American Tree Sparrow in snow. Ithaca, New York

As winter was starting to draw to a close, I wanted to get out and make some images of birds in the snow. So, one afternoon before we were supposed to have a huge snowfall overnight, I set up a pair of perches near my feeders and set up my blind nearby. The next morning I spent a couple frigid hours sitting in the blind photographing a handful of species as they came in for seed.

Black-capped Chickadee in snow. Ithaca, New York.

I have a lot to learn about photographing at setups and learned a ton that day, but despite my inexperience, I still walked away with some images I was pleased with. I was able to photograph a couple species for the first time, particularly American Tree Sparrows which were plentiful that day. I also added some decent images of Dark-eyed Junco, White-throated Sparrow, Northern Cardinal, Black-capped Chickadee, and Tufted Titmouse to my files. I’ll post a few of the images today and a few later this week.

American Tree Sparrow in snow. Ithaca, New York

I plan to do a lot more of this type of photography this spring and summer. As I said, I’ve got a lot to learn but hopefully by the end of the summer I’ll be making some spectacular images.

Yellow Warbler (Dendroica petechia) - Foster Pond, Finger Lakes National Forest, New York

Yesterday morning, I spent a couple hours with another local photographer Raghu Ramanujan at Foster Pond in the Finger Lakes National Forest.  It was a spectacularly beautiful morning and the woods were alive with warblers feeding and singing.  Despite the huge amount of activity, we struggled to create photographs because we couldn’t really get close to many of the birds.

Rather than get frustrated with myself, I decided to switch gears a bit and focus on creating images of the warblers in their habitat rather than close up portraits.  While I love the challenge of getting close to warblers and other small songbirds, creating environmental portraits can be even more of a challenge and extremely rewarding when one works.

Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) - Foster Pond, Finger Lakes National Forest, New York

With environmental portraits, there is a lot more to consider when creating the composition.  Take the above image of a Song Sparrow for example.  Not only do we have to consider the actual bird as part of the composition, we also have to consider all of the other vegetation on the right side of the image.  These additional elements can create for a busy and distracting image unless managed carefully.  Additionally, when we make the bird smaller in the frame, it commands less of a presence in the image so placement in the frame is even more important.

Blue-winged Warbler (Vermivora pinus) - Foster Pond, Finger Lakes National Forest, New York

Whenever I am creating an environmental portrait, it is my goal to use the included foliage to inform the viewer.  For example, in all of these images, the foliage is either in the process of budding out or in bloom.  This clearly indicates the images were taken in early spring.  Additionally, some of the birds are singing which also suggests a bird on territory.  By including all of these different elements, we can start to tell stories through our images, a task much more difficult with simply a single bird sitting on a stick on a solid colored background.

Colin and Eric organizing and drying 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.

Think about it for a minute.  You are going to be spending three months on the other side of the world, maybe even in a very remote location, and you have to take everything you will need.  That means all your camera equipment including maintenance and replacement gear, appropriate clothes (hopefully you will only deal with one climate/season), possibly camping equipment, computer, hard drives, and the list just goes on.

On my first trip to Costa Rica, our three team members required equipment for the following pursuits: photography, videography, tree climbing, and scientific research.  If you have ever worked with a videographer, the amount of equipment can be insane.  We arrived equipped to the teeth, grossly over-equipped actually.  I think we had a total count of 15 or 16 bags between the three of us with a gross weight somewhere around a ton.  It was ridiculous.  I don’t recommend it.  The baggage fees alone are enough to deter you.

There are a couple things to consider when packing to help avoid this.  What do you truly need?  How are you traveling?  What can you obtain on site?  How are you going to transport and protect your gear both during travel and in the field?  Let’s look at each of these and see what we can learn.

What do you need?  If you are doing landscape photography, you probably won’t need that 600mm lens.  If you are going to Costa Rica, you probably won’t need that winter parka.  Take what you need and only what you need.  That being said, I always over pack.  I always want the ability to grab any lens I own depending on what the situation requires.  I am not a light traveler.  I freely admit that and also hate it.

On any given trip, the most stressful part for me is checking in to my flight and getting through security and then picking up the luggage on the other end.  My bags are nearly always borderline too heavy and sometimes there is an extra one.  Camera gear and security inspections don’t always go together smoothly though my last few trips have been smooth.  (On a sidenote, I’ve never had a major problem with traveling with camera gear except that you are not allowed to carry on AA batteries on domestic flights in Turkey.  I don’t speak Turkish so I can’t tell you why, but I had to return to check in so I could check the 40+ rechargeable AA batteries that were in my camera bag.)  Dealing with all these logistics are the most stressful for me.  Once everything arrives then I’m fine and can settle in.

So how are you getting to your site?  I have found that if I am traveling domestically, I try to drive.  It might add a day or two to the trip but if you add up the freedom of being able to pack a car rather than one or two 50 pound suitcases, it is worth it.  Also, if the trip is long those rental car fees add up quickly and the gas and hotels required for the drive don’t seem so bad!  If you are flying and have a lot of gear, consider joining American Society for Media Photographers as they offer discounts with American Airlines on extra and heavy baggage for photographers and other media professionals.  Don’t count on receiving the discount on international flights though!

One more note on extra baggage.  When traveling to Australia, I was nearly all packed and had a small pile of camping equipment that I wanted to take but was going to require another bag and the associated fees.  I knew I could buy everything I had in that pile once I arrived but consider this.  In that pile I had a tent and some other camping gear worth somewhere around $250.  If I packed that gear I’d fill a bag about half way but I’d have to pay about $300 round trip for the extra baggage.  If I didn’t take the camping gear, I’d have to buy it on site and maybe pay more than the $250 I had already paid, plus I would have to spend the time required to go out and buy it.  If I packed it, then I’d have it and I could add some other stuff to the bag making it an economical decision.  Pay the baggage fee and take the valuable gear.  It seems like a lot, but for a three or four month trip, a couple hundred bucks to get your gear there is nothing.

The last thing to consider is transport of the gear to and from your destination as well as in the field.  I often find that I pack my equipment for travel and then when I arrive, I repack everything for use in the field.  After all, traveling with a hard sided case like a Pelican case is great but they are rather difficult to lug around in remote field.  Keep in mind you need to get your gear there safely as well as be able to use it in the field.  It’s a tough compromise and I often will pack a separate backpack inside my clothes suitcase (fill the empty pack with clothes/shoes/etc) and then I use that pack in the field and leave the hard sided travel cases wherever I am staying.

Packing can be a nightmare and an exercise in seeming futility.  As my aunt always says, “the time required to pack for a trip expands to the time allowed.”  If you start two weeks ahead of time, it’s going to take two weeks.  Keep things organized and be sure to make a list.  On major trips, all of my camera gear gets put on a list so I can check it off as it goes in the case on my return so I know I don’t miss anything!  Once again, plan ahead, but ultimately, flexibility is the name of the game!

Get past the packing and get in the car or on the plane and get in the field!  All your preparation will pay off.  Now go make some pictures!

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.

If I am after a specific species or subject, I will often contact someone that does a lot of work on that particular species.  This can be hit or miss.  Some researchers just want to research and not be bothered while others are interested in public outreach and will welcome your interest. Scientists can also help to facilitate access to sites as well.As a photographer with a background in biology and ecology, I usually can have a fairly high level conversation with a scientist about his work. Read some of the papers he or she has published and get a basic grasp of their research.  This can help immensely when I am cold calling researchers.

If birds are a key aspect to the project, like they were for me in Australia, then simply finding the right species can be a huge difficulty.  Local birding communities tend to be very open and friendly and willing to share and show people around.  Knowing where the birds are is a huge step towards photographing them, and an email to a local birder or email list can make that happen.  Just be aware, not all birding locations are great for photography!

Finally, other photographers can be great because they not only know the region and the subjects, but also are aware of light and what it takes to make a great photograph.  This can save you some tremendous frustration.  Also, sometimes there is a rather absurd place to photograph a particular species that you would never have found on your own.  I’m thinking of places like obscure city ponds or sewage treatment plants.  A local photographer with a similar approach can be invaluable in helping you get in the right place at the right time.  Seek them out and make a friend.

Local expertise is essential.  Make friends and become a part of the community.  If you are going to be there for a couple months, it is essential.  Not only will it help your photography, making new friends and contacts on your Trip will help your sanity even when you aren’t behind the camera.

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.

I use both approaches and both work quite well.  When doing an extended trip over three months in length, I tend to leave it fairly open.  I have a rough outline that I follow but the daily planning happens once I am on the ground.  For example, when I arrived in Australia, I had a very rough plan.  I had a vague idea of what regions I would be in during which month.  Other than that, I tended to plan on a monthly and weekly basis.  Even then, plans changed frequently.  The reality is, planning an entire year down to the day in advance is rather ridiculous, especially given my lack of local knowledge when I arrived.

In the Everglades, I arrived with a rough idea of the range of images I wanted to create.  I was living in one place so that was fixed, but I had the option to roam as freely as I wanted.  I sat down each Sunday and planned the week.  These plans included where and when I would shoot and what my subjects and goals would be.  Keep in mind, while you have already set some goals for the entire trip, setting more short term goals can be a great way to stay focused and productive.

While for long term projects, I leave my plans fairly open, for shorter trips, I plan a lot more details.  For this trip, there is a ton I want to do and not a lot of time to get it done.  In order to fit it all in, I have plotted day by day where I will be and what I’d like to photograph.  Some things are rather specific, like I know I want to photograph at night during the New Moon at the Pa-hay-okee area.  Sometimes I keep it a little more wide open but I typically put together a framework that gives me structure but  also allows for spontaneity when I in the field.

Figure out what works for you.  Are you someone that likes structure and schedules?  Do you like to keep it free and easy?  I can attest that both ways work well and the reality, like most things, is the best is somewhere between the two extremes.  Find the balance that works for you and get that trip planned!

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.

Do some reading, whether it’s on the Internet or the local library.  I fortunately have access to a fantastic research library here at Cornell University through my wife so I spend a lot of time searching through their catalog and accessing scientific journals focused on my subjects.  I like to know as much as possible about a particular subject before arriving.  After all, the more knowledge you have, the better you can anticipate behavior, and the better images you can create.

Beyond the natural history, which is the fun part of research for me, there is also the logistics.  Do you drive or fly? Where do you stay?  What sort of equipment do you need?  What sort of power is available for battery charging, laptop use, etc?  Where exactly do you want to be and when do you want to be there?  Is one particular location better at sunrise or sunset?  If you want to continue to update a blog and check email, where can you get a decent Internet connection?  One question leads to another and another and another until it becomes rather overwhelming, so overwhelming that the natural history research can be forgotten.

The logistics, while overwhelming at times, can often make or break a trip.  If you have figured out your travel arrangements, where you will stay, and other things then things should go fairly well and you can focus your attention on your photography.  On the other hand, on any long trip, stuff is going to go wrong.  Be prepared.  Be flexible.  Don’t let it overwhelm you.  It happens, so be ready to adapt and get back into the field.

For my upcoming trip, the natural history research was fairly easy, as I already know the area well.  I have spent some time looking at different locations, particularly for the night photography.  I not only need a good foreground subject but I need dark skies.  I’ve got several options in mind and will spend some time scouting when I arrive.

I was very disappointed to learn that a large section of Loop Road, one of my favorite areas in Big Cypress, is currently closed to traffic.  This was a major disappointment, but I just may take advantage of the closure by hiking down the road and having the area totally to myself, which could provide some great opportunities for photography.

Start with a good plan but be flexible and keep an open mind. Learn all you can about the natural history of your subjects before you arrive on the ground.  Good preparation will maximize your effectiveness during your Trip and the easier it will be to complete your goals.

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.

If you have chosen a specific location as your theme then you likely have a huge variety of options.  You can photograph the landscape, the plants and animals that call it home, the impact and interaction of humans in the landscape, or even one small aspect of any of that.  It’s a lot to process and even more to photograph.

If you’ve chosen a specific species as your theme, you also have your work cut out.  For example, if you pick a rare or elusive species, you have to answer several basic questions.  How are you going to find it and how are you going to get close enough to create photographs?  If it’s a common species, then how are you going to capture new and different images?  Are you after specific behaviors, interactions, breeding, hunting, or a specific individual?

For me, this trip offers a wide variety of options.  Knowing I was going to be in South Florida, I started with my focus on the Everglades with the goal of expanding on my earlier work.  Now, I have the previous experience of living within the park boundaries for 5 months in 2005 so I have previously photographed many of the major attractions.  I knew I wanted to focus on the more remote and less visited areas and have defined my own goals as follows:

• Revisit popular destinations to document change in the last 5 years
• Explore the 10,000 Islands and the Southwest Everglades by canoe
• Explore the backcountry of the Big Cypress Swamp
• Capture the Everglades by night

In order to properly address and complete these goals, I have spent a lot of time researching both logistics and natural history which we will look at tomorrow.

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.

If you work a “real” job full time, how can you justify to your boss that you are going to disappear into a remote jungle for a month or two and then expect your job to be waiting for you when you return? This is the United States after all.  You might be able to pull that in some countries with better vacation laws but chances are it isn’t going to work here.  I wish I had a good answer for you.  I don’t.  Will telecommuting work?  Will you have a good Internet connection where you will be?  Depends.  It’s really a personal ordeal and I wish I had a perfect answer for you.  Try reading the Four Hour Workweek for some ideas though!

So let’s say you get the time free and have the cash to not only fund the trip but cover your normal expenses back home like rent or a mortgage, insurance, etc, etc.  Where do you go?  For me, there are several different approaches.  First, you can spend a lot of time in one particular place becoming intimately familiar with the area and making new and different photographs because of your local knowledge.  I took this approach during my time working on Everglades Imagery.

Or, you can take the flipside and go somewhere where the diversity is incredible.  Pick a place where the diversity is so high that you can capture a whole bunch of different subjects and create an essay that way.  I took this approach for Of Emus and Fairy-wrens, traveling 40,000 miles to photograph nearly 400 species of birds in a single year.

Both approaches work and both are huge personal challenges.  Professionally, both have different marketing values.  In the Everglades, I took my photographs and my experiences and wrote a book exploring the intricacies of the science behind the Everglades.  In Australia, I have a few pictures of a wide variety of species and I am able to publish field guide type images, but not thorough species profiles.  I also have my experiences that will be compiled into a book in the near future.  The former project was all about a place, the latter about a theme, endemism.  It’s all about your approach.

Getting into the backcountry of the Everglades and Big Cypress Swamp is my main focus for this trip.

For this trip, I am doing a bit of both.  I will be heading back to the Everglades for about a month.  During this time, I’ll be focused on spending time in some of the more remote areas of the Everglades, mostly backcountry locations seldom visited by most of the general public and photographers.  I’ll be hitting a half dozen or so locations and spending a few days in each.

Afterwards, I’ll be moving my way up the peninsula spending some time focusing on specific species.  I’ll be creating a multimedia species profile of Florida’s only endemic bird, the Florida Scrub Jay.  I will be focusing on not only the single species, but also the unique scrub habitat and the other species that live there.  This in depth focus on a specific species, even if only for a few days, will result in more than just a few field guide style photographs, but allow me to capture more behavioral shots.  After the Scrub Jays, I may move on to focus on a few other species like the endangered Red-cockaded Woodpecker, but that will all be time dependent.

So, when you get the opportunity, where will you go?  What is your dream trip?  Why does this subject or location draw you?  Let’s hear about it!

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.

White Ibis (Eudocimus albus) - Flamingo, Everglades National Park, Florida

Yesterday I was putting together a photo submission for a magazine and was digging through some old files and came across this image.  The image was taken in the Everglades in 2005 when I was living in the park.  I was living in the tiny community, Flamingo, on Florida Bay and spent many evenings at Eco Pond photographing White Ibis as they flew from the island in the pond to their roosting sites on islands in Florida Bay.  Some nights the light was great, some nights it wasn’t.  When I had very little light, or after the sun had dropped below the horizon, I experimented with slow shutter speeds and pan blurs.

The basic idea is to use a slow enough shutter speed that you can pan blur the birds wings a bit.  My goal also is to pan well enough that the bird’s eye stays relatively sharp and recognizable.  Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t.  I took a lot of images with this technique and there are only a few in my files today.  This one has made it through and I rediscovered it yesterday.