As viewers we almost never know what it really took for the photographer to get that shot we like so much. Nor do we fully appreciate the tremendous satisfaction the photographer feels when everything finally comes together – if it ever does. This post is my attempt to illustrate the joys of setting a very difficult photographic goal and eventually succeeding after long periods of frustration.
I’ll use two examples to illustrate – an image of my own and one of another photographer, Tim Laman. It’s my intention to highlight Tim’s incredible photograph but I’ll use my image as a lesser example because I can describe my personal feelings of joy and satisfaction at eventually achieving a difficult (for me) goal.
For several years I’d dreamed about capturing a dramatic flight shot of an owl (any owl species would do) flying toward me with prey. I had several requirements for the image to meet my expectations that made achieving the goal very difficult. Those requirements included:
- the image must be of high quality with good sharpness, detail and light
- the prey should be well-seen and identifiable
- the background must be a pleasing one (or at least with nothing distracting or unappealing in it)
- there must be no clipped or cut off body parts and the composition must be appealing
- as mentioned earlier I preferred that the owl is flying toward me
- and of course the owl must not be baited. Images of owls with prey are often baited because that despicable practice makes it much easier to get the shot
But my standards were high and that image eluded me for almost four years.
1/1000, f/5.6, ISO 800, Canon 7D, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in
Then in the summer of 2010 I found a nesting pair of Short-eared Owls in Montana’s Centennial Valley that gave me a chance. I never approached the nest of course but the male was hunting to feed his family and when he brought in prey he usually landed on a metal post before delivering the vole to the nest. When he would take off from the post I occasionally had a chance at my dream shot.
But the major problem was light. This was mountainous western Montana in June and it was nearly always overcast so I couldn’t get enough shutter speed for a bird in flight. I had the option of increasing my ISO but I was determined to avoid going above ISO 800 with my Canon 7D because I didn’t want to ruin the image with excessive noise. But day after day the dreary conditions continued and something always went wrong. If it wasn’t bad light it was clipped wings or a wrong angle on the bird or it didn’t have prey or the image was soft or the background was distracting or… ad infinitim, the list was endless. I spent most of a week trying to get that shot.
Finally it happened. The sun momentarily peeked out through the clouds to give me enough light (barely) and the owl took off from the post with prey. He came toward me briefly before veering off to the nest and I was able to get a series of shots I like but this one is my favorite of the bunch.
Here’s a larger version of the image for those with monitors big enough to see it without scrolling. At this size we can see that I even got a catch light in the eye of the vole. My satisfaction at getting the shot was (and continues to be) immense – to the point that I have a large print of this image hanging on my living room wall.
Ok, now to the primary purpose of this post – Tim’s image and how he captured it.
Please watch this video. I’d suggest you watch it full screen if you have the band width, especially at the end where we see the image so you can fully appreciate its beauty. Every time I watch the clip I pause the video on the actual image just so I can savor it longer…
After watching it I suspect that all of us (whether we’re photographers or not) can appreciate the tremendous amount of satisfaction Tim felt, and continues to feel, in finally achieving such a difficult goal. Personally it gives me goose bumps just to think about it.
And now you can see why the Cornell Lab of Ornithology chose to use Tim’s image as the cover shot for their incredibly good and recently published 3rd edition of The Handbook of Bird Biology. This photo of my copy of the book doesn’t even begin to do the image justice but well… you get the idea.
Sure, Tim may have received a sizeable licensing fee for the cover image but believe me, if I know photographers his greatest satisfaction by far was achieving this almost impossible goal in the first place. I’m sure photographers among my readers get that.
Congratulations Tim – I understand that feeling! On a much less spectacular scale perhaps but I do understand it.
Ron
PS – Apologies for using an owl photo I’ve posted previously but it was the best example I have for the situation.
Just found your website via the Audubon Society article “Photographing Birds in Flight” You have some amazing work.
I can totally relate about the joys of getting a good shot. Just a couple of weeks ago, I had the thrill of getting flight shots of an Osprey landing on a tree.
I arrived at Hagerman NWR right at sunrise. I went to the Big Mineral Wells area and saw this Osprey in the tree. Unfortunately, the day started very cloudy and the lighting was horrible. Then 20 minutes later, a huge storm came in and I had to pack up my gear. I was about to pack it in and drive 90 minutes back home, when I decided to just drive around the area. Within a 20 minutes the storm blew through the area and the sun came back.
I drove back to Big Mineral and saw the Osprey was still in the tree. I grabbed my camera and tripod and started walking closer. Just as I set up my camera, the Osprey started to fly away.
I had framed in my camera and just kept saying in my head, “Please come back to the tree … Please come back to the tree”
Suddenly the bird turned around and I was able to capture some wonderful images. You can see the series of images I too at the link below.
http://www.marlocasabar.com/nature-photography/hagerman/
Obsession, dedication, putting forth the effort and the time day after day after day, and then finally, the satisfaction that comes from achieving perfection, or even near perfection. Yeah, I GET that! I’ve seen it when race drivers finally achieve that perfect lap or the perfect pass at the perfect time to claim a well-deserved victory. Or those few times when all the elements come together and hawk, dog and I reach that place where we’re all working in complete synch, species lines blurred into one being. What a heady feeling. And then, of course, the goal is to do it again.
Thank you for your obsession, achieved within ethical and meaningful boundaries to achieve. I celebrate that about you!
“And then, of course, the goal is to do it again”
Yup, hasn’t yet happened though, Laura – not at this level. My successes are too few and far between!
Ron, I’m just glad that unlike the protagonist in The Agony and the Ecstasy (Michelangelo), you didn’t destroy all previous owl shots that didn’t meet your expectations. Beautiful! Love this image of yours. What makes it particularly lovely is the very process you describe — that it was produced within a solid ethical framework, where practices like baiting are not allowed.
With respect to Tim’s work, okay, that’s it. This video pretty much establishes how my own physical limits will limit my art, ultimately. It’s sad, in a way, to realize that I will probably never photograph a bird like this, even faced with an opportunity. Like you, I have a fear of heights. So, the trust I’d have to have in my treetop platform would completely preclude me being the one to set it up. I’d never trust my own ropes and jury rigged blinds. That’s also why I don’t climb mountains. 🙂 Wow. That’s an incredible story, and a shot definitely earned.
Ha, fat chance I’d ever destroy those images, Ingrid, imperfect as most of them are. Thanks so much for the kind comment.
Why is Tim Idoni’s name so familiar?
I thought you made a typo when you spelled it like that. His name is Tim Laman…
I ‘m losing it!!!!!
I see Tim, I think Idoni…but there seems to be other Tims worthy of recognition…
Ron, Your site is the first thing I look at while waking up. The photos are great. It is the all the photo learning that you send our way that really helps my day. I always hope you have some nice tech nuggets to pass on.
The Short-eared Owls I found in the Trout Creek Mountain in se Oregon this summer were not into being photographed. Plus my 100-400 was not good for distance.
In getting your photos published, do you send out photos to the magazines, do the requests come to or do you have photos on the stock photo sites. I am asking how do the publishers find know what photos you have? Also how do to organize/keep track of the photos on your computer?
jake in oregon
Thanks, Jake – it’s nice to know my blog is part of your morning routine.
I don’t send photos out to magazines nor do I have photos on stock image sites (I don’t enter photo contests either). Publishers find my images on my blog while doing image searches. I’m sure I could get more of them published if I used some of those other marketing methods but that’s too much work and I don’t ever want my photography to be anything other than fun. I worked at a job for 33 years and at this point in my life I don’t need/want another one…
I use Photoshop Elements as an image organizer (though I use full Photoshop for processing).
What great dedication you both have!
Charlotte
Dedication or obsession, Charlotte – perhaps a little of both…
Thank you for posting such a awesome video.
As an amateur photographer, I have experienced ( Even though a tiny fraction) the sense of happiness which we get while take a good shot/shot which we envisioned. I love the images made by Tim.
Your image of Owl was nice.
It always a dream for me to make a good image of owl in flight in snow, hopefully one day I know I will get it.
Thank you for the information.
Krishna, as photographers I think we all have some kind of a “dream image” we’d love to get. I believe setting very difficult goals is a good thing for a variety of reasons (if we can handle the frustrations… 🙂 ).
It boggles my mind that anyone would go to those lengths to get photos. But it’s wonderful for all of us that Tim had that passion. And that you have your passion. Personally, I’d pick an SEO over a Greater Bird of Paradise – they’re more down to earth, if you will… (sorry about that). My day is always made better by your passion for photographing birds and your faithfulness in posting to your blog.
Susan, I couldn’t have done what Tim did even in my youth and I was a pretty good athlete. I have a fear of heights and in situations like that the worse possible scenario keeps going through my mind – not a good thing while you’re trying to climb on a rope 100′ straight up…
Rocky–I think Burrowing owls are even more down to earth….
😄
YOU BIRD PHOTOGRAPHERS ARE NUTS!!! Tim Idoni is is living proof!!! At 6′ 7″” all he had to do was stand on tip toes…. I wondered about that beautiful cover shot. Interesting to know how and who made it happen. Your capture of that vole-delivering short-ear is FANTASTIC!!! So glad you’re finally getting as much satidfaction out of one of your images that the rest of us do everyday… :-
“YOU BIRD PHOTOGRAPHERS ARE NUTS!!!”
There’s no denying it, Patty. But what a rush when everything comes together! Thank you.
Even the background is perfect!!!!!
I’m glad you mentioned the background, Patty. That and the tilted position of the bird in the frame are two of my favorite things about the image. The greenish middle background is sage flats and the upper background is the Centennial Mountains in shade.
And I love the way the bird seems outlined in white light. I ‘ve noticed that before…a beautiful effect….
Wow!!!! Wow!!!! Wow!!!! To you and Tim!!!! This comes on a morning when I am sort of disappointed with pictures from my two week stint in Grand Mesa . the pictures aren’t take your breath away like your owl picture and your roughy. I was just telling myself I need to get better. Going to email you for some advice. ( I’m in Agony)
Yup, the agony part that all too often accompanies the occasional ecstasy, Marina. I know it well. I’ll help if I can when I hear from you but it’s my guess that it’ll largely be an issue of practice, practice and more practice. We’ll see…
But here’s a thought. “Take your breath away” images are few and far between by definition. If they were commonplace they wouldn’t have that effect on us.
Beautiful way to start the day, and never a need to apologize for reposting a Shortie! Thanks, too, for featuring Tim’s video!
I feel that way about SEO’s too, Diane but I have to be careful that I don’t overdo them… 🙂
I love this. If I had taken this photo, it would likewise be mounted on my living room wall and in every room in my home.
I am thankful I get to see your pics and read your info on how to. Thanks.
Cheryl, I actually considered hanging a print of that image in my camping trailer too but for lack of room it would have to replace another print I have there and I like them both. Who knows, maybe I’ll swap them back and forth…
Ron, what wonderful commentary on your beautiful owl shot and what an amazing video of Tim’s shot. I look so forward to learning from you dayly. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and insights. Bill
I appreciate that very nice feedback, Bill. Thank you.
When it finally comes together, there is nothing quite like it. Digital has made it almost instant gratification with little anxiety remaining before download and post processing.
In the film days the anxiety could last for weeks. A two week excursion to Africa with a hundred rolls of 36 exposures would give me nightmares about all of the things that could go wrong between pressing the shutter release and getting the slides back from processing back in the states. Saving up all the pent-up emotion for a single session of yea/nay on the first pass across the light table. All the way from “thought I had that” to “WOW”, “would you look at that”. Yes, I get it, Ron.
Same goes for Publication. You know the image intimately, but until it’s in your hands and you see it first hand, there is the excitement and anticipation that Birthdays and Christmas bring to a child. Being human is so much fun.
“In the film days the anxiety could last for weeks”
That’s EXACTLY why when I was shooting film in the “old days” (for general photography before I started shooting birds) I shot in black and white and built my own darkroom in the basement. I just don’t have the patience to wait for the results!
Reading the rest of your comment tells me that you truly “get it”, Neil. But then I knew you would…
I still have a full darkroom stored in the garage and entertain the thought of putting it all back together until I pick up the camera and slide in a card. Anybody want a darkroom?
🙂
I ‘ll take the basement, Neil. Our house is built on a slab…(no attic, either–no storage!). You can keep the darkroom…no patience, either…..
WOW!! Diligence, Patience, and Love of what you are doing says it all! Great Post Ron, Thank you.
Thank you, Dick.
P.S. I understand rain came in “sheets” for while yesterday in your neck of the woods! 🙂
It did, Judy. There was also a tornado about 40 miles north of me near Ogden that completely destroyed several houses and caused a lot of damage – including on Antelope Island I’m sad to say.
GEEZ! Amazing amount of work as was yours for the owls! 🙂 As a “’47 model” I won’t be attempting anything like that! Not that I ever would have even when I was a younger tree climber.:) The owl photo is also magnificent and I applaud your patience in capturing it.
Judy, I’m a “47 model” too – May 9th. It was a very good year…
March 14 – It was a very good year……..:)
That’s my daughter Shannon’s birthday. ’73 was a good year too!
How is Shannon doing? Hopefully she continues to make progress!
She’s doing pretty well, Judy. She still has memory issues though.
WOW Ron…. Tim’s capture is just amazing. Those of us who are also nature photographers
appreciate the effort he went through to get that shot, and can also appreciate the great
feeling of satisfaction he felt when he realized that he had indeed “gotten the shot.” My
sincere congratulations also to you for a treasure chest full of fantastic images. Thanks
to the wonders of digital photography, and the web, we can all share in each others successes.
Thanks too for letting us all know about the release the the third edition of the “Handbook of
Bird Biology.” I ordered mine the first day you announced it… should be here soon. I’ve said
it before, and I don’t mind repeating myself… Ron, you are among the best there is…. ;-)))
What a nice comment, Roger. I hope you enjoy your copy of the Handbook as much as I do mine.
Thank you for your continuing posta of fabulous pics & information.
CaJ
You’re very welcome, CaJ.