The San Luis National Wildlife Refuge Complex

Sometimes a road trip is in order. This weekend it was needed in a way that I cannot express in words. I had heard stories about the San Luis National Wildlife Refuge Complex recently, heck I even sold an image to the company building the new headquarters and visitors center for a display. But, I had never been there before. I had heard tales of Ross’s Geese (Chen rossii) as far as the eye could see, Lesser Sandhill Cranes (Grus canadensis) wintering here in the tens of thousands, mass fly-outs and fly-ins with the sound of the wing beats deafening and drumming as loud as a freight train. These, I thought, were tall tales spun by men drunken with the adventure only nature could create. I myself would have to experience this and dispel these myths.

Not interested in going it alone, I chose my traveling companions with care. My 11-year-old son Daniel, a budding nature photographer in his own right, and my good friend Marlin, who had been to the Promised Land only the week before. Marlin would give us great insight into where and when we should be going to certain locations, and Daniel, my son would provide familial support of our claims of grandeur should we experience those breathtaking, awe inspiring displays of the natural world we had heard of.

Our adventure began late in the afternoon on Friday. Our Mini-van loaded to the gills with all sorts of necessary as well as unnecessary equipment for the 4-hour trek to the refuge. With good conversation and high spirits, the trip to Los Banos, the gateway to the San Luis National Wildlife Complex passed quickly. Our only stop was in the bustling metropolis of Kettleman City to feed on "In and Out" Burgers. Our accommodations at the Best western Executive Inn in Los Banos were acceptable. They offered a free continental breakfast for which we planned to attend in the early hours of the next morning. Weary from our drive, we all crashed into our beds with peaceful thoughts of tomorrows adventure.

My head exploded with the sounds of classic rock blaring from the alarm clock at 5:10 A.M. someone should have checked that the night before, since I set the alarm, that someone should have been me. I paid the price and luckily my traveling companions didn’t hold it against me. We dressed quickly and headed downstairs for a feast of self made waffles, coffee and Danishes. With the urgency of a couple of vampires, we needed to be at our destination, the Merced National Wildlife Refuge, before the sun rose. We packed our equipment and headed off into the sunrise.


The Sun planned its journey across the morning sky as we arrived on location. We would be driving on a gravel road known as the Auto Tour Route a narrow one-way gravel road that allows wildlife viewing on either side of a vehicle. After stopping off at the boardwalk and kiosk area to get a view of the area, collect some informative pamphlets and make a run to the restrooms, we began our journey around the refuge.

How could we go wrong when the first photo opportunity would be a White-faced Ibis (Plegadis chihi) in silhouette with the reflection of the rising sun behind it? We stopped the van. Too close for the massive 500mm lens, I reached for the Canon 10D with the 100-400mm lens mounted. Some would say this is old technology but I still feel the 10D is a great camera. Using a Molar bag on my windowsill for added support, I aimed my camera. I couldn’t believe our luck; this Ibis wasn’t going to flee. I snapped off about 10 images at varying focal lengths as well as verticals and horizontals. You never know which composition might be the more pleasant. Marlin, who was on the passenger side of the van, captured images from over my shoulder. I can only presume that he was able to capture superb images as well. My son Daniel shot from inside the van and had some impressive images of his own.

Finding it difficult to break from the backlit Ibis, it made the decision easier by eventually flying off to better rooting grounds. We continued our journey around the wetlands. Our next stop was at a sign that mentioned photography blind parking, one car only. Since we were the only cars we could see on the road that morning, we took advantage of the parking space. As we walked out to the Blind sight, we couldn’t help but notice the massive number of Ross’s Geese nestling down in the shallow waters. There were hundreds of them in this location. Occasionally darting about the edge of the ponds were Black-necked stilts (Himantopus mexicanus) and an occasional American Avocet (Recurvirostra americana).

When we arrived at the location to the photography blind we were a little disappointed. Expecting to find some sort of structure to sit in and photograph, all we could see were two manholes covered with metal lids. Daniel began to explore them and I asked him not to lift the manhole covers as they probably led to some type of sewer enclosure. But, lo and behold, these were the blinds. We were pleasantly surprised by the fact that they were cement capsules that had a stool in them at just the right height for a person to sit and have their head and camera out at ground level. These were well thought out! For the best images are captured at the same eye level of the subject so that you can relate to the animal.

After exploring the Blind we headed back to the van. Now, with the thousands of geese in the area, it must be expected that there will be great deals of goose poop about as well. Lo and behold our shoes had collected a fair amount and needed some scraping and cleaning before entering the car. After much scrubbing and scraping, we took off. We hurried around on the gravel road in fear that if we waited too long, we would miss the grand spectacle called the early morning fly-out.

The top of the ponds were covered with more Ross’s Geese than I had ever seen in my life. Spotted here and there, the occasional American Avocet and Black-necked stilt wove in and out of the crowd. Then as if by some inner, telepathic means of communication, one, then another then two began to rise from the crowd. Then as if by some strange command, they all began to lift of in mass. The sound of wing beats at first a low grumble, the honking began to become loader. Then as though a freight train were passing by, the noise became almost deafening. My jaw dropped and I almost forgot to raise my camera and shoot. There is nothing that I can compare to date the awe inspiring feeling of seeing a thousand Ross’s Geese lift off in mass fly out. It was a fact, the stories, and the myths, there was nothing here to dispel. I was anticipating that the day would only become more spectacular.

As we photographed the fly out, the geese intermixed with the Sandhill Cranes. Thousands upon thousands of migration geese and cranes circled in mass above our heads. As far as the eye could see above us a swirling, undulating cloud of birds gave me one thought, “I should be wearing a hat”! Though I was lucky not to be hit with any falling not all in our party would fair so well. I shall leave the victim nameless but suffice it to say, they were smart enough to be wearing a hat!

During the constant action, we met a fellow NANPA (North American Nature Photography Association) member by the name of Rita. Rita was a graduate of the Rocky Mountain School of Photography and a Nikon Shooter. Rita is a very nice British lady with a passion for Nature photography. Marlin, myself and Daniel hung out with her for a little while until we decided to move on down the road to see if we could capture a couple of the Sandhill Cranes that had stopped close to the road.

After Photographing the Cranes, we decided to head off and check out the San Luis National Wildlife Refuge. Construction on a new Visitors center as well as the refuge complex headquarters was under way. This is the location where one of my images is going to be used. The highlight of this refuge is the location of a herd of Tule Elk (Cervus canadensis nanodes). I think due to the construction, there was a lot left to be desired on the day that we attended. The highlight of the visit was a group of coots that made a mad dash across a small canal. I look forward to visiting the San Luis Refuge after construction is finished.

After our brief time at the San Luis National Refuge, we headed off to a remote road call the Santa Fe Grade. This is a very rough dirt road that is home to many Duck clubs as well as vast wetlands. Driving on this road one could see an abundance of White-faced Ibis’s, Pied-billed Grebes (Podilymbus podiceps), American Avocets, Black-necked Stilts, Common Moorhens (Gallinula chloropus) and numerous types of ducks for which is the reason for all of the hunting clubs. As an added bonus, there were many sightings of both male and female Northern Harriers (Circus cyaneus) We spent a great deal of time on this road photographing all that would present its self.

As we only had a couple of hours before sunset, we decided it would be best if we headed back to the Merced Wildlife refuge, It would be getting close to time for the mass fly-in for the night and we didn’t want to miss this spectacular highlight and finale to our trip. We had hoped for a spectacular sunset but instead the clouds were building for the coming storm that would hit the next day. As we looked to the north, we could see black clouds of white geese and Sandhill Cranes heading towards the refuge. Our fly-in was beginning to start. We waited by the ponds for the geese to land but they had other ideas. They choose to land together in a field nearby. We waited and waited, but they just kept landing at the collection point a few hundred yards away. We noticed out British friend Rita parked a little bit farther down the road.

Rita was waiting for the fly-in as well and so what better than to wait with a newfound friend. We waited, and as the light faded we experimented with low-light photography, flash photography and motion blurs with the masses as they flew in and out. It didn’t appears as though we were going to get the mass fly-in that we had hoped for and the sunset was leaving a lot to be desired. Still, despite the anti climactic end to the day, we had experienced so many amazing sights. With a three-hour drive a head of us, we bid Farwell to Rita, The Refuge and all the spectacular waterfowl. Did the trip live up to all of the hype and tall tales of nature’s grandeur? You bet it did!

Shooting Blind is for the Birds

The soft glow of the morning sky hinted at the coming sunrise. My breath flowed visibly out on the cold frosty air like steam billowing from a thermal vent. I loaded up the Mini-van with camera gear, thankful and willing to pay homage to the deity of long underwear, my body at least was kept warm. My focus this month was on small bird photography; I had several locations in mind. This particular morning though, I would be heading out on private land to photograph from a blind with my good friend Don. Something Don and myself had been planning for quite some time.

We arrived with good time and waited quietly for the show to begin. Now, I would like to say that we sat in the blind and waited patiently for whatever bird just happened to come our way but it isn’t to be so. This particular blind was well equipped with feeders, piles of branches for the birds to hide in and bird seed, plenty of it. Some might call this cheating but I think of it as a necessary evil to photograph birds that are accustomed to people. No birds were harmed, distracted from feeding or fed chocolate or any other harmful substances. These birds had been coming to these feeders for generations before I even took up photography.

As if the rising sun were their cue, the birds began to arrived. The first ones out were the sparrows, Song Sparrows (Melospiza melodia), and White-crowned Sparrows (Zonotrichia leucophrys) then the Towhees, California Towhee (Piplio crisalis) and the Spotted Towhee (Piplio maculates) one of my favorites! Following in suit, were the Western Scrub Jay (Aphelocma californica), the Red-winged Black Bird (Agelaius phoeniceus), Oak Titmouse (Baeolophus inornatus), Chestnut-backed Chickadee (Pocile rufescens) and the California Quail (Callipepla californica) just to name a few.

As the morning progressed small Brush Rabbits (Sylvilagus bachmanii) began to appear, hopping about and nibbling on the fresh grass sprouting underneath the Coyote Brush (Baccharis pilularis). Another small mammal, and one that I had not expected to appear, found its way to the feeders. Western Gray Squirrels (Sciurus griseus), three to be exact tipping and tilting the feeders as they bound from ground to platform stuffing their cheeks with seeds and nuts. A rustling to our right from the bushes exposed three Black-tailed Mule Deer (Odocoileus hemionus). One doe and two fawns crept slowly and warily about 30 feet in front of the blind. They could sense us but could not see us and after a short period of time passed they took off up a near by hill spooked by the idea of being watched.

Back to the birds, they would come in waves. For moments of time, there would be hundreds, then at the snap of a twig or the rustle of a leaf they would either fly off in hiding or into the stacks of branches that were strategically placed around the base of the feeders. Slowly they would emerge again and again. One often talks of the quiet solitude of nature, but this nature was a loud feeding frenzy of squawks, calls and chirps. There was plenty to aim a camera at!

But, it isn’t enough to just have hundreds of subjects to photograph. You have to catch them in the right light, on the right perch with a pleasing background. This is where the work is involved. These subjects are constantly on the move. Rather than chase them around, it is best to study a possible perch that is frequently used, pre-focus your camera and wait for a willing subject to strike a pose. Simple is always best. I try to isolate my subject against an uncluttered background that I can throw out of focus and get a good bokeh.

The Sun broke over the tops of the nearby hills flooding the foreground around the base of the feeders with brilliant white light creating difficult contrasts and often times overly back lit subjects. After trying to capture birds with a good rim light around them we felt that perhaps we had already made the best of the morning and it was time to leave things to the birds. As I am beginning to understand, it is proper and almost expected etiquette to get lunch after a good photo shoot and so we headed off to the nearby city of Morro bay for a great lunch and stimulating conversation, Happy with our mornings outing.

Water Dance of the Grebes

Santa Margarita Lake, home to a wide variety of camera-ready wildlife. It was here that the first adventure for the week took us. As most mid-week trips begin, I dropped off the kids at school and met my friends Marlin and Dennis back at my house. We loaded up the minivan and headed east to beautiful Santa Margarita Lake.

It was a nice day and the light was good. Upon entering the grounds we made for Mackey point to see what we could find in that area. Entering from the dirt road and driving around the point gave us a great view of Blinn Bay. Not much out there but a couple of distant Grebes either Western or Clark’s, too far for a proper I.D. As we rounded the point we caught sight of two Ring-necked ducks, a male and a female. Being shy in nature, they quickly swam out of distance for our lenses. We all discussed going back later to try our luck again.

We pulled into the parking lot of the Osprey Flats area and looked out across Murphy Bay. Only months ago I caught on Osprey repeatedly striking the water but coming up empty-handed. This time we would be the ones coming up empty handed. In the distance there were more Grebes. Marlin would tell us that you could hear the difference in the calls of a western Grebe and a Clark’s Grebes. The Western gives off a two-part “Kr-r-rick, Kr-r-rick “ While the Clarks gives off a solitary “Kree-eek.” It is always a pleasure hanging out with people that are much more knowledgeable then oneself as it allows for greater learning.

Our next stop on our loop around the lake is a favorite spot of mine. The birds here have obviously been conditioned to people. This makes for some really compelling photography. Here we have the Acorn Woodpeckers, Oak titmouse, White –breasted Nuthatch and a very cute California Ground Squirrel that frequent the area. Not being shy here, they come around looking for handouts. If your not careful, the Acorn Woodpecker will move in and steal part of your lunch!

After a very difficult separation from the easily photographed birds, we moved out to drive White Oak and Vaca Flats. This is one of my favorite areas of the lake and often times are blessed with the sighting of a Bald Eagle or two. Arriving at the Vaca Flats area we look out across Salsipuedes Bay. More Grebes and American coots floating around, a Western Bluebird flitters by and we discuss this being the best place to launch a kayak onto the lake. On the way back to the White Oak flats area, Dennis, a master of Mycology, stops to show us examples of various mushrooms and fungi.

Arriving at the boat launch area of White Oak Flats, we see a fellow photographer and birding enthusiast Steve, watching a pair of Western Grebes. They are going through a mating ritual, necks stretching, arching and turning. The most beautiful thing about these grebes mating ritual is when they pair up and run across the top of the lake. Collectively, a group of Grebes is called a “Water dance” of Grebes. If you saw the mating ritual, of which we were privileged, to see and capture, you would feel that this is an appropriate name.

Getting a little hungry and running out of time, we decided to head back to the Mackey point area and see if we could get close enough to the Ring-necked Duck. We were in luck. The mating pair swam towards our van, the iridescence purple of the Drakes feathers shown brightly and made for a great photo op. I lowered the 500mm plus 1.4xTC and snapped away. I was pretty pleased with the results. It always amazes me when an ordinary day out becomes extra ordinary based on the opportunity to capture one species in just the right light.

After Lunch, we headed home. Me to pick up the kids and Marlin and Dennis to their respected homes. Not bad for a half day of photography, but it left me wanting more time out at the lake.

A day at the Beach

What a crazy week it has been. Obligations other than nature photography exist and at times we are required to fulfill those. Last week was no different. Going into the week I foresaw only one day to get out and about. Wednesday. I hadn’t yet been up to see the Northern Elephant seals at the Piedras Blancas rookery and it was about time. Only a 30-40 minute drive I would arrive around 9:00 A.M. after dropping the kids off at school. So I packed all the equipment, kids and a snack and headed out. First stop school then points north.

I arrived at my destination, not the over crowded super packed elephant seal viewing area that everyone else goes to but, a smaller less known beach. A beach where I could breathe in the warm smell of Elephant seal all to myself. The light was still pretty good though I knew my time was limited. There were a few translucent clouds in the sky acting as a great diffuser but sooner than later I knew the light would turn harsh.

Well, now there is nothing more exciting than watching a 1-ton elephant seal snore except watching about two dozen of the great behemoths snore. Patience I told myself, waiting is part of nature photography. So, I waited. And I waited, and I waited. Then it happened, one moved! I steadied the camera, checked my settings, my heart started to race, something amazing was about to happen…then it closed its eyes and began to snore again. We were getting nowhere fast.

Down the beach a ways I notice seagulls gathering. Hmmmm this could be interesting. A very large female elephant seal let out a rather large bellow. She clamored up the beach, something trailing behind her, something slimy, something that the seagulls were very interested in. Then it (the slimy thing) let out a cry of its own. Birth. Well, I missed it. But I wasn’t going to miss the bonding moments that followed.

As the new mother slowly progressed up to the beach, she called out to her newborn pup, the pup responded. Despite the seagulls tugging at the still attached umbilicus, it slowly made it’s way to its mother. Briefly they touched noses in an act of recognition and then the pup moved in to nurse. Now, isn’t this is what Nature photography is all about?

Startled, I turned rapidly to the left. From out in the water, came a great bellow, a loud roar, almost a snort of sorts. Someone wanted to come a shore. From the shoreline a similar roar echoed back a challenge. This wasn’t going to be easy task and someone was going to have to give. A young male elephant seal pressed himself towards the beachhead. Another young male on the beach moved towards the surf. There was going to be a battle. They met at the waters edge, snorting and vocalizing they sized each other up. Then with a speed not thought possible in such a large animal, they clashed. Nipping, biting and cutting each other’s scarred flesh about the neck. They battled for the supremacy.

It didn’t last nearly as long as I’d hope. The bull on the beach gave way, turned tail and began to run, chased by the newcomer. Finally ashore, the interloper found its place among the many and rested. After a short while it too began to snore with the occasional flipping of sand onto its back to act as a sunscreen in the warm rays of the sun.

The clouds from earlier in the morning had burned off and the suns harsh light began to beat down upon the sand. Too much contrast between the light colored sand and the dark skin of the Northern Elephant seals; it was time to wave good-bye. Good-bye to the harbor seals mounted on their rocks out in the ocean, good-bye to the snoozing Elephant Seals, Good-bye to the seagulls waiting to clean up the next birth.

Bald Eagle Count at Lake San Antonio

This would be an even earlier morning than before. The alarm screamed its wake up call at 5 A.M. My son Daniel and I would bundle ourselves in several layers of clothing. Packing our equipment into the car we headed out to pick up our friend Marlin. We drove for a good hour and 40 minutes once again leaving the clear skies of the coastline for a foggier inland lake. Conversation was good and we had high hopes of a successful venture looking for Bald eagles.

We arrived a little bit early in hopes of getting some birding in before the Eagle tour boat would leave. The fog left a lot to be desired. We did see Acorn Woodpeckers, Oak Titmouse, Ravens and near the waters edge, Yellow-billed Magpies. After a little bit of birding, we met the rest of the volunteers for the Eagle count at the visitors center where we partook of some hot coffee, hot chocolate and donuts. Then it was off to the tour boat “Eagle One” to begin the adventure.

Did I mention that we had bundled up with layers of clothing? We were thankful for long underwear, gloves and warm hats. To say it was cold would be an understatement. The cold penetrated any place that wasn’t insulated. Though I had new gloves that allowed me to pull back the covering of the index finger, they proved worthless in keeping out the cold. My son Daniel was fortunate; our friend Marlin, being an experienced photographer and birder had brought small chemical hand warmer packets of which he gave two to my son.

It wasn’t long into our journey before the action began. Someone on the boat called out that there was animal movement on the shoreline. Five or so coyotes were on the beach running about. I had never seen so many together at one time. There must have been something good to eat near the waters edge because close by we spotted our first Immature Bald Eagle. It sat in an oak tree near the waters edge. It was a good distance off and a difficult capture.

Shortly there after, we would have the best spot of the day. Two mature bald eagles sitting together on a branch. Unbelievable! They were close enough from the shore to be able to get a pretty sharp capture with a 500mm and a 1.4 teleconverter. The boat slowed down and we were given a great opportunity to view and capture these two from various angles. No longer cold from the fog, as our excitement from the sighting had warmed us all with anticipation.

All around the boat, Bonaparte’s gulls flew. Darting in and out skimming the surface of the water. Hard to capture bird in flight images. Marlin would masterfully capture one displaying the wingspan and markings across. Head black in breeding adults, white in winter with a dark spot behind the eye. These were in their winter plumage.

Again, excitement brings us back to the shore of the lake. This time two rather large feral pigs are rooting around. As if noticing our observations, they up and run into the oak forest that outlines the lakes southern edge. Our attention drawn to the shoreline gives us our first sighting of an immature Golden Eagle. Perched high in the tree, and difficult to make from the background, it can be distinguished by is trace of golden neck feathers and white tail band.

The sun began to break through the fog and our bodies warmed. A good distance on the northern shore we would be able to witness a large nest with two mature Bald Eagles tending it. Too far for a capture, it was good to see a nesting pair.

After several hours on the lake, it was time to head back to shore. Waiting for us was a warm BBQ with great food and companionship.

On the drive home as a good omen, we had a large Bobcat cross the road. We stopped to take photos but it was backlit and in thick grass. What the heck, sometimes you just have to take the shot even if you know it isn’t going to be a keeper. Sometimes it’s necessary to document the sighting. All in all, the day would bring us a count of five Bald Eagles, four mature adults and one immature and four golden eagles. Not bad for our first Bald Eagle count.

As we headed into the sunset, we dropped Marlin off at his house and thanked him immensely for the invitation, camaraderie, and experience. Tired from a day out on the lake. My son and I returned home to share our days adventure with the rest of our family, take a warm shower and enjoy a well heated home.

Up early the next morning: Santa Margarita Lake

Up early this morning, drop the kids off at school and head out to meet Steve and Liz for some Photography at Santa Margarita Lake. My hopes are high as I look out and see nothing but clear blue skies. Living close to the ocean, little did I know that this was the kiss of death for anyone hoping for clears skies inland. As we peaked Cuesta Grade on Hwy 101 heading to our destination, we were enveloped in a blanket of fog. Optimistically I chirped, “ I’m sure it will burn off soon”

My friend Liz, being an amazing photographer, saw opportunity in the fog. She asked me to pull over on Hwy 58 as she captured images of oak trees, their silhouettes outlined and made ethereal by the low lying mist. Had I more vision, I too would have been snapping away.

As we approached the lake, the fog had yet to burn off. Optimistically, I mentioned, “Soon I’m sure it will burn off”. We drove in and headed towards the boat launch. My friend Steve being a talented photographer in his own right began snapping away at things that I could not see. A master at seeing line, shape and composition, he captured images that I could only dream of taking. He took wonderful imagers of the dock disappearing into the fog as though floating off to nowhere. Reeds reflected on a soft and subtle background. I learned so much by watching both Steve and Liz as they masterfully captured images.

Still, being a photographer of wildlife, I looked around for opportunity. The world can be a cold, dark place if you don’t open up and look for opportunity where you think none exists.

The sun finally broke through. I gleefully snapped away at Buffleheads, a variety of Grebes and a Pintails. I should have checked the settings on my camera. IS (image stabilization) was off and later I would find out my hand held images would turn out blurry and out of focus.

After a great lunch, we headed to the Reservoir Canyon area for some waterfall imagery. The falls were spewing forth a torrent of white water, as I have never seen. Once again Steve would create magical imagery with the waterfall in black and white.

Today was a great day for me; I learned so much from going out and shooting with fellow photographers. Look for inspiration where you see none. Look, and then look again. Before you go out and shoot, make sure your camera has the correct settings, check and make sure that the switches on your lens haven’t accidentally been flipped. Check, and then check again.

After arriving home, a call later that evening would confirm an invite to participate in the Bald Eagle count at Lake San Antonio on Saturday.

The First Week of the New Year

This was a good week for nature photography. As the rains subsided and the skies cleared there were a great many opportunities to get out and about. I needed to get out this week and get some shooting done. The most difficult thing to decide, where do I go? I checked the weather, the tides, and loaded the vehicle with my implements of destruction. The tide was high and the estuary was inviting.

My original intent was to shoot the large flock of White Pelicans that were floating near the shoreline. They had other ideas. As I approached through the flooding pickle weed, camera and tripod slung over my shoulder, I contemplated the need to purchase rubber boots, as my budget hiking shoes just weren’t repelling the water. I sloshed to the waters edge and the Pelicans floated away. Thinking sour grapes, they were backlit and I probably would have blown the exposure.

I noticed off to my left a glassy pond of water that had a rather large flock of American Avocets in it. It was spotted with the occasional Tern; I focused my Camera on them. As a good friend of mine often states, “Lets see what we are given today” Staying low to the ground, I shortened the two rear legs of my tripod and extended the forward facing leg. This allowed me to reduce my shooting angle. Desiring to keep my tush dry, I sat it on a nearby log and shot the Avocets from there.

In the early morning light, the Avocets were quite active. Their reflections in the still water only broken by their upturned bills plunging here and there for a morsel to eat. The Terns occasionally opened their bills as if yawning and bored by the constant running about by the Avocets. A behavior I’m sure that is something other than the anthropomorphic explanation I’ve given. In flew a snowy egret that put on a good show nearby offering itself as a great subject. I sat and photographed it for a while until it chose to fly away and fish elsewhere.

The sun rose close to noon and activity among my subjects waned. The American Avocets sat motionless with their heads tucked into their bodies, the terns closed their eyes and the tide began to recede. It was time to go home and see if I had captured anything worth keeping.

In the Beginning...

"Dandilion Dew drops"...The image that started it all for me.

Well, this is it, the introduction to the long awaited Blog for Quintana Studios and Donald Quintana photography. O.K. So perhaps you weren't waiting. Perhaps you didn't even know there was going to be a Blog. Nonetheless, here it is.

It is my hopes that with this blog we will catalog the journeys we take around the globe photographing the natural world. Sharing locations, techniques and above all sharing stories and images. I hope you will stop in often and see what we have been up to and share with us your thoughts and feelings about our adventures. Until then, we'll see you around.

Thanks for stopping by~