PHOTOGRAPHY - GETTING CLOSE PART 2

WHEN IS CLOSE TOO CLOSE?
By Jim Foster

PART 2

The equipment on this trip was exclusively Canon. I was shooting the EOS-3 film camera and the EOS D-10 digital camera with several EOS telephoto and other lenses that would quickly change between the two bodies. Even though they were never needed, back-ups of both cameras were stored in my camera bag.

In many cases weight is very important so I use VANGUARD tripods either their lightweight composit models or one of my favorites the Alta Pro Aluminum Alloy tripod with a ball head.

Lenses were an EOS 100-400 zoom telephoto lens, a 70-300-zoom telephoto lens with a 1.4 doubler, a 17-35mm wide-angle lens and a 28-200 zoom lens. In addition to these basics was a Canon flash and two slave flash units.

Traveling with photographic gear in Africa can be interesting because of the few obstacles that are rarely encountered in the United States but must be overcome in other countries.

Any electronic equipment you bring will need to be battery operated or you will need the correct adaptors to convert your USA connections to one of the European type plugs. Making a mistake here can burn up your equipment. Ask your outfitter or travel agent about the requirements to plug in electronics. I also saved time wondering about what to use by taking along a solar charger that would charge laptop and camera batteries while running a laptop at the same time.

Close encounters of the wildlife kind over the years have been numerous and at times could have been problematic. Several of these were with North America’s largest carnivores, the brown bear or grizzly. I have photographed these huge mammals in Alaska and in the “Lower 48” many times and twice have had encounters that could have proven dangerous.

The first was in Alaska where Murray, a bear dog, led the irritated bruin away, and the second was after an 18-mile horseback ride up the North Fork of the Shoshone River in Wyoming. In the second encounter I was quite glad I had my Counter Assault bear spray on my belt. (Although I wasn’t required to use it.)

Wildlife photographers have a way of wanting a certain shot so badly that they forget safety and their good sense. If you will be traveling into country where animals live that can and do harm people use your head. In Yellowstone Park alone, bear, elk and bison injure many tourists.

Add the grizzly and black bear and strict caution should be observed.

Getting a good photograph is wonderful but ending up in a hospital bed or worse is not worth it.

JIM’S PHOTO TIPS

1. Use as long a lens as you can afford to help you get closer to wild animals.
2. Never think that the animals are tame. They are NOT.
3. When traveling, camping, or hiking through bear country carry a bear spray like Counter Assault pepper spray. Be sure you know how to use the product.
4. Use a faster speed setting when photographing wildlife, especially dangerous animals from a safe distance.
5. In parks like Yellowstone early mornings and afternoons are the best time to photograph wildlife. Just remember these ARE NOT PETS OR ZOO ANIMALS. That goes for bison and elk.
6. Use your common sense.

If you have comments or news for Jim Foster please e-mail him at: jim@jimfosteroutdoors.com

PHOTOGRAPHY - GETTING CLOSE

WHEN IS CLOSE TOO CLOSE?
By Jim Foster

If you are one of the many photographers who enjoy taking photographs of wildlife, then getting as close as you can to your subject is very important. The process of getting close could mean putting yourself in harm’s way and brings up an interesting question. When is close too close?

The morning was cool and clear. The photo vest worn over a long sleeved t-shirt was all that was needed to ward off the slight chill. A few light clouds had appeared just after sunrise but there was little or maybe no breeze along the dry riverbed. Today was my last day to photograph Kenya wildlife. Tomorrow I would fly to Nairobi and then home.

Rounding a sharp bend in the river I could tell we had closed the distance on a small pride of lion. At least two of the pride’s females were in season and a large male with a dark mane was being very attentive to the ladies.

Photographing these big cats in the wild was a thrill and I am sure my motor drive ran more film through the camera than I normally would have shot. But, this was real and the beauty and wildness of the moment became intoxicating. Little did I know what was waiting for me a quarter mile ahead.

The pride of lion had stopped to rest near the bank in the shade. We made a short detour away from the river hoping to intercept them in an area where the light was better. My guide had just mentioned to me how rare leopard sightings were and that in spite of growing up in Kenya had only been close to three leopards in his life. Just as he finished talking I glanced up and froze in my tracks touching his arm at the same time.

“You mean like that one?” I whispered. His silence was my answer.

Less than 30 yards ahead resting on the limb of a large sausage tree was a mature male leopard. He was alone and did not have a kill in the tree with him. His large yellow eyes were clear through the 300mm lens and I found myself holding my breath when he looked directly at me.

The leopard knew we were there but didn’t seem concerned. I was shooting as fast and as much as I could. My digital camera is relatively quiet and the leopard closed his eyes seemingly going back to sleep.

However, the eyes opened at the sound of the louder shutter when I switched back to my film camera and began snapping several frames - I suddenly felt like “food”.

The big cat stood and stretched looking us over. As I have been known to do I just kept shooting until I was out of film and switched back to my digital and shot more. I didn’t stop until the leopard had climbed down the limb, jumped to the ground, and slowly walked away stopping only once to mark a small bush and tree with his scent.

The photography had been excellent and walking among the wildlife offered one opportunity followed by another. Meeting and interacting with the Kenyan people was not only edifying but emotional as well. In many places it was like stepping back several hundred years in time. In reflection, the trip had been an experience I would find difficult, while at the same time easy to describe.

Photographing animals in the wild calls for at least a minimal amount of special equipment. Buying the best you can afford will take you a long way in the direction of producing some very rewarding images to capture the essence of wildlife and the outdoors without taking out a second mortgage on your home.

If you have comments or news for Jim Foster please e-mail him at: jim@jimfosteroutdoors.com

STAY TUNED FOR PART 2

HUNTING - A TOP BIRD HUNTING BUDDY

THE VERSATILE HUNTING DOG
by Jim Foster

The Texas ringneck pheasant season opens in less than a month. And, I am ready. Chasing these long tailed cackling birds has been a passion of mine for the last 35 years – maybe more. At the last count I have hunted pheasant in 14 states.

Getting my gear together for the drive to Hansford County in the Texas Panhandle for the opening of the season always brings back memories of hunts past and people who are no longer with us.

These thoughts carry over as we line up for the first walk of the hunt. Right up there with old friends past, are the dogs that broke trails and found places in our hearts. They may be gone but not forgotten.

One such bird dog was an English Pointer names Cindy. She was an all round quail dog with one exception – she just wouldn’t retrieve. On land she would locate dead birds but over water she wouldn’t even get her feet wet.

After some thought I bred Cindy with Bandit, a large Brittany, and the result was a "drop" and one of the best bird dogs I have ever had, Bob, a truly versatile hunting dog.

It was about this time I discovered what some people were calling a versatile hunting dog or a bird dog that could and would do it all. Along with my other dogs I always tried to include one of these on a hunt.

For many years it has been a German Shorthair Pointer (GSP). The dog I have now is a GSP. A dog that right now is asleep under my desk as I write this column. A real 24/7, 365 days a year buddy and companion – a requirement for a versatile hunting dog.

The breeds included in the versatile hunting dog group are; the German shorthair, the German Wirehair, the Munsterlander, Pudelpointer, the Spinone, Vizsla, Weimaraner, and the Red Setter. There are others but these are the main breeds.

Just getting a versatile pup is only part of the fun of your pup. Bringing pup up the correct way and then the training pup do adjust behavior to meet your expatiations.

I have just finished reading a book written by Chuck Johnson titled Training The Versatile Hunting Dog. To be rather candid, this is a great book, and not only tells you how to train your dog but tells you how to start a pup during its first and second years. These early training and life style tips will really give your pup a head start on other pups.

Other chapters teach you how to introduce pup to water, tracking, birds, and tips on how to chose a trainer if you can’t do it yourself. It also gives you an insight into the Versatile Hunting Dog Association and how membership will improve your dog handling as well as your hunting.

Even if you are planning a new bird dog pup and it’s not one of the versatile breeds, this book will be valuable in pups growing up and conditioning.

To order your copy contact them toll free: 1-866-400-2012 or go to their website: www.wildadvpress.com - E-mail: books@wildadvpress.com.

If you have comments or news for Jim Foster please email him at: jim@jimfosteroutdoors.com

PHOTOGRAPHY - BLOWING MY OWN HORN

Photographer, writer, speaker, and OWAA board member, Jim Foster won Honorable Mention in the 2009 Refuge Photography Contest sponsored by the National Wildlife Refuge Association, ATP Oil & Gas Corporation, Southwest Airlines, Barbara’s Bakery, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, and Wild Bird Centers of America.

His winning photograph of a Painted Bunting was taken on the Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge in Texas.

Jim Foster is a full-time outdoor writer who specializes in writing about and photographing nature, the outdoors, travel, and adventure travel. He has served as South Texas photo stringer for the Associated Press and was regional editor of two saltwater fishing magazines. A native Texan Jim now lives in Salmon, Idaho.

He is a columnist and feature writer for the Port Isabel Press and the San Benito Newspapers, the South Padre Island Times as well as his own well visited and sponsored on-line Blog He edited and wrote the OUTDOORS SUNDAY PAGE for the Valley Freedom Newspaper Group for over 7 years. Jim has just been signed on to write a photography column for the ISLAND PARK NEWS and their On-Line Magazine. This column will feature many of Jim's images taken in Yellowstone National Park.

His photographic images have appeared in magazines and newspapers across the country and in several books. He maintains an extensive stock photo file and sells to publications as well as the advertising community. Jim was the commissioned photographer for Henderson, Nevada to photograph their new birding and wildlife area. Henderson will be using the images for promotional items, their web site, and has produced a series of photo CDs on the areas wildlife. His birding images have been used by several Chamber of Commerce publications.

Jim is a member and serving on the board of directors of OWAA, and a member of Professional Outdoor Media Association, the American Society of Media Photographers, The National Society of Newspaper Columnists, The Southeast Outdoor Press Association, and is a past president (2 Terms) of the Texas Outdoor Writers Association and served 11 terms on the TOWA board of Directors. Over the years he has won over one hundred awards for his writing and photography.

His First DIGITAL BIRD BOOK is going into its second printing and his sponsored BLOG receives multi-K hunts daily.

Jim also is a popular lecturer and gives slide presentations on photography, fishing, hunting, wildlife, birding, and travel locations and events.

Jim has also written about and taught wildlife photography at several colleges and universities. He has also displayed his photography his photography at the Idaho State University gallery and several commercial galleries and has been a guest speaker schools and birding groups across the country on several topics.

END OF HORN BLOWING -

JIM'S GEMS - "THE" REFUGE

HUNTERS & FISHERMEN PAY - BUT NO PLAY
by Jim Foster

A known fact that has been around for quite a while is that hunters and fishermen were the first conservationists and remains so today.

Millions of hunter’s and fishermen’s self imposed tax dollars have been used to purchase and operate the National Wildlife Refuge System. These taxes were not forced on sportsmen but were taken on gladly in order to provide for the collective good.

It is a shame the people charged with the management of these “public lands” have a hard time grasping the facts of who paid for what. Of course we know the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) has become a “politically correct” bureaucratic agency having within their ranks the anti-hunting crowd. Maybe, just plain lazy might be a better nomenclature.

Now, I don’t want to be excessively hard on these people but a glaring example might be the small number of hunting days and hunters allowed on the Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge (LANWR). And, there is no fishing on the refuge proper.

Saying there is fishing on the refuge because the USFWS “leases” a strip of land to a county park does not mean there is fishing “on” the refuge. It is at best this is misleading information at worst a downright untruth.

A bit about fishing. The LANWR has mile after mile of bay waters that would be excellent wadefishing water. However, the refuge management has refused to listen to suggestions on how this water could be used for additional recreation. One reason given is that anglers would trash the shoreline. I walked this area last March and the whole are is littered with trash – who did this? With no fishing allowed the answer is NOT fishermen.

Bad excuse, so where are their clean up crews?

A few parking areas and entry points would provide fishing to hundreds of people and maybe justify the taxes they paid on their fishing equipment. I have offered to show the refuge how this could be done at very little cost but have hit a stonewall, excuses and more excuses. Being a bird watcher as well as an angler I can’t see the conflict.

The hunting year in the state of Texas begins September 1 and closes near the end of February with only a few exceptions that adds up to approximately 181 days Texas hunters may hunt and fish for a combo license fee of $60.00.

On the LANWR, the total numbers of days hunters may hunt is a whopping 22 days – that’s total. Wow, and that includes the two bow season held in December and January. Many hunts last only 2 days and the cost for any portion of these 22 days, is $60.00.

These minimal hunts take place on over 50,000 acres of the refuge that would support many more hunters and a larger number of animals killed. It would seem there is no actual management been done here.

Throughout the NWR System, excellent opportunities exist for sportsmen to pursue waterfowl, big game and much more.

Hunting is a popular public activity on refuge land and a practical means of maintaining optimal wildlife populations. This has led the USFWS to manage land to produce and maintain wildlife populations that will support the sport – or so they say.

It is also nationally recognized by the USFWS, that hunting is an important wildlife management tool on refuge lands. It is a real stretch to think 22 days of “low results” hunting opportunities will accomplish anything.

Now, as I have said not all refuge management exhibits this type of negative refuge use. I experienced a positive attitude when I visited the Brazoria NWR, near Houston and the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge in Utah where waterfowl hunting is not only allowed but also promoted.

The federal taxes are being paid daily but the rewards in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas are almost a moot point. It’s time for a change.

If you have comments or news for Jim Foster please email him at: jim@jimfosteroutdoors.com