One Year Ago

I like to look back one year to see where I was and what image I made. This image was made June 21 2011, Yosemite Falls. Darn, wish I was there.

Ah the digital age. I can easily retrieve any image by date in Lightroom. I'm using version 4 but any version of Lightroom works as well as many other applications including Aperture. It is also a great way for me to remember what I did in the past. Wasn't that the real reason for photography? To record memories? Now we use it to refresh our memories. Which reminds me, oh yea, I did go to Yosemite in 2011.

Yellowstone River

Tweaked in Lightroom 4 this image from the Yellowstone Workshop is special to me. Very early morning, the fog, the reflection, the sounds of birds and 6 busy photographers interpreting their vision in digital photography. No 2 images exactly alike as we stood just feet from each other on the bank.

What's unique is our experiences. Our experiences influence are art but should not overpower our subject.

Yellowstone Teton Spring Success!

We're back from a fantastic series of spring workshops in Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. A few of what we saw and photographed:
Young Great Horned Owls in nest (see above)
Bluebird Nesting
Flicker feeding chicks in nest
Bison with new calfs
Elk with calf
Grizzly bears with cubs
Black Bears with cubs
Wolf close enough for photos
Moose with calf
Beavers
Marmot
and not 1, but 2 Badgers on the same day!

We also had plenty of opportunities for great landscapes of the Grand Tetons, Yellowstone River, Morning fog, and geysers. More photos click here

Thanks to all who participated.

Now we're getting ready for an amazing Alaska Adventure!

Hummers and more

from Costa Rica log 1/31 Sun...

...Slept in, 7 am, Kathy gets up at 8, we have breakfast, they find her decaf coffee which she left at the table yesterday morning. Very hard to find decaf at restaurants in Costa Rica so she has to bring our own to breakfast.

Off to Braulio Carrillo NP to look for hummingbirds at a closed butterfly garden not far from the entry. We meet Miguel, he just started a guide company, Agouti Tours? We will hike with him manana. He tells us of Bat Falcons near Toro bridge. But first we must find the hummingbird place that has become very popular for snowcap and the black-capped coquette. We find it and the snowcap but no coquette. Probably too late in the day. 

Photos of hummers here are difficult because flowers are everywhere and the hummers dart from one to another in no particular order. I don't set up hummingbird shots with multiple flash, bait, or backdrops. I enjoy the challenge and skill of shooting on the fly. I don't get as many keepers but it sure is fun!

Hiked around and found some leaf-cutter ants to photograph. Did you know that they don't eat the leaves? They mulch them up and use them to grow fungi (mushrooms of sorts) and eat them. 

Can you believe that! They cultivate a farm, and grow their own food!

Found the bat falcons, got some lousy pics, bad lighting. This one had just finished eating another bird. You can see the legs dangling from the left talons. 

We had our lunch at El Yugo. Went for snack, turned out to be a big snack so dinner should be light. El Yugo is right at the bottom of the hill coming east from San Jose. It is a cafeteria and has a great selection of typical foods. Naturally the universal law works in Costa Rica, too. Eyes bigger than stomach...

To learn how you can join Adventure Costa Rica 2011, email here!

Tres Lagos

excerpted from Costa Rica Log 1/29/2010...
...at Ara Ambigua, we enjoyed an open air breakfast watching birds from our table. After breakfast and a short walk we returned to our room for a nap, attempting to get into the rhythm of Costa Rica. I woke abruptly when a housekeeper came into the room. I was laying atop the bed in nothing but my Exofficio Give-n-Go™ Briefs! Nice.

After I recovered from the embarrassment we drove to Lapa Verde refugio, (5 clicks from Ara Ambigua at Chilamate) met Oscar Lopez. Lapa Verde is a 650 hectare private reserve. A very important project to increase the corridor needed for the endangered Green Macaw. We chatted and I took the above photo of Oscar holding a leaf filled with moth caterpillars.

We returned to the lagos where the Egrets and Little Blue Herons were coming to roost. This heron on a palm made a rather interesting subject so I made several images as howler monkeys told me of their displeasure of our presence. Then as the light was fading, we returned to the lodge for dinner.

Costa Rica 2010

My initial in flight. This is a Frigate bird that just caught an eel. It couldn't quite get it down and eventually dropped it into the ocean where it was sought after by a brown pelican. Not sure if the pelican retrieved the eel.

This one's a little gross. We came across this iguana eating a dead parrot. It would grab the bird and shake it violently until a piece tore off. After the iguana had its share a black vulture took its turn.

The Jabiru Stork is the tallest bird in the Americas with males standing up to 5 feet! They are endangered in Costa Rica and consequently hard to find. This one was at Palo Verde National Park.

Costa Rica 2010 has been a real trip. 56 adventurous days. I am going to try and recap from my log some of the highlights with photos in the coming weeks. Writing this from the first good internet connection since we arrived. Now, only a few days left until we return to the office.

Stay tuned for some exciting stories and incredible images and tips if you plan to visit.

Relationships

This is a recent article I wrote for my web site host, ifp3.com

Relationships
By Jim Stamates copyright 2009

There are two parts of photography; the mechanics, how to use the equipment to get the desired results, and the desired results…Jim Stamates

Many relationships exist in photography. The relationship between color or shades of gray, between light and shadow, between focus and out of focus, between the primary and secondary motifs, between the image and the viewer of the image.

There is also the relationship between a photographer and his/her equipment. That relationship should be seamless, automatic. Like driving a car, do you think about it? Not usually, we step on the gas to go, the brakes to slow down or stop, turn the wheel to go left or right. We do it all without consciously thinking. We must strive to work our camera equipment the same way. All the cameras, lenses, strobes, and gadgets are just tools to help us say something. No different than an artist’s brush or a poet’s pen.

(Here’s a tip: Use your camera every day until you can adjust exposure, depth-of-field, shutter speed, change lenses, ISO, memory card, etc. all without thinking or looking at your camera, and then continue to use your camera every day)

But the most important relationship is between the photographer and the subject.

How many photographs have you seen of the same subject that looked similar but were made by different photographers? Usually one stands out among the many. One that moved you, that inspired you, that touched you. Only one out of the many may be memorable. That is what we strive to do. Make images that are memorable and touch the viewer. To do this we must collaborate with the subject.

Many times the artist tries to control the subject, portraying it from the artist’s point-of-view only and not considering the subject and how it might like to be portrayed. This may result in mediocrity because the artist is not using everything available to make the greatest image possible.

Take any great portrait or wedding photographer for an example. They don’t just walk into the studio or show up on the wedding day and start shooting. They develop a rapport with their subject. They get to know their subject personally, intimately and sometimes even spritually. A connection between the artist and the subject is developed. Then, as the shutter clicks, magic happens. The result is an image that transcends the two-dimensional print into a brilliant work of art.

This works in nature, too. It works with landscapes, wildlife, people, architecture, everything we photograph. Get to know your subject intimately. Relax, get into the rhythm of your subject, look at it from other perspectives including the subjects, and then add a touch of your own experiences to give the image your personal style.

Every photographer and artist has experienced that moment when everything works perfectly. It is something we feel but have a hard time explaining in words. It is like becoming one with our subject. We are in sync, in harmony, in the rhythm. You know when it happens; you know you have great images even before you see the results. It’s magical and symbiotic.

This is the most important part of our photography, the relationship between our subject and us.

Our experiences should not control our art, but influence it. Leave pre-conception at home. Allow yourself to see for the first time. Listen to what your subject is telling you. What it wants to tell the world. It’s there. Hear it, feel it, see it, Shoot it!

My Top 10 Images of 2008

"Pick your top ten images of 2008" was the challenge I found at a colleauge's blog, Jim M. Goldstein.  What a great idea! 

As I edit each shoot during the year I pick either what I think is best for the project, or what my client or editor requested. Many times those aren't necessarily my favorites. By the end of the year I forget about some of my more creative moments.

My first cut ended up at 63 images, then I whittled it down to 40, 20, 15, and 12. Sorry, I just couldn't cut out 2 more. Well, I could, but I really wanted them included.

The images are in no particular order. I had a hard enough time choosing these twelve, I just couldn't pick my absolute favorite. 

If you would like to choose your favorite, or your least favorite, add a comment at the end of the post, or send me an email. Thanks. I'll be posting some of the runner ups on my web site this month.

At the end of this post is a challenge for you so be sure to read the end.

LEAP OF FAITH 

I just love this one. The position of the two front paws, just about to pounce on lunch. The tail pointing up and the intent look on the face. But what I like the most is the texture of the tall dry grasses. Okay, this might be my favorite.

FOREST IMPRESSIONS

I started messing with impressionism, first with 'Just Water' then taking it a step further with scenes of nature. You'll find I picked several as my top 12.

SCENT OF A WOMAN 

Bison at Yellowstone National park. Lip curl, lots of action, and another of my favorite shots.

WILLOW ABSTRACT 

Early this year I started to photograph my new series, "Just Water". Later on I took it further by making Abstract Impressionism images by using slow shutter speeds and moving the camera. Lots of images, lots of good ones and a whole lot that just didn't work.

FIRST GLANCE 

As many of you know, I love to photograph moose. They are only trumped by being in close proximity to bears. Watching their habits during the rut gives hours of natural viewing pleasure. It appears that the bull moose is going to choose its mate. But as we all know, the female makes the final choice.

ILLUSIONS AT MIRROR LAKE

A tranquil setting at an over photographed spot in Yosemite NP.
Chaos transforms into serenity.

COW PARSNIP
I used this image in an article on relationships. The most important relationship for a photographer is his/her relationship to the subject. The more you get to know your subject the more it will reveal itself to you. After many years of photographing cow parsnips, I finally got to know this one intimately.

FLUID AUTUMN

Another of the abstract impressionism series. This one is a small section of an image of Taylor Creek with fall color reflections and a leaf floating by.

LAST RUN
You may have seen my "In The Rhythm of Kokanee" slide show. This image is from that project. The movement of the water flowing over the kokanee as it makes it's final attempt to the spawning area.

FAMILY PORTRAIT
Look at the position of the paws on mama bear. Can you believe that? And the expressions on their faces? This is really being in the rhythm. Mama and her two cubs just hung around for a couple of hours, not bothered by me at all. I gave them plenty of space and when they were good and ready, they moved into the adjacent forest to search for food and another place to rest.

EMERGENCE
The sun peeked out from under the morning clouds lighting the Teton range and kissing the bottom of a passing storm.

LOOKING FORWARD TO THE 'BEST OF 2009'

This exercise helped me realize I accomplished more than I thought I did and it made me feel much better about this past year. So why not do this for other parts of our lives? This has been a challenging year, but if we look back at our personal lives we will find many positive events. 

So here is the challenge: List all the positive events this past year that have touched you personally. Not just the vacation you took, but what was the best part? Did you ride a roller coaster that you thought you'd never ride? Did you meet someone new that enriched your life or read a book that gave you a different perspective?  You'll feel a whole lot better about 2008 when you have your own "Best of 2008" Good luck, and let me know how it goes.

In The Rhythm of Moose

Recently, Kathy and I made our way to our favorite spots in Grand Teton National Park finding great scenics, bears, river otters, osprey, coyote, bison, pronghorn, and elk. But we both knew the trip wouldn't be successful until we spent a fair amount of time with our favorite, the largest of the deer family, Alces alces, the North American Moose.

I don't know about you, but I am fascinated with moose. Many think they are strange looking and ungainly, me, I think they are too cool.

Naturally, when you see an animal in a certain place you go back to the same spot year after year. It's like fishing. You always fish the same hole you caught the 'big one' in. While some animals may just be passing through, moose seem to always hang out in the same habitat at the same time of year.

Off we went to some of the best and most dependable moose habitat in the Rockies. While hiking the game trails that meander through aspens and willows we discussed how sometimes you can be just a few yards from a resting moose and not know it. After a couple of tries we found our friends. A large bull moose and 5 cows. The rut was in full swing and at times the action was intense.

At one point the bull was trying to get the cows attention. It would thrash the willows with its huge antlers. No response. Then it made a wallow by scraping the ground bare with its hooves then urinating to make a mud puddle then laying in it. This got the cows attention and three of them came running.

The bull got up and one cow would rub herself against him while another chased off the third and sat in the wallow herself. This went on for a few moments until one cow meandered off with the bull in hot pursuit, while the other cow sat in the wallow for about 30 minutes.

As dusk fell quietly and quickly, the moose moved to a more secluded place, we cautiously followed keeping a distance that would not intrude on our subjects. Our persistence paid off. Just before dark the moose mounted the cow. We left fully satisfied as the last time we witnessed this was in Alaska many years ago.

The next day we returned to spend more time with the group. As we waited and watched we found ourselves surrounded by all six moose as they rested or munched on the willows. We found ourselves completely surrounded by the Rhythm of Moose.

In The Rhythm of Kokanee?

I promised I would update on our Rocky Mountain shoot to the Tetons and Yellowstone and I will, but I have other news first!

We returned from the Rockies on Saturday the 11th, and on Sunday we took a short ride to Taylor Creek where the Kokanee spawn at Lake Tahoe. Kokanee are landlocked cousins of the sea-going Sockeye Salmon and were planted by 

biologists in 1944. Every year they return to spawn where they were born, Taylor Creek. Almost every year I also return to watch, photograph and hopefully see a bear. 

This year it happened! Kathy was the first to see the bear, just 50 feet or so off the paved trail that boarders Taylor Creek. We watched as it approached the trail and as it did others noticed it, too. There must have been a couple of hundred people that came to see the Kokanee and a good many where in the right spot to see the bear.

For this past week I have done little else except go to Taylor Creek in hopes of photographing more bears fishing for the bright red Kokanee. So far I have seen and photographed 3 different bears.

One night, after almost everyone left and it was getting too dark for photographs, Kathy and I decided to take one last walk down the path toward the stream profile chamber. A bear was pulling a Kokanee out of the stream that came from the chamber and was walking in my direction. In a flash, it dropped the fish and started running toward ME! I was only about 50 feet from the bear and before I could say holy 'you know what' the bear jumped up the Aspen that I was standing next to! (you can see the Aspen on the right of the photo, I was on the trail just a few feet from the Aspen) After a moment or two, the bear came down from the tree, stood on its hind legs and sniffed the air, then found the fish it dropped and ate it. We left. What a thrill!

This a very large  bear I photographed the night after the 'Thrill', 

perhaps this is what scared the other bear! What a fat Bear!

Teton trip results on my next blog... stay tuned.

Hummingbirds and Beetles

 I returned to the area of last years devastating fire here at Tahoe. I had passed by several times since the fire and was amazed at how many houses were being rebuilt in place of those lost, and how quickly they grew out of the ashes.

Nature was also busy mending and rebuilding the forest. First to arrive is the amazing Jewel Beetle that can sense a fire from 50 miles away. Not surprisingly, with this capacity, jewel beetles are the first creatures to move into such an inhospitable environment. Because they are the first arrivals, there are no jewel beetle predators to worry about and they can proliferate in large numbers. The female flies to the still smoldering bark of a tree to lay her eggs. 

By the beginning of summer the wildflowers were abundantly popping up from the ash. And what loves wildflowers? Hummingbirds! That's what got me excited as a birding friend told me of a spot where probably 50 rufus hummers were feeding on the thistle!

Off I went, camera in tow, to observe and photograph a very unusual display of nature at it's best. As I made my way up the trail I started to see movement in the air. In a few moments I was surrounded by dozens of little hummers darting from one thistle to the next and chasing each other away from their particular blossom. Then two would come together, just a few inches apart, and climb 100 feet into the air. An incredible site I tried to photograph, but they were way too fast to track consistently. I did manage to get this image.

I returned several times in the next few days and each time was fantastic. The numbers have dropped now, and I suppose they are starting their migration south. Next year I will do more documentation of the rebirth of the forest after the fire.

A short story about a hummingbird:

A giant forest fire broke out, it was so big that all the animals ran to the edge of the forest and watched helpless and in horror as their homes where being destroyed. Except for one little hummingbird. The little hummer flew to the river, picked up a small drop of water, all it could hold in its little beak, and flew to the fire and dropped it on the blaze. Then back to the river for another drop. Relentlessly the hummer took one drop of a water at a time and dropped it on the fire. All the other animals stood around telling the hummingbird that it was wasting it's time. How stupid you are if you think you can make a difference, said the elephant, whose trunk could hold much more water than the tiny hummingbird.

What do you think you are doing, said the animals.

The best I can, replied the hummingbird.

Wisdom Is Where It Finds You

I was hiking the high Sierra yesterday, feeling pretty good about myself as I made my way up to 9100 feet, then down to a small pond for lunch at about 8400 feet. I had a Camelback filled with Gatorade, lunch, and my D300 with lens, keeping it light for a day hike with some friends. After lunch, and about 4 miles under our belts, we met another hiker along the trail.

She had an old external frame backpack with patches from various hiking organizations sewed on. A pretty worn out sleeping mat was strapped to the top, and what appeared to be a well used sleeping bag hung from the bottom of her pack. It looked way too big for her small, fragile body. 

We got to chatting about how dry the season was, what a beautiful day, where we hiked in from and where we were going, you know, the usual stuff you chat about when meeting someone on the trail. I couldn't help but notice her long braid of gray hair hanging on her left shoulder as we chatted, and the weathered look of a face that had seen many miles. Surely she couldn’t be hiking alone, I thought, but she was. Solo hiking to Showers Lake to spend 3 nights!

I couldn’t help myself, I know the rules, never ask a woman her age, but I also knew the exception to the rule. When women reach a certain age, they tend to brag about it. How many grandchildren they have, how many presidents they voted for, and how many husbands they outlived. They become proud of their age and wear their wisdom in each wrinkle on their face. So I asked. 77, she said without hesitation. Way to go, I returned.

I thought about what she said as I struggled that last mile back to the car. I had asked her how she does it? “I just keep putting one foot in front of the other”, she answered.

Don't forget the Scott Kelby's Worldwide Photo Walk August 23. I will be leading the South Lake Tahoe walk. Check the site to join a city near you.

Wildflowers!

A great year for wildflowers in the Sierras! Everywhere I go I am there, and I am seeing a profusion of wildflowers. Lupines are at their best in years. Low lupine, tall lupine, lots of lupine. Mules ear are doing great as are tiger lilies, indian paint brush, and all the usual suspects.

Go take a hike and enjoy the wildflowers! Do it now! The dry season will bring an early end to the wildflower season. The higher you go, the better the chances to see lots of flowers. I recently took an early evening hike from Woods Lake to Winnemucca Lake (see photos). I left at 5:30 pm and got back to the car at dark. If you go late, take a flash light (Woods Lake is off Hwy 88 west of Carson Pass).

If you live elsewhere in the country, let me know how your wildflowers are doing.

Have Fun!

In The Rhythm of Bears

Sometimes you are forced into the rhythm whether you are ready for it or not. Friday Kathy and I had lunch with some friends at the local Chinese buffet. After lunch Kathy and I decided to check out Pope marsh for a Coot’s nest and wood ducks. We returned home about an hour and a half later and found a message on the answering machine. It was from our friends, they said that there was a black bear and her two cubs in their yard. I assumed the bears would have left by now as it was over an hour since they left the message (I was not in the rhythm). I went back to work in my office and about a half hour later got a call from Kathy saying our friends said the bear was still in their yard! Okay, this is crazy; bears don’t usually hang around that long. I grabbed my gear and headed to our friends house.

I arrived there in about 15 minutes, went through the front door and into their kitchen. Just 40 feet behind their back door, the bear and her two cubs were resting by a tree. For two and a half hours our friends had been watching the bear and her cubs just hang around, nurse, and rest. (I have now been forced into the rhythm)

I cautiously opened the back door, stepping out I kept one eye on mom while positioning my camera and tripod. She looked at me without concern as I made my first few images. This is too easy, I thought, as I pulled up a deck chair and made myself comfortable, lowering the tripod so I could shoot from the chair. Every time she or the cubs moved into a different position I would press the shutter and make a few more images. Every now and then she would rise up, alert, looking toward the street. Click, Click. Then back down again.

This peaceful session ended abruptly when two neighborhood dogs burst onto the scene barking ferociously. Before they were even in the yard the cubs were up a tree, mom took a little longer as she stood her ground to protect her cubs. When she knew her cubs were safe, and the lead dog was within a few feet, she jumped and in a split second was 15 feet up the tree!

Luckily, the dogs did not stick around and momma came down from the tree within a couple of minutes. The cubs followed and in another couple of minutes I was fortunate to watch and photograph mom nursing her hungry cubs. A first, in Tahoe, for me.

I spent 45 minutes photographing the bears. One of the longest sessions I have had with bears in Tahoe. I will post more photos, soon, on my web site under 'Daily Log.' Check ‘em out.

Cinco de Mayo or The First Day of Spring!

It's Cinco De Mayo and what a glorious day at Tahoe!  There is a golden morning light basking the trees and meadow behind my house as I sit and write this post.  Yesterday it rained and hailed and today everything sparkles as the sun reflects off the  wet and frost covered grasses.  Most of the snow is gone, green is starting to appear everywhere. Yep, spring has sprung in the high country! A month and a half later than the rest of the world, but it has finally arrived.

Spring is a time for rebirth, a time for flowers to bloom, trees to get new leaves, birds to nest, and many mammals to mate or have their babies.  Bears will be coming out with their new cubs, soon.  Everywhere you look, life is happening. 

So take some time, slow way down, take a walk into nature, whether in your own backyard or on a nearby trail.  For just a few minutes or all day.  Do it!  Get out in nature, take a deep breath, let the air wash away the winter cobwebs in your mind.  Look around and see what the rest of the world is doing. Listen to the birds, the brook, the grass. Get into the Rhythm! You will be reborn.