Vics Blog

For photographers interested in taking quality images of wildlife a good telephoto lens is paramount to the task. Good lenses come in a variety of shapes and sizes and like the mechanic who uses many tools to work on your car, lenses are used for different purposes as well. A zoom lens makes it easier to get in as much or as little of your subject as you want without the need to physically move yourself around. For example, I use a Canon 100-400mm f4.5 IS which is a zoom lens and means the focal length can be set from 100-400mm, has a minimum F stop of 4.5 and uses image stabilization. A prime lens is one that has a fixed focal length and cannot be adjusted. If you want to get more or less of your subject in the photograph then you need to physically move yourself in or out.
Prime lenses take sharper photographs than their zoom counterparts because they make fewer compromises in the internal design. However, zoom lenses are less expensive, usually don’t require the use of a tripod, are compact and lightweight in comparison and let you move quickly in rapidly changing situations. Both have their place in nature photography, but I prefer zoom lenses because I feel that mobility outweighs everything else. Let me give you an example.
In my opinion, moose are the most dangerous animal that I photograph. They have short tempers, are unpredictable and can run like a race horse which is a lot faster than yours truly. Bulls are tough to find, but last year I found a big one in a swampy area over by Grand Lake. He was standing in a bunch of gnarly willows munching on leaves and every time he moved there was a sucking, sloppy sound as his hooves pulled out of the muck. To get good pictures I had to get down in that junk as well, but I kept my distance at about forty yards and began to shoot. The willows were so thick that I needed to move a bit to my left for a clearer shot and for some reason that triggered a temper tantrum in the bull. Without warning, he laid his ears back and charged. I tried to move, but the mud yanked at my boots and as I fell, lens in hand, he closed the distance between us in a heartbeat. In an instant, his antlers whooshed directly over me. Luckily he kept right on going and laid down in another thicket several yards away. As I got up, mud and yuck dripping from every part of my body, I think I could see a grin on his face. We had words for several minutes.
Had I been using a primary, fixed focal length lens and tripod, he would have destroyed them and probably me in the process as I tried to save thousands of dollars in equipment. As it was, I just had to scrape a bit of mud of my camera and lens. It’s one of the best examples I know for using a zoom.

I usually spend about five days a week in the field and during the last three years have shot over a million pictures. During a lifetime of being in the outdoors, I have the feeling that this is my home.. Somehow my heart knows that reverence for all the life here is key and treating it with total respect is paramount. There is knowing that we are all one with nature and without its wildness we would be in deep trouble.
The creatures that live out there in the wild country are intelligent and beautiful. They live in perfect harmony in their world and being with them everyday I’ve come to know life in a more patient and caring way. Now you may laugh at the notion, but I believe that most of them are as curious about us as we are about them. Knowing that we are part of their world and they ours has opened my mind to the fact that talking to the animals helps in taking their pictures. By speaking softly in a calm, soothing tone, I’ve had many critters come in close to find out what the heck is going on. Even when they seem a bit skittish at first, they calm down quickly and go about their lives which gives me the opportunity to capture natural behaviors.
Last fall I happened upon two big mule deer bucks that had hunkered down in a stand of thick pines trees and scrub. Following tracks in the late afternoon snow for about a mile my eyes caught the slight movement of antlers among the branches. Moving slowly closer over the next few minutes I could tell by their body movements that they were getting a little edgy and didn’t necessarily appreciate my wonderful company. Not wanting to blow the opportunity for some good shots we started a conversation right then and there. In a relaxed, calming tone I asked permission to take their pictures and then just asked about their day, where they hung out, and how life was treating them in general. Small talk but they instantly calmed down and went about their business. They weren’t particularly photogenic over the next hour and it was starting to get dark so I thanked them for their time and told them I’d try to be back the next day to get better pictures.
Maybe it was coincidence, but the next morning they were exactly in the same spot. We talked some more, but the picture taking just wasn’t getting any better because the heavy timber was getting in the way and they seemed to be getting a little annoyed. There was an opening just beyond the stand of trees and I asked if they wouldn’t mind walking over to it so that we could get some better shots. I promised that if they would oblige me we’d quit the photo session and I’d get out of their hair. Instantly they walked over to the meadow, posed perfectly and we got the great pictures. I quietly said thank you, and walked away.

Photographing wildlife is incredibly exciting and spending time in the wilderness with all that’s wild is almost as good as it gets. The key word is “almost” because spending time with my lady is always better. Candi is wonderful to travel with and one of our favorite destinations is Santa Fe , New Mexico between Thanksgiving and Christmas. It’s an incredibly romantic city with lots of fine dining, art galleries, shopping and beautiful scenery. The scent of burning pinon pine and the spice of Northern New Mexican cuisine wafts through the cool air and adds to the southwestern ambiance. Most nights we walk the streets, stepping into the local cantinas for a margarita or two and listening to the sounds of Spanish guitars as they serenade the evening away.
Now you might be wondering what all this has to do with photography? Santa Fe offers a great deal of subject matter and gives me a needed break from elk, deer and climbing up and down the mountains in snow storms. I also haven’t found any ill tempered moose in its streets ready to charge. Light in that part of the country is surreal and draws painters and photographers from all over the world trying to capture its magic. The sky is an azure blue and takes your breath away. Sunsets can be magnificent and they paint the adobe walls of the city in hues of coral and gold. We always spend several hours walking through the old neighborhoods looking for alleyways that hide hand hewn doors , gates and windows painted in turquoise and pink. The city celebrated its 400th anniversary in 2011 and all those years reflect in its hidden corners. On one side street we found a bright pink gateway adorned with all kinds of religious artifacts. On another, an aged door with chipped, faded blue paint and a large pumpkin at the side which made for wonderful contrasts in color. Take your time, be patient and look for everything unique. I try to use a short zoom lens which allows me to frame subjects easily.
We’ve been lucky enough to enjoy a dusting of snow on a couple of occasions. Canyon road hosts tons of galleries and during the holiday season its doors and windows are decorated with chili wreaths and ristras. As the gentle snowflakes fall, they make for perfect postcard pictures.
In the late evening look for luminarias along coble stone walkways which adorn the city for the holiday season. The shadows of flickering candle light in the brown paper bags can make for fascinating images. I like to take pictures of sculptures covered in snow which adorn the courtyard of Saint Francis Cathedral on the east side of the plaza. Take your tripod and use long time exposures to capture them against the stone walls of the church. Oh, and one last thing…..Make sure to relax and breath in the enchantment of this place with the one you love.

I’ve been searching the recollection files in my head trying to conjure up an appropriate story that inspired a great photograph of Christmas. Surely it would have to be of my daughters opening their presents when they were little or watching my grandchildren open theirs. Maybe I could write and tell you of their utter elation as they came down the stairs on Christmas morning and saw the packages that Santa had left them. Family dinners, Christmas trees , my mother’s birthday, blizzards; thousands of pictures and memories to choose from.
I wonder what it is about taking photos that’s so compelling? We push a shutter button, hear a small click and capture a unique moment in history that will NEVER be repeated. Years later, we view the image and remember everything that happened in that moment. The voices, the sounds and smells all come flooding back in memories so powerful that they can overwhelm our souls. It’s a magical and mysterious process and Christmas pictures can capture incredible images of beautiful things that we can share with other people for the rest of our lives.
During the Holidays, try to take images that capture emotions. The traditional way of taking a picture with everyone looking at the camera and saying “cheese” is fun but it doesn’t catch the truly unique moments that make our hearts go wow. Catch your kids asleep under the tree hugging new toys with wrapping paper scattered about. Watch their excitement as dad reads the “The Night Before Christmas” or helps them hang their stockings before bedtime. Get a picture of them watching television as the news gives the hourly Santa radar report. Have your camera on and at the ready. No time for flash warm ups and fiddling with exposure settings and focus. It’s all about point and shoot.
My most memorable Christmas picture is the one captured while living in Virginia many years ago. The image isn’t framed on my dresser or stashed away in a box in the basement. I can’t find it on the hard drive or in any photo album. Never the less, it’s tucked away in my heart for all time and is a sharp as the Christmas morning that I shot it twenty years ago. We had just been transferred from Topeka, KS to Roanoke VA. and we moved into our new house just two weeks before Christmas. My daughters had just left all of their friends and Amanda, the youngest, just wanted one gift from Santa; a kitten. A few days later we found the perfect little guy and picked him up in the late afternoon on Christmas Eve. Even though his lonely, lost meows echoed down the halls of the house we managed to keep the tiny feline hidden all night long. The next morning we wrapped him in a package and hid it under the tree. I remember watching the box as it started moving and the unforgettable look of pure joy on my daughter’s face as she untied the ribbon and Mittens popped his little head out for the first time. Click

For the Third year in a row, Vic Schendel is proud to announce that three of his images will be used in the 2013 Sierra Club Calendar. The Hawk and the Hummingbird will adorn the back cover! Nice job Vic – we are all very proud of you and your great accomplishments.

Last week I was conducting a photography workshop in the mountains up around Estes Park. We had scheduled the time a couple of weeks in advance hoping that the elk rut would have started and we’d get great shots of big bulls. Scouting the day before, I’d arrived at my favorite meadow at five in the morning hoping to hear bugling. Listening for over an hour in the darkness there was only silence and sun up produced nothing more. Needless to say, there was major apprehension on the part of this photographer as we started out the next morning. We arrived a little late, and there wasn’t an elk to be seen or heard. My workshops are all about learning to use the functions on your camera as well as working with the artsy side of taking good pictures but it’s really nice when the animals cooperate too.
We moved on and decided to start taking landscape pictures. Waterfalls make great subjects but the light was to bright and taking short time exposures burned out highlights on the water and made for lousy shots. Moving further upstream, we found some shaded pools and got some nice images working on the play of light and shadow but nothing great. As the day progressed we still couldn’t find any critters that wanted their portraits taken. Finally, after hours of searching we spotted a cow moose and her calf but they were so far away that pictures weren’t worth taking.
We continued looking for anything to photograph including chipmunks, ground squirrels and wildflowers. At six pm it started to rain. Now I’ve found over the years that if you stay patient (big hint) good things usually happen but I was beginning to have my doubts. We headed up the road, ascended past 10,000 feet, and the clouds started to break gingerly from the west.
Within half an hour things started looking up and we found several cow elk wanting to pose at timberline in the beautiful late afternoon light. We got some great pictures but the storm was moving quickly to the east and it looked like there might be a beautiful sunset so it was decided to head higher. At the top, and after searching all day, we finally found a huge bull elk and his harem but they were in the dark shadow of a hill which made for terrible images. They were however, moving up the slope toward the light at the top of the ridge. At the same time, two bright rainbows formed across the valley and the mountains lit up so we needed to make a quick decision, rainbows or elk? We went for the rainbows and jumped in the truck and headed back toward the west and in just five minutes were shooting awesome landscapes. Fortunately, the bands of color faded quickly, and we headed back down the road to see about the elk. Just as we arrived, the bull walked up to the summit and stood silhouetted against the fading five minutes of a splendiferous sunset. In the last twenty minutes of the day, staying patient to the end, we put several incredible images in the can.