Sometimes we have very personal reasons for liking an image and those types of photographs don’t always work well for everyone. In fact they seldom do and I suspect this one might be a case in point.
Three days ago I was watching a group of pelicans from my pickup at the entrance to Bear River MBR when good friends and bird photographers Sterling Sanders and Larry Muench drove up next to me. They got out of their vehicle and came over to chat which I really enjoyed because I hadn’t seen them in some time. During the conversation I noticed that one of the pelicans had left the group and was swimming against a very dark background (it was only a few minutes after dawn) so I stuck my lens out the window, quickly popped off four shots of the bird (without even checking my camera settings, thus the exorbitant shutter speed), and then went back to the gabfest. I forgot I even took those shots until yesterday when I began culling the images.
1/6400, f/6.3, ISO 800, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
This is one of them. The pelican wasn’t particularly close but I like the soft light on the bird at dawn against the dark, almost black background. As soon as I saw the images that background made me think of another nature photographer whose work I admire very much – Ronnie Gaubert.
I “knew” Ronnie through Nature Photographers Network (NPN), an online photo critique forum that I was long active in. Ronnie photographed in the swamps of Louisiana so some of his images that I most admired were dark and moody from the deep shadows of the bayous. Even though I’m an early morning shooter, here in the high desert I seldom get those deep shadows in my backgrounds so this pelican image immediately reminded me of Ronnie. Though I never actually met the man, through his interactions with me and many others I could tell he was a kind and modest soul who freely offered valuable advice to the cadre of largely novice and intermediate photographers on NPN. And man, was he ever a gifted nature photographer!
Sadly, Ronnie passed away almost exactly five years ago after a battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease). But he left a rich legacy and some of his work can be seen here if you have the interest. Just click on the thumbnails for larger views.
The only print I’ve ever purchased from another photographer was one of Ronnie’s. And it wasn’t even a photograph of a bird…
Ron
PS – Mind you, I’m not comparing the quality of my work to that of Ronnie’s. That candle simply does not burn brightly enough.
I think this is a wonderful shot, very appealing. The dark background makes the Pelican stand out, especially with the light on its head. I’ll have to check out the galleries – the photo of the bees is very interesting.
I discovered Ronnie’s website when I was trying to decide which lens to purchase for my first DSLR camera (D80). Many of his earlier images were taken with the Nikon 300mm f/4 lens. He used the same lens with Kenko extension tubes to capture amazing images of insects. I bought the 300mm f/4 and Kenko extension tubes with the thought that, having seen his photographs, I could never blame my equipment for not getting good shots. I was/am a great fan of his work and I too admired the way he dealt with the disease. I still have the 300mm f/4 lens. It is one of my favorites.
Dave, that’s the same lens/extension tube combination he used for the image of the “Sleeping Bees” that I purchased from him. The detail in that print is incredible.
That is the 300mm f/4 on the tripod in the photo of him on the NPN link you shared.
Ron, Ronnie…I wonder if I changed my name,I could take incredible pictures, too…..maybe….
Blasts from the past have been hitting me recently and Ronnie’s photos count as another one. I was married to a Cajun commercial fisherman and lived on Bayou Teche in St. Mary Parish for 6 years. He fished in Six Mile Lake and other parts of the Atchafalaya Basin. We spent lots of time in small boats together in the swamp. Those dark photos capture the mood of the place very well. I see how the dark background on a strikingly white displaying birds would remind you especially of his egret photos.
Thanks for the beauty you bring into my life.
Pam, I’ve never been to Louisiana. Ronnie’s photos and your words remind me that I’m missing something memorable.
…and the Everglades!!! Or maybe you have been there. It’s amazing…..
Nope, never been there either, Patty. I’ve only been to Florida once and at the time I had other things on my mind.
I’m a western boy at heart. Whenever I’m east of the Mississippi I get the shakes and start to drool. Even more than usual…
You could be a bit spoiled by the beauty of Montana and Utah….just the skies alone are enough to do it….I’m “homesick” for every place I’ve been to and every one I haven’t been to yet…pathetic!
Yes, you are Ron! I lived just outside of New Orleans for three years, and they were three lovely years. It’s one of the places I’d go back to in a heartbeat. It would be a darn fine road trip–there are lots of very cool birds there and you just can’t beat the food!
Cajun cuisine is world class delicious!
That it is Pam Skaar!! I learned to make a killer crawfish etoufe (sp) and red beans, rice and sausage! Funny–the ONLY time Jack the Harris’ hawk got into MY food was with my red beans and rice…he went right for the red beans lathered with Tabasco! He’s a captive-bred bird from New Orleans…could you tell? LOL!
Ooh. And ahh.
Both for your pelican, and for the stunning photos of your friend and mentor. (ALS is one of the crueller diseases.)
And rather a lot of Laura’s WOWS.
Just scrolled through ypur friend’s photos again …struck anew by the immensity to us all of such a cruel, tragic loss of talent….his images are so full of the joy and incredible beauty of life…and yet he lost his own…..
Very well said, Patty.
If as picture paints a thousand words, then Ronnie’s photos would fill many volumes. What a great story teller he was, capturing so much emotion with a single shot. Ron, you couldn’t have had a greater mentor. He would be very proud of you for capturing the mood of this shot. What really chaps my butt is I was there and didn’t even see the beauty of this shot. You are the Master, I am the grateful student. However, 1/6400, hmmmmmm (-:
“However, 1/6400, hmmmmmm”
Ha, that was your damned fault, Sterling! If I hadn’t been jawin’ with you I’d have had the time and inclination to check my settings before I took those shots! 🙂
Oh dear! I have so much to do today but now I am busy looking at photographer’s galleries. So Many beautiful photos and at the rate I look over the shots I will be busy for months if not years. Yes it is an addiction and you have fed mine amply!
Slurp it all up, April. In this case it’s well worth your time.
This is a lovely tribute to your friend. I looked at his work and it is extraordinary. Thank you so much!
Thank you, Sharon. Yes, Ronnie’s work is top drawer.
Ron, such a beautiful shot. I love the darkness and depth. And your friends work brought tears to my eyes. Such beauty especially in his area of LA. Thanks for sharing.
He was a master with his camera and his subjects, Ellen. The world is poorer without him.
This shot is so beautiful. The soft light makes it look amazing
Thank you, Nikhil.
What a great shot! The lighting is absolutely stunning and the muted reflection makes for a very beautiful image. It was great seeing you and Mia out there and I’m glad you took the time to get this shot. Though we try to capture images that evoke emotions in the viewer but many times they are of a most personal nature as well. Great story about a wonderful person. We can all yearn for a candle that burns brighter!
Larry, we both enjoyed the heck out our visit. Then, right after talking to you and Sterling, Neil Rossmiller flagged us down and we were finally able to meet him and his lovely wife. It was a great morning!
Beautiful shot!! What is is about pelicans that are so mesmerizing?? Maybe the gracefulness with which they move that large body around. I’ve never seen a white pelican but here in CA we have lots of the brown ones on the Central Coast. One in particular sits on the pier and will let you put your arm in his beak. Pretty stupid, I know…..but it didn’t hurt!!!! 🙂
Thanks for the link to Ronnie photos. I enjoyed them as well.
Wow, that sounds like a very tame pelican, Carol! Thank you.
Good Morning, Ron.
Ronnie’s work was some of the best on NPN. Inspirational in both craft and subject matter. The mood of the Bayou evident in so much of his work. He is missed by many. A friend, like others, I only knew through NPN. Not unlike another Ron I meet through my participation with the NPN group.
Fortunately, you have now been removed from the “online only” category and moved over to the “in person”. What a wonderful morning indeed! Great to finally meet you.
Neil
Neil, that morning at Bear River was far more memorable for the friends I visited with than it was for the images I took. After all these years of corresponding through NPN and then via private emails and my blog it’s amazing that you and I had never met until three days ago. And we live so CLOSE to each other.
It was about damned time!
This is a beautiful image! There is something so appealing to me about a snowy white image against a very dark background…waterlilies, orchids and especially,birds like swans, egrets and herons…just a few examples that immediately come to mind. I checked the link to that amazing man’s work and noticed that he had many incredible images of Snowies, a HUGE favorite of mine, too. I never tire of seeing them. There’s an area in nearby Connecticut where they congregate…wonderful! I can see why you chose the shot of the sleepy bees…fantastic shot! Reminds me of a sleepy bee I saw sleeping on a daisy a couple of years ago. How I wished I had the talent. skill and equipment to capture that image! What a sad, sad loss…and to such a terrible, cruel disease!!!
Patty, the detail in that print of the sleeping bees is just incredible. Ronnie’s subjects are so diverse that he taught me another lesson by example – a photo subject doesn’t have to have feathers to be very, very interesting… 🙂
That’s why some of us get so excited and happy to see photos of things like Marmots, coyotes and wild horses….or some of Mia’s landscapes, cloudscapes and her plants and flowers….all beautiful!!!
Oh MY, what a beautiful image.
I have a soft spot in my heart for white pelicans. Back when I was still writing about race cars/drivers, I had to have surgery on both feet over the brief winter break AND be healed in time for the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona at the end of January. There were several weeks that I was stuck in a recliner in the house, which thankfully was across the street from White Rock Lake Park in Dallas–a major birding location. And while the neighborhood birds kept me from completely losing my mind, when my mood fell into total frustration, my significant other loaded me in the car and took me into the park where a flock of white pelicans spent their winter. Suddenly, they’d take off, the whole flock of maybe 100 birds, and do that wondrous flock thing where they all fly in an intricately fluid formation of exquisite beauty! Just as suddenly, my spirit soared with them and my mood elevated into pure joy. We took regular trips into the park, each day stopping to watch the pelicans do their amazing flock thing–how DO they do that? Of course, all the other hawks and birds helped fill my joy level up to the brim, those white pelicans were a special treat.
Thank you so much for the link to Ronnie Gaubert’s photography. What a blessing! YOU and your work are such an enormous blessing! Thank you!
I’m like you, Laura. I could watch flying pelicans for hours. When they’re high up it’s amazing how a group of almost a hundred very large birds can appear and then disappear depending on how the light strikes them. And they’re so very graceful in flight!
Beautiful! Ronnie was a talented photographer indeed! Wonderful set of photos of diverse subjects. 🙂 ALS is a HORRIBLE disease. 🙁
“ALS is a HORRIBLE disease”
It certainly is, Judy. Ronnie dealt with the disease with strength and grace – yet another reason I admired him so much. I wish I’d actually met him…
What a great shot. I love Pelicans, be they white or brown. Good job, thank you so much.
Thanks very much, Sarah.