My journey to serious bird photography addiction was a convoluted one.
Much to my surprise I was content for the first few years after retiring from teaching. I missed my kids and the classroom environment for a while but I was ecstatic to finally escape what I called the “peripheral BS”. For several years carpentry consumed most of my free time (I made furniture) but eventually I realized that something was missing. In the classroom I taught natural sciences (Biology, Zoology and Utah Wildlife) and I missed that connection to the natural world. In an effort to fill some of the gap I decided to try my hand at bird photography since I’ve always loved birds so I purchased a relatively cheap DSLR and telephoto lens (75-300mm or 70-300mm, can’t remember) and gave it a go. When I do something I like to do it well and my goal was stunning bird photographs.
Ha, fat chance with that lens! Birds rarely let me get close enough and when I did the images were crap, largely because of the poor quality lens. So I bit the financial bullet and invested about $1400 in much better glass – a Canon EF 100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS USM lens. My image quality improved immediately and significantly and I had a little more reach. But I had to work very hard before I got the first images I was proud of.
1/400, f/8, ISO 200, Canon Rebel XTi, Canon EF 100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS USM @ 380mm, not baited, set up or called in
And this Swainson’s Hawk gave me those images. I found the bird in good light on May 7, 2007 near Bear River MBR and it let me get unusually close so I had nice detail. I remember watching the hawk through my lens for several minutes and being blown away by the intimacy of being this close to a wild raptor. My experience with this bird was the beginning of my true addiction to bird photography (up to this point I’d mostly been playing around with it) and it was also the dawn of my special affinity for raptors. I wanted more of them. Badly!
So a little over a week later (5/16/07) I found myself here, almost 700 miles north of home on the Montana farm where I grew up. It was a melancholy trip because my cousin Ken Dudley had passed away a few months earlier and this was my first experience on the farm without him in many decades. Ken and I were literally like brothers but now the big farm-house was empty. It was a surreal experience for me.
My only solace was the Great Horned Owls on the farm – they were the primary reason I made this trip to the farm in the first place. I wanted some nice images of them in the old barns and granaries that they’d been hanging out in for years. This old granary is one of them.
1/200, f/9, ISO 400, Canon Rebel XTi, Canon EF 100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS USM @ 400mm, not baited, set up or called in
But by the time I left the farm to go home I’d had very little success with the owls or any of the other raptors on the farm (mostly Swainson’s, Red-tailed and Ferruginous Hawks) because in most situations my new 400mm lens still didn’t have enough reach. I think this owl had pity on me and gave me a few moments before it ducked back into the almost pitch black of the granary. But this was the only time I had success with the owls and I was completely skunked by the skittish hawks at those focal lengths.
I longed for the Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS USM lens. I remember daydreaming about that lens during the 11 hour drive home. With that lens I could use a 1.4 teleconverter and with the cropped sensor of my camera I’d be shooting at an effective 1120mm. I believe that combination is ideal for birds but it was way out of the financial reach of this recently retired teacher.
Then, a miracle. Soon after arriving home I received an unexpected modest windfall – a financial gift from Ken’s will. After much deliberation I spent part of it on the lens of my dreams and my bird photography was off to the races. I was in heaven.
1/800, f/8, ISO 400, Canon Rebel XTi, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
A few weeks later my experience with these coots and my new lens provided a new focus for my photography – bird behaviors. Up to this point most of my images were of perched birds (birds on a stick, BOS) but as I watched and photographed these coots fighting for several minutes I began to realize that I was fascinated by behaviors. When I got home and looked at these and other images on the screen I understood that my images could capture the nuances of behaviors much better than the naked eye and I was hooked by yet another aspect of bird photography.
Notice that this dominant coot almost seems to be trying to scratch the eyes out of the other bird.
1/2000, f/7.1, ISO 400, Canon Rebel XTi, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
Soon I was getting images with my new lens that I’d have very little chance at with my 400mm. Short-eared Owls had always eluded me because I just couldn’t get close enough but on 7/4/07 this one was just close enough with my new gear. I was thrilled.
By now I was completely hooked on bird photography. In fact I undoubtedly had a treble hook embedded in both lips and it’s been a wild ride ever since. Soon, to accommodate my quest for birds, I bought a camper for the back of my pickup and later swapped it out for a camping trailer. Then came blogging. And I’ve met some wonderful people through my bird photography.
Bird photography was a very good move for me.
Ron
Notes:
- I don’t want to give the impression that one can’t take excellent bird images at 400 mm or even less. It can be done and often is but it’s significantly more difficult to do at those shorter focal lengths.
- The first 3 images in this post were shot in jpeg rather than RAW. At that point I hadn’t yet learned the value of shooting in RAW.
- There’s more about Ken and his gift here if you’re interested.
- I’m a little concerned that this post might be perceived as being a bit narcissistic – after all, it’s mostly about me, me, me. But I thought some folks might be interested in my journey, partly because I know that some of my readers are on a similar trip.
Narcissistic? Not even close. You may have retired from the jungle of “peripheral BS”, but the amount of knowledge your sending out to us “home schooled” students puts you back in the mainstream of education. I can’t thank you enough for all that I’ve learned just from reading your blog. From the camera settings to the birds behaviors, you have shown us with fantastic photos the technical and “in the field” aspects of bird photography. While sitting all cramped up, lens pointed out the window waiting for the bird to fly, I ask myself what would Ron be thinking now? How would he anticipate this birds next move. Will it fly up, down or just abruptly turn and fly away? So what I’m trying to say Ron, is thank you for sharing your life story and your knowledge.
See you in the field.
Ron how lucky you found photography letting all of us take joy in seeing raptors close up. Thank you for all your work and teaching.
I’m beginning to wish I had gone with Canon instead of Nikon. My 80-400 leaves much to be desired. But, must admit most of the trouble is with me, not the lens.
I know I don’t comment as much as I used to….but it doesn’t mean I don’t take time to keep up with your blog.
I enjoy every moment.
I just wanted to say thank you for your hard work and your willingness to share on a regular basis.
I always liked the “inside” story…the orgins as it were. You have an interesting life Ron, and its definately worth reading about!
Tim
Hi Tim, I’m delighted to hear that you’re still “out there”.
I enjoyed your kind comment. I’m always a little hesitant to share personal stuff for fear I’ll overdo it so I appreciate what you said here about the “inside story” in particular.
I hope all is well in your world.
I’ve been a lurker for the past few months but wanted to say how much I appreciated this post and all the comments from your followers. Your photography is exquisite. What you post is consistently spot-on with both technique and interest / behavior details. As a budding bird photographer myself, I can fully appreciate what goes into getting the images, from start to finish. I had read the initial story of how you came to acquire your 500 mm lens, but appreciated this ‘refresher’. Good fortune and serendipity; the long reach of Ken into your heart and soul. What a great story with a never-ending ending. Thanks to him and you for your combined gifts to us.
“What a great story with a never-ending ending”
Love the way you put that, Kim. And what a nice, thoughtful comment – thank you.
I wish you luck with your budding bird photography.
An amazing journey and sensational series Ron!
Charlotte
Thank you, Charlotte.
I will echo everyone’s previous statement , but yes, wonderful story and informative. Your stories are never boring. As a currently working teacher I was finally able to replace my older DSLR Nikon that drowned. Canoes and photography don’t always mix well. I wasn’t able to afford the lens I wanted and opted out for the lesser telephoto, sounds like the same one your started with. I hope I won’t be too disappointed. I have a wonderful telephoto for my old DSLR but I decided to change manufactures so the old lens won’t work for the upgrade. I might have to look into older lenses for my new Cannon until I can save for a pricier lense
Thanks, April. Ouch, a drowned camera must have hurt. Hasn’t happened to me yet but I’m sure my time will come. Good luck with your lens and with your birds!
Your last picture should read “Another human wanting to take a picture!”
Great caption, Dick.
Old teachers never die, they just change their lesson plans.
I am so grateful to Ken, and to you, and to so many other people here in the blogosphere who feed my addiction to beauty, to wonder, to learning…
“Old teachers never die, they just change their lesson plans”
That is so, so perfect for me, EC. Nail struck directly on the head, with force!
Your response to Dick’s “I refuse NOT to have fun” … “That says it all, Dick. I’m just too much of a kid at heart not to make every possible attempt at having fun. And bird photography supplies gobs of it” reminds me of a fortune cookie I had on my bulletin board for years – It is never too late to have a happy childhood. Enjoyed the story and the images.
“It is never too late to have a happy childhood”
That’s a great line, Dave. I might find a few of those myself if I liked fortune cookies. I don’t, with a vengeance!
Love your story here Ron, It’s always wonderful to hear and see the similarities and differences in peoples paths to bird photography. Thank you for sharing yours!
Thanks, Donald. Bird photographers are a diverse group and each one of us has a story. Many are probably more interesting than my own but mine is special for me, as I’m sure yours is for you.
Thanks,Ron, for the story of your evolution as a bird behavior photographer and teacher. I also love how so many of your photos are anchored in the natural beauty of Utah and Montana. However, you’re like the devil on my shoulder with regard to the 10,000 dollar lens,let alone the truck and trailer. Keep shooting and teaching!
John, you can pick up the older version of that lens (the same one I bought in 2007) for less than half that amount and get virtually the same image quality as with version 2. That older lens is simply excellent!
The truck and trailer are another story…
Thank you.
Great stuff – Thank you for letting us in and sharing your story.
As you know I love you photography, and your honesty, just wish you would find another Ermine! VBG.
Spent 7 hours yesterday hunting for a good shot to take of a Red-tail or a Roughie. The Roughie wouldn’t allow it, but finally came upon a first year Red-tail that decided the best way to get away from me was to fly a few feet down the power line 5 times, while I was driving and shooting 94 images all at the same time. Finally got one I like!
To me all the expenses are part of the game! Life is too short NOT to enjoy what you like to do. Yes, we need the $$ to be able to do it, but that is sweating the small stuff. I refuse NOT to have fun!!
“I refuse NOT to have fun”
That says it all, Dick. I’m just too much of a kid at heart not to make every possible attempt at having fun. And bird photography supplies gobs of it.
And yes, I’m still working on that weasel…
Terrific, this is the time of year for it – even if the east is like middle spring and NOT winter!!
I just hope he/she isn’t under your Christmas tree, that might be disastrous!
“True love”—which is my definition of the best kind of friendship, will nurture the most wonderful of ” children”—-if Ken has some way of knowing what his gift
has created, I’ll bet he is thrilled ! Thanks so much for telling yours and Ken’s story……it warms this cold winter Solstice day for me, and for all your other long-distance
friends, too, I’m sure !
And your comment warmed my own cold winter day, Kris. Thank you for that.
Great story Ron. Thanks for sharing. Keep the wonderful images and captions coming. I have learned more about birds and their behavior from your blog than from several books and numerous field trips. I look forward to it each day–always enjoyable and educational. You didn’t retire from teaching, you just changed methods!
“You didn’t retire from teaching, you just changed methods!”
I guess you’re right about that, Larry. I appreciate your comment about what you’ve learned from my blog. A lot.
Great story Ron, a beautiful path you followed to get where you are now. I am sure your cousin Ken would be very proud of you and what you have achieved as nature photographer and teacher (yes, you are still teaching many us 🙂 ).
I think you’re right, Ed. Ken would have loved to see how I used part of his gift. I’ve often wished I could give him a huge print of one of my best shots of one of “his” owls. He’d have really enjoyed that because he loved and protected those owls too.
Oh my Ron, like it or not we have gotten to know you through your writing as well as the photos and the occasional backstory has interest.
I appreciate the many aspects of the stories you share. Hmmm, don’t you just love the Internet…!
Thanks very much, Susan.
I “love the internet” sometimes. A little. With significant reservations…
These are the kind of stories I simply adore. Your authentic voice is so good. I hope that one day you compile this blog into a book. It would make an excellent book that I would love to have on my shelf.
That’s quite the endorsement of my blog, Arwen. Thank you. But truth be told there’ll likely never be a book – just too much work and time involved and I barely have sufficient time as it is (at least not enough to include my daily nap if I were to write that book…)
I’m not sure I would be happy with “the book” so many of us (including myself) have urged you to create. You would “cull” , we would cringe…remenbering too many favorites which had been left out by that dreaded act..”culled by Dudly “….
I loved hearing that story again…Ken left such a precious gift to so many!!! —like the pebble in the pool effect—a gift to all of us lucky enough to enjoy and learn from your pictures and comments…I think of him(and thank him) often…his gift to you is NOT forgotten! That image of the GHO is one of my favorites…
You’re hooked on Bird Photography, andi’m hooked on your blog—photos, comments and other followers. I realized how badly I was hooked when those internet glitches didn’t allow me access and when even surgery didn’t prevent me from following you and Mia…I HAD to see what ypu’d posted no matter what!!!
Ha, we all have our addictions, don’t we, Patty? I’m delighted that my blog is one of yours!
Sometimes being hooked on something, in particular your blog, involving this effing evil iPad leaves one mentally and spiritually bruised!!!
“Culled by Dudley ” wouldn’t make it any less painful (damned evil iPad!)
Not narcissistic at all! I love hearing of others’ life journeys and thank you for sharing. I find it interesting how birds are just so darn addictive. For me, it started with sparrows, starlings, grackles and cowbirds coming to a bird feeder on the balcony of my apartment in Ann Arbor. Then it morphed rapidly to raptors in Dallas and it’s still going and growing in falconry. Behavior and personalities, if you will, fascinate me. I’ve learned so much from birds/raptors and I think they’ve made me a better human–at least I’ve tried to incorporate their life lessons that are so profound in their simplicity and elegance. And the outrageous raw beauty delights my soul to the core…despite that it keeps dropping my jaw on the ground 😉 Yesterday’s flights had me jumping up and down like a two-year-old, clapping my hands and squealing, “Do it again! Do it again!”
Absolutely splendid images! And I suspect this continual quest for the perfect photo/perfect flight at quarry will keep us challenged and entertained for the rest of our lives. What a magical journey!
Laura, I love what you said about life lessons from birds. I got my greatest life lesson from a Canada Goose who was injured as a chick, who eventually gave me an incredible demonstration of courage. Life lessons learned from birds are ones you don’t forget.
“What a magical journey”
Yes, it certainly is, Laura. We each take our own side-roads on the trip but the general destination is often similar or the same. I can’t imagine my life without birds.
Yep, I GET that Ron. They always center me and give my day a focus of joy. Of course, I used to be a much better driver than I am now…my eye is always scanning the sky and the surrounding areas. I used to be concentrated on the road 100%. Self-driving cars can’t come soon enough for me. This “and driving” part to bird watching is annoying! LOL!
Camera equipment is only part of the, not so small, investment in your avocation, Ron.
Time, truck, fuel, camper, computer hardware and software and Coffee. Plenty of Coffee. Did I mention TIME. The hours spent show up in the images produced, but seldom in the description of the image.
1/2000, f/7.1, ISO 400, Canon Rebel XTi, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in. 4 hours sitting in cold truck, 100 miles traveled, 4.000 images produced, 2 hours sitting in front of a computer monitor hacking out the culls from the good enough to store on a hard drive. Then the work of picking the days winners from the ” I kind of like this one”. More Coffee. Blog post the winner. amen.
Your journey has been inspirational. Even for a photographer of 40 + Years.
Thanks for the inclusion in your post yesterday.
Neil
You get it, Neil. You REALLY get it!
And then to think that this is actually fun for folks like us. Maybe we’re crazy…
I think you can safely remove the “MAYBE”, Ron.
An inspirational story with stunning pics. We all have a story Ron, thank you for sharing yours with us. I like how you string words together when telling the reader your thoughts. You don’t write too much and what you do write is in an unpretentious manner…no chest beating.
I subscribe to 1 blog…yours 🙂
“You don’t write too much and what you do write is in an unpretentious manner”
Thanks for noticing, Zaphir. Apparently you and I have the same types of preferences in blogs that we follow. The authors of many of them are just too much into themselves for my tastes.
Narcissistic? I don’t think so! I found it very interesting to read the story of how you came to bird photography. I know from personal experience that once you are hooked on wildlife, of whatever sort (even plants), life is much richer for frequent contact with it. I go into withdrawal in the winter when the lizards are brumating…
“once you are hooked on wildlife……. life is much richer for frequent contact with it”
Truer words were never spoken, Susan. Birds, and their photography, have enriched my life immensely.
Ron: I found your story compelling. Behavior is behavior, even among mammals. Keep the photos and observations coming.
“Behavior is behavior, even among mammals.”
Made me smile, Dan. Good point!
Wonderful story and photo’s, Ron. 🙂 I’m always interested in how folks got to where they are when it comes to things like photography. You’ve done VERY well by yourself and Ken. 🙂 Thx for sharing.
I’m glad to hear you were interested in all this, Judy. I was a little hesitant…