Jake Peterson’s Blog

Well I already got a day behind in blogging, that happens on these events. The lack of sleep from just early shoots gets to you, but that’s part of capturing those shoots that make it so forth while. Yesterday morning we worked one of Dad’s favorite spots that had a truly unique bird, the Black Skimmer. These guys are kinda goofy. Not only our their designed funny with the upper one being shorter than the lower one, but when they are on a beach or spit they will sit in a group and every few minutes getup and fly away an then land in roughly the same spot as they were just in.

The behavior is rather unusual but fun to watch and great for images because we were able to get flight shots and ground shots of the birds. Now they are skiddish if approached to quickly or if too close. This wasn’t a problem because between us and them was a lot of mud and we weren’t getting muddy that day. Only down side was we lost the light as soon as we got there and had brief windows of its beauty. That happens, and what to we do when that happens. Keep on shooting, nothing else we can do. I did learn that getting flight shots with a hundred birds in the air is tough. Clipping wings and heads is just too easy and really unappealing. Just one more thing to work on for next time.

Images capture with D3, 600f4, Tc-14e, on Lexar UDMA Digital Film

Yesterday we had a rare treat for the group, something that we not only exciting it we just awesome in every way you can think of. Dad, being Dad basically, knowing so much of the birds species down here and having spent so much time photographing the various spieces has come to meet some friendly people. Those people happen to bring other people out to a certain island where the bird photography is just amazing. The Roseate Spoonbill is by far one of the high lights of the day. The shear number of the birds showing up along with the incredible flights shoots being displayed at point blank range just gave for awesome shooting.

Now you might be saying to yourself well geez this sounds pretty easy take a boat out there and get great shots, well let me tell you it was work. With a group of 10 people and 2 boats approaching a flock of birds wasn’t easy, nor was standing in Tampa Bay for a few hours which actually wasn’t bad once adjusted to the temperature. The true challenge like any critter is moving as a group. Got to slowly move one at a time. One person moves then the next one up to that one, then the next. Real simple, keeps from anything flushing. The island was great, lots more to blog but it’s 3 am and i’m wiped.

Images captured with D3, 600f4, Tc-14e, on Lexar UDMA Digital Film

One of the biggest challenge with wildlife photography that most people don’t seem to understand is that we get skunked, A LOT. It just the way that things pan out. Birds, and all critters for that matter, have a natural tendency to not show up for their own photo shoot. Hey they aren’t getting paid so why should they have to put up with us photographers. It’s quite common to get a local and not have the subjects as we experienced this morning. It is a hard lesson that the group wasn’t thrilled over but an important one. Afternoon shooting was better. Besides the wind that picked up, which wasn’t bad as far keeping the subjects away it just had an odd chill. The Afternoon brought out the use of our panning plates. You can read up all about them on Dad’s blog, but basically its a flat plate that can go on the ground and a lens can attach to it, we use a Frisbee to keep things clean. As we worked the beach, Chris and i found this guy. A Ring-billed Gull in great plumage. Naturally we just worked him, and like most gulls on a beach he kept getting closer which meant more head shots. It’s alright he had the head for it. The light faded out pretty fast that afternoon and the subjects weren’t in there usual laughing mood as there name implies so we headed on home for an early retirement.

Images captured with D3, 600f4, Tc-14e, on Lexar UDMA Digital Film

The best way to finish off the first day of basic training is with aerial work. Since we already covered ground techniques with the morning shoot, the next step was the basic panning techniques needed for the rest of the week. For this we went to a really cool wharf that had some fisherman on it and had attracted a lot of attention. It was one of those finds that you normally wouldn’t think about. Simple really after you get there and realize why, the birds are beggars and easy meals, free fish. The cool thing are all the Brown Pelicans, Laughing Gulls, and Royal Terns Flying around.

Well I’m a little rusty with my panning technique, not quite used to the birds anymore, too used to planes and their rather uniform pattern; easy to track, easy to follow. It was nice to get back to basics of bending at the trunk, eye peice tight against the eye, elbows in and following the subject. The one that got me the most that i noticed was the cutting off of wing tips in my shots, which has to do with being quicker with panning technique and knowing where the subject goes. This is good though gives me something to practice over the week.

Images captured with D3, 300f4, on Lexar UDMA Digital Film

I’m down in Florida this week spending my spring break on another of Dad’s base camp’s. Nice way to get of Montana actually. Spring Break in Florida, not bad. I can’t complain the sun and sand are really quite nice. The focus of the week are birds, of course my friends back at school didn’t understand that when i told them that i was leaving but that’s okay. This morning we kicked it off with a shoot at one of the local beaches and some of the local birds.

These two are a pair of Laughing Gulls, above, and a Willet, below. I like working with both of them even though i have not spent much time working with either of them. The gulls always provide with an interesting time just their odd ball antics are fun to watch and the Willets are unique in there strutting around behavior. The morning was causl getting people setup and used to bird photography afterward it’s classroom time and more shooting. Wanted to get this up though.

Images captured with D3, 600f4, Tc-14e on Lexard UDMA Digital Film