I was at Whitefish Point in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. It is a favorite place for birds to migrate across Lake Michigan in the spring and fall so it is also a favorite place for bird watchers.
After photographing a variety of birds I spotted this Great Gray Owl some distance away. Thanks to workshops by George Lepp and books by Arthur Morris and other wildlife photographers, I knew what to do. It took me and hour and a half to get close enough to create this image. The whole story is here. This is one of my two favorite images for this date, and one of my all time favorite wildlife images.
Trillium Ravine Nature Preserve in southwest Michigan is blanketed with trillium. The peak of the bloom is usually the last week in April. There is a nice “S” shaped ravine that winds through the preserve. It is a great place to create images. This is my other favorite image for April 27.
The United States Military Academy at West Point NY was hosting a tattoo. The sounds of pipes and drums echoed across the post. I happened to be at West Point that weekend.
Pipe and drum corps were there from all around the area. It was my first chance to be up close and personal at a tattoo, so I made the most of it. I would use a wide angle lens, moved in close, choose a small aperture for maximum depth of field, and shoot from ground level to take everybody in.
Then I would put on a telephoto lens and choose a wide aperture to blur the background and focus on one person. These are some of my favorite images for this date.
West Point is 50 miles up the Hudson River from New York City. Tours are available on a regular basis.
Links
Series: Favorite Photos by Date – all about this series
Great Gray Owl, Whitefish Point – the story behind the image
How To Find Wildlife, The Best Books
How To Photograph Wildlife, The Best Books