Friday, October 29, 2010

Whitetail Deer - 10 pt. Buck

I was very excited to get this photograph last week. This is a magnificent 10 point whitetail deer buck. The rut (mating season) is in the very early stages and he was showing some interest in nearby does. This section of woods still has quite a canopy of leaves so the light is uneven with a lot of deep shade. I had to be patient as the buck moved in this area until he stepped into a small sunbeam and turned his head. The polished antlers show very well.
The fur on the side of his body is covered with brown, sticky seeds. I suspected this as I watched him and later confirmed it when the image was enlarged on the computer. I have been into these seeds myself and they are a real nuisance!

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Golden Retriever Puppy-2

Here is another image from the recent photo shoot of the three golden retriever puppies. They were about 7 weeks old at the time. All three puppies were loose in the yard at the same time and they usually went in different directions. It was challenging for the owner and his daughter to keep track of them but for me it was easier to get shots of each one individually.
We tied a lightweight toy to the line on a fishing pole. In this image the puppy is trying to grab the toy, which is just out of the frame and can't be seen. The puppy was in constant motion, spinning around and jumping. I was lying in the grass and couldn't move quickly. I had to try and get the shots during the fractions of seconds that the dog was facing my general direction. I shot many frames and finally got a nice one.
This shot is special because of the background. Notice that the puppy's head is framed between the trees and shows so well against the darker background. I could not have posed this; it's the advantage of having many images to choose from. Great fun! 70-200 lens at 100mm. f3.2 for shallow depth of field.

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

How to Photograph Marching Bands

"How to Photograph Marching Bands" is an ebook that was just published. It is focused specifically on capturing stunning images of marching bands. Amateur photographers can see what is possible to achieve and learn how to do it. Numerous photographs are used throughout to illustrate the many helpful tips. These images were chosen from my many years of experience learning the best techniques. Locations, positioning, camera settings, composition and more are all discussed.
The book is available for purchase and immediate downloading in multiple e-reader formats. Go to the bookstore!

Friday, October 8, 2010

Golden Retriever Puppy

Here is a golden retriever puppy dog at about 7 weeks old. I recently photographed a litter of three and had a great time doing it. This photo is quite deceiving because the three puppies were rarely still. I shot primarily while lying prone on the grass and frequently this left me vulnerable to being climbed upon. The owner and his daughter were indispensable. They chased the wandering puppies, gave them toys and pulled them from my back.
We photographed in the late afternoon and had nice light in much of the yard. I used the 70-200 lens at varying focal lengths and a wide aperture to keep the foreground and background blurry.