Michael Despines Photography

Jan

12

10 for 2017

Today's Shot Posted by Michael / 0 comments

10 for 2017

In 2017 I spent much of my “outdoor time” exploring Washington, our new state since mid 2016. Most of my images from this year were clustered around a few species: bald eagles, short-eared owls, great horned owls, and jaguars. Landscape efforts were focused mainly on Mt. Rainier. Our “big” trip for the year was to the Pantanal in Brazil where we had great luck in seeing and photographing jaguars, as well as five types of indigenous king fishers. These may not be my best shots from the last 12 months, but they are my favorites for a variety of reasons that I will comment on below. 2018 here we come!!

Click on an image to see it larger (highly recommended). 🙂

In no particular order:

#1 Hunting Jaguar

Seeing a jaguar in the wild was phenomenal. And I was pleasantly surprised with how many good images I was able to capture of this amazing cat.

#2 Theft by Eagle

During the year I visited two areas where bald eagles congregated to feast on exposed fish. In this scene the eagle is about to steal a bullhead fish that is just in front of the Great Blue Heron. I have dozens of images of eagles to process from the year.

#3 Barred Owl

I have seen barred owls several times over the years without much luck in getting a worthwhile image. And then this happened in a small park in Seattle!

#4 Pygmy Kingfisher

We spotted this little jewel while in the Pantanal in Brazil. I like this little guy because he reminds of this Malachite Kingfisher shot, that is also one my favorites.

#5 Mt. Rainier Meadow

On of my first decent images of the wondrous wildflower displays that one can find near Mt. Rainier.

#6. Reflection Lake

And my first decent image of Mt Rainier at Reflection Lake with a nice dash of color from wildflowers. A twofer!

#7 Cougar Rock

A lovely sunset vantage point near Mt. Rainier.

#8 Mt. Rainier Fall

An autumn scene near Mt. Rainier. In Vermont the fall is all about looking up into the trees to see the display. Here near Mt. Rainier it is all about looking down as Huckleberry and Larch provide much of the color.

#9 Goose Family

Last year an image of a robin was a surprise entry in the top ten list. This year it is the Canada Goose. Usually not one of my favorite creatures, as explained here, but I love this image.

#10 Short-eared Owl

I prefer images of owls in flight but I can’t resist the grumpy face and devil horns of this short-eared owl.

Dec

31

A Golden Life

Shot of the Month Posted by Michael / 0 comments

Shot of the Month – December 2017

This month a dash of gold to help ward off those winter blues. The American Goldfinch (AG) is a very popular, triple threat kinda bird. First, the bright lemon yellow of the male in full mating plumage is a visual wonder. After a long winter, nothing gives a jolt of hope like catching a glimpse of that bright yellow near the end of spring — it is a clear indication that warmer weather is just around the corner. Second, the AG is not only a looker but also renowned for its lovely song. And last, the AG flies with a bouncy, undulating pattern that is fun to watch — the males often call while singing to draw attention to themselves. Triple threat, and not shy about showing it off.

The AG prefers open country where weeds thrive, such as fields, meadows, flood plains, as well as roadsides, orchards, and gardens. The AG is also a frequent visitor to bird feeders.

As part of the finch family the AG has a short stocky bill that is useful for extracting seeds from the seedheads of thistles, sunflowers, teasel, dandelion, ragweed, mullein, cosmos, goatsbeard, alder and other plants. This small finch is strictly vegetarian though they may eat the occasional insect inadvertently – hey, we’ve all been there; but generally they eat seeds almost exclusively. Unlike most finches, the AG uses its agile feet extensively to grip the stems of seedheads while feeding. (source)

This strict diet is a problem for Brown-headed cowbirds. How so? Well, the Brown-headed cowbird lays its eggs in other bird’s nests and let’s those parents raise their chicks. It is an incredibly lazy, if not brilliant parenting approach. This strategy fails however if the egg is placed in a goldfinch nest. Once hatched, the poor cowbird chick rarely survives more than three days in their adopted home as they cannot get enough nutrition from that all-seed diet that goldfinch parents feed their chicks.

The AG nests later than most other birds, usually around June or July, to allow the birds to feed on the abundance of milkweed and thistle present at the time of the summer.

American Goldfinch Range (source)

The AG can be found across most of the United States though these finches will migrate during the winter. Birds in northern areas will move south just enough to reach areas where the minimum average January temperature is no colder than zero degrees Fahrenheit. Wow, that is precise.

The AG is the state bird of Iowa and New Jersey, where it is called the “Eastern Goldfinch”, and Washington where it is called the “Willow Goldfinch”.

The AG is not threatened by human activity and is widespread throughout its range. The clearing of forests by humans, though harmful to many species, has benefited the AG. Clearing of woodlands reduces the number of other birds and creates open spaces where weeds thrive — the preferred habitat for AG.

Good looks, favorable and expanding habitat, and a crowd favorite – for this little finch life is indeed golden.

Until next month….

Nikon D4S, Nikon 600mm, f/4, 1/1000s, ISO 1100,

Nov

30

Whoa, That’s Deep…

Shot of the Month Posted by Michael / 2 comments

Shot of the Month – November 2017

One of the great challenges of photography is that our images are forever trapped in a two-dimensional plane. Alas, this often renders our images a poor representation of our richly three-dimensional world and many images can look flat and, well, boring. While we can’t overcome the physical realities of this space-time conundrum, we can use some nifty composition techniques to create the appearance of depth in our photographs.

For example, I have dozens of photographs of bison — most of which are pretty mundane — a large brown creature not doing very much. But look at this image — wow, I love how my eye is drawn in. There are so many layers that the image becomes much closer to giving a sense of our 3D world. With this image, we don’t just observe, but we are pulled in and explore the space.

How did we get so much depth in this shot? Let’s break the image up into different zones as shown in the image to the lower right and see how they build depth into the scene.

Depth of Field

By using a wide aperture on my lens the resulting shallow depth field leaves only the bison in sharp focus. Our eyes are naturally drawn to elements that are in sharp focus. In this image, the bison really pops compared to the grasses in front and behind her and provides a sense of depth. (Zone 3) For the basics on understanding depth of field, click here.

Foreground

A visual element in the foreground can add depth. In this image, the out-of-focus green grass provides the first layer to the image. (Zone 1)

Layering

Images with the greatest amount of perceived depth will include elements in the foreground, middle ground, and background. In this image, we have the green grass in the foreground, the bison in the middle ground, and the out of focus, but visible bushes of different colors, in the background. Zone 1 is out of focus and green. Zone 2 is still out of focus but now a different color. With zone 3 the bison is in sharp focus compared to all the other zones, and its rich brown color also provides a clear distinction. The color transition of zone 4 from front to back and the verticality of the brown plants in the rear of this zone lead the eye back away from the bison to the empty plain and colored bushes in zone 5.

Overlapping Elements

By having elements in different layers partially block elements behind it one creates the impression of depth. The green grass in the foreground is the first barrier to entry and then we have that yellow grass just before the bison that partially obscures the massive beast. It doesn’t seem like much, but that little bit of yellow grass in front of the bison does a lot to help add a sense of depth to the image. (Zone 2)

Shoot in Portrait

Shooting in portrait helps encourage seeing depth. How so? Well, look straight ahead and then move your head from side to side. Your eyes will naturally fall on objects which are about the same distance away. But if you move your head up and down, now your eyes will focus on objects at varying distances from very near to very far away. Shooting in portrait recreates that dynamic and can help you to create more depth in your image. (source)

These are just a few of the techniques one can use to create images that people will want to reach out and touch because they seem so real.

Photographs often act like a mirror, providing a two-dimensional reflection of the world. With a bit of vision and technique, we can transcend these flat worlds much as Alice did when she walked through her looking glass into a fantastical world of adventure. Try some of these techniques to get beyond photo to portal and transform your photographic reflection into a full-bodied world rich in layers and depth that the viewer will want to leap into and explore.

Here is a very good article with great examples of how you can work a scene to infuse more depth. And here is an article with more techniques that you can use to create depth.

Until next month….m

Nikon D4S, Nikon 200-400mm (@400mm) f/4.8, 1/1000 s, ISO 1000,

Oct

31

At the Height of Color

Shot of the Month Posted by Michael / 1 comments

Shot of the Month – October 2017

If you love color, check your calendar and your compass as it is likely that Mother Nature is putting on a glorious show somewhere near you. In the northeast of the US, the best time is in the autumn with the fall foliage. Here in Washington state there is a lovely explosion of color in the meadows near Mount Rainier each summer. How good is the display? Well, Bob Gibbons, in his book, “Wildflower Wonders: The 50 Best Wildflower Sites in the World” lists Mt. Rainier as the #1 location to visit!

The best time to see the show? Well, Mother Nature is an artist and is not fond of strict schedules and the like. She creates as the mood suits her. This mountain park is divided into three zones by altitude. Dense forests cover the low to mid-elevations of the park from 2,000 to 4,500 feet. The cool, shady conditions found here suit wildflower species that won’t be found higher up. These flowers tend to bloom earlier in the summer. Next, we have the subalpine zone from 4,500 to 6,500 feet. The subalpine zone often has the most impressive wildflower displays because the growing season is so short here. Snow can linger in the subalpine meadows into June and even July — so the flowers need to burst out as quickly as they can before the snows return. Climbing higher is the alpine zone from 6,500 feet to the summit of the mountain. There are a few hearty flowers in this zone but it is not where you want to be for the most color. (source)

The “peak” bloom for subalpine wildflowers is very dependent on weather and precipitation patterns. Typically, most flowers will be blooming by mid-July and by early August the fields can be bursting with color. But some years the peak happens in late June. Also, climate change is starting to impact the timing and seems to be shifting the bloom to earlier in the summer. So far I have found the 1st or 2nd week of August to be the most colorful.

What will you see? Mt. Rainier has hundreds of species of wildflowers — a cornucopia of blues, purples, oranges, reds, whites, greens, pinks, and on and on. In this quiet, peaceful sunrise image above we look over a long sloping meadow dominated by sub-alpine lupines (purple) that leads to snow-covered Mt. Rainier off in the distance. There are also dashes of red (Scarlet Paintbrush) and pink (Pink Mountain Heather). Come on a different day, at a different time of day, on a different trail and you can see a completely different color palette. Here to the right is a rambunctious burst of afternoon color dominated by yellows (Broadleaf Arnica and Bracted Lousewort)) and reds (Scarlet Paint Brush) amongst others.

The canvas changes by the hour.

Source

If you do dig your hiking boots out of the closet to take in a mountainside color exhibition do take great care. Mountain wildflowers are exceptionally fragile. Each step you take off the trail can crush 20 plants. Even if a plant survives the weight of your footstep its growth can be stunted for years!! Stay off the artwork!!

A few resources:

Here is a good article on planning a trip to Mt. Rainier to see wildflowers.

A nice collection of hikes on Mt. Rainier to see wildflowers.

A handy wildflower guide of Mt. Rainier.

Until next month….m

Nikon D4S, Nikkor 17-35mm (@17mm), f/16, 1/10 sec, ISO 200, EV -0.666

Sep

30

Great Horned Owl

Shot of the Month Posted by Michael / 11 comments

Shot of the Month – September 2017

Despite all my early morning gallivanting in the woods over the years I had never seen a Great Horned Owl (GHO). I find this even more astounding having recently learned that the GHO is THE most common owl in America. If you live in North America there is probably a Great Horned Owl family living in a tree not far from your house. These owls are incredibly adaptable and can live just about anywhere and can be found from the Arctic to South America.

The GHO is a big bird – it is the second heaviest owl in North America and as such is a fierce predator and can take prey much larger than itself. These owls normally begin nesting weeks or even months before other raptors – here in Washington State GHO chicks typically appear in February! Keeping eggs warm during the winter is very difficult. Why take such a risk and not just wait till later in the spring like most birds? Well, given the large size of the species, the chicks need more time to grow and develop into young adults. Also, young GHOs must master complex hunting maneuvers. By hatching early in the spring they maximize the time available to practice flying and improve their hunting skills while the weather is mild and prey is abundant (source).

GHOs typically nest in trees such as cottonwood, juniper, beech, pine, and others. They usually adopt a nest abandoned by another large bird, but they also use cavities in live trees, dead snags, deserted buildings, cliff ledges, and human-made platforms.

Fun fact: As a rule, no owl species builds its own nests. I didn’t know that, either. (source)

This year I went from never seeing a GHO owl to having the good fortune of finding not one, but two GHO nests. In Nisqually NWR (an hour south of Seattle) I found an owl family with three chicks. As you can see, in their youth they are adorable fluff balls. The Nisqually family was raised in a cavity in the tree though from time to time the chicks would come out and stand on this fork in the trunk and give us a view. Here to the right, you can see one of the rare moments where all three chicks can be seen at once.

In the Skagit Wildlife Area (about an hour north of Seattle) I found this family on the left with two chicks.

Despite the wide distribution of these wonderful owls, we rarely see these denizens of the night. Many people do hear their classic owl Hoots either early in the morning or at night.

If you are fortunate enough to find a GHO nest do take care. GHO adults, monogamous for life, are dedicated parents and both males and females will stand guard over the chicks. The male typically roosts nearby, out of sight, but from a location where he can watch over the nest. The female alone incubates the eggs while the male will go off to hunt and bring food back for his mate. GHOs will defend their nest with great vigor and they have been known to attack humans that wander too close to a nest.

You’ve been warned…

Great Horned Owl Range (Source)

Until next month

Nikon D500, Nikon 600 mm f/4, 1/500 sec, ISO 2200, +2 EV

12

10 for 2017

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31

A Golden Life

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30

Whoa, That’s Deep…

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31

At the Height of Color

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30

Great Horned Owl

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