As I mentioned in my last post, it is getting into the summer doldrums. The summer birds are here but they feel like I do. Just a bit lazy about getting out in the warm afternoons. So, to break up my routine a bit, I think I will veer away from birds only, in this post. After all, this blog is also about photography, not only birding.
As a longtime professional outdoor and nature photographer, I have encountered some very interesting and exciting photo opportunities. In the past fifteen years or so, I have amassed thousands of images, some great, some not so good. But I have been published in over a dozen publications or books, including many covers. My work has appeared on a billboard, murals and various websites, and in homes and offices across the country. Like any photographer, I have several favorites that that I have secreted back in my files. I thought it would be nice to share a few with you. If you like them, I may publish a few more in a later post.
Let’s start with this photograph that I took earlier this year down in Big Bend National Park. That area was created millions of years ago by exploding geological formations. Canyons were created. Mountains were created. Wow! It must have been something to see! This photograph shows some of the geodes that were tossed around by some kind of volcanic upheaval. In the back ground are hills of volcanic ash, called tuff. Those boulders are really just a bit larger than bowling balls, but with my 10x16mm wide angle lens they appear bigger. I actually got down on the ground to capture this. Fortunately, my dear friend and fellow professional photographer, Deb, was nearby and she and her husband helped me up. It’s hell to get old. Anyway,it turned out to be one of many favorite photos from my travels to Big Bend National Park.
Big Bend Moonscape
This bobcat was in the woods out near Spring Creek Park here in San Angelo a couple of years ago. Ann was with me, and we were creeping along a boundary fence next to a wooded area. Ann spoke up and said she saw a shadowy figure moving up ahead. We both then saw it as we got closer, and realized it was a bobcat. It was starting to get deeper into the woods. As we got parallel to it I hesitated. thinking that it was too far away to get a usable photo. But then, it stopped and turned facing us. I grabbed my Canon 70D and Tamron 150-600mm lens and settled it on the window sill of our car. By then there was a lot of brush between me and the animal, but I was using only my center focusing spot of the camera, and I was able to “thread” it through the twigs and branches to focus on the animal’s eyes, at a distance of about 75 yards.
Bobcat
This next photo of a Vermilion Flycatcher was created during another trip to Big Bend National Park. There are many great birding areas there, and we always try to visit each one. One of our favorite places to see a good variety is the Rio Grande Village campground. We were there late in the spring of one year and the snowbirds, i.e. visitors from the north that come south for the winter, had mostly vacated the area to return home. By driving thru the area, we see a good collection of birds and an occasional bobcat. Anyway, this photo is one of my favories of the flycatacher species.
Vermilion Flycatcher
Oh, yes, I must tell you about my photo life before birds. I was really into photographing flowers and landscapes. In San Angelo we have one of world’s largest and best water lily collections. For photographing flowers this is a must place to visit. For this photo I was down there late in the afternoon. Skies were partly cloudy with those nice puffy white clouds floating around. I browsed around the five pools of lilies, looking for the right shot. I came upon this particular lily, and I liked the way the lily was juxtaposed near the lily pads. The white clouds reflecting in the water look gold, because of a treatment in the water. I had and old film camera, I believe it was a Canon EOS3, and a Tamron 200-400mm lens on a tripod. I worked for around 30 minutes getting set up, as the cloud movement and light changed every few minutes. I finally was satisfied. I clicked three bracked exposures. Ann looked through the viewfinder while it was still on the tripod and remarked, “Bob, you have a real winner here.” This was the one of the three that I picked.
“La Prima Donna Magnifico” (Magnificent Ballerina”
Later, I was showing it at an art show, and an art professor from Angelo State University saw it and proclaimed it to be “La Prima Donna Magnifico”, meaning Magnificent Ballerina. I liked that name and went with it. The photo won me first place in three local art shows, and in an international competion sponsored by Photographers Forum Magazine it took 4th place out of about 18,000 color entries. It went on to be my most profitable image for several years.
I also love photographing golf courses. We have some beautiful courses here in San Angelo. I have done work for Quicksand Golf Course, and framed photos of all of their holes hang on the walls there. At least they were there the last time I played there several years ago. But one of my favorite golf images is one of the first hole at San Angelo Country Club. When I was photographing the course, I was trying to pick out a feature of the hole that was memorable. In this photo, I positioned myself behind a water pond short and to the right of the green and took the shot through the trees. You can see the flag there if you look close.
Hole #1 – San Angelo Country Club
Several years ago, a new Visitor’s Center for the San Angelo Chamber of commerce was constructed along the Concho River. Hailed as one of the most beautiful such visitors’ centers in the state, I decided to try and get a nice photo of it. To do so, I picked a morning when the water was dead calm and I could get a nice reflection. I chose a position directly across from the building so I could get the entire structure in the image. The exact spot that I needed was precisely where a tree was growing. I sat down on the ground with my back to the tree and composed the picture. Here is the result. For a short period it was on a billboard, north of the city, welcoming visitors to the area.
San Angelo Visitors Center
San Angelo Billboard
One spring Ann and I took a little tour in the hill country of Texas to see the Texas Bluebonnets in bloom. One image I particularly liked. We had come across this little knoll, and right before us was some bluebonnets in the foreground. Then right across a low water crossing there was a meadow with whitefaces, (Hereford cattle), grazing. I crouched low so as to get the bluebonnets in the photo.
Later, the people that owned the local McDonald’s Franchise contacted me to buy the rights to one of my images for a mural in one of their restaurants. I showed them my portfolio and they decided on that particular photo, as they liked the bluebonnets. They in turn had another compny make the mural, which turned out to be in a wall covering form. They installed it on a large wall. But, would you know, they positioned furniture in place that covers the bluebonnets. It still looks very nice.
McDonald’s Mural
Well, I think I will end this post here. I don’t want to bore you with to many of these memories. But I promise I will be back with some more soon. Please click on any image to see some very nice enlargements. I also feel obliged to mention, prints of any of my photographs are available for sale. If interested, contact me at bobzeller@pobox.com.
Texas Tweeties by Bob Zeller 