Before & After In The Darkroom

Working on images in a "digital darkroom" such as Photoshop CS4 is a powerful tool to take a photo you may have normally thrown away and transform it into a masterpiece.

One of my students in my "Fundamentals of Composition" photography course that I teach at the Perfect School of Photography posted a plea for help in our Question & Answers message board. Here is what she wrote:

"As some of you know, 3 weeks ago I lost my little kitten Amber. She got out of her cat carrier at the grocery store, hubby did not see that the carrier was empty. He opened the door to put groceries in and she flew out the car. We have been looking from daybreak to after dark for her with no success. At only 13 weeks old, there is not much hope for finding her. I am not even thinking about the coyotes, foxes, fishers, bears, bobcats, etc. that would consider a 13 wk. old kitten as a snack food.

So after searching this long, I am finally accepting that she is gone for good. I have 2 pictures that I had taken of her that I like a lot, but she is in the base of my Ponytail Palm and the leaves are in the way. Would somebody be willing to clone the leaves out and send me back the photos? These pics are only small thumbnails, I would send the full size to whatever email address you give me. I would really appreciate it, and I suck at cloning so bad."

I wrote her a quick reply that she could send them to me and I will see what I can do to help her, for most likely these may be the only two photos she has, and I can certainly feel for her on the loss of this cute and adorable kitten. She sent the two high resolution versions of the images, and I began to work on them in Photoshop. Here is the before and after of them:



Here is the original photo of Amber. Notice the distracting palm leaves not only in the background, but they are also falling across her ears and whiskers. The image is also a bit dark and most notably the eyes seem dark and lifeless.



A couple of hours of working on the photo in Photoshop to remove the palm leaves that included some cloning, patching and repair the delicate whiskers has greatly improved this photo. Notice how the image is also a bit warmer in temperature, overall the image was brightened and the eyes are now a vibrant blue that draws our attention. Also I burned the corners to further the effect of narrowing our focus on the eyes.



On the second photo, pretty much the same as on the first photo of Amber. The one thing that is good on both however was the composition as they are both filling the frame nicely and the rule of thirds was also followed for a pleasing composition.



The same exact techniques were applied to this photo as in the first which totally transforms an ordinary photograph to one that she will cherish forever to remember a lost friend.

So the lesson learned here is before you click that shutter button, pay close attention to not only your subject, but a simple rule of composition which is your background. By doing a little "clean-up" of removing the distracting elements you will save hours and hours in your digital darkroom removing them. Sometimes we are so focused on our subject we fail to "see" the whole picture, so training your eye to pick up on those elements will certainly go a long way.

Tampa Bay History Center Rocks

This brand new building in Tampa is the Tampa Bay History Center. It is located right on Channelside between the St. Pete Times Forum and the Florida Aquarium.

Late last week I got a call from Visit Tampa Bay, the local tourism bureau that is currently working on the 2010 travel brochure. They were in need of interior and exterior images of this brand new building that just opened up earlier this year. Since I have never been there, plus the fact I am a huge history buff, this was a great assignment I couldn't pass up. I am fascinated with history, so this seemed like a win-win for me!



Getting ready for the night shot of the Tampa Bay History Center, location scouting is critical to being in the right place at the right time. Looking for the best angle and focal length will ensure you are ready when the light is right and you won't be scrambling.



Just after sunset when the light is at it's most intense in terms of color is when the small window of opportunity exists. Too early, and the image will look flat and lifeless. Too late and the sky will be dark and uninviting. You have to work fast during this time so carful attention to details is a must.



While I was scouting earlier in the afternoon, I found other interesting angles to photograph the building and here a real unique shot from on top of the bridge provided a great opportunity with the leading lines of the street lamps.



Even though my project was the Tampa Bay History Center, always be on the lookout for other opportunities such as this amazing panoramic view of the skyline of Tampa, Florida with the boat slips of Harbor Island in the foreground that was just too good to pass up with all the intense colors in the sky.

I gotta say this is a VERY COOL place to spend a few hours if one is downtown. The displays and knowledge is simply one of the best I have ever seen and I really enjoyed my time there. I learned a lot as I made my way through the exhibits and I highly recommend this as a "must see" in Tampa, Florida.

Two Minutes To A Supersoaker

Looking out over my backyard, a very fast moving summer storm was closing in quick with some very impressive clouds with it. Check out the very low and very fast moving clouds in the right side of the photo.

Summertime in Florida brings the much needed rain. Almost everyday it will rain somewhere, and the good thing about these storms is that they don't last long but they are some of the most violent storms I have ever seen.



Just as I finished capturing this photo, the skies opened up and let loose a supersoaker of a rainstorm.

One has to move quick and have an "escape route" planned if out photographing these storms, however the payoff is some of the most impressive storm photos and some of my all-time favorites.

In The Field With The Rule Of Thirds

One of the most basic foundations of composition is the Rule of Thirds. If you use it, your images will really shine.

Of all of the fundamentals of photography composition, the Rule of Thirds is without a doubt the foundation to creating better images with your camera. One of the most common things I hear when out teaching students in the field is "I can fix that in Photoshop". Well, that may be the case, since digital cameras combined with powerful photo editing software can do some amazing things. But if you are like me, sitting in front of the computer and editing hundreds of photos is not my idea of fun. So how can one nail this basic fundamental when out in the field?

By using some old technology, some ingenuity and taking advantage of todays modern cameras, following the rules has never been easier. Take a look at the series of images below to learn how you too can nail the Rule of Thirds on every photo you will ever take from this point forward, all with little ease.



Here is my camera on my tripod. A few things to note is you can see a Hotshoe Bubble Level to make sure my camera is nice and level which when you are doing landscapes is critical for those horizons. Also note that you can see I am viewing my subject on my LCD screen to ensure I am composing it using the Rule of Thirds.



One neat trick to make sure you are following the Rule of Thirds is to cut a piece of clear packing tape and using a marker, draw your "grid" that looks like a tic-tac-toe game that equally divides the screen into thirds, both horizontally and vertically. Place the tape over your LCD so after you take your image, you can quickly see if your shot follows the Rule of Thirds.



Long used by landscape photographers from the days of using film, many dSLR's can have their focusing screen replaced that you can easily do yourself so you can see if you are following the Rule of Thirds while composing your image and looking through your viewfinder.



With the recent advances in camera technology, many of the new camera bodies now have a killer feature called "Live View". You simply press a button on your camera and you can instantly, in real time, see your composition. You can also set your camera to overlay the Rule of Thirds grid to help line up your subject with ease.

So there you have it. Now, every photograph you ever take will be that perfect picture for you have the secret tools of getting your images right "in camera" using the Rule of Thirds. Now you can spend more time taking those killer images and less time at your computer fixing those mistakes.

Want to learn more in-depth about the Rule of Thirds and how to take your images to the next level? Then join me for the most comprehensive course taught on the internet about composition today! Click here to learn more about "Must Know" Fundamentals of Composition.

Summer Storms

One of the most impressive storms to date over downtown Clearwater, Florida on August 18, 2009.

We are in the heat (literally) for summer storms, and almost everyday here in central Florida the afternoon heat and humidity builds up and lets loose some of the most impressive storms. Around 3 in the afternoon on August 18, 2009 one of the largest and downright amazing storms blew in from the middle of the state and was racing towards the Gulf of Mexico.

The cloud formations and lightning was incredible as it looked like the final scene in Ghostbusters as the entire city was surrounded on both sides of a massive front. Mother nature is one powerful force, both scary but beautiful at the same time and just one more reason why living in Florida is never boring.

Getting Close With Telephoto Lenses

Getting very small subjects, such as this Gulf Fritillary, is tricky since even with the slightest movement they will fly away and frustrate even the seasoned photographer.

We all want to get close to our subjects, and the key to a successful image is one that is not only exposed and composed well, but the best images are ones that effectively fill the frame. But what do you do if your subject is shy, timid and not very tolerant of you getting only inches from them?

If you are like me, photographing butterflies can be quite the challenge, both in terms of not only finding them but also the skill of getting close enough to get those photos we all dream about where the framed is filled from edge to edge so we can see all the fine detail, color and beauty. However, if you have ever tried to photograph them, you quickly realize that they don't seem to like us getting close so using a macro lens is out of the question. They simply see us coming and fly away.

So what should you do? Well, my tool of choice is extension tubes. I really love the fact that when I use them combined with my 400mm super telephoto lens, I can turn my lens into a super macro lens. Let's take a look at the two images below to see how using extension tubes can effectively get those killer images you may be dreaming about.



Using my 400mm lens, this was as close as I could get to the butterfly. Since my lens has a minimum focus distance of 11.5 feet, if I got any closer, my lens simply would not focus.



By using a .25 and .12 Extension Tubes (stacked), I decreased my minimum focus distance considerably which now allowed me to fill the frame, thus turning my super telephoto lens into a super macro lens.

As you can see in the top photo, the butterfly is only taking up around 20% of the frame and is hardly the image we all would love to get. While it is an effective "environmental" image, truly we would love to get closer. By simply using extension tubes, I was able to reduce my minimum focus distance to fill the frame very nicely, and still give the butterfly plenty of distance not to disturb him and he never moved an inch which resulted in some of the best images I have gotten of a Gulf Fritillary.

A word to note on using extension tubes is that when you use them, you will also loose light which in turn will cause a lower shutter speed. You must pay close attention to your shutter speed, and if necessary, a tripod is always a good bet to get a nice, tack sharp image. Also note that you can use more then one, which is when you "stack" them, thus allowing you to get even closer.

So the next time you need to fill the frame with a small or timid subject such as I did with my Gulf Fritillary, take along your extension tubes and throw them on your longest lens and fill that frame with some "perfect pictures"!

Want to learn more about photographing wildlife? Then join me for the most comprehensive course taught on the internet about wildlife photography today! Click here to learn more about Wildlife Photography 101.

Unexpected Rescue

This is a female Anhinga that we found walking down our street. When we stopped to take a closer look, we noticed that she had a wad of feathers and nesting material wrapped around her beak which caused it to be clamped shut.

I was out in our backyard messing around when I heard Dawn come running back to where I was. She told me she had found a waterbird that was just walking down the street and looks like it needed help. We took off down the street and sure enough we found a female Anhinga that was walking now on the sidewalk. It was almost as if she knew that if she walked down the street, hopefully someone would stop to help her.

We took out some beach towels to help corral her and it didn't take long since she appeared weak and to be honest wanted someone to help her. After we safely took control of her wings and even more important, her beak since if you are not careful they can strike you and cause some real damage as their beaks are very pointed and sharp.



After we corralled her and removed the wad around her beak, she didn't fly away. We took a closer look at her and it seemed as if she was very thin and perhaps has not eaten for days because she could not hunt for fish.



We took her back home and transferred her to a pet carrier to safely transport her to the Suncoast Sea Bird Sanctuary in Indian Rocks Beach, Florida to be nursed back to health and to be professionally checked over by a veterinarian.

We immediately removed the wad of feathers and nesting material that had clamped her beak shut for it seemed she was having problems breathing and most likely has not eaten in days. We thought that was the end of the story as we released her, but she didn't fly away. Strange we thought, so we took a closer look at her and she seemed very thin and dehydrated.

After gaining control of her again, we took her back to our house and transferred her to a pet carrier to safely take her down to Indian Rocks Beach to the Suncoast Sea Bird Sanctuary. After about an hour we arrived and signed her in to the avian hospital. It looks like she will be just fine, for after a few weeks of rest and food, she should be strong enough to be released back into the wild.



Dawn named her "Callie" and it looks like she will be fine after a few weeks in rehab and hopefully will be released soon after she gets her strength back.

On the way down to the hospital, Dawn named her "Callie", as she does with just about every animal she ever finds or rescues. It just goes to show that even when you least expect it, sometimes mother nature needs our help and we were glad we were there to answer the call.

Update on Callie: She is doing well, but is very weak and skinny, most likely since she had not eaten for some time before she was rescued. She had to be pumped with fluids four times already and is still in the hospital at Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary. Hopefully she will be on solid foods in a few more days and then outside to begin her rehab.

A New Backyard Project

This juvenile male Northern Cardinal image was created with the Canon 400mm f/5.6 lens
and the Canon EOS-50D. ISO 800. Manual: 1/160 sec. at f/6.3.

One of the things we certainly didn't expect when we moved into our new home was the abundance of songbirds that frequent our backyard. Dawn decided to see if she could get any of them to stay by going out and putting up some bird feeders, and ever since then, it is non-stop action all day, everyday.

We get all kinds of little birds, but the ones that visit the most is two large families of Northern Cardinals. Not only do we get the male and female adults, but we also get all of their babies. We have counted over eight babies that come to the feeders and at any given time we have over a dozen Cardinals al at the same time feeding.



This juvenile male Northern Cardinal image was created with the Canon 400mm f/5.6 lens
and the Canon EOS-50D. ISO 800. Manual: 1/160 sec. at f/6.3.



This juvenile female Northern Cardinal image was created with the Canon 400mm f/5.6 lens
and the Canon EOS-50D. ISO 800. Manual: 1/250 sec. at f/6.3.



This juvenile Eastern Towhee image was created with the Canon 400mm f/5.6 lens
and the Canon EOS-50D. ISO 800. Manual: 1/200 sec. at f/6.3.



This juvenile Brown Thrasher image was created with the Canon 400mm f/5.6 lens
and the Canon EOS-50D. ISO 800. Manual: 1/250 sec. at f/6.3.



This juvenile Blue Jay image was created with the Canon 400mm f/5.6 lens
and the Canon EOS-50D. ISO 800. Manual: 1/250 sec. at f/6.3.



This Eurasian Collared Dove image was created with the Canon 400mm f/5.6 lens
and the Canon EOS-50D. ISO 800. Manual: 1/250 sec. at f/6.3.



This Titmouse image was created with the Canon 400mm f/5.6 lens
and the Canon EOS-50D. ISO 800. Manual: 1/250 sec. at f/6.3.



This juvenile male Northern Cardinal image was created with the Canon 400mm f/5.6 lens
and the Canon EOS-50D. ISO 800. Manual: 1/250 sec. at f/6.3.



This juvenile male Northern Cardinal image was created with the Canon 400mm f/5.6 lens
and the Canon EOS-50D. ISO 800. Manual: 1/250 sec. at f/6.3.

My new backyard project is to set up a more natural environment to photograph them. This includes trees, plants and perches so that I can capture them in a more realistic setting. For now, I am trying for them to get used to me, and even though they are very shy, some are not even paying attention to me anymore so hopefully I can get some awesome images of these little ones.

The 2009 Hurricane Season Begins

The 2009 Hurricane Season has arrived with three storms in the Atlantic Ocean that bears watching.

In one the latest seasons on record, the 2009 Hurricane Season has three storms that Florida, the eastern U.S. seaboard and the gulf coast states need to start watching. Tropical Storm Ana is officially the first storm up, and what is interesting is that just a few days ago it was considered dead but has come back to life quite rapidly.

Right behind Ana is two other storms, and the one to watch in the near future is Tropical Storm Bill that is a very large storm and forecasted to at least reach a Category 2 storm and perhaps higher. This could be the one to watch closely for the entire state of Florida could be at risk on this one.

Over the next few weeks it could make for some interesting photos, and I will be out and about capturing them if it is safe to do so. Stay tuned...

The Challenge Begins

One of the adult Great Horned Owls that live in our backyard. They are proving to be a huge challenge to photograph since they have most likely never seen a human and are very timid.

Ever since we moved into our new home we have heard several Great Horned Owls in our backyard. Now that we are settled in, I have turned my attention to begin the challenge to photograph them, and what a challenge it has become. I have on several occasions already tried to locate and photograph them, but they are very shy and position themselves in some of the most difficult situations from a photography standpoint.

It's going to take a lot of time, patience and planning to get some good images of them, as we estimate that there is at least six that frequent the area. It is a challenge that I am more then happy to take on, for they are one of the raptors that I love to photograph. We are also on the watch for a juvenile as we constantly see him flying all around the open fields behind our house.



Not the photo I wanted to get of this Great Horned Owlet since he was scared and was trying to hide from the Crows that were harassing him about 40 feet up in a Slash Pine.

So hopefully over the next several months and maybe even years I will refine my technique to see just how comfortable I can get them with me to hopefully capture some very unique images of just one of the birds that live in our backyard.

A Hidden Gem

This Laughing Gull image was created with the Canon 400mm f/5.6 lens
and the Canon EOS-50D. ISO 400. EV 0: 1/400 sec. at f/6.3.

At the crack of dawn I was up and out the door to spend a few hours out on the Dunedin Causeway to try my luck at finding some shorebird newborns. Since it was low tide right after sunrise, I was hoping to find a few among the many that hang out there.

My first good little one I came across was a juvenile Ruddy Turnstone. You have to really pay attention and do your homework when identifying these little shorebirds for at first glance many of them look identical. However I noticed with this little guy he was hanging around some adults so I pretty sure when I saw him and confirmed it when I got back home to look him up and was a real hidden gem.

My next nice find was a juvenile Little Blue Heron that flew in and was on the hunt for his breakfast. He was a little unsure of himself when he first got there, but later got into the groove and got some nice Pipefish and some others. He was soon joined by a Snowy Egret who got right to work and started his morning routine.



This Snowy Egret image was created with the Canon 400mm f/5.6 lens
and the Canon EOS-50D. ISO 200. EV 0: 1/1600 sec. at f/7.1.



This Juvenile Ruddy Turnstone image was created with the Canon 400mm f/5.6 lens
and the Canon EOS-50D. ISO 200. EV 0: 1/1000 sec. at f/7.1.



This Short-billed Dowitcher image was created with the Canon 400mm f/5.6 lens
and the Canon EOS-50D. ISO 200. EV 0: 1/1000 sec. at f/7.1.



This Common Tern image was created with the Canon 400mm f/5.6 lens
and the Canon EOS-50D. ISO 100. EV 0: 1/1000 sec. at f/6.3.



This Willet image was created with the Canon 400mm f/5.6 lens
and the Canon EOS-50D. ISO 100. EV 0: 1/800 sec. at f/6.3.



This Juvenile Little Blue Heron image was created with the Canon 400mm f/5.6 lens
and the Canon EOS-50D. ISO 200. EV 0: 1/1000 sec. at f/7.1.



This Juvenile Little Blue Heron image was created with the Canon 400mm f/5.6 lens
and the Canon EOS-50D. ISO 200. EV 0: 1/1000 sec. at f/7.1.



This Laughing Gull image was created with the Canon 400mm f/5.6 lens
and the Canon EOS-50D. ISO 100. EV 0: 1/800 sec. at f/6.3.

In just a couple of hours I had several real nice images of the action and by 10am I packed it up to go home, only to return to the beach later in the evening but this time to swim in the very warm waters to end a great Saturday outdoors.

Six-lined Racerunner

This is a Six-lined Racerunner and they are the only representative of the genus of whiptail lizards found east of the Mississippi River.

Living in Florida never ceases to amaze me. Take for instance it was on Saturday while I was taking a break by the pool catching up on the days news when something caught my attention out of the corner of my eye. It was fast... super fast. At first I thought it was one of our many Anole lizards that hang out all over our yard chasing a bug, but it didn't quite look right.

I got up, and slowly made my way over to see if I could get a closer look. It wasn't an Anole, so maybe I thought to myself it was a Skink. I got closer, and it was neither. It was something I have never seen before, and what a find it was. It had a much longer tail then a Skink or Anole, so I carefully captured it to get a closer look and try to identify it.

Dawn brought out our reptile book, and after carefully scanning the book, it turns out it was a Six-lined Racerunner, and a female at that. What a find, as we have never seen one of these before, and she was so calm and gentle. Occasionally she would stick out her tongue to get a sense of us as we sat there and studied her.



The Six-lined Racerunner gets its name for it has two sets of three stripes on each sides of their body that can be either yellow or yellow-green.



These little guys are fast! They are found in fields and other open, well-drained areas. As their name implies, they run swiftly, rising on their hind legs only.



Female Six-lined Racerunners have a white to pale underbelly, while the males will have a pale blue underbelly. This is a female.



The rear legs are much longer then their front legs which allow them for some incredible speeds and ability to dart in and out of underbrush with ease.

It just goes to show that if you look carefully around you, it is amazing what you may find, even when relaxing at the pool!

Walking On Water

This Reddish Egret image was created with the Canon 400mm f/5.6 lens
and the Canon EOS-50D. ISO 200. Manual: 1/1000 sec. at f/7.1.

Of all of the waterbirds in Florida that I especially love to photograph, it is without a doubt the Reddish Egret. Not only it is one of our more beautiful waterbirds, they are the most comical and fun to photograph, especially when they are hunting for fish.

Early on Saturday morning, I took off for the Dunedin Causeway to see what I could find in the calm waters during low tide. I found a small pocket of shorebirds including a nice find which was a juvenile Little Blue Heron. But later in the morning a Reddish Egret came in and he started to put on a show.

While all of the waterbirds do a technique of "walk and stalk" where they walk around and stalk their prey, the Reddish Egret seems to have a more sophisticated approach. They look as if they are "dancing" as they frantically run around, sometimes almost as if they are walking on the water and make violent strikes into the water for their fish.



The Reddish Egret will "chase" their prey and sometimes move with lightning quick reflexes that is simply amazing to watch.



One of their more interesting behaviors is when they spread their wings to "shield" the water to make it easier for them to locate their fish.



When they locate a fish, they will violently slam their head into the water. It happens so fast, you almost can miss it.



Even if the fish is off in the distance, the Reddish Egret will run fast across the water to catch up to them.



Once they get a visual on a school of fish, they move so fast, they almost seem as if they are "walking on the water".



If that doesn't work, they will fly short distances to sneak up on the schools of fish in the area.



This is one of my favorite poses the Reddish Egret will make when they will spread their wings out that they use to corral and scare the fish up to the surface.



It seems no fish is safe from these very skilled hunters as even the larger fish is game on and they will eat them with ease, always head first.

I spent over an hour with this little guy, and he paid me no attention and it was not only a joy to watch but to photograph as well. Just before he flew off with a full belly, he caught a really big fish. He must have been so proud, for he brought it right in front of me, almost as to say "look at what I got!", swallowed it down, and flew off. Not a bad way to end a very fun morning.

The Dumbest Thing I Ever Saw

Yes, you are seeing this right. These idiots took a ladder out into the Gulf of Mexico at Honeymoon Island and was diving off it about 20-30 yards offshore.

We go to the beach. A lot. We have seen all kinds of things at the beach, from people wearing thongs, speedos and sometimes, nothing at all. We have seen just about every size and shape you can imagine, many of which is the size you would never see in a tourism brochure. Nothing really shocks us anymore until what we witnessed Saturday afternoon at Honeymoon Island.

Now normally I would shrug this stuff off, much less photograph it or even post it on my blog. But this was something that would be hard to top and I just had to share. When we went to the bath house to look over what the scene was at the beach, I saw an unfamiliar object about twenty or thirty yards out into the Gulf of Mexico.

It was a ladder. Huh? Yeah, that is what I thought too. As we sat there trying to figure out why a 16-foot ladder was sticking up from the water, we saw a family around it. One by one they would climb up the steps and then dive off. Over and over they repeated this, and the woman who had a point and shoot camera in a zip-lock plastic bag was taking pictures.



Apparently they have done this before and have been perfecting their technique. Notice the John Deer tractor inner tube inside the ladder.



While the adults were doing this, what was even more disturbing was they were allowing the kids to also dive off the ladder, all to get a photo.



This guy even went head first into the waters below. Technically not the smartest thing to do, but at least he has his Converse on to protect him.



And they say hillbillies don't know how to have fun at the beach...

Now I gotta say this is one of the stupidest things we have ever seen at the beach, and I am sure these photos I shot will never be in a "Come To Florida" travel brochure. But then again, who knows, for I am sure I got better photos of this stupidity then they did.

Working With Artificial Light

The Better Beamer is attached to my Canon 430EX External Flash unit that can provide light when you need it. They can throw light onto your subject much further then the flash was intended to be used for.

I am not a big fan of artificial light. There, I said it. Why? Without a doubt flash photography is a science onto itself and it takes lots of time, practice and study to fully understand it. While I use flash for portraits, architecture and other situations that it is needed, mixing it into my routine when photographing wildlife just doesn't appeal to me, especially if it is my main source of light.

When working with wildlife, I love to use the natural available light. It looks much more robust and if you understand the effects of exposure and light, it far provides the best results. However, several months ago I began to look into an interesting item, the Better Beamer. In a nutshell, this very inexpensive accessory that attaches to your external flash unit and really is nothing more then a fresnel lens that extends the reach of your flash greatly.

Attaching the Better Beamer is pretty easy, but then the questions come. How do you use it? What settings should you use on your flash? When should I use it? For me, I only use it in two situations. The first one is when I am photographing in very contrasty light. I set my flash unit to work as fill flash so that it lifts out the shadows and gives a more even exposure.

The second situation is when I want to change the background. Just as when you are working with your flash as you normally would, adding fill flash will often render your background black. This is a nice effect if you want to bring your subject out of the background, however you still need distance from it and your subject to effectively work.



In our first example of this Eurasian Collared Dove sitting on an iron pole, I used a Better Beamer for some fill flash. It does a few things: First, we can see more detail in the bird. Second, you get a catch-light in the eye which is always ideal. Lastly, the background becomes a bit darker, thus the subject stands out better.



Turning the fill-flash off, the first thing you will notice is the subject looks much more realistic. The colors are much warmer, and the over all feeling is one that you could say is how it looked when you were photographing your subject. Notice also we see more detail and color in the background. The catchlight is not there, however it can be added in post-proccessing if desired.

The one thing you must do however to use the Better Beamer correctly is to set your flash zoom manually for 50mm. Also note that the flash extender is designed for lenses over 300mm, although you can use it on shorter lenses. The one thing to note however is you need to be at a good distance from your subject (which is why it is recommended for lenses over 300mm). Anything closer, you will really blow out your subject so you may be better off just using your flash without the extender.

Another great tip is since you are using it for fill flash is to set your flash for ETT-L and to start at FEC -3 or -2 and check your histogram, and if necessary, make any necessary adjustments. A word of warning, however! The Better Beamer can "burn" your external flash unit. Remember, it is a fresnel lens that will act as a magnifying glass and on a sunny day, can actually damage your flash unit so you must take care to not point it directly at the sun.



Pay close attention if your composition has objects that reflect light. Here, you can clearly see that using the Better Beamer caused an unwanted reflection in the feeder making it look very unnatural. It is best to not use fill-flash here and if necessary add light using exposure compensation.

One of the biggest reasons however why I don't use flash when photographing wildlife is because the rapid light can and will spook your subjects. They will either run, fly or move away from you. It is hard enough just to get close to some subjects only to have the moment gone, literally in a flash. So for me, I will continue to work with natural light outdoors and continue to enjoy my subjects as they were meant to be!

Want to learn more about photographing wildlife? Then join me for the most comprehensive course taught on the internet about wildlife photography today! Click here to learn more about Wildlife Photography 101.

Common Subject, Uncommon Results

This squirrel image was created with the Canon 400mm f/5.6 lens
and the Canon EOS-50D. ISO 400. EV 0: 1/400 sec. at f/6.3.

A few months ago, I had a great morning photographing numerous wading and shorebirds during low tide on the Anclote River in Holiday, Florida. This is a great place to visit very early in the morning, especially during low tide to capture some fantastic images in the clam, shallow waters.

After spending several hours out on the exposed sand bars, I decided to take a break and head back to my car for some lunch. As I was enjoying my food, I noticed numerous squirrels playing, scavenging and having a good time themselves all around me. I watched them for about a half an hour and studied their behavior for I thought to myself that even though these are very common animals, they can result in some great photo opportunities.



Here is one of my all-time favorite techniques, filtered light. Notice how I waited to just the right moment for the squirrel to walk into a small brightly lit area on the ground that I had pre-focused on hoping he would come to my selected spot. He did, and the result is one that is very pleasing.

The key here was to get at their level. This ensures that I capture them in their environment and how they perceive the world around them. Since I had studied their behavior, I had a very good understanding of where they like to go, how they move as well as their body language. This is huge advantage since running up and chasing them all over the place would result in few if any great images I had hoped for.

The other critical step in my session with these busy little guys was to be patient. I laid on the ground and focused my lens on an area where I hoped for the best opportunity. In doing so I had set up a "studio" of sorts where I controlled my light, background and depth of field.



This little guy was very fascinated by me and would play "peek-a-boo" around a palm tree. This of course was amusing, but more importantly gave me a killer opportunity for a very intimate image. The background was dark to bring him out of his element, which by the way was my car!

For the next hour I worked my "studio" that I had set up, all of which was literally in a small parking lot. However, when looking at the images captured that day, one would be hard pressed to tell just where they were taken for the one thing that was most important was how I composed my background.

The other important factor was getting at their level, for perspective goes a long way in telling the story even if it is a few little squirrels as they go about their busy day.



After getting comfortable with me, many of the squirrels would show some of their natural behaviors, and sometimes they would do something that even was downright funny. Here, this little guy had an itch that he just had to attend to.



One of the most common mistakes many photographers make is in their choice of formats for all too often they will only photograph either a horizontal or vertical composition. Here, by simply rotating my camera, I captured a fantastic vertical image of the same squirrel above and now have doubled my potential killer images.

In just about an hour I came away with dozens of amazing images and was only feet away from my car in a parking lot. Just goes to show that anywhere is a potential wildlife photo opportunity if only one takes the time to explore and plan out their time!

Want to learn more about photographing wildlife? Then join me for the most comprehensive course taught on the internet about wildlife photography today! Click here to learn more about Wildlife Photography 101.

A Walk On The Beach

This Black Skimmer image was created with the Canon 400mm f/5.6 lens
and the Canon EOS-50D. ISO 200. EV 0: 1/1000 sec. at f/6.3.

Over the past week, we had some of our family stay with us here in Florida. We wanted to show them around the area and show them a nice balance of why we love Florida as well as see some of the typical "tourist" spots, but also some other places off the beaten path.

For the first full day, it was spent unwinding with a cookout and spending time in the pool. On days where we are in the low to mid 90's and the humidity really high, the pool was a big hit with them as they were taking a little time adjusting to our summer here.



This Black Skimmer image was created with the Canon 400mm f/5.6 lens
and the Canon EOS-50D. ISO 400. EV 0: 1/1000 sec. at f/6.3.



This Black Skimmer image was created with the Canon 400mm f/5.6 lens
and the Canon EOS-50D. ISO 200. EV 0: 1/1250 sec. at f/6.3.

The first place we took them was to Homosassa Springs State Park in Homosassa Springs, Florida. This is a great park to see just about every mammal and bird that can be found in the state as it is the only state park dedicated to rehabilitation of our wildlife.

Even though the animals cannot be released, they do have a comfy life there and are well taken care of. Not too mention they educate visitors so they can see them up close and learn more about them. Many of the animals, such as the endangered Florida Panther would never be seen as they are so rare now in south Florida.



This Royal Tern image was created with the Canon 400mm f/5.6 lens
and the Canon EOS-50D. ISO 200. EV 0: 1/1250 sec. at f/6.3.



This Royal Tern image was created with the Canon 400mm f/5.6 lens
and the Canon EOS-50D. ISO 200. EV 0: 1/500 sec. at f/6.3.

Next up was the famous Clearwater Beach. Now, our goal was to take one of the dolphin sightseeing boats to see the wild Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphins up close in their natural habitat. Also having the ability to see Clearwater Beach from a totally different perspective from out on the water.



This Osprey image was created with the Canon 400mm f/5.6 lens
and the Canon EOS-50D. ISO 200. EV 0: 1/800 sec. at f/6.3.



This Tern image was created with the Canon 400mm f/5.6 lens
and the Canon EOS-50D. ISO 200. EV 0: 1/2500 sec. at f/6.3.

Needless to say, we saw nothing. I figured it was a long shot, for I can honestly see them better from a few of my secret spots where I know they hang out, but I was disappointed nonetheless. Even though we got a free ticket for a future boat ride, I was sad that our family never got to see them as we do all the time.

For their final day here with us, we made it a day of shopping at the world famous Tarpon Springs Sponge Docks. One our way we made a quick stop at JB Starkey Preserve to show them some of the many Gopher Tortoises that live there. They were thrilled to see these cute little guys just walking around all over the place! On to the Sponge Docks we went and it can make one dizzy in just how many stores, shops, restaurants and other stuff to look at there.



This juvenile Brown Pelican image was created with the Canon 400mm f/5.6 lens
and the Canon EOS-50D. ISO 400. EV 0: 1/320 sec. at f/6.3.



This Gopher Tortoise image was created with the Canon 70-2000mm f/2.8 lens
and the Canon EOS-50D. ISO 200. EV 0: 1/80 sec. at f/6.3.

It was a great way to spend the afternoon dodging the heat as we zipped in and out of each of these unique stores. Later in the day we headed down the coast to Reddington Beach to have a big dinner at the Conch Republic. If one loves seafood, this is one of the better places to dine as everyone agreed, the food was outstanding as well as the service.

After dinner, we took a short drive to Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary to watch the sunset and play in the surf. While everyone was off having fun, I took advantage the light and captured some of the many shorebirds as they were soaring, diving and having a great time themselves on this warm summer evening. It was a great way to end their Florida vacation as they really loved walking on the beach and it was great to spend time showing them why we love it here.

So Close, Yet So Far

This Swallow-tailed Kite image was created with the Canon 400mm f/5.6 lens
and the Canon EOS-50D. ISO 200. EV 0: 1/800 sec. at f/8.

For every amazing wildlife photograph you will see, many fail to realize just how many that are not. More often then not, being a wildlife photographer is coming to the realization that failure is very much a part of the formula, but it is those who stick to it and try, try again will they become successful.

Take for instance a quest to this day I am still on, which is getting a great image of a Swallow-tailed Kite. Now these beautiful hawks are somewhat rare here in Florida as they are only here for a few months in the summer as they make their long journey from their winter home in South America.

For the past couple of weeks, I have noticed several have been soaring over the northern track of Brooker Creek wildlife preserve, which is right behind our home. One morning I decided to give a chance of capturing one, but I knew from past experience this was going to be tougher then it seems.



This pair of Swallow-tailed Kites image was created with the Canon 400mm f/5.6 lens
and the Canon EOS-50D. ISO 200. EV 0: 1/1000 sec. at f/8.

At first I saw only a couple of Kites, but then I spotted up to eight as they soared overhead. They are a breathtaking sight to say the least and even to see them is a magical moment. I was also treated to an even rarer event as I heard them communicate with each other, something that even fewer have witnessed.

As I tried to stay as low as I could and shield myself partially from their view, they almost never got close enough for that photograph I was after. Swallow-tailed Kites spend most of their time on the wing as they soar to sometimes incredible heights as they eat bugs and dragonflies.

I shot over 70 frames, but out of those only a few were decent as just a couple of times they soared overhead just low enough to fill the frame good enough. Now while I didn't get exactly what I was looking for, I plan on trying again if the opportunity comes my way for the key to success is to try again, for I know someday I will capture one of the most beautiful hawks in the world.