Instructional Photo Articles

The Birds of South Texas

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We enjoy warmer temperatures in March and April and love photographing birds.  Photographing birds in south Texas is wonderful.  The birds are colorful, varied, and unusual to us as many species barely make it across the border with Mexico here.  This is a pyrrhuloxia and our article describes some of the birds we photograph along with some key photo techniques we find effective.  Please join us on a photo workshop down here!  The photography at the ranches is incredible!

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Shoot Sharp Wildlife Photos

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I have had many questions about how I make such sharp images of wildlife.  So, I starting writing about this topic and it grew and grew and grew.  I cover 25 key points that cover the things I do that make it so easy to capture sharp wildlife images consistently.  The focus of this article is on wildlife, and I realize I will need to write a similar article about how I shoot sharp close-up and landscape images as many of my techniques are different for those subjects.  Enjoy the article and may your wildlife images sharpen up considerably.

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Exposure Methods we are Using Now

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Our exposure methods have changed over the years and they continually to change a little as new exposure aids are added to cameras.  No doubt our methods will continue to evolve over time.  This detailed article describes what we do as of March 2021.  It is fast and delivers well- exposed images consistently that you see here on this site.

AF Microadjust your Camera and Lens

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Learn how we adjust the autofocus on our Nikon and Canon DSLRs.  By using the AF microadjustment tools in our cameras, we make sure our autofocus is right where it should be.    To eliminate variables like wind and mirror slap that contribute to less sharp images, we light the focus target with flash set to 1/8 power to use the short flash duration to negate image-softening factors so we can precisely check autofocus accuracy and make it accurate if it is off.  This is a crucial step for DSLRs!

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Telephoto Lens Options for Wildlife

Photography

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One way or another, you need a long lens to photograph most wildlife well.  This article explains the many choices you have to get the magnification you need!

Floating Blind Wildlife Photography

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I have used a floating blind to closely approach wildlife living on the water or along the shoreline for more than 20 years.  It is tremendously easy to do, super fun, and relaxing.  Read this article to learn all about it.  For the first time, we are offering a floating blind workshop at our Idaho home for three lucky participants.

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Get more reach for wildlife with a  Teleconverter or In-camera crop, or Both?

Since getting the new Canon R5 in Nov of 2020, I shot over 100,000 wildlife images by May of 2021.  This article explains what you must do for best quality.

Use Dripping Water to Photograph Birds

I suspended a tiny tube to drip water in a natural rock cavity in the aspen forest near my home.  I hoped it might draw some birds to within camera range.  Little did I know how well it would work during the autumn migration.  Since early August, migrating birds flock to it and provide terrific photo opportunities.  I suspect this technique will work for you too!

Exposure Mode Options we Prefer

We use manual exposure and Auto ISO most of the time.  But, for those who have trouble with manual exposure or prefer to always use an automatic exposure mode, aperture-priority does work well in certain situations.  This article covers the when and how of our exposure mode options.

Automatic Focus Bracketing

Learn how we shoot focus brackets automatically to cover extreme depths of field in macro and landscapes.