Drew is a photographer and naturalist dedicated to sharing his experiences through photographs and writing. He has recently moved to Ithaca, NY and is exploring the local region and the world beyond.
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By Drew Fulton on December 23rd, 2009
 Jacky Winter (Microeca fascinans) - Capertee Valley, New South Wales, Australia Christmas is fast approaching and I am now visiting my wife’s family in central Pennsylvania. It has been a bit of a whirlwind getting ready for the holidays, packing for my Florida trip for the next few months, and trying to wrap up 2009.
I wanted to take a moment and post saying I’ll be taking a short break from the blog for the next week or so. I’m going to step away for the holidays and spend the short time I can with family.
I’ll be posting some reflections on 2009 on New Year’s Eve and then some thoughts for 2010 on January 1, 2010. After that, I’ll be headed into the field for a while and posts may be a little sporadic, at least at first, as I’ll be exploring the Everglades by canoe for a week with my wife and will be far from a computer during the trip. We’ll see how things go after that.
I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and a Happy New Year!
By Drew Fulton on December 20th, 2009
 Uluru (Ayer's Rock) - Northern Territories, Australia Once you have selected your location for your Big Trip, the fun really begins. I know that I thoroughly enjoy the prep and planning of each and every trip. Something about the process of planning elevates a simple idea to something of incredible potential. The trip moves beyond a chance to take some photographs and captures a life of its own.
The Trip becomes opportunities to document a spectacular event, an intricate bit of natural history, a rare species, or a vanishing landscape. It’s a chance to discover a new world and share it with family, friends, and potentially a much larger audience. The Trip is a time to create a work of art whether through photography, writing, or a combination of the two. It is a chance to do something that feels bigger than you.
That’s at least how I feel as I prepare for a trip. It is an opportunity of a lifetime and something unavailable to someone on a short weekend trip.
So how do we get there and what is different than a weekend visit? For me, there are three main advantages total immersion, local familiarity, and removal of distractions.
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By Drew Fulton on December 19th, 2009
 Colin and Eric organizing and drying some of the climbing and some video gear before packing for our return from Costa Rica. This is only a small fraction of our gear! My mom once said to me that she feels like I have spent the last six or eight years in a perpetual state of either packing or unpacking. Between trips to and from college, preparing for major photography trips like Australia, the Everglades, and Costa Rica, and moving several times, she probably is right. And when I pack for a trip, there is no mistaking it. Things get a little crazy.
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By Drew Fulton on December 18th, 2009
 I never would have been able to photograph this Golden Bowerbird (Prionodura newtoniana) without local help - Paluma, Queensland, Australia You probably know what I am going to say here. Nothing beats local knowledge and unless you are working in your local area, you have to find someone that is willing to be your local expert. It is true that through a long term project, you can develop a lot of excellent local expertise, but local help is always greatly appreciated. So how do you find your local expert?
I always start looking in three different groups: the scientific community, the birding community, and the photography community. Each group has very different things to offer and all three can be invaluable.
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By Drew Fulton on December 17th, 2009
 When the sun comes up the morning after you arrive, will you be ready to photograph? - Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge, Florida When you arrive on the ground, excited and enthusiastic for that Big Trip, you need a plan. Sure, you’ve just spent a ton of time planning the logistics and researching the natural history, but what are you going to photograph that first day, the second day? Here there are two major strategies. Create a detailed schedule or leave it wide open.
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By Drew Fulton on December 16th, 2009
 From research and previous experience, I know I should be able to find this Willet (Catoptrophorus semipalmatus) on the mudflats of Florida Bay. So you have chosen a location and laid out some specific goals. What’s next? Before you decide to make any specific plans, let’s do some research on the natural history of our subjects. Knowing the haunts and habits of wildlife, the blooming and fruiting seasons of plants, and the local weather patterns will make that planning much easier and smoother, not to mention more effective.
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By Drew Fulton on December 16th, 2009
 One of my goals is to spend some time in the backcountry of the Big Cypress Swamp. After choosing your location, the fun really begins. Diving into the details can be exciting and produce a fantastic trip, but first we need to look at the big picture. What does your location or theme offer? What is it that you will be photographing? What do you need to know before you get there? Answer these questions and explicitly lay out a series of goals. Trust me, it will simplify your planning and make your time in the field much more productive.
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By Drew Fulton on December 15th, 2009
 In Australia I spent a year photographing endemic birds like this Rufous Treecreeper (Climacteris rufa) - Dryandra Woodland Preserve, Western Australia When I first begin to dream of The Trip, it usually has something to do with a major theme whether that is a location, a specific species, or a biological concept. My time in Australia in 2006-2007 was all about endemic birds of Australia. The first half of 2005 was all about photographing the Everglades region. My past few trips to Costa Rica have been focused on the cloud forest and in particular, the canopy. For every major trip and project there has to be a theme.
I’ve dreamed of numerous trips and even planned a few fairly well until reality hit and life got in the way. I’ve planned nation wide, year long road trips. I’ve dreamed of several months in Ecuador or Peru photographing birds. I’m even currently envisioning a project lasting years that would take me across the globe. However, the reason these trips haven’t happened is two main factors and they typically are connected: money and time.
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By Drew Fulton on December 15th, 2009
This week you’ll see a series of posts about preparing for a major photography trip. Many of us dream of being able to dedicate a significant portion of time to photographing full time without having to worry about print orders, image requests, and other distractions that really take away from our love. I will be leaving my office this weekend and won’t be returning until late February as I travel to see family over the holidays and then spend about 6 weeks photographing in South Florida.
I am really excited about the trip and have spent a large chunk of time planning it. This planning is somewhat different than when I am prepare for a local shoot so I thought I would share my process. Every day this week, I’ll post about what I do to prepare for a big trip concluding this Sunday with an essay about why we as photographers all dream of The Big Trip. I hope you enjoy.
By Drew Fulton on December 13th, 2009
The Turks call it a Çipura. If I were back home on the west coast of Florida, I’d call it a pinfish. Scientists call it a Sparus aurata. Whatever its name, it seems to be curious about me. Not just one, but a whole school is circling my head as I float breathing pure oxygen 20 feet below the surface of the azure Aegean Sea.
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