Spring...kinda

(Disclaimer: This image has nothing whatsoever to do with the following post)

April in Fairbanks is a tease. We have sparkling blue skies for what seems likes weeks on end. The snows turn to water and slide into the creeks which flow over and through the winter's ice, eating it away. People walk around in shorts and shirt sleeves, willing summer to come, despite the 38 degree temperatures. Road bikes and motorcycles appear on the streets that are now clear of snow and ice. And then...then it snows. 

It happens every year. And its happening today. Outside my window as I write this there are scattered flakes falling. Blowing actually, shoved along by an atypical cold wind. It is a sad landscape of gray and brown.

I know it won't last. Geese are arriving at Creamer's Field. I trust that they know better than I that spring is indeed here. Their lives depend on it, I'm just looking forward to summer.

A couple more of...What?

Well the lack of guesses on my quiz give me a hunch that I've stumped you all. So here are a couple more. And a hint: think water. I'll provide the answer tomorrow.

Back to the basics

For all my blather about art, vision, and the creative process. I still really enjoy just taking my camera, my big lens and and finding a nice cooperative bird to photograph. It doesn't take a lot of effort to frame, compose or light. You just arrange yourself in the best possible location for the sun, think about the background and the depth of field and start shooting. It's a bit like eating candy. Fun and easy to consume, but too much of it will make you sick. Still, for me, wildlife is a big part of my income. Many of the magazines I write for are birding and wildlife publications and these straight-forward images are the best accompaniment.

Anyway, this shot of a Great Gray Owl, I made yesterday afternoon about two miles from my house. The bird was very cooperative and perched in the same tree without flying for the hour I spent with it. I would have liked to get some flight shots, or something with a bit better background than the hazy blue sky, but I can't always have everything I want.

More backyard photos

I'm not in much of a mood to write today so instead thought I'd share a few images from this afternoon, shooting birds at the feeders. Needless to say there isn't a whole lot of variety in terms of species, but the light is getting nice and I've been enjoying standing out in the snow making images.

Common Redpoll. These guys are visiting in droves and devouring about two pounds of sunflower chips a day.

Boreal Chickadee. These are fairly common around the house and a few visit the feeders each day. They've got a thing for peanut butter.

Gray Jay. A family group has been visiting daily. They are something of bullies, scare the other birds off and the then proceed to devour whatever isn't bolted down. You can see some unmentionable disappearing down the gullet of this fella.

Black-capped Chickadee. Everyone's favorite. I had a friend a few year ago who used to say "If Chickadees were as big as Jays, no one would go into the woods." I think there is some truth to that.

Another Common Redpoll. Like I said, they are common.

No real secret to the images. They were all made with my 500mm f4 and Canon 40D. Tripod mounted using my Whimberly Sidekick Gimbal-type adapter.

Hopefully, I'll be feeling a bit more like writing tomorrow.

One Year Ago Today

I just had dinner at the home of some friends. After dinner they showed us some photos from their recent trip to Peru. The images of the Andes, the high pampas, and the tightly packed cities made me miss South America something fierce. When I got home I went into a few of my own images from that end of the world and I wondered where I was exactly one year ago today. I scrolled through the images of my time in Bolivia until I found a few that were taken on February 22, 2008. The image above is one of them. Turns out I was photographing the high desert of southwest Bolivia near the Chilean/Argentine borders. It is a land rich in colors. Red rocky desert, pockets of green pampas grass, red, green, blue and white lakes, pink flamingos and an enormous deep blue sky.

I can't wait to get back to the southern hemisphere.

A couple of links

I wanted to direct you to a couple of excellent recent posts on two of my favorite photography blogs. David duChemin's Pixelated Image Blog is a daily read for me. I think he tackles photography from the right attitude and his regular blog posts are thoughtful and well written. Case in point are two posts from earlier today Check them out HERE and HERE.

Another blog I regularly visit is that of a great candid portrait photographer, Matt Brandon. He creates exceptional images from Southeast Asia and India. His recent multimedia gallery is well worth the three minutes it takes to watch. HERE.

Enjoy!

What I'm reading

My bookshelves are covered in photography books and with all due respect, a good portion of the how-to guides are crap. There are a few jewels in the rough, generally those that move past the technicalities and into the philosophy and the thought process of the artists. Galen Rowell's The Inner Game of Outdoor Photography and Phillipe L. Gross' The Tao of Photography: Seeing Beyond Seeing are perfect examples. These are the kinds of books that move beyon f-stop and depth of field to discuss how to see, find, and interpret images. In other words how to make your photography art.

Right now I'm reading another book that tried to blend, somewhat successfully, the art and the science of imagery. It is called The Photographer's Eye by Michael Freeman. I'm enjoying it overall. The text is well thought out and here I think, in that respect, he is on the right track, but I'm finding many of the images less than compelling. Then again, I'm not far into it and that may change. Perhaps I'll post a more detailed review at some point later.