This ain’t my first rodeo, Partner!

I love that line.  I have been repeating it to myself quite a bit lately.  While I don’t think I yet qualify as an “old geezer“, I have been around long enough to have lived and worked through a few recessions.  Both the recession in the 70’s and the one in the 80’s were much worse than the current downturn in most respects.  The current cycle has gotten lots of press, 24-hour news channel coverage, a significant political component, and a tendency to be over-dramatized in order to cover other agendas.  But, in the main, it’s just another wave in the endless economic cycle that rises and falls over time.

For the purposes of this site, I want to leave the partisan talking points behind and present my thoughts about how tough economic times have impacted photography….mine and that of others I have known.  Because, the true impact of the economy is some of the impacts it has on individuals.  Some will suffer because of their circumstances, others will see no significant changes, and some will actually benefit.  For me, the changes I see coming will have less to do with my personal finances than they will my business practices.

The first place most photographers have seen the effects of global economic changes is in equipment prices (particularly on high-ticket items released before the crunch).  Fluctuations between the comparative currency valuations (yen vs. dollar & such) will force price changes that can begin to sting.  Some important DLSR prices have risen $300-500 in recent weeks.  There is really nothing a person in the market for these items can do except wait to buy or pay the higher price.  My advice is to check your priorities and delay the low-priority purchases.

Another area where we will see change is in the release rate for new products.  Slow times mean a slowing in R&D investment and much more caution when proposing and developing new products.  In the case of digital hardware and software, this will likely mean a slight slowing in the dizzying pace of new photographic products we will see in the next couple of years.  I’m not sure that’s all bad.  Perhaps we will see only the more important developments getting the attention they need and a little less peripheral noise (less gadgetry and accessorizing).

My equipment set is pretty much set, with the exception of an eventual 2-body purchase of the D700x/D800 when it comes.  So, in my business, the more immediate and significant economic impact is in the relative cost of travel.  I say “relative” cost because tight times force prioritization of all aspects of one’s lifestyle to match available resources.  This is certainly true of my own travel for my own photographic field work.  And, of course, my customers are engaging in the same decisions for themselves.  Thankfully, I still get calls and emails regarding photo expeditions and training events, so I am not in a panic of any kind.  But, this will likely be a slower season for me and so adjustments will have to be made.  I have decided to fill unused dates with an expanded shooting schedule for my own photographic projects and to wade into a couple I have been putting off for the past few years.  Even so, I will go back to my early days and “travel cheap” to keep the net costs down.

My recent conversations with customers reveals an interesting potential trend.  Most are wanting to stay closer to home in an effort to conserve travel dollars.  So, for many, international travel has been ruled out in favor of trips within the good ole’ USA.  That fits my pistol just fine, as I specialize my efforts predominately in the Southwestern and Rocky Mountain West.  Many of the inquiries I have received recently are also of a “back-to-basics” nature.  Folks are more interested in refiing technique and improving the execution of their photographic vision.  They are less interested in some of the “touring” aspect of an expedition.  I am thrilled to see this.  It has always been my goal to present core photographic principles and techniques which allow the photographer to be more confident and competent in their art/craft and to be more productive in any location they decide to photograph.

A third area, admittedly somewhat political, is sure to impact photographers in the near future.  The recent power-grab mentality in government will mean more regulation and restrictions for photographers.  Ten years ago, we saw dramatic changes in public access and increased restrictions of movement for photographers.  Without repeating my own war stories in this area, I will simply say that things are going to get tighter.  Regulations based upon political agendas will impact our daily lives with our cameras will increase and the cost and complexity of access to public lands and open spaces will go up.  Count on it.  Enough said for now.

So, while we can expect our photography to be impacted at several levels, we also have the opportunity to “tune up and trim down” our photographic practice.  This can be beneficial, not only when times are tight, but when the fat times return and we apply our leaner, meaner selves to the world at large.

Short version, buck up and keep shootin’!  This won’t be your last rodeo, Partner!

After reviewing the results of my first 2009 trip to Bosque del Apache, I saw yet another piece of conventional wisdom fall at the alter of the “digital revolution”.

For most of my photographic career, there have been some obvious barriers between amateur and professional level photography.  (Note I said photography and not photographers… That’s a topic for later discussion)   Principle among these barriers is the cost and justification of highly specialized and expensive equipment.  Professional grade equipment has always been available to anyone with deep pockets.  But, absent winning the lotto, most amateurs will not be able to justify the expense of flagship camera bodies, long fast lenses, and byte-burning computers.

Even professional and semi-professonal photographers, in the main, don’t just buy equipment willy-nilly to fill empty spaces in the camera case.  Usually, a true pro will make equipment decisions based upon a demonstrated need or in an effort to expand their capabilities, image quality and/or market.  This is not to say that some of us don’t, in fact, buy a few things that we just want without some higher purpose.

One of the toughtest pieces of equipment to justify has been the “long, fast glass” used in bird and general wildlife photography.  400mm, 500mm, 600mm and longer, f4, f3.5, f2.8 maximum apertures, and the requisite support equipment (hefty tripods and gimballed mounts) can set you back well over $10k.  Before I took the plunge, I found it easier (and smarter) to rent what I needed for the rare occasions that the assignment demanded such equipment.

In the days of film photography, if you wanted to produce those tack sharp portraits of distant critters, there was little choice but to make the investment in high-dollar gear (a common cause of divorce among photographers).  But, with the new equipment choices in the digital photography world, things are changing.

When I began doing field seminars and working with mostly amateur photographers, I decided to do all of my demonstrations and examples with the types of equipment that my seminar attendees were most likely to have available.  I did this to increase their comfort level, to be sure, but also to make the learning/training experience more meaningful and targeted to their photographic lifestyle.  It does very little good to haul out equipment that the vast majority of my clients cannot afford and will never own, do demonstrations of technique they will never use, and generate images well outside of their equipment’s capabilities.

I prefer to demonstrate accessable field technique which inspires experimentation and photographic growth.  Thankfully, the digital revolution is supporting this philosophy and expanding opportunities at the same time.

At this last excursion to the Bosque, I shot all digital for the first time.  The D700/D300 cameras were at the heart of this whole process.  Their low light capabilities, coupled with Vibration Reduction technology in some of my lenses, opened up significant photographic opportunities previously reserved for very expensive glass and heavy support equipment.  I obtained images with 80-400mm and 70-200mm VR zooms that equaled or surpassed those I had previously obtained with 600mm f4 primes on film cameras.  The VR technology gave me three f-stops of effective speed on action and panning shots, plus the increased depth-of-field available at f8 and f11, unheard of with conventional 600mm gimballed lenses in the same role.  Range of motion was quadrupled, allowing me to stay with the subject and shoot longer sequences.  The ability to shoot high quality images at ISO 1600+ further reduced the demands upon the lenses, as was the case with film.

The D300, with its 1.5 DX “magnification factor”, made 300mm into 450mm and 400mm into 600mm effective focal lengths.  Add to that the light weight, mobility and ease of transport/setup and you have a significant improvement in capability.  This doesn’t even begin to explore the additional capabilities afforded in the digital post processing cycle.

Now, don’t get me wrong, most of these same technological advantages can be applied to a premium 600mm f4 lens giving even more spectaclar results.  But, the point here is that the photographic envelope “for the masses” has been pushed to new dimensions.  And, it is good that these capabilities for producing an expanded range of images has become plausible for a much wider group of photographers.

The cost/benefit barrier still exists; the new D3x being a case in point.   But, to the degree these barriers can be lowered, I think photography benefits overall.  I am particularly excited about the prospects of demonstrating these enhanced capabilities to more of my seminar and workshop attendees.

Now, if we could just talk Nikon into lowering the price on that D3x…….hmmmmm.

This is part 3  of the field Journal report for my most recent photo trip to Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge in New Mexico.

As previously reported, the shoot was actually split into two trips about 10 days apart.  The weather wasn’t as cooperative as I would have liked, and the distribution of birds at the refuge was not like a “normal” year.  This shortened the basic shooting hours a bit but wasn’t the worst I have seen.  Some years, I go to the Bosque in the Fall and late Winter.  I have decided to do a Fall run this year as well.

After reviewing the images from my Bosque trip, I was generally pleased with the results.  I have done a total of four culling rounds, leaving a net image count of 872 frames.  The basic culls are for technical imperfections, obvious compositional flaws and duplication.  This will be further reduced when I complete a detailed critical analysis and after I run these results against my film-based images.  I expect the final cull will be in the 550-600 frame range.  Over time, this will reduce further as I make return visits to the Bosque.

Within this set of images, I have, so far, identified 28 frames that are flagged for printing and sale.  There are another couple dozen frames that I am not decided on just yet.  But, if I end up with 4-5 “money shots” per day in the field, I am usually satisfied.  I did a little better than that on this shoot.

Now on to my objectives:

• I feel that I did make good progress on my focus tracking technique.  I arrived at camera settings which seem to support my field technique and which raised my percentage of acceptable images.  Capturing a good image of a bird in flight is one of the tougher photographic skills to master.  The more you can refine your technique, the more you can concentrate on the viewfinder for composition and timing of the shot.  My D700 camera settings were generating good, low noise images which were standing up to 50-60% crops in some cases.  The D300 produced similar results even at 65-75% crops.  Some of the fuller frame images will definately print to 13×19″ with minimal post-processing.

• I did increase my uasable library of inflight sandhill crane and snow goose images.  I had more opportunities with the cranes, but still added “money shots” in both categories.

• I have not completed the analysis of this shoot versus my film-based images, but I am confident that I have several  images that will replace some of my film-based attempts.

• Opportunity shots were limited on this trip.  The weather windows had me concentrating my time on the primary subjects.  However, on the drives to and from the Bosque, I noted several potential locations and got a few generic subject images of interest.

Overall, I think the effort was well worthwhile.

A side benefit of this shoot was a chance to further familiarize myself with the capabilities of the D700 camera.  I grow ever fonder of this machine as I find out how naturally I am bonding with it.  I also got improved results with the Nikkor AF-VR 80-400 zoom.  I do intend to explore the AF Fine-Tuning feature of the D700 and D300 with this lens.  I have read online reports that this lens benefits from fine-tuning with these cameras (as well as the D3 and D3x).  While a have no basic gripes, it’s always worth my time to see if image quality can be improved.  This will be a project for later this year and I will report my findings/results on this blog.

When the new gallery pages are up and running, I’ll be posting images from this and other expeditions for your review.   In the meantime, if you are interested in bird photography, I strongly recommend that you plan a trip to the Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge.

This is part 2  of my field Journal report of my photo trip to Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge in New Mexico.

Day 1 - January 25, 2009

I had planned to begin the trip on or about January 15, but the trip had to be postponed for 10 days over weather and scheduling issues.  The weather needed to be forcast as clear or partly cloudy for the best photo opportunities.  Things converged and I took off on the morning of January 25.  I drove straight to the refuge and arrived with 2-3 hours of usable light.

As I motored past the refuge sign, south of San Antonio, New Mexico, I spotted the usual gaggle of photographers on the northwest end of the refuge.  There are a couple of large flooded fields (ponds) just off of the road to the west.  There must have been 15 tripods with 600mm+ glass on top, all in a line within 15 yards of each other.   You see a lot of this around sunrise and sunset.  Sometimes these folks are actually part of an organized group or just traveling together.  More often, there’s a kind of spontaneous convergence around the first tripod on site.  It makes me smile.  But, I’m not sure why.

I entered the refuge “tour loop” after paying my 3 bucks, and proceded across the refuge to the east side and the “Farm Loop”.  I proceded north to the Northeasternmost part of the Farm Loop.  I have a spot there which affords me a good chance at capturing cranes in flight as they return to the refuge from the fields to the north.  It also gives good open views of the mountains and foothills to the west, and is a great spot for sillhouetting birds against the sunset and/or sun disc.

Setup was pretty quick as I had pre-set the cameras and erased and re-formatted my CF cards before the trip.  Inbound sandhill cranes began appearing overhead almost immediately.   In addition to the usual “default custom (Fred’s default)” settings, I set the ISO for the D700 to 1600 in order to get action-freezing shutter speeds of 1/1000 or faster.  I used the Nikkor AF-VR 80-400 zoom, mostly in the 300-400mm range, in Active VR Mode, and with the AF Limit swicth On to isolate individual and small groups of birds and speed auto-focus.  The sun was unimpeded for the first hour of this session.  This resulted in well-lit birds with lots of detail and color.  About an hour before sunset, a group of layered wispy clouds began to block the full sun.   By that time, the best option was to shoot birds sillhouettes and a few static scenic shots.  This  is often a dicey set-up as freezing motion in the birds (even with the assistance of VR) gets problematic.  Good panning technique and reduced wing movement when the birds soar instead of flap is essential to good results.

When the light got pretty low and the frequency of birds dropped, I drove on around the Farm Loop to the big pond across from the refuge entrance.  The usual evening gathering of snow geese and cranes was underway.  But, the light was pretty bad, so I headed back to Socorro to get dinner, settle in and check my results from the afternoon shoot.  (More on that in part 3).  Suffice it to say that there were some obvious “keepers” from the afternoon’s efforts.

Day 2 - January 26, 2009

The cloud cover that had moved in the previous night had continued to build, resulting in a moderate overcast, covering all but the easternmost sky.  Even so, I drove on down to the Bosque to see what was up.  Upon arrival, I passed about 6 vehicles leaving the refuge.  It seems that, well before dawn, someone “spooked” the huge flock of snow geese and cranes that had overnighted on the big pond.  This scattered them off to the north of the accessible areas of the refuge.  I decided to go ahead and scope out the rest of the refuge to see which ponds were flooded and what kind of subject matter was available.

As the morning progressed, the light got worse and the weather forcast did too.  Overcast, rain and snow forcast for the next three days.  So, I decided to abort the day’s shooting and return when the weather cleared up.  Day 2 was a bust.

Day 3 - February 4, 2009

I returned to the Bosque for another try.  I arrived at mid-day to good weather and an apparently undiminished bird population.  During high sun, I worked on shore birds and ducks that frequent the shallow water along the shore.  A large flock of snow geese began assembling on the big pond which eventually built into a huge congregation.  I got some good “flotilla” shots and several good large-group, in-flight shots as the geese did a couple of fly-ups.

After evaluating Day 1 results, I altered the settings of the D700 for bird tracking.  The main change was to swith the release mode from Release+Focus to just Release.  I had discovered that the 80-400 VR was a bit slow locking on at the desired f11 aperture.  Even with the lens’ AF Limit-Switch On, the search time was causing the shutter to release without a true focus.  By switching to Release Only mode, I could get an initial lock and watch the focus indicator while tracking the birds.  This limited the lens’ seek time substantially.

I tested the release mode settings with the 80-400mm VR, my 70-200 VR, and my trusty Sigma APO 400mm.  The afternoon resulted in several good opportunities at my Farm Loop site and another on around the Farm Loop on it’s northwest corner.  As sundown approached, I drove around to the big pond.  The “gaggle” of big glass photographers was in full force, huddled into a line near one of the observation platforms.  But, the birds were fairly distant, as the pond was partially emptied, causing them to congregate further from the shoreline.

I decided to head out of the main part of the refuge and go for the shallow ponds south of the refuge entrance sign.  When I got there, I found a smaller gaggle had assembled.  There were good reflections of the cranes that had landed on a small furrow in mid-pond.  The long row of birds and their reflections were a little cliche as compositions go.  But, the light was pretty interesting and I got some good images.

When the light finally died out, I returned to Socorro.  I had generated 640+ images, which took quite a while to go through.  I did an initial cull of about a third.  My results confrmed that, for me at least, the change in shutter release modes was giving me much better focus while tracking birds in flight.  Most of my culls were because of framing and composition issues, or birds in flight with relatively unattractive wing positions.  I determined that, the next day, I would look for “environmental” and close-up opportunities for the lesser populated species at the Bosque.

Day 5, February 5, 2009

The sunrise on Day 5 was very brilliant in a clear sky, which limited possibilities at the big pond.  The intrepid gaggle was there, but they were mostly grumbling about the harshness of the light.  I drove on to the lesser traveled route around the southern part of the refuge.  There weren’t many opportunities, so I proceded north to the other side of the refuge.  The usual population of cranes in the close-in fields was not present, so I continued on.  After another full circuit of the refuge, I decided to move on to another location.  I went back to Socorro, checked out and drove toward home.  Along the way, I stopped at the Abo unit of the Salinas Missions National Monument.  I got some good images of the ruins there.  Further on, I got some nice shots of some derilict buidings at Willard and Yeso New Mexico.

Upon my return home, I downloaded the CF Cards, did a basic culling session and then did a full back-up to my archive drives.

In part 3 of this report, I will discuss my results and analize how well I had met my objectives.

Come back soon and see what I come up with.

This is Part one of a three-part field journal report.  This segment deals with Objectives and Planning for the shoot.

Today I began preparations for a trip to Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge (”The Bosque”).  This is one of my annual “photographic pilgrimage” sites.  These are are places that I visit often to refine and practice photographic technique, develop my photographic vision, or do an overall photographic “reset”.  The Bosque and White Sands National Monument (another of my photographic pilgrimage sites) also have the advantage of being relatively close to home.

There is a lot of material on the web about The Bosque.  It has become a photographer’s magnet location, with good reason.  The Bosque is a photographically “target rich environment”.  It is basically a migratory bird refuge in a scenic location.  It is easy to get to by road and air (via Albuquerque and El Paso).  There are lots of additional photographic opportunities nearby.  And, there is a lot of “buzz” about the place that generates interest among photographers.

Objectives

For my trip this month, I have some specific goals as well as on-going projects that I want to address:

1. Work on my focus tracking camera settings and field technique
2. Capture In-flight images of sandhill cranes and snow geese
3. Obtain Digital “Replacement Shots” for my stock library
4. Capture “Opportunity Shots” as encountered

The first goal, working on my focus tracking, is a combination of learning and applying appropriate camera settings and of refining my field technique in the actual capture of the images (mainly of flying birds).  For the first time, I will be going to The Bosque with only digital cameras (Nikon D300 & D700).  I am also trying to master my Nikkor AF-VR 80-400 Zoom.  My first couple of visits to The Bosque with this lens were okay, but I think I have more to learn about this lens in this setting.

My third goal is to obtain “digital replacement shots” for as many situations as possible.  This ties in with my second goal above, in that such shots should at least improve upon my existing film-based images to qualify as replacements.  It is also a long-term, multi-location goal to replace film-based images whenever an opportunity exists.

And, as always, I hope to take advantage of as many photographic opportunities as may present themselves during the shoot.  These can happen on location, on the way to and from the location or under any number of circumstances.  Again, since The Bosque is such a target-rich site, the opportunities will present themselves somewhat often.

Planning

I have been to The Bosque many, many times.  Even so, one of my first steps in planning a trip is to visit the official website.  The site has some great resources to assist you in planning a trip.  There a some pages with charts showing peak bird populations across several years.  Based upon this chart and my own experience, I hope to make my way down there on the third week of this month.  The sandhill cranes and snow geese should be at peak numbers.  There is also a good informative website sponsored by the Friends of the Bosque organization.

The weather at The Bosque is always a bit of a gamble.  Winters in Central New Mexico are somewhat volitile and the mornings are almost always very cold (at least for us Southwesterners).  Some key factors in planning for a trip at this time of year are clothing (use the layer system), equipment protection, and transportation.  You must have warm clothing and protection from gusty New Mexico winds.  Sunglasses, ear protectors, scarves, warn socks and protective lip balm are important.  If you have sensitivites to cold, wind or other medical considerations, you should spend extra time in this planning phase.  If cold weather is an issue, I hear they have a few birds in Florida ;^)

I have done some web research on other photographers’ methods on bird photography, focus tracking, camera settings and so on.  A few quick Google searches using “Bird Photography” and “Bosque Photography” leads to several good postings.  I looked specifically for hints, tips and discussions of tracking techniques and found some useful common sense information which would be quite appropriate for beginning/novice photographers.  There wasn’t anything earth-shattering for a more seasoned or professional, but some may have found useful “refresher” types of information.

My next step will be to double-check and refine my equipment checklist.  Since this will to be my first all-digital trip, I will be going a little lighter than my bigger expeditions, but that really only means leaving behind the film camera bodies, the film cooler, the changing bag and the film itself.  I’ll make sure my camera support list includes my monopod and an extra quick-release.  I’ll also locate my camera’s “shower cap” and my thermal camping blanket for foul-weather protection.  Other than these items, my conventional “full field kit” will be going with me.

Next, I will bring up my computer software checklist and verify that I have downloaded and installed all of my current software updates onto my laptop road machine.  I also always do a quick “start-up and shut-down” of each program to be sure everything is okay.  Next, I back off all unneccesary image files and move them to my “main” computer.  I also do back-ups to my secondary storage for all of those files.  When everything checks out, I remove the files from the laptop to make way for images captured on the trip.  I also build the initial directories I might need for initial cataloging of those images.

Next, I will make room reservations in Socorro, New Mexico.  There are several good places to stay there.  Since the economy is in one of its occasional slumps, I have set a business goal of “going cheap” this year.  I’ll stay at the Motel 6 on the south side of Socorro as they have always been able to accomodate me with a downstairs, non-smoking room.   The Motel 6 is just a few yards away from the southbound I-25 exit heading towards The Bosque.

Just prior to departure, I will be erasing and reformatting my CF cards for the Nikons and do a final equipment check.  I will also do an inspection and cleaning job on all lenses, filters and cameras.  A final check of the weather will be the “go / no-go” signal.

In the next part of this field report, I will describe what happens during the actual expedition.  This will be a three-day shoot.  So, I may post each day or possibly wait until I get home and do a larger 3-day report.  Please check back to see how things went.  If you have questions or comments, please post them.  I respond to all communincations.

See you next time!

I’m going to keep this short.  As many of you from the old Trailmates forum/discussion group will recall, I have long anticipated a 22mp+ Nikon digital camera which could replace my 35mm film cameras without losing image quality and which preserves my investment in Nikon glass and system components.  The newly announced Nikon D3x DSLR is, no doubt, such a camera….at first glance.

But, upon further consideration, I am afraid that the D3x will likely not be my next DSLR purchase.  I have no gripes about the machine itself, as all existing reviews are offering glowing praise of the image quality and build of this D3 upgrade/companion camera.  But I am quite disappointed with the pricing/marketing scheme employed by Nikon in its release.  Basically, there is not enough of an improvement in features or performace over the D3 to justify a $3,000+ list price increase.  I have no inside knowledge about this but it would seem that the $8k price was arrived at by ”guesstimating” what the market will bear.  Even Canon’s 1Ds Mark III flagship camera price is in the $6,500 range for similar, if not slightly lower, performance (based again on the reviews).

I have noted a lot of buzz on this topic, with the usual range of opinions.  There are the “my Nikon, right or wrong” evangelists who think that those of us seeking value and service (as well as performance, features, and build quality) are just whining.  And there are those with deep pockets for whom price has never really been an issue…..God bless and keep them.  There are also the usual crowd of pseudo-pros, quasi-pros and actual pros who see this as a justifiable expenditure or a natural progression in their photographic practice.  I am open to all points of view, acknowledging that this isn’t necessarily and “issue” for many people.  But, cut me some slack if I am among those for whom price is, sometimes, an issue.

The 24.5mp CMOS FX-Format sensor is what many of us landscape and nature photographers have been waiting for for several years.  And the superior image quality, superb detail and resolution, image file processing and backward system compatability of the Nikon pro DSLR line are reasons enough to remain a Nikon owner.  But, absent some paying project which would justify an unanticipated purchase, I fail to see enough additional value in the D3x to justify the expenditure at such a premium price.  There may be $600-800 of manufacturing cost differential between the D3 and D3x sensors, but there is little else which I can see to justify the $3k price difference.  There is no true customer support program of note from any modern camera manufacturer, let alone the notoriously aloof Nikon gang.  There’s no preferred customer services group that doesn’t either cost extra or place undue credentialing requirements on the owners of premium cameras.  So, what does the extra $3k over the D3 buy?

This buying decision falls into the same category as my previously discussed logic with the D3 vs the D700.  Given the product life-cycle of digital technology, Nikon’s traditional new product release timeline and the relative value to my photographic practice, I see no reason not to wait another 9-18 months for the D700x (or D800 or whatever they call the upcoming 24.5mp pro-sumer version of the D3x engine).  If pricing decisions at Nikon follow their trend, instead of the actual value of the product, then I can expect a $3,750-4,000 D700x which more closely meets my tests for utility, capability and value.  (I can also pray that competitive/market pressures push that price down to $3k or so, in which case I will buy two of the suckers!)

Assuming that the “D700x” would basically be a D700 with the 24.5mp sensor and attendant software/firmware/processor modifications, I would be well pleased.  As this camera would meet my long-anticipated IQ and performance standards, I also think it would be the star player in my bag for a considerable length of time.

Update: Check out some reviews of the new Nikon D3x:

A similar opinion by Thom Hogan

A comprehensive review: Digital Photography Review

I am migrating this review to the blog from the Silver Trails Photo Seminars, Trailmates website.  Check back soon.

A couple of years ago, I ran across a photography website called Photo Migrations.  While cruising the postngs on their forums, I read mention of a place called Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma.  The posters discussed wildlife and scenic photo opportunities which interested me.  So, I made a note in my computerized research file and went on with me web browing.  My daughter is finishing her doctorate program at OSU in Oklahoma.  We have traveled to Stillwater and Edmond for visits several times, and the Wichita refuge has crossed my mind, but time was always short.

Day 1 - November 11, 2008

Well, we finally put the refuge on the agenda and visited there on the 11th and 12th of this month.  To make a long story short, we were pleasantly surprised.  While we were there a little past peak for fall color, we found lots of the local oak and maple in the late stages of color and explored the primary routes within the refuge.  The terrain is varied and interesting.  The wildlife was pretty much out of sight ecept for some prairie dogs, deer and individual buffalo (bison).  They also have a resident longhorn cattle herd and antelope (pronghorn).

Our first day’s visit found lots of low clouds and general overcast conditions.  Still, we had a good ride up the winding Mt Scott road, only to end up in the middle of the clouds.  There were lichen-covered rocks and the promise of good panoramic landscapes in better weather.  We went down into the prairie and fond several good ponds and small lakes.  There was also a place called Holy City where seasonal inspirational programs are presented.  It is an interesting collection of recreated stone buildings and “settings” where we assumed live performances are done.

The refuge also has obvious potential for wildflower photography, confirmed by information we discovered at the vistor’s center.  We also some some good photography on display by local photographers.

We captured some fall color images with the D700 & D200, mostly close-ups.  The overcast kept us busy with white balance checks, but the cloudy setting on the D700 did a generally good job.  We also paused to get some prairie dog photos.  The little buggers mainly were looking for handouts, but we got a few “natural” looking shots near their burrows.

In hopes of finding better weather, we decided to come back the next day.

Day 2 - November 12, 2008

The sun did break through on Day 2.  We revisited the Mt. Scott road and took captured some rock and foliage images.  The panoramic views were nice, but they didn’t quite inspire any photographic effort.  I think a more dramatic cloud set would have made the difference.

When we returned to the main route, we stopped several times to work with the red and brown leaves in the roadside woods.  Again, however, we didn’t see much of the wildlife.  A few distant buffalo and longhorns, but no real photo ops.  We  stopped at Quanah Parker Lake and got some nice reflections and Canada Goose images.  We saw a couple of distant herons, but didn’t photograph them.  Along the road to Lost Lake, we got few nice layered foliage images and some macros of downed leaves.   We left for home via the westbound Rte. 49 road.

Overall, I would call this trip a “scouting mission” for future visits.  We were pleased to find such a diverse set of terrain and vegetation as a sort of photographic oasis in the prairie.  We plan to make our next visit during wildflower season and perhaps take another stab at fall color next year.

While Wichita Mountains NWR may not be on every photographer’s “must see” list, we found it to be well worthwhile and close enough to home (about 5 hours drive) to put it on our “do it again” list.  Since it’s, more or less, on the way to my daughter’s house, we really can’t lose.

My thanks to the members of Photo Migrations for the lead.  I recommend their site for nature, wildlife and landscape photographers.  I also want to thank the enthusiastic and helpful staff at Wichita Mountains NWR for their gracious hospitality and the wealth of information they shared with us.

I am migrating this review to the blog from the Silver Trails Photo Seminars, Trailmates website.  Check back soon.

This topic came up again during informal discussions on a recent photo expedition to the Tetons.  One of my clients had brought along a GPS unit with a dozen or more sets of coordinates, gleaned from other photographers.  He had acquired most of them from photographers’ forums, photo chat groups and targeted Google searches.  His intention was, apparently, to plant his tripods legs in the same holes these other photographers used to capture their images.

Just to get my terms straight, a scavenger hunt, for those of you who may not have participated in one, is a game where the players are given a list of items and a time limit, and then challenged to go out and find as many of the items of the list as possible.  Everyone returns to the home base and shows the items they have collected.  The one with the most items from the list wins the game.

The guy with the GPS was just the latest occurrence of “photographic scavenger hunting” (my phrase), though in this case technology-enhanced.  Over the years, I have had many attendees at my workshops and field seminars who wanted to get “the same shot” that some other photographer (from Ansel Adams to their next-door neighbor) had previously photographed.  Many wanted me to take them to the exact position that I had employed in some of my own work that they had seen.  While imitation is said to be the sincerest form of flattery, I sometimes find it flattering, but sometimes I find it a little unnerving or troubling.

My experiences in the field are paralleled by many discussions I have seen on the web.  A group member will post a photo for the group to review.  Then, another group member will ask where the image was made.  Now, there is obviously nothing wrong with such a question.  But, sometimes, the question isn’t just where (like the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, Lipan Point) but where exactly the image was made (exact coordinates).  And, all too often, the second person will eventually post a nearly identical image or describe a trip to the exact location discussed.  My memory drifts back to several online groups discussing “The Wave” rock formation.

Now, before getting your bowels in an uproar, please understand where I am coming from here.  I obviously have no problem sharing prime photography locations, since I have been doing that professionally for many years.  I have hiked many a photographer to my favorite places and, quite often, within steps of where I may have created some of my best or favorite images.  But, I have never been in the “duplication” business.  My business has been to teach and guide photographers, leading them to make the best use of their own equipment, photographic skills and creative approach.  People with similar artistic vision often produce similar images, which is to be expected.  But, rarely, do I see “duplicates”.

And I have often sought out what appeared to be the best vantage point for a photograph, made the image, and later discovered that I was working from the same basic spot that another photographer has used.  Again, a pretty understandable outcome.  The point is, I was out to do my own thing at the location, not duplicate another photographer’s work.

I suppose it is okay that some photographers do the scaverger hunt thing, since scavenger hunting (like follow-the-leader) is a popular game that lends itself well to adults.  But, I guess my problem is with the unabashed and deliberate decision not to be creative or express one’s self with an inherently creative medium.

On the other hand, I have heard (or read) many photographers lamenting that photographs of a given location aren’t worthwhile because “it’s already been done”.  I, personally, find such remarks to be idiotic.  Should we all fore go eating lobster because someone else has already tasted it?  Should we skip watching a movie because someone else has already seen it? Should we not waste our time with sex because………..never mind.  You get the point.  Just because someone has already photographed, let’s say Old Faithful, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t give it a shot yourself.  First of all, who says that those who have “already done it” have necessarily done the best job of it?  Or, who says they’ve seen and photographed it the way you would?  Tens of thousands of people have photographed Old Faithful every year, most as a historical record of their travels.   Thousands of the group may be considered “serious photographers” who approach Old Faithful from their own perspective with the intention of being creative.  While many of the resulting photos may be similar, I can’t imagine that any of the images weren’t worthwhile.

Our discussion of this topic on the Teton trip included a good range of viewpoints.  Among them, one person who likened photography for some people as a form of “stamp collecting”.  A person has a mental check-list or album.  Over time, they “check things off” their list or fill the blank spots in the album.  The images become as much a form of keeping score as they do stand-alone works of art or craft.  For me, this goes back to doing photography for creating a historical record rather than employing it as a creative enterprise.  Again, both perfectly acceptable approaches and, to a considerable extent, not mutually exclusive.

Interesting.

Update: Just because you asked…..

The Wave
36°59.7386N
112°00.3583W
Elevation: 5200′