The Great Blue Hunter

Shooting wildlife can often be tricky. You study the animals and their habits. You watch and observe for normal behaviors and travel routes. They might even get used to your presence (but ALWAYS keep a safe distance, for both you and the animals!).  But you also have to remember that animals don't read the field guides and books, and they seldom follow the "rules".

While you may be able to train a dog, cat or horse to stand quietly and patiently for a photo, wildlife has its own agenda. You just flat never know what they are going to do. You have to be prepared for anything.  It takes a lot of patience to be able to sit in one spot for what might seem like hours, just to get a single decent photo. It takes skill to know the proper settings on your camera to get the right exposure. It also takes a lot of luck.  

There are times when I simply stumble upon an opportunity. The photo here was one of those times. I was driving into a wildlife refuge and spotted the heron in the "yard" of an old historic house. Because I had already set up my camera before I entered the refuge, all I had to do was get close enough for a good shot. There were some large cottonwood trees along the front of the yard and I hoped it would be enough cover to allow me to approach more closely.

Great Blue Herons are ridiculously skittish, and I've never been able to get very close to them. This one however, was focused on something that I could not see, and it was pretty much oblivious to my presence.  That, and the fact that a vehicle being a pretty good blind (you just don't look like a human if you're in a car), I was able to get fairly close. As I started shooting the bird suddenly darted its head out and came up with his prize.  I was able to grab a few more photos before the heron flew off and left me with what was possibly a once in a lifetime shot.

My Wild West

For several years now, I've wanted to get into rodeo photography. I've gone to numerous rodeos in the area, shooting from whatever vantage point I could. Used to be they'd let you through the security gates, but only far enough to allow you to shoot next to the fence. No more. Liabilities and law suits have changed all that. Now you have to be a member of the rodeo association to get anywhere other than the grandstands.

I love shooting behind the scenes; capturing not only the camaraderie, but also those moments of preparation, anticipation, and tension. I had to find a way to do that!

Then I found the Northern Rodeo Association, which holds rodeos all over the state of Montana. Membership is a lot less expensive than the national organizations, so I figured this was a chance to break into a new and exciting type of photography, so I joined. I missed the first rodeo because I did not have my membership card yet, but looking forward to several more in the next few months, and hopefully some great photos!  

 

Dog & Pony Show

For longer than I can even recall, I've wanted to be a full time wildlife photographer. The problem with that is that photographers are a dime a dozen in many places, and wildlife photographers are probably more like a nickel a dozen in places like Montana. You have to be amazingly adept at your career choice, and you have to be able to spend countless hours stalking your quarry through every type of habitat imaginable, as well as the patience to just sit and wait for what may seem like hours, just to get a few decent photos.You have to have a niche - a good one. No, a great one. You have to be a marketing guru in order to get your photos out there for people to be able to see what you've done. That, or have a good agent who can do all of the leg work for you. Irregardless of how you approach your craft and the selling thereof, it takes time - lots of time. And unless you're working for an agency that pays you on a regular basis, you also have to have a steady source of income to pay the bills until the photos begin to pay off. You might live in your car in order to travel wherever and whenever you can, or want to, in order to get the photos. Those of us who have more roots sometimes also have to work a "grown up" job in order to pay the bills. Such is life, I suppose.

Some years ago, at a kennel where I boarded my dogs, I was told they were going to host a stock dog trial. In case you don't know, a well trained stock dog is a rancher's best friend, and his most valuable ranch hand. They herd just about any type of livestock, are as loyal as you could ask for, they work for kibble, and can be good company out on the ranch. At the trials the dogs herd cattle, sheep and ducks or geese. I stopped by to watch the first trial, and was impressed by the partnerships between dogs and handlers. The kennel owners knew I was a photographer and it was suggested I should take photos. They couldn't pay me to be there but I could offer photos for sale. Hmmm...  Events were a subject that hadn't occurred to me before, but what the hell - it was worth a shot.

For two or three years I went to every trial they had (three per summer), but it was painfully slow going. I had no website and couldn't afford the cost of one. I had only dial-up internet, which was too slow to even work with a website. I took my laptop and put the photos on a 12 hour loop, for people to see. I sold a few, but it hardly seemed worth the time. Then I found web host I could afford, and set one up. I could not  however, load photos to it and had to go to  local restaurant with my laptop to use their wifi so I could upload the photos. And of course I had to purchase a meal. Well, I guess I didn't have to, but to just use their internet and not buy something didn't sit well with me, so...

Within another year or so, people began to order photos. Not a lot at first, but because I was at all of the trials, the dog owners and/or handlers and I got to know each other and I started to build up a good relationship with many of them.  I ordered business cards and passed them out to everyone there. The person in charge of the trial offered to put them into the entry packets. Business started picking up. Now, fourteen years after I first started, these trials are my bread and butter!  I have made friends there, and business is good.

Last fall I broke my leg and ankle. It was bad and I was off work for four months. While I was laid up I had a lot of time to think about my photographic life. How far I'd come and how far I want to take it. I woke up on New Year's Day with an overwhelming sense of "this is the year! Now is the time to start making changes and take my life in a direction I want it to go!" I made a huge decision - for me at least. I went in to work and made my pitch. They already knew I was a photographer, and I explained how passionate I was about it, and how I wanted to eventually make this my full time career. I told them I wanted to cut back to four days a week - 32 hours (still considered full time, which would allow me to keep the health insurance), so I could focus more (no pun intended), on my photography. I told them that I had been asked to go to other trials in other towns, but that I had to decline because I had to work. I wanted to be able to do that They agreed, as I suspected they would, they had no problem with cutting someone's hours. Then I dropped the bomb: the dog trails and shows I've been asked to shoot - are all on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.  Boom. They hesitated at first. Then I said "Look, this could be the worse decision I've ever made in my entire life, and it could all come back to bite me in the ass. But even if it does, at least i can say I tried." To my great surprise, they agreed!  I made myself unavailable on the schedule for those three days - permanently.

Shortly after that I received an email from a lady at the local Equestrian Club. She was the new secretary and while cleaning out some old files she came across one of my business cards (I had given it the former president of the club several years earlier, with no positive results). She stated that she had looked at my website, liked my work, and asked if I was interested in photographing their horse shows. WOW...  It was kismet. Of course I said yes!

So far I've photographed Dressage, Hunter/Jumper and Obstacle Challenges so far, and looking forward to several more shows, including a Cross Country event, where - I think - I'll be able to be out on the course where I can take advantage of several visible jumps.

Needless to say, I've been busy with photo shoots this summer!  So busy in fact, that I haven't had any time to go out shooting for me. I get antsy sometimes, to just wander along the river or by a pond, to get some wildlife photos, but the dog and horse shows are building my business, so it's a sacrifice I'm willing to make. And there are other events I can still go to, either to photograph or just to sit and enjoy. But I still take my camera with me, because how much joy is there if I can't shoot photos???