October 26, 2011
Wild Burro Jenny And Foal in Custer State Park, South Dakota, and an interview with my stock agent

Here's another image of "Floppy" from our recent visit to Custer State Park, South Dakota. It was taken on a different day than the previous image, and there was a whole group of burros out milling around a parking area. Because they were so close and comfortable with the humans about, I photographed them with my 70-200 and 1.4x attached to my tripod practically at ground level. In this image, the jenny was biting the foal's ear to encourage it to stand up after taking a short rest after nursing.

Interview With My Stock Agent

My stock agent is going to feature me on their website, and here's the interview they conducted to gather information.

Where are you from and where do you live?

I was born and raised near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, then went to college in Georgia, graduate school in Illinois, and worked at a corporate job near Los Angeles, California. I moved to the Denver area of Colorado to start my nature photography business, and currently live full time in an RV so that my home and office can be near great shooting locations throughout western North America.

How long have you been a professional photographer?

I've been a professional photographer since 2003.

How did you first get into photography?

I was exposed to photography (no pun intended) at an early age because both my father and paternal grandfather were serious amateur photographers. I started taking pictures in elementary school with a Kodak Brownie that had been my mother's when she was young, then I moved up to a 35mm point-and-shoot, and finally to an SLR in high school. While in college and graduate school studying aerospace engineering, I read all of John Shaw's books and really developed my photography skills by spending more and more time in the field. I worked for McDonnell Douglas then Boeing in Long Beach, California, for seven years before leaving to find something more fulfilling to do with my life. After traveling around the world for almost two years, during which I visited Africa and Alaska for the first time, I knew that nature photography was what I would do next.

Where are you now and what are you shooting (or what is your next big trip)?

I'm currently in the Denver area visiting family and getting lots of office work done. I was recently in the Canadian Rockies for fall color and the elk rut, and just finished photographing black-footed ferrets in South Dakota, the most endangered mammal in North America. I'll be in the desert Southwest (Utah and Arizona) in December and January to photograph these wonderful locations with snow.

What are your favorite destinations/subjects to photograph and why?

My favorite destination for wildlife photography is Africa, in particular Kenya, Tanzania, and South Africa. There is a large variety of species and great numbers of each species — it's an environment that is unparalleled in other parts of the world. For example, if you visit Yellowstone National Park, one of the premier wildlife locations in North America, you'll see a herd of bison, some elk, maybe a grizzly bear, and possibly a wolf half a mile (0.75km) away. In East Africa you're practically guaranteed to see a whole pride of lions that you can usually drive right up to, then a herd of zebra, a group of elephants, several herds of Thompson's gazelle, a troop of baboons, and maybe a cheetah or leopard — all in one day.

Closer to home, I like the Rockies, in particular Glacier National Park in Montana and Banff and Jasper National Parks in Alberta. The mountains and Alpine lakes create a great environment for the wildlife and wildflowers. I also like the desert Southwest because the bare land provides some fantastic forms to work with.

How would you describe your style?

That's a tough one. Maybe "artistic documentation." I try to convey the sense of wonder and excitement that I feel when I'm surrounded by the beauty of nature, whether that's a spectacular sunrise at an Alpine lake or a majestic animal in great light. For landscape images, I really concentrate on the structure of the composition, and for wildlife images, I try to capture the essence of the animal.

Can you recall a favorite experience on your travels?

On my first visit to Alaska, I hired a guide to take me to Katmai National Park and Preserve to photograph grizzly bears. On the flight over, he told me that he was quite familiar with the bears that we were likely to see, and that he'd make sure that we wouldn't be in any danger. We landed on a small lake then started hiking across the tundra which was composed of beautiful shades of orange and red in the fall. We found a three-year old sow eating berries and approached to within 30-40 yds (25-35m). After she finished eating, she rolled around in the tundra, then started walking straight towards me. It was fantastic to get frame-filling head-on shots as she approached. I stopped photographing when she came too close to focus, then slowly stood up and watched her come right up to my tripod. She cautiously sniffed the tripod legs, and I figured that if the guide was OK with the bear this close, it was OK with me. I was even tempted to reach out and pet her. When she reached up with her claws and tugged gently at one of my tripod legs, the guide said, "That's enough Kara," and the bear turned and walked away.

Can you recall a particularly challenging experience while taking photos/travelling?

When I was leading a tour to photograph wildlife in Montana in the winter, the temperature ranged from ‑20 to 15°F (‑30 to ‑10°C) for four days in a row. Our RV is designed for cold weather, but not that cold, and our water pipes froze. Fortunately, it didn't break the pipes and we were able to heat them up to get the water flowing again.

How do you get such stunning shots?

Practice and luck. It's essential to be familiar with your gear and subject so you can capture the shot at the peak action, in other words, practice. The peak action can be obvious like a cheetah taking down a gazelle or less obvious like when the clouds move into perfect position around a mountain. Sometimes it's just luck — I was in the right place at the right time and I was ready to take the shot. Of course, the more you practice the luckier you become.

What are your tips for taking a good photo?

Practice, practice, practice. In addition to what I mentioned before, practice will help you learn about composition, light, and exposure. Experiment and learn what works for you as you develop your own style. Capturing the image is just the beginning. To paraphrase Ansel Adams, the capture is the musical score and the final image is the performance. Post-processing can transform a good capture into a great image.

What camera/s and equipment do you use? Do you have a favorite piece of equipment?

I use a Canon DSLR system with prime and zoom lenses that range from 17mm to 500mm. I use an EOS 1Ds Mk III body primarily for landscapes and an EOS 1D Mk IV body primarily for wildlife. If I had to use just two lenses, it would be the TS-E 24mm f3.5 L II and EF 500mm f4 L IS USM. The 24mm tilt/shift is my main landscape lens because the tilt motion lets me get close to an interesting foreground and keep it and the distant background in focus. The 500mm telephoto is my main wildlife lens because it not only gives me a good reach to photograph skittish subjects, but the narrow field of view helps me control the background.

What are your future plans?

I plan to keep exploring western North America and leading photo tours to East Africa. Iceland is high on the list of completely new destinations to visit because of the great landscape and wildlife opportunities.

What advice would you give for young photographers starting out?

If you want to make a living as a nature photographer, it must be your passion. It can't be something you merely enjoy doing, it must be something you are driven to do. If you merely enjoy photography, get a good-paying regular job so you can afford the gear and travel costs. Whether it's a vocation or an avocation, photograph what inspires and moves you because that will make your work meaningful and appealing to others.