Look into my eyesBurrowing Owl (Athene cunicularia)

It’s been a couple of weeks since Jodi and I got back from our weekend photography trip to Florida, where we had three full days of wildlife and nature photography planned.  This trip followed our recent trip to Northern New Hampshire, where we had hoped to photograph moose and bear, but unfortunately, saw neither.  While our Florida trip was more successful in the amount and types of wildlife we saw, I came away with some pretty underwhelming photographs.  Sometimes we have these larger-than-life expectations.  I thought I would come home with some pretty amazing photographs, the photographs that would make people say “Wow” when they see them.  To me, this was how I saw these trips being “Successful”.  Here’s what happened:

As our New Hampshire trip was coming to an end, I had taken almost no wildlife photos.  On our last day, we woke up before sunrise and drove out into the New Hampshire wilderness.  Just the night before and definitely by luck, we found an amazing mud flat that overlooked the Connecticut River.  A spot where the Connecticut River met the Second Connecticut Lake.  The mudflat was full of fresh moose tracks and we had high hopes for our last morning.  Up early, we hiked out to the flat and got set up on the edge, hidden in the branches of the shoreline.  As the sun rose on this chilly morning, the colors in the sky were like a painting.  There was no artificial light or noise.  There were no crowds or traffic.  The air was crisp and fresh and it just smelled and tasted different.  We could hear a loon calling in the distance and the occasional flock of geese would fly over.  As we sat quietly waiting for a wildlife interaction, we barely spoke and just took in the beaty of nature.  Unfortunately, our time came to an end and we had to pack up and leave.  A little bummed knowing that our last chance had passed, we drove back to our air bnb to pack up and leave New Hampshire.  On the way back, we drove past a spot on the Second Connecticut Lake that we had checked so many times during our visit and found a beautiful, misty scene as the early morning mist was rising off the water.  I pulled into a parking area and tried to grab my gear and get to the lake’s edge as fast as I could.  When I got to the water, the mist had already started to dissipate, but underneath it was a completely smooth and glasslike surface.  I ended up walking away with what I believe is the best photograph I have ever taken.  Success!

On our trip to Florida, we had some amazing animal interactions.  Burrowing owls in Broward County.  Herons, shorebirds and alligators in Palm Beach County.  Ospreys, pelicans and dolphins in Indian River and Brevard Counties.  While at Sebastian Inlet State Park, we met two photographers and quickly learned that we were all from Rhode Island!  Pretty amazing.  We found ourselves immersed in a totally different nature experience.  Mixed in to the busy South Florida lifestyle, were pockets of unbelievable natural environments, with wetlands and parks full of wildlife!  Three days of photography, taking well over 1500 images, but more importantly, three days spent together with Jodi, doing what we love and being out in nature.  We hadn’t even left Florida yet and I was already thinking about coming back.  There were so many more locations that I wanted to go to, we barely even scratched the surface.  As is always the case, work was just around the corner for both of us and as quickly as our trip started, it came to an end.  I didn’t have much time to look through my photographs until after we returned home and when I did, I wasn’t very impressed.  But much like our trip to New Hampshire, this time I came away with some amazing photographs of Burrowing Owls, some of the best wildlife photographs I have ever taken.  Success!

Initially feeling a little deflated after both trips, here’s what I learned from them:

There is a lot to this craft of photography, it’s not as easy as just buying an expensive camera, go to a faraway place and then you get great photos.  I think this is one of the reasons I like photography so much, it’s challenging, it’s frustrating, it takes patience, it’s a constant learning experience, always trying to improve.  There are a lot of visions in my head that have turned into failures, but each time I learn something new.  Wildlife photography is about the time spent out in nature, looking for animals and learning about their behaviors.  It’s about finding the perfect location, at the perfect time, with the perfect conditions.  In the end, sometimes you walk away with nothing and sometimes, with a mix of luck and determination, you walk away with that one photograph, the one that made everything worth it.

I hope you have time to get outside today and enjoy the natural world around us.  Thanks for reading!

Dave