Styles & Methods

Why I See More Than A Tree In These Photos

By |2023-12-29T05:01:28-07:00December 29th, 2023|Categories: Conservation, Davis County, Environment, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Habitat, Trees, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Both of these photos show the same tree on Goose Egg Island at Farmington Bay WMA. The images were taken in December of 2022 and 2013.

Immature Female Northern Harrier

By |2023-12-12T05:20:01-07:00December 12th, 2023|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Environment, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Habitat, Northern Harriers, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Today I am sharing three photos of an immature female Northern Harrier that I took ten years ago at Farmington Bay WMA.

Rufous Hummingbird Plus Smoky Rising Sun Photos

By |2021-09-01T06:53:07-06:00September 1st, 2021|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Davis County, Low light, Rufous Hummingbirds, Utah, western skies|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Yesterday I went out to Antelope Island for the first time since April and I took hundreds of Rufous Hummingbird photos plus some of the rising sun.

Great Blue Heron and Mountain Goldenbanner

By |2021-06-02T04:50:47-06:00June 2nd, 2021|Categories: Birds, Great Blue Herons, Morgan County, Small in the frame, Utah, Wasatch Mountains, Wildflowers|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Yesterday I wrote about a Golden Eagle in the Wasatch Mountains. Today I am writing about "golden" again. Blooming Mountain Goldenbanner and a Great Blue Heron. 

Begging Fledgling Gray Catbird High In The Wasatch Mountains

By |2021-04-27T05:23:23-06:00July 11th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Frustrations in bird photography, Gray Catbirds, Summit County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

When I saw a Gray Catbird fledgling inch its way up a stick two days ago and then exhibit begging behavior by raising its wings and opening its bill I locked on to it.

Say’s Phoebes And Sagebrush

By |2021-06-11T04:15:41-06:00June 12th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Habitat, Say's Phoebes, Shrubs, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Over time I have come to associate Say's Phoebes with sagebrush because I don't think I have ever seen or photographed one of these phoebes where there wasn't sage nearby here in northern Utah.

Winter Weather And Low Light Bird Photography Ahead

By |2022-10-02T05:16:37-06:00November 29th, 2019|Categories: Birds, Low light, Ring-billed Gulls, Salt Lake County, Utah, weather|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I actually like photographing birds in a snow storm because the low light situations test my skills, the limits of my gear and the resulting photos often have a moody feeling to them.

Juvenile Barn Swallow Portraits

By |2021-04-14T16:39:28-06:00August 18th, 2018|Categories: Barn Swallows, Birds, Morgan County, Portraits, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

I'd driven up into a Wasatch Mountain canyon and was waiting for the sun to rise over the mountains when I spotted several juvenile Barn Swallows perched on a fence right next to the road in lovely morning light.

Photographic Frustrations – Red-naped Sapsuckers in the Targhee National Forest

By |2021-04-11T06:37:58-06:00July 11th, 2018|Categories: Birds, Clark County, Frustrations in bird photography, Idaho, Red-naped Sapsuckers, Targhee National Forest|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

One year ago today I experienced one of the two most frustrating days in my entire time of being a bird photographer while photographing Red-naped Sapsuckers in the Targhee National Forest of Idaho.

Gray Catbirds with Black Twinberry Honeysuckle Berries

By |2021-03-30T07:01:57-06:00June 26th, 2018|Categories: Birds, Close up, Gray Catbirds, Habitat, Shrubs, Summit County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I'm going to keep trying to obtain better photos of the Gray Catbirds with the Black Twinberry berries and perhaps before long the catbirds will bring their young to feast on these berries too!

Horned Lark and a broken heart

By |2022-03-04T14:27:19-07:00January 29th, 2014|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Davis County, Frustrations in bird photography, Horned Larks, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , |

I have dreamed about getting a shot like this since I first started photographing Horned Larks, I wanted a shot of a Horned Lark at the precise moment it began to lift off with the wings lifted.

Frustrations in Bird Photography – Dark Morph Ferruginous Hawk

By |2021-09-25T13:53:24-06:00August 23rd, 2013|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Ferruginous Hawks, Frustrations in bird photography, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

The dark morph Ferruginous Hawk above had just lifted off from a power pole when I photographed it with a partly cloudy sky in the background.

Red-shouldered Hawk Juvenile – Small In The Frame

By |2024-02-04T07:27:46-07:00January 25th, 2013|Categories: Birds, Florida, Red-shouldered Hawks, Sawgrass Lake Park, Small in the frame|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Five days ago I posted a Bald Eagle image where the eagle was small in the frame and explained that I felt that the setting was as important as the subject, I also feel that way about this image of a Red-shouldered Hawk juvenile perched in a tree.

Barn Owl on a foggy morning

By |2021-07-08T16:05:12-06:00January 24th, 2013|Categories: Barn Owls, Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, High Key, Low light, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Fog can add a moody feel to images and yesterday there was plenty of fog at Farmington Bay WMA. There were a few Barn Owls hunting for food and I captured images of this one as it flew towards me.

Common Raven in the snow – An exposure problem

By |2023-10-25T11:46:25-06:00December 29th, 2012|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Common Ravens, Exposure Compensation, Light angles, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Photographing dark birds such as this Common Raven is a challenge and knowing how to expose properly as well as getting the right angle of light is critical in producing a quality image.

Juvenile White-crowned Sparrow in a snow storm

By |2016-12-07T12:12:29-07:00December 24th, 2012|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Davis County, Low light, Small in the frame, Utah, White-crowned Sparrows|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

The White-crowned Sparrow in this image is small in the frame, the bird isn't super sharp and there isn't a lot of contrast or color to the photo either yet the image speaks to me.

Low angle Long-billed Curlew

By |2022-08-16T04:05:00-06:00December 3rd, 2012|Categories: Birds, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Long-billed Curlews, Low angle|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Since winter has thus far decided to stay in more northern latitudes and higher elevations I decided to post an image of a Long-billed Curlew taken in southern, sub-tropical climes a few years ago.

Laughing Gull White Balance Mess up and Fix

By |2016-12-07T12:12:54-07:00October 19th, 2012|Categories: Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Laughing Gulls, White Balance adjustments|Tags: , , , , , , , , |

All photographers mess up, some times it is the focus, sometimes it is not having enough shutter speed for active subjects and sometimes a dial gets bumped and when it is not noticed it can affect all the images taken after it has been changed.

Juvenile White-crowned Sparrow – Very Small in the Frame

By |2016-12-07T12:13:00-07:00September 28th, 2012|Categories: Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Small in the frame, Utah, White-crowned Sparrows|Tags: , , , , , , , |

Normally I wouldn't take or present an image where the subject is as small in the frame as this juvenile White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys) is but I couldn't resist because I like this image a lot.

Laughing Gull – Small in the Frame

By |2021-08-16T13:37:50-06:00August 5th, 2012|Categories: Birds, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Laughing Gulls, Small in the frame|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

On the day that I photographed this Laughing Gull either Hurricane Ike or Gustav was out near the center of the Gulf of Mexico that was churning up the water

Snowy Egret – Moody Blues

By |2021-05-21T04:02:43-06:00May 18th, 2012|Categories: Birds, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Low light, Pinellas County, Snowy Egrets|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

This Snowy Egret image was taken just after the sun had risen above the horizon in about the same location as the egret image I posted yesterday but at a completely different time of the year.

Sidelit Piping Plover

By |2016-12-07T12:13:41-07:00May 15th, 2012|Categories: Birds, Florida, Low angle, Piping Plovers|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , |

This Piping Plover image reminds me to try to photograph birds in other than perfect light. Sidelit and backlit images can be spectacular so I don't like passing up taking the chance that I might just get a great shot despite what some photographers think of as bad light.

Springtime California Gull Portrait

By |2021-12-11T08:08:12-07:00April 12th, 2012|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, California Gulls, Davis County, Portraits, Utah, Wildflowers|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Yesterday while I was out photographing Long-billed Curlews this California Gull (Larus californicus) flew in so close that all I could do was take portraits of the bird.

Greater Yellowlegs

By |2021-08-17T05:29:16-06:00February 4th, 2012|Categories: Birds, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Greater Yellowlegs, Low angle, Pinellas County|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Obtaining a low angle with small shorebirds can bring the viewer into the birds world by being down to their level. When I photographed shorebirds in Florida I was either constantly covered in sand or mud, wet or all three.

Peregrine Falcon with prey ~ Low light

By |2021-05-24T08:56:34-06:00December 28th, 2011|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Frustrations in bird photography, Peregrine Falcons, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Where is the light when you want it? Yesterday it was hiding behind the clouds and lake fog when I spotted this Peregrine Falcon at a close distance, on prey and sticky.

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