October « 2010 « Through the lens with Chris Gamel

News and Notes – Sean Fitzgerald Photography

As part of my weekly News and Notes, I though I would share some of the different photography related websites that I have come across. In many cases, these are sites that I visit regularly, often finding an abundance of information that helps to shape and develop my photography as well as provide inspiration. My hope is that this information will help you as you develop your own photographic path.

Recommended Site – Sean Fitzgerald Photography

For a great source of photographic inspiration, visit Sean Fitzgerald’s photography site. Sean is a former lawyer turned nature photographer. He is based in Dallas, Texas, but travels widely in pursuit of images. Well known for his successes in both the Valley Land Fund and Coastal Bend Photography Contests, Sean is currently involved in a long term project of photographing the Trinity River Audubon Center in Dallas. For a glimpse at what is possible with a camera, visit Sean’s website or join him on one of his workshops. Enjoy.

Upcoming Classes:

I will be teaching a two day course “Introduction to Photography and Photoshop” at the Austin School of Film in Austin, Texas (October 17 & 24).

Written on October 13th, 2010 , Announcements, Classes, News and Notes, Recommended Sites

Image of the Day – Nesting

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The last few days have been a little sketchy as far as blog posts go. We spent the weekend in Houston taking the kids to the Renaissance Festival, the Johnson Space Center, and the Museum of Natural Science. We all had a great time, but blogging had to go on the back-burner for a few days. Now, with the trip done, I expect things to return back to normal. Thanks for bearing with me in the meantime.

This image was captured using a Canon 1Ds (wow, that was a while ago), 500mm IS lens with a 1.4 teleconverter attached, at 200 ISO. The lens was mounted on a Gitzo tripod with a Wimberly tripod head for support. Springtime at the Venice Rookery (Venice, Florida) is a great time to observe and photograph hundreds of birds as they go through their courtship and mating rituals. These two Anhinga were in the process of building a nest, with the male collecting sticks and bringing them to the female as she assembled the nest. I really like how the diagonal lines of the branch draw the eye towards the birds in the center of the frame.

Written on October 12th, 2010 , Image of the Day

Image of the day – the chase

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Impala are herd animals, and their mating behavior being closely tied to the herd structure. Herds consist of numerous females (sometimes up to 40) and a single, large male. This male wins control of the harem through a series of ongoing fights against all comers. During his reign, he protects the female from danger. The benefit? Total access to sexually receptive females. In wildlife biology, exclusive access to females is the ultimate measure of success. Of course, there is a cost to be paid. The ruling male must continue to take on all challenges. Every day, young males approach the females, attempting to lure them away. The harem male, in turn, gives chased, only to repeat the process when the next male arrives. Over time the chases take their toll and the male grows weak. After a few months, even the largest males can no longer maintain the energy needed to constantly defend the herd from challengers and is defeated. At that point, a new harem male arises and the cycle repeats.

The image was captured using a Canon 1D mark 4, 500mm IS lens with a 1.4 teleconverter attached, at 200 ISO. The image was shot from a vehicle and a beanbag was used for support. The image shows a harem male chasing a younger male across the grasslands after the young male got a little too close to the herd.

Written on October 8th, 2010 , Africa, Animal Behavior, Image of the Day, Tanzania

Photo Safari Testimonial – Jim Norton

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The following is a testimonial by Jim Norton. This past June, Jim and three of his friends joined me in Tanzania on an African photo safari. This was Jim’s second trip to Africa, having visited the continent previously to climb Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa. Jim is a professional food and commercial photographer based in Toronto and it was a pleasure having him on the trip. As I quickly discovered, commercial photographers are constantly challenging themselves to see in creative ways and Jim was no exception. I thoroughly enjoyed the unique perspective of Jim’s photography and how it contrasted from my own photographic style.

As a professional photographer, I often feel that we are wired to do things in our own way, and a stubbornness that our way is the best practice.

Chris’s enthusiasm and knowledge of the environment travelled and untraveled is such that if forces you to rethink what you think you should and should not expect.

His advice and guidance truly allowed me to expand my opportunities in an environment that is not average by any means. Even though travellers may have different levels of experience, knowledge and direction, Chris eagerly approached all of us in a professional and gracious manner appropriate to our personal needs.

Where I as a professional photographer may not have needed as much advice or guidance with technical details, he was sure to provide detailed information on how to improve all aspects of my skills to my greatest advantage.

And in turn, I watched him guide others who might not have had the greatest technical skills improve their knowledge and abilities beyond their own expectations.

Jim Norton

The image was taken one afternoon in Tarangire National Park, Tanzania. As the sun neared the horizon, we watched a herd of elephants start their daily movements away from the river. As they passed between our Landrovers I captured this image. The photographer on the other side of the elephant is Jim. The image was captured using a Canon 1D mark 4, 120-300mm Sigma lens (set to 168mm), at 400 ISO. The lens was handheld.

Written on October 7th, 2010 , Africa, Tanzania, Testimonials

News and Notes – Andy Biggs Photo Safaris

Recommended Site – Andy Biggs Photo Safaris

This week I would like to direct your attention on Andy Biggs’s website. Andy is a good friend of mine and is an outstanding wildlife photography. My first trip to Tanzania was on one of Andy’s photo safaris and the experience has resulted in multiple return trips. Andy is most well known for his African imagery, especially his B&W wildlife images and stunning African landscapes. In fact, Andy’s image of the skeleton coast in Namibia won in the 2006 Wildlife Photographer of the Year Competition. In addition to his website, you can follow Andy’s adventures on his blog. So, visit Andy’s site and enjoy some of the best African imagery out there.

Upcoming Classes:

I will be teaching a two day course “Introduction to Photography and Photoshop” at the Austin School of Film in Austin, Texas (October 17 & 24).

Written on October 6th, 2010 , Africa, News and Notes, Recommended Sites

Personal Accomplishment

Yesterday I completed my first ever olympic distance triathlon: .93 mile swim, 26 mile bike ride, and 6 mile run (33 miles total). My finishing time was 4 hours and 6 minutes. Not a record, but not bad for someone who almost threw up 14 months ago when he swam 6 laps (I have come a long way). Completing a triathlon was one of my goals for the new year and this marks my third triathlon this year (the others were sprint distances (read significantly shorter)). So, no image of the day today, but I did want to share my weekend adventure. I will be back to my usual photography topics tomorrow.

Written on October 4th, 2010 , Announcements

Photo Assignment – Fill the Frame

Beginning photographers often try to include too much in their images. Too many people, too many animals, too much clutter. All of these things distract from the main subject by competing with the eye for prominence. The result is a visual mess that fails to hold the viewer’s interest. To combat this, photographers are told to get closer to their subject. Eliminate the clutter and remove the distractions.

This week’s photo assignment takes the concept of getting closer to the extreme. Instead of just getting closer, I want you to fill the frame with your subject. Before setting up the shot, ask yourself what the subject is. Once you have the answer, fill the frame with that subject and nothing else. Make the subject go from one side of the image to the other, isolating it by excluding everything else from the image. This process of visual isolation is the first step in learning to create pleasing compositions that emphasis the subject.

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