Our Anhinga Published in the November, 2022 issue of Ranger Rick, Jr.

 

 

Photos of Anhinga birds stretching their wings to dry are not all that unusual and we've photographed them many times in the Florida Everglades.

This particular photo has a slightly different look than the Everglades. It was taken on the bank of the Silver River northeast of Ocala, FL with a Canon 70-200mm lens and appears as the back cover fold out in the current November, 2022 issue of National Wildlife Federation's Ranger Rick Jr. Magazine.

Pulling Detail Out Of Underexposed Areas

 

While editing our photos from a recent trip to St. Augustine, Florida I came upon the top photo of the historic City Gate of St. Augustine.  We had both successfully photographed the entrance to the City Gate from the other side in soft early morning light with no people present.  I walked through the gate, turned around and saw this incredible sky above the now silhouetted gate.  Realizing that if I photographed the gate on auto exposure the sky would be over exposed and blown out. So I switched to manual exposure and exposed for the sky leaving the gate underexposed (top photo). Now I was able to pull out the detail of the underexposed gate in Camera RAW while keeping that beautiful sky (bottom photo). Remember that it's nearly impossible, even when working a RAW file, to bring back detail from an overexposed area.

Photo was taken with a 24 megapixel Canon, exposure was f8, 1/100 sec, ISO 100

Anticipation Pays Off

 We always arrive at a zoo, or in this case a Wildlife State Park, a few minutes before opening to ensure we are the first to encounter the animals.  In this case we knew there were a pair of endangered Whooping Cranes in a captive breeding program.  I already had my camera setup with the optimum focal length lens, a Canon 70-200mm, and a Canon speedlight with a diffuser attached. This beautiful bird still had it's head tucked in under its wing. Photo is being published in the current issue of Range Magazine.

 We did it 2 years ahead of plan!

Shortly after we both began shooting video clips in 2013 to market online, we set a goal to have 2,000 video clips filmed, edited, captioned, keyworded and uploaded for review and approved in 10 years.

Shooting video footage is more demanding than shooting stills nearly always requiring a tripod and a different strategy.

When 4K video came into play, we invested in new equipment yielding spectacular results.

Three years ago we made the decision, for several reasons, to go exclusive with our  top performing video agency Pond 5.  We removed over 1,100 video clips from three other agencies and never looked back.  

This week, 2years ahead of schedule, we celebrated as we topped 2,000 video clips uploaded, reviewed and approved for sale on Pond 5.  You can view our work here:

Our video clips exclusively on Pond5

Some of Therisa's Favorite Dive Sites Over TheYears

 

Tom made this collage of photos he took of me at some of my favorite dive sites over the years. Nearly all of these were done on assignment for various magazines. What a great ride it's been!

Look Over Your Shoulder!

While working on a photo series of a historic cemetery I recently learned off in newspaper article, I was reminded to amend and update a long standing mantra. For years I have advised photographers to reassess their viewfinder composition before turning and walking away with a feeling of satisfaction and accomplishment over the images they had just captured. Since most of us tend to shot horizontals, I urged photographers to find a vertical composition in their scene.  Besides, I explained, verticals usually command higher usage fees as full page reproductions and covers.

Last Friday morning, I arrived in the predawn darkness at a location I had scouted the week before. I was absolutely thrilled with the thick fog and the element of eerie mysteriousness it would add to my images.  As I awaited the rising sun to silhouette the tombstones and ancient oak trees draped in spanish moss, I happened to look over my shoulder down road I had driven in on. "Whoa!" I thought as I re-positioned the tripod to photograph the scene.  Lesson learned, look over your shoulder!

 

Foggy Road

Sometimes It Just All Comes Together - Daybreak 4K Timelapse

When shooting still images for a timelapse in predawn light it's always hard to predict what kind of cloud cover, movement and sunrise light you're going to have.  It's even difficult to predict exactly where the sun will be rising on the horizon so that you can compose your image properly. However, the biggest challenge I faced on this morning was attempting to get my horizon line straight. I shot 483 still images, one every two seconds, on Manual with an exposure of 1/60 sec at f8, ISO 100.  No post production work was done, no saturation added. Click on the image below to view the timelapse video clip result on Pond 5:

Creating and Marketing Video Clips

You have not heard from us in awhile as we've been busy and having a great time creating and selling video clips!

Here is a link to hundreds of our video clips we are marketing under the pseudonym "Tsado", enjoy!

Link to our video clips

National Wildlife Federation uses our best selling Manatee photo once again!

This time on the back cover of the November, 2015 issue of Ranger Rick Magazine.  

This image has appeared on numerous book and magazine covers as well being featured on posters.

Our publisher selects new front and back cover images for our Florida Keys Impressions book.

Florida Keys Impressions is going into its second printing and our publisher, Farcountry Press, has selected new images for both the front and back covers.

The book can be ordered from Amazon here: 

http://www.amazon.com/Florida-Impressions-photography-Therisa-Stack/dp/1560372907/ref=pd_sxp_f_pt

Our Everglades National Park Impressions book can be ordered from Amazon here:

http://www.amazon.com/Everglades-National-Impressions-photography-Associates/dp/1560373016

Two Photographers Are Better Than One - When They Work As A Team!

While on a cover assignment for Clubhouse Junior magazine to photograph a Special Needs child from the Netherlands, Therisa and I only had one 30 minute window on each of two days to capture a vertical photo which included the child, trainer and dolphin's head out of the water.  Even with our motor drives firing we only came back with one image that even came close to making the cover, good job Therisa!

A Cover Sale From A Previous Photo Shoot...

We photographed this Matschie's Tree Kangaroo, Dendrolagus matschiei, indigenous to New Guinea a few years ago while on assignment doing a children's book on zoos.  It's always great to have an image used as a cover by our outstanding client National Wildlife Federation's Ranger Rick Magazine for children.

Sometimes It Just All Comes Together

Gorillas have always been a difficult subject to photograph.  They're nearly black making it a challenge to retain any detail in their faces. You simply cannot photograph them well in direct sunlight, you need them to be in even shade and preferably on an overcast day.  In captivity there are few enclosures with a natural green background.

It all came together for me the other day with an opportunity that lasted for just a few seconds.  This is an endangered Western lowland gorilla male silverback with a prominent sagittal crest.

Manual mode, 1/250 sec, f5.6 ISO 200 Canon 400mm with Canon 480 EX Speedlite for fill light.

High Speed Strobe Synch

It's been nearly a year since we last photographed these Burrowing owls.  Therisa learned something new that still has me shaking my head in disbelief, High Speed Strobe Synch!  With our Canon 430 EX Speedlite we can enable High Speed Synch and  synch higher than 1/250 sec.  We can strobe synch at any shutter speed! Wow, where have I been.? What a plus this is for moving subjects and being able to utilize faster shutter speeds with long lenses.

With this in mind we set out to photograph the diminutive Burrowing owls, knowing that we needed to get lower and closer.  It's frustrating to have good tripods that still don't go low enough.  Bean bags to the rescue!

CHASING THE LIGHT JURIED PHOTO COMPETITION

Here is an opportunity to get your photography in front of over 1,200 professional Photo Editors and Art Directors:  Chasing The Light Juried Photo Competitions:

"Chasing The Light Juried Photography presents outstanding, award winning images to over 1,200 select Professional Photo Editors and Art Directors as well as the general public on a regular basis. We maintain an up to date list of industry professionals who actively seek new talent and fresh images.

 

Our goal is to unite emerging new photographers with the Photo Editors and Art Directors of  the publishing world.  We are looking to discover those photographers who have the talent to turn the mundane into something extraordinary.

Talented photographers from around the world enter our themed competitions.  Any and all inquiries for publication and print sales are referred directly to the photographer per the contact information provided with each image. Our judges and publishers are looking for those photographers who can take the mundane and turn it into something extraordinary!  How much glitter do you have on your wand?"

Lighting Zoo and Aquarium Exhibits

This Electric eel, Electrophorus electricus, was photographed with a 10-22mm. Canon lens at 22mm. More photos can be viewed here.

Many people have asked me over the years how I shoot indoor zoo and aquarium exhibits.

Lately I've seen photo submissions from aspiring photographers who have simply tried to take advantage of improved noise reduction in the current crop of Digital SLR cameras while pushing their camera's ISO into unacceptable realms. I'm afraid 3200 ISO is not going to be acceptable to any photo editor, art director or photo agency unless you've captured something that no one else can duplicate. In short, I am a firm believer of keeping your ISO at your camera's lowest possible setting.

To light indoor zoo and aquarium exhibits use a strobe. Yes, you can use the pop-up strobe built into your camera. In this case I used the Canon 430EX Speedlight, set to TTL, mounted on the camera's hot shoe with a diffuser. In either case I shoot in Manual mode, usually with the shutter speed set at it's maximum synch speed (1/250 sec in this case) to eliminate the unwanted color temperatures of the exhibit's artifical lighting sources. The lens aperture will usually be the smallest f stop (in this case f 13) in can get for the light output with the diffuser on. Your camera's LCD will give you exposure feedback in each situation. If your image is too dark at f16 (underexposed), open up the aperture. If your image is too light (overexposed), close down the aperture. Pretty soon, you'll be getting the repeat experience you need so you can dial in the f stop quickly.

The other trick to avoid reflections is to make sure your lens is touching the exhibit glass. If you have a subject really close to the glass, you still can shoot it if you get your strobe off the camera on a TTL cord to the hot shoe or by using a wireless TTL strobe trigger.

Testing New HDR Software

Just downloaded Nik HDR EFX PRO software for a free 15 day trial. This image was from my very first test drive. I'm impressed. You will not believe the amount of control you have over the image output with their "U Point" feature:

with "U Point^® technology, you can make precise selections to easily fine-tune and enhance specific areas of your image."

Sunrise through Florida Slash Pines, Pinus elliottii, Everglades National Park, Florida

More of our Everglades images here.

Different Perspectives

To capture what remains of the Key West shrimp fleet at first light, we set our alarm clock for 4:00 A.M. and drove the 90 miles south in darkness. We had a good idea where to find the old shrimpers as we had done our homework even utilizing Google Map's satellite imagery.

Arriving in dim pre-dawn light, we located the rusting boats and grabbed our camera gear. I opted for the Canon 10-22mm while Therisa took off in the other direction with the Canon 100mm. Soft first light draped the shrimp boats. 30 minutes later the best light was gone but we each had our images. It was fascinating to see our different perspectives on the same subject, proving to us once again the importance of our teamwork.

More of our Florida Keys images here.

Granddaughters In The Pool

Once in awhile it's simply good to get out of your comfort zone and try something new, with the helpful cooperation of two of our beautiful granddaughters.

Manual exposure ISO 100, 1/250sec at f 11.

12 year old Maxine from Montana on the top and our 3 year old Florida Keys mermaid Anya on the bottom.

These Owls Have An Attitude!

Burrowing Owls (Athene cunicularia) are amazing to observe and photograph. What does it take to get these shots? First and foremost, respect for the wildlife. Never pressure the animal to get the shot. With that in mind it takes a lot of patience while crawling on all fours and laying flat on our tummies looking through a long telephoto lens mounted on a tripod. We learned much from our first attempt and plan to return soon hoping to capture the fledglings emerging from their burrow.