howard_creech1

Kevin, there is good news (Louisiana is crawling with wildlife and wonderful, unique scenery) and there is bad news (much of it ...both wildlife and scenery...is not easy to get to) First, there are some great opportunities in the Jean Lafitte NP, south of New Orleans...they have an office behind the French Market...near the Esplanade end of Decatur St. in the French Quarter. Between Abbeyville and Lake Charles is a 100 stretch of mostly coastal marsh and salt dome islands that includes the Rockefeller NWR, Lacassine NWR, Sabine NWR, and Cameron Prairie NWR. The Atchafalaya is huge, and most of it is not possible without a boat and a guide (try the Whiskey River offramp from I-10) There is also Caddo Lake in NW LA. near Shreveport...if you are only going to be around for a few days the best choices would be Jean LaFitte (there is a boardwalk at Barataria Island) or Sabine NWR, which also has a boardwalk...stock up on mosquito repellent, the LA "skeeters" have been known to carry off photographers who are not prepared. The gators are harmless as long as you don't get too close...but the Water Moccassins are aggressive and competent, and plentiful anywhere near water (which is anywhere in LA) The is also the Honey Island Swamp (which is actually inside the New Orleans city limits)...regularly scheduled boat tours are available from all hotels...and just north of New Orleans is the Manchac Swamp...tours depart from New Orleans every day....Don't miss eating at Tujaques on Decatur St. Equipment rentals are pretty slim...but try the phone book. Have fun and good shooting.

Hueco Tanks State Park...good opportunities for many sorts of desert birds and some tropicals (humingbirds) plus burrowing owls. Many types of hawks...good scenic opportunities (fantastic rock formations)plus reptiles (several varieties of rattlesnake, including one sub species, the Hueco Rattler, found nowhere else...do be careful)Depending on the rainy season, there may be several varities of cactus and other flora in bloom...keep an eye out for the tarantula killer (a blue wasp with orange wings..I can't remember the name) There are also some indian pictographs...I haven't been in many years, but it used to very lightly visited (the park I mean) Do some research on Bosque del Apache (a large marshy area) about 3 hours from El Paso in N.M.

Nature photography near New Orleans...Manchac Swamp..get a good map..just north and east of NOLA on I55 (catch as catch can...very little available from roadside) Atchafalaya Swamp (largest on North American continent) just off I10 S.W. of Baton Rouge (about 90 minutes from NOLA)...the best way to approach this is to seek out small state roads and cruise them (warning they sometimes deadend in the swamp) looking for areas where you can get off the road. St. Martinville and New Iberia are very nice for scenes in the Cajun country (avoid the restaurants that advertise heavily...seek out those on the main streets of the small cajun towns) and finally for a true slice of real Louisiana flavor...drive La. Hwy 1 from Baton Rouge to just below NOLA...absolutely fantastic...if you have the time...drive all the way to Grand Isle...try the tiny little roads that branch off the main highway....wonderful stuff....watch out for Golden Meadow...heavy duty speedtraps....otherwise just keep your eyes open for the the small cypress cajun cottages with a pick up truck parked in front and a horse staked out on a tether in the front yard. If you keep your eyes open you can get gators and egrets in the drainage ditches from the window of your car. Don't miss the food, and make the time to travel to Eunice (about 2-2 1/2 hours from NOLA) on Saturday night for the cajun music show and dance at the old Liberty Theatre (all in French, but the music is fantastic) starts at 7:00 PM (cost $$3.00) or stop by Savoy's Music store just east of town on Saturday Morning for the Cajun jam session...starts at about 8:00 am. Jean LaFitte is great, but don't let it be your only adventure outside NOLA.

Rob, I think you may have made some assumptions in your chain of logic that I had not intended. I never said, nor did I intend to suggest, that photographs published in a book of photographs were not photographs. The discussion was about digitally manipulated images. I have a problem with adding zebras to the herd (ala Art Wolfe) or darkening O.J.'s complexion to make him appear more sinister (ala Time Magazine) If you use photoshop to clean up a slide or negative, make minor corrections in contrast, do small color balance adjustments, etc. I have no problem with this. However, when you dramatically alter the original negative or slide...then you have in fact created a new image. This new image was not made by exposing light sensitive material, but was made by adding or subtracting elements in a mechanical/electrical way...after which, in my opinion, the new image is no longer a photograph (the original used to create the new image is still a photograph) My best logic case for this is as follows...1.) the original image is still an original image...it in fact is not altered...2.) the new image was not created in the way photographs are created (writing with light) but was in fact created using the original photograph as a base from which to build a new image using the computer and photoshop...3.)this new image exsists (and is able to be reproduced infinitely) completely separate from and independent of the original photograph. I do have a problem with the basic lack of honesty that is often the case with digitally altered images whose provenance is unknown and unexplained, when these images are presented as photographs.

Dave, I have a Cullman Touring (and have had it since '87) along with the suction cup, tree spike, ground spike, etc. it is nice tripod. It is a polycarbonate material and quite tough. In addition, for those who aren't familiar with them, they are not cheap..I believe the kit goes for about $125.00. They, obviously have limitations...based on their size, but they are not one of those "joke" or toy tripods. I find mine useful mostly for kneeling or prone shots, and the maximum size lens would be an 80-200 (f3.5-4.0 max aperture) This tripod is the best compromise, in terms of weight to size ratio of any I have ever seen...it will not support a 500/4.0 Nikkor, nor will it support the 80-200 for 30 second exposures...however I have used mine for 1 second and half second exposures with the lens at 200...and the slides are tack sharp...they are of course better with the legs not extended...but with the legs extended they provide a great support within their limited use range. I would recomend that you take a couple of your lenses and check them out with the tripod (if possible) if not I can recomend the tripod...mine stays in my camera bag at all times (and has for over 10 years) it is sturdy, dependable, and will do the job (within the limits of reason) for you. I don't know about changing the head.

John, the advice from Dan is right on...especially with regard to Ektachrome 64 (a truly wonderful film...and very very accurate color palette) The newest Agfachrome...is just as neutral as the prior generations. Precisa (Agfachrome 100) is exceptional across the board...it is so color accurate that I have had to quit using a warming filter when shooting this film. I have just finished shooting 16 rolls (36 exp) so I have looked at a lot of Agfa Precisa slides recently...hard to find, but well worth the search...BTW Macro flowers and insects has been one of my favorites for a long time, so I know what you are talking about when you seek a neutral/true color film.

Jason, the tin foil reflectors work quite well, I have been using

them for 20 years. The book mentioned earlier is an excellent source

of macro tips by the way. The good thing about tin foil (and plain

white card reflectors) is that you can just throw them in the trunk

of your car...I usually keep several sizes on hand...when they start

to wear out...just recycle them and start again. I have used several

of the purpose built reflectors over the years and don't really

regard them as worth the money....what is worth the money however is

the Sto-Fen omni bounce as a first rate flash difuser for macro work

(I don't use it much for bounce lighting) Hope this helps in your

quest for natural appearing lighting in your macro shots.

John, here are a few suggestions for nature areas in Bavaria (I

assume that is what you mean by Southern Germany) Bayerische Wald

(Bavarian National Forrest..near Furth im Wald) The Fichtelgebirge (a

lovely fir forrest with craggy hills near Bayreuth) Frankische Schweiz

(an otherworldly valley with limestone spars rising above the valley

floor..centered on Pottenstein...about 100 km from Nuremberg) Also

not to be missed are the alpine area near Garmisch and the sub alpine

lake area near Fussen (site of King Ludwig's Fairytale

Castle...Neueschwanstein) from the German border it is only about 60

km (accross the Inntal...centered on Innsbrusck) to the Italian

border (Sud Tirol lovely alpine area centered on Bolzano) look also

in this area for Paso Stelvio (highest pass in the Alps)...you will

have snow in May and the back road to the pass has seven glaciers and

47 switchbacks...very neat mountain road...two lanes. Venice is

lovely in May..with only a handful of tourists....I have never liked

Velvia (or other super saturated chrome films)...but you may want to

try the local product...Agfachrome "Precisa" which is named for its

precise color balance and neutral color palette...the Agfachrome

"pro" RS films are excellent too. Have fun...you should get some

wonderful pictures.

Actually. Bob, the good doctor may be closer to correct than you

think...since Grand Tetons is sort of French for well endowed...or at

least that is the popular translation....any French scholars care to

comment?

Because the forrest, the bayou, the prairie, the desert,and the

mountains are my cathedral and my images are the offering that I give

as thanks.

Jason, Macro lenses are in a different class than most other

lenses...first there are no "bad" macro lenses...they are optimized

for flat field and close up work...but they can also be superb

portrait and general purpose lenses. The most important single

question here is focal length. The 60mm Nikkor is a superb

lens...but if you buy it you will limit the "standoff" distance at

maximum magnification....for flowers this is probably not a problem

(unless you want to do giant sunflowers) for insects it can put you

into the "fight or flight" zone of your subjects. A much better

choice is something in the 90-105 range (better portrait/genral

purpose lens and greater "standoff" distance) A couple of

recomendations in this area would include the magnificent Nikkor

105/2.8 (MF and a bit expensive) the Vivitar 100/3.5 (very inexpensive

and excellent reviews) The new Sigma 105/2.8 (very good reviews, but

not cheap) and offerings from Tamron (90/2.8..very good reviews,

excellent resolution and contrast, but also not cheap) I have

personal experience with the Nikkors and with the older Sigma 90/2.8

Macro

(all of which are excellent) and I have very good reports from two

friends on the Vivitar...I have seen some of the slides under a 6x

Schneider loupe...and they are comparable to the results you will get

with any of the other lenses mentioned. You don't mention

flash...you will need one for fill at least (and to help provide

enough light at smaller apertures) Any of Nikon's recent speedlights

(SB24-26-27-28) will fill this need just fine...You can purchase a

used PK13 Nikon extension tube (MF only....but for really serious

macro photography you will be in MF mode anyway) for $30-$50. The

Vivitar 100/3.5 in Nikon AF mount will cost you around $150-$175.

You don't mention whether you shoot print film or slide film... slow

Slide film will provide much better macro results...plus a good sharp

praying mantis projected (many times life size) in a darkened room is

pretty awesome...much more so than a 3 1/2 x 5 inch print. Hope this

answers a few of your questions....

Here is a suggestion for you...try the "other" Gulf Coast...Southwest

Louisiana & Southeast Texas...several very nice wildlife sanctuaries

(read here over 100 million migratory birds) Sabine, Rockefeller,

Lacassine, & Cameron Prairie in Louisiana and Several in Texas (to

include the place where the Whoopers winter...I can't recall the

name) plus I am sure ou can rent anything photographic that you want

in Houston. Absolutely no crowds (you probably won't see anyone) A

great photography blind in Lacassine...arrange to use it through the

refuge manager) A boardwalk (tripod friendly) in Sabine

NWR...Rockefeller is pretty primitive (you will need a boat...which

should be pretty easy to arrange) They have guided boat tours in

Texas for the Whoopers. Cameron Prairie has some spots near the road

where you could work from your car (to include one open water area

that is very popular with white pelicans)...factor in some good Cajun

food in Lake Charles and you have the makings of a winning trip.

Mabel, sorry to disapoint you, in truth, part of story may be that I

just don't like Velvia...I have tried (since it IS the film of

choice) but I just don't like what it does to colors...I do on the

other hand like the Ektachromes (especially EPR and E100s) and I love

the Agfachromes for their color fidelity. BTW the new (4th

generation) "Precisa" is wonderful...great color saturation, superb

resolution, and the purest whites I have ever seen in a slide film.

We all see color differently, and for me the colors of the world are

vibrant enough without enhancement (I still have shots of some

wonderful "electric" blue morning glories on a weathered wooden fence

shot with Velvia...which turned the morning glories a perfect

magenta) Maybe it is like Galen Rowell says, color is really in our

minds.

Dan, I shoot flowers a lot (both flowers alone...and flowers as a

component of macro photography) My experience with this phenomena is

only with Fuji films...especially Velvia...but the other Fuji films

as well...but to a somewhat lesser extent. I have had very good luck

with Ektachrome films in this respect....and the best of the slide

films (in my experience...more than 20 years) is Agfachrome...which

is absolutely neutral...blue is blue period. Hope this helps.

Paal, consider getting a book or two by the "first" color nature

photographer...Eliot Porter..in addition you might try Chuck Theodore

(N.H./Maine Nature Photographer)...or Greg Guirard (Louisiana Nature

Photographer) or Frank Oberle (Prairie/Plains/Mo. Nature Photographer)

Jeff Gnass, Tom Blagden Jr., Ashvin Mehta (Indian photographer..not

strictly nature) Tupper Ansel Blake, and Phillip Hyde (you might have

to look for these last two) There are many, many others....

Lyn, check out a couple of Eliot Porter's books....you might find

them interesting.

John, this is a question that covers a lot of territory...here are a

few mothods that work for me (I shoot a lot of flowers and I have

taught a "wildflower" workshop for the last three spring seasons)

First be willing to break with tradition....the most important items

and features to have are DOF preview....extension tubes....and a tele-

extender (doubler) Be willing to use lenses of different focal

lengths (a macro lens is nice...but not always the best choice) A

moderate wide angle (35mm...anything wider may cut off the corners)

with 2x will allow you to get quite close...will provide a wider

field of view...and will help with depth of field. An 80-200 or 75-

300 zoom (with two-x or extension tubes) will allow very precise

framing, close focus capability, and variable magnification. A home

made crumpled foil over cardboard or plain white card reflector can

also be a great help. A flash with diffuser (A Sto-Fen omni Bounce

works great for softening and spreading light in macro shots) either

camera mounted or handheld...and a sturdy tripod....every scene will

have to be dealt with on its own merits. Evaluate each potential

photograph and be willing to move around and to move back and forth

(and to try several lenses and cropping variations) when you decide

on the composition, lens, and subject placement...work on the lighting

and background. Use the flash for fill only (if possible) and the

reflectors, which can be mounted on extra tripods or held by an

assistant(s) (you may need two or even three to get the lighting just

right) for your main lighting. If you can't get the background out

of focus enough...then (after you have set up you composition) try

using one of the refectors to flash enough light on the background to

burn it out...you will need to experiment with this technique to

perfect it....but it can save the day in a tough situation. Bracket

ruthlessly...in everything that you do. Should you find a flower or

grouping of flowers that appeal to you...don't hesitate to invest an

entire roll of film in guaranteeing that you come away with the

shot. Good luck...and you may email me direct if you wish to discuss

this further.

Carolyn, Tripod suggestion is a good one, as is the warming filter.

Since you mention leaves, water, and spider web you may want to

consider purchasing a close up diopter (a screw in filter that will

allow you to focus closer for macro work) AS you are just

beginning...try 100 ISO slide film (in addition to Velvia) and shoot

some Kodak TMax TC400n (which is a B&W film developed in color

chemistry...read here one hour labs) In overcast and sometimes gloomy

weather conditions B&W can be moody and evocative. Have fun...and

shoot lots of film.

Rob, just south of Lake Charles are several really superb coastal

marsh wildlife refuges. Lacassine, Sabine, Rockefeller, and Cameron

Prairie...in these you will find on an average year in December about

90,000,000 migratory birds...in addition there are white ibis,

roseate spoonbill, several varieties of Egret, and several varieties

of Heron. Easiest access is to Sabine (LA Hwy 27) which has a board

walk through the marsh (many opportunities for good alligator shots

too) Lacassine and Cameron Prairie are harder to get to, but lots of

birds. Rockefeller is superb..but access to marsh interior is

limited to boat travel.....Photo opportunities from roads are

possible but there are few places to park (and most of those will be

filled by fishing/crabbing/shrimping Cajuns) Email me if you are

interested in more specific info...good luck

Alan, I shoot a lot of macro, butterflies (and dragonflies) are among

my favorite subjects. Butterflies are particularly attentive to

shadows, especially those that come from above (most butterfly

predators are birds) If you are shooting down toward them...the flash

may be causing them to think there is an airborne predator (closing

their wings diminishes the profile that birds search for when

hunting) Try putting yourself on an even plane with the butterflies

and the flash will not bother them. Moths on the other hand (being

mostly nocturnal) will react with flight to flash. Luna moths are

especially skittish about flash during daylight hours. Hope this

helps solve your macro mystery.

Bruce, what a wonderful story. Mine is a bit less dramatic, but none

the less satisfying. I now live in Louisville, KY (after moving here

three months ago from SW Louisiana) We didn't have much of a fall

color season this year (usually KY is very colorful) so I have been

seeking out little spots of color to illustrate the seasons change.

Monday morning I drove to a nearby cemetery (Cave Hill..our oldest

1823) and aboretum. The place is huge and filled with small twisty

roads as if you were in the country. At one turning I came upon a

very small road with a huge yellow poplar on one side and a beautiful

sourwood on the other...both were backlit...I shot it with 35mm lens

on Ektachrome 100S (with polarizer) showing both trees glowing..one

school bus yellow and the other bright orange red, with the small

black road essing between them and a deep blue sky behind...the light

lasted about two minutes...during which time I was able to shoot half

a roll....when I got the slides back later that same day...I saw the

best fall color shot that I have taken this year...anyone who saw it

would swear that it was taken 100 years ago (instead of right in the

middle of a city of 900,000 people) Both trees just glow and you

expect to see an Amish buggy come up the road any second....It is

certainly one that I will be able to sell...and it was only a few

minutes from my house.

Rene, I will offer a little advice that may differ from what Sean

provided (although his suggestions were thorough, and the additional

info was helpful) First, since you are somewhat limited in subject

matter...you will have edit ruthlessly. Show only your very best

slides...a short show with stunning slides will be enjoyed much more,

than a longer show with lower quality slides. From the description

of subject matter that you outlined above, I would show two or three

flower slides (maybe choosing to group them seasonally, or by color)

and then a shot or two of one of your critters, then a few more

flower shots, followed by another couple critter shots, etc. Limit

the show to 15 minutes (6-8 seconds per slide times 80 slides equals

8 to almost 11 minutes) factor in a couple of questions (allow your

audience to ask questions as you go) and a couple of longer

explanations and a natural time frame of about 15 minutes will just

happen. Prepare well and practice several run throughs....and

remember "leave them asking for more" Good luck and have a good show.

I have a couple of friends who are "pro" nature photographers...both

pretty sucessful...neither of them ever have any time to just go out

and shoot (which is one of the really great things about photography)

It's a business for both of them, they don't have time to do

photography for fun. For the last fifteen years, I have made a

little money every year teaching 4-5 workshops, doing a few

article/photos packages for government/military papers and magazines,

selling a handful of fine art prints, and doing some insurance work

and the rare portrait. I make enough to take a couple of trips every

year and to buy a lens/flash/body/tripod once in a while. I don't

have any desire to give up my day job in order to hustle 16 hours a

day to make a living at photography. As mentioned earlier, be

careful, you could end up hating something you love.

Al, I don't think you have to worry much about large (or small)

mammal attacks...unless you are way into the Wyoming or Montana back

country. Snakes are little problem...with the exception of

cottonmouths/moccasins...these snakes can be very agressive and

territorial. Plus they come out in the winter on pretty/warm days to

sun....the single best piece of advice is to make a little noise

(forget the Davy Crockett thing...the animals know you're there) and

go slow...and watch where you put your feet (both for the

snakes...even more important for the possibility of slipping or

falling) If you really haven't been in the woods...don't worry you

won't see much until you learn how to get into position without

alerting the local populace. Water Moccasins are limited

geographically to south of the Mason-Dixon line...so unless you are

headed for Florida. Louisiana, the Okefenokee, or other wet swampy

southern areas you won't see many cottonmouths. As to fires...take

the advice offered and bring a camp stove...if you absolutely must

build a fire DO NOT build a circle of stones...these never go away,

and they are un-needed...just dig a shallow hole and build a small

indian style fire in the hole...when finished you can douse the fire

and bury the remains...no danger of fire spreading and no ugly

circles of stones left behind for the next guy. Have fun and don't

worry too much, your chances of getting wet, cold, and dirty are much

better than your chances of being attatcked by wild animals or snakes.

Dave, thanks to you and Bob, we now have something worthwhile to

discuss. I too have spent many of the last few years living in "hot"

places (Louisiana, Okinawa (sub tropical Japan), Southwest Texas) and

I too have shot a lot during the middle of the day...granted it does

really make it tough to get anything worth keeping, but it does allow

you to fully explore the limitations of film and equipment...and to

benefit from that knowledge. I think that sometimes we as

photographers have a tendency to look at what someone else's (read

here Galen Rowell, Art Wolfe, the Muench family, Frans Lanting, John

Shaw, et al) and to make their methods our rules, this certainly

accomplishes selling a lot of books and videos etc for fellows named

above and others, but do we as individual photographers benefit in

any way from doing this? I don't believe so, what happens is that

every magazine or book that you pick up has a real "homogenized"

sameness that I find disturbing. In todays market photographers like

Eliot Porter, Ernst Haas, et al would have a tough time making a

living. For me, photography is the ultimate "individual" form of

expression (fortunately I only make about 25% of my income from

photography)I would rather see an unsuccessful attempt at an original

idea, than 100 perfect duplicates of scenes shot by the gentlemen

listed above...so yes shooting during the "heat" of the day is a

worthwhile and individual approach....and I for one would love to see

what you are getting. Keep pushing the envelope, rules were made to

be broken (especially rules that don't really have any basis in fact)

and I wish you blue skies and light breezes in your pursuit of the

"real" image.