Saturday, July 30, 2011

Which Camera to Buy?

If you're buying your first camera and have a limited budget, buy something simple made by a major manufacturer.

In that case, go to a store and ask the clerk to show you cameras in your price range. Then select the one that seems to feel right in your hands.

Photo Files

I take photos for the following reasons.

1) Show the beauty of nature in my talks about Birds.

2) Dramatize lessons for better Nature Photography in my seminar on Nature Photography.

3) Document that I have seen a bird. (These photos go in my bird list database.)

4) Capture wildlife behavior so that I can study and thus better understand it.

5) Post samples of my photos on my flickr page or my blogs, such as (currently) OutTakes.

6) Experiment with creativity.

Now, how about you. What uses do you have for your photos?

Friday, July 29, 2011

Where to Focus

When taking photos of animals, focus on the eye. This must be sharp for an effective photo.

Of course, there are exceptions. In that case, focus on the part that best supports the story that you want to tell.

Thursday, July 28, 2011

Why Do You Take Photos

It's useful to know as much as possible about what you're doing. Then you can do it more deliberately.

So, give thought to the question: Why do you take photos?

Your purpose will determine the types of subjects that you photograph, as well as how you edit those photos.

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Important Caution

If you take photos of young birds, be sure to stay a safe distance from them.

Approaching too close could interfere with the parents caring for the young birds. It might even cause the parents to abandon their chicks.

The point: Always treat nature with respect. Then you can return to take more photos.

Sunday, July 24, 2011

Photo Catalog System

Someone asked how I save my photos. So, here is my process.

1) I use a code to name them, which looks like: c110724xxx, where the "c" = Canon, "110724" is the date when the photo was taken using the format yymmdd, and "xxx" is the sequence number. Then I enter detailed descriptive data into the meta date list, which includes name of the subject, location where the photo was taken, a © statement, and key words.

2) I use Aperture (an Apple Mac application) to catalog my photos. Aperture saves photos in Libraries, which I name according to their general content. For example, I have libraries named, "Scenery_CA," Scenery_SW," "Birds," and so on.

3) I save only those photos that I want to keep. My guide is, "Would I ever want to show this photo to someone?" This means that I toss out over 90% of the photos that I take. The discarded photos are either duplicates or lower quality photos.

4) I organize the photos in each library into folders based on appropriate subtopics, such as "Bryce Canyon," "Cactus Flowers," and so on.

5) In each library I have a folder named, "Process" where I keep photos that are waiting to be catalogued.

6) I store the Aperture libraries on my computer's hard drive, and I save backups of these libraries on external hard drives. One such hard drive is kept in my office, the other is kept in a safe box at the bank. I swap these hard drives about once each week.

Thursday, July 21, 2011

Bird Photography

Bird photography requires optimism, more than expensive equipment.

That is, you go out believing that somehow, somewhere you will find a bird to photograph.

Negative expectations may keep you at home. And any camera is worthless when it's sitting on a shelf.

Saturday, July 16, 2011

Wonderful Evening for the Family

If you want a truly enjoyable evening for your family . . . 

I'll be showing photos of birds and flowers at the Fullerton Arboretum on July 19, from 6 - 7 p.m.

Join us.

Details at: www.stevekayephoto.com

Take Better Photos

If you want to take better, more memorable nature photos, check this:

I'm conducting a half-day seminar at the Fullerton Arboretum on July 23, from 9 a.m. to noon.


You'll gain 45 years worth of experience in 3 hours.


This program is awesome. Bring a pad of paper and plan to take notes - lots of them.
Find details at: www.stevekayephoto.com

Why Females?

If you scan through the photos of birds on my flickr page you will notice something.

See: http://www.flickr.com/photos/stevekaye/

There are many photos of female birds.

Why?

Certainly, the males are (often) more colorful.

And yet, the females show a special, quiet beauty.

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Wonderful Photo Spot

The Chino Creek Wetlands and Educational Park in Chino, CA, offers a variety of habitats.

You'll find some interesting birds there, too, such as Yellow Warblers, Pied-billed Grebes, Common Moorhens, Ruddy Ducks, and Black-crowned Night-Herons.

Find more info at:

http://www.ieua.org/educations/park.html

Sunday, July 10, 2011

Simplicity in Art

By keeping photos simple, you allow people to concentrate on the complexity of the beauty therein.

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

5-Star Rating System for Photos


I rate my photos with a 5-Star System. Here's what it means.

1) An acceptable photo that captures the identity of a image.

2) A technically accurate description of something.

3) A technically accurate and interesting photo worthy of being shown to others.

4) An artistic photo that conveys beauty.

5) A work of art that speaks from my heart.

This system helps me catalog my photos. And it helps me seek photos that matter.

Monday, July 4, 2011

Current Photo Strategy

Question: What do you do after you have taken photos of all of the birds that visit a place?

Answer: Find new, more interesting photos of the same birds.

So, today I took photos of ducks.

I plan to use some of these photos in the talk that I'll be giving at the Fullerton Arboretum on July 19. ( Details )

Sunday, July 3, 2011

Bird List for July 3, 2011

Today I saw the following birds at Carbon Canyon Regional Park, Brea, CA.

Downy Woodpecker
Nuttall's Woodpecker
Yellow-breasted Chat
Bewick’s Wren
Western Bluebird
American Robin
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
California Towhee
Spotted Towhee
American Coot
Mourning Dove
Red-shouldered Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Cooper’s Hawk
Black-chinned Hummingbird
Anna’s Hummingbird
Allen’s Hummingbird
Mallard
Black Phoebe
Lesser Goldfinch
House Finch
Western Scrub-Jay
Common Raven
American Crow
Black-headed Grosbeak
Blue Grosbeak
Bushtit
Great Blue Heron

And I heard a California Quail.

All totaled, this was a good bird walk.