Innholdsfortegnelse for August 2018 i Outdoor Photographer

Sibling Rivalry By Stan Bysshe “This image was taken after watching an oystercatcher pair and their two chicks for several days. Each morning, the parents would lead the two youngsters down to the ocean’s edge to feed them mole crabs and small clams. Like all youngsters, though, they were always looking for a chance to play and establish a definite pecking order. These two would squabble all morning long until they were full, then follow their parents back to the nesting area for a nap. Expecting this behavior allowed me to get the shot. Instead of “chasing” the birds, I was able to stay in one spot and wait for them to hunt nearby. I used a tripod fully splayed to get as flat as possible, allowing me to be…

Location Spirit Island is one of the most iconic locations in Alberta despite its small size. Emerald waters, pristine conifers and rugged snow-capped peaks surround the island. The box canyon where Maligne Lake resides was named the “Hall of the Gods” by Mary Schaffer, the first European to discover the lake in 1908. However, the island itself has been a site of spiritual significance to the native Nakoda people long before European settlers arrived. Reaching the island is no small endeavor, requiring a 30-mile drive from Jasper on Maligne Lake Road to the dock, and then traveling by boat for 8.7 miles to the final destination. Shuttles and boat tours are available, but you’ll need to paddle out yourself if you want more time for a special photograph. Weather Winters…

I AM AN UNDERWATER PHOTOGRAPHER and feel lucky to be one. Ever since I decided I wanted to seriously pursue photography, I did so with the idea to use it as a vehicle to work in ocean environments around the world. Before photography, I went to college to study marine biology. Whether I chose the sciences or the arts, I just had to work in, around, with and for the oceans. That’s where my heart was, and I had to follow it. I also fell in love with photography after changing from the sciences to the arts, so I had two passions once my career got moving. I feel lucky because, in addition to falling in love with photography, time has proven that photography was the right choice to use…

It’s not often that we feature the work of a photographer for whom a species has been named, but in this issue, we talk with Kevin Lee about his stunning images of marine wildlife, including the Placida kevinleei, a sea slug he photographed in Kenya. “My favorite photographic subjects are the nudibranchs, or sea slugs, which come in a multitude of colors, shapes and sizes,” Lee explains. “Think of them as snails that have evolved to lose their heavy, cumbersome shells.” His explorations have taken him to waters off of every continent, and in “Denizen Of The Deep,” you’ll see a selection of otherworldly creatures he’s captured with his camera. Continuing with our underwater theme, Jason Bradley takes us on a narrative tour of one of his favorite destinations for…

UPDATED 70-200MM ZOOMS Canon is offering new models of its 70-200mm zooms. The slightly slower but more affordable EF 70-200mm F/4L II USM is getting a bigger refresh, while the more expensive, pro-model EF 70-200mm F/2.8L IS III USM features smaller but still noteworthy improvements. For the EF 70-200mm F/4L II USM, Canon has significantly upgraded the Image Stabilizer performance from the previous generation, now providing up to five stops of stabilization, compared to three stops in the older model. In informal tests, Canon reports successful images when handholding this lens at 200mm with a 0.25 sec. exposure. The IS system is also quieter and adds a third mode to compensate for irregular movements (Mode 1 is for up-and-down movements and Mode 2 is for panning). Another performance improvement over…

FOR THREE DECADES, award-winning Botswana-based filmmakers, National Geographic Explorers-in-Residence and wildlife conservationists Dereck and Beverly Joubert have focused their efforts on documenting and conserving Africa’s wildlife. They founded the Big Cats Initiative, which currently funds over 100 projects in 28 countries, with National Geographic in 2009. The program was established as an emergency action fund to come up with real conservation solutions to pressing problems surrounding these majestic felines and the alarming reduction in the lion population over the past 50 years—from 450,000 to just 20,000. In 2006, the Jouberts decided to expand their conservation outreach efforts and formed Great Plains Conservation, bringing together local communities and conservation tourism. They’re now funding large tracts of land that can be protected for the local wildlife. Today, that land totals about 1.5…

I began my photography career as a fashion and war photographer in my homeland of Israel. I’m now a wildlife photographer, explorer and motivational speaker. For 40 years, from the High Arctic to Antarctica, I’ve pursued my quest with a camera to dispel the myth of “dangerous wildlife” and to raise compassion toward these wild creatures. I execute my mission by inviting select people to join my expeditions, which aim to inspire harmonious interactions between man and big animals. On one such trip to Ellesmere Island, Canada, in the late summer, the ice was mostly gone, and polar bears were moving from island to island in search of food, including birds’ eggs on the hill cliffs. I was there to highlight the lives of threatened and endangered wildlife to help…

SOME EXPLORERS have had mountains named after them. Some planets. Southern California-based underwater photographer Kevin Lee can boast of having a sea slug, Placida kevinleei, bear his name. And he’s no less proud than his fellow adventurers. While Lee’s journeys have taken him to more than 40 countries, including multiple treks to Mt. Everest Base Camp and atop Mt. Kilimanjaro, it’s the world below sea level that has become his photographic focus. Though aesthetics are an important aspect of his camera-in-housing explorations, he strives to capture unique perspectives that are of use to marine biologists and other scientists who study the ocean’s smallest creatures. Outdoor Photographer: Your underwater photography focuses on sea life that most of us have never heard of or are even able to pronounce. What are some…

An ancient, gnarled mesquite tree in south Texas caught my eye. The textures and patterns of the wood were great elements for a landscape photo. But when I saw the eastern screech-owl roosting in one of the tree cavities, it made the scene even better. The owl, perfectly camouflaged in its environment, made a great addition to the composition, and I didn’t need a telephoto lens to capture this image of wildlife in the landscape. When you think of wildlife photography, you probably suffer from lens lust as I do, dreaming of that 600mm ƒ/4 super telephoto lens. You envision frame-filling action photos of soaring bald eagles and snarling African lions. But you can create great images that include wildlife subjects without those big, heavy and expensive lenses. Instead, expand…

Peekaboo! “This photo was taken off one of the black sand beaches of Sangeang Island in Indonesia at a dive site called Hot Rocks,” says underwater, wildlife and travel photographer Andy Lerner. “Sangeang is an active volcanic island with underwater steam vents bubbling up through the sand and reefs. The vents bring up minerals like sulfur, which give some of the local reef life much crazier and more vibrant colors than you’d find elsewhere. I found this bright copper-colored bubble-tipped anemone, which was a color of anemone I hadn’t seen before on Indonesian reefs. The resident anemone fish nestled in to protect itself, giving me a nice opportunity to compose this shot.” See more of Andy Lerner’s work at andylernerphoto.com.…