 1.4x Converter

The heading says it all... Be There!

Grab your camera and whatever lens you have and be the photographer. Do your research, find an event, a festival, or migration. Make the great images happen by placing yourself in the right place at the right time.

At the Landing Strip - Crex Meadows WMA, WI
Canon 7D + 300 f2.8

Every October Sandhill Cranes migrate to the Crex Meadows Wildlife Management Area. With over 30,000 acres of wetland, brush prairie and forest habitat this is an oasis for spring and fall migrants. While the photography is seldom easy, this refuge is a little known hotspot for birders and wildlife watchers. Being There is about making opportunities, chasing the butter-light and welcoming serendipity.

Sunset Flock - Crex Meadows WMA, WI
Canon 7D + 300 f2.8

Friday, August 19, 2011

Up North Photo Diary

Wide View - Bear Head Lake State Park, MN
Canon 5D markII + 15mm f2.8 Fisheye @ f8

After what felt like an endless winter, it's been a summer for the record books. The moderate temps, intermittent rains, and stormy skies have been my ingredients for photography. We've traveled to the tropics, ascended mountains, and driven extreme distances to capture new memories. This summer has been kind to my inner artist, and the adventures it seeks. To feed this beast one last time, we headed north for the solitude of the deep woods.

A Downy Summer, MN
Canon 40D + 100-400 f4.5L @ f5.6

Thoughts of the "A-Job" are now beginning to resurface from the depths of my cerebrum. My left brain is whispering to me... be responsible, be prepared, be the scientist ...my right brain, the muse, is fighting to hold back the inevitable. It clings to control by a thread. This creative continues to corrupt my thoughts by seducing me with dreams about adventure, photography, and art. Sadly, the battle will soon be over and the left brain will win like does every September. I will be transformed to "Lev," the biology teacher, and relegate my moments of creativity to weekends and holiday breaks. Until that time... I will continue to let my right brain pretend to be the master of my thoughts and enjoy what remains of my "endless" summer.

Sunrise Reflection - Bear Head State Park, MN
Canon 7D + 300mm f2.8IS L @ f4

Cinnamon Sow, MN
Canon 5D markII + 300 f2.8IS L @ f2.8

View from the Canoe, MN
Canon 40D + 100-400 f4.5L @ f5.6

Sunrise Dock - Bear Head Lake State Park, MN
Canon 5D markII + 50mm f1.4 @ f16

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Road Tripping Through Ecosystems #5

Courtship
Selva Verde - Caribbean Slope - Costa Rica
Canon 7D + 300 f2.8ISL + 1.4x Converter

The noise, "yo-YIP a-yip a-yip," broke my trance. I was transfixed by the red-eyed tree frog clinging to a vine, when the cry pierced through the air. Ditching the macro gear, I grabbed my tripod, a telephoto, and camera to make a run towards the nest. A pair of chestnut-mandibled toucans were courting. These aggressive nest robbing, lizard eating, fruit licking birds were engaged in a moment of tenderness. An icon of the rainforest and cereal box celebrity, these toucans were among my favorite finds while road-tripping through the tropics.

Sunday, June 26, 2011

Bird on a Wire

"Bird on a Wire..."
curiosity about this idiom led me to a google search for meaning. I found references to the 1968 Leonard Cohen song, but this didn't not match my graphic interpretation of the phrase. To me, a "bird on a wire" is a service animal employed by some Southeast Asian cultures when fishing. Quite literally, the bird on a wire is a hungry cormorant forced into indentured servitude. The captor places a noose around the servant's neck, and sends it into a lake to hunt. Instinct and hunger motivate the cormorant, and success is a fleeting experience. Once a fish has been trapped in the gullet of the bird, the fisherman reels in the servant, tightens the noose, and expels reward. Hunger motivates the servant, instinct drives the behavior, and success, normally adaptive, now lacks the positive reinforcement.

"Bird on a Wire..." a male and female cherrie's tanager (Ramphocelus costaricensis) perched on a support line at Hacienda Baru. Also known as the orange-rumped tanager, this relatively common bird can be found from the coastal plains to an altitude of 1700m. Though ubiquitous wherever there are ecological edges, gardens, and pastures this species continues to be an elusive subject for me to capture. Seven trips to Costa Rica, and this is the best tanager image that I've managed to produce. I comically call this species my nemesis, and have spent many morning hours chasing it around the gardens and edges of ecolodges. To produce this image, I mounted my 300 f2.8IS to a 7D, set the camera to aperture priority (AV mode), and set my exposure compensation to -2/3 stops. After much flittering about, the pair settled on the wire for about a second and I managed to catch this moment. I would have preferred an image on foliage, but the lines and out of focus background work for me.

These birds on a wire are a metaphor for me. Much like the cormorant, hunger and instinct motivate my behavior. I cannot help but chase the moment. I am driven to produce images, and with each success, I am also met with failure. I have made the shot... it looks good, but it is not perfect...
The fish is in my gullet, but I am not allowed to eat!

Sunday, May 15, 2011

Think Different -> See Different

Swish, swish, glide... swish, swish, glide... the pattern repeats on our journey to the sediment laden thickets. The river is glass and we're paddling towards Wisconsin. I can barely make out their prehistoric silhouettes against the orange glow of dawn; it's 5:20 a.m., Mothers' Day, and its us and the birds.

I can hear the mating chorus of the spring migrants, and I begin to dream about my options. I've been here before... it's my third opportunity. Do I play it safe, freeze the action, capture the portraits, push for detail, or do I take a risk? Swish, swish, glide... we're getting closer.

There's Always a Story

Landing Gear Down
Canon 7D + 300 f2.8IS L @ f3.5

Unfortunately,... you'll just have to wait until I find the time to share it. Until then, enjoy the warm light of a very early morning on the St. Croix River.

Saturday, April 30, 2011

Spring is in the Air

What's this naturalist, photographer, and biologist to do when he's not hiking a trail or chasing the light? The answer I'm about to offer is likely to surprise you all... he's planning the high school prom. The life I live is a veritable hall of mirrors defined by both paradox and coincidence. I happen to be a one-time field ecologist who now finds both security and passion in educating future doctors, researchers, environmental activists, and citizens. The work that fulfills me each day, is fraught with a strange irony. I loathe opulence, and am likely to be one of the few who has ignored the royal display of wealth plaguing the media landscape throughout the week. Yet, here I am the co-coordinator of the most opulent event sponsored by my employer each year. Call me the prom guy, charged with organizing a self-indulgent event for the massess.

The Desert Island

The scenario is a familiar one, and I’m nearly certain that you’ve been asked some permutation of this question before... You’re stranded on a desert island, what’s the one... (fill in the blank)... that you want, need, must have?

Today’s "blank" is brought to you buy the word L-E-N-S. That’s right, what is your one must have, couldn’t shoot without, gotta save from sinking boat lens? My inspiration for this post began at fredmiranda.com. FM is a photo community that I frequent for its interesting discussions about gear, amazing landscape photography, and occasional humorous post. During the week there have been a number of discussions about trading gear or saving for an elusive optic... my favorite focal length... a 300mm f2.8 lens.

Favorite Places: Bolsa Chica and the Back Bay

Tamy and I visited some familiar ground during our recent trip back to Southern California. Having graduated with degrees in Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior (EEB) from U.C. Irvine, we had spent many days surveying the coastal wetlands that stretch from Redondo to Laguna. Although most of the pristine estuaries that I recall have now collapsed under the weight of the development, fragments of the Southern California wetland ecosystem still remain. Two of our favorite locales are the Bolsa Chica Conservancy and the Back Bay. Situated about an hour south and west of Los Angeles, these tidal plains are oases for migrating shorebirds, ducks, and herons.