BBF - Back Button Focusing
This week I saw a post on Facebook where a friend was talking about seriously starting to use Back Button Focusing. I know there are lots of opinions and articles on this topic but one more will not hurt. Please note, this has nothing to do with back focusing. Before we go to far into the BBF stuff let’s get familiar with camera focusing. Most modern DSLR Cameras have the ability to manually focus on your subject or automatically focus. Some lenses do limit you to manual focusing as they have no motors and electronics to drive the focusing elements.Automatic or Auto Focus has a few modes, One Shot, AI Focus and AI Servo in Canon speak and AF-S and AF-C in Nikon speak. There really should be some ISO standards for this kind of stuff.One Shot and AF-S basically means the camera will trigger the lens to auto focus on the subject, lock the focus for you to capture the image.AI- Servo and AF-C means the camera will trigger the lens to auto focus on the subject and then do its best to keep the focus on the subject while the subject is in motion.Canon has AI-Focus which is supposed to intelligently detect motion and trigger the appropriate auto focus mode, one shot of AI-Servo. This can be problematic so let’s leave it out of this article.No lets understand how we get this to work. By default your camera is set to focus and read the exposure when you half press the shutter button. Fully depressing the shutter button takes the picture. Not a bad way to do your photography.So what is the problem? If you have a static subject, and use center auto focusing point (it is the most sensitive AF sensor) you would half depress the shutter button. This action will initiate the auto-focus and then you will see or hear focus confirmation, now you can depress the shutter all the way and capture your image. Optionally, keeping the shutter button half depressed you can recompose and then press the shutter button all the way and take your image. This system works great for static subjects. Now you are trying to photograph moving subjects. You can’t half depress the shutter and lock focus and then take the shot because your subject will have moved and no longer in focus.You switch your camera to AI-Servo (canon) or AF-C (Nikon). You are capturing great action images and you notice a great subject that is static. You point your camera, focus and recompose – Oh! NO! you lost focus and more Oh! No! the opportunity is gone. What could you have done? You could have switched the camera back to One-Shot or AF-S or switched your lens to manual focus after getting focus and then pressing the shutter to grab the shot. This would definitely be too late.To overcome this issue you need to separate the focus initiation from your shutter release. Now you need to assign focusing to some other button. Typically this is one of the buttons on the back of your camera and hence the term Back Button Focusing or BBF.Using your custom functions or menu functions set your shutter to meter only, assign the AF-On button to initiate focus. Now you will use your thumb to depress the AF-On button to initiate focus and then use the shutter button to capture the image. There are two steps but well worth it.One of the greatest benefits is when you want to lock focus, you simply release the AF-On button. The lens will not refocus till you depress the AF-On button again. So for any action photography you can be ready for any motion and yet be in a position to lock focus when you need to.A huge benefit, you can leave your camera in AI-Servo or AF-C mode and never have to switch to One Shot or AI-S mode. When you use BBF, as long as the AF-on button is depressed the focusing system will remain active in follow focus mode tracking your subject (AI-Servo or AF-C), release the button and focus stays locked. So for stationary subjects, all you need to do is to tap the AF-ON button and focus system will focus and lock. Remember to release the AF-On or the camera will continue to try and refocus.Now once you set BBF you need to be aware that this will take some getting used to. Your fingers and brain need a major reset. You will miss a few good shots but once you are used to this system you will wonder why you have been wasting so may good opportunities.Warning for Nikon users: The back button focusing button AF-ON will not trigger the lens vibration reduction “VR”. The shutter button must be half depressed to trigger VR.
Cold Weather Photography Tips
With temperatures in New England and other parts of the world, down in the single digits and below I thought it would be a good idea to provide some cold weather photography tips.
There are three key items to keep in mind:
- Going from warm into the cold
- Photographing in the cold
- Coming back in from the cold
Going from Warm into the Cold
Going out into the cold has minimum issues with your camera equipment but is a problem for you if you are not dressed appropriately. Layers of warm clothing are preferred rather than one inner and a thick outer layer. Good boots, hats, scarves and touch sensitive gloves or flip out photographer’s mittens are a must. Use chemical warmers in your boots and gloves to keep your extremities warm. Unless it is snowing, your camera and lenses need little additional protection. They will survive the cold once they come down to temperature. This is one time you do not need to worry about condensation - cold air carries minimum moisture. Carry carbon fibre tripods as they do not get as cold as the aluminum ones. Cover the upper legs with leg covers that can be purchased from any camera store. You can also tape hot-water pipe insulation that you can buy at you local hardware or plumbing supply store.
Photographing in the Cold
So now you are out and your equipment is freezing as are you. Keep your camera inside your over garment - keep it warm as in extreme conditions you can end up with a frozen shutter (it is the lubricant that tends to freeze). You will soon realize that your camera’s battery has depleted and the camera stops working. Always bring a few spare batteries with you. Carry them in an inner pocket so your body will keep them warm. Swap out the depleted battery with a fully charged warm one and you are ready to shoot again. Cycle through your spares. The first battery you thought was dead will recover a decent charge when it warms up so you can repeat the process a few times.
Take your camera out from under your clothing when you are ready to shoot. Do not breathe on your camera, particularly the viewfinder. The moisture in your breath will condense on the eye pice and cause a loss of visibility and lost photo opportunities. If it is snowing heavily, use protective waterproof devices to protect your camera and lens. You can use plastic bags in a pinch. Always carry a lens brush so you can brush of any snow from the front element of your lens. It is good to periodically check for snowflakes. If the lens was warm and some snow starts melting then use a dry lint free cloth to wipe off the moisture.
Coming back from the Cold
With your photography done it time to come back indoors or to the warmth of your car. Stop! The equipment is cold the indoor air is warm and moist - CONDENSATION is ready to play havoc with the camera and lens. What is worse, the humid air will penetrate all openings within your camera and lens. This condensation can be really detrimental to the electronics and mechanical components of your gear. Even if you own weatherproofed professional equipment you should still take precautions.
What you need to do is to let all this cold equipment warm up slowly while it is placed inside an air tight enclosure. Large Ziploc® or similar bags are ideal. If you do not have any of these bags you can place your equipment in your camera bag that can be zippered shut. Messenger style bags are not suitable. Put the equipment in the bag before you bring it into a warm area. Now any moisture will condense on the bag, not inside and no moisture will condense on your equipment.
Hopefully these pointers will help you and give you the opportunity for some great cold weather photography.
Rode Video Mic Pro - Compact Shotgun Microphone
I got a Rode Video Mic Pro - Compact Shotgun Microphone for Christmas as a gift and put it through its paces. First impressions after two days of use - it is an exceptional, well built, mono video microphone that has a fantastic super cardioid condenser. Rode microphones are designed and made in Australia. The Video Mic Pro is easy to mount on any DSLR hot-shoe and with its built in 3/8 inch socket can be mounted on booms and stands with ease.
Specifications as provided by Rode
| Frequency Range | 40Hz - 20kHz |
| Output Impedance | 200Ω |
| Maximum SPL | 134dB SPL (@ 1kHz, 1% THD into 1KΩ load) |
| Maximum Output Level | 6.9dBu (@ 1kHz, 1% THD into 1KΩ load) |
| Sensitivity | -38.0dB re 1 Volt/Pascal (12.60mV @ 94 dB SPL) +/- 2 dB @ 1kHz |
| Signal to Noise Ratio | 74dB |
| Equivalent Noise Level (A-weighted) | 20dB-A |
| Weight | 85.00gm |
| Dimensions | 95.00mmH x 43.00mmW x 150.00mmD |
I was a bit surprised with the short length of the cable that connects the mic to the 3.5 mm socket in camera. However, it is long enough for all DSLR’s when the mic is mounted on the hot shoe. Extension cables are a quick fix when you want the microphone connected to an external recorder or when mounted on a boom pole. The mono output is paralleled to both left and right channels. The unit is powered by a 9V battery housed in the microphone frame. I found the battery door to be a bit clumsy in its construction and the ease of opening and closing the compartment door is not easy. The battery life is stated at 70 hours, which is more than sufficient for any field work.
The unit is mounted within a cradle with four shock/vibration control elastic bands. A second set of these bands is included in the packaging. There is sufficient clearance between the cradle and the mic so the likelihood of any bumps and interference during normal use.
The rear of the microphone has two three-position slider switches. The upper switch positions are power Off, Mic On (flat response) and Mic On HPF (High Pass Filter set at 80Hz). The second switch is a three-position attenuation control. -10dB, 0 and +20dB. Above these switches is a LED that flashes red on power on and then turns to green. When the battery is low the LED will turn to a solid red.The high Pass Filter is excellent at filtering room noise, environmental hum, and other low frequency ambient noise. Wind and pops are well handled by the foam encasing on the super cardioid. The microphone’s attenuation control functions exceptional well. In loud environments, street scenes with a lot of traffic noise the -10db and 0 db settings are ideal. However in low sound level situations the +20db has the right amount of boost with absolutely no deterioration of sound quality. The directional pattern is excellent and the mic eliminates side and read sounds very well.
The +20db setting was not required when the microphone was connected to and external recorder. Using 0db set on the mic and attenuating the signal on the recorder yielded the best results.The microphone is well packaged comes with a quick start guide However the manual must be downloaded from the website. The warranty is 1 year that will be extended to a 10 year warranty once you register. You must register your product on the Rode web site at www/rodemic.com.In conclusion, this is an excellent light-weight professional shotgun mice that I have no hesitation recommending for any DSLR videographer.You can get this mic at The Camera Company - click here and at Hunts Photo - click here
Bosque de Apache - Day 1
Day 1 - We arrived mid afternoon to predicted weather. After checking in to the hotel we drove out to the refuge to check out the activity. The skies were overcast and it had been raining, torrential at times but this turned out to be serendipitous. The sun peaked out for a few and then there was this double rainbow across the horizon. The lack of detail did not bother one as the contrast was accentuated.I am so glad to be having this workshop a few weeks later than usual this year. No jostling for space to set up tripods and get a decent spot. The typical hoards of photographers competing with their workshop leaders to get a good image are all gone. The ones that are here seem to have respect for each other and maintain photographer's etiquette, so different for years past. There are a thousands of sandhill cranes and 10's of thousands of Light Geese making it difficult to isolate.Late evening after dinner we photographed the old church in Socorro.
onOne Software Announces Availability of Perfect Photo Suite 8
PRESS RELEASE:New Perfect Eraser for Content-Aware Fill, Enhance and Browse Modules, Perfect Batch Processor, and Re-imagined Effects Module Evolve Popular Plug-In Into a Complete Photo Editing Solution for Every WorkflowPortland, OR – November 26, 2013 – onOne Software, Inc., a leading developer of innovative digital photography solutions, today announced the availability of Perfect Photo Suite 8—the Photographer’s Choice for Photo Editing. Perfect Photo Suite 8 is a full-featured, standalone photo editor that also integrates seamlessly with Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom, Photoshop Elements, and Apple Aperture. It includes all the best tools a photographer needs to create stunning images.Key new features include the Perfect Eraser, with content-aware fill technology; the Perfect Enhance module for essential photo adjustments; a new Browser that streamlines direct access to images wherever they are located; the Perfect Batch engine that applies presets to multiple images with a single click; and a re-engineered Perfect Effects module, with twice as many adjustable filters, customizable presets, and integrated FocalPoint technology. These new tools and capabilities alongside Perfect Photo Suite 8’s eight modules, one-click presets, tools for automated enhancements, and powerful controls allow photographers to enhance, retouch, and stylize images in a layered workflow, replace backgrounds, create high-quality enlargements, and prepare images for output—giving them the ability to express their creativity and transform their photos quickly and easily.“We are extremely excited about Perfect Photo Suite 8,” said Craig Keudell, president of onOne Software. “This version is the result of what photographers have been asking for, not only from us but from the industry as a whole. We’re grateful for the contributions and feedback the photography community has invested in our effort and we believe that we’ve created an extraordinarily powerful image editing tool that meets their specific needs in return.”After a successful public beta program for Perfect Photo Suite 8, many photographers had a chance to try out the new version and give their feedback. “The attention to your user’s needs is unmatched,” said Rebecca Lyyski, owner of Lyyski’s Designs. “As a graphic designer and photographer with an elevated workload, your product has made editing my professional photography a pleasure instead of a chore,” she adds. Greg Lambert, public beta user and onOne Software photo contest winner shared, “Perfect Photo Suite 8 continues to evolve by refining its existing capability, streamlining the interface and providing some new and exciting tools and presets to enable photographers to produce the images they visualize when they press the shutter button.”The New Perfect Photo Suite 8 Features:• Eight integrated modules – Effects, Enhance, B&W, Portrait, Mask, Layers, Resize, and Browse. Each module is designed to target a specific image-processing task. Together, they help photographers enhance, retouch, and stylize images in a layered workflow, replace backgrounds, create high-quality enlargements, and prepare images for use in various capacities.• New Module! Perfect Enhance provides essential tools for basic enhancements, such as brightness and contrast adjustments; colorcast, dust spot, and power line removal; and the addition of vignettes. It is an ideal module to start with when using Perfect Photo Suite 8 as a standalone application or when quick corrections are needed.• New Module! Browse provides convenient and direct access to image files wherever they are stored—whether they are on a computer, an external drive, a connected network, or on a cloud-based storage service like Dropbox, Google Drive, or Apple’s Photo Stream.• Reimagined! Perfect Effects – As a cornerstone of Perfect Photo Suite 8, the Effects module has been redesigned by adding adjustable filters and customizable presets, making it the most powerful and versatile image stylization tool available on the market today.• Twice as Many Adjustable Filters to create the most sought-after looks, including:• Dynamic Contrast – Adds stunning clarity to images and makes them pop by exaggerating the levels of contrast, without sacrificing highlight and shadow detail, creating halos, or affecting saturation.• Lens Blur – Includes the best parts of FocalPoint technology to create bokeh, tilt-shift, and selective focus effects after the shot.• HDR – Gives images the edgy look of high dynamic range. Settings are adjustable and create effects that range from subtle to surreal.• Vintage – Turns photos into a nostalgic memory with retro-style filters.• Powerful brushes provide the right results for specific editing tasks:• Perfect Eraser removes objects with content-aware fill technology• Retouch Brush uses spot healing to remove small distractions• Clone Brush removes unwanted items by replicating and covering specified areas of an image• Masking Brush reveals underlying layers or selectively applies effects• Perfect Brush delivers precise edge-detection masking• Hundreds of Customizable Presets are available throughout Perfect Photo Suite 8 that make it easy for any photographer to instantly create an image they love. Presets can also be used as starting points for creativity and efficiency. Presets are included in the Enhance, Effects, B&W, Portrait, and Resize modules.• Improved Masking Bug in the Effects and Layers modules make mask creation easier and more intuitive.• Perfect Batch engine simultaneously applies presets from multiple modules and a watermark to a selected group of images.
Availability and PricingThe new Perfect Photo Suite 8 is now available by clicking on the logo below.jpg)
Perfect Photo Suite 8 is available in three editions: Premium, Standard, and for Adobe Lightroom & Apple Aperture.The Premium Edition works with Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom, Photoshop Elements, Apple Aperture, and as a standalone application. It is priced at $179.95. Owners of previous versions of Perfect Photo Suite Premium Edition can upgrade for $99.95. For a limited time, orders of Perfect Photo Suite 8 Premium Edition will include a special collection of Professional Presets and The Essential Video Guide to Perfect Photo Suite 8, which provides a comprehensive collection of getting started training videos for Perfect Photo Suite 8—for free ($80 value). This offer ends on December 3, 2013.Perfect Photo Suite 8 for Adobe Lightroom & Apple Aperture works with Lightroom, Aperture, Photoshop Elements, and as a standalone application. It is available for $129.95; upgrades are $79.95. The Standard Edition works as a complete standalone photo editor and is available for $79.95. For more information on Perfect Photo Suite 8, please visit http://www.ononesoftware.com. A 30-day Money Back Guarantee backs all onOne Software products.About onOne SoftwareonOne Software, Inc., is a leading developer of innovative software tools and apps for digital photography and offers time-saving software solutions for photographers of all levels, from enthusiasts to professionals. Leveraging its extensive history as successful plug-in developer for Adobe Photoshop, Photoshop Elements, Photoshop Lightroom, and Apple Aperture, and continued development of cutting-edge technology, onOne publishes unified solutions that offer both full-featured photo editing capabilities and the flexibility of traditional plug-ins. Founded in 2005, onOne Software is a privately held company located in Portland, Oregon. For additional information, visit www.ononesoftware.com.Press Contact: Amy Chan, onOne Software, achan@ononesoftware.com, 503-968-1468 x 137General Press Inquiries: press@ononesoftware.comOnline Press Center: www.ononesoftware.com/pressonOne Software Blog: www.ononesoftware.com/blogFacebook: www.facebook.com/onOneSoftwareTwitter: www.twitter.com/onOneSoftwareGoogle+: www.ononesoftware.com/plus©2013 onOne Software, Inc. All rights reserved. onOne Software, the onOne Software logo, and Focused on Photography are registered trademarks and Perfect Photo, Perfect Enhance, Perfect Effects, Perfect Eraser, Perfect Batch, and FocalPoint are trademarks in the United States and are the property of onOne Software. Adobe, Photoshop and Lightroom are registered trademarks of Adobe Systems, Inc. Apple and Aperture are registered trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.
One Day Workshop Schedule for December 2013
Here is the schedule for the remainder of 2013. Please use this REGISTRATION link to register and pay for these workshops. Please also fill out and mail or bring with you the Workshop Registration and Waiver Form This is an electronic form, you may print it and then fill it out or fill it out directly and then print the required copies.Click on the links for detailed PDF documents.December 7, 2013 - Photography Basics a one day class December 8, 2013 - Time-Lapse WorkshopDecember 21, 2013 - Lighting WorkshopDecember 22, 2013 - Macro and Closeup PhotographyIf you have any questions or would like more information please call 617-759-0010 or email sv@shivverma.com
NiK - Google release Analog Efex Pro
"Explore the look and feel of classic cameras, films, and lenses" as state by NiKAnother great "Glorious Acadia" fall workshop
Got back late Monday Night after a wonderful 4 day "Glorious Acadia" workshop. Had a great group of photographers and met some wonderful friends and made a few new ones too. All-in-all this was a 5 star workshop. One last one left this year in December - The Bosque del Apache and White Sands - a few spaces are still available.Here are few images form various locations:
I was looking to do something a little different during tho workshop. There are way too many images of the same subjects and the same tripod holes. Here isa lone dead tree lit up by the setting sun. I knew it was going to be a full moon so we stayed at the same location and turned around about 130 degrees. The next images is the moon rising.
The next image is a customary sunrise looking out toward Otter Clifs. A few more clouds would definitely have added to the image.
At otter cove I did an IR time lapse using the 16 to 35 mm series two Canon lens. This was a disaster as this lens just like to older version creates a massive hotspot in the center of the frame of each image. Trash canned the lot bout a deep crop on one image was useable.
I will be posting a few more images captured by the wonderful participants. I would like to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of them for coming and being so supportive.
One final slow shutter speed image from the trip:
When it all comes together
I have visions of scenes and locations that I want but have to wait till it all comes together. On the very last day of the Smoky Mountain Workshop we had planned to go to the Foothills Parkway for sunrise. When I woke up I saw signs of some fog which would make for some very nice images along the parkway but feelings were tugging at me and I wanted to go to Cades Cove in the hope of getting my one image of Sparks Lane. The group agreed to the change in planes and we headed out to Cades Cove. Half way there all the fog was gone, it was too late to turn around so I decided to to continue and take my chances. Arriving at the gates before they opened, I saw that the fog was there - a big thumbs-up.The rest of the story is in the image. The light in the trees, the dogwood in the foreground, the fog along the tree line and the sunrise colors on the mountains - my dreams had come true it was all there as I had hoped to capture one day. Please do click on the image for an enlarged version.
Smoky Mountains - 2
On the last day, the fog was awesome so I captured a panorama - 10 images. Combined and cropped the image is 14430 pixels. Please click on the image for a better look. 
The lush greenery in the Smoky Mountains is glorious.
Smoky Mountain - Wild Flowers and Landscape Workshop
7 Days in the Smoky Mountains and Cades Cove - pure thrill. The incredible light, superb lush green of fresh spring leaves, beautiful wild flowers and dogwood trees that were exceptional. Rivers and streams flowing pristine water, moss covered rocks and the occasional mist made for some great photography. The participants were fantastic and we all had a lot of fun. Yes, days were long 4:30 AM wake-up and late evening bedtimes were worth it - every bit of it.Here are a few comments (Audio) from some of the wonderful participants. Click on the links to listen:ArmandLoisNanMany images were captured - this is one of my favorites. Captured on the last day - Sparks Lane - all to ourselves and just two other photographers. Most photographers are under the impression that Cades Cove is closed on Friday - not true, not in the spring.
This image is from the night before.
Iceland - the Fire and Ice Photo Tour and Workshop
Got back after two glorious weeks in Iceland. The ever changing weather really kept me on my toes. Each day was a surprise - nothing like what was predicted the night before. It is fun to experience bone chilling gale force winds, hail that hits your face like BB pellets, rain that falls sideways, brilliant blue skies when it isn't overcast, the smell of sulphur, hot springs, and whole lot more.A few images of the Aurora Borealis will speak for themselves.The aurora on the first night was small but brilliant.
We chased the lights for quite a while the next evening and got a light level 1 Aurora
We had given up and were returning to the hotel. Just as we entered the outskirts of the city this spectacular display presented itself.
I will post more over the next few days.
Blurs and Abstracts
Many an image of birds in flight have been photographed while panning and using slow shutter speeds to create blurry images (aka "pleasing blurs"). I decided to try something similar but different. Rather than capturing a whole flock I concentrated on a few. Waited for a decent formation and captured the image. Enhanced in photoshop to augment the high key effect and treated with NiK Color Efex Pro for added impact.Your thoughts and comments are welcome?
Happy New Year
Wishing everyone a Very Happy and Prosperous New Year.I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude and thank all of you who have supported my photography business and who attended my photo tours and workshops.2013 will be a year when I continue with my "Deliberate Photography" teaching and I look forward to a meeting many more wonderful people and sharing photographic journeys in 2013.
December 2012 - One Day Workshops
The One-Day workshops for December 2012 are now available. Please reserve your spot early as these do fill up fast.Click Here to be directed to the One Day Workshop Page and the reservation form. Call 617.759.0010 if you have any questions.
Yosemite and Mono Lake Workshop Day 1
After driving from San Francisco to the Yosemite Valley - our first destination was to capture "Tunnel View" at sunset. i will be posting images that were captured by participants as I receive them. I shill have a few spots open for the next two workshops in Acadia and the Cape.The weather was exceptional and the clouds were perfect for photography. The first image is a late sunset image where the light is just kissing the top of El Capitan:
This second image is from the same location capturing the brilliant after glow:
The flight path over the valley will ruin most images but on occasion a dissipating con trail can be an interesting feature:
This next image is a 20 second exposure of the "blue hour" looking left from Tunnel View:
Before packing up and returning for dinner I decoded to shoot one more image to capture the valley and the stars. The face of El Capitan and Half Dome show the lights from climbers headlamps as the bed down on the rock face for the night.
California - September 2012 PSA Conference
September 30, 2012 - It is good to be back in San Francisco with a decent internet connection. I took a few images during the conference in and around Golden Gate Park and the Headlands. Will be posting images from the Yosemite and Mono Lake workshop in a subsequent post.
India Photo Workshops and Tours - February and March 2013
After a very successful trip this past February we now have a trip that gives you a unique opportunity to photograph three endangered species, The Asiatic Lions, Wild Asses and Black Buck. In addition to these mammals we will have opportunities to photograph over 300 species of birds, other mammals, reptiles and insects. We will photograph ancient monuments including the Taj Mahal, and have a lot of opportunity to photograph village people and their ways.
Bosque del Apache & White Sands - Nov 23 to 29, 2012
The Bosque del Apache and White Sands Workshop and Photo Tour planning is done and we are ready for enrollment. Workshops fill up fast so book early.
Bosque del Apache which translates to Woods of the Apache is a most spectacular congregation of birds. The Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge is a 57,331-acre wildlife oasis of upland desert and floodplain that was established in 1939. The refuge is located in south-central New Mexico about one hour from Albuquerque. The Rio Grande flows through the area providing water to the refuge. Close to 15,000 Sandhill Cranes and over 30,000 Snow and Ross’s Geese migrate here for the winter.The refuge is an ideal location to capture large flocks of snow geese, particularly when they are flushed by the presence of a predator. At dusk numerous flights of geese and cranes return to the refuge to roost, making for great evening “birdscapes.” At dawn, the “Fly Out” is another phenomenal experience. In addition to these magnificent birds, opportunities to photograph wild turkeys, pheasants, roadrunners, owls, golden eagles and bald eagles abound. Mammals like the coyote and black tailed deer are also presentThe late November tour serves up the opportunity for autumn colors and potential for some light snow cover.We will spend the majority of our time at the refuge but will head out to photograph White Sands National Monument. The gypsum sand dunes stretch for miles and we will spend a day to capture the dunes in the early morning and evening light with the full moon as a bonus.CLICK HERE for a PDF document with full details and the itinerary.
Peterson Guide to Birds of North America on sale
For a limited time the Peterson's Guide to Birds of North America is on sale. Down to 99 cents - originally $14.99.All you bird lovers and bird photographers should not miss this opportunity.Click Here for a link to the iTunes Page