Vic's Blog

It is every photographer’s worst nightmare to lose a hard drive, a laptop, or an archive of images.  Years of work and countless photo galleries can be lost in an instant.  That’s why it’s so important to think about how you are going to store and organize your photos before something bad happens.

Gone are the days of storing photos on film in a cool, dry room.  Now we have hard disks, external drives, multiple formats, CDs, DVDs, internet storage and memory cards.  Instead of storing a copy of the image, we are storing data that must be findable and readable…sometimes this is harder than it sounds!

External Hard Drives

The best way to store images is on an external hard drive—or rather, on multiple external hard drives.  Hard drives are the easiest to access from your computer, and they can store the most data, making it possible to store thousands and thousands of searchable photographs.  However, these are mechanical devices and as such are not indestructible. 

I recommend mirroring data on hard drives so that a copy of every image resides on two different drives.  If one fails, you have a backup.

File Formats

It is best to save your files as RAW files and/or uncompressed TIFF files.  These are large files, but they save your images in the highest possible quality and will never be obsolete.  Just as with film, the higher the quality of the negatives, the better the prints will be.

Organization

Another issue in storing your photo galleries is how you will organize all the images you have.  There is one thing to remember here: pick a method and stick to it!  Choose date (month & year), location (“Grand Canyon Photography”), or theme (wildlife, landscape, etc.).  You may choose to combine these, but always start with the same one.  You will forget where certain photos are located, so the having a system for it will save you time and energy in the long run.

DVDs

Many photographers keep a copy of their photos on DVD. And sometimes hard drives are just too expensive.  If you choose to store images on DVD then make sure that you buy high quality DVDs, that you store them well, and that you have two copies of every image…on different DVDs!

Online Storage

Storing images online can also be a good option.  Online images are more accessible (from anywhere you have an internet connection) and easier to share.  The problem is that it often takes hours to upload even a small number of high-quality images.  With some websites (like Photo Shelter) you can mail a DVD or a hard drive to them so that many photos can be put on their server at once.

I’ll talk more about this at my nature photographic workshops if you require more assistance. 

An important and often overlooked aspect of getting great nature photos is equipment maintenance.  Especially if you plan to reproduce your images as high-quality fine art prints, make sure that you are getting the best quality photos that your gear is capable of.  This means: keep your lenses and camera bodies clean and dry.

For the outdoor photographer, the lens is what must be constantly taken care of.  There are a number of things to look out for, namely: dirt and dust, scratches, and water.

Dirt and Dust

Dirt and dust on the lens is the most common problem.  Nature photographers in Colorado and Wyoming are constantly battling the dry, dust-filled climate.  Dust on the lens isn’t the end of the world, but you should try to avoid it as much as possible.  Dirt on the lens can be worse though, as the minerals in dirt are often harder than the glass at the front of the lens.

The best way to avoid dust on the lens is to keep the lens cap on the camera as much as possible. When the lens does get dirty you’ll want to have the following to clean it: professional cleaning solution (don’t use Windex or other household cleaners as the additives may damage your lens), a microfiber cloth, compressed gas or a blower bulb, and some pristine cleaning tissue.  All of this can be purchased for about $20 at your local photo store, so make sure you don’t leave home without this failsafe kit.

Scratches

I recommend that all photographers invest in high quality skylight or polarizing filters for their lenses.  This is essentially putting an inexpensive piece of glass in front of a very expensive piece of glass.  Believe me; you do not want your lens to get scratched.  The cost of replacing a piece of glass on a lens is usually around the cost of the lens itself! 

When dirt gets on your lens, try to remove as much as possible with compressed gas, then apply that professional cleaning solution.  Never use a dirty piece of tissue to clean your lens as this will certainly lead to scratches.

Water 

Water is another constant enemy for outdoor photographers—especially in the Colorado Mountains, where rainstorms can take you by surprise.  Lenses are not usually watertight, and once water gets inside the lens, it can damage motors and leave spots and residue inside. 

To avoid water leaking into your lens, always use a rain hood when shooting in a downpour or even drizzles.  Rain hoods aren’t expensive and they could save you lots of money in the long run. 

Also, be careful when moving your camera from one temperature to another (like from a warm house into moist winter air).  Keep your camera in your camera bag, and introduce it to the new temperature slowly, to avoid condensation.

Photographing wildlife can be an incredible experience. Spending time outdoors, tracking animals, getting great shots, living off the land…it can make for a memorable week!

But it can also be miserable.

A common mistake among inexperienced photographers is taking too much equipment. It’s happened to all of us; you set out with what feels like a light pack and, after hours of Colorado hiking, your gear becomes so heavy that you want to give up.

Making wildlife photography rewarding has to do with how you prepare and especially what equipment you bring with you.

Here are some ideas for lightening your load:

     -Use lightweight lenses whenever you can.  Often an ƒ/4 lens will weigh less than an ƒ/2.8 at the same focal length. Less glass in there!

     -If light conditions allow it, always bring lighter lenses—you’ll thank me later!

     -Try using a monopod instead of a tripod.  You can achieve similar shots with a monopod in combination with an optically-stabilized lens… instead of a much more cumbersome tripod in tow.  If you can get a lightweight, carbon-fiber monopod that’s even better.

Keep in mind that animals often have more acute senses of hearing and smell. Once you get in range of the animal you want to photograph, remember these simple rules: 

     -Approach from downwind.

     -Minimize any noise an animal might hear by treading lightly.

     -Take the least ‘exposed’ route to the shot… that is, stay under cover of brush and trees instead of being out in the open for animals to catch sight of you suddenly.

     -Carry no food and certainly don’t smoke.

     -Seems funny, but you might even rub dirt on yourself to minimize your body odor.

     -Don’t wear after shave, perfume, antiperspirant or any scent whatsoever.

I’ll cover more in-depth techniques for photographers interested in getting great Colorado wildlife shots. In the meantime, get out there and try it for yourself!

As a nature photographer I am often asked, What is the difference between nature photography and fine art nature photography?  What separates my prints from the postcards that you buy at the tourist shop?  Where is the line between framed fine art prints and landscape photos on the glossy pages of a travel magazine?

Well, I often wonder that same thing myself! 

Yet, when I think of the care that fine art photographers put into their work, their attention to detail and their exacting representation of the wild world… I am certain that there really is a difference between fine art and nature photography.

I think one of the main differences is the sense of wildness that a fine art print imparts.  A fine art photographer makes it his or her job to put the viewer in touch with all that is wild—to put you close to the daring and unpretentious world.  These are the photos that you frame and hang on your wall because they give you a palpable feeling of grandeur, one that connects you directly to the immense and raw world around you. 

Rather than simply recording a landscape, or imparting the simplest kind of beauty, fine art nature photography depicts the world as it really is—rich, dangerous, inspiring, tumultuous, and untamable.

Fine art photography carries you to the place where the photographer—camera in hand—found his calling.

What are your thoughts on the difference between nature photography and fine art photography?

Anyone who has dared to try it knows—it’s scary and exhilarating to photograph a large animal up close.  So when you see a close-up of an elk, you can bet that the photographer was crossing his or her fingers that that powerful animal would stay put for the duration. Every adventurer, trekker, or outdoors photographer knows you can’t dwell on the risks if you want to revel in nature’s rewards. 

At the same time, some precautions are sensible.

My approach to getting shots of dangerous wildlife focuses on three aspects: proper equipment, heightened awareness, and communication.

 Go Out Prepared

If I’m going on a shoot in which I plan to get bison picture, a Montana elk picture, or a nice bear shot, I go out prepared. 

Make sure that you have a good telephoto lens (400 to 600mm is best) so that you don’t have to get dangerously close to the animal to get the shot you want. 

If you’re using auto-focus, it’s best to turn that off, as the focusing motor can surprise the animals. 

Also, if you’re shooting digital, make the camera run as silently as possible; you can even muffle the sound of the shutter with a piece of cloth or a shirt if need be.  The last thing you want is for the animal to run off or get angry right when you focus on it.

Be Aware

Secondly, bring the right shoes and the proper equipment, but also a heightened sense of awareness.  Wildlife photography is dangerous.  Know the animals that you’re approaching; determine if you are approaching them in mating season or if you are between a cow elk and her calf.  Have an escape route and recognize when you are getting too close.  Always check to see if there are other animals around that you might not have noticed at first. 

Communicate With The Animals

The third point is specifically for shooters who have some experience with wildlife photography.  When I’m approaching a brown bear or a bison, I try to establish communication with the animal.  Often I speak to it.  I speak calmly using soothing “words”—low, hushed sounds. 

With this technique I have gotten as close as ten feet to a stand of bighorn sheep and I’ve gotten some amazing bison pictures, bear shots and Montana elk pictures.  Actually speaking words calms the animal.  It tells the animal that you are not sneaking up on it and that you are not dangerous to it.  It also soothes me when my adrenaline gets going!

If my lawyer were to see this blog, he’d want me to put in all sorts of provisos about not trying this ‘conversation’ approach with wild animals. Of course, you have to use your own judgment in the field. I’m just telling you what works for me out there!

I want to talk about how to get that perfect nature photograph—the one you’ve always dreamed of.  Many photographers are unsatisfied with their landscape or animal photographs. Why? They think something’s missing. Like the eagle nest in a shot of a soaring eagle. Or cubs near the shot of the mama fox.

The problem is that these photographers also think that getting the perfect eagle action picture or the charging bison picture is a matter of luck rather than of preparation.

It actually has a lot to do with research and patience.

Let’s say you’re interested in bird photography and want to get a great shot of a group of colorful birds in the Costa Rican forest.  The first step would be to know when they migrate there, so you can predict when you’ll find them all together. But then you’ll want to know what times of day they feed.

Then research, from the comfort of your Lazy Boy, the specific colors of the birds, what light factors and what shooting angles would work best.  Would the birds look best in flight, against a sky blue background?  In direct light, or in low dawn haze?  After this, you’ll want to sketch out what kind of composition would best fill the frame…before you get there! 

Finally, you realize that you’re going to have to get up at 4am in hopes of getting a shot of the macaws at dawn. And you’ll have to drive a few hours into the rainforest just to get there ‘on time’…which is often early morning. Maybe the first day you go, no birds will appear! And the second time a fluke rainstorm will roll in. 

Keep trying—no one said bird photography would be easy!

So next time you dismiss that great eagle action picture or that charging bison picture, consoling yourself with the idea that the photographer was just lucky, think again. YOU could get such a great shot, 9 times out of 10, IF you plan for it. The photographers that go out of their way to prepare… put themselves right in luck’s way. 

Their images are the ones that we remember.