Better Beamer

Years ago, I thought that if I wanted to be a nature photographer with a long telephoto lens, I would have to use a flash set-up; the set-up of choice at the time was the Better Beamer. The Better Beamer is two side plastic panels and a Fresnel panel -the Fresnel panel is positioned in front of the flash), and the two side panels attach via velcro (and usually a rubber band is needed <wink>) to the external flash. This attachment to the flash helps to concentrate the output of the flash into a narrow beam, which is needed with long telephoto lenses.

I was using a Better Beamer on my flash the day I shot the American Oystercatcher image above. However, it was rainy, and my flash kept getting wet and needed drying off and restarting every minute. Since I was waiting for one of the large oystercatcher chicks (there were 4) to come out from under the adult I decided that I should just give up on my flash and try to shoot it by bumping my ISO’s really high. This was a situation where the flash would have helped considerably. The noise in the image ruins it for me. Plus it is not nearly as sharp as I would like—still it’s an interesting shot.

I have never been a huge fan of the flashed look —even when using fill flash, I find that the eyes can have a steel look to them. It is helpful in low light situations I just prefer not to use it. After that day I left my Better Beamer at home, and it has never made its way back into my gear bag. Cameras have improved so much in the last decade anyway.

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Update on the OC chick that hatched near my home. It is gone-no sign at all of the little one and it appears that the two adults have left the nesting area as well. We have had lots of rain and wind. The evening that the chick hatched we had wind gusts upward of 40 miles an hour and torrential rain. The bad weather lasted for days, apparently the chick did not…

Bringing Home the Bacon

When I was a kid, my mother would get upset with me almost every night at dinner time. My father never handled those disciplines, and he travelled a lot. I was always the last one at the table. It was impossible to choke down the liver with fried onions or the giant rare steak that my parents delivered at almost every meal. Well, as a child it sure felt like every meal... 

I would sit for hours waiting to be excused from the table or to be forgiven (I never really knew which one). Mealtime was always a struggle for me, I was an incredibly picky eater and to some degree I still am. My mother repeatedly told the stories of children starving in other countries and that some nights she and her family would have rabbit and other nights venison. My mother was not a fussy eater, she loved things like escargot, creamed eggs with asparagus, kidneys... all of it. I did feel bad for the starving children, I would have gladly given my supper up each night.

I knew the minute I was old enough I would never eat any of those dreadful meals. My daughter grew up being asked to try something before deciding not to eat it. I never forced her to “clean her plate”. I knew if she were hungry, she would eat. She grew up eating lots of raw broccoli dipped in ranch dressing, steamed clams, and poached eggs, along with the usual kid friendly foods. She is now what I would consider a “foodie”. She is way more into food than I ever was. She loves cooking, going out to dinner, learning new recipes and genuinely enjoys the nutritious side of food—always opting for organic or local, seasonal foods. 

As an adult I have travelled to truly poor countries where people are starving. My mother was not incorrect in telling me those stories as a child. I wish she could have shown me a photo because pictures really are worth a thousand words. I am always careful not to throw away food and I always remember how extremely fortunate I am to have food or even a table to put it on.

I imagine this vixen is happy to be able to provide a bounty of food for her large family. None of the kits snubbed their nose at the squirrel breakfast-they were extremely happy to have it.

Greedy

I visited a local Least Tern colony the other day and am happy to report that things are on track for a good season for the terns, well, that was before the endless rains started. Hopefully, things will be back on track for the birds.

There was a token pair of American Oystercatchers at the colony, and I watched as the female tried to dig a shallow nest scrape. She eventually decided the spot was too busy with all the fishermen nearby and moved to the other side of the tern colony. No news yet on a nest for this pair but I did locate two other pair already on eggs at nearby beaches. Not a ton of oystercatchers but you only need one <wink>. I will keep my eye on all three pair over the next few weeks and hopefully will be lucky with chicks.

Above is a shot of an oystercatcher wing stretch where I got a bit greedy and tried to fill the frame. I clipped a small portion of the wing tip and needed to do a minor repair. I am so use to photographing these birds with my 600mm prime lens (with or without a teleconverter). Now using the Sony 200-600mm lens, I sometimes forget I have a zoom lens attached!

I will return to check on these guys after the downpouring stops and will let you know how I make out.

Watchful Eye

My time spent in Washington was wonderful. Good friends, good photo opportunities and lush forests- what’s not to like! My return home was not quite as welcoming, read on…

I came home from my Olympic Peninsula workshop and found that my little finches had all fledged. I was so happy to be done with that ordeal. No more keeping the front door closed, I wouldn’t have to worry about sitting on my porch and I could enjoy some peace and quiet- finally!

I spent my first day home doing laundry and mowing my lawn (it was almost a foot tall). The cleanup of the nest and the entire area around it should have been my first priority but my overgrown grass beckoned me. 

I found eggshell bits, nesting material and bird excrement everywhere on my front porch. Out came the broom and I dutifully cleaned up the mess. My thoughts were “great! I am so glad that is over!”. After finishing the porch clean up, I went inside and treated myself to an iced tea that I had brewed earlier. I topped it with some fresh lemon and was delighted with myself and my progress.

I went back out to put the mower away and start the intense clean up of the nesting site. That is when I noticed the adult bird had returned to the nest. She was wiggling around, and more and more debris was falling onto my porch. It was at this time that I realized she was going to repeat the entire process and lay more eggs. Ugh…

I didn’t have the heart to shoo her off the nest. She looked at me with her cute little eyes, pleading for my kindness. I closed the front door and left her to her nesting duties. And so, it goes.

When this clutch is done, I will not let her get a chance for another. I am going to put up the Bluebird statue that I bought immediately. I read once, that they can have up to 6 clutches in one season!

June 24-28, 2021 Olympic Peninsula Workshop Announced!

I received good news this morning. The NP service has agreed to issue me a permit for a last minute Olympic National Park Workshop June 24-28, 2021. I checked with local hotels and there are openings. I am going to stick to the same itinerary as my recent May trip with some possible additions. My guides said that the snow may be melted by the 23rd in some of the locations we were not able to get to in May so I am hopeful for that.

I know that many of you have had your international trips cancelled. I need at least 5 people to make this trip a go. TO SIGN UP CLICK HERE. unless you have a credit you would like to use—then email me. If the trip does not fill all money collected will be promptly refunded.

Join Denise Ippolito and local naturalist Roy Kropp for a five day photo adventure through three distinct ecosystems; Rain forests, coastal beaches and glaciated peaks. We will experience forests covered in moss and ferns, Big leaf maples, Douglas firs and Sitka spruce. Roosevelt Elk frequent the rain forests and are visible from the trails. Waterfalls and cascades galore. On the coast we will photograph sunsets, ocean sea stacks, and tide pools.

Participants will learn to “embrace the chaos” as many of the scenes can feel overwhelming at first. Learning to recognize and extract a good composition will be paramount for this trip. Another great lesson on this workshop will be to “fear no light” — learning how to see light in the forest and use it to your advantage takes a bit of getting use to.

Our schedule will need to be flexible and may include locations such as: Sol Duc Falls, The Hoh Rain Forest, Ruby Beach, Rialto Beach and Lake Crescent, Hurricane Ridge, Salt Creek, Madison Falls, Upper Dungeness, Marymere Falls, Moments in Time Trail and more.

Participants should be physically fit and able to walk at least two miles at one time, most trails are level and easy with some being a little but more rugged but still very doable. We will not be walking at a fast pace since photography is our goal-not hiking. Photoshop and image sharing sessions via a Zoom session after the workshop-unless we encounter rain.

A detailed PDF file will be sent upon registration. Please check your schedules carefully before signing up, I have rearranged my schedule to conduct this workshop and will not be able to issue refunds or credits for cancellations. Thank you for understanding.

Meet & Greet 7:00pm at our hotel on June 23. (address and details given at sign-up).

Our bases for this trip are: Port Angeles and Forks, Washington. Participants should plan to fly in and out of Seattle Washington and drive to Port Angeles, Washington. It is best to plan your flights home in the late afternoon of the 28th.

*Please note meals, lodging, park fees and transportation are not included in the price of the workshop.

*For the health and safety of all participants, proof of vaccination or a negative PCR viral COVID-19 test result within 72 hours of departure is required.