For most of us, the duck we know (and love?) is the widespread Mallard. You can see it across the world: Europe, Asia, North America, and it has even been introduced to Australia and New Zealand. But today I'm going to introduce you to a duck that is different in...
Essays and Inspiration Category Archive - Page 5
Photographing a Wild Parrot Once Thought to Be Extinct
Today I would like to introduce you to a parrot which became so rare that, just a few decades ago, it was thought to be extinct. This is the Yellow-Eared Parrot - and unlike its extinct relatives, such as the Cuban Macaw, Carolina Parakeet, or Paradise Parrot, it has clawed...
The 5 Most Revolutionary Advances in Photography
The art of photography has been shaped by some incredible technical trends over the last few decades, and it seems like the pace of change is ever-accelerating. In this article, I wanted to take a look back at some of the biggest advances and game-changers in modern photography.
How Instagram Reels are Hurting Photographers
Instagram has been the world's biggest photo sharing platform for years, for better or for worse. Most professional photographers have an Instagram page if for no other reason than to connect to clients and share their work. And despite some issues over the years, broadly speaking, I believe it served...
Potoos: The Forest Ghosts of Latin America
Few bird groups are as mysterious and under-studied as the Potoos of Latin America. These champions of camouflage can be almost impossible to see unless they’re in motion. Perhaps this is why they’ve found their way into the legends and stories of indigenous people.
The Ocellated Tapaculo: An Icon of the Andean Forests
"Hey, Daddy! What was the coolest bird you saw in Colombia?" This was one of the first questions my children asked me upon my return from this biodiverse country. Some people might have expected me to name one of the toucans, parrots, or hummingbirds. My children, however, are already aware...
Easter in Ecuadorian Quito
The celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ is very different in various parts of the world. In the Philippines, some religious people reenact the crucifixion, nails and all. On the Greek island of Corfu, they throw large clay pots and jugs of water out the windows. In this photo...
Crisis in Condor Country
The individual condors in Northern Arizona/Southern Utah are not given names - they get numbers. This is supposed to help the biologists not get too attached to individual birds, lest one of their favorites dies. It doesn’t work. I’m a photographer, not a biologist, but condors are my favorite subject....
Photographing Toucans with 400mm Lenses
If you show anyone pictures of birds from South America, there are two types that they are sure to know: toucans and parrots! Toucans are the subject of today’s article – I’ve photographed them for years during my travels, with a variety of camera equipment. Yet almost always with a 400mm lens.
A Rare Encounter with the Buffy Helmetcrest Hummingbird
When you think of hummingbirds, we usually think of small birds found in the warmer parts of the world. And it's true that the regions around the equator are home to the vast majority of the more than 360 species of hummingbird. But among these dwarfs of the bird kingdom, you'll...