owl be seeing you

Smoke, an Eastern Screech Owl c. Brenda K. Foster 2011

Back in November, I had the pleasure of meeting some pretty amazing owls. It’s rare to see them perched or nesting in the wild, and it’s no fun to see them in zoos. So when I found out that the Raptor Conservancy of Virginia was allowing photographers to meet several types of owls up close and personal, I grabbed my camera and jumped at the chance.

This was no ordinary photo opportunity. The conservancy understood the value to photographers of viewing the owls in a natural environment. They carefully placed the previously-injured, non-releasable birds on tree limbs and trunks, and talked about their biology and survival traits.

Fire, an Eastern Screech Owl c. Brenda K. Foster 2011

The first owl was a small Eastern Screech named Smoke. After being hit by a car, he lost most of his vision, but he’s as cute as ever. He’s one of the most requested birds at the sanctuary. And where there’s Smoke, there’s Fire. Fire is a deep orange red and even smaller than Smoke. She looks like the original Angry Bird. She also was the victim of a vehicle injury that took most of her vision. We learned that vehicles are one of the largest threats to birds of prey, mostly because they spend a lot of time feeding on roadkill.

Zeus, a Great Horned Owl c. Brenda K. Foster 2011

After about a half hour of enjoying these tiny raptors, they brought out the big birds. Zeus, a Great Horned Owl, certainly was god-like. His eyes are larger than a human’s, and his seemingly large body weighs in at just 2-3 pounds. Zeus was impressive–and a bit intimidating–in his tree. His talons were massive, and he could bite off a finger with his beak.

Hipster, a Barred Owl c. Brenda K. Foster 2011

The final player for the afternoon was an adorable Barred Owl, Hipster. She looked like a Teddy bear in an owl’s body. They took her deeper into the woods and allowed her to perch on a downed tree trunk. This round body sitting on top of tiny legs was comical, yet one look at those eyes confirmed that there was deep thought behind them.

Besides some amazing shots, I certainly left with an appreciation for these complex raptors and an understanding of just how strong, yet vulnerable, they really are.

in love with my portrait lens

Tactile relief wall at the Franklin Roosevelt Memorial in Washington, DC

There was a time, not so long ago, when I had no comprehension of what the numbers meant when referring to lenses. 5.6, 2.8–what did I care? I wanted a big one so that I could take really close photos of really far away things. I was immune to the sales pitches touting image stabilization or how “fast” the lens was. Why would I pay more for all of those bells and whistles when I could get A REALLY BIG LENS for way cheaper? At the time, those seemed like the right decisions to make, and I certainly got some great shots–in exactly the right light, with no wind, and a tripod. Once I talked to some pros and did more research, I began to realize that some of those investments would have been worth it.

For example, a few months ago, frustrated with the quality of my low light photos, I plunked my money down for a Nikkor AF 50mm f/1.8D. Yes, I got a “fast” lens. And let me tell you, I am fascinated with its power. Now this is considered a portrait lens, and it certainly does its job on that front. The portraits I’ve been taking are bright, beautiful and have a dreamy, soft background. But I love this lens even more for the experimental shots–photos where I want a tiny depth of field. This will never be an all-purpose lens, but I can see so many possibilities that I don’t really want to change it out, even when I know I need a different tool. For now, I’m having fun shooting everything in sight.

new year, new york

"Streetwalking" copyright Brenda K. Foster 2011

It’s an annual tradition. My daughter and I–and our friends who are also mother and daughter–spend a weekend each January entertaining ourselves in New York City. The tradition started when they were 7 and begged to go to the little girl Mecca–American Girl Place. They’re now 13, and priorities no longer include doll shops, but we still get excited when we explore the city together.

I have done some of my most creative photography work in the city, not only on our girls’ weekend trips, but on many personal and business jaunts throughout the year. What I’ve found is that some of my best photo finds–aside from the AMAZING B&H Photo Store–are in the small corners of the city. While most people are looking up at Times Square, I find myself exploring the patterns of the street below. The stacks of scarves at vendor booths. The glass cobblestones on the sidewalk. The shadows formed by the looming skyscrapers.

I tried to take photos at the Central Park Zoo once. I was successful at capturing the cute animals, but not at telling any kind of a story. My favorite city photos conjure the the smells and sounds of the city, even if it’s hard to place exactly where they’re taken. I’ve learned from a lot of great NYC photographers not to bother toting the big DSLR. A nice pocket camera will do, even a cell phone–both of which I plan to use on this next visit. I have no idea what I’ll find, but I’m sure the best shots won’t be of anything listed in a guidebook.

Happy new year, everyone!

mykea–a new way to display your photography

Photo credit:thisismykea.com

Running out of wall space? I know I am. I’m now putting my photos on necklaces, ornaments, paperweights–anything I can think of to break out of the 16X20 print mentality.

That’s why I was so excited to hear about Mykea–aka My Ikea. These brilliant folks have come up with templates that allow you to decorate any model of IKEA furniture with custom, large format art.

Some of the samples are stunning, and for the low, low price of an Ikea end table, I’m definitely going to give it a try.

LIFE 2010 photos of the year–a crocodile TRYING TO EAT AN ELEPHANT!

As I enviously peruse LIFE’s 2010 photos of the year, I’m reminded that the major requirement for getting a great shot is being there as it happens. When it comes to photos like the one above, think about what it took to capture the moment.

First, you had to be in Kruger National Park in South Africa–not something that many of us can do easily. Then–and most importantly–you had to be there at the moment that a crocodile TRIED TO EAT AN ELEPHANT! Let us just suppose that you pass those two very critical requirements. You then have to have a camera–and a decent one. Don’t kid yourself into thinking you would have gotten that shot with your iPhone. Next, you have to be shooting at that moment with the right settings. There’s no looking at each shot to check how it’s turning out. You’ve got to move quickly.

Hopefully, if you invested in a trip to South Africa in the first place, you were prepared to take some photos of charismatic mega-fauna in motion. You got into your Jeep or other mode of transportation with your camera (or two) out and set to a speed and aperture that would help you capture quick animal motions in harsh daylight. You had an adjustable, telephoto lens that could capture more than your naked eye–especially since you will be blinking in disbelief. And you had a card that could hold the 800 or so shots you would end up taking if you happened to encounter a crocodile TRYING TO EAT AN ELEPHANT!

Most of us are in training right now for that opportunity of a lifetime–the one moment that might never be witnessed by a human being again. Every windy flower garden and every hurried bicycler are preparing us for a time that might never arrive–the few seconds on the planet in which a human will actually witness a crocodile TRYING TO EAT AN ELEPHANT! My guess is that this photographer will never take another photograph again. How could any flower garden compare?

rediscovering my photomojo on the outer banks

Since my last blog, I have begun an intensive grad school program to get my Masters in Public Administration. I’ve tried to convince myself that the pursuit of higher education is the reason that I’ve taken very few photos in the past few months, but even with the new form of competition for my time, I think I had lost the fun of photography. You know the feeling, right–the one where you see perfect shots everywhere and soon you find yourself with a full memory card?

A couple of weeks ago, my family and I took a nice, long vacation to Corolla, NC during Thanksgiving week. But I started to get my photomojo back even before we began the trip. In fact, as soon as my brain had processed that we were relatively obligation-free for the next seven days, my artistic side awoke from months of hibernation.

Prior to heading south for vacation, we got a chance to see my nephew compete in his first-ever gymnastics meet. I was energized by the challenge of capturing the movement in such poor light. And the subject was a long-forgotten favorite–my loved ones.

Getting some good results gave me the motivation I needed to venture out with the camera at our beachside Outer Banks house in Corolla, NC. The relaxing atmosphere allowed me to take more chances with angles and lighting. I took many more of the same shot, and I took opportunities wherever I could find them, including pulling over to the side of the road when a particular angle intrigued me.

We also got lucky that week. It was an average of 60 degrees, birds and mammals were plentiful, kids were having fun, and several pods of dolphins were eating very close to shore. Bottom line–results or no results, I’ve reawakened my photomojo. Looking forward to the possibilities….

bloomin’ bluebells

Bluebells are a big attraction in this area of Virginia, or so I learned when my local photo club hosted an impromptu meet-up this weekend to photograph the tiny beauties at their peak. I’ve never seen a Bluebell in person, and I had no idea the incredible carpet they create on a forest floor. I arrived at Bull Run Park just before sunrise, and saw a few lining the entrance. They were stunning, but my club directions sent me deeper into the park. After about a 10 minute walk, I stopped in my tracks. Before me was an overwhelming scene–blue as far as I could see. These little, periwinkle gems were everywhere. It felt like a scene from “The Wizard of Oz.” There were so many that it was hard to figure out what to photograph first. I started with wide angle shots along a creek bed, which showed off their contrast to the newly green forest. Then I moved in for single scenes of their delicate blooms. This proved to be more challenging that I thought, because they’re so light and tiny that the slightest breeze blows them out of focus. Adding to the challenge was a 50K race being run on the same path. After about an hour of dodging dozens of runners while trying to set up a steady shot, we gave up, vowing to come back the next day. Unfortunately, life got in the way, and I fully expect the Bluebells to have begun retreating by next weekend. Now that I know what I’ve been missing all these years, I’ll mark my calendar for April 1, 2011, when the Bluebell watch will begin again.