"How did you make that photo look like an x-ray?" It’s one of the questions I get asked most frequently, usually referring to one of the images below. The answer is that I get this x-ray effect by using fluorescent lighting while photographing some species of amphibian! Here's a quick...
Essays and Inspiration Category Archive - Page 6
Challenges of Bird Photography in São Paulo, Brazil
Wildlife photography has taken me to many places around the world, both exotic and familiar. In the realm of the familiar, I have one vivid memory from last year, from back in my home town Ottawa. I remember lying in the snow and holding my D500, just waiting for a...
Photographing the Goosander, a Very Special Duck
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...
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....