Unexpected Surprises in the Field

Nothing is more exciting than going out to photograph and witnessing the unexpected.

On my recent photo trip to the Florida Everglades, I witnessed a most unusual sight...

I was photographing birds from the boardwalk on the Anhinga Trail, when I noticed a spot of bright pink out of the corner of my eye.  Looking more closely, I saw it was a huge alligator swimming toward me with something pink in its mouth.  I got very excited thinking  I would be witnessing it feeding on a roseate spoonbill.  I have never watched an alligator feed in the wild!

Feeling excited and a little queasy about what i was about to see, I pointed my 600mm lens in his direction to capture the action on motor drive as he slowly approached...

I just knew I was about to witness a flashback from Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom and capture some dramatic images in the spirit of Nat Geo!!

The alligator swam closer and I noticed something shaped like a graceful neck of a bird!!  Even closer...and I saw 2 slender pink "necks" in his mouth.

I began firing away, eagerly waiting to see the drama of the food chain in action firsthand!

By the time he turned sideways, he opened his mouth wide revealing the pink "bodies" of the birds...

BUT WAIT...Those weren't birds...

it was a stuffed pink monkey!! 

My  excitement changed to a bit of disappointment and plain curiosity as I continued to witness and photograph  what would happen next.  The gator held the stuffed animal in its mouth, tossing its head up and backward, as if trying to reposition it in order to ingest it in one big gulp!  He did this 3 or 4 times without success before settling into a still position with its pink prey clenched in its sharp white teeth.

I will never know how this situation ended for the alligator,(and can only imagine how it ended for the child who lost a cherished toy)  but I feel very fortunate  to have witnessed a 'toned down' version of survival in the wild...

(all images: Canon EOS 5D Mark II, Canon EF600mm f4/L IS USM lens, AV mode, ISO 800, 1/250 second @ f 6.3)

The Staying Power of Images- Ten Years and Counting...

Welcome to my first blog entry of 2012...Happy New Year to all!

Because it has been so busy around the Kaveney house(s), I have had very little time to devote seriously to my photography.  I have been scrambling around behind the scenes, editing and backing up photo files in addition to helping with the planning for our camera club's upcoming spring seminar.  While all of these tasks are related to my photography and are quite necessary, they are the least exciting part of my craft.
My blog is now two years old, and while I have attempted to post weekly, I find it much easier to write when I am not pressured by my self-imposed weekly timeline.  This year, I will blog on a looser timeline allowing my thoughts to flow more freely.
Last night, I was laying awake thinking about spending more time behind the camera making images.  In the process, I thought back on the many images i have shot over the years since first picking up a camera.  I am amazed that my photo library is close to 150,000 images! 

While thinking about my most popular images, one pops out in the forefront from every click my shutter has ever made: "Fancy Flight."  It was the subject of my first blog two years ago and it has continued to be my 'singature' image by which many people recognize my work.  I find it so hard to believe that I made this image exactly 10 years ago this month and it is still requested by publications and buyers alike.  The staying power of 'Fancy Flight' (or the 'FRB' as my photo friends refer to it) fascinates me.

Most recently, it has graced the pages of two 2012 calendars: The National Audubon Society and the Hamilton County (IN) Parks and Recreation Event and Nature calendar. Both publications chose the image for their January spread to start the post-holiday cold winter month with a splash of bright color.  (The park district also featured it on the calendar's cover)  Fancy Flight is featured on numerous pieces of merchandise and as a fine art print in various sizes at Allposters.com.
While I am very happy to be most recognized by my bright red cardinal captured in flight, I continually strive for my photography to reflect a quote by Ernst Haas. (1921-1986)  In his words:
"I want to be remembered much more for total vision than for a few perfect single pictures."
I hope as you peruse the existing as well as upcoming galleries on my web site you are able to appreciate my total vision successfully reflecting his thought.

A Holiday Gift for You

The holiday season is the time for sharing.  While brainstorming ideas for something special to share with you, I was contacted (out of the blue) by Sherry Klinedinst, a talented pianist from South Bend, Indiana.  She explained to me how much she enjoyed my photographs and wondered if I would be willing to share some of them with her to accompany her beautiful piano music.
Together, we created "Winter Essence," a visual and auditory salute to the holiday season.
I hope you will take the time to enjoy our collaborative creation, and I hope you also take time to visit Sherry at sherryk.com.

You can access our creation by clicking HERE

Please feel free to continue the Spirit of Sharing by passing this gift to others.

Best to all of you during the holiday season and throughout the new year!

Sincerely-
Wendy

A "Miksang Moment"

Miksang is a Tebetian word which means “good-eye” and describes a style of photography which captures the essence of a fleeting moment in time.  The moment is defined when we synchronize eye and mind, abandon all concepts and predispositions and become completely present in the moment. Miksang photography can also be referred to as contemplative photography.  

We have all had these moments, when something catches our eye and stirs something in our minds and in our emotions.  Usually, it is a very simple, brilliant, and fleeting moment, during which our minds are relaxed and we view the moment without any preconceived ideas about it: in other words, we see it with pure perception. 

For those of us who carry cameras with us, it is a moment we must capture before the connection of our sight, emotion and perception disappear.

I have many images in my photo library which have been made when these three conditions are present.  Today I would like to share my most recent Miksang experience.

We were out to dinner the other night and my daughter had ordered hot tea.  During our meal I glanced at the silver teapot of hot water and saw a woman’s face looking back at me!  No, it was not because of the wine I had consumed thus far with my meal, but a “Miksang moment.” 

As soon as I saw this, I used the only camera I had with me at the time- my cell phone. 

I captured what I was seeing while the song “I’m a little teapot, short and stout…” began to run through my mind.  I shared my capture with my husband and daughter who had been looking strangely at me as I interrupted my meal to shoot a subject they did not see.  (One would think they would be used to my behavior by now after all the years I have been photographing!)

Anyway, after sharing my capture with them, I went to take a second shot of “Mrs. Potts” and she was gone!  The server had removed my husband’s plate (which created her right ‘eye’) I took the photo anyway, wondering if I actually saw her winking at me!  Nope- my Miksang moment was gone.

The Dunes Are Alive!

In my last blog, I described the life living WITHIN the dunes, but did you know the dunes, THEMSELVES, are "alive?" Dunes are constantly changing shape by the power of mother nature- especially when she blows strong winds up the windward side of the dunes, causing the grains of sand to blow over the crest to the shorter leeward side. 

Not only does this change the shape of the dune, but also causes some dunes (known as barchan dunes) to actually migrate across the desert a few meters each year; which is enough distance to periodically update maps currently in print.  (especially if they block roads, which they often do!!)

One afternoon on my most recent trip to Namibia, we set out to photograph the dune belt between Walvis Bay and Swakopmund. The wind was blowing quite strong- too strong to subject our gear to the constant abrasiveness of the sand grains blowing through the air. So, we spent some time sitting quietly in our vehicle watching the sand as it blew across the face of the dunes. It reminded me of a "tan blizzard" and it was mesmerizing to watch the swirling patterns of blowing sand as the millions of tiny grains brushed across the dunes and over the crest. I noticed that the speed of the wind and its gusts are what determined the dancing patterns we saw. It was like watching a ballet! I wanted to take this memory home with me since watching the blowing sand was so relaxing and fascinating.

I secured my bean bag bag on the car window for stable support and placed my Canon 5D Mark II on top of it. I braced the camera by placing my hand on the lens to stabilize the camera even more. Then, I shot many video clips of the scene before me hoping to capture the side lit dunes and the dancing sand.

Below is a link to my video page on my web site.  Here, there are two of my favorite videos I made from the afternoon which rival any still shots from the photo session. I hope you take less than 2 minutes from your day to witness the beauty of nature and the "movement" of the dunes.

Clcik HERE to view.