Half the Fun is Getting the Shot

The photos I shot last summer in the Wheeler Peak Wilderness only strengthen the Navajo claim that turquoise comes from the sky.
Don’t give me the credit, though. Instead, attribute these colors to the distinctive light that has brought artists to New Mexico for centuries. This is a quality so intense that even my inexpensive Kodak was able to pick up the grime on the snow in La Cal Basin, while in my landscape taken from Bull-of-the-Woods Mountain, the distant hills flex like muscles beneath a shiny coat of fur.
Though I’m proud of these photos, I’d be satisfied if they remained private memories of my hike through the Land of Enchantment. But having recently found a way to share them with others who care just as much about such wild places, I pulled them off my computer and smelled the pinyon all over again.
In celebration of its 70th birthday, one of America’s most influential conservation groups is expanding its annual photography contest. The 2006 National Wildlife Federation’s Photography Awards now have separate divisions for professionals, amateurs and youths. The 36th year of the contest will also include six new categories: mammals, birds, underwater life, baby animals, people and nature, landscapes and plant life and extreme weather. All images must be of subjects in North America and cannot be enhanced in any way.
WWW.NWF.ORG displays the winning images of last year’s contest, photos that will inspire you to get out there and find your own winning subject. From a drowsy brown bear to the small, magical world of an insect, it’s obvious why these photos impressed the judges. This year’s submissions will be considered by a small group of accomplished photographers as well editors from Nature’s Best Photography and Smithsonian magazines.
Don’t let the tough competition or the judges’ resumes intimidate you. It seems to me that a lot of nature photography depends on being in the right place at the right time. As talented and as patient as last year’s grand prize winner probably is, she was still lucky enough to have been attacked by a great gray owl!
I don’t expect any of my New Mexico shots to impress these judges so much as to dip into the $5,000 prize purse, but I did check the box that donates my submissions to the NWF, which may then use them for their educational programs or anything else consistent with their mission.
Since 1936, the NWF has played a key role in protecting North America’s water and land and the wildlife that inhabits it. Right here in New England, their efforts have helped strengthen the populations of bald eagles and peregrine falcons. They have worked to conserve forests and prevent river erosion in the Green Mountains and have trained students in New Hampshire to restore important wildlife habitats.
Obviously, with all these resources right here in the Northeast, rushing to New Mexico before the contest deadline of July 15 is not necessary. From state parks to your own backyard, you’re bound to find something appropriate for one of the six categories.
With over twenty state organizations in the New England Camera Club Council, Connecticut is full of photography resources as well. One such organization is the New Britain Camera Club, an easygoing group that welcomes photographers of all levels, offering them advice and fostering their interest. Visit www.nbcameraclub.home.comcast.net.
The NBCC also holds monthly photo competitions for its members and their November award for this year is designated for nature photography. From flora to mineral, all subjects in nature are fair game to the NBCC, but what members call "the hand of man" must not be present. This includes buildings, man-made objects, and even domesticated animals or cultivated plants.
Your own property, however, can still be an ideal place for nature photography. The NBCC’s April newsletter, in fact, includes member Steve Wronker’s article "Backyard Bird Photography Tips." By following the NWF’s four guidelines for attracting birds to your property- "food, water, cover and a place to raise their young"- Wronker has compiled a list of 67 bird species that he has spotted in his own yard.
Photographing from an open window, Wronker stays out of sight from the birds, but when they do see him, he is patient until they become used to his presence.
Wronker suggests that bird photographers use a slow film and that their shutter speed be set to 1/500 of a second to capture the quick motions of the subject. Digital photographers, on the other hand, have an advantage because they can experiment by trial and error, seeing immediately what works and what doesn’t. Whatever equipment you choose, though, Wronker suggests you focus on the eyes of the bird.
Our backyards can attract all kinds of wildlife, though. Sometimes we just don’t know it. Last year, I read an article on how to rig a system for capturing nocturnal animals on film. Using a cheap camera and pork chops, this one-exposure-a-night process gave the ultra-patient author some fascinating shots of foxes, raccoons and even a yellow lab. The author admits, however, that these awesome pictures would never win any awards because his primitive contraption was always evident in the prints.
But the word "primitive" is relative. With all the technology that’s available to us today, it’s easy to forget what the pioneers of photography had to endure for even a mediocre print. Lugging their glass negatives, boxy cameras and cumbersome tripods into the woods was an accomplishment in itself. Now that most of us are outfitted with the ubiquitous camera phone, it’s hard not to be prepared when we find ourselves in the right place at the right time. Even so, getting to that place and waiting for that time requires one of the most important traits of a good nature photographer- patience.