Joe and Mary Ann McDonald's

Wildlife Photography

See our July-August 2008
Question of the Month- How difficult is it to master MASKS?

Barn Swallow carrying a pigeon feather to the nest.

A few hours ago I was busy unscrewing 18 3 inch long screws from the background I erected for the shot you see above, and I realized there was a heck of a lot of work and effort put into this project. It's easy to assume that one may only need to 'be there' to get a great shot, but often a lot of planning and work is involved as well, and this image illustrates this wonderfully.

Over the next hour, as I took apart the setup, I kept notes on all the items that were involved. Here they are:

Fortunately, the barn I was using was located less than a half mile from my home, so it was fairly convenient to drive to several times a day to change cards or, before I purchased two monster 12 volt batteries, to change batteries several times a day. The Olson flash units I used are not commercially available, but fortunately I held on to the several sets I have and they were invaluable for supplying enough light, at a fast enough flash duration, to stop the action. Unfortunately, the manufacturer of the Olson Units, Ken Olson from Minnesota, is deceased and his units are hard to find. Another product, which I loved, the Fotronix's flash system, also used high Guide Numbers and fast flashes, but the manufacturer of that unit stopped producing them. On the horizon is another high speed flash system made by a team in Britain, and I was hoping to have a system to try out in Arizona this year, or at the NANPA conference where I gave a half-day seminar on flash photography, but, to date, I haven't seen or tested the units. I'm hoping to in the future, because there is a real need for this type of flash.

Barn swallows fly like rockets, and sometimes the flashes would fire and, to my unaided eye, I couldn't tell whether or not a swallow was in the frame. It would have been completely impossible to capture these types of images without a camera-tripping device, and I used the PhotoTrap to accomplish this. I also needed to determine how far a swallow flew in the time that elapsed between the bird breaking the beam and my camera firing, and this took some vexing trial-and-error, although if I would have considered the length of time I ended up devoting to this project I would not have had to have been so impatient or rushed.

I was very pleased with the outcome of the project -- I caught swallows carrying feathers, mud, grass blades, strands of weeds, and plenty of insects, back to the nest.

I believe I captured a series of images that are rather unique -- I can't think of another photographer that has this coverage of barn swallows in flight -- and I experimented with several techniques involving lights and backgrounds -- all 'in my spare time' as our limited time home this summer was also filled with Photoshop and Digital Complete Nature Photo Courses.

The techniques involved are addressed to some extent in our Digital CNPC, but our ADVANCED D-CNPC is where one would really learn everything needed to execute a similar image. Next summer, if the barn is still available, I may have this setup available for photographers as well ... but it's so unique, I honestly can't say exactly what I'll do.

More importantly, at least in the context of this Bonus Question, is that a lot of equipment was involved, and a lot of that was for supports. The actual setup took days, as I 'tweaked' my lighting, determined focus, and fine-tuned my Phototrap to get the shots I envisioned.

I hope you like them!

How difficult is it to master MASKS?
WHY WE SWITCHED FROM Nikon to Canon
Does the automatic sensor cleaning feature of the Mark III really work?
What is our initial Digital Workflow?
What is our Digital Workflow in the Lab?
 How do I keep track of Digital Files?
Is Shooting in the RAW format worthwhile?
What is the Difference?
How can you capture a sharp image and angel hair on a windy day?  
Can you match the Histograms?
How do we meter White?
 Is the Mark II the ultimate wildlife digital camera?
What is DEC? 
 Wildlife Models - Is there anything new to shoot?
Do You Need a Big Printer?
Can a Wimberley Head be used with small lenses?
 What is Reality? Adobe's powerful LIGHTROOM Program
Why must you have at least 2 digital backups?
 Is Digital Manipulation - a benign alternative to interacting in the natural world?
 Film or Digital? - Why you should shoot film!
 Does the Visibledust cleaning system really work?

Photo Trap - The Pro's Secret Weapon
LensCoat camera, lens, and tripod covers
What Equipment do we usually take afield?
Does the AutoFocus on the EOS 1D Mark III work?
Which Macro Lens is for You?
What is the Most Important thing you can do before a Workshop? 
How many Flashes do you need to effectively illuminate hummingbirds?
What is the best shutter speed for panning running mammals?
Is there an easy way to level a camera for panorama shots?
Is the New Wimberley head worth having?
Is an L-Shaped Camera Bracket worth the Money? You bet it is!
Using Zoom lenses with tele-converters and extension tubes -- can you use both together?
Are Image Stabilization Lenses Worth the Money?
What the heck is the Scheimpflug Law?
What is the Best Composition?
Should you have a depth of field Preview button on your camera?
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Hyperfocal Distance
Apertures for Macro

Flash and Tele-flash Techniques
What is the best flash for closeup and macro photography?
What is the most versatile remote release camera firing system?
 How do you shoot high-speed action images?
How did I shoot the gliding Sugar Glider?
How did I photograph that flying wasp?
What the heck is a Plamp?

Can Photographing Wildlife Models make Conservation Sense?
Is Kenya safe to visit in 2008?
What I did on my summer 'vacation.'
Why is Yellowstone the best for wildlife photography in the US?
Is a Trip to Antarctica Worth it?
What is the best season to do a photo safari in East Africa?
What is the Big Lie? The truth about Kenya's Tourism--it is SAFE!
Which Mountain Park is better for wildlife - Denali or Torres del Paine?
What are our Five Favorite Shooting Locales?
How can you attract insectivorous birds to your feeding stations and bait sites? 
How do you make things happen in wildlife photography?
What is the best Car Window Mount?
How can you save your shoulders?
How can you reduce contrast and the effect of wind for flower and macro photography?
What is the best Game Caller?
How Easy is Whale Photography?
Why Can't You Feed A Bear?
What is our Favorite bird-shooting location?

Contact us by e-mail: info@hoothollow.com