Naturography

Red-Tailed Hawk Photo Shoot Walkthrough

2009-11-22T17:33:00.000-08:00

My blog has moved from Blogger to my own domain.

The Naturography Blog can now be found at http://naturography.com

This blog post can now be found at http://naturography.com/red-tailed-hawk-photo-shoot-walkthrough/

Thank you for your interest.

Infinite Possibilities, Part 5

2009-11-08T15:39:00.000-08:00

My blog has moved from Blogger to my own domain.

The Naturography Blog can now be found at http://naturography.com

This blog post can now be found at http://naturography.com/infinite-possibilities-part-5/

Thank you for your interest.

Infinite Possibilities, Part 4

2009-11-05T15:49:00.000-08:00

Infinite Possibilities, Part 3

2009-11-04T16:33:00.000-08:00

Infinite Possibilities, Part 2

2009-10-30T08:16:00.000-07:00

Infinite Possibilities, Part 1

2009-10-28T09:44:00.000-07:00

A Few Favorite Nature Photography Books

2009-10-26T12:29:00.000-07:00

My blog has moved from Blogger to my own domain.

The Naturography Blog can now be found at http://naturography.com

This blog post can now be found at http://naturography.com/a-few-favorite-nature-photography-books/

Thank you for your interest.

The Subject is Not The Subject

2009-10-25T18:30:00.000-07:00

My blog has moved from Blogger to my own domain.

The Naturography Blog can now be found at http://naturography.com

This blog post can now be found at http://naturography.com/the-subject-is-not-the-subject/

Thank you for your interest.

Beyond Good and Bad Subjects

2009-10-24T15:33:00.000-07:00

My blog has moved from Blogger to my own domain.

The Naturography Blog can now be found at http://naturography.com

This blog post can now be found at http://naturography.com/?p=321

Thank you for your interest.

Apparent Perspective and Focal Length

2009-10-21T08:27:00.000-07:00

Many photographers think focal length affects perspective. They think wide angle lenses exaggerate perspective, and telescopic lenses flatten perspective.

Technically speaking, that's not true. All focal lengths show perspective identically.

Some of you might be thinking, "But I've seen exaggerated perspective with wide angle lenses and flattened perspective with telescopic lenses". So, what's going on?

Here's the way it's actually working:

In order for a wide angle lens and a telephoto lens to exactly fit a subject of the same size (such as a yardstick fitting exactly across the length of the frame), the wide angle lens needs to be closer to the subject than the telephoto lens. If we wanted to exactly fill the frame with a yardstick, using a 24 mm lens on a 35 mm format camera, we'd need to be about 2 feet away. To similarly fill the frame with a yardstick, using a 600 mm lens, we'd need to be a little over 49 feet away.

Now imagine there's a second yardstick, a blue one, two feet behind the first one, which we'll say is yellow. As you photograph the yellow yardstick with the 24 millimeter lens from 2 feet away, the blue yardstick will be 4 feet away – twice the distance from your lens – which means the blue yardstick will look half as large as the yellow one in your picture. By comparison, when photographed with the 600 millimeter lens, the blue yardstick is 51 feet away – about 4% farther away than the yellow yardstick 49 feet away, which means it will look 2% smaller in your picture.

Thus, while all lenses actually show perspective the same way, the way we use lenses, due to their focal lengths, gives us the appearance of different perspectives. The way wide angle lenses usually get used (comparatively closer to subjects) appears to "exaggerate" perspective; the way telephoto lenses usually get used (comparatively farther from subjects) appears to "compress" perspective.

If you used both the 24 mm lens and the 600 mm lens from 49 feet away, and then cropped the 24 mm picture down to where it covered the same area as the 600 mm picture, then compared the two shots side by side, you'd see that the perspective in the two pictures is identical.

View East of Tioga Pass, Near Yosemite National Park, California

All pictures and text are © Mike Spinak, unless otherwise noted. All pictures shown are available for purchase as fine art prints, and are available for licensed stock use. Telephone: (831) 325-6917.

Imagination and Ambition

2009-10-20T14:12:00.000-07:00

My blog has moved from Blogger to my own domain.

The Naturography Blog can now be found at http://naturography.com

This blog post can now be found at http://naturography.com/imagination-and-ambition/

Thank you for your interest.

Disclosure

2009-10-19T09:30:00.000-07:00

My blog has moved from Blogger to my own domain.

The Naturography Blog can now be found at http://naturography.com

This blog post can now be found at http://naturography.com/disclosure/

Thank you for your interest.

Tools of the Trade

2009-10-18T13:57:00.000-07:00

My blog has moved from Blogger to my own domain.

The Naturography Blog can now be found at http://naturography.com

This blog post can now be found at http://naturography.com/tools-of-the-trade/

Thank you for your interest.

Great Egret and Chicks

2009-10-17T11:14:00.000-07:00

Since several people have requested for me to discuss the stories behind making my pictures, here it is for Great Egret and Chicks.

Every year, many dozens of snowy egrets and black crowned night herons, and a handful of great egrets, come around the beginning of March to nest in the palm trees by the duck pond at Palo Alto Baylands (previously the Palo Alto Yacht Harbor). Usually the birds nest in the thick of the trees, where views and photography are blocked by palm fronds. This particular great egret nest was positioned so as to be more accessibly viewed than all the others, with only one frond blocking the nest from view. By standing back far enough, and getting up high enough, it was possible to achieve a mostly clear view of the nest behind the frond.

In early Summer of 2005, the mating pair of egrets which resided upon this nest, having already successfully raised one pair of chicks, had a second clutch of three chicks. By early July, the chicks were big enough to stick their heads above the nest, and mature enough to become more active toward their parents and each other. At this point, I came as often as I could, so as not to miss the spectacle. I'd get up early in the morning, put on my Kinesis pack with my 1,200 mm set-up inside (Canon EOS 1Ds Mark 2, with a Canon 600 mm f/4 IS L lens and a Canon 2x teleconverter), carry my eight foot tripod (Bogen 3051) in one hand and a large footstool in the other, and make the short trek to the nest. I'd set up as far back as I could, with the footstool right up against the eroding muddy edge where the land dropped off into the marsh, behind me. Then I'd extend my tripod to its tallest setting, and mount my camera and lens. Once set up, I'd stand on my tip-toes on the footstool, press my eye to the viewfinder, rest one arm along the top of the lens, and wait for the right moment.

For the right moment to happen, several factors had to come together. There was often morning fog, and – for the shot to work – first the morning fog had to burn off. This could happen anywhere from early morning to mid-afternoon. But, due to the direction of the clearing for viewing the nest, it was only possible to get the shots I sought before noon. After that, the nest was in shadow, with harsh backlighting streaking through the palm fronds. If the sun came out early enough, and the wind didn't sway the nest (or my giant lens) too much, then – in order to get the picture I sought – I'd also need the egrets to be active. Most of the time, the chicks napped, while one parent stood guard, and the other parent was out hunting and fishing. When one parent would come back from the hunt, the other would immediately take off; meanwhile, the chicks would wake up, demand food, and be fed (in a surprisingly brief instant).

When everything came together as I liked, I took this picture of the chicks demanding food from the newly arrived parent.

Thanks for visiting.

Great Egret and Chicks (Ardea alba), Palo Alto Baylands, California

The Secret of Stalking Wildlife

2009-10-16T12:00:00.000-07:00

My blog has moved from Blogger to my own domain.

The Naturography Blog can now be found at http://naturography.com

This blog post can now be found at http://naturography.com/the-secret-of-stalking-wildlife/

Thank you for your interest.

Mysteries of Nature: Fire and Ice

2009-10-15T12:52:00.001-07:00

My blog has moved from Blogger to my own domain.

The Naturography Blog can now be found at http://naturography.com

This blog post can now be found at http://naturography.com/mysteries-of-nature-fire-and-ice/

Thank you for your interest.

The Value of Projects

2009-10-14T01:39:00.000-07:00

My blog has moved from Blogger to my own domain.

The Naturography Blog can now be found at http://naturography.com

This blog post can now be found at http://naturography.com/http:/naturography.com/the-value-of-projects/

Thank you for your interest.

Answering Some Questions

2009-10-11T22:29:00.000-07:00

Compositions Rules Problems, 2

2009-10-07T16:39:00.000-07:00

Composition Rules Problems, 1

2009-10-05T14:39:00.000-07:00

Examples of Artistic Communication

2009-10-04T14:21:00.000-07:00

The Language of Art

2009-10-03T20:59:00.001-07:00

Content, Part 1

2009-10-02T20:45:00.000-07:00

A Brief Note About Content and Communication

2009-09-29T15:58:00.000-07:00

First Light, Mono Lake

2009-09-27T22:20:00.000-07:00

Since telling the story of the picture was well received, with First Snow, Yosemite Valley, here's another – the story of First Light, Mono Lake.

This Picture was taken at exactly 5:00 A.M., in May 2004, with a Canon EOS 1Ds camera and a Canon 24-70 millimeter f/2.8 lens.

I had been traveling along Highway 395 for a week with my friend, Steve, photographing the Eastern Sierras in the late season snow. We arrived at Mono Lake the evening prior to this shot, much later than we had intended. This had been my first visit there since I'd taken up photography, and we only had about 10 minutes to reconnoiter the area before dark, to plan for our dawn shot the following morning. I rushed around the South Tufa area in those last few minutes of light, compass in hand to keep track of precisely where the sun would rise.

I found and chose this spot, then left to return in the early morning. It didn't look like much in the pale post-sunset waning light. The formation was spectacular, but it was not complimented by the flat light which made it blend into its surroundings; and the choppy water obscured all traces of reflection. Nonetheless – compass in hand, I envisioned it darkly backlit and sharply contrasting with the bright surrounding water, reflecting the morning sunlight; and I envisioned better reflections as long exposures in the dim early morning smoothed the water's chop.

I wanted it to stand out in stark isolation. I wanted the picture to convey how fantastic and other-worldly this structure is. I wanted the break of day upon these tufa towers to express a sense of the primordial.

I rarely choose to shoot toward the sun on the horizon. The light is usually more interesting facing the direct opposite direction, or a sidelong direction. Further, silhouetted shapes usually have to be very engaging, indeed, for silhouette photos to work. In this case, however, the shape of the tufa formation was certainly strong enough.

When I showed up at the spot during the beginning of morning twilight, I didn't think the conditions looked very promising. I had hoped for more clouds in the sky, perhaps with a nicely detailed pattern, to reflect the colors of the rising sun's light. Nevertheless, I set up my composition according to my plan from the previous evening, and hoped for the best.

In the last few minutes before the sun's first appearance, the few wisps of cloud on the edge of the horizon thickened and drifted closer, greatly improving the photographic potential. As the light developed while I waited for the peak moment, it became clear that the never-the-same-twice light variables of dawn's light were presenting me with a significant photographic opportunity. The character of this dawn's light had three qualities that I found exceptional, and wanted to incorporate into my picture: First, it separated each element of the scene clearly from the other elements, while showing each element as a simplified and very coherent form. Second, it had numerous distinct bars of color and tone, each on top of the next, extending in horizontal strips across the sky. Third, it had every color of the rainbow visible, but in an unusual, un-rainbow-like pattern.

I made some quick compositional readjustments in order to optimally work with these special lighting characteristics, toward my desired expressive ends, and, in excited anticipation, took the shot.

Thanks for reading this.

First Light, Mono Lake

First Snow, Yosemite Valley

2009-09-26T12:12:00.000-07:00

It's been suggested that readers would enjoy hearing the stories behind the pictures. So, here's the story behind my picture, First Snow, Yosemite Valley.

In Autumn of 2003, I came to Yosemite Valley to photograph the Fall foliage and then the ice formations at the start of Winter. At first, the weather was unseasonably warm and dry. The daytime temperatures were in the upper 80s Fahrenheit, and even the overnight lows were warm enough for comfortably walking around without a jacket. The earth was parched, and the sky was thick with the yellow haze of dust and campfire smoke.

Then, on the evening of Halloween, the weather changed in an instant. The haze disappeared, a chill wind blew, and billowing clouds, rose colored in the day's last rays, piled up high on the edge of the sky. The next morning, the world was white with an eight inch thick cover of snow.

I was out photographing before dawn, excited to shoot as much as possible, before it all melted and disappeared. (In patches, it had melted entirely by mid-afternoon.) I chose to take a picture which emphasized the meadow's leaning grasses, laden with sticky, granular snow, because this shows the unique character of a first snowfall of Autumn. The snow would melt away, then fall anew, several times more, before it finally heaped into a blanket that remained for the season – but the grasses would already be entirely crushed flat before the next snow fell, irreversibly changed until next year's new growth. In this way, the picture shows a brief slice of time, and hints at the many special ways that only the first snowfall transforms the land.

While towering granite cliffs are iconic of the Yosemite Valley, they are mostly excluded from the picture, to focus on a more intimate sense of the changing of the seasons. After a little while waiting for the fog to rise a bit, the rising fog outlined the trees and obscured the granite valley walls, and gave a sense of the seasonal weather and evanescence.

Photographed with a Canon EOS 1Ds, and a Canon 24-70 mm f/2.8 lens.

If you enjoy reading the stories behind the pictures, and would like more, please let me know. If you'd rather I stick to other topics, instead, I'd like to hear that, too.

Thank you, Rhonda Harrison Cole, for suggesting posting about the stories behind the pictures.

First Snow, Yosemite Valley

The Allure of the Intertidal Zone

2009-09-24T17:59:00.000-07:00

The Perils of Nature Photography

2009-09-24T13:44:00.000-07:00

Giving and Receiving Criticism

2009-09-23T17:00:00.000-07:00

Ordering Fine Art Prints

2009-09-22T19:09:00.000-07:00

All of the pictures shown in the Naturography blog are available as fine art prints.

To purchase a print, please either email me at mikespinak(@)naturography.com (remove the parentheses), or call me at (831) 325-6917, to discuss your choices for sizes, finishes, and the like.

The prices for my fine art prints are as follows:

For prices for canvas prints, add $60 to the prices listed above.

Thank you for your consideration.

All the details:

• Prints are on Fuji Crystal Archive paper

Fuji Crystal Archive is a true, light sensitive, silver halide photographic paper. I choose Fuji Crystal Archive paper for my prints because it's the highest quality for photographic reproduction currently available.

• Matte or glossy finish

Glossy is a very smooth finish which has slightly higher contrast, making the colors appear a little more saturated, and making fine details appear slightly crisper; but it is a little harder to see the picture, due to reflections and glare. Matte is a finely stippled finish with a touch lower contrast, saturation, and apparent detail; but it is easier to see the picture, because it is less reflective.

• Sizes refer to paper size, not photo size

Photo paper comes in standard sizes. My pictures are not always in the same height-to-width ratio as the standard paper, and therefore not always the same size. Prints are made onto the closest available standard sized paper upon which the picture will fit, with a border around the edges.

• Border color

Border colors on the photo paper around the image can be white, gray, black, or the color of your choosing. The default is white.

• Signature

I can sign in pen, pencil, or digitally as part of the picture, itself; front in the bottom right corner, or on the back. (Pencil is only available as an option on the back.) Each picture will also be dated and numbered, on the back.

• Shipping

The shipping charge is not included in the price listed above; it will be added separately. You can specify which carrier, and what kind of shipping you want, and I will do my best to accommodate you. My charge will be the actual shipping cost.

• Copyright

Your print purchase does not include any licensing nor transfer of copyright. It does not entitle you to duplicate this photo, neither as a print nor digital file. If you would like to license copyrights, please contact me and we can make the arrangements.

• Questions and/or special needs

If you have any questions or special needs, please feel welcome to call me or email me, and I will be happy to discuss them with you.

Here's what people have to say:

"Your extraordinary talent has never been more evident than in your haunting and heartwarming Sleeping Sea Lions series.

I'm impressed with the technical skill required to capture these animals in intimate slumber, but I'm blown away by the empathy and vision that drove you to document them from this uniquely powerful perspective.

I love the muted blue and gray palette and the juxtaposition of velvety textures and intriguing "scar-scapes" ...and I never get tired of looking at them. These lush, peaceful images touch my heart so much that I redesigned my bedroom around them.

Thank you, Mike, for creating these... they're simply amazing."
Liss Sterling

"I love the photo... Thanks so much for your wonderful artistry!"
Tamera Goldsmith

"I am very proud to have this hanging pride of place in my house."
Geraldine Dukes

"I love the print of ours that graces our walls!"

Kasia Hopewell

Sleeping California Sea Lions

All pictures and text are © Mike Spinak, unless otherwise noted. All pictures shown are available for purchase as fine art prints, and are available for licensed stock use. Telephone: (831) 325-6917.

Minimizing Shake When Photographing Handheld

2009-09-21T12:11:00.000-07:00

Obtaining Maximum Sharpness, Part 6

2009-09-10T13:52:00.000-07:00

Obtaining Maximum Sharpness, Part 5

2009-09-09T14:50:00.000-07:00

Obtaining Maximum Sharpness, Part 4

2009-09-08T16:46:00.000-07:00

Announcing The Naturography Business Page on Facebook

2009-09-07T19:51:00.000-07:00

First, a picture of the day – Since it's my birthday, and since I'm announcing the "birth" of the Naturography business page on Facebook, here's a picture of a Clodius Parnassian butterfly emerging from the cocoon, stretching its new wings as they fill with hemolymph:

This is just a very brief post, to let you know that I've created a Naturography business page, on facebook.

http://www.facebook.com/naturography

The Naturography business page will show pictures and status report updates, announce blog posts (here), announce print specials, announce instructional offerings (workshops, seminars, private instruction, photo critique, books, and so on), and will be a convenient place to contact me.

Please feel welcome to "Become a Fan", so that you can follow my newsfeed on Facebook.

I hope to see you, there.

Thank you.

Clodius Parnassian Butterfly Emerging from Cocoon

Obtaining Maximum Sharpness, Part 3

2009-09-06T21:29:00.000-07:00

Obtaining Maximum Sharpness, Part 2

2009-09-05T07:27:00.000-07:00

Announcing The Naturography Forum On Facebook

2009-09-04T11:04:00.000-07:00

First, a picture of the day:

This is just a very brief post, to let you know that I've created a Naturography discussion group, on facebook.

http://groups.to/naturography/

The Naturography forum will serve as a place for people who want to talk about and show nature photography, and for people to view it. I'd like this to be a substantial and lively group for both nature photographers, and enthusiasts who want to look at nature photography. Beginner or advanced, creator or viewer, a passion for nature photography is enough.

It is a place to get your questions answered, to explore ideas, to get your pictures seen and perhaps critiqued, to report sightings (birds, wildflowers, butterflies, fungi, etc.) and to read sighting reports, to find valuable information, to see inspirational photos, to learn and share and have fun, and to meet other nature photographers and enthusiasts.

While the Naturography forum is ostensibly for specifically nature photographers, a lot of the discussion is much more broadly applicable, and may be of interest to photographers in any field.

I'm striving to make it a truly excellent nature photography board, with meaningful discussion and content for every level of photographer from the most beginner to the most advanced. If you'd like that, too, then let's bring this group to life and make it something special. Please come and participate, and please invite other nature photographers and other appreciators of nature photography.

I hope to see you, there.

Thank you.

American Avocet Flock with Reflections

Obtaining Maximum Sharpness, Part 1

2009-09-04T00:13:00.000-07:00

Rebirth of the Naturography Blog

2009-09-03T12:36:00.000-07:00

First, I'd like to share a picture of the day. Since this post is about the rebirth of my blog, I'm showing a picture of the birth of an elephant seal.

After more than a year since my last entry, I am bringing back the Naturography Blog.

The long interval since the last post was due to a few reasons. One was a broken heart. Another was that I was looking for a better photo hosting solution, and a better blog hosting solution – and I viewed the use of this blog site as temporary, until I set up a better solution, elsewhere. Also, I've just been busy, and the dealing with the blog software, in order to get the text and pictures and links posted and looking right, was time consuming.

I'll now be giving this blog more priority, and posting more regularly. I'll probably be making the posts a little shorter and a little more simply designed, on average, but I will be keeping the content high. There will be a lot of interesting material, for anyone who likes making nature pictures, or just likes looking at them.

At some point, soon, I'll be re-doing my website, and then transferring the hosting for this blog, and for its pictures, to my own site. Until then, I hope you continue to enjoy it here.

As I revive this blog, I have several new offerings in the works. I'm writing a nature photography how-to book; I'm creating workshops, in addition to the private instruction I already offer; I'll be offering webinars, photo criticism, and also fine art print specials. I'll keep you updated, as these offerings develop.

Please come back, regularly, and tell any friends who like nature photography to come and check it out.

Thank you, readers, for your interest and attention.

Elephant Seal Birth

Close Up Lens Considerations, Part 2

2008-08-12T08:49:00.000-07:00

Close Up Lens Considerations, Part 1

2008-08-11T13:31:00.000-07:00

Brown Pelicans at the Capitola Wharf

2008-08-11T09:13:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a perfect example of one of the many reasons I love being a nature photographer. I say this, not because of coming back with nice pictures, but because of the experience of being there.

There were bird reports that a very large school of sardines had come in, right under the Capitola Wharf, and had brought in 3,000 (!) brown pelicans, along with many cormorants, and had even brought the murres in from the open water.

It was all true. I'm not a skilled bird counter, but 3,000 pelicans seemed like it might even have been a conservative guess. There were a lot of pelicans. I've lived most of my life near the seashore, and I've seen a lot of pelicans, before, but never anything like this. They were like a cloud of giant, ancient birds around the wharf, almost darkening the sky. They were so dense that it took special effort to get unobstructed photos of individuals.

The feeling of the abundance of life all around was palpable. It was majestic and astonishing.

By the way, the brown pelican picture, above, was not from yesterday; I haven't yet had an opportunity to deal with those shots and get them online. I'll try to do so, soon.

Thanks for reading.

Brown Pelican in Flight, #2

All pictures and text are © Mike Spinak, unless otherwise noted. All pictures shown are available for purchase as fine art prints, and are available for licensed stock use. Telephone: (831) 325-6917.

Professional Nature Photography: The Price of Admission, Part 3

2008-08-10T08:45:00.000-07:00

Professional Nature Photography: The Price of Admission, Part 2

2008-08-10T05:54:00.000-07:00

Professional Nature Photography: the Price of Admission, Part 1

2008-08-09T22:25:00.000-07:00

Protective Filters

2008-08-09T05:47:00.000-07:00

Seeing the Light: Part 1

2008-08-08T07:17:00.000-07:00

There's a lot more to say about seeing light, and I'm later going to seemingly contradict what I say, here. But that will have to wait.

Have a good day.

First Light, Mono Lake

All pictures and text are © Mike Spinak, unless otherwise noted. All pictures shown are available for purchase as fine art prints, and are available for licensed stock use. Telephone: (831) 325-6917.

Safely Photographing the Sun

2008-08-07T06:25:00.000-07:00

Get Luckier: Strategy for Success, Part 4

2008-08-06T16:03:00.000-07:00

Get Luckier: Strategy for Success, Part 3

2008-08-06T12:51:00.000-07:00

Get Luckier: Strategy for Success, Part 2

2008-08-06T10:24:00.000-07:00

Get Luckier: Strategy for Success, Part 1

2008-08-06T08:16:00.000-07:00

Private Instruction

2008-08-05T17:38:00.000-07:00

"If you want to learn more about nature photography – and about nature itself – Mike Spinak is your guy."

Marc Pawliger, Director, Adobe Photoshop

I offer private nature photography instruction. I teach landscape photography...

and wildlife photography...

and close up floral photography...

and natural pattern photography...

and whatever else you'd like.

We can custom tailor your instruction to suit your needs. Besides the topics above, possible topics we can cover include techniques for perfect exposure, focusing techniques, camera and lens stabilization techniques, long lens techniques, gear selection, preparation, composition, vision, stalking wildlife, inter tidal zone techniques, processing RAW picture files, and criticism, among many other possibilities.

Here's what people have to say:

"If you want to learn more about nature photography – and about nature itself – Mike Spinak is your guy. Whether you are just starting to shoot, or have lots of experience under your belt, Mike is sure to teach you something new. He is the consummate, patient, and passionate teacher and mentor. If you want to learn how to truly find and see nature, and how to master the techniques that let you capture in images what you see around you, Mike will help you understand how. His encyclopedic knowledge of photographic techniques, photo gear, and nature itself have truly opened and expanded my photographic world."

Marc Pawliger, Director, Adobe Photoshop

"In my early days of development as a photographer I can honestly say that Mike's insight had a profound influence on my work. From camera kit, lighting techniques and shooting conditions, to artistic and creative approach, Mike always offered constructive advice which helped me experiment and refine my style. Mike has a wealth of knowledge and a broad range of experience that any budding photographer would be privileged to both learn and find inspiration from."

Geraldine Dukes, Photographer, Graphic Artist

"OK. Just so you know – I really listened to your advice and remember it like yesterday. I wonder if you remember it? Well... now your advice has gone around the world - over the past two years I had hundreds of people asking me for tips and secrets. Your words are usually the first ones everyone hears. :)"

Chris Blaszczyk, Photographer

"I first met Mike in Tuolumne Meadows the summer of 2004. Mike is friendly and approachable and a patient teacher. Mike is versed in art, philosophy, literature, science, biology and nature. From the technical aspect of what happens inside the electronics of the camera to the esoterical question of what is beautiful, Mike uses a unique blend of science and art to explain photography. Conversing with Mike is intellectually stimulating. His verbal expression is as artistic and interesting as his photography. Mike showed me that great photographs are expressions based on vision and not mere happenstance."

Art Cormier, Manager, Yosemite Mountaineering Shop & Mountaineering School; Proprietor, Rok Haus Climbing Gym

A Little About Me....

I'm a photographer and a writer. I began photography in Autumn of 1998, when circumstances gave me the opportunity to take my life in new directions. I sell my photography as fine art prints and as stock. I've always loved to travel, experience nature, and express myself creatively. I've chosen photography and writing as ways to make these passions into a lifestyle and career.

My emphasis is nature photography. I use my knowledge as a naturalist to find subjects and themes people rarely see; then I use my photography to share my experiences with others. I want to show people the beauty and wonder of the natural world, and help them feel kinship with nature.

My studio is wherever I find myself with a camera and Nature's largesse. All of these pictures are taken outside, in their environment. All of the animals are wild. Everything is photographed as found.

I began teaching photography four years ago, and, in light of growing demand, I've decided to expand.

I am currently located in the Bay Area of California, but I am available for anywhere in the world. My prices are reasonable. Give me a call at the phone number at the bottom of this post, or email me at the email contact address for this blog.

Thank you for your consideration.

Mono Lake Dawn
Anna's Hummingbird in Flight
Passion Flower
Ocean Reflection, #2

All pictures and text are © Mike Spinak, unless otherwise noted. All pictures shown are available for purchase as fine art prints, and are available for licensed stock use. Telephone: (831) 325-6917.

Get Lucky: Part 3

2008-08-05T13:27:00.001-07:00

Get Lucky: Part 2

2008-08-05T06:05:00.000-07:00

Get Lucky: Part 1

2008-08-04T23:08:00.000-07:00

The Key to Better Photography

2008-08-04T10:16:00.000-07:00

Thank You

2008-08-04T06:56:00.000-07:00

Thank you, Laurie, Gloria, Larry, Zofia, Ron, Maggie, and Chuq. Thank you for your support, your knowledge, your technical assistance, your criticism, your ideas, and your feedback. Without you, this blog probably wouldn't exist at all, and certainly would not exist in the form it is taking. I am grateful and indebted.

Finally, thank you, readers, for your interest and attention.

Mother's Love (California Sea Lion Mother and Pup Sleeping)

All pictures and text are © Mike Spinak, unless otherwise noted. All pictures shown are available for purchase as fine art prints, and are available for licensed stock use. Telephone: (831) 325-6917.

Introduction

2008-08-03T22:20:00.000-07:00

Do you enjoy seeing nature's splendor? Do you like creating nature photos?

If yes for either, then this new blog may interest you. I photograph nature.

Landscapes:

Wildlife:

Flora:

Patterns:

And so on. If it's nature, I photograph it.

Herein, I'll show pictures; I'll share how to do nature photography; I'll let you know what I'm up to; and I'll offer my workshops, private instruction, books, videos, lectures, prints, and so on.

Welcome.

First Light, Mono Lake
Sleeping California Sea Lions
Passiflora Tendril and Leaf Tip
Frozen Puddle, Yosemite

All pictures and text are © Mike Spinak, unless otherwise noted. All pictures shown are available for purchase as fine art prints, and are available for licensed stock use. Telephone: (831) 325-6917.