Friday, December 6, 2013

Holiday Gift Shopping

Our images are available on a large assortment of specialty gift items such as coasters, mugs, cutting boards, playing cards, notepads and mousepads.  These can be ordered from our main sales site:

Our original photographs reside here and can also be ordered on traditional paper prints, canvas gallery wraps, wall clings and the extraordinary aluminum metal display prints.

Two more sites handle our assortment of calendars that feature our photography of antique/classic boats, ducks in flight and whitetail deer.  In addition, we have more artistic renditions of our photography available on canvas gallery wraps and posters.


Lots to see and browse through at all of these sites and they all have great ideas for gifts!


Tuesday, December 3, 2013

Buck Whitetail Deer in Sunbeam

This buck whitetail deer was looking for does during the November rut and had temporarily lost some of his typical caution.  I had been watching him for some time from a distance but he kept mostly to the shadows.  As he got closer, though, he stepped into a sunbeam that lit his head and antlers very nicely.  His antlers have 8 points, fairly good mass and nice shape but he is not huge.  I like the pose and the crooked tree trunk in the background seems to frame him.
400mm lens, 1/500 second at f/3.5, ISO 400.

Thursday, November 14, 2013

Debris on Deer Antlers

I found this young buck whitetail deer at dawn last week and couldn't identify the debris stuck on his antlers.  It most closely resembles a type of packaging material with long, dense, grass-like strands.
I wouldn't have spent time getting photos of this young deer were it not for the unusual debris.  It is an interesting pose, though, as the rut was in progress and he was looking for does.  His neck is outstretched as he sniffs the air.  The soft backlight shines through the trash on the antlers.  It appears as though there is fog in the background but actually it is tall grass in the field that is out of focus.  The deer was breathing heavily and since the morning was quite cold his breath is faintly visible.  Too bad it blends in with the blurry grass.
400mm lens, 1/800 second at f/2.8, ISO 1250.

Monday, November 4, 2013

High Speed Wooden Boats

These two antique, wooden speedboats were photographed on the St. Clair Flats as they raced side by side.  This photo shoot had been thoroughly planned for days and the weather was supposed to be mostly sunny.  Not surprisingly, the forecast was not accurate and we were faced with heavy overcast.  On one of the speed runs, however, the sun poked out and gave us gorgeous light.  This photograph is not enhanced.  The water and sky are dark and nearly the same color.  The sunlight on the boats and the spray makes them jump out from the dark foreground/background.  The sun disappeared again right after this run.
Both boats are triple-cockpit runabouts; the far boat is a 28' Gar Wood and the near boat is a 30' HackerCraft.
100 - 400 lens at 220mm, 1/1000 second at f/5.6, ISO 800.

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Two Wooden Speedboats

These two antique, wooden speedboats were recently photographed on the St. Clair Flats shortly after dawn.  The weather was forecast to be mostly sunny but instead it was mostly overcast.  However, we proceeded with the photo shoot because there had been so much preparation and we hoped the light would improve.  This shot was taken in poor light but with some post-capture enhancement it looks fairly nice.  The lead boat was considerably lightened and the color warmed in Adobe Photoshop.  The white water on the wake was also brightened.  This helps the lead boat stand out against the dark water and sky.  The rear boat was untouched.  The original exposure was 1/1000 second at f/5.6, ISO 1250 with a 100-400 lens at 400mm.

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Painting with Light: Wooden Boats

This image of two antique, wooden speedboats was an experiment with the "painting with light" technique.  Each boat was photographed separately at night in a dark boathouse and composited later to make one image.  The camera was mounted on a tripod and the shutter held open for 30 seconds.  During the exposure I "painted" light onto the decks with a handheld flashlight.  Some light spilled onto  the docks so I had to darken those parts in the post-production work.  The boats were floating and this allowed for some slight movement during the 30 seconds.  From the many exposures that were made I was able to select a couple that had no perceptible movement.  24mm lens at f/8 for all.  ISO was 200 for some and 320 for others.
The boat on the left is a 1936 Gar Wood triple-cockpit runabout and the other boat is a 1930 HackerCraft triple-cockpit runabout.

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Speedboat Photography Multimedia Production

We created a short multimedia production featuring a few of our nautical photographs and video of boating action.  Wooden boats are the focus and everything was shot on Lake St. Clair and the St. Clair River in Michigan.
Watch it on YouTube
Daniel Teetor Speedboat Photography

Full screen viewing is suggested along with good volume.



Thursday, August 29, 2013

Speeding Hydroplane

This speeding hydroplane was photographed while boating on the St. Clair Flats.  I was in a boat that was at idle speed in a protected bay while this small racer made multiple passes at high speed.  On one of the passes I decided to drag the shutter to give a better sensation of speed.  I lowered the ISO to 100, closed the aperture to f/22 and got a shutter speed of 1/60 second.  The hydroplane was probably less than 40 feet away so the camera was panning very quickly to keep up as he sped by.  Zoom lens at 95mm.
The boat and driver are not tack sharp but they are acceptably sharp for this technique.  The lake water and the spray are nicely blurred.  The slightly elevated camera position eliminated the horizon so there are no distracting background elements.  The 9:30 AM light is quite nice as the sun was still fairly low in the sky.

Thursday, August 22, 2013

Horse Show Jumping Multimedia


We created a short multimedia equestrian show from our archives of hunter/jumper horse show photographs and video.  Included are many show jumping action photos as well as assorted candids of some participants.

See it on YouTube:
Horse Shows and Show Jumping


Or watch it here:

Wednesday, August 7, 2013

Wildlife Photography Slideshow

We've produced a short slideshow program with a selection of our favorite wildlife photographs.  Included are images of deer, waterfowl in flight, African plains animals and more.
Wildlife Photography Slideshow


Monday, August 5, 2013

Action Sports Photography

We've produced a short slideshow highlighting some of our action sports photography.  This can be viewed here:  Sports Photography Slideshow
Similar shows of varying lengths have been produced by us over the years with an assortment of subject matter.  Recently, we have been including video footage, too, along with our traditional still images.  The selection of soundtracks and the pace of the show are matched to the subject.


Thursday, August 1, 2013

Horse Show Jumping

A horse and rider jumping a fence during a horse show event.  It's nice when we can find a clean background at a horse show.  Typically, there are people, tents, buildings, etc. that add so much clutter. Another bonus for this shot is that the background is dark and the horse is very light.  The subject is framed nicely between the standards and contrasts nicely against the background.
This photograph was taken at nearly 9:00 AM, well after sunrise, but the sun was partially obscured by clouds so the lighting was quite even.
400mm lens, 1/5000 second at f/2.8, ISO 200.

Thursday, July 25, 2013

Kiteboarder in Mid-air

This photograph of a kiteboarder in mid-air is a nice action shot.  The athlete pops out because he is high enough to have only the sky behind him and no other clutter.  Also, the contrast between him and the background is distinct.  One could argue, with validity, that the eye is drawn to the brightest areas of an image and the bright line of spray in this image is a distraction from the subject.  My own feeling is that the spray contributes greatly to the portrayal of action that I'm trying to achieve.
400mm lens, 1/4000 second at f/3.2, ISO 125.

Friday, July 19, 2013

Kiteboarding Action

This kiteboarder is not airborne yet the photograph shows excellent action.  The image in our previous post showed a kiteboarder in the air with spectacular height off the water and the viewer knows implicitly that there is action.  The image here shows a lot of white water and spray which indicates power and speed.  The camera angle gives us a nice view of the board and we can see how it digs into the water.  No question that this is a fast ride.  So many nice angles; dangling arm, the legs, the board and spray, the control cables.  All of this contributes to a very dynamic image.
400mm lens, 1/2500 second at f/3.2, ISO 125.

Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Kiteboarding in mid-air.

This kiteboarder was recently photographed in mid-air over Lake Huron in northern Michigan.  The breeze was marginal until late in the day.  This worked fine for photography, though, because the sun was getting a little lower.  This shot was taken just after 5:00 PM.  The subject stands out well against the blue sky and the dark water.  His face is well lit.  The angle of the board provides a nice diagonal line.
400mm lens, 1/4000 second at f/3.2, ISO 125.

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Whitetail Deer in Meadow

This whitetail deer was photographed in a spring meadow with tall, green grass.  The morning sky was moderately overcast so the light is very even and soft.  The deer was actively feeding in the meadow and didn't offer any interesting image until she turned to look at another approaching deer.  I took this image when she raised her head and aimed her ears forward.  The darker trees in the far background contrast nicely with her head.  My only objection to the composition is that the tail is a distraction and competes with the head as the center of attention.  The tail is not in focus, due to the shallow depth of field, but it still distracts.  I like how the blades of grass gently fill the right side of the frame with a diagonal line.
400mm lens, 1/1000 second at f/2.8, ISO 1000.

Thursday, June 6, 2013

Deer in a Sunbeam-4

This whitetail deer was laying in deeply shaded woods about an hour after sunrise.  There was nothing compelling about this and it would have been too dark for a decent exposure anyway until the sunbeam tracked onto her.  At about the same time her attention was drawn to another deer nearby and her ears perked up.  That was it; the best shot of the morning!  Exposing for the bright deer allowed for the background to go almost entirely dark.
400mm lens, 1/400 second at f/3.5, ISO 640.

Here is a link to a larger version of the image:http://dteetor2.imagekind.com/store/imagedetail.aspx/a72a1688-5837-43b3-98ba-e5452fc222bd/Deer_in_a_Sunbeam4

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Wood Duck Pair

This pair of wood ducks was photographed from a blind at the edge of a pond.  The two had been swimming for a few minutes in range of my camera and I took a handful of photos (the previous blog post shows one of the first).  As I watched, the two ducks turned toward each other and appeared as though they were conversing as humans; the drake talking to a listening hen.  The pose only lasted an instant before the drake started nipping at the hen as some sort of courtship ritual.
400mm lens, 1/800 second at f/2.8, ISO 2000.

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Swimming Wood Ducks

Here is a hen wood duck swimming directly toward me with a drake following behind.  This photograph was taken at a small pond in an area with several man-made nesting boxes that the wood ducks were using.  My blind was built as close to the water as possible and I was lying on my belly with the camera lens resting on a log.  This low angle is dramatic.  This shot was taken just about sunrise but the sun wasn't high enough yet to shine through the trees at the perimeter of the pond.  The light is diffused and even.  Even though the hen is drab colored she still contrasts nicely with the darker water.  Especially her reflection.
400mm lens, 1/800 second at f/2.8, ISO 2000.

Monday, May 13, 2013

Animal and Bird Art

We've created some new artwork and this gray squirrel image is an example.  We start with an original photograph and add some digital enhancement.  The resulting image is still photorealistic but it looks very nice on wrapped canvas prints.  The gallery is here:
http://www.zazzle.com/dsteetor/gifts?cg=196662314223135282
So far there are images of both gray and fox squirrels, whitetail deer, mallard ducks, wood ducks and golden retriever puppies.

Friday, May 10, 2013

Wood Duck Flight

This is a hen wood duck flying from her nesting box.  I was positioned in a ground blind that was close enough to photograph three nesting boxes and capture any activity.  Wood ducks are fast fliers and it is difficult to get shots of them in flight.  They seem to hardly slow their speed at all when entering the box and the exit is equally quick.  Fortunately, the hens give some warning before exiting by showing their heads at the opening.  Sometimes they wait several minutes but when they decide to leave they are gone in a flash.  That was the case here and I kept the camera trained on the box as soon as I noticed her head protruding from the opening.  The shutter speed is not particularly fast and there is some attractive blurring at the wing tips.
400mm lens, 1/800 second at f/3.2, ISO 320.

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Duck-Fly and Quack

This drake mallard duck was singled out during a spring courtship flight.  He was part of a group of drakes circling a pond with a hen and he obviously came very close.  Notice that his feet are not deployed so he wasn't slowing to land.  The angle of the wings gives the composition a very nice diagonal line.  The real bonus is the wide open mouth as if he were quacking directly at me.
100-400mm lens, 1/1250 second at f/5.6, ISO 400.

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Cupped Wings-Descending Ducks

These three ducks are in descending flight with their wings cupped.  They are gliding toward a pond for a landing and the center duck has put down his feet to help slow the descent.  Mallard drakes on the left and center, one hen on the right.  There were quite a few ducks on the pond and during the spring they are flying with more frequency on their "courtship flights."  The flight speed is considerable, even when descending like this, so keeping sharp focus is always difficult.  Crossing ducks are easier to keep focused but the shot is not as dramatic.  On this shot the center focusing points were active so I kept them locked on the center bird.  The composition would have benefitted if the three birds were higher in the frame, though.
400mm, 1/1000 second at f/5.6, ISO 640.

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Flying Mallard Duck

A flying drake mallard duck approaching at high speed.  This photograph was taken recently during the spring courtship flights that is part of the ducks' mating ritual.  This male was probably in the company of one female and at least one other male vying for her attention.  Notice that his feet are not deployed as airbrakes so he is not slowing to land.  In fact, it was so cold his feet are tucked inside his feathers.  This is an extremely difficult shot to get because the high speed and close proximity make focusing very difficult.  It's hard enough to keep the bird in the frame!  My success rate is low.  This one is extra nice because the diagonal formed by the wing angle contributes so much to the composition.  Also, the mouth is wide open as he calls.
100-400 lens at 250mm, 1/1250 sec at f/5.6, ISO 400.

Tuesday, April 2, 2013

Alpine Ski Racing-Slalom Course

This is a photograph of an alpine ski racer at a gate on the slalom course.  There were seldom any sunny days this winter when we were photographing races so this day was a delight.  The detail in the snow is lost with the low-contrast, overcast days.  The blue sky is very pleasing.  On overcast days the dull snow is only slightly different than the dull sky.
The camera position was chosen carefully to capture maximum body angle at the gate and to get the camera as low as possible.  The background has an obnoxious tower but if we had moved our position to the left we would have been uphill too much and the low angle would have been lost.  The rest of the background is uncluttered, though, and nicely out of focus.  Good action here as the skier has just made contact with the gate and snow is spraying from the skis.
400mm lens, 1/5000 second at f/3.5, ISO 100.

Friday, March 22, 2013

Ski Race-Giant Slalom

This is a photograph of a skier at a gate on the giant slalom course.  I was very fortunate to be able to photograph the skiers of a local team during a training day.  It was not an actual race so I was able to position myself in the middle of the course, something I can't do on race day.  It is certainly possible to get angles like this during a race since the course layouts can vary a lot.  But on this day I didn't have to worry as much about being in the way.
Two factors about this camera position are notable.  First, this head-on position lets us see the athlete's face and the extreme body angle.  Second, I was positioned slightly below the flat spot where the gate is located.  This allowed the camera to be almost level with the flat spot and below the athlete's head.  Both of these factors contribute to a dramatic action shot.
400mm lens, 1/4000 sec at f/3.5, ISO 100.

Friday, March 15, 2013

Alpine Ski Race with Off-camera Flash

This image of an alpine ski racer on the giant slalom course was taken in mid-January near the beginning of the race season.  The days are short and the late afternoon races get dark early.  I set a speedlight, with a wireless trigger, to the side of a gate and positioned myself down the course to get more of a head-on view.  It's not good form to put the light directly into the athletes' faces but the coach and skiers gave permission for the side lighting.  The side lighting is much more pleasing and the camera angle is dramatic.  The speedlight is set for high-speed sync so the shutter speed can be high enough to avoid ghosting.  The drawback is that the light won't recycle fast enough for more than one shot per skier.  Focusing is an issue, too.  It's difficult for the camera to track reliably in the dim light.  Pre-focusing can work if the timing is dead-on.  I try to frame tightly, though, and using a wide aperture there isn't enough depth of field for any error in the timing.  Not every photo comes out perfectly sharp but I have better results not pre-focusing.  70-200 lens at 200mm, f/3.5 at 1/1000, ISO 500.