David’s Blog
Big flight of Migrants
Wingbeats in the Night Last night, October 8th, 1.25 billion songbirds migrated across the Untied States; a hugely spectacular number. A normal big migration flight in the Fall is 700 to 800 million birds. In Vermont, 17,742,700 crossed the state last night of which 6,747,600 crossed Rutland County where I live. These are all very, very high...
Back from Africa
I had a great trip to Kenya yet I didn't see a single iconic animal or beautiful vista. I was well off the tourist track in far western Kenya near the shore of Lake Victoria visiting a small impoverished village called Pap-Onditi. While most people in the village struggle for food and water they have a wonderful generous, friendly spirit that I fell in...
What am I Bringing to Africa?
This is what I am bringing to Africa on the trip to photograph for the non-profit I-KODI: Remember, this isn't a typical African safari trip- I will not be going to any parks and probably won't be seeing any of the iconic Africa animals. A few birds here and there but that's about it. I will be spending all my time in the town of Pap Onditi photographing...
Off to Kenya!
I am off to Kenya tomorrow on a trip to support a friend's non-profit organization, I-KODI. I will be taking the photos they need to more effectively tell their story and to energize their donors. I will also be following up on the Luci Lights I sent to I-KODI last year to see they are being used, how they are holding up and what effect they are...
Indian River, Sitka Alaska
This is Indian River in Sitka, Alaska. There are huge old-growth Sitka spruces off to the right of this scene (see previous posts) and pink and dog salmon in the river. Just past the huge spruces there is an active bear trail where Grizzlies walk to avoid the people on the the trail on the other side of the river. If you stopped to listen you would here...
Photograph a Forest
Forests are one of the very hardest environments for me to photograph. I have decades photographing in forests of all kinds on several continents but my struggles continue. The part that I struggle with is to try to make some sense out of the visual chaos that is characteristic of a natural forest. There are trees on the ground, trees going straight up,...
Photographing Big Trees
One of the hardest things I do in my photography is to try to show something that is really big to be really big in the final image. What generally happens is that anything that is of unusual size (I suppose the really small things have the same issue) magically become 'normal' sized in your image. Really long boats shrink to normal sized boats, huge waves...
Photographing from a Boat
I'll get right to the point here- photographing from a boat isn't easy Sooner or later we all get the opportunity to photograph from a boat. In many cases it is the only way to get a good picture. In my career I have photographed whales (a lot), seals, sea lions, dolphins, penguins, gulls, albatrosses, jellyfish, commercial fishing boats,...
Photograph’n with Lisa- Part 2
I have photographed a lot of horses in my time- from old nags on old farms to prized thoroughbreds in Kentucky- so I know a little bit about how to shoot a horse. But watching my friend and professional fine art horse photographer, Lisa Cueman at work is always revelatory. Lisa works angles and perspectives that would never occur to me. I have always shot...
Photograph’n with Lisa
Last week I went out photographing with my friend Lisa Cumen an extremely accomplished equine fine art photographer. When I say I went out photographing what I mean is that I held her lenses and water bottle while she did what she does so well- create magic. And by the way, I was quite happy to do so. I love watching artists at work. Lisa was shooting on...
Wedding Photographer?
Every so often I volunteer to photograph a neighbors wedding- happens about once every 5 years. I know every photographer hates to photograph weddings but I find it a mildly amusing puzzle- how am I going to get good shots under these typically dreadful conditions? So yesterday I went down the road and photographed my friend John's daughter's wedding....