About Jason Polak

Jason Polak is a bird and wildlife photographer from Ottawa, Canada. He has been interested in photography ever since he received a disposable film camera as a small child. His career as a mathematician led him to move to Australia in 2016, where he started seeing colorful parrots. A few casual shots with a lens completely unsuitable for birds got him hooked, and now wildlife photography is his biggest passion. Jason loves to show the beauty of animals to the world through photography, and one of his lifelong goals is to photograph five thousand species of birds. You can see more of Jason's work on his website or on his YouTube channel.

Post Archive By Jason Polak

Why My Birds Aren’t Doing Anything

Over the years, I've received some criticism on my photography, and I think that's a good thing. I've appreciated all of it, because on the whole it has made me a better photographer. After all, I have so many blind spots where I just don't see problems. But there is...

The Quest for 5000 Birds

About four years ago, I came up with a simple goal: photograph 5000 species of birds. How did I even think of such a plan? It all began with two questions: What is that bird over there? How is that bird related to the others? Soon, I started keeping track...

Optimizing Shutter Speed in Bird Photography

When it comes to camera settings, shutter speed is the most important variable for bird photography. That’s because it’s the setting that you need to control the most. Optimizing your shutter speed is really the only way to maximize the amount of light you’re getting, while also freezing the bird’s motion.

Black and White and Wildlife

Splash on that color, those bright blues and greens and reds! Soft feathers and golden light, warm fur and rich browns, smooth exoskeletons with a mesmerizing plethora of endless iridescence all beckon to the lens. How can the wildlife photographer resist the epic array of beautiful color from the world...

An Alternative to Eye-Level Photos in Wildlife Photography

A great technique in bird and wildlife photography is shooting at eye level. Eye-level shots are often more intimate - they give better subject isolation and are typically more engaging. Libor and Massimo have recently written about how much they love this approach to wildlife photography, and I don't disagree. But...

A Journey with the Photographic Mind

The photographic eye can perceive great compositions, notice patterns, find great light. But what of the photographic mind? The thoughts, the wishes, and the imagination – the idea of scenes dripping with the golden drops of sunlight? How does the photographic mind influence your style?

Tips for Duck and Goose Photography

Ducks and geese form the family Anatidae, and there are 174 of them in total! Moreover, they are large birds that are easy to see - and thus make good photographic subjects. But like all animals, ducks and geese have their own sort of behavior, and that means there are...