It never ceases to amaze me that critters, birds and mammals alike, adapt so well to their environments and the changing season. From the biggest to the smallest these changes can be nothing short of amazing. Here is a simple example. This American Goldfinch is brilliant yellow in the summer months. As the seasons change, the yellow become more muted …
New nesting boxes
Currently, I have about 5 nesting boxes around my lot. I live in an urban area / sub-division with plenty of foot traffic. My bird sanctuary, as I like to call it, is in our backyard. I have an enclosed backyard with a fence and this is where my backyard bird studio resides. It works well and I currently have …
Waiting for the light
Trying to make the common seem uncommon is something that is not always easy with visual story telling. One way that I have found to do this is to always fall back on the light. Take this European Starling as an example. Once is a while when putting out new food in my feeders, flocks of these birds will descend …
Never gets old
Currently I have seen over 31 different species of birds frequent my backyard. I have pictures of all of them, some better than others and that it was keeps me going. How do I capture the shots that I have in my mind and turn them into the types of photographs I want to share. Having pictures of these birds …
Natures Adaptations
In her infinite wisdom, Mother Nature has given creatures the ability to adapt to varying seasons. Here is the Midwest we have examples of this all around us. I am fortunate as a photographer to witness a great many of these adaptations. One of the most simple, yet most vital is with birds. Take for example this American Goldfinch. A …
Creatures big and small
Walking through the woods is by far one of my favorite things to do, especially in the fall. Looking for the color changes is of course the main objective, but if you just stop, look and listen you will be amazed at what might show up and what you will see. While walking, taking care to watch our steps, this …
Fun with Shorebirds
Walking on the beach or just along a secluded waterway, one thing that you will always find are shorebirds. These unique species rely on the water for their every need. Whether it be feeding, raising their young or mating, shorebirds offer a great photographic opportunity. This juvenile sanderling paused long enough to allow me to get a shot or two …
You can always do better
Birding is one of those things that once you get the bug, you are always looking to get different species to the feeders. As a wildlife photographer, being able to get glass on these species is an ongoing quest. Here in the Midwest, I have two species, the Rose Breasted Grosbeak and the Baltimore Oriole that I have seen in …
Flash and Wildlife
Given the current state of the times, with everyone staying home, more folks have been experimenting with backyard photography and I could not be more excited about that. With more people taking photographs of the species coming to their backyards, more questions are coming in. One in particular is about the use of flash. I have done many posts on …
Backyard Birding Boom
Lately, my inbox has been filling up with a repeating question and I thought it was post worthy for an answer. With all the downtime that photographers have, and not just photographers, but people in general, the question has been rolling in “How do I get started in backyard bird photography?”. Great question and I could not be happier to …