Eagle Hunting…with a Camera

by Joseph Classen

Back in Missouri, where I’m originally from, seeing a bald eagle is a rare treat. During the winter months the eagles regularly congregate along the Mississippi and Missouri rivers systems, bringing out bird watchers and nature lovers by the hundreds to see maybe a half dozen eagles or so catching a few fish to fatten up on. During the rest of the year however, spotting one of our national birds is difficult to do in those parts. It’s quite the opposite here on Kodiak Island, Alaska, where I currently reside. I see more bald eagles in one day than most people probably see in a lifetime. And during the winter months, I regularly see dozens and dozens of them gathered together like groups of pigeons. It’s quite a sight! Even though seeing so many of these incredible creatures is a common occurrence for most who live here, I never get tired of it! … Continue Reading

Loving the Land and Why Some People Can’t See the Forest for the Trees

Today I write this post for many reasons including some very personal ones. While Pro Nature Photographer focuses on photographers and their images, techniques, the business, and pretty much anything related to outdoor photography, today I cant help but reflect on our connection to the land and about loss and a recent personal one for me.

My photography career has taken many turns and I always worked hard to make sure it was all an adventure. With a studio in the big city and another in a smaller city, I had 20 very busy years. Photography assignments paid for my true love: outdoor and adventure photography. But as the ‘photo economy’ began to change with the advent of digital technology and a slowing economy, my wife and I decided to make a big move. We closed the studios and bought a log cabin on 5 acres in the Central Oregon Mountains. Moving forward I was going to focus on shooting location assignments and outdoor stock photography and if I needed an indoor studio I would rent one. That was in 2002.

We moved onto the property in the fall and got busy decorating the log cabin, preparing for winter, collecting firewood, and settling in. I had not lived in the mountains since I was a small kid but it felt like a return long overdue. I had always wanted to be Jeremiah Johnson, the mountain man that Robert Redford played in the movie. My wife, a city girl, told me when she agreed to the move that she would ‘give it five years.’ We stayed 10! … Continue Reading

Video Pick: Woman Swims With Great White Shark

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How to Safely Photograph the Biggest Bears on Earth

by Joseph Classen

“Lions and tigers and bears…oh my!”  I can’t say much about lions and tigers, but being within close proximity of brown bears that can weigh over 1000 pounds can certainly make one say, “Oh my!”  Few other creatures in North America summon forth such fear, wonder, awe, and respect as the mighty bears that inhabit such places as Alaska. For many photographers, capturing an image of a monstrous, furry beast in the wild is a once in a lifetime chance. Such a coveted opportunity can create a disciplined, calculated approach to making the most of a rare experience, or, it can tempt one to engage in some very, very dangerous and life threatening actions …to one’s self, and ultimately the animals. … Continue Reading

Interview With Wildlife Photographer Laurie Excell

Laurie Excell is a wildlife photographer based in Oregon. As a self proclaimed ‘lifelong photographer,’ Laurie’s career has really taken off. She is now the author of several books, a popular speaker, workshop leader, and contributing editor.

I have personally known Laurie for many years and when I asked her to take a moment and talk photography with us, she was kind enough to accept.  … Continue Reading

‘We Have To Get Out Now’: Kyle Hammons Photo Safari Becomes Escape From The Congo

There was no time to ask questions; we took off at a sprint to our bungalow overlooking Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. We packed our bags as quickly as possible and loaded into a large transport vehicle to begin our evacuation from the park.  Led by a truck loaded with six armed rangers, our convoy raced away from park headquarters down the bumpy dirt roads past villagers who just stared at the foreigners fleeing the scene.  Along the way, the park’s tourism director, Cai Willink, calmly explained that a rebel army of 1,500 men under the command of Bosco Ntaganda (known as “The Terminator) had entered the park during the night and crossed a detachment of Congolese soldiers, sparking a violent confrontation and forcing our immediate evacuation.  … Continue Reading

How I Removed the Branch From The Cheetahs Head With Photoshop

I have a client who recently went on an African Safari and during one excursion she photographed a Cheetah laying down. Within seconds the Cheetah spotted something and jumped up and she took another shot but a branch from a plant covered the Cheetahs eye and ruined the shot. At her office, she showed me the images and I thought it could be saved in Photoshop by compositing the two original images. But only if the head position was close enough in both originals. This video shows the Photoshop steps.

I think this worked great but how would you have done it differently? Please leave a comment.
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Photographing the Wildlife of Cambridge Bay, Nunavut

by David Hemmings

This year’s trip to Cambridge Bay, Nunavut will be one to remember for many reasons. Upon my arrival in Cambridge Bay four days before my guests arrived for the workshop, it was raining cats and dogs and the thermometer was hovering around 38 degrees Fahrenheit. So I ask one of the locals “is this unusual weather for this time of year”? His reply was, “sure is, we almost never see rain in June and July up here’. So the trip starts.

The idea of me getting there early with our guide was to scout bird locations for photography. One of the primary goals was to find and photograph nesting Snowy Owls. There are basically three different roads to traverse by vehicle in Cambridge Bay. The one that was most likely to lead to the Snowy Owls was closed off due to a damaged bridge that had been rampaged by severe ice melt off and fast flowing water.

When we made this discovery on the second day of scouting, we went as quickly as possible to the town hall to try and find out what, if any, were the plans for getting the bridge open. After all, this was the road that leads to one of the biggest attractions in Cambridge Bay, Mount Pelly. We were informed that they had called in an engineer to assess the situation and see what, if anything could be done quickly to get the bridge back open. We crossed our fingers and went about the task of scouting the tundra from the only two other roads open to vehicular traffic. … Continue Reading

Shooting Wildlife With Tele-Converters

by Manus Van Dyk

I always hear comments like “I don’t use my 1.4x and 2.0 converters because they make my images soft”.

That is true that both the converters will make a photo “softer” if you compare it to an image not shot with a converter, BUT the image does not become unusable!!

Two factors that will influence the sharpness, one is technique and the second is the sweet spot of a lens.

Technique: When you add converters you are increasing your focal length, it sounds very obvious but most people forget about the impact of that. Longer focal lengths increase the chance of camera shake. … Continue Reading

Wildlife Photography 101

by David Hemmings

One of the most common questions I am asked in my nature photography classes is “what kind of equipment do I need to take good bird and wildlife pictures?” I usually answer this with basic equipment suggestions and some basic tips for getting into bird and wildlife photography.

Let me start by saying that today’s dslr (digital single lens reflex) camera bodies are more than capable of producing high quality images. They all have more than enough megapixels to give the average user a large enough digital file to use for web sharing, printing, entering contests, whatever you choose to do with it. So, there is some good news already if you are a beginner. Don’t worry about the megapixels!

Why did I mention dslr cameras and not point and shoots? Although many of today’s point and shoot cameras are also capable of producing excellent quality images, they are not yet able to interchange high quality lenses with different focal lengths and specific purposes. I don’t really even like to call them point and shoot cameras anymore, I prefer to call them “all in ones”.

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