Author Archives: bobshank

Eat Up!

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Last Tuesday evening, our first evening on the elk range, provided a lot of action for us. We saw quite a few bulls that night and they were bugling, fighting for breeding rights, and grazing. It was a beautiful sight!

At one point, this young bull came out of the woods where he had been lying down and resting. He proceeded to graze in the tall, green grass not far from me. I quickly panned my camera on my tripod to his location and shot a series of  photos. This is one of the best ones I captured.

Young Bull Eating Grass

Rescued Elk Doing Well

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The bull which was rescued from the swing at the old Benezette School is doing well. We saw him last week on Thursday and he was hanging around with a spike bull. He looked healthy and seemed to be doing just fine. I suppose he took his place with a spike bull because he knows he cannot compete with the bigger bulls, especially with only one antler. Or maybe his head is just a little lopsided, which has kept him off his game so far. Either way, it was nice to see him in the wild and doing well. This was an amazing story and so far this rescued bull seems no less for the wear, not counting the removed antler. Here are two photos I captured of him last Thursday.

Rescued Bull Update #1-1 Rescued Bull Update #1-2

Tough Lighting Conditions

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What do you do when the lighting conditions are extremely challenging when you are out with your camera?

It seems to me there are at least three choices you can decide on:

  1. Complain about all the great shots you are missing
  2. Quit altogether and go home
  3. Keep trying and see what happens

Fortunately for me, I decided on the third choice this past week when I was on the elk range. My good friend and photography colleague, Dick McCreight, had a big part in this important decision. You see, when you are out photographing with someone else, they can spur you on and keep you working even in tough conditions. Yes, I complained a little about the tough lighting conditions and the problem I had focusing on the elk, but working with Dick helped motivate me to keep at it. I am very glad I did, too.

Here is one example of how “keep trying and see what happens” can turn out to be the best decision a photographer could make.

Bull in the Fog

Just Back from the Elk Range!

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I just returned from three awesome days spent on the elk range in Benezette. It was productive and we heard a lot of bulls bugling. The weather was unseasonably warm, but we saw one bull breeding a cow and many bulls are busy keeping their cows together while fighting off satellite bulls who want some of the action.

The weather was tough at times for photography with the fog and haze, but being with other wildlife photographers made up for the lulls in action. My photo colleague and I saw Buckwheat, Odie, Willard Hill, Steve Miller, and Tom Murphy.

I will post more information about this trip in upcoming blog entries. Here is one photo I captured this week:

Spike Laying Down

Batteries Charged?

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I have a  photo assignment tomorrow and I just remembered that I need to charge my batteries before the big event tomorrow. There is nothing worse than packing for a photo trip and realizing that the batteries need to be charged.

My protocol calls for charging to be done the night before a photo outing. I also purchased an inverter for my truck so I can charge my batteries when I am away from home or out away from electricity for extended periods of time. I always pack my charger and its power cord in my photography bag because I never know when I might need it.

Today’s tip is short and simple–charge your batteries so they are ready when you need them!

Always Learning

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I was not a very good student in high school. Things got a little better for me when I attended Temple University, and by the time I got to grad school I was a much better student. Since then I have always tried to keep learning. The old saying is surely true, “You learn something new every day.”

In the world of photography I find it necessary to learn something new because there is so much to learn. And learning is fun, too!

I have an iPod which allows me to listen to a number of photography-related podcasts. They are informative, teach me some new lessons, and are fun to listen to while I am driving.

Here is a list of some of the photography podcasts I listen to frequently:

Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Killer Tips
Camera Dojo: Digital Photography Enthusiasts
D-Town TV
Digital Photography Life
Lightroom for Digital Photographers
The Image Doctors
Photofocus
This Week in Photography

Quality Photography

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What exactly determines quality photography?

Is it simply a matter of just being in the right place at the right time? Does it have a lot to do with applying the appropriate white balance? Is it solely determined by precise focus? What does determine quality photography?

Perhaps this question can be debated ’til the cows come home. There could be nearly as many arguments for this answer as there are photographers out there. And yet there does appear to be some applied standard to quality photography. One plausible definition could be, “I don’t know exactly but I know it when I see it.”

When you sit down and pour over many photographs, doesn’t one or two usually stand out above the others? Why is this? Is the perspective of the camera or the photographer’s eye? Is it the sharp, crisp focus that makes all the difference? Or is it the brilliant colors that stand out vibrantly?

What is quality photography to you?

The Right Tools

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I like tools. Ever since I was a kid watching my dad working with his tools I thought they were cool. Way cool! I like hand tools, and power tools; plumber’s tools and electrician’s tools. Oh, and by the way, I don’t believe one can ever have too many tools.

In photography “tools” can be taken in several ways. Tools can refer to those instruments used to fix or repair photography equipment in the field. For example, I always have a set of jewelers screwdrivers in my photo bag.

However, I often think of tools in photography in regards to using the right lens for the job. Are you photographing a wild animal or bird? Then you better have a telephoto lens on your camera. Are you photographing a flower? Then a macro lens can come in handy. See what I mean? Having the right tool for the job is essential in photography. And the photographer needs to have the right tools close at hand to adequately photograph the subject. Oh yeah, and the same rule applies: a photographer can have too many lenses, right?

Do you have the right tools in your photo bag?

Repeating Patterns

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I fondly remember the photographic assignments we received from our photography professor at Temple University. Sometimes the assigned shots were simple and straightforward. Other times they required much more planning and thinking.

One assignment I enjoy giving to myself these days is what I call repeated patterns. Some days wildlife is no where to be seen. What is a photographer to do? Take his camera and go home? What fun would that be?

On one such day back in February of this year we came across this bridge and I couldn’t help but see the repeated pattern that presented itself to me. This is certainly not a perfect photo by any means, but it helps me illustrate what I mean when I talk about repeating patterns.

What assignments do you enjoy photographing? What self-assignments do you give yourself?