Another Photography Blog???????

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Yes, I know. It would seem that there are more than enough blogs about photography already. So why add to the confusion, right?

Well, I am a nature photographer, pure and simple. As far back as I can remember, when I picked up a camera, I was pointing it mostly at some kind of animal or landscape. Of course, taking photos of people is a great thing and very fulfilling for some. But for me, nature photography is where my heart lies. Every time I pack up my gear and head out to a favorite photo spot, I am embarking on a new adventure and I can’t wait to get there. Once there, time just slips by so fast because I’m completely immersed in something that I love.

But to be really good at nature photography is not easy. There is very little in your control. What kind of weather dominates on that given day has a great effect on everything you do. The light is often changing from one hour to the next and sometimes from one minute to the next. Some parts of the day are good for landscapes and others are far more challenging. Then there are the animals and birds. They never, I repeat never, seem to do what you want them to do when you want them to do it. Even flowers are a challenge given that you have to have almost perfect specimens to make the photo really appealing, and the background is almost as important as the flower itself. I could go on crying a river of tears about how difficult nature photography is, but the challenges it presents is also part of its charm. So that’s enough moaning and groaning for now!

The point is that you can’t just grab a camera and head out the door shooting everything in site and expect to come back with National Geographic worthy results. There is a lot to learn about this aggravating but simultaneously rewarding subject of nature photography.

Much of what I have learned has been self-taught, but I also spend a great deal of time trying to find knowledge and information from websites and blogs online. To be sure, there is a lot of very good information on these sites too. But a lot of the pointers and tips are very fragmented, a little here, a little there. And I was thinking to myself that it would be great to be able to follow a photographer’s adventures as they learn the craft. To pick their brain as they make mistakes and learn what seems to work best for them along the way.

So here I am. I intend to share with you my learning process, warts and all. Hopefully, I can cover some ground that will be just what you need to know, and we can learn together. In this first post, I used the photo that I took of an Indian Rocks Beach sunset this past summer. Taking this kind of shot is what really revs my engine. If it does the same for you, maybe this journey will be good for both of us.

Please visit my website to see the rest of my current portfolio.