Tag: bird photography

Channel Islands National Park – America’s Galapagos

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Story and Photography by Jerry Ginsberg

 

Camping on Anacapa will allow you to capture a great sunrise from spectacular Inspiration Point at the island’s east end.  © Jerry Ginsberg

                               
We are accustomed to driving to our national parks. This is definitely not the case with Channel Islands National Park. This little archipelago of a half-dozen rocks jutting out of the Pacific Ocean a few miles off the coast of central California is reachable only by a short boat ride. This rather contradictory blend of remoteness and accessibility offers some unique opportunities for us photographers.

The Channel Islands are called America’s Galapagos – and for good reason. A wide variety of birds and pinnipeds are in plentiful supply. Western gulls find safety here. Continue reading →

Volunteer Profile: Lisa Langell

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Lisa Langell is a professional nature & wildlife photographer who specializes in birds and mammals. She has lived in Michigan, and currently lives in Arizona, where she has discovered an entirely new photographic environment. Lisa often submits her work to the annual NANPA Showcase competition, and has won several awards, including 2nd place in the “Mammals” category in 2015. Her work has been published in numerous magazines, including the March 2017 issue of Arizona Highways. She serves NANPA as a member of the Board of Directors, as well as a certified instructor.

Perusing the website of nature photographer Lisa Langell, one of NANPA’s new board members, provides the viewer a feast of beautiful images of our natural world and the wildlife that inhabits it. In addition, you will find some images that are not usually within the purview of a nature photographer – street photography, for example, which is focused on images of people, and a gallery of “machine” images. You can find all of this and more at langellphotography.com.

Lisa’s earliest experiences with nature were with her great aunt, who was an avid bird watcher and nature enthusiast. As her interest grew, she picked up a camera and made photographs of the birds she had grown to love.

We recently spoke with Lisa to learn more about the development of her photography, and what she’s working on today. Continue reading →

A wastewater wonderland

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Story and photography by Budd Titlow

Do you want to knock your birding and photography socks off without busting your bank account? And—in the process—get to witness a prime example of sustainable water management for wildlife habitat enhancement and climate-change control?

If so, just grab your binoculars and camera gear and head to the Brevard County Wastewater Treatment Plant located in the east-central Florida town of Viera, Florida—just 2.5 miles west of I-95. There you’ll find 200 acres of constructed wetlands that are supported and nourished by advanced treatment outflow from the treatment plant. You’ll also find some of the best and easiest wild birdwatching and photography you’ve ever experienced. It’s called the Viera Wetlands.

Typical view of habitat provided by Viera’s sewage-treatment wetlands.

Establishment of the Viera Wetlands has been a phenomenal success. These created aquatic habitats now provide living spaces for more than 160 species of birds, but—perhaps best of all—the birding and photography access is as easy as pie. A network of 2.4 miles of one-way, 10 mph gravel roads—perched atop the earthen berms—allows superb opportunities for virtually every square foot of the sanctuary. Continue reading →

Winter duck fix – reflections on Barnegat Lighthouse, NJ

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Story and photography by Martin Sneary

Harlequin Duck, adults calling © Martin Sneary

Barnegat Lighthouse is one of those fabled winter bird photography destinations on the New Jersey shore. A rocky jetty (think wall of large boulders) runs SE into the Atlantic Ocean for just under 1 mile, with a sandy shore to one side, and the Barnegat Inlet/Atlantic Ocean to the other. This location affords close views of various sea duck that overwinter in the area, perhaps most highly sought after being Harlequin, closely followed by the globally threatened Long-tailed Duck, also known as Oldsquaw. Other species frequently seen on the seaward side are Loons, Scoters and Mergansers, while in the tidal pools that form on the inshore side of the jetty you can find the odd shorebird, including Purple Sandpiper, Turnstone and Black-bellied Plover. Continue reading →

From the Viewpoint of a Tamron Image Master

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Story and photography by David Akoubian

© David Akoubian

© David Akoubian

SPONSORED- I have been an avid birder long before I was a photographer. When I finally started photographing birds autofocus was non-existent. Photographing birds in flight was just a dream, mostly I did stationary birds. As I made the transition to digital just after the turn of the century, I started getting my hopes up that I could photograph stationary and moving birds. It wasn’t until the past few years though that everything came together for me, photographing all kinds of birds moving and stationary without breaking the bank. Continue reading →

NANPA Weekly Wow: Feb 20-26

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Great Kiskadees Beak to Beak, Hidalgo Co., TX- © Cissy Beasley

Great Kiskadees Beak to Beak, Hidalgo Co., TX- © Cissy Beasley

Each week www.nanpa.org highlights 7 images from the top 100 submissions of the 2017 NANPA Showcase competition. This week’s images are by:

Continue reading →

NANPA Weekly Wow: Feb 5-12

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"Bee Eaters snuggling on a cold morning, Chobe National Park, Botswana" © Deborah Seibly

“Bee Eaters snuggling on a cold morning, Chobe National Park, Botswana” © Deborah Seibly

Each week www.nanpa.org highlights 7 images from the top 100 submissions of the 2017 NANPA Showcase competition. This week’s images are by:

Continue reading →

And the winners are…

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A bald eagle in small community burning trash pit, Adak, Aleutian Islands, Alaska--Showcase 2017 Birds Best of Show

A bald eagle in small community burning trash pit, Adak, Aleutian Islands, Alaska–Showcase 2017
Best of Show- Birds © Mark Kelley

NANPA is pleased to announce the winners of the 2017 NANPA Showcase Competition. Continue reading →

The Commoners

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Story and Photography by Kathy Lichtendahl

Cottontail © Kathy Lichtendahl

Cottontail © Kathy Lichtendahl

Anyone who has ever so much as considered going on an African photo safari is well aware of the concept of “The Big Five”. What many may not realize is that the expression originated as a hunting term used to describe those game animals most difficult to hunt on foot. Regardless, photographers and sight-seers alike have adopted the idea of seeing lions, leopards, elephants, rhinoceros and Cape buffalo as the sign of a successful trip. Continue reading →

Pre-Order NANPA Expressions 2017

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2017showcasecollectionpromoComing soon…NANPA Expressions 2017

 NANPA Expressions 2017 highlights the top 250 photographs from the 2017 NANPA Showcase competition. This high-quality, printed, perfect-bound journal displays the very best photographs selected from thousands of submissions by a jury panel of industry professionals.

Images are arranged by submission categories: Mammals, Birds, Scapes, Macro/Micro, Altered Reality

Pre-order price: $25

After 1/6/17: $32

Pre-order your printed copy today.

Congratulation to these outstanding nature photographers who will appear in Expressions 2017. Continue reading →