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Matt Schwartz
10-30-2013, 07:12 PM
A few precursory statements before I jump into the questions that I have...


First, I first introduced myself on the forums several months ago, received a warm welcome and some great help with my tripod question, then I got sidetracked with some things and haven't posted since. Well, I'm back and am excited to join the community.


Second, I'd like to point out that I am a “beginner” when it comes to wildlife/bird photography (I have less than 1 year of experience, and at that, haven't really been in the field as much as I should have been). So, please bear with me if any of my questions seem silly or basic. Although I realize everyone has to start somewhere, I'm slightly intimidated about jumping into the middle of things with people like yourselves who have so much experience, knowledge, and talent.


Third, my goal is to learn how to, and take actions to, create the highest quality, most artistic, and professional looking images that I possibly can. At the risk of being too blunt: I don't want to create average photographs from a pedestrian point of view. I prefer low angle shots with soft and clean backgrounds, intimate close ups, and similar aspects. I am interested in, and willing/wanting to do, things like using blinds, camo, crawling on the ground, using waders in the water, using audio, bait, etc. I realize that such measures won’t always be necessary, but I am just pointing out the level of my commitment to getting excellent photos (and having fun doing it). I have already done some, but not all, of those things at a beginner's level, with mixed results.


All of the previous information leads me directly into my first set of noob questions. In my opinion, the number one challenge that I am faced with currently, is finding excellent locations for wildlife photography. I have found the following factors to be problematic at most of the places I’ve tried:


- Too many other people (making it difficult to get close to animals before they are scared away by people or dogs, to use camo, blind, etc).


- Rules/regulations which make it difficult to get where I need to be (for example, you must stay on the path, boardwalk, and can't do thing xyz). See my comments about this later in the post...


- Gates which are locked/unlocked at specific hours, thereby preventing me from being on location where/when I need to be for the morning light, or to be in a blind before sunrise, etc


- Overall poor locations with too few animals, lack of places to set up for good proximity, angle, and background, etc.


I think you'll get the gist of where I'm going with my questions, and have no doubt realized how naïve I am.


Regarding the rules/regulations at various locations (stay on path, etc), I totally respect these guidelines and feel they are there for a good purpose. I want to do the right thing and do not intend to break any laws or cause any problems. There are already more than enough bad photographers who give the good guys a bum rap by being obnoxious, disrespectful, trespassing, or worse. I want to respect the rules/laws/guidelines, environment, and my subjects...but I have no idea how or where to find places that are more “open” and “wild” where I can get a low viewpoint, get off trail, go in the water, get in before sunrise without a gate being locked to set up a blind, and which have more animals and fewer people.


So obviously, I'm inexperienced and have pretty much no idea where to start. How do you find the right spot? If any of you that are reading this use blinds, camo, get in the water with waders, etc, where do you go? Do you just go wading into a pond in the middle of a park with people staring at you like you’re a maniac, or set up a blind in plain view of them? Are there locked gates where you go in the morning? How do you know whether or not it is okay to use a certain technique or approach at a certain location? Do you go to more wild areas and hike in to get to the good spots? Do you get tipped off from other photographers? Possibly get your foot in the door with someone who owns land and will let you set up there?


I apologize if this is a ridiculous question, but for me, with my limited experience, the issues seem legitimate. Please enlighten me!


Thank you

Steve Canuel
10-30-2013, 07:53 PM
Hey Matt,

This may be a good starting point for you if I've read your intro correctly.

http://wdfw.wa.gov/viewing/

Steve Canuel
10-30-2013, 11:07 PM
Apologies for just dropping a link on you, had to go finish watching the Bosox win the World Series. Regarding some of your other factors, not much you can do about the rules and regulations. They need to be followed. You don't want to be one of those photogs that give the genre a bad name. Locations for good opportunities requires research (I've used websites similar to the one I provided to you), speaking with rangers at local parks, reading/participating in regional photography forums, conversations with local photogs, or membership in local camera clubs. Regarding crowds, you need to find times when there's less people out and about (inclement weather, weekdays, etc.) or hike into locations where less people tend to go. Heavily visited city, state, or national parks often provide subjects that are more tolerant of people but that also usually means more people. Wilderness areas are good spots for more private shooting but there's also less chance of finding animals in these wide open spaces. Researching your targeted subjects habitats and behaviors increase your chances. Lots of bird photography tips and tricks are available with a little research on the web (including threads here on BPN). For mammals, hunting magazines are a great source for how to find ungulates as well as predators (coyotes, foxes, bobcats). Can't help with the blinds or camo as I'm a hike and find shooter. If you want to go the workshop route, there are benefits to that method that many on BPN can provide first hand experience. Hope this info helps. I'm sure other, more experienced members can add more.

James Shadle
10-30-2013, 11:58 PM
Check out our regional forums.
Great information is available there.

Matt Schwartz
10-31-2013, 12:04 AM
Steve,

Thank you for your reply. The link you provided, and the advice/suggestions and other info, were all very helpful. I spent a good amount of time looking through the webpage that you linked me to, clicking the links and reading through things. There are some things there that might help me find some spots. The lists of wildlife areas will be a good place to start, I'm sure. Some of those places might be good, but I have a feeling I will run into most of the same issues that I described (notably, all of them are closed until sunrise). I also just realized that 99% of these places are open to hunting. Probably not the best place to be trying sneaky wildlife photography. You did confirm one of my suspicions, which is that "networking" is a major player in this field. I've been wanting to make some new friends anyway, so now is as a good a time as any!

You make some excellent points and gave me some great ideas and next actions to take, so thank you for your time and your kindness.

I'm open to any additional input/replies regarding my OP if anyone else has anything to add. Thank you, Steve, and anyone else that might join in!

Matt Schwartz
10-31-2013, 12:05 AM
Thank you, James, for your note. I will take a look into the regional forums as well.

Daniel Cadieux
10-31-2013, 11:25 AM
You already got a couple of good leads, super! I just want to add that public parks (especially ones that have a pond or two) and beaches and such can and do offer an amazing array of wildlife if you look carefully. A good percentage of my images come from such public spaces, often right next to bicycle paths or parking lots or other human structures. One aspect of bird photography that I like is that the birds are most often active at daybreak and a couple of hours after that (at most, then the light gets too harsh if sunny outside anyhow)...a time when the majority of the people are still tucked in their beds dreaming away. During the summer when the sun rises earlier I can go to public parks and be alone for 2-3 hours before encountering anyone else...with the wildlife all to myself, and wildlife that is often habituated by human presence too:c3:. Most of the images that I get from those look like they were taken in the wilderness.

Even your backyard, with the use of feeders, can get you a wide variety of species of birds. I always have a fun time picking out perches to use in my yard, and those images too look like they were taken out in the wilderness.

If you know someone who owns land in a "wilder" area then yes, asking for permission to set up a blind can be fun to get other species that do not frequent urban areas. It does not need to be a large area, only being in close proximity to a forested area is needed.

Check out farmlands and other agricultural areas. The country roads lined with old weathered fence posts make for great images of grasslands species that you can take from inside your car. Some of them are readily attracted to audio too so just choose a nice post and go at it (judiciously, of course).

Hope you can find yourself some great locations, and then stick to them! Not sure where you are from and I'm sure some of these ideas may not be useful for your area, but at least these can give you ideas for your future outings.

Jim Neiger
10-31-2013, 11:29 AM
Pick an area that may have subjects you are interested in and then go exploring. The more exploring and observing you do, the more good places and subjects you will find. Soon you will have many good places, some that only you are familiar with. Good luck!

Nancy Bell
10-31-2013, 11:39 AM
To add to Daniel's suggestions. Find out where the fishermen go. Often birds hang around checking for left-over bait or fish guts. I really prefer public places as the animals are habituated and taking pictures does not bother them as much. Wildlife Refuges often are productive (but not during hunting seasons) and I rarely find many people there. Check with rangers for early access. Have fun with the research. BTW, where are you?

Michael Gerald-Yamasaki
10-31-2013, 04:49 PM
Matt,

Greetings. Just a quick opinion... Nothing will get you further in finding and photographing wildlife than knowing a place and the subjects there well. This means frequent visits to scout locations, studying behavior and patterns, at all times & seasons, but most of all just looking and watching carefully.

Cheers,

-Michael-

Paul Whitbread
10-31-2013, 06:06 PM
Living in the south of England, I can definitely sympathise with the issue of restrictions at nature reserves. With our population as it is, most land is now either developed or intensively farmed. Our wild areas tend to be quite small discrete pockets of land, so it's unavoidable that with the high number of visitors there has to be a level of containment to stop it getting wrecked. I do find coastal reserves tend to be more open than inland places; the variation in tide level seems to open up more opportunities compared to our lakes and gravel pits.

Making local contacts helps, but ultimately there is no substitute for feet on the ground to build up knowledge of locations and develop the fieldcraft to convert opportunities in to photos. Something I've started doing, and I would recommend, is to keep some sort of notebook*. I keep notes of places visited (what worked, didn't, and what might), or tips of potential places all around the world.

* I actually use a personal, private wiki.

Matt Schwartz
11-01-2013, 12:44 AM
Many thanks to everyone who replied. All very valuable information, which I have documented and highlighted key points for my personal records and utilization. I've got some ideas of where to start, things to do, people to talk to, etc. I can tell it's going to be a lot of work, a real challenge, but I suspect it will pay off in the long run.

For those who were curious, I live 30 minutes north of Seattle, WA. There are a number of birding "hot spots" around, all of which are heavily populated/visited. Most offer limited access to preferred viewpoints and proximity, and I suspect using audio would draw some negative attention. I will have to look around some more..maybe I can join/talk to the Audubon chapter in my area.

There are several very nice national parks within a few hours driving distance. I am fairly certain that the rules for audio, bait, and approaching wildlife in these locations are rather stringent...I don't see that it would be a huge problem if I am careful, respectful, cause minimum harm to the environment and minimize any stress on the wildlife by being judicious, and also preferably get farther away from populated trails. Although it's not often that I can drive 2 hours and hike 30+ minutes until sunrise to get morning shots, my most successful wildlife shoot was one where I did in fact do that. I had indeed been to the spot on a previous trip and observed my target subject, the american pika, a small mammal, but had no camo and no telephoto lens. A week later, I got up 2 hours before sunrise and drove 1.5 hours and then hiked 30 minutes to the spot, with full camo and the 400mm 5.6L (my only wildlife lens). I worked the location in camo for 9 hours, getting a significant number of close up shots of the pika. It was very exciting and satisfying as one of my first serious wildlife shoots. Again, though, I will have to scout places that are much closer for more consistent and frequent trips.

Daniel, I have the same idea / feeling about being up early before most people (in fact I recently became an early bird after a lifetime of being a night owl). However, as noted, pretty much all local parks are locked until some time after sunrise. I suppose I could try to find parking somewhere nearby and walk to the park. I don't love the idea of parking in some business parking lot and potentially having my car towed, (or entering the park before it is technically open), however I think those are my only options at this point for anything nearby. Every wildlife refuge that I have researched is also locked during this time and most frown upon going off trail. Regardless, I will continue to research, and of course get out there and do some darn scouting! As you all note, I will eventually find suitable, accessible locations if I do enough looking. I might contact whoever is in charge of some of the places and see if I can get some special privileges. It can't hurt to ask...I hope, lol.

I'm still curious, if anybody here is able to relate and comment on using waders for water birds (ducks, herons, etc), if you go wading into ponds or similar areas where other people are around. I would feel quite odd wading in water in public areas with my gear, possibly drawing crowds and/or law enforcement. :eek3: ...

Though I suppose I have also drawn some of that attention when crawling around on the ground trying to approach rabbits and snakes, and occasionally being spotted in camo at the edge of a park (which typically yields few results because people and dogs scare everything away first). Woops, there I go again about these bad locations. OK, OK, I will scout new places!

David N Smith
11-04-2013, 05:31 PM
Check state websites as they often have info on areas that have birds or other wildlife. I know Louisiana has a section on birding that gives locations and seasons when birds are likely to be seen and what type of birds may be there. Last year I was in La. and checked out some of these places. I did not see many birds but did see several alligators and a lot of dragonflies. Texas also has places listed on its website.

David

Marina Scarr
11-05-2013, 09:50 AM
Hi Matt:

Research...research...and more research. Yes get on the regional forums on this forum and others. You can go back for a couple of years and get all kinds of information. If you like to photograph birds, get on list serves which provide you with current birding information. Join your local audubon societies and you will find many people helping you out. Get on Facebook and see what and where other photographers are photographing and when. There is so much info out there now via the computer compared to years ago.

Matt Schwartz
11-05-2013, 10:43 PM
Thank you, David, and Marina, I appreciate your additional advice.